a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

PlayStation 4 beat Xbox One for January console sales, but Xbox One sold more games

Feb13
by on February 13, 2014 at 11:48 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

xboxone ps4 stack 520x245 PlayStation 4 beat Xbox One for January console sales, but Xbox One sold more games

Sony and Microsoft are both trumpeting market share wins from NPD’s January US gaming data. Sony declared its PlayStation 4 the top-selling console last month, while Microsoft took credit for selling the most games.

Sony’s success with the PS4 has managed to dethrone the Xbox 360, which was NPD’s highest-selling console for years. The company claims its latest console outsold the Xbox One by two-to-one.

Microsoft noted in a blog post that the Xbox One has sold 2.29 times faster than the Xbox 360 during its first three months in the market. NPD estimates that consumers bought a total of 2.27 million games for both Xbox One and Xbox 360 in January for a 47 percent market share.

However, Microsoft’s declaration of victory has been called into question, as a Sony spokesperson told Venturebeat that the PS4 also won on game sales. That’s despite Microsoft’s own headline: “Xbox One Leads US Game Sales in January.”

Either way, Sony does appear to have won the first leg of this generation’s console wars. The two rivals will face off in a second stage next month when blockbuster exclusives Titanfall and Infamous: Second Son arrive on the Xbox One and PS4, respectively.

└ Tags: 
a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

Amsterdam adopts new private rental policy that benefits Airbnb hosts and the sharing economy

Feb13
by on February 13, 2014 at 10:54 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Insider

Amsterdam 520x245 Amsterdam adopts new private rental policy that benefits Airbnb hosts and the sharing economy

The city of Amsterdam has approved a new set of rules that allows residents to rent out their homes on Airbnb with less red tape. Previously, Amsterdam required renters to secure permits in order to list on Airbnb, a move that wasn’t exactly a ban, but did serve as an obstacle to would-be hosts.

Under the new policy, citizens can classify their houses as “Private Rentals.” They’ll still have to pay taxes on the income, and renters that cross the line into running a business may be subject to investigation.

Airbnb’s Head of Global Public Policy David Hantman celebrated the rules as “great news” for the startup’s customers.

“The new policy is also an excellent example of how policymakers can create innovative policies that embrace the sharing economy and make cities better places to live, work and visit,” he wrote in a statement.

The so-called “sharing economy,” which includes Airbnb and ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, has been experiencing growing pains with regulators in recent months. These new business models rarely fit into existing regulation, and municipalities have been slow to change their policies.

If Amsterdam’s “private rental” model works out, it could serve as a model for other cities that are debating how to adapt. At first glance, it seems to strike a healthy balance between  private citizens and preventing abuse.

Still, this doesn’t guarantee that hosts will have smooth renting from here on out, since authorities can investigate them based on noise complaints or on suspicion that a host is running a business. TNW co-founder Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten is looking into the specifics of the new rules and will have more to report soon.

See also: Is the clock ticking for the sharing economy?

Featured Image Credit – Getty Images

└ Tags: 
a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

Microsoft investigating new IE9 and IE10 zero-day flaw exploited in targeted attacks

Feb13
by on February 13, 2014 at 9:46 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider

FireEye Labs today discovered a new zero-day vulnerability in Internet Explorer 9 and Internet Explorer 10 being exploited on a website based in the US. No user interaction is required: just visiting a compromised website is enough to trigger a classic drive-by download attack, download and install a payload from a remote server. We contacted Microsoft and the company confirmed with us that it is investigating.

“Microsoft is aware of limited, targeted attacks against Internet Explorer 9 and 10,” a Microsoft spokesperson told TNW. “As our investigation continues, we recommend customers upgrade to Internet Explorer 11 for added protection.”

A zero-day vulnerability refers to a security flaw that was previously unknown and is being currently exploited in the wild. This one happens to target IE9 and IE10 users, meaning it’s not so severe because not all IE version are affected and users can upgrade to the latest release, IE11. We will update you as we learn more.

