VLC isn't new. It's been around since 1996 and if you like to watch video files or video discs on a computer or mobile device, VLC has been one of the most popular choices for two decades. Now there's a new version and I think you'll want it.
In 1996, VideoLan was an academic project and VLC was an initialism for "VideoLAN Client". The project intended to stream videos from satellite dishes across a campus network at the École Centrale Paris. Two years later, everything was rewritten and in 2001 the viewer was released under GNU General Public License. The server function is no longer supported.
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VLC 3 has just been released. Until recently, I would have needed to say that it doesn't play Blu-ray discs natively and recommend an application such as the free Leawo Blu-ray player that will repeatedly bug you to pay for a "better" version. Now VLC plays Blu-ray disks, too, and it can convert Blu-ray video to an MP4 file if the disk isn't copy protected. In my tests, the process requires about 30 seconds per minute of video for the initial conversion, so if you have a DRM-free disk with a 90-minute movie, the first part of the conversion will take about 45 minutes. After that, a second process completes the encoding and writes the final file, so it's not a quick process. Converting DVD discs is faster than converting Blu-ray disks -- about 15 seconds per minute of video. VLC can also downsample a video if you want to play it on a portable device. Other applications are better if you need to copy a disc or convert one to an MP4 file. Most commercial discs include digital rights management (DRM) copy protections; VLC cannot convert files from these discs.
VLC handles all video types, audio files, and streaming. For a free application that doesn't even have a paid version, VLC is remarkable. (So I'm remarking.) That's not to say that you can't make a payment if you'd like to support the developers. You can, but it's not required or even requested.
VLC now supports Chromecast, so you can stream video and audio files from your PC or laptop direct to a Chromecast device that's connected to a TV or a speaker. A full list of the new features is on the VLC website. It runs on Windows, MacOS, Android, IOS, Linux, and Windows Phone and it supports high dynamic range (HDR) files that make videos look more realistic with higher contrast, more colors, and better brightness.
Although VLC can also stream radio station audio, you probably won't use it for that. Radio stations have their own streaming systems that work with most browsers, so many have removed access to direct links that applications such as VLC would use for streaming.
The latest version includes the ability to play 360-degree videos. This will be more important as people buy video cameras that are capable of capturing wrap-around video. Today those kinds of cameras cost just a few hundred dollars. Instead of needing proprietary software that's designed to work with your camera or dealing with the reduced quality that results from uploading videos to YouTube or Facebook, you can just have your friends install VLC.
If you have a Chromecast device from Google, VLC can send video to a large-screen television from a desktop computer, laptop, or phone. There are some limitations: Chromecast support is available only for Windows and Android devices. If you have an Apple device running IOS or MacOS, it doesn't yet work.
Extreme video fans will appreciate support for 4K and 8K resolution videos. Hardware decoding by makes it possible for VLC to provide excellent support for these high-resolution files. There's almost nothing that VLC can't handle. It supports most audio and video codecs and it runs on most operating systems -- Windows, Linux, BSD, MacOS, IOS, Android, and even Xbox.
If you watch videos on a computer, you need VLC.VLC appears to be the most versatile media player available, regardless of cost -- and there is no cost unless you choose to contribute. It runs on every popular operating system and plays nearly any media file. There are better applications for some of the tasks VLC can handle, but nothing beats its versatility as a video player and some of the new features in version 3 -- support for Chromecast and Blu-ray discs -- make it indispensable.
Additional details are available on the VLC website.
Adobe offers four applications with the term "Photoshop" in the name. Photoshop Lightroom CC, Photoshop Lightroom Classic CC, Photoshop CC, and Photoshop Elements. Elements is a stand-alone program, but the others are all included in Adobe's Creative Cloud Photography Plan. One might realistically wonder which application should be used when and for what.
The current batch of updates to the applications makes this a good time to work through the differences, except for Photoshop Elements. That application is intended for those who want to do creative things with images, but don't want to deal with all of the controls the other applications have, so I won't be discussing it here.
How can two applications converge and diverge simultaneously? As features are added to the cloud-based Lightroom CC, it has more potential to be used instead of Lightroom Classic CC -- so that's the convergence part. Meanwhile, Classic focuses heavily on those who prefer the desktop application and the cloud-based version enhances the edit anywhere functionality. For most users, it's probably not an either-or choice, but a choice between which application is appropriate for the task at hand.
In short, the three Photoshop offerings in the Photography Plan can be described this way:
Photography plan users also have access to Portfolio (used to create websites for desktop and mobile devices to display the photographer's work) and Spark (an application that creates highly designed emails, single-page websites, and short video stories.) I won't be talking about them at all. Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) is also included. When raw images are opened in Photoshop, ACR first processes the file for basic adjustments before opening it in Photoshop. ACR is also the technology that powers Lightroom and communicates with Lightroom's database.
The new profiles may be of some concern to providers such as Alien Skin and OnOne because the profiles directly compete with offerings from those companies. That said, those who make extensive use of third-party presents will probably continue to value them.
Adobe Lightroom Classic CC is shown on the left.
Adobe Lightroom CC is shown on the right.
For those who subscribe to the full Adobe Creative Cloud series of applications, there are numerous changes to the other programs in the collection.
Dimension CC users will now be able to edit images in Photoshop. Internal editing functions have been improved and some performance enhancements have been added. Adobe Experience Design (XD) allows users to password protect prototypes and XD's ability to open Photoshop and Sketch files has been improved. Creative Cloud for Video has new features for editing virtual reality sequences and is now integrated with Adobe Stock.
Sabre, the company that provides much of the technology for the travel industry, says that several new technologies will soon have a significant effect on the industry. These include automation, authenticity, and blockchain and a report by the company explains what they will mean for travelers.
I've just finished reading a book that was written in 1999. If you're going somewhere in a car, you need to stop and buy a map. Your cell phone is used only for phone calls and you'll pay roaming charges if you go very far from home. You're not observed by security cameras on every corner. You can walk up to an airline ticket counter and pay cash for a one-way fare without arousing suspicion. I remember those days. They are gone and more changes are on tap.
The Sabre Labs 2018 Emerging Technology Report examines the roles of automation, authenticity, and blockchain in the evolving travel technology landscape.
The full 2018 Emerging Technology Report is available without cost from the Sabre website.
Lots of people develop applications for Android and IOS mobile devices. Sometimes companies notice these applications and purchase them from the developer. It's a perfectly normal, ordinary, mundane, unremarkable business transaction. Just move along, folks; there's nothing to see here. Or is there?
Well, maybe. The developer is 16 years old. And she's a home-schooled student from north of New Delhi, India.
Redwood City Ventures, a crypto-currency venture investment firm, purchased the IOS app from Harshita Arora. It tracks crypto-currency prices. The developer, will also partner with the company to manage the Crypto Price Tracker application's rapid growth. After launching the app in late January, she watched it become one of the top App Store downloads in just 24 hours.
Crypto Price Tracker helps retail investors in 10 languages monitor the prices of more than 1000 crypto-currencies across about 20 exchanges in real-time. It also allows users to set alerts and manage their crypto portfolio.
Redwood City Ventures, which owns a crypto-currency mining data center, bought the app as part of its strategy to offer consumer-focused financial technology products. Arora says that she plans to develop additional applications. The 16-year-old developer previously attended a summer program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and is applying to work in the United States through a visa program for foreigners with extraordinary capability.
The application is available from the Apple store and additional information is on-line.
The US Department of Defense would like you to break in to the Defense Travel System (DTS). That system has been added to the department's bug bounty system that's intended to identify security flaws. The DTS manages travel itineraries, booking, and reimbursements for Defense Department employees and the bounty program is operated in conjunction with HackerOne.
To be eligible to participate in the bug bounty challenge, individuals must be US taxpayers or be either a citizen of or eligible to work in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. US government active military members and contractor personnel are also eligible to participate, but they are not eligible for financial rewards. This session is nearing an end, but you can enroll on the HackerOne website.
The Hack the Pentagon program began in 2016. Since then, more than 3000 vulnerabilities have been resolved in various government systems. The first Hack the Air Force bug bounty challenge resulted in 207 valid reports and hackers earned more than $130,000 for their contributions. The second Hack the Air Force found another 106 valid vulnerabilities and resulted in payments of $103,883 to the reporters. Hack the Army in December 2016 identified 118 valid vulnerabilities and paid $100,000.
If nothing else, the program is absolute proof that software will always contain bugs and vulnerabilities regardless of how cautious the developers are.
Project lead at Defense Manpower Data Center, Jack Messer, says the department has benefited from working with ethical hackers to secure vital systems. "The diverse perspectives they bring to the table" help to secure these critical systems.
