Apple announced today that the new Photos app is available as part of the Mac OS X update from the Mac App Store.
Screenshot by Jason Parker/CNET
Apple released a free update today for Mac OS X Yosemite that brings with it the new Photos app along with several other tweaks and fixes to the Mac OS. You can download the Mac OS X 10.10.3 update right now from the Mac App Store.
Announced first in June 2014 at WWDC, Apple said the Photos app would not be coming until spring this year, well after the release of Mac OS X Yosemite. With the release today, Mac users finally can check out a new way to manage photos, but Apple will still let users continue to use iPhoto.
What is it?
The Photos app is not a direct upgrade from iPhoto nor is it a complete copy of the Photos app on iOS. Instead it has its own unique set of tools that are only available on Yosemite. Once you download the update, Photos will be the default photo management app on OS X, but that's not going to stop you from using any of a number of third-party apps. You'll also still be able to use iPhoto if you're more used to the way it manages your photo library -- the new Photos app is not a replacement.
Just like on iOS the Photos app in Yosemite works closely with iCloud and with Apple's iCloud Photo Library. The service stores your high-res images in iCloud, but keeps the full files from taking up too much space on your desktop or iOS devices until you're actually viewing them. This means that even if all your images are the highest quality setting, they won't be taking up as much valuable storage space on your hard drive or on your iOS devices.
A hub for all your photos
Photos isn't going to replace the big-name photography apps like Photoshop, Lightroom, or even apps like SnagIt. Instead it will act as the main hub for your photos across all your Apple devices connected by iCloud so you can work on your photos from anywhere and the edits will show up on every device.
Raptr's Instagram-like service lets gamers preserve their special moments
Plays.tv, which launches to the public Tuesday, gives players a destination for their best game highlights.
Plays.tv will let users curate a profile of video game highlights to let others see what they're playing.Raptr
Dennis Fong thinks video games are full of moments as sharable as perfectly captured brunch omelets and beach sunsets.
Those game clips just need their own version of Instagram, where gamers can share their special moments, too. As chief executive of Raptr, Fong has a social networking service that can do just that.
"There are these moments that you can experience when you play: the feeling of accomplishment, success, failure, funny moments," he said. "It's kind of sad that most of those moments are ephemeral. They happen and they're not memorialized or preserved and there's no way to relive it in a social setting for your friends."
That's where Raptr's Plays.tv comes in. The service, which has been quietly running for a few months now but launches to the public Tuesday, is essentially an Instagram for PC game highlights. Users can create a Raptr profile and upload clips through any video-capture technology. Plays.tv will feature a constant stream of highlights to show what people have played and what they feel is worth showing off. Raptr will automatically transition its 46 million users to the service.
Video game footage has become one of the industry's most lucrative markets over the last few years. Gamers are flocking in the millions to services like Twitch, which lets them record themselves or watch competitive matches as they occur. Yet Twitch is much like a live television channel for watching professional game-playing. Fong wants Plays.tv to be space where gamers can post their highlights after the fact.
"Twitch is an awesome service, but it's really for someone that wants to perform and entertain," Fong said. With Plays.tv, he said, you "don't have to feel like there's an audience," much in the same way an everyday smartphone user can share a shot to Instagram with zero interest in making money off the service or growing in popularity.
Plays.tv will also offer Raptr's same-name capturing service, which it originally launched last year with AMD as the Gaming Evolved client and with Intel as part of its Quick Sync service. Like other tools on the market, the service will constantly record 15 seconds to 20 minutes of game play that you can save and upload with the press of a button. Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One game consoles also feature comparable recording capabilities.
While it may not directly brush up against Twitch, Plays.tv faces an even larger competitor: Google's YouTube video service. YouTube "Let's Play" videos, in which everyday gamers add audio commentary and share their game screen with strangers, have already launched the careers of numerous online personalities.
Swedish producer Felix Kjellberg, who goes by the handle "PewDiePie," has racked up almost 35.7 million subscribers and 8.3 million views of his gaming videos. He earned $4 million in 2013. While he has by far the largest following, Kjellberg is just one of thousands who have made YouTube the primary destination for recorded game-related videos.
As Fong sees it, gamers flocked to YouTube only because they had no viable alternative. He hopes Plays.tv will be more than just a place to passively view game clips.
"There are gaming moments in your life that you want to remember," he said. "And guess what? There's a whole community of people that have experienced something similar."
Hackers who breached White House network allegedly accessed sensitive data
Hackers who broke in to both the White House's and State Department's networks last year were able to gain nonpublic details of the president's schedule, says a report.
