Day: February 23, 2013

MK802 IIIS Android 4.1 mini PC (with Bluetooth, 2 USB host ports) is a tiny, Android -based computer that plugs into your HDMI port on your HD TV. A computer for your living room! And, FYI, it is under $65.00 right now on Amazon. Just sayin’!

Rikomagic introduces MK802 IIIs, now with Bluetooth, more

“Rikomagic is giving the recently released MK802 III mini PC a slight spec bump. The new MK802 IIIs is still a tiny computer with a USB port on one end, an HDMI adapter on the other, and a Rockchip RK3066 dual core process in the middle.

But the new model adds two new features: Bluetooth support, an ESD circuit for better stability, and support for software apps that let you actually turn off the little computer without unplugging it.

Those might not sound like big changes… but while dozens of these Android mini PCs have come out of China in recent months, most have lacked an off switch. The only way to turn them off is typically to pull the plug when you’re done using them.

While the MK802 IIIs doesn’t have an off ‘switch’ per se, at least it will support software that lets you power down an Android computer.

The stick has a 1.6 GHz RK3066 ARM Cortex-A9 processor, quad-core graphics, 1GB of RAM, and 4GB to 8GB of storage and a microSD card slot. It supports 802.11b/g/n WiFi and runs Google Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Independent developers have also been making progress porting Ubuntu Linux to run on devices with RK3066 chips. But unless you’re a developer, I’d only recommend picking up a product like this if you’re cool with Android, because it could be a while before we see a stable release of Ubuntu or other desktop Linux software.

We might only be a few days away from seeing the first working version of Ubuntu for the MK802 III, but I wouldn’t expect it to run as well as Android for a little while.

In other words, like most other ‘mini PCs’ we’ve seen recently, the MK802 IIIs is basically an inexpensive device designed to let you run Android apps on your TV using a USB or wireless mouse, keyboard, or remote control.”

The most secure browser ever is now even more secure! Now you have to approve any add-ins in Chrome. An extra step. And, a good thing!

Google fixes 22 flaws in Chrome, slams silent add-ons

“Computerworld – Google yesterday released Chrome 25, patching 22 vulnerabilities and debuting a new security feature that blocks silent installations of add-ons.

The latter is Chrome 25’s most noticeable change to users. It automatically disables third-party add-ons that are installed on the sly by other software. Add-ons — Google calls them ‘extensions’ — that were previously installed by third-party software will also be barred from running.

Users can approve a silent-installed extension by clicking a button in the dialog box that appears when Chrome blocks the add-on.

Google’s move follows a similar one made by Mozilla more than a year ago, when it, too, crippled silently-installed add-ons. In November 2011, Mozilla debuted Firefox 8, which automatically blocked browser add-ons installed by other software.

Although silent add-ons have historically been more of a problem for Firefox than for Chrome, Google has been limiting add-ons since July 2012, when Chrome 21 began blocking add-ons hosted on a third-party website. Since then, only add-ons obtained from the Chrome Web Store, Google’s official distribution mart, have been allowed.

Website designers can, however, trigger an add-on install from their URL using what Google dubbed ‘inline installation.’ The actual add-on, however, is still hosted on the Chrome Web Store.

Silent add-on installation has been possible only on Windows; OS X and Linux do not offer slippery websites a way to sneak an add-on into a browser.

The new version also adds the Web Speech API (application programming interface) that lets website and Web app developers add speech recognition features in their creations. Web Speech API is based on JavaScript, one of the Internet’s foundational scripting languages.

Google has created a dictation demonstration of the Web Speech API that users can try out with Chrome 25.

Chrome 25 also patched 22 vulnerabilities, two fewer than January’s Chrome 24. Google labeled nine of the flaws as ‘high,’ the company’s second-most-serious threat rating, eight as ‘medium,’ and five as ‘low.’

Five of the vulnerabilities were reported to Google by three outside researchers, who received $3,500 for their work. So far this year, Google has paid out $10,500 from its bug bounty program.”

Maybe! Will it be awesome enough for you to upgrade? Maybe!

Microsoft likely to reveal Xbox 360 successor at April event

From The Verge: “Sony may have gotten the jump on Microsoft in announcing its next-generation console, but odds are the public will be introduced to the Xbox 360’s successor well ahead of this year’s E3. Computer and Video Games is today reporting that the folks in Redmond are planning to hold a press event sometime in the month of April, two months ahead of the annual industry games show. The Verge is able to corroborate this timeframe, as we’ve heard similar rumblings from reliable sources.

Adding further fuel to the idea of a standalone reveal, users at NeoGAF have discovered a domain, XboxEvent.com, that’s been registered by Eventcore. The agency has handled preparation work for some of Microsoft’s previous preparations, so it’s a good sign that planning is already underway. Let’s just hope that whenever Microsoft chooses to unveil its long-awaited third console, it will be so kind as to show us what the hardware actually looks like.”