Skype For Linux: Microsoft Launches Alpha Client To Replace Aging App

Microsoft Corp. launched an alpha version of a new Linux client for its Skype chat and calling service, very tellingly named Skype for Linux Alpha. In a blog post Wednesday that announced the launch, the company said the client “is not a fully functioning Skype client yet” but had been launched anyway because it wants “to get it [the client] in your hands as soon as possible.”

Pointing out some of the differences between the new app and the version it replaces, the blog says users will “be using the latest, fast and responsive Skype UI, you can share files, photos and videos and send a whole new range of new emoticons.” The company is also asking for users to test the app and provide feedback so it can prioritize which features it should work on adding, improving or fixing.

Skype also seems keen on phasing out its older Linux client. Using the new alpha version, “you will be able to call your friends and family on the latest versions of Skype on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, but you won’t be able to make or receive calls to and from the previous versions of Skype for Linux (4.3.0.37).”

Linux users can download Skype for Linux Alpha from here.

Another feature announced Wednesday was the alpha version of Skype based on WebRTC (an interface that supports browser-to-browser communication without additional plugins). Using the same features as the new Linux client, it is targeted at users of Chromebook and Chrome on Linux. The offering for the Chrome browser will expand over the next few months to include landlines and cellphones as well, the company said.

If you have an existing Skype account, the WebRTC version can be accessed using this link.

Skype was first released in 2003 and Microsoft bought the company in 2011 for $8.5 billion.

Facebook adds Built-in Tor support for its Android App

Rejoice for Privacy Lovers!

Facebook today took a surprising move by announcing that it is bringing the free anonymizing software TOR support to its Android app, almost two years after the social network planned to make Facebook available directly over Tor network.

Yes. Believe it or not, the Android version of the popular Facebook application now supports the Tor anonymity network.

In October 2014, Facebook launched a .onion website on TOR in order to let its users around the world access its service more securely.

Access Facebook over TOR via Orbot

This latest move to expand that access to the Android app opens up the option to millions more users to maintain their privacy when they visit the world's most popular social network.

Facebook says "a sizeable community of people" are already accessing the site over TOR, so the company is bringing this feature to Android via the free Orbot proxy app, which is available on the Google's Play Store.

"We commonly receive requests for additional platform support beyond the browser,"reads the announcement, "...we are now offering experimental support for using Facebook over Tor via the Orbot proxy app for Android devices."

How to Use Facebook Over TOR?

• In order to access Facebook over TOR, Download Orbot proxy app from the Play Store.
• Now open Facebook app and Select "Use Tor via Orbot" in the app's Settings menu.

That's it. Now you are connected to Facebook's Tor hidden service that will mask your real IP address and will stop your internet service provider (ISP) from seeing when you visit Facebook.

Moreover, this new feature could potentially allow users to access the social network site even if it is blocked in their country, like China and Iran.

Facebook says that the company is releasing this new feature "over the next few days," so do not expect to see the pop-up right now. 

And as the feature is currently in the experimental stage, flaws and other issues may occur.

Microsoft Selfie - Latest App for iOS

Microsoft is making yet another entry at the App Store, this time largely as an app developer. Its latest app called Microsoft Selfie can really help you take your self-shot like a boss.

Microsoft Selfie for iOS

On the surface, you’d have it mistaken for another Microsoft app, the Lumia Selfie, but this being Microsoft, things are not as monotonous.

Compared to the billions of other similar apps that you can find, Microsoft Selfie brings “intelligent enhancements” to your photographs by considering factors such as age, gender, skin tone, lighting, noise and many more to bring out the perfect shot. It has experimented in the same field previously with a few age guessing apps so the developers wanted to make an app with some of that tech thrown in.

How Does it Works?

You have the option of taking photos both through the front or rear camera. There is a slider which allows you to customize how much you want the effects to obliterate your face.

Naturally, there is also a fairly large selection of filters with curious names like “1965” that can be added both to your new photos and library. You can then compare the unedited and obliterated versions side-by-side. Apart from that, everything is fairly straightforward.

If you’re vested in Apple’s ecosystem, it is probably not a bad idea to try the app for yourself. With several others, most notably Google not developing for Windows, it is refreshing to see Microsoft continuing to cater to rival platforms.

Five Emergency Apps: You should always carry with you

What applications do you carry with you at all times? Because you can never have enough emergency apps to carry with you in the field.

As you might expect, everyone has different needs and every emergency calls for a different tool. That's why you need to have a variety of tools on hand to cover nearly every issue. In this take on the emergency apps, we'll examine some tools that, although you may not always use, they will prove irreplaceable when the time comes to fire them up.

1: Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition

Figure A

2: FileZilla Portable

Figure B

3: McAfee Stinger

Figure C

4: EditPad Lite

Figure D

5: MBRtool

Figure E

Your go-to emergency apps

Let's face it, at some point you're going to run into a machine that only has Internet Explorer and the browser simply won't work. When that machine can't browse the web, you might not be able to get the specific tool you need (one you don't have with you) or you won't be able to gain access to the solution for the problem. When that time comes, you'll be glad you have Mozilla Firefox, Portable Edition (Figure A). What's great about this tool is that it looks and feels exactly like the standard edition desktop browser. As a bonus, if you use the browser with the Portable Apps Platform, the portable edition of Firefox will always run in private mode, so you don't leave any information behind.

There will be times when you either need to download or upload data from a troubled PC via FTP. When that happens, you'll want to have the portable edition of FileZilla (Figure B) on hand. Although you might be able to download from an FTP site with your favorite browser, uploading can be an issue. And what happens when the browser is misbehaving and you simply need to snag some data? That's when a portable FTP client can come in handy. Like the portable version of Firefox, FileZilla Portable behaves exactly like the desktop iteration of the app.

McAfee Stinger (Figure C) is a standalone application that does a great job of removing more than 6,000 "fake alert" malware threats. This version also includes a beta of Raptor (a real-time behavior detection that monitors suspicious activity on an endpoint). This is not to be considered a substitution for a full-blown antivirus solution, as Stinger only looks for specific threats. And while it isn't the fastest scanner you'll ever use, it is certainly effective. Once run, it will isolate suspicious and infected files to C:\Quarantine\Stinger.

At some point, you're going to need to manually edit a config file and the installed tools simply won't work. When that happens, you'll be glad you have the likes of EditPad Lite (Figure D) in your toolkit. Editpad Lite offers plenty of features. With it you can do simple text file edits or even programming (although it doesn't include all the features you'd want in a programming editor). EditPad also features a built-in clipboard tool, search and replace, and plenty of configuration options.

If you're looking for a tool to manage or recover your PC's master boot record (MBR), MBRtool (Figure E) might be just what you need. It lets you verify, back up, and restore the MBR, as well as edit or wipe the partition table and blank or remove the boot code. MBRtool supports the first four hard drives present on a system. The only caveat to using this tool is that it presumes you have backed up the MBR to a location outside the C drive (preferably on a portable drive you have access to) so you can then restore the MBR back to the corrupted system. Also note that MBRtool is an app that works with DOS, so there is no fancy GUI to help guide you through the process. You'll want to take a careful look at the MBRTool User Guide.

There are many good candidates for your emergency toolkit. If you're walking around without them, you're doing yourself (and your end users) a disservice. No, you won't always need each of these apps. But when you do, you'll be glad you have them at the ready.

What emergency tools do you find essential? Share your thoughts with fellow Latest Technology readers.