Hackers allegedly exploited a security breach at the State Department to attack the White House's computer network.CNET
Russian-government hackers who reportedly breached the White House's computer systems late last year gained access to sensitive information, though US officials said at the time that they hadn't, according to a story published Tuesday by CNN.
Officials had previously said the White House breach, in October, had affected only an unclassified network, but sources told CNN that hackers were able to gain access to real-time nonpublic details of the president's schedule. Sources told CNN that the hackers are believed to be the same ones behind a damaging cyberattack on the US Department of State around the same time last year, which forced the department to shut down its email system for an extended period.
White House deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes maintained Tuesday that the breached White House system did not contain sensitive data.
"We have an unclassified system and then we have a classified system, a top secret system," Rhodes told CNN. "We do not believe that our classified systems were compromised."
And a White House spokesperson sought to downplay the Tuesday report, saying it was based on a security breach already revealed to the public.
"This report is not referring to a new incident," spokesman Mark Stroh said in a statement to the media. "Any such activity is something we take very seriously. In this case, as we made clear at the time, we took immediate measures to evaluate and mitigate the activity." Stroh said, as officials did last year, that the US would not comment on who might be behind the attacks.
The FBI, Secret Service and US intelligence agencies are all investigating the security breaches, which CNN's sources say were the result of one of the most sophisticated cyberattacks ever directed at US government agencies.
Tuesday's report emerges amid an uptick in hacker thefts of private data concerning governments, corporations and individuals -- from sensitive emails to medical records to financial information. Possession of such data could be very valuable, whether it's to enable criminal acts or assist in government espionage.
In the State Department breach, none of the department's classified email system was affected, a senior department official said at the time. But the hackers used that breach to break in to the White House's network, CNN reported Tuesday. After the White House security breach was revealed in October, suspicions arose among security researchers that hackers working for the Russian government were behind both attacks, said a Washington Post story at the time.
Despite efforts by the State Department to shore up its security, hackers have been able to reenter the system, resulting in the network being "owned" for months by Russian hackers, sources told CNN.
The State Department has shut down parts of its computer network twice since the breach on its system, with, according to an ABC News report, the goal of ferreting out malicious software tucked into the department's unclassified email system by Russian hackers.
Explaining water and dust resistance ratings for your gadgets
Water-resistant doesn't mean waterproof. Here's how to find out just how rugged your smartphones, tablets, activity trackers and smartwatches really are.
Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Many companies are advertising smartphones, tablets, activity trackers, smartwatches and even some wireless speakers as being "water-resistant," but what does that actually mean? Can your gadgets be used in the rain? What about in the shower, or even the pool? The information these companies provide can be misleading, but I'm here to help break things down for you.
IP rating
The first thing you need to look for is a device's International Protection Rating, more commonly referred to as an IP rating. Rating codes do not include hyphens or spaces, and consist of the letters IP followed by one or two digits. Two common ratings for consumer devices are IP67 and IP68. Read on to find out exactly what that means.
IP codes are a standard set forth by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). According to the organization, the codes are designed as a "system for classifying the degrees of protection provided by the enclosures of electrical equipment."
The first number in the rating code represents the degree of protection provided against the entry of foreign solid objects, such as fingers or dust. These protection levels range from 0 to 6.
The second number represents the degree of protection against the entry of moisture, with protection levels ranging from 0 through 8.
An IP code with an "X" in place of the first or second number means that a device hasn't been tested to protect against the entry of solid objects (the first number) or moisture (the second number). For example, a device with the rating IPX7 is protected from accidental submersion in 1m of water for up to 30 minutes, but it has not been tested against the entry of dust.
Below you will find a chart that outlines all of the protection levels set by the IEC.
SOLID PROTECTION
IP Code
Protection
Object size
0
No protection
N/A
1
Protection from contact with any large surface of the body, such as the back of a hand, but no protection against deliberate contact with a body part, such as a finger
Less than 50mm
2
Protection from fingers or similar objects
Less than 12.5mm
3
Protection from tools, thick wires or similar objects
Less than 2.5mm
4
Protection from most wires, screws or similar objects
Less than 1mm
5
Partial protection from contact with harmful dust
N/A
6
Protection from contact with harmful dust
N/A
As an example, an electrical socket rated IP22 (typically the minimum requirement for electrical accessories designed for indoor use) is protected against insertion of fingers and won't be damaged by vertically dripping water. Since we are talking about our gadgets, however, you only need to pay attention to IP ratings above IP5X or IP6X (for resistance or protection from dust).
