WhatsApp adds new Web-messaging service to list of features |
- WhatsApp adds new Web-messaging service to list of features
- Happy birthday, John Hurt! (VIDEO)
- Cover Media Video: Happy hatchday, John Hurt!
- Whiff of the tomboy in spring fragrance Hugo Woman
- Graft slowing Malaysia’s fight against illegal logging, UK group finds
- Microsoft unveils new Windows 10, hologram goggles
| WhatsApp adds new Web-messaging service to list of features Posted: 21 Jan 2015 04:57 PM PST
WhatsApp, which claims some 500 million users, said its Web service will be a "mirror" and would require an Internet-connected phone to work. "Our Web client is simply an extension of your phone: the Web browser mirrors conversations and messages from your mobile device — this means all of your messages still live on your phone," WhatsApp said in a blog post. The new messaging service currently only works with Google's Chrome browser and will not be available to iPhone users "due to Apple platform limitations," according to WhatsApp. Facebook in October completed its buy of WhatsApp in a stock-and-cash deal. The acquisition highlighted the stunning growth of mobile messaging but also prompted analyst questions on the price paid by Facebook and future plans for the service. — AFP  |
| Happy birthday, John Hurt! (VIDEO) Posted: 21 Jan 2015 04:50 PM PST NEW YORK, Jan 22 — On January 22, veteran actor John Hurt celebrates his birthday. We look back at some of his top cinema achievements. — Cover Media |
| Cover Media Video: Happy hatchday, John Hurt! Posted: 21 Jan 2015 04:49 PM PST Duration: 01:00, Published 22 Jan 2015 On January 22, veteran actor John Hurt celebrates his birthday. We look back at some of his top cinema achievements. — Cover Media |
| Whiff of the tomboy in spring fragrance Hugo Woman Posted: 21 Jan 2015 04:46 PM PST
This unconventional combination might just become one of the olfactory trends of the season. A fruity floral, the new eau de parfum from Hugo Boss has an unexpected tomboy quality, according to the brand.
Danish supermodel Freja Beha Erichsen (Louis Vuitton, Zadig & Voltaire, Tiffany & Co) is the face of the perfume. She posed alongside French model Adrien Sahores (De Fursac, Tiger of Sweden) for photographer Karim Sadli and was directed by Ryan Hope in the campaign film. Hugo Woman Eau de Parfum will be available starting in late January at select fragrance retailers. Price: From €45 (around RM188) for 30ml. — AFP-Relaxnews |
| Graft slowing Malaysia’s fight against illegal logging, UK group finds Posted: 21 Jan 2015 04:45 PM PST
Chatham House has looked into illegal logging and the response of governments and the private sector since 2006. Cameroon and Malaysia are two of a handful of timber-producing countries ― chosen for the importance of the forest sector to their economies and the volume of timber they export ― assessed in 2008-09 and again in 2013-14. "Illegal logging has a devastating impact on some of the world's most valuable remaining forests and on the people who live in them and rely on the resources they provide," Chatham House Senior Research Fellow Alison Hoare said in a statement. "It is disappointing how little progress Cameroon and Malaysia have made in tackling illegal logging, which exacerbates deforestation, climate change and poverty. In both countries corruption is a major issue, and the governments need to do much more to address the problem." Illegal logging, one of the main factors driving forest degradation in Cameroon, was much more widespread in the West African nation where entrenched corruption, weak institutions and unclear laws were impeding reform, Chatham House said. "The big issue is the lack of clarity between the legal framework for forestry, agriculture and mining and lack of coordination between those sectors, which means that you end up with rights being allocated to the same area of land for different uses, so then there's a dispute as to who has the rights to it," Hoare told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Forty per cent of Cameroon's land is forested. Half of the timber produced in the country comes from the informal sector, and nearly all of that is illegal, resulting in forest degradation, Hoare said. Another problem is the misuse of "small permits", which are often granted to allow the clearance of forests for infrastructure or farming projects, by businesses that see it as an easier way to get timber, Hoare added. Chatham House said illegal logging in Malaysia, where 60 per cent of the land is forested, was not as bad as in Cameroon. But problems persisted in the largest state of Sarawak, which is rich in resources. The growth of timber, pulp and agricultural plantations is driving forest loss in the Southeast Asian nation, where the area given over to plantations is expected to double by 2020, the report said. By contrast, Ghana and Indonesia had made much more progress in tackling illegal logging, Hoare said. "In Indonesia this agenda has become closely linked with the government trying to reduce its carbon emissions and its deforestation (as part of the) whole climate change issue which it has been giving a lot of priority to," she added. A study last week showed that Indonesia's moratorium prohibiting district governments from granting new palm oil, timber and logging concessions had lowered greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation by 1 to 2.5 per cent between 2011 and 2015. However, Indonesia will not meet its emissions reduction target of 26 to 41 per cent by 2020 unless the current policy is extended and strengthened, according to researchers from the Center for Global Development and others. ― Thomson Reuters Foundation |