Update: The flaw affects IE9 as well as IE10 (previously it was believed only the latter was affected. Furthermore, the US site in question is Veterans of Foreign Wars; you can read more about FireEye’s investigation of the attack here.

Image Credit: Robert Linder

└ Tags: ,
a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

After 15 months, Windows 8 has sold 100 million fewer copies than Windows 7 did

Feb13
by on February 13, 2014 at 9:17 pm
Posted In: Apps, Around the Web, Insider

windows 81 520x245 After 15 months, Windows 8 has sold 100 million fewer copies than Windows 7 did

While consumers are certainly still buying Windows 8, the latest and greatest operating system from Microsoft is not getting the same amount of love as Windows 7 did. That seems to be the general consensus, but now there’s data straight from the horse’s mouth to back that claim: at 15 months, Windows 8 sold 100 million fewer licenses than Windows 7 did, according to Microsoft’s own sales figures.

Microsoft today revealed that Windows 8 has passed the 200 million mark. The two operating systems grew at the same rate for their respective first six months, but then at some point things slowed down for Windows 7′s successor:

windows 7 windows 8 15 months After 15 months, Windows 8 has sold 100 million fewer copies than Windows 7 did

We can’t say when exactly the slowdown occurred because Microsoft didn’t share any new Windows 8 sales numbers between 100 million (six months) and 200 million (15 months). We can, however, point out that 2013 saw the worst yearly decline in PC shipments ever, so it shouldn’t be too surprising that Microsoft wasn’t eager to update anyone at 12 months. What we do know is broken down below.

Windows 7 launched on October 22, 2009. In October 2010, Microsoft revealed that it had sold over 240 million Windows 7 licenses in the operating system’s first year, and in January 2011 that number grew to 300 million at the 15-month mark.

Windows 8 launched on October 26, 2012. In February 2014, Microsoft revealed that it had sold over 200 million Windows 8 licenses in the operating system’s 15 months. No matter how you slice it, that’s not good news for the company.

What’s next? Microsoft is going to continue pushing updates for Windows 8 in the coming months (Windows 8.1 is already out and Windows 8.1 Update 1 is on its way), up until it’s ready to release Windows 9. The company is expected to talk about both at its Build conference between April 2 and 4 in San Francisco.

See also – Windows 8.1 now up to 3.95% market share as it passes Vista, Windows 8 falls to 6.63% and Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 pass 20% adoption on Steam

Top Image Credit: Mario Tama / Getty Images

└ Tags: ,
a couple of laughzillas on a blue diamond background

Luxi turns your iPhone into an incident light meter

Feb13
by on February 13, 2014 at 9:12 pm
Posted In: Around the Web, Gadgets, Product Reviews

luxi 1 520x245 Luxi turns your iPhone into an incident light meter

If you want to take your photography up a notch without spending big bucks, the $29.95 Luxi attachment for your iPhone can help. It’s a small dome that slides over the front-facing camera in order to turn it into an incident light meter.

Professional photographers likely already have a standalone light meter, which can cost hundreds of dollars, but Luxi gets you started at a fraction of the cost and without having to carry around another bulky device.

luxi 2 520x353 Luxi turns your iPhone into an incident light meter

Incident light meters work by measuring how much light a subject receives, rather than how much it reflects. Holding the meter up to your subject provides you with suggested camera settings to properly expose the shot.

Luxi, which comes in iPhone 4/4s and iPhone 5/5s, models pairs with an accompanying iPhone app to show you readings. You can also use any other light meter apps that rely on the front camera, but not all of them have been specifically designed with Luxi in mind.

Based on our limited tests, the meter is accurate. If you’re having trouble, you can calibrate the meter to your camera by measuring its readings against your camera’s auto settings and adjusting sliders from within the Luxi app.

Luxi probably isn’t going to replace the dedicated light meters found in serious photographers’ kits, but it’s a convenient accessory that puts the device you already own to work for you.

➤ Luxi [Extrasensory Devices]

└ Tags: