The Trinidad and Tobago Computer Society is pleased to announce the release of the TTCS OSSWIN DVD v1.4, a collection of the latest version of Free and Open Source Software for Microsoft Windows (XP/Vista/7/8)

You can use your web browser to read detailed information about each program in this compilation : what the program does, its key features, useful related websites, view a screenshot, find links to the program’s website and to download/install the program from the TTCS OSSWIN DVD.

The web-based interface allows you to quickly browse the variety of software organised  into the following categories:

• Desktop Applications
• Educational
• Games
• Graphics
• Internet
• Server
• Sound and Video
• Utilities

There were numerous software updates (see the changelog).

See the TTCS OSSWIN DVD page at http://www.ttcsweb.org/osswin-dvd/ for more details, including a complete listing of programs included on the DVD, download links and checksum information to verify the download.

To commemorate the 25th anniversary (April 28 2014) of the establishment of the Caribbean Telecommunication Union (CTU), the CTU will be hosting a 25th Anniversary ICT week programme of ICT activities event under the theme: Celebrating: Our Journey to ICT-enabled Development from the 2nd to 6th February, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad Hotel. The activities will culminate in the inauguration of CTU’s new Headquarters.

Read the CTU agenda of ICT activities

Whilst there are registration fees if you want to attend in person (email francola.john@ctu.int to find out if this is still possible), several of the sessions offer remote participation. Visit https://zoom.us/j/299331303 with your desktop or mobile device at the time of the session.

Also taking place during the CTU ICT week is the ION Conference, hosted by the Internet Society Deploy360 Programme, which bring network engineers and leading industry experts together to discuss emerging technologies including IPv6, DNSSEC, TLS, and more.

Early adopters provide valuable insight into their own deployment experiences and bring participants up to speed on new standards emerging from the IETF.

You can learn more about ION Trinidad and Tobago, including what’s on the agenda, and who will be speaking, at http://www.internetsociety.org/deploy360/ion/trinidad2015/agenda/.  Ars Technica also has an article about ION Conference in Trinidad.

 

 

Google has made Google Earth Pro, formerly a paid product, available for free.

 So what are the features of Google Earth Pro compared to Google Earth?

From the Google Earth Pro website:

Google Earth Pro gives you access to Google’s comprehensive globe, including aerial imagery, street data, panoramic Street View images, historical imagery, and points of interest. In addition, Google Earth Pro offers tools and capabilities designed specifically for business users, including:

• Print high resolution screenshots
• Map large GIS datasets
• Quickly map thousands of addresses
• Create custom movies to share with clients and customers
• Measure area with a polygon or circle
• View demographic, parcel and traffic data displayed in colorful layers

 

Unfortunately,. the satellite imagery for Trinidad (for now) is somewhat out of date. For example, the satellite imagery doesn’t show the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) in Port of Spain which was built around 2009.

Download Google Earth Pro, and complete the form to have a free license key emailed to you.

From the Apple Press Release :

Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2015 first quarter ended December 27, 2014. The Company posted record quarterly revenue of $74.6 billion and record quarterly net profit of $18 billion, or $3.06 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $57.6 billion and net profit of $13.1 billion, or $2.07 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 39.9 percent compared to 37.9 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 65 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

The results were fueled by all-time record revenue from iPhone® and Mac® sales as well as record performance of the App Store℠. iPhone unit sales of 74.5 million also set a new record.

 

 

 

Another security flaw for Adobe Flash Player being exploited in the wild means another security update for Adobe Flash Player for Windows, Mac and Linux, the third update this month.

According to the Adobe Security Bulletin dated January 27 2015:

Adobe has released security updates for Adobe Flash Player for Windows, Macintosh and Linux.  These updates address vulnerabilities that could potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system.

Adobe is aware of reports that CVE-2015-0311 is actively being exploited in the wild via drive-by-download attacks against systems running Internet Explorer and Firefox on Windows 8.1 and below.

So update ASAP!

The latest versions bumps the latest version of Flash Player for Windows and Mac OS X to version 16.0.0.296.

To determine what version of the Adobe Flash player you have on your Windows, Macintosh or Linux system, visit http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/

To download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player without any adware or bundled third party offers, visit
http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/distribution3.html

Windows users should note that the Flash Player in Microsoft Internet Explorer v9 and earlier versions of Internet Explorer and the Flash player in web browsers like Opera, Mozilla Firefox and Safari are separate installs.
You should install and update both versions of Adobe Flash.

For Internet Explorer v10 and Internet Explorer v11 (for users for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and Windows 8), these browsers have Adobe Flash Player built-in and users should update their Internet Explorer browser versions.

Google Chrome browser users has Adobe Flash Player built-in and users should update the Google Chrome browser to the latest version. See https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95414 on how to do so.

Rdio, a music streaming service for desktops and mobile devices is now available in Trinidad and Tobago and many other Caribbean territories thanks to an exclusive partnership with Digicel.

From the Rdio blog post :

In the coming weeks, Digicel will offer all prepaid data customers 30 minutes of free Rdio Internet radio listening per day on their mobile phones without accruing data usage charges – all through the exclusive partnership. Digicel will also be collaborating closely with us to infuse local influence in each of our new territories, curating playlists and stations together with Digicel Brand Ambassadors in each country and territory. Through this unprecedented arrangement, listeners in each market will have convenient access to popular music from around the world in addition to local artists they already enjoy.

Effective today, Rdio is available in the following new markets: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. In addition to the new markets where Rdio is launching, Rdio’s exclusive partnership with Digicel is effective in French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Martinique, Bonaire, El Salvador and Panama.

You can sign up with Rdio at http://www.rdio.com/ and stream music to your computer, phone or tablet. See http://www.rdio.com/home/en-tt/#apps

 

 

Adobe has posted a second critical security update for Adobe Flash Player on January 22 2015 for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.

According to the Adobe Security Bulletin dated January 22 2015:

Adobe has released security updates for Adobe Flash Player for Windows, Macintosh and Linux.  These updates address a vulnerability that could be used to circumvent memory randomization mitigations on the Windows platform.

Adobe is aware of reports that an exploit for CVE-2015-0310 exists in the wild, which is being used in attacks against older versions of Flash Player.  Additionally, we are investigating reports that a separate exploit for Flash Player 16.0.0.287 and earlier also exists in the wild.

So update ASAP!

The latest versions bumps the latest version of Flash Player for Windows and Mac OS X to version 16.0.0.287.

To determine what version of the Adobe Flash player you have on your Windows, Macintosh or Linux system, visit http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/

To download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player without any adware or bundled third party offers, visit
http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/distribution3.html

Windows users should note that the Flash Player in Microsoft Internet Explorer v9 and earlier versions of Internet Explorer and the Flash player in web browsers like Opera, Mozilla Firefox and Safari are separate installs.
You should install and update both versions of Adobe Flash.

For Internet Explorer v10 and Internet Explorer v11 (for users for Windows 7 Service Pack 1 and Windows 8), these browsers have Adobe Flash Player built-in and users should update their Internet Explorer browser versions.

Google Chrome browser users has Adobe Flash Player built-in and users should update the Google Chrome browser to the latest version. See https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95414 on how to do so.