MOISTURE PROTECTION
IP Code
Protection
Test duration
Usage
0
No protection
N/A
N/A
1
Protection against vertically dripping water
10 mins
Light rain
2
Protection against vertically dripping water when device is tilted at an angle up to 15 degrees
10 mins
Light rain
3
Protection against direct sprays of water when device is tilted at an angle up to 60 degrees
5 mins
Rain and spraying
4
Protection from sprays and splashing of water in all directions.
5 mins
Rain, spraying and splashing
5
Protection from low pressure water projected from a nozzle with a 6.3mm diameter opening in any direction
3 minutes from a distance of 3 meters
Rain, splashing and direct contact with most kitchen/bathroom faucets
6
Protection from water projected in powerful jets from a nozzle with a 12.5mm diameter opening in any direction
3 minutes from a distance of 3 meters
Rain, splashing, direct contact with kitchen/bathroom faucets, outdoor use in rough sea conditions
7
Protected from immersion in water with a depth of up to 1 meter (or 3.2ft) for up to 30 mins
30 mins
Rain, splashing and accidental submersion
8
Protected from immersion in water with a depth of more than 1 meter (manufacturer must specify exact depth)
Varies
Rain, splashing and accidental submersion
The Samsung Galaxy S5 is certified with an IP67 rating, this means that it is fully protected from dust (6) and can also withstand being submerged in 1m of static water for up to 30 mins (7).
Devices aren't required to pass every test leading up to the highest rating they achieve. Therefore a smartphone rated with IP67 hasn't been tested against dust protection levels 1 through 5, or water protection levels 1 through 6. Since the Galaxy S5 doesn't include the IPX5 or IPX6 rating for withstanding water coming from a jet, you shouldn't take the it in the shower or run it under the sink.
The Sony Xperia Z3, on the other hand, is certified with an IP65 and IP68 rating, which means it is protected from dust and against low-pressure water jets, such as a faucet, when all ports are closed. The company also specifies that the Z3 can be submerged in 1.5m (4.92ft) of fresh water for up to 30 mins.
Water pressure
If anyone ever tells you that a watch is waterproof, it's a lie. No watch is truly waterproof, and in fact theInternational Organization for Standardization and Federal Trade Commission prohibit watches from being labeled as being "waterproof." While a watch may be able to withstand a certain degree of water exposure, there is always a limit to how much water pressure it can handle before it begins to leak. The term "waterproof" implies that a device will remain unscathed under even the most difficult of circumstances.
To help regulate and explain water resistance in watches, the ISO has set standards that have been adopted by many traditional watchmakers. Most smartwatches and activity trackers, however, don't actually adhere to these standards and therefore aren't ISO-certified. Consumer electronics tend to follow the IP code, although some companies, such as Garmin, Pebble and Polar, independently test their products to determine how much pressure they can withstand.
Pressure tests are measured in ATMs, which stands for atmospheres, and then converted to water depth to make the measurements easier to understand. Each ATM is equivalent to 10 meters or about 33 feet of static water-pressure. Below you will find a chart that outlines that basic water-resistance levels.
WATER PRESSURE
Water Ratings
Protection
Usage
1 ATM
Withstands pressures equivalent to a depth of 10 meters
Improved resistance to rain and splashes. No showering or swimming.
3 ATM
Withstands pressures equivalent to a depth of 30 meters
Rain, splashing, accidental submersion and showering. No swimming.
5 ATM
Withstands pressures equivalent to a depth of 50 meters
Withstands pressures equivalent to a depth of 100 meters
Rain, splashing, accidental submersion, showering, swimming and snorkeling. No deep water scuba diving or high-speed water sports.
20 ATM
Withstands pressures equivalent to a depth of 200 meters
Rain, splashing, accidental submersion, showering, swimming, snorkeling, surface diving and water sports. No deep water diving.
Unfortunately, because there is no universal testing method, real-world usage is different for every device. For example, the Pebble and Garmin Vivoactive both have a water resistance rating of 5 ATM. Both companies state that the watches can be worn in the shower and while swimming in a pool (surface swimming), however Fitbit recommends Surge users to remove the device before swimming, despite being rated 5 ATM.
It should also be noted that even though 5 ATM is rated for a certain depth, that depth is measured in static pressure. Water pressure can change quickly, such as when you move your arm to begin swimming. While you may only be in 10 feet of water, the pressure created from your arm movement could be equal to that of a couple ATMs.
As Garmin explains on its website, "even if a device is above a depth it's rated for, it might still suffer water ingression if it is subjected to an activity that creates pressure on it that exceeds that depth rating."
