Friday, 31 July 2015

Mozilla is unhappy with Microsoft over Windows 10 changes

If you're one of the millions of people who've already upgraded to Windows 10, you've probably noticed that the OS changed your default apps. Your main browser, for instance, suddenly became Microsoft Edge after the upgrade -- something Mozilla finds "disturbing," especially since the platform actually made it trickier to switch back to Chrome, Firefox or any other browser. In an open letter to Microsoft head honcho Satya Nadella, Mozilla's CEO Chris Beard revealed that the non-profit got in touch with the Windows 10 team when it got wind of the change, but that "didn't result in any meaningful progress."

Beard wrote (emphasis ours):

...the update experience appears to have been designed to throw away the choice your customers have made about the Internet experience they want, and replace it with the Internet experience Microsoft wants them to have.

We appreciate that it's still technically possible to preserve people's previous settings and defaults, but the design of the whole upgrade experience and the default settings APIs have been changed to make this less obvious and more difficult. It now takes more than twice the number of mouse clicks, scrolling through content and some technical sophistication for people to reassert the choices they had previously made in earlier versions of Windows. It's confusing, hard to navigate and easy to get lost.

Now, in order to switch your default browser, you'll need to tick the check box asking if you want to make Firefox or Chrome your default the first time you launch either. Then, you'll have to find "Web browser" in the Settings page that pops up and click the Edge icon to find alternatives in the drop-down menu. The video below can show you those steps more clearly:

Microsoft, however, stands by its decision and told The Verge that it will only change features and aspects of Windows 10 that users don't like:

We designed Windows 10 to provide a simple upgrade experience for users and a cohesive experience following the upgrade. During the upgrade, consumers have the choice to set defaults, including for web browsing. Following the upgrade, they can easily choose the default browser of their choice. As with all aspects of the product, we have designed Windows 10 as a service; if we learn from user experience that there are ways to make improvements, we will do so.

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Source: Mozilla (1), (2), (3)



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Wednesday, 15 July 2015

The Best Prime Day Deals

You’ve reached the hub for our Amazon Prime Day coverage. Below you’ll find all the best deals from the event, linked as they go live. You need an Amazon Prime membership to take advantage of the sale, so sign up for a free trial now if you haven’t already. We’ll be covering all 24 hours of the event here, as well as on our Twitter and Facebook.http://ift.tt/1g81lBj...http://ift.tt/1JpHqHG...

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Monday, 13 July 2015

How to Survive Sitting All Day

Although it’s “just a desk job,” working in an office can wreak absolute havoc on our bodies. If you’re somebody who spends all day at a desk and computer (which I’m guessing applies to a majority of the Nerd Fitness Rebellion), you know exactly what I’m talking about. Whether it’s lower back pain, wrist pain, a really tight neck, […]

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Sunday, 5 July 2015

Solar-powered plane completes five-day journey across the Pacific

The Solar Impulse 2 is a solar-powered plane that has been flying around the world since March. Back in May, it was set to make its most ambitious journey yet, a 5,061-mile trip from Japan to Hawaii. Unfortunately, though, Pilot Andre Borschberg's initial attempt was unexpectedly cut short (as has happened before), this time due to inclement weather. Now, several weeks later, he's finally accomplished his mission. Borschberg landed in Kapolei, Hawaii on Friday, following a five-day, 118-hour flight from Nagoya -- the longest-ever solo nonstop flight. The previous record was 76 hours.

Stuffed inside a single-seat aircraft, Borschberg survived on 17,000 solar cells, using stored energy to continue flying after dark. As relieved as he must be, his work isn't done: In order to complete a round-the-world trip, the Solar Impulse must make it to back to Abu Dhabi. Next up: a flight to Phoenix, followed by a longer one to New York and then an even longer one across the Atlantic. Fortunately, Borschberg doesn't have to do it alone; he's been trading off flying duty with Swiss co-pilot Bertrand Piccard, who greeted Borschberg on the ground in Hawaii when he landed.

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Source: New York Times, Andre Borschberg (Twitter), Solar Impulse (Twitter)



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