Yahuui Blog: April 2014

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Software : Microsoft Office for iPad finally adds printer support

Microsoft Office for iPad finally adds printer support

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Microsoft has released an update for Office for iPad that adds the ability to print Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents using any AirPrint printer.

Millions of people downloaded the apps, and thousands sent in feature requests, Microsoft wrote in a blog post.

Apparently printing was the top-requested addition, and now it's arrived.

An Office 365 subscription nets users important features - including the ability to actually create and edit documents - but the free versions of the apps can still use the new printing feature.

SmartGuides and Autofit

Word users can print a document with or without markup, and Excel users can print a specific range, selected worksheets or whole spreadsheets.

Meanwhile the update also adds SmartGuides for PowerPoint and AutoFit for Excel.

SmartGuides act something like Photoshop's "snap to" feature, helping users align the elements of a slide for neater-looking presentations.

And Excel's Autofit feature lets you adjust the height and width or multiple rows or columns simultaneously.

Too little, too late?

Microsoft is very late in releasing its official Office apps for iPad, and with basic features like printer support missing, these apps may seem like something of an afterthought.

But the company's Office Team wrote that it's "committed to keep improving the apps" and invites users to continue submitting feedback.

The app updates, available now, also include bug fixes and stability improvements.

Microsoft Office on iPad: too little, too late?

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Apple : Apple reportedly readies $17 billion bond offering, preps for acquisition spree

Apple reportedly readies $17 billion bond offering, preps for acquisition spree

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Apple is preparing to raise $17 billion (about £10bn, or AU$18.3bn) in a bond offering, according to numerous reports. The cash generated would reportedly be used to fund a share buyback and to initiate a round of acquisitions.

During the company's earnings call last week, during which it announced it sold 43.7 million iPhones and 16.3 million iPads in Q2, Apple said it would increase its share buyback from $60bn (about £35.7bn, or AU$64.8bn) to $90bn (about £53.5bn, or AU$97.2bn). Apple has approximately $150 billion (about £89b, or AU$152bn) in cash, 88% of which is held overseas. However, the company would be forced to pay 35% in taxes to bring the money back into the US.

Apple has $38 billion (about £22,6bn, or AU$41bn) in domestic cash but would like to increase domestic liquidity in order to "grow the business and execute capital expenditures and acquisitions," Luca Maestri, Apple's CFO said, during the earnings call.

Historical significance

The bond issuance would be the second largest corporate bond sale of all time, behind Verizon's $49 billion (about £29.1bn, or AU$53bn) issuance, and just ahead of Apple's six-part $17 billion (about £10bn, or AU$18.3bn) bond offering, both of which occurred last year. The offering may occur as soon as this week, according to Bloomberg.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Apple has acquired 24 companies in the past 18 months, including most recent purchases photo app company SnappyLabs and iOS testing platform Burstly.

What might be...

The Cupertino-Calif.-based company is "closer than ever" to launching new product lines, according to a statement made by CEO Tim Cook. New devices include an iWatch and an Apple TV set-top box. Apple is also rumored to be launching updates to its 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Airs next week, and it is rumored to be investing in a mobile payments service.

Find out what to expect from Apple in 2014.

Software : Is Acer CEO Jason Chen gambling by banking on BYOC?

Is Acer CEO Jason Chen gambling by banking on BYOC?

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The birth of BYOC

Four months into his tenure as Acer CEO and President, Jason Chen has revealed his company vision: to make Acer the personal cloud service for consumers. Speaking at a press conference in New York City, Chen said Acer's focus will be on providing consumers with a technology platform stored on a localized PC hard drive that will enable consumers to reach all of their data, all of the time, on any device.

Chen has coined his vision, "BYOC" or bring your own cloud, and he said it evolved from research Acer conducted to determine where consumers were storing the majority of their data.

"Cloud is a great concept," Chen said, at the press conference. "But the number one place people keep their data is in their PC hard drive."

Head in the clouds?

