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Empathy for the user: Experience design secrets from an expert

May20
by on May 20, 2014 at 11:15 am
Posted In: Analysis and Opinion, Around the Web, How-To's, Profiles and Interviews

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Jo Plumridge is a UK-based photographer, writer and lecturer. This post was originally published on the Shutterstock blog and has been adapted with permission.  User experience (UX) designers are among the unsung heroes of the digital world. They make the tools, sites and apps we use simple, understandable and usable. We sat down with UX specialist Steven Snasdell, a 15-year veteran of the digital creative industry — whose work with the team at UK technology company Monterosa has helped propel apps to the top of Apple’s store and contributed to a 2011 BAFTA Award for Creativity — to discuss his approach, using digital imagery, and the future of…

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You can now trade in your old iPad at Apple stores in the UK, France, Germany and Spain

May20
by on May 20, 2014 at 11:01 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Product Updates, UK

You can now trade in your unwanted old iPads at Apple’s brick-and-mortar stores in the UK, France, Germany and Spain, as the company expands the upgrade incentive scheme outside the US and Canada. The program means that you can now return hardware that you no longer want or need to a store in exchange for credit towards other Apple products. However, don’t go trying to return your current generation (iPad mini with Retina display/iPad Air) devices or the very first iPad released, as they won’t be accepted as part of the deal, 9to5Mac reports. It’s currently being advertised on a number of Apple’s store listing…

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China bans Microsoft’s Windows 8 on new government computers amid security concerns

May20
by on May 20, 2014 at 10:32 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Asia, windows 8, windows xp

Microsoft Unveils Windows 8
China has issued a notice late last week that outrightly bans Microsoft’s Windows 8 on new government computers. State news agency Xinhua reported today that the move is to ensure that in future it isn’t left without security updates, following Microsoft’s ending of support for Windows XP. Windows XP is widely used in China, with Xinhua pegging the operating system as having a 70 percent market share in the country. Microsoft has said it will continue to update its security products for XP until July 14, 2015, but that users will be regularly warned that the operating system itself is no longer secure. It seems like…

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China hits back at US claims of cyber theft by Chinese military hackers

May20
by on May 20, 2014 at 9:39 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Asia

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China has retaliated after the US announced charges against five Chinese military officers for cybersecurity breaches against six American commercial targets — which represent “the first-ever charges against known state actors for infiltrating US commercial targets by cyber means.” The US alleged that the Chinese military officers hacked into the computers of US organizations including Alcoa and Westinghouse Electric, stealing trade secrets and other significant business information. China has hit back at the charges, with state news agency Xinhua citing foreign ministry spokesperson Qin Gang as saying that they are “based on intentionally-fabricated facts” and violate “the basic norms governing international…

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Nintendo will close its online play ‘Wi-Fi Connection’ service for DS and Wii today

May20
by on May 20, 2014 at 9:10 am
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

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Nintendo is shutting down its online play ‘Wi-Fi Connection’ service for a large number of Nintendo DS and Wii titles today. Online play, matchmaking and leaderboards are all being switched off, although the online marketplace for each console – the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop – will remain unaffected for now. Video on-demand services, including Netflix, Hulu and YouTube should also still be available. Some of the Wii’s most competitive games will be impacted by the closure. Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Brothers Brawl and Pokemon Battle Revolution stand out, although they’re joined by smaller fan favorites such as…

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