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  Amid Windows 10 controversy, Microsoft quietly releases privacy botching features to Windows 7 and 8

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 8:32pm CEST par Max Nottingham

  

  It's been roughly a month since the release of Windows 10, Microsoft's newest desktop operating system. It packs in several enticing features including the digital assistant Cortana. But despite all the interesting offerings, Windows 10 isn't sitting well with many. Privacy advocates have criticized Microsoft for introducing several features that are seemingly concerning to those who care about their privacy. To make things worse, the company has now rolled out some of these annoying features to Windows 7 and Windows 8.

  First spotted by Ghacks, some of the recent updates that Microsoft rolled out to Windows 8 and Windows 7 set a computer to regularly send reports of a machine's activities to Microsoft. The update dubbed 3068708, for instance, introduces the Diagnostics and Telemetry tracking service on the computers it is installed on. "By applying this service, you can add benefits from the latest version of Windows to systems that have not yet upgraded. The update also supports applications that are subscribed to Visual Studio Application Insights", Microsoft describes the purpose of the update.

  The 3075249, on other hand, "adds telemetry points to the User Account Control (UAC) feature to collect information on elevations that come from low integrity levels". Moving on, the 3080149, "updates the Diagnostics and Telemetry tracking service to existing devices. This service provides benefits from the latest version of Windows to systems that have not yet upgraded. The update also supports applications that are subscribed to Visual Studio Application Insights".

  The 3075249 and 3080149 updates are optional to download though the 3068708 update is being flagged as a recommended install by Microsoft. This essentially means that users who have Windows Update set to automatically snag new patches from Microsoft will get this feature. Though, as PCWorld notes the update is only functional in the systems that participate in Microsoft's Customer Experience Improvement Program. If you're one of those, the bad news is that opting out of it isn't as easy as you would like.

  Photo credit: Stanislaw Mikulski / Shutterstock

  
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  Microsoft releases Cortana to India, Australia and Canada for Windows 10 Insiders

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 8:14pm CEST par Max Nottingham

  

  Microsoft on Tuesday announced that it is bringing Cortana, the company's digital assistant, to several new regions, including Japan, India, Australia, and Canada. The feature is available for users as an optional download on Windows 10 build 10532 (to be also available in the later builds). If you're in any other region, sadly, there is nothing here to get you excited.

  Back in July, Microsoft had announced its plan to bring Cortana to more regions. As promised, folks in Japan can now use the digital assistant in their local language. The headline feature comes as an optional download.

  Cortana is also available in Australia and Canada, Windows head Gabe Aul noted in a blog post. He further noted that an early version of Cortana in English language is now available for Insiders in India as well.

  In July, the company had noted that Cortana would understand local dialects, phrases, and accent when it launches in the aforementioned regions. Aul assures today that an update with an improved voice will be rolled out to Insiders in the world's second most populous nation later this month.

  "With these rollouts, we hope to learn a lot from your feedback as we continue to improve the experience and refine it for each market".

  Next on the conquest map of Cortana is Brazil and Mexico where Aul assures that the company will be bringing the feature soon. Also, French-speaking folks in Canada are up for a treat soon, too.

  Update: The story has been updated to make some clarifications.

  
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  Mozilla, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Intel and others form 'Alliance for Open Media'

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 6:45pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

  Both open and closed projects have their place; there are arguments for each as to which is better. For standards, however, open is preferable. By preventing licencing fees and legal patent battles, the technology can continuously evolve without interruption.

  Today, Mozilla announces a partnership with Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Intel, Cisco and Netflix to form the Alliance for Open Media. This partnership will create a royalty-free standard for playing media on the web which will be released under Apache 2.0 license.

  "One of the biggest challenges in developing open standards in a field like video codecs is figuring out how to review the patents. The Alliance provides a venue for us to share the legal legwork without having to worry about it being used against us down the road. That distributes the load, allows us to innovate faster and cheaper, and gives everyone more confidence that we are really producing a royalty-free codec", says Mozilla.

  The company further explains, "the Alliance will operate under W3C patent rules and release code under an Apache 2.0 license. This means all Alliance participants are waiving royalties both for the codec implementation and for any patents on the codec itself. The initial members are just a start. We invite anyone with an interest in video, online or off, to join us".

  The Alliance for Open Media shares its initial focus

  • Interoperable and open;
  • Optimized for the web;
  • Scalable to any modern device at any bandwidth;
  • Designed with a low computational footprint and optimized for hardware;
  • Capable of consistent, highest-quality, real-time video delivery; and
  • Flexible for both commercial and non-commercial content, including user-generated content.

  While other such alliances have been formed in the past, this particular one has many major players involved. Notably absent, however, is Apple -- hopefully Tim Cook and company will accept the open invitation and join the alliance too.

  Open? Yes. Alliance for Open Media. [t.co] #openmedia4all

  — AllianceForOpenMedia (@a4omedia) September 1, 2015

  Are you excited to see so many major companies joining forces to support an open web? Tell me in the comments.

  
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  Google unveils a new, simple, sans serif logo

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 6:37pm CEST par Mark Wilson

  

  Google has come a long way over the years, but one thing has remain remarkably simple: its logo. There have been various designs for the six, colorful letters and today the company has taken the wraps off the latest version... complete with an uppercase G!

  It's going to take a while for some people to get used to, but the clean, sans serif look of the new logo is simultaneously modern and retro. But today's announcement is about more than the main logo -- this is the launch of a new 'identity family'. In addition to the main logo, there's also a new four-color G icon, as well as similarly-colored imagery for other elements.

  Introducing the new look, Google says that the change of direction comes as a result of the increased range of devices people use to access the internet. The new typeface and icons have been designed to work on screens of all sizes. The new design can be seen in searches, Google Maps, Chrome, and it will roll out to a range of other products too. As the company says:

  It doesn’t simply tell you that you're using Google, but also shows you how Google is working for you. For example, new elements like a colorful Google mic help you identify and interact with Google whether you’re talking, tapping or typing. Meanwhile, we're bidding adieu to the little blue "g" icon and replacing it with a four-color "G" that matches the logo.

  

  There's an animation that showcases the new logo and identity family that you'll be seeing a great deal more of in the coming months, and Google has put together a video that shows what the company has achieved, and what it has brought us over the last 17 years:

  What do you think of the new look?

  
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  Microsoft is the number one employer for Workforce Diversity

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 6:24pm CEST par Mark Wilson

  

  Diversity is the current weapon tech companies are using to bludgeon each other with -- Twitter has even gone as far as publishing its goals. Facebook fails in this department while Apple, ever the master of spin, is keen to present itself in the best possible light. For many on the outside looking in, diversity is little more than an exercise in PR, but that's not going to stop companies celebrating wins here and there.

  The latest win is for Microsoft. For the second year running, the company has been voted the number one employer by readers of Workforce Diversity for Engineering & IT Professionals magazine. Clearly this is something of a niche publication, but given its specialization, it’s a crown that Microsoft is only too happy to wear.

  Described as "the first magazine published for the professional, diversified high-tech workforce, which encompasses everyone, including women, members of minority groups, people with disabilities, and non-disabled white males to advance in the diversified working community", Workforce Diversity has been surveying its readers about employers for the past 14 years. In 2014 Microsoft also topped the charts, pushing Boeing and Apple back into second and third places respectively.

  Writing on the Microsoft Blog, Suzanne Choney says:

  Readers selected the top companies in the country for which they would most prefer to work, or believe would provide a positive working environment for engineers and IT professionals who are members of minority groups.

  This list is the result of an annual survey mailed to randomly selected readers of Workforce Diversity for Engineering & IT Professionals magazine.

  Although we know that Microsoft occupies the number one slot, we don’t yet know how other companies have fared. The full list for 2015 is due to be published on 8 September.

  Photo credit: Guenter Albers / Shutterstock

  
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  Birst wants to Transform analytics with networked BI

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 6:03pm CEST par Ian Barker

  

  Business intelligence has traditionally relied on centralized data, an approach which is not only time consuming but also represents a barrier to end-user self-service.

  Now cloud analytics specialist Birst is launching a new Networked BI technology which aims to redefine the way BI is delivered and consumed by enabling global control with local execution.

  Built on top of Birst's modern, multi-tenant cloud architecture, Networked BI creates a grid of interwoven BI instances that share a common analytical fabric. This enables organizations to expand the use of BI across multiple regions, departments and customers in a more agile way, and empowers these decentralized groups to add to the global analytical fabric with their own local data.

  This makes BI scalable across the enterprise, at the same time delivering speed and end-user freedom with self-service data preparation capabilities, along with transparent governance. By bringing analytics to the virtual world with Networked BI, Birst does away with data silos and accelerates the delivery of BI across the organization.

  "Antiquated BI and analytics architectures force companies to trade off between agility and governance", says Brad Peters, Chief Product Officer at Birst. "Now, with Birst Networked BI, companies no longer have to make that trade off. Our modern, multi-tenant cloud architecture makes it possible to create a network of virtual BI instances so companies can achieve both rapid deployment and easy access to robust BI capabilities".

  The company points out that this approach is also of value to software vendors, allowing them to embed analytics in their applications. By rolling out new virtual instances of analytics, without having to physically recreate metadata, data and BI content, application vendors can extend analytics to new customers, fast and at scale.

  More information is available on the Birst website.

  Image Credit: Andrea Danti / Shutterstock

  
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  iHeartRadio launches a Windows 10 app

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 5:29pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

  

  Windows 10 has been live for a few weeks now and is getting a lot of attention, deservedly so. Most users seem happy to either be away from Windows 8 or to have avoided it all together. Now it's a matter of getting the apps which are the lifeblood of any ecosystem, both PC and mobile.

  To that end, music streaming giant iHeartRadio is announcing its Windows 10 compatible app. "iHeartRadio for Windows 10 will include its signature, customizable listening features known to iHeartRadio's audience of more than 70 million registered users as well as new innovations optimized exclusively for Microsoft Corp.'s most personal, productive and secure operating system yet", the company announces.

  The app comes with all of the usual iHeartRadio features, including creating custom playlists. There's the ability to stream live radio -- "Windows 10 users will have instant access to thousands of live radio stations from across the country covering Pop, Country, Hip-Hop, R&B, Alternative, Rock, Talk, News, Sports and Comedy". There's also podcasts and customers can even share their stations via Facebook.

  "Together with iHeartRadio, Windows 10 will provide people with a personal and productive experience with instant access to their favorite music and entertainment along with new innovations like Cortana, Microsoft Edge and the Xbox app" says Microsoft's Todd Brix, general manager of the Windows Store.

  You can grab the new app for the new operating system right in the Windows Store. Just try not to disturb your neighbors.

  
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  Play Android games on your Windows desktop with Nox APP Player

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 5:16pm CEST par Mike Williams

  

  Chinese tech startup Duodian Network has released an English version of Nox APP Player, an emulator which allows users to run Android apps on their Windows desktop.

  The package took a while to download on our test PC, but installation was easy, getting us a virtual Android 4.4.2 tablet in a near full-screen window.

  The initial setup only has one or two apps by default, but fortunately Play Store is included, so you can search for and install whatever you like in the usual way.

  Solid gaming support means you’re able to play with a joystick, mouse, or remappable keyboard. Other apps seem to work equally well, and the system ran everything we tried without difficulty.

  There are buttons to simulate shaking your device, to set a virtual location, take a screenshot, install an APK from the host, and more.

  Configuration options include the ability to change your form factor, screen resolution, and to optimize performance by assigning more (or less) RAM/ CPU cores.

  There’s nothing too advanced or surprising here, but Nox APP Player’s Android 4.4.2 KitKat base -- and its ease of use -- are definite pluses. It’s worth a look, but you may need to be patient with the initial download -- ours failed twice, and was then very slow, but it did finish eventually.

  
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  New malware detection engine stops cyber threats sooner

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 5:04pm CEST par Ian Barker

  

  Attackers are increasingly capable of modifying their existing malware to slip into a victim’s infrastructure undetected. Because traditional security solutions are reactive and can only protect against already known threat vectors this leaves a gap in defenses.

  Security company Check Point is launching its new SandBlast product that uses CPU-level threat detection to uncover threats at the pre-infection level. It elevates threat defense with evasion-resistant malware detection and comprehensive protection, significantly reducing the risk of expensive breaches.

  "Enterprises are at risk of falling victim to targeted attacks, but implementing proactive, preventative technologies to block malware from entering the network will protect your business without compromising efficiency. Check Point SandBlast provides an additional layer of security from even the most sophisticated attacks by catching more malware, with minimal impact on delivery times", says Gil Shwed, CEO and chairman of Check Point Software Technologies. "The growth of our Threat Prevention portfolio continues to extend our depth of technology to enable us to continue to arming our customers with innovative defensive strategies against cybercrime. Together with Check Point Mobile Threat Prevention announced at Black Hat last month, Check Point is moving quickly and aggressively to secure the future".

  Among SandBlast's features are the ability to identify malware at the exploit phase, even before evasion techniques can be applied. It can't be bypassed by delay loops, attempts to determine if a virtualized OS is in use, or other methods aimed at circumventing the sandbox.

  By combining the power of CPU-level detection with OS-level emulation it works with a broad range of file types, including MS Office, PDF, flash, executables, and archives. An integrated Threat Extraction capability allows it to deliver safe versions of files. This means Check Point SandBlast can be deployed in prevent mode, while traditional sandbox products are typically run only in detect mode to avoid delivery delays.

  SandBlast is available as a cloud service or an on-premise appliance and is part of a new generation of threat prevention products. Find out more on the CheckPoint site.

  Photo Credit: Balefire / Shutterstock

  
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  Egnyte announces Office 365 integration

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 4:29pm CEST par Ian Barker

  

  Secure file sharing specialist Egnyte is releasing new integration between its product and Microsoft’s Office 365. These will allow business users to seamlesly access, manage and share their files.

  Features include the ability to open Egnyte files directly from Microsoft Office Online for viewing and editing and changes are automatically saved back to Egnyte.

  Native integrations within all of the Office tools will provide users with a variety of choices to easily open, edit, and share any of their Egnyte files. In addition users on the move can remotely access and edit Egnyte files from any of the native Office Mobile Apps.

  "Egnyte's security-enhanced and hybrid architecture enables Microsoft users to seamlessly share and manage documents stored across heterogeneous storage locations -- in the cloud and on-premises -- while enhancing the user experience by connecting workflows across their favorite business applications, including Microsoft Office", says Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president and chief evangelist at Microsoft. "We are pleased to count Egnyte in our partner community as a hybrid file services platform for our customers to easily collaborate with their Microsoft content across desktop, mobile and online -- wherever business may take them".

  Egnyte is also launching a new Technology Partner Program, providing enhanced value-added services on top of their open, hybrid technology -- which uses existing infrastructure on-premises, in the cloud, or a mixture of both.

  "By partnering with key enterprise players and integrating their applications with the Egnyte solution, we’re creating seamless workflows around content that is mission critical for the enterprise", says Isabelle Guis, Chief Strategy Officer at Egnyte. "We're significantly scaling our ecosystem of infrastructure and application partners, on-premises and in the cloud. Supporting a broad variety of IT environments facilitates adoption and makes business users and IT professionals more efficient, allowing our customers’ businesses and ours to thrive".

  More information on the Technology Partner Program is available on the Egnyte website.

  Photo Credit: EDHAR/Shutterstock

  
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  New platform aims to speed up the sales process

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 3:31pm CEST par Ian Barker

  

  Sales are the lifeblood of a company, yet they can also be a frustratingly slow part of the whole business cycle. Finding a way of accelerating the sales process is therefore a bit of a holy grail for many organizations.

  Salesforce solution specialist Velocify is launching a new enterprise-class sales acceleration platform. Velocify Pulse takes a universal approach that accelerates every step in the sales cycle, and aligns everyone in the sales organization on the same platform.

  "Companies aiming to achieve exceptional growth all want to accelerate their sales process, but the problem is they can't operate at speed if they don't have control", says Nick Hedges, president and CEO of Velocify. "Focusing on speed alone is like giving a Ferrari to someone who has never driven a car before -- it will probably end badly. That’s why Velocify focuses on allowing teams to operate with velocity and discipline simultaneously".

  The platform takes an insight-driven approach to developing the optimal sales processes, motivating people to follow the plan through 'Rewardification' -- delivering valuable incentives to salespeople that follow best practices and generate results -- and keeping the entire organization on a single platform that covers everything from prospecting to lead response to closing the final deal.

  By using rules, logic, behavior, and historical data it can help determine the most effective sales strategies. There is complete visibility into how each part of the sales process works, so that leaders can adjust specific aspects to continually improve team performance.

  "Predictive analytics is certainly a part of the equation, but sales leaders should not hand control over to predictive analytics entirely", adds Hedges. "A prescriptive, insight-based approach is really critical to optimizing sales processes and accelerating sales performance."

  It includes a tool called SalesCaddy which has two components, SocialCaddy, to enable sales reps to build prospect lists using LinkedIn, and MailCaddy, to connect to Gmail and Office365 for seamless communication with prospects.

  For more information on Velocify Pulse and to request a demo you can visit the company's website.

  Image Credit: iQoncept / Shutterstock

  
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  Microsoft makes it easy to switch to Windows 10 with free PCmover Express

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 3:18pm CEST par Mark Wilson

  

  Microsoft has teamed up with Laplink to try to encourage people to upgrade from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, offering a free copy of PCmover Express to anyone who wants it. Many people took the launch of Windows 10 as an excuse to buy a new computer with it pre-installed -- but then there is the problem of accessing the files stored on the old PC.

  While it is possible to manually move files to your new computer, it's not something that everyone is comfortable with. Microsoft's solution to provide people with a data transfer tool for free is one that's likely to attract some attention, so here’s what you need to do to take advantage of this time-limited offer.

  Laplink's tool can be used to migrate files and folders from one computer to another, and it is available free of charge until the end of August 2016. All you need to do is head over to the promotion page, and you can download your copy of the software in an instant. The entire transfer process is wizard-led, so there is little chance of doing anything wrong, and Microsoft stresses that if you have spent time personalizing Windows 10, your settings will be retained.

  The free version of PCmover Express is only concerned with moving data, and is only for home users. If you need to use the software commercially, or want to be able to move applications from one computer to another, you'll need to upgrade to the Professional version of the utility.

  To get started with PCmover Express, start by downloading your free copy now!

  Photo credit: XiXinXing / Shutterstock

  
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  IT workers suffer the summertime blues

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 1:59pm CEST par Ian Barker

  

  During the summer months, many organizations see a significant expansion in the number of remote workers, which can make the job of network managers or system admins more difficult.

  Software company Ipswitch recently polled 239 IT professionals in the United States to identify the issues that most affect them over the summer.

  A third of all survey respondents saw nearly half of their colleagues working remotely during the summer. Malfunctioning laptops were named as the top problem by 42 percent, followed by network connectivity issues (32 percent) and poor application performance (16 percent).

  Wireless devices were named as a problem too. When asked what type of device they'd like to see eliminated from use on the corporate network, 49 percent of all IT pros surveyed chose tablets, followed by smartphones at 31 percent. Only 10 percent named wearable technology which may be due to relatively small size of the market at the moment.

  When asked what employees could do to reduce the load on IT staff, 42 percent said eliminating the shadow IT effect, when employees download apps without telling or seeking permission. Nearly one third (29 percent) said they'd most appreciate if an employee rebooted their computer before seeking assistance. In order to feel more empowered at work, 32 percent of IT professionals would like the ability to choose and buy technology, while 25 percent wanted to have X-ray vision to figure out the source of problems.

  "The summer months are a busy time for IT pros as employees expect continuous unfettered access to company networks while working from home or on vacation. A single organization can find itself with a significant bump in remote workers, all of whom may need support and assistance", says Jeff Loeb, Chief Marketing Officer at Ipswitch. "A unified network and server performance monitoring solution will help IT pros to solve network issues before they affect employees, wherever they are working".

  The full report is available from the Ipswitch website and there's a summary of the findings as an infographic below.

  

  Image Credit: Creative Images / Shutterstock

  
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  Your new smartphone could ship with malware

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 1:42pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

  

  Receiving a new smartphone with malware pre-installed is unlikely, but this is exactly what has happened with handsets from well-known brands sold by some third-party sellers in Asia and Europe. Consumers expect them to run factory software, so it is unlikely that they will check to see whether it has been modified prior to using their account credentials and storing sensitive information, making these kind of infections extremely dangerous.