| Microsoft unveils new Windows 10, hologram goggles Posted: 21 Jan 2015 04:40 PM PST
As it previewed the new operating system, Microsoft also unexpectedly added to the roster of modern gadgets with the unveiling of headgear that overlays holograms on the real world and lets wearers use their hands to interact with virtual objects. Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella touted HoloLens capabilities that will debut with Windows 10 later this year as the next generation of computing. The US technology titan is also trying to make it more natural to interact with devices, such as conversational-style speaking with the company's virtual assistant Cortana. "The number of devices is just exploding around us," Microsoft's Terry Myerson said during a presentation to press and analysts at the company's headquarters in Redmond, Washington. "It should be easy to put one device down and pick up another where you left off; technology needs to get out of the way." HoloLens was touted as an entry to "the world's first holographic computing platform" which enables users to place three-dimensional holograms in the physical world. "Until now, we've immersed ourselves in the world of technology," Microsoft's Alex Kipman said while introducing HoloLens. "But, what if we could take technology and immerse it in our world?" Walking on Mars Windows Holographic creates three-dimensional images in the real world, then lets people wearing the headgear reach out and manipulate virtual objects. Examples shown during the event ranged from someone getting visual prompts during a routine home plumbing repair to being able to virtually walk on Mars and control a rover lander actually on that planet's surface. Kipman said he invited virtual reality innovators, including Facebook-owned Oculus VR, to explore adapting different applications for the goggles. "Holograms can become part of our everyday life," he said. Nadella called HoloLens and Windows 10 a "mind-blowing" experience that will open a new type of computing. "Today is a big day for Windows," Nadella said as Microsoft provided a look at its latest operating system at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington. "We want to move from people needing Windows, to choosing Windows, to loving Windows; that is our bold goal for Windows." Approximately 1.5 billion people around the world use Windows-powered computers, and Microsoft is intent on renewing its relevance in a age of mobile computing dominated by Apple and Google-backed Android software. Windows 10 is being designed with feedback from millions of "insiders" testing early versions of the operating system, Myerson said. IE cedes to Spartan Microsoft is so intent on distancing Windows 10 from its predecessors that it skipped directly from Windows 8, which failed to deliver on its promise as a platform for a variety of devices. The Windows 10 design creates a foundation on which developers can build applications for smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers, and Xbox One video game consoles, he said. During the first year after the release of Windows 10, the operating system will be available as a free upgrade for computers running prior generation Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 software. Microsoft said it will also keep Windows 10 upgraded during the lifetime of devices. Personalised virtual assistant Cortana, and its touted ability to answer questions conversationally, will be now available on personal computers. Cortana made her debut on Windows-powered mobile devices. Microsoft also unveiled a new Web browser code-named Spartan, which will have Cortana built in and ready to chime in at presumably helpful moments. Spartan is poised to be the successor to Internet Explorer. "Project Spartan is a new browsing experience tuned for being mobile and working across this family of devices," said Microsoft's Joe Belfiore. Windows 10 is also designed to hook gamers, according to Xbox team leader Phil Spencer. Along with modifications that allow for more sophisticated play on smartphones, an application for Xbox will let people use Windows 10-powered computers or tablets at home to play games with or against friends using one of the Microsoft consoles, Spencer demonstrated. "I think there are lots of developers who want to bring their experiences to the Xbox," Spencer said. — AFP |
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