Ubuntu 13.04 Available for Download!

It's been a long road, though not longer than most, but the next iteration of Ubuntu Linux is available for stable public use! Dubbed Raring Ringtail, Ubuntu 13.04 features a plethora of new features and performance improvements on features previously available. Stay tuned for our full review! For now, let's take a look at what's changed:

Sync Menu

Ubuntu 13.04 features an all new sync menu. This menu will let you control various controls of Ubuntu's cloud storage solution, Ubuntu One. Monitoring recent/current transfers as well as turning on or off the sync couldn't be easier to access.

Ubuntu One Sync Menu

Social Media

Thanks to settings introduced in 13.04, you can now turn on and off certain social media accounts, as well as their containing options, without losing all your login configurations. 

New Social Media Settings

Unity

Speaking of social media, you now have a social lens in the Unity Dash, letting you view recent status updates, tweets and any other shenanigans your buddies may have been up to. This lens will also allow you to comment, reply, like, or even retweet what you decide to preview.

Unity's Photo Lens, Photos From my Facebook

In addition, there have been multiple background improvements to Unity, making it smoother as well as faster. 

Session dialogues are now themed to look like the rest of Unity in the effort to unify and complete the look.

Unity-themed Session Dialogue

Miscellanious

• Workspaces is no longer included in the Unity Bar by default
• Firefox, LibreOffice, Python and File Manager as well as other software included has been updated to their latest versions at the time of release
• Ubuntu 13.04 is based off of the v3.8.8 upstream Linux kernel
• Social networking is handled now by the Friends application rather than the Gwibber backend used in previous model

There are a ton more bits and bots that have changed, but these are the ones deemed most important. Be on the lookout for more Ubuntu news, reviews and gadgets that you can use!

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Apple Announces 2013 Worldwide Developer's Conference

Well, it's 2013. Another year, another product; or so we hope. Apple's famous WWDC is just around the corner. For those who don't know what WWDC is, here's an explenation from Apple:

developers from around the world will learn about the future of iOS and OS X®, enabling them to create incredible new apps with innovative features. WWDC will also feature more than 100 technical sessions presented by over 1,000 Apple engineers, hands-on labs to help developers integrate new technologies, as well as the popular Apple Design Awards, a showcase of the most outstanding apps available through the App Store℠ and Mac® App Store.

The conference is set in San Francisco and will span out for five days between June 10th and June 14th. The conference provides an opportunities to meet and greet with other developers, as well as make connections, chatting about things like business strategies and their next big thing.

Tickets will go on sale on April 25th, tomorrow, at 10am Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).

We look forward to gathering at WWDC 2013 with the incredible community of iOS and OS X developers.

-Philip W. Schiller, SVP of worldwide marketing at Apple Inc

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Google bringing Google+ Comments to Blogger

We've all heard or read comments in our lifetimes and whether they've been verbal or digital, they're still a part of our lives. Blogger's rendition of the comment system is, to be generous, under par. Google's solution is one that many a geek, and Gmail owners alike, will appreciate.

Google's social network, Google+, has comments, right? Well now they're bringing those comments to Blogger.

Starting today[,April 18th], you can bring Google+ Comments to your Blogger blog.

To do so, you can head over to the Google+ section in your Blogger sites' account page and check off the "Use Google+ Comments on this blog" checkbox:

What'll Happen?

Once enabled, you will begin to see comments from all over Google+, including those made on your blog, appear in one place. This place will be the article. Pulling comments that are made via Google+ will help you see how much people are actually talking about your content. Ready? Let's go!

How does it work?

Well, it's pretty simple. You won't be seeing anything you're not supposed to see. Users have the option to comment publicly, within their own circles, or even just to specific people. This allows for a more personal experience when commenting on various blogs.

While browsing comments, users have the option to see all the comments, sorted by time, just the top ones, or just those from people in their circles. In all cases, you'll still only be able to see the comments you're allowed to see. This allows for more meaningful sharing.

We're on board and you should be too! You'll soon begin to see the switch from Disqus, over to Google+ comments. Most users who have a YouTube or Gmail account should have their Google+ account activated by now and we believe that this'll help you guys connect with us. Sound off in the comments below with your opinion on the article, the decision to bring Google+ comments to blogger and what you think will become of this system.

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Canonical to Remove Ubuntu One Music Store from Rhythmbox in Ubuntu 12.04, 12.10

What might already be known is that the next version of Ubuntu, 13.04, will be shipped without a music store in Rhythmbox. What might not be known is that Canonical has made the decision to remove the store from Rhythmbox in 12.04 and 12.10 as well.

Why?

So where's this decision coming from and why so sudden? Seems that it's just too much work for the actual benefit being achieved from the plugin.

Devs say that the plugin is too much of a chore to maintain and develop. However, with browser-based interface of the store being more functional and much smoother, users shouldn't miss the Rhythbox plugin too much. 

It's Not All Bad

Although the plugin's full implementation into Rhythmbox may be going down the drain, the store isn't. Music can still be browsed and previewed through using the Unity Dash in 12.04 and 12.10; however, purchasing music via the Dash will have to wait until 13.10's release. Though, thanks to the Dash, you can purchase music and listen to it regardless of what music player you have.

Music from the store will still continue to sync with Ubuntu One and appear in Rhythmbox (if set up) and still be available to stream for those who have subscribed to the service.

Are you looking forward to purchasing music via the dash and what music player do you use? Sound off in the comment section below!

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Google Rolling Out Fresh New Look For Google Play

Google's been looking to give a nice refresh to Google Play for a long time it seems and now they're just starting to roll it out. Putting focus on the variety aspect of the store, the new look will feature suggested content with infinite scrolling .

The new look will also focus on bigger showcases that jump off the page. Similar content will be grouped together and the checkout process has been revamped to help you get to your content as fast as possible. This way you'll be able to get into the latest James Bond film or fill your mind with Stephen Kings latest genius!

The refresh is being pushed starting today for phones and tablets running Android 2.2(Froyo) and above. People will continue to receive the new look over the next few weeks.

Get ready for a simpler Google Play.

Image Credit: Google

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Google Introduces x-default hreflang HTML Attribute

Google is the largest and most popular search engine website out there and they're always looking for better ways to serve their customers and web developers alike. Today, they've introduced a new way for developers to point the search engine to the right web page depending on the user's location around the world. The new rel-alternate-hreflang annotation is it.

Let's take a look see shall we!

• example.com/en-gb: For English speakers that live in the UK
• example.com/en-au: For English speakers that live in Australia
• example.com/en-us: For English speakers that live in the US
• example.com/: This homepage would show users a country selector and would be the default page for visitors worldwide

Webmasters would be able to specify  rel-alternate-hreflang annotation by using the following HTML tags:

<href="http://example.com/en-gb" hreflang="en-gb" rel="alternate">
<href="http://example.com/en-us" hreflang="en-us" rel="alternate">
<href="http://example.com/en-au" hreflang="en-au" rel="alternate">
<href="http://example.com/" hreflang="x-default" rel="alternate">

This cluster of tags will tell Google's search engine algorithms which website is for which location around the world.

Google says:

The new x-default hreflang attribute value signals to our algorithms that this page doesn’t target any specific language or locale and is the default page when no other page is better suited. For example, it would be the page our algorithms try to show French-speaking searchers worldwide or English-speaking searchers on google.ca.

This x-default hreflang attribute value would also apply to web pages that alter content dynamically based on their geolocation as well as their Accept-Language defaults. It would specify that such a page does not target a specific language or region.

Image Credit: Google

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Chrome Notifies you of Others Having Difficulty Too

A new feature has been introduced into Chrome that notifies you when others are experiencing difficulty reaching a website. Here's what it looks like:

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Google Reader to be Laid to Rest and Others

Earlier today Google has announced that Google Reader, along with other things, will be retiring some time this year.

While the product has a loyal following, over the years usage has declined. So, on July 1, 2013, we will retire Google Reader.

It's sad to see Google Reader go, however it's all in the best spirit:

...as a company we’re pouring all of our energy into fewer products. We think that kind of focus will make for a better user experience.

Hopefully we'll get that promised better experience and all be happy with whatever alternative we're able to find!

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Windows 8 Released to Manufacturing

Microsoft has reached their final milestone in the development of Windows 8. The new operating system has been released to manufacturing and will be available for consumer use by October 26, at a price of only $40.

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Mac OS X Mountain Lion to Feat Social Networking

Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion will release this July for $19.99, $10 less than its predecessor, and narrow the gap between Apple’s mobile and desktop operating systems. Mountain Lion will also take a bite out of social media as it comes with the popular platforms integrated within its presence – something that has been notable in Windows 8.