  Security firm G Data has discovered malware on more than 20 smartphone models which were advertised as new. And we are not talking about no-name brands. Among other companies, Huawei, Lenovo and Xiaomi, top-tier vendors, have had their devices infected prior to the sale.

  The malware is cleverly hidden, being tied to popular apps that users are most-likely to use, such as Facebook. This makes it hard to spot, especially without using dedicated security tools. Most users are unlikely to ever find anything suspicious with their smartphones, while the malware will gather all sorts of private information, like phone calls and messages.

  "Somebody is unlocking the phone and putting the malware on there and relocking the phone", says G Data security evangelist Andy Hayter. And even if users somehow discover the malware, it is very difficult to remove it without re-flashing the smartphone with factory firmware.

  This is not something that is easy to perform, as it generally requires dedicated tools and, most important of all, access to the bootloader, which can often be difficult to unlock. "You can't take it off there unless you unlock the phone", adds Hayter.

  What's worse, some manufacturers seem to have no idea that this is happening. "This is the only such occurrence we have been made aware of", says Lenovo's Ray Gorman. "We always recommend customers transact with authorized distribution channels and only accept merchandise that comes in an official box with original factory seals".

  It is not the first time this has been reported by G Data, as it found similar malware running on Star smartphones over a year ago, while Marble Security found pre-installed malware on some Samsung devices around the same time, after customers complained of Netflix being labeled as malware by its security tool.

  G Data does not explain why affected consumers purchased the smartphones from those third-parties, but I suspect that it may be due to lower-than-retail prices. Those can be offset by after-sales revenue generated through the malware.

  Photo credit: LoveFreedom / Shutterstock

  
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  PayPal.Me lets you receive online payments through a custom URL

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 1:37pm CEST par Mark Wilson

  

  PayPal has long been a quick and easy way to send and receive money online; with the launch of PayPal.Me, things just got even simpler. This is a new platform which provides PayPal customers with their own personalized URL (such as paypal.me/markwilson) as an alternative to sending out invoices. PayPal is pushing this as a way to call in your debts, but it's far more versatile than that.

  The next time someone needs to send you money, you can simply direct them to your page -- or you can include the link on social networks, your website, in emails, via SMS, and so on. Any payments that are made in this way are covered by the same PayPal Buyer Protection policies as before. Anyone visiting your PayPal.Me page is able to choose the amount of money they want to send you, but you can also customize the URL you share to make a request for a specific amount.

  If I wanted to request £10 from someone, I need simply direct them to paypal.me/markwilson/10 (all donations gratefully received ;-) ). There's no set up needed, and any figure can be appended to the base address -- paypal.me/markwilson/11.67 lets someone send me £11.67 with just a couple of clicks, for instance. PayPal.Me is platform agnostic so it can be used from any device equally well, mobiles included.

  I've given examples in pounds, but PayPal.Me is available in 18 countries in total, not just the UK: US, Germany, UK, Australia, Canada, Russia, Turkey, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland, and Austria.

  PayPal envisions this as a way for groups of friends to share bills as well as calling in outstanding debts:

  PayPal.Me makes requesting money from groups of friends, family and colleagues suddenly so much easier and faster. Rather than following up individually, you can email your PayPal.Me link to co-workers to chip in for an engagement present for another co-worker. Or stop asking each of your fellow bridesmaids for bachelorette party payments and just send a group text message with your PayPal.Me link.

  As with any new service, there will be a rush to grab the 'best' usernames, so if you have your heart set on something in particular -- such as your own name, or that of your business -- head over to PayPal.Me right now to stake your claim.

  
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  Millennials just want to have human contact

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 12:37pm CEST par Ian Barker

  

  Despite being thought of as the generation that organizes pretty much everything in their lives through social media, new research from call center specialist Mattersight reveals that when it comes to service issues millennials prefer to speak to a human being.

  Only one percent of millennials want to use social media to contact a brand when they have a product question or problem. Of those surveyed, 76 percent say they prefer to call (56 percent) or email (25 percent) brands for customer service issues.

  In addition more than 85 percent have been disappointed with a brand's service and support in the past year. All of this is in stark contrast to the views of brands, 67 percent of which believe social media-based service is growing in importance.

  "Despite growing up in the digital age, millennials haven’t abandoned person-to-person contact", says Mattersight CEO Kelly Conway. "Contrary to popular belief, we found that most millennials prefer to communicate in-person and over the phone because it allows them to have the most meaningful conversations".

  These communication preferences go beyond customer service too. At work, 85 percent of millennials surveyed said that they prefer to meet and communicate in-person with their co-workers. The second most preferred method of communication at work is a tie between email and talking on the phone, which indicates millennials' equal desires for efficiency and social interaction. Over half of those surveyed said that outside of work they prefer to communicate in person, and that an important characteristic of a quality conversation is having chemistry -- which is hard to cultivate through digital and online means only.

  "Just like in the workplace, millennials want to be able to communicate with a company person-to-person in order to quickly solve problems", says Conway. "Unfortunately, companies generally aren’t providing the call center experience that millennials are seeking, forcing them to abandon phone options for less preferential ways to connect with brands, or even disengage completely."

  You can find out more in the full report which is available to download from the Mattersight website.

  Image credit: Prazis/Shutterstock

  
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  Money talks -- Microsoft to provide details of Windows 10 updates to enterprise users

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 12:32pm CEST par Mark Wilson

  

  A lot has changed in Windows 10, including the way updates are delivered. The forced installation of Windows updates -- including drivers -- has upset many people, but Microsoft has also managed to upset users by failing to provide details about what individual updates actually do to the systems they are installed.

  The horror stories combined with the lack of information coming from Microsoft has led many people to seek ways to stop the automatic installation of Windows updates or to delay them. But it is enterprise users and system administrators who are most upset by the absence of changelogs, and Microsoft has listened to feedback. The company has announced that it is backing down slightly and will provide enterprise customers with update information.

  The move is hardly surprising if we are to believe the installation figures for Windows 10 -- something like 75 million installations so far. With an already-large, and seemingly rapidly-expanding user base, Windows 10 has certainly made its mark. This is the first version of the operating system with which Microsoft has shown itself to be truly listening to what its users have to say, and nothing speaks louder than money.

  Microsoft wants to keep its enterprise users happy, and to this end Jim Alkove from the Windows group says:

  We've heard that feedback from enterprise customers so we're actively working on how we provide them with information about what's changing and what new capabilities and new value they're getting.

  At this stage, there are no details about how far off these measures are, or exactly what form they will take, but changes are afoot.

  But it is not just enterprise users who are keen to be properly informed about the changes updates make -- tech enthusiasts are also eager for more information. Microsoft has given no indication that it is going to extend its more open policy to home users.

  Photo credit: rvlsoft / Shutterstock

  
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  Send To Toys extension now compatible with Windows 10

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 11:23am CEST par Mike Williams

  After years with no activity at all, Gabriele Ponti’s classic Explorer extension Send To Toys has been updated to version 2.71 with improved installation, various bug fixes and Windows 10 compatibility.

  That’s good news, as it’s still a time-saving tool, extending the right-click Send To menu with options to copy a file’s contents to the clipboard, open them in the command prompt, enter their name in the Run box, copy or move them, send them via email, and more.

  Explorer can sort-of do some of these things already, but Send To Toys is generally smarter. For example, the "open this object in a command window" sequence (right-click > Send To > Command Prompt) doesn’t just work with folders, but supports files as well, opening a command window with their name already entered.

  The program also makes it easy to customize the Send To menu, removing any of its own tools which you don’t need, along with whatever other entries might be cluttered the list ("Fax recipient", anyone?).

  Send To Toys is a freeware application for Windows XP and later.

  
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  Ha-ha! Windows 10 is already twice as popular as Windows 8

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 11:20am CEST par Wayne Williams

  

  The last lot of desktop OS figures released by NetMarketShare showed that Windows 10 had doubled its usage shared in a matter of days, but it wasn’t exactly an exciting number. Upon release the new OS managed to go from 0.16 percent to 0.39 percent.

  But now that Windows 10 has had a month to settle in, we can finally see exactly how well it’s doing. Microsoft has said that there have been over 