Despite a burgeoning market of cloud technologies geared toward the general consumer, namely Amazon Cloud, Apple iCloud and Google Drive, consumers continue to rely on their localized hard drives to store data. Gartner Research projects only 36% of consumer-owned digital content will be stored in the cloud by 2016. As of last year, 55% of consumers had never used a cloud storage service, and as of two years ago 51% of people said they believed stormy weather could interfere with cloud computing (they were incorrect, in case you were one of the respondents).

Chen said consumers feel safer, more secure and they feel they have more control with data stored on hard drives. "If you can keep your storage under control, in a place that you can feel secure, that will be your own cloud," he said.

However, Acer is willing to gamble on the future of cloud, and more importantly, the willingness of consumers to adopt and regularly use a personal cloud device. The Taiwan-based company is willing to share its platform across brands, by enabling consumers to use the BYOC platform regardless of whether or not the device is Acer-produced.

"All you need is one Acer product," to use Acer's BYOC platform, Chen said.

Liquid Jade and Liquid Leap

Smartphones and wearables

Chen joined Acer on January 1, replacing CEO J.T. Wang who resigned after a fiscal year in which the company posted an operating loss of $86.61 billion (around £54 billion, or AU$91.3 billion), and instituted a mandated executive pay cut of 30%. In Chen's first 100 days, he said he has been able to "stabilize the company and get our machine...humming again."

The new Acer is focused on the company's two pillars: core strengths and pursuable opportunities. As Chen explains it, Acer needs to evolve from being a PC company that makes other products into a company focused on continuous consumer connectivity. "Acer is in the PC industry. Many of you know the PC [industry] is not a growing industry. So what do we do?" he asked rhetorically.

Chen said he is looking at the smartphone market in a very similar manner as one would have looked at the PC market twenty years ago when "IBM and a couple of so-called premium brands [were] at the top," he said. "The smartphone industry today is deja vu all over again. We believe if we could apply our strength and the culture we inherited from Acer in the past 37 years to develop technology quickly, in a neat design, at an affordable price, we believe it would be an opportunity for Acer and our customers would appreciate it."

At the event, Acer previewed the July limited edition launch of the Liquid Leap, a 17mm-thick smartband that will act as both a fitness tracker and a smartwatch, and will give consumers text and call notifications. The company also previewed the Liquid Jade smartphone, which will be generally available in July as well, and it unveiled the Aspire Aspire Switch 10 and the world's first Chromebook with an Intel Core i series processor.

Were Acer notebooks a horrendous mistake?

Spotify's dark new look and Your Music features hit Android today

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Android users who have been looking jealously on as their iOS counterparts coo over the new-look Spotify app need envy no more: the revamped app is rolling out to Android tablets and phones starting today.

Over the next few weeks, all Android users should receive the update which brings a sleek new look, improved Browse feature and Your Music to the Spotify party.

Your Music lets you save songs and albums to your personal Spotify library rather than creating playlists to house them - the only downside is that the popular song starring feature is going the way of the dodo.

Umming and ahhing over whether to subscribe? Check out our Spotify review to find out if it's worth it

Monday, April 28, 2014

Apple : Is Apple launching two new Macbook Airs in the next 24 hours?

Is Apple launching two new Macbook Airs in the next 24 hours?

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The rumor that Apple will launch two new Macbook Airs this week just got cranked up to 11 with word that everything is going down tomorrow, April 29.

That's what Apple blog 9to5Mac says, having reportedly spoken with "multiple sources" who said the new Macbook Air laptops will be revealed on Tuesday.

According to these sources shipments of the new Macbook Airs have arrived at Apple Stores across the country, and Apple Store employees are preparing to re-arrange the laptops on display to prominently feature the new Air.

But is it really time to get hype? These new Macbook Airs will reportedly not be a major overhaul, but a minor update to the existing ones.

The smallest possible upgrade

The new Macbook Air will reportedly come in 11- and 13-inch varieties that are so close to the existing SKUs that their model numbers are hardly changing - the existing 13-inch is "MD760LL/A," while the new one will reportedly be "MD760LL/B."

The main difference in the new Airs will be the addition of Intel's latest Haswell chip, according to 9to5Mac.

A subsequent report on the site shows further evidence of this change with what looks like a photo of the new Macbook Airs' specs sheet.

It looks like the new chips feature the slightest possible boost, with an upgrade from the existing 13-inch Air's 1.3GHz processor with Turbo Boost up to 2.6GHz to a 1.4GHz chip with Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz.

Other than that the Macbook Air's specs will remain identical - until the rumored Macbook Air with Retina display drops later this year, that is.

Watch out for official word on the new Macbook Airs tomorrow.

Here's what TechRadar thinks of the iPad Air

Software : Amazon nixes Comixology iTunes and Google Play in-app purchases

Amazon nixes Comixology iTunes and Google Play in-app purchases

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Well it was probably only a matter of time, but Amazon has dropped in-app purchase functionality for the Comixology iOS app and halted purchases through Google Play within the Android app.

The wildly popular digital comics app was snapped up by Amazon for an undisclosed fee earlier this month and the firm has wasted no effort in giving the app the Kindle treatment.

The app updates, released this weekend, are designed to ensure Amazon will not have to fork over 30 per cent of every purchase made through the apps to Apple and Google.

However the move makes things less convenient for iOS users, who will now need to buy Comixology.com website before downloading to mobile devices.

Android users must sign up to the new PayPal or credit card payment system, as opposed to Google Play, before they can continue purchasing from within the Comixology app.

Striking a balance

As if to compensate, the app update also offers a $5 (around £3, AU$5.40) credit for all existing users.

In a statement Comixology's VP of Communications and Marketing Chip Mosher told Engadget: "As we move to complete the acquisition with Amazon, we are shifting to the web-based purchasing model they've successfully used with the Kindle, which we expect will allow us to strike the best balance between prices, selection and customer experience."

Mosher pointed out that iOS users can easily add the web store to their device's homescreen, while claimed purchasing through the site would offer additional benefits such as access to web-only bundles.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Software : Cisco's 'Managed Threat Defense' solution is designed to detect and prevent attacks

Cisco's 'Managed Threat Defense' solution is designed to detect and prevent attacks

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Cisco introduced a security solution geared toward attack detection and prevention, the company said in a statement. "Managed Threat Defense" is designed to leverage real-time, predictive analytics to ensure attacks that aren't detected by antivirus solutions are caught in real time.

The new tool is an on-premise combination of hardware and software. Cisco's team will be responsible for monitoring activity that occurs within the service network in order to attempt to detect incidents, provide response analysis, monitor incident escalation, and provide remediation recommendations. Incident tracking and reporting is available via a subscription.

Managed Threat Defense will be integrated with Hadoop 2.0 in order to attempt to apply predictive analytics to identify anomalous patterns in order to detect oncoming attacks. The solution is also designed to find vulnerabilities using pattern analysis and community threat intelligence data.

DDoS attacks

Cisco recently released patches for six flaws in its Internetwork Operating System. At the time Cisco said that the vulnerabilities were serious and could have been used to mount DDoS attacks on customers.

A recent Akamai survey reported DDoS attacks were 47% more frequent in Q1 2014 than they were during the same quarter last year.

The Internet of Things

In addition to investments in security solutions, Cisco has recently focused on helping clients construct an Internet of Things.

In March, Cisco said it would invest $1 billion (£605 million, AU$1.1 billion) to build what it says will be the world's largest Intercloud network to tackle the Internet of Everything. The two-year investment will see Cisco and its partners develop an open network of clouds with APIs for rapid application development to serve the enterprise market.

In February at Mobile World Congress, Cisco hosted a number of demonstrations on how to transform user experiences with heterogeneous access, how to capture new markets with elastic mobile networks, and how to monetize and optimize with experience-aware networks.

Cisco also unveiled plans to connect the Internet of Things to cloud data centers using "fog computing" solutions, which the company says will be a "highly virtualized platform that provides compute, storage and networking services between devices and cloud computing data centers."

Four-fifths of businesses aren't ready for attacks. Are you?

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Apple : Apple pledges to replace faulty iPhone 5 sleep/wake buttons

Apple pledges to replace faulty iPhone 5 sleep/wake buttons

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Apple has offered to replace malfunctioning or broken iPhone 5 power buttons for free.

Affected users in the US are able to submit their claim through Apple's support website, while iPhone 5 owners around the world can get in on the action from May 2.

Users will need to enter their phone's serial number through the replacement programme's website and then drop the handset off at an Apple retail store or mail it in order for it to be repaired.

Apple has specified that if there is any damage to the phone that impairs the replacement - such as a cracked screen - that must be addressed before the new sleep/wake button is fitted.

Recalls

Replacement programs are rare, but not unprecedented for Apple. Other recalls have seen iPod nanos brought in due to overheating concerns and problems with flash memory drives on MacBook Air laptops.

The only prior instance for the iPhone is the infamous 'Antennagate' iPhone 4 issue, which saw signal fall when the device was gripped in a certain way. In that case Apple offered 'bumper' cases for all affected users.

Software : Leaked images claim to reveal iOS 8 running on an iPhone 5S

Leaked images claim to reveal iOS 8 running on an iPhone 5S

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With Apple's annual developer conference quickly approaching, we have little doubt that somewhere in Cupertino there are devices already running iOS 8, and a new report could very well offer our first glimpse at one of them.

PhoneArena turned up a handful of images allegedly from Apple's forthcoming iOS update, which will presumably be unleashed in just over six weeks during the iPhone maker's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco.

One low-resolution image (shown below) appears to show iOS 8 running on a current iPhone 5S passed along by a generous reader using the screen name "Omar Sharif." We're pretty sure is not the star of stage and screen who shares the same moniker.

The tipster followed up with a trio of screenshots - two from iPhone and one from iPad - which reveal a bevy of icons for new apps that have been widely rumored to be included with the new mobile OS release.

iOS 8 on iPhone 5S leak

Eight is great

Although the four images don't immediately stand out as obvious fakes, the inclusion of a so called "Watch Utility" app is likely to raise eyebrows, although others for Healthbook, Preview, TextEdit and Tips fall in line with recent rumors.

Also clearly on display is an icon for iTunes Radio, which Apple is reportedly toying with the possibility of turning into a standalone app, rather than part of the existing built-in Music app.

Assuming iOS 8 breaks cover at WWDC, kicking off June 2, it's not surprising to see leaked screenshots making the rounds a month and a half early, even at the same time Apple is said to be readying an iOS 7.1.1 bug fix update.

Meanwhile, iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users still lingering on iOS 6 have apparently found themselves in the midst of an extended FaceTime outage since April 17, and the only resolution for now appears to be upgrading to iOS 7.1.

Oh, and don't forget to follow the latest on iPhone 6 as well!

Here are a couple of things we're expecting to see in iOS 8:

FutTv : qF7X7injV3X6R

Keep an eye out for your pals with Facebook's new Nearby Friends feature

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Facebook has risked opening up another can of wriggly privacy worms by introducing a new feature which allows users to see which of their pals are nearby.

The strictly opt-in Friends Nearby feature will begin rolling out to the firm's iOS and Android apps in the coming weeks, sending users occasional notifications informing them who is close by or on the move.

Facebook says the feature may come in handy for those wishing to meet up with pals when they spot them in the area and help them coordinate for concerts, movies and the like.

Those opting in will be able to choose which of their pre-selected friendship groups are able to see their location and will be able to switch Nearby Friends off at any time.

Two way street

The feature, which is similar to the Find My Friends tool in iOS, also works the other way, allowing people to track when their friends are out of town, including which city or neighbourhood they are currently in.

Facebook says this could be used to send friends recommendations for restaurants and attractions, and also allow users to arrange a meet up with a friend who's currently hanging out where they're heading.

Although this feature sure to raise privacy concerns; in order to see each other's movements, both friends must have opted in to Nearby Friends and agree to allow the other to see them.

In a blog post product manager Andrea Vaccani wrote: "Sharing your location with Nearby Friends goes two ways - you and your friends both have to turn on Nearby Friends and choose to share with each other to see when you're nearby. Your friends will only be able to see that you're nearby if you share this info with them and vice versa."

Will you be opting into Nearby Friends, or are you a little freaked out? Let us know your thoughts below.

Analysis: Why did Facebook buy WhatsApp?

Friday, April 25, 2014

Software : iOS 7.1 reveals evidence future iPads will have Touch ID

iOS 7.1 reveals evidence future iPads will have Touch ID
Microsoft profits fall despite consumer, business line sales increases
Revamped dialer leak suggests Android 4.4.3 may bring new features after all
Cisco's 'Managed Threat Defense' solution is designed to detect and prevent attacks

iOS 7.1 reveals evidence future iPads will have Touch ID

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Fingerprint recognition is fast becoming ubiquitous on smartphones, but there are indications that Apple might be planning to introduce the same technology into its line of tablet products as well.

GforGames.com turned up clues today that look promising for iPad owners hoping to see Apple's Touch ID fingerprint recognition sensor make the leap from iPhone 5S to their favorite tablets.

According to the Twitter account of iOS developer @bp_unicorn, fragments of code from the Biometric Kit included with iOS 7.1 appear to reveal several references to the iPad.

"I've just found a reference to the iPad family in Touch ID's resources... #TouchID on the new #iPad?" the Thursday tweet reads.

iOS 7.1 Biometric Kit code

Nothing new?

Rumors have circulated about the addition of Touch ID to the iPad lineup, with many expecting Cupertino to offer just such a feature with the latest iPad Air and iPad mini 2 with Retina Display models introduced late last year.

That speculation didn't quite pan out, but the UIDeviceFamily references in iOS 7.1 clearly define two families: The first covers iPhone and iPod touch devices, while the second, which is clearly noted in the screenshot above, covers the iPad family.

But not so fast: 9to5Mac scribe Benjamin Mayo tweeted earlier today that iPad-related biometric code has "been around for several iOS updates," potentially throwing cold water on the idea of Touch ID's imminent arrival on an iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 3.

Be that as it may, if Apple history tells us anything, it's that features new to one device more often that not do eventually make their way to others - so it may just be a matter of waiting until Cupertino is good and ready.

TechRadar digs deep to discover the best tablet for your money!

Microsoft profits fall despite consumer, business line sales increases

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Microsoft's Q3 2014 revenue remained flat at $20.4 billion (about £12.1b, AU$22b), compared with $20.49 billion (about £12.4b, AU$22.5b), in revenue during the same quarter last year. Operating income during the quarter decreased 9% to $6.9 billion (about £4.1b, AU$7.45b), during Q3, despite a decrease in operating expenses of $500 million (about £297m, AU$540m).

Microsoft's net income during Q3 2014 decreased 8% from $6.1 billion (about £3.6b, AU$6.6b) to $5.6 billion (about £3.3b, AU$6.05b), compared with last year.

The declines were partly the result of a $1.66 billion (about £9.8b, AU$17.9b) lift from deferred revenue in the comparable quarter last year, according to The New York Times. The deferred revenue was related to promotional offers Microsoft extended to customers buying new versions of Windows, Office and other products. Without that money, Microsoft's revenue grew 8% and net income grew 5%.

"This quarter's results demonstrate the strength of our business, as well as the opportunities we see in a mobile-first, cloud-first world," said Satya Nadella, in his first earnings statement as Microsoft CEO.

"The past two and a half months have been a period of significant change. In the months ahead we will be focused on two things: rock solid execution and moving the company forward," he added during an investors call.

Consumer products

Microsoft sold in 2 million Xbox console units, including 1.2 million Xbox One consoles, during the quarter. Surface revenue increased more than 50% during the quarter to approximately $500 million (about £297m, AU$540m).

Bing US search share grew to 18.6% of the market, while search advertising revenue grew 38%. The company's devices and consumer revenue increased 12% to $8.3 billion (about £4.9b, AU$8.9b) overall, compared with Q3 last year, due in large part to Windows OEM revenue, which increased 4%.

Office 365 Home reached 4.4 million subscribers during Q3, an increase of nearly 1 million subscribers from Q2.

Business-to-business

Microsoft's business-to-business revenue grew 7% to $12.23 billion (about £7.2b, AU$13.3b) during the quarter, with Office 365 revenue doubling compared with Q2. Azure revenue increased 150% while Windows volume licensing revenue increased 11%.

"Our SQL Server business grew double-digits again this quarter, and with the announcements of SQL 2014 and Power BI for Office 365, we offer a unique, comprehensive, end-to-end data and analytics solution," said Kevin Turner, COO at Microsoft.

Microsoft expects to close the acquisition of the Nokia Devices and Services business on April 25, the company said in its earnings statement.

Recent news

Last week, Microsoft made Office 365 available for $69.99 per year (about £41, AU$74) and previewed an application that offers users in-depth analytics and interactive capabilities for PowerPoint. The company also revealed three services designed to ease data capture, storage and usage: the SQL Server 2014, Microsoft Azure Intelligent Systems Service and Analytics Platform Systems. Plans for a $1.1 billion (about £65m, AU$1.18b) Microsoft data center in Iowa went public.

In March, the company introduced Microsoft Office for iPad and Microsoft's new Enterprise Mobility Suite, which includes a series of tools designed to make it easier for IT departments to manage mobile devices and protect sensitive data.

In February, Nadella was named the third CEO of Microsoft, succeeding Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates.

What were the highs and lows for Microsoft in 2013?

Revamped dialer leak suggests Android 4.4.3 may bring new features after all

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A leaked screenshot purportedly showing a revamped Android dialer has emerged online, suggesting the feature may be included in a forthcoming KitKat update.

The picture, unearthed by the XDA developers forum, showcases a colourful card-based UI complete with contact photos or, in the absence of a photo, the contact's first initial.

The new UI mirrors that of the Gmail app, but it appears Google is bringing the cleaner, less cluttered experience to Android KitKat calls.

Within the screenshot, the contact search bar remains at the top of the screen, while the blue action bar still sits at the bottom.

Bye-bye bugs

If the redesign is deployed within Android 4.4.3, it's likely to be one of few aesthetic changes brought by the update.

The forthcoming KitKat boost is largely expected to tackle bugs such as random rebooting of devices along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity issues.

Just last weekend Google issued an update for one of its education-friendly apps bringing support for Android 4.4.3, suggesting the rollout could be imminent.

Google Android Wear: what you need to know about the wearable-friendly OS

Cisco's 'Managed Threat Defense' solution is designed to detect and prevent attacks

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DDoS attacks

A recent Akamai survey reported DDoS attacks were 47% more frequent in Q1 2014 than they were during the same quarter last year.

The Internet of Things

In addition to investments in security solutions, Cisco has recently focused on helping clients construct an Internet of Things.

Four-fifths of businesses aren't ready for attacks. Are you?

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Apple : New Apple product categories are closer than ever, says Tim Cook

New Apple product categories are closer than ever, says Tim Cook

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The interminable wait for new Apple product categories continues but judging by CEO Tim Cook's latest comments we could finally be in the finishing straight.

24-hours removed from the company's earnings report on Wednesday evening, Cook spoke with the Wall Street Journal to assure fans and shareholders that the eagerly-awaited fresh line-up is "closer than ever"

The firm's chief reiterated Apple's long-held mantra that it will not rush product launches in order to be the first to market.

He said: "You want to take the time to get it right. Our objective has never been to be first. It's to be the best. To do things really well, it takes time. You can see a lot of products that have been brought to market where the thinking isn't really deep and, as a consequence, these things don't do very well."

Attention to detail

"We don't do very many things so we spend a lot of time on every detail and that part of Apple isn't changing. It's the way we've operated for years and it's the way we still operate. I feel great about what we've got coming. Really great and it's closer than it's ever been."

Apple's results saw strong iPhone says, but falling iPad numbers suggested the time is right for Apple to reinvigorate its line of products is ripe for a shake up.

The clamour for an iWatch/iBand (or whatever it turns out to be) continues to grow, while speculations suggests Apple will attempt to make a splash in the television market with a revamped Apple TV set-top box offering more content.

While Cook's vow that those products may be are 'closer than ever' are likely to resonate with some eager fans, we're still no closer to knowing when they might actually arrive.

Running mates: What are Apple and Nike up to?

Apple may launch two new MacBook Airs next week

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It's likely that Apple could announce a new Retina MacBook Air at WWDC 2014, but a source has come out of the woodwork to claim that we'll see some movement on the MacBook front before then.

Apparently Apple is preparing to update its 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Airs next week, but the new models won't be rocking a brand new Retina screen.

Instead it sounds like there will be a few spec bumps but nothing else extraordinary, especially considering that Intel's Broadwell architecture isn't expected until later in the year.

Airtight

The word comes from a so-called-reliable sources speaking to MacGeneration so it's completely unverified right now.

We're chasing this up at the moment but an Apple rep at one John Lewis store refused to comment on the matter.

If speculation is to be believed, Apple is preparing to launch an even thinner 12-inch Macbook Air with retina this year, and WWDC is looking like it'll be a good place to do so.

Does the 13-inch MacBook Air deliver?

Software : Vevo iOS app adds mini-player, will scan your iTunes for recommendations

Vevo iOS app adds mini-player, will scan your iTunes for recommendations
Personalised Instagram 'Explore' tab aims to give you more of what you want
Facebook to cover your news feed with even more auto-play video ads
Microsoft serves up Remote Desktop Preview for Windows Phone 8.1

Vevo iOS app adds mini-player, will scan your iTunes for recommendations

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Vevo is out with a sizable update to its iOS app, one that should have users streaming up a storm.

Version 3.0, landing in the US, Australia, UK and other regions, is brighter and more vivacious than previous versions. Vevo even stripped the old typography and icons from the application, making for a more refined experience on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

The menu button is now in a more accessible locale, and a new real-time Feed and souped-up Browse section are designed to making discovering new videos a breeze. Search is also seeing a refresh come its way, and users will likely appreciate the more relevant artist and video recommendations Vevo plans to surface.

Keeping on the video-viewing roll, Vevo has birthed a new mini-player to "keep videos in heavy rotation." Swiping down a video lets users continue using the app while floating more videos on the top. New "action buttons," visible throughout the app, will help users add videos to their playlists, share and jump into other functions as well.

Vevo miniplayer

Eyes on iTunes

One of the application's neater new functions is iTunes scanning. Vevo will peak at your iTunes music library and make video suggestions based on what it finds.

Playlists are also getting a little love as now users can watch them in shuffle mode, duplicate and copy Vevo's custom playlists to their accounts.

Finally, users in the US and Canada will find a new and improved Vevo TV experience; it's been broken down into three channels called HITS, FLOW and NASHVILLE (a.k.a. pop, rap/R&B and country). Swiping will wipe the channel and bring you to a new one.

Users outside those countries are stuck with Vevo TV's international channel offering.

Sounds like this app would look mighty fine on the iPad Air.

Personalised Instagram 'Explore' tab aims to give you more of what you want

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Whenever we accidentally hit the Explore tab in Instagram, we're generally greeted with a grid of painted fingernails, umpteen celebrity selfies and, on a good day, the occasional pretty face or pleasant sunset.

Now the Facebook-owned app is attempting to revive the feature and make it more relevant to every day users by introducing personalised photos and videos, based on content people they follow have liked.

That means whether folks prefer to follow accomplished nature photographers or have a penchant for reality TV stars, the content they see in Explore is more 'Wow' than 'WTF?.'

If, for example, users enjoy tracking photos from their hometown, the Explore tab might now serve up a snapshot of the area at any given time.

Give it a whirl

Acknowledging the update on his personal Facebook page, Instagram Co-Founder Mike Kreiger said: "If it's been a while since you checked out the Instagram Explore page, give it a whirl; the team's been working on incorporating personalised content in there now, too."

A Facebook spokesperson also acknowledged the change, explaining that the personalised content will still be mixed in with trending content.

The company added: "We're always looking to update the types of posts you see in Explore to better tailor it to you. We'll show you a variety of photos and videos that people you follow have liked, as well as content that is trending in the Instagram community."

The change gives Instagram an opportunity to differentiate itself from Vine. It's explore tool is focused on drawing users attention to the most popular content on the surface at any given time. Right now, it's annoying high school kids.

Opinion: Is Instagram Direct just following the crowd?

Facebook to cover your news feed with even more auto-play video ads

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Facebook is plummeting further and further down the ad-driven rabbit hole, and in its most recent earnings call the social network said it wants auto-play video ads to be a common sight in your news feed.

Facebook launched video ads in March this year. Some of those video ads - as well as some videos posted by your Facebook friends - play automatically, though the ads are currently muted by default.

"Those are going really well and I think explain some of the growth we're seeing in our ads business," Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said during the company's first quarter 2014 earnings call. "We also have been in early conversations with some clients about what would be a CPM [cost per impression] auto-play video ad.

"And in terms of the expectations for that, we really want to see auto-play video ads be something that's pretty common in the news feed experience, based on consumer usage, before we push very hard in the ads business."

Ad pioneers

Facebook's current forays into advertising, like the mobile ad network the company is testing, are admittedly somewhat exploratory.

But there can be no doubt that Facebook will "push very hard" into advertising soon, and that apparently means users will see even more auto-play ads.

"Video represents a really big opportunity, really driven by consumer behavior. Smartphones are getting better and faster, and more people have phones that can provide a great video experience," Sandberg said.

She continued, "There's also a lot more video going through the feed that consumers are putting in, and that creates an opportunity for us both on the consumer side and on the ad side."

Ads are growing strong

In a post-call email blast, Facebook referred to its forays into "premium video ads" as an area of "long-term investments and thoughtful roll outs, as we're focused on the user experience first and foremost." It included Instagram ads and the mobile ad network in the same category.

Overall Facebook's revenue from ads grew 82% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2014, with a 72% increase in revenue overall. It was the company's strongest year-to-year ads growth rate in almost three years.

In addition, Facebook reported that 59% of its ad revenue now comes from mobile users.

"Our goal is to make news feed as engaging as possible," Sandberg said on the call. "I'm sure your friends love seeing your kids play basketball [in videos on their news feeds]. I think they'd probably like to see more of those.

"And when and if we deliver a really great ad experience, an ad that you love, something you're interested in, I think they're going to like that just as much."

More than 1 billion people are using Facebook on mobile every month

Microsoft serves up Remote Desktop Preview for Windows Phone 8.1

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Where Windows Phone users are concerned, one of the great mysteries of the universe has been why Microsoft chose to release Remote Desktop apps for nearly every mobile platform but its own - a wrong the company is finally making right.

Microsoft's Remote Desktop Services Blog announced the release of a Remote Desktop Preview app for Windows Phone 8.1, which developers and early adopters can now download free from the Windows Phone Store.

Previously available for Windows 8.1, Mac OS X, iOS and Android, Remote Desktop offers exactly what it sounds like: The ability to remotely control Windows 7 (and Windows Server 2003) or later personal computers from other desktops, smartphones and tablets using the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).

The preview app for Windows Phone 8.1 updates RDP with what Redmond calls "best of class performance and security" for a "rich multi-touch experience" that also supports RemoteFX for optimized, high quality graphics and sound.

Making the connection

Remote Desktop's Connection Center is the heart of the app, where users add, edit or delete connections and have the option to save credentials to expedite future logins, particularly handy when adding a second desktop with the same information.

The preview app has been designed to work best with Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 thanks to the default Touch interaction, which allows up to 10 contact points to be sent to the remote desktop - probably more fingers than most of us can even fit on a Windows Phone 8.1 handset.

For those running Windows 7 or earlier, Remote Desktop intelligently defaults to Mouse Pointer interaction, with the entire smartphone display becoming a virtual touchpad for zooming in or out by pinching or controlling the on-screen cursor.

Needless to say, Windows Phone 8 smartphone owners first need to install the recently released Windows Phone 8.1 Developer Preview, at which point the Remote Desktop Preview app is just a download away.

Go all-in with Microsoft by reading our Xbox One review!