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Microsoft Upgrades SkyDrive

If you enjoyed having 25GB of space with SkyDrive, you may need to hurry up and upgrade your drive before it costs you. From this point onwards, unless you take their limited time free upgrade to 25GB, you will only get 7GB of free online storage and you will have to pay a monthly fee for upgrades. However, if you look at all he new benefits, trying or sticking with SkyDrive will not disappoint.

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Ubuntu 12.04 LTS Ready for Download

Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin has released from beta today and is ready to download. Within the release comes a few changes, including performance improvements and new features. Let’s take a quick tour.

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Google Drive: A New and Improved Google Docs or Something Brand new Altogether?

Today Google unveiled it's brand spankin' new (or so it seems) product, Google Drive.

Look familiar? We think so. (Click to enlarge)

Google advertises this new service as a place where you can "Keep everything" and "Share anything". But what would trouble one's self is the almost exact resemblance to the Google Docs layout that Google Drive has. In fact, if you compare the two, you wouldn't know the difference unless you look at the URL.

It seems that Google Docs no longer exists, period. The Google Docs URL now links to Google Drive.

As you may recall, Google has done something like this before. The Android Market, Google Music, Google Books and now Google Movies, were combined into one Marketplace Google deemed as Google Play.

Google Drive is a place to store videos, songs, images, and most importantly, Office documents. Right off the bat, Google Drive is creates Word documents, Presentational slides, Spreadsheets, drawings and more!

Wait a second! This sounds very familiar. If I recall, Google docs did this as well! It did. All Google Drive is, is a rebranding of an old feature that was updated and fixed up through the years, and rebranded just to bring it into the media's attention. Bravo Google! Bravo!

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Windows 8 SKU's (Versions) Announced

Microsoft has officially announced the three versions of Windows that will be available to consumers. Two versions, Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro will be openly available to consumers to purchase and install on their own. The third version, Windows on ARM or WOA, will only come preinstalled on devices that are powered by ARM processors and will "help enable new thin and lightweight form factors with impressive battery life".


For most consumers, Windows 8 will be more than enough to fulfill needs.

"Windows 8 Pro is designed to help tech enthusiasts and business/technical professionals obtain a broader set of Windows 8 technologies. It includes all the features in Windows 8 plus features for encryption, virtualization, PC management and domain connectivity. Windows Media Center will be available as an economical “media pack” add-on to Windows 8 Pro. If you are an enthusiast or you want to use your PC in a business environment, you will want Windows 8 Pro."

Here are the specs:

Feature name	Windows 8	Windows 8 Pro	Windows RT
Upgrades from Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium	x	x
Upgrades from Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate		x
Start screen, Semantic Zoom, Live Tiles	x	x	x
Windows Store	x	x	x
Apps (Mail, Calendar, People, Messaging, Photos, SkyDrive, Reader, Music, Video)	x	x	x
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote)			x
Internet Explorer 10	x	x	x
Device encryption			x
Connected standby	x	x	x
Microsoft account	x	x	x
Desktop	x	x
Installation of x86/64 and desktop software	x	x
Updated Windows Explorer	x	x	x
Windows Defender	x	x	x
SmartScreen	x	x	x
Windows Update	x	x	x
Enhanced Task Manager	x	x	x
Switch languages on the fly (Language Packs)	x	x	x
Better multiple monitor support	x	x	x
Storage Spaces	x	x
Windows Media Player	x	x
Exchange ActiveSync	x	x	x
File history	x	x	x
ISO / VHD mount	x	x	x
Mobile broadband features	x	x	x
Picture password	x	x	x
Play To	x	x	x
Remote Desktop (client)	x	x	x
Reset and refresh your PC	x	x	x
Snap	x	x	x
Touch and Thumb keyboard	x	x	x
Trusted boot	x	x	x
VPN client	x	x	x
BitLocker and BitLocker To Go		x
Boot from VHD		x
Client Hyper-V		x
Domain Join		x
Encrypting File System		x
Group Policy		x
Remote Desktop (host)		x

More information when we get it!

Have a nice day!

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Foxconn: Nightline Report [Video]

Nightline Report on the Foxconn production of Apple products, along with working conditions and more:

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Google + Gets Overhaul

Google + got an overhaul today which gives it a completely different look than before. The young social network is competing with Facebook and Twitter and it showed as the new look started to resemble and gain some feats of the other two networks. Here is a brief overview of what has changed.

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Facebook buys Instagram

Instagram, the photo filter sharing wonder that started under two years ago. Instagram started with 4 employees and 0 users. To this day there are more than 150 billion photos shared and over 7 million users.

In the next few days, Facebook Inc. is set to buy the social media network for 1 billion dollars. For a network that has no significant source of revenue, that has become this infectious and still growing as we speak.

By buying Instagram, Facebook Inc. has not only eliminated a huge competition potential, but has also acquired the chance to implement the Instagram filters within it's own iOS and Android apps, but also it's website's image uploading sequence.

With every acquirement, there's always the fear of change. Instagram users enjoy the way the apps work and enjoy their ecosystem of sharing. Upon arrival of this upsetting news, there are various services that have appeared that permit users to export their Instagram image library for instant download. There is still no news on whether Facebook intends to change anything or even take down the Instagram network completely, but we're interested to find out.

We're also interested in some feedback. Do you guys think Facebook's going to change anything or is there belief that they will leave the network untouched? Leave your comments in the section below.

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Sorry for being AWOL

As you guys may have noticed, there has been a lack of actual article writing here on CSIYF. We apologize for this and promise to begin rolling out more articles within the next few days. Both my colleague, Julian, and I have been busy with personal affairs and other affairs that are, frankly, none of your business ;) Stay tuned and check back regularly for more articles.

After the break:

• The regular
• Breaking News
• Opinion-based pieces
• As well as App recommendations (weekly, monthly and yearly)

Ciao!

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Facebook Releases Messenger Application for Windows

After the project was leaked, Facebook made a Help page regarding a new application that Facebook would be releasing to Windows users. The Messenger App brings Facebook to the Windows desktop in a minimalist design.

 

The app is in trial (beta) mode and will change throughout the process. It will self-update and Facebook developers encourage you to give feedback.

 

The app will let you chat with your Facebook friends, see your ticker feed and get quick notifications from the comfort of your desktop.

 

Download Facebook’s Messenger For Windows

Messenger for Windows

 

When you download and install the program, you will be greeted with this window where you will be prompted to log into your Facebook account.

 

When you log into the Facebook app, it will keep you logged in until you sign out. If you close the Window, it will hide in your notifications area.

 

 

The log in process will open your default browser to Facebook to log in.

You will then get a notification in the taskbar which when you clock will present you with your desktop version of Facebook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From first testing it, the app is buggy, resizing the window can make your contacts vanish.

 

The interface is a windowed version of Facebook’s right hand bar which features ticker and your contact list along with the 3 default notification areas and a link to your profile on top.

 

Each of the notification icons on top, when activated will take a bit of the space that ticker takes and contains a scrollbar. It always stays confined to its window size.

 

Chatting with people opens a new window with a tab for each person. Unfortunately, if you are running Windows 7, each tab will not be individually displayed in the preview icons of your taskbar – as is the case with Windows Live Messenger or MSN.

 

 

If you are very addicted to Facebook, there is a feature which lets you dock it to the right of your screen. No Window will come on top of it and it will act just like it does on the Facebook website.

 

This feature and whether or not you want it to notify you when new messages arrive can be found in its icon in the notification area.

 

You can also toggle its dock mode with the bottom right button – next to the search bar.

 

Overall, the app is handy for those who don’t want to keep a browser open, but  it is still in trial and with time, most will likely prefer to keep Facebook in the browser.

 

So, feel free to give it a try. What do you think of this program? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Google Simplifies Google + Chat

You may notice a new notification in Google + today. It is essentially the announcement that they made chat easier by making it so that when you and another person have each other in each others’ circles that chat is easily set up.

 

Ever since the beginning of Google +, Google kept chat separate of the social network and I will admit that it did make reconnecting with the people I invited on there difficult – especially the ones that aren’t so tech savvy and are squirmish at the thought of instructions.

 

Once you click OK, your chat list will get a bit longer and you will automatically connect with those who have connected to you – provided they are in your circles.

 

Now if you are uneasy with this idea, Google has also added some new privacy settings.

 

Just click on the Chat Menu and choose Privacy Settings.

 

 

You will then be greeted with the following dialog.

 

If you click on the circles, you will get a custom option. Clicking that will allow you to choose which circles will see you as available and be able to chat with you.

 

 

You can even design a “People who I want to speak to” circle for this purpose.

 

Hopefully you will find the new chat simpler to use out of the box and if you are new to Google +, then you should check out our other articles on it that date back to pre-beta when we made a thorough tour of everything you see today.

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