Apps aren't going anywhere, but lately more companies are offering services through text messaging. Here's what you need to know.
Josh Miller/CNET
Before Messenger, WhatsApp and Snapchat, texting was the number one way to communicate, and according to the developers behind a new wave of apps, texting is still king.
In recent months, there's been an explosion of what I'm calling no-app "apps." These services use SMS to communicate with you and carry out actions that you would ordinarily do in an app. You send a text toa specific phone number and within seconds you'll get an appropriate reply to your question or request.
Meant to be as streamlined as possible, with no design or UI to navigate, there's hardly anything standing between you and the service, which span from personal assistants to money management.
Why not have an app?
Apps are huge part of our smartphones, so why would developers want to ditch them? In part because it's much easier just to build a service that interacts with you over text. Instead of pouring resources into designing and building a native app, developers can just focus on creating an amazing service.
Unfortunately, that's not always the case. Below I'll highlight four SMS-based "apps" that have been gaining attention lately, covering what they do and some of the downsides of them.
First up is Cloe, a personal assistant that knows your city inside and out. "She" can give you recommendations for restaurants, stores and services like hair salons or florists. Billed as a more personal version of Siri, you can ask Cloe for help deciding between businesses or just find local hot spots. Instead of just showing you a list of search results, like Google or Siri, Cloe will zero in on one particular suggestion and give you all the info you need.
In my testing, Cloe was fast, responsive and more engaging than just searching for an answer myself. She'll offer more human-like tips that you won't necessarily find elsewhere. The service is part bot, part human, so it can find you results fast, but also understand your more nuanced requests, like a tailor in downtown San Francisco open until 6pm tonight.
Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET
Magic
While Cloe will help you find a place to go, Magic will help bring things to you. You can text the service to order food, purchase nearly any product and even book airline tickets.
Magic gets your payment information up front so it can make purchases on your behalf, with your consent. You don't get much control, especially when it comes to food, but that's the point; the service is supposed to cut out a lot of the work for you. For instance, if you want to order a pizza, you can simply tell it "I want a cheese pizza and a liter of Pepsi," Magic will find a suitable option, confirm the purchase price and send it to you.
While Magic has the potential to be a personal assistant that does everything for you, the real-world results are mixed. Writing for Wired, Brent Rose had a positive experience where Magic came through for all of his requests, while Jason Del Ray at Recode had some issues. I didn't get to try out Magic (I'm still on the waitlist), but I can't help but think that it's a lot like Kozmo.com, which flopped in the tech bubble.
Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET
Ask Alexis
For guys who want advice to woo a lady, Alexis can help. You text Alexis for tips on date ideas and she'll give you recommendations for places to go, wine tips, style advice and more. I tested out the service and the advice I got was great, if a little delayed. My first query took several hours to answer, but once I made a connection with her, Alexis helped with my request.
I asked for tips for a low-key first date under the pseudonym Sean, and Alexis asked me how my date and I met and where the date would take place. After some back and forth, she gave me a suggestion for a dessert bar, with a description and website.
Screenshot by Sarah Mitroff/CNET
Digit
Unlike the personal assistant services on this list, Digit is all about helping you save money, without you noticing. You connect your bank account on Digit's website, using your bank's online portal, and then the service keeps tabs on your spending.
Over time, it figures how much you spend in a typical week and when your bills are due to identify how much money you can save without missing it. With your permission, Digit will save that money into a separate, FDIC-insured account that you can deduct from at anytime. I wish that Digit was able to save money for me in my own savings account, instead of a separate account.
Digit also texts you your balance every day and you can text it to get that information on demand, as well as your upcoming bills, recent transactions and savings balance.
Google's mobile network could offer free international 'roaming'
Negotiations with Hutchison Whampoa could mean subscribers get free use of mobile phone networks in the UK, Hong Kong, and other countries, according to the UK's Independent.
Sundar Pichai, Google's senior vice president of products, announces Google's mobile network plans at Mobile World Congress in March.Stephen Shankland/CNET
Google reportedly is in talks with the operator of the UK's Three and several other mobile networks to let subscribers use its upcoming mobile phone service without charge while abroad.
Google hopes to offer customers free use of its upcoming network while outside the US, with none of the traditional "roaming" fees travelers pay,according to a report Saturday in the Telegraph. That option is the subject of negotiations between Google and Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa, the UK newspaper said, citing unnamed industry sources.
Hutchison Whampoa would be a potentially powerful global partner to help Google cut roaming fees. It operates the UK's Three network and is trying to acquire the UK's O2 network from Telefonica. It also operates networks in Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Ireland.
In March, Google announced plans to offer mobile phone network service in coming months through partnerships to use other operators' network infrastructure. Although Google's product chief Sundar Pichai said the service will be "smaller scale," it could shake up the market by resetting customer expectations for what a network should offer and how much it could cost.
Roaming fees are a painful part of mobile phone service for people who travel outside their home countries. They can be socked with steep fees for calls, text messages and Internet data transfer -- unless they choose to forgo mobile phone service while traveling.
Relief from roaming fees has become a selling point for carriers trying to challenge larger incumbents. For example, T-Mobile USA offers some free international roaming benefits and has lured customers away from the top US carriers, AT&T and Verizon.
And in France, Iliad Group's Free Mobile offers 35 days of text, data and calling per year in 15 other countries, mostly European countries but expanding overseas to Canada in March.
Hutchison Whampoa and Google didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
European Commission politicians have been trying to cut roaming fees within Europe as part of a move to a unified telecommunications market -- one in which phone service travels across European borders as easily as Europeans themselves. But carriers rely heavily on roaming fees generated through partnerships with other carriers. The European Commission had hoped to end roaming fees in December 2015, but member states instead agreed only to push for lower roaming fees until at least 2018 in negotiations with the European Parliament.
How to stay safe online: CNET's security checklist
Do you have good habits? Safeguard your personal information against the most common Internet perils by taking these security measures.
Josh Miller/CNET
It's always better to be safe than sorry. Especially when it comes to your personal information. Keeping your info secure online requires you to take more time and care, but what you lose in moments you'll surely make up in peace of mind.
Follow the steps below to increase your online security.
Protecting your password
Sure, you're not likely to openly share your password with people you don't trust, but unfortunately you don't have to go that far for it to be compromised. Yes, keeping passwords to yourself is a smart first step, but there is room to go further.
One tip is to choose a password that isn't easy for others to guess. Computer security expert, Bruce Scheier, suggests to "Combine a personally memorable sentence with some personally memorable tricks to modify that sentence into a password." So if your sentence is "When I was eleven my sister made me fight the neighborhood bully", your password could be "Wiw11msmmFtnbully". Obviously, don't use that one, but instead come up with your own.
Be sure to check out our password guide for more details on creating a secure password. Also, getting a password manager can make keeping track of passwords much more convenient.
Sharon Profis/CNET
Keep your email from getting hacked
Believe it or not, even in the age of Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat and text messages, people still use email to communicate. And as a consequence, emails still get hacked. As many times as computer users have been told not to click attachments from untrustworthy sources -- or sometimes even from people you do know -- apparently we still click on them. Which unfortunately can lead to your email being hacked or some nefarious program being installed on your machine. So seriously, stop doing that.
If you get an attachment from someone you know that you were not expecting, check with the sender to confirm it was sent on purpose. Clicking on a malicious attachment can install malware on your machine, like a worm or virus.
Here are no less than 10 other ways protect your email from being compromised.
Shopping online
If you're using your credit card to shop online, there is risk that your information will be stolen and used to buy something against your will. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Only use your credit on websites with the prefix, "https". The "s" in https indicates that the site in question is using a secure protocol to encrypt communications between you and the website. You'll see this protocol used on online banking sites and shopping sites if you're looking at sensitive information.
If you don't see "https", the chances of your information being compromised increases. For more detailed and specialized information on protecting your info online, check out our guides on shopping safely online and protecting your credit card online.
Lexy Savvides/CNET
Better account protection
When most users log into their accounts, they enter their username and a password and they're in. This is known as single-factor authorization and it is indeed secure, but there's an even more secure way to log into important accounts.
Tw0-factor authorization uses an additional security credential to access an account like a fingerprint or a unique pattern. This way, if someone does gain access to your basic login information, they'd also need access to your fingerprint or unique pattern to access your account info.
CNET How To gives you a detailed overview on how to enable two-factor authentication anywhere. If you're looking only to enable two-factor authorization on popular websites or two-step verification on the iPhone, we have you covered there as well.
Dig in to discover a simple way to make your accounts more secure.
Josh Miller/CNET
Protecting your mobile device
Most of the tips outlined above can also be used on your smartphone or tablet, but for more specific mobile device security tips, check out these seven smartphone security tips and our iOS 8 privacy guide for some useful tips specific to the iPhone and iPad.
Staying secure
Look, there's pretty much nothing you can do if someones wants to get your personal information and has the time and means. Sometimes it's out of your hands; however, the tips outlined above are things you can control. Focusing on that is your best bet.
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