Techworld.com operating-systems

Google to boost speed, cut data use on mobile devices

Zach Miners) — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:27:00 GMT

Google has shown off new features that can reduce data consumption and improve Web performance on Android-powered mobile devices, drawing partly from capabilities already supported in the Chrome desktop OS.

Windows Blue will be free upgrade for Windows 8 customers

Juan Carlos Perez) — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:39:00 GMT

Microsoft's Windows 8 update, code-named Windows Blue, will be formally released as Windows 8.1 and will be free for customers who have the new OS installed.

Mozilla says Firefox OS will appear on high-end phones

Michael Kan) — Thu, 09 May 2013 07:38:00 GMT

The upcoming Firefox OS will appear on higher-end smartphones, and not just entry-level handsets, with Sony expected to release a premium device running the operating system, a Mozilla executive said.

Windows XP migration worries exaggerated by 'dead' applications

John E Dunn) — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:04:00 GMT

Many organisations exaggerate the difficulties of migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7 by over-estimating the importance of little-used applications, a survey from consultancy Centrix Software has suggested.

Windows Blue preview due at end of June

Juan Carlos Perez) — Wed, 08 May 2013 08:44:00 GMT

Microsoft plans to release a preview version of Windows 8's update, code-named Windows Blue, at the end of June, according to Julie Larson-Green, a corporate vice president in charge of the OS's development.

Microsoft's Windows Blue to be available later this year

John Ribeiro) — Tue, 07 May 2013 08:35:00 GMT

Microsoft's update of its Windows 8 operating system, code-named Windows Blue, will be available later this year, supporting a variety of form factors and display sizes, and providing more options for both businesses and consumers.

Debian wheezes out Version 7

noreply@idg.co.uk (Jon Gold) — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:30:00 GMT

The latest version of Debian -- Version 7.0, codenamed "Wheezy" -- is now in stable release, bringing with it accessibility enhancements, a new version of the GNOME 3.4 desktop environment and support for multiple hardware architectures.

Chinese industrial espionage now a major cause of data breaches, Verizon report finds

John E Dunn) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Industrial espionage by Chinese “state-affiliated actors” was responsible for one in five data breaches reported to Verizon by customers and through a range of global police forces, the company’s annual Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) has found.

Windows 8 Update: Smaller, less expensive gear on tap for autumn

Tim Greene) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:16:00 GMT

Smaller, less expensive Windows 8 devices based on upcoming Intel processors are in the offing for later this year, the company says.

Microsoft files patent for new open windows viewer

Gregg Keizer) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:15:00 GMT

Microsoft has filed a patent application for a new method of browsing through open windows on the desktop that builds on an older, now-abandoned feature in Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Fuduntu Linux to shut down, new distro to follow

Jon Gold) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:04:00 GMT

The team in charge of maintaining and developing Fuduntu, a Linux-based operating system designed as a hybrid of Fedora and Ubuntu, voted Sunday to close down the project.

Red Hat releases community OpenStack distribution

Joab Jackson) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:29:00 GMT

Red Hat has launched a community version of its still-in-development OpenStack distribution, and it also released a preview of the enterprise edition of this distribution for those who sign up for an early adopter program.

Android founder: We aimed to make camera, not phone OS

Jay Alabaster) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:36:00 GMT

The creators of Android originally dreamed it would be used to create a world of "smart cameras" that connected to PCs, a founder said, but it was reworked for mobile handsets as the smartphone market began to explode.

Objective-C's dip in popularity tied to decline in iPad and iPhone

Paul Krill) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:09:00 GMT

The language used for Apple iOS app development drops a notch in Tiobe index

Google gives Play store a facelift, as Android tweaks continue

Jon Gold) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:21:00 GMT

Google today rolled out a redesign of its Play store for Android, changing the interface for smartphone and tablet users looking for apps and media content.

UK businesses stalling on XP migration as end of Microsoft support looms

Matthew Finnegan) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:37:00 GMT

With precisely one year until the end of Microsoft’s support for the operating system, many UK enterprises are yet to begin migration from Windows XP.

Oracle brings data centre fabric to Sparc systems

Stephen Lawson) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:23:00 GMT

Oracle has extended its data center fabric to its Sparc-based Unix platforms, promising to let enterprises tie more servers and applications into the high-speed infrastructure.

Analyst: iPhone price pressure means smartphone profits have peaked

Jon Gold) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:16:00 GMT

The overall profitability of the smartphone market hit its apex in 2012, according to a prominent equity analyst.

Raspberry Pi Model A sells out in US after paperwork slows supply

John E Dunn) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:32:00 GMT

The story of Raspberry Pi demand exceeding available supply has reared its head once again with the cheaper $25 Model A selling out within 24 hours of its long-awaited US debut.

MapR brings Hadoop support to Ubuntu

Sophie Curtis) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:10:00 GMT

Hadoop distributor MapR Technologies has announced a new partnership with Canonical to package the MapR M3 Edition for Apache Hadoop with Ubuntu.

Microsoft skips 'too good' Windows 9, jumps to Windows 10

Pete Babb) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:09:00 GMT

Deeming Windows 9 'too good to release,' Microsoft execs shelve follow-up to Windows 8 and proceed to Windows 10

Apple's and Microsoft's secret pact for tech domination

noreply@idg.co.uk (Galen Gruman) — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:08:00 GMT

15 years ago, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates agreed to let Apple own the client and Microsoft the back end to thwart antitrust probes, newly discovered emails say

Linux Foundation hails leap in enterprises use of open source OS

Katherine Noyes) — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:32:00 GMT

The past two years have already seen significant jumps in corporate Linux usage, but now it looks like that trend is continuing into a third year.

Microsoft to refresh Windows 8 core app trio today

Gregg Keizer) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 08:55:00 GMT

Microsoft will push updated versions of several long-criticised Windows 8 apps, including Mail, Calendar and People, the "Modern"-style program for keeping track of contacts, to the Windows Store today.

Google: Chrome and Android will remain separate operating systems

John Ribeiro) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 07:49:00 GMT

Chrome and Android will remain as separate OSes, each addressing specific requirements, Google's executive chairman said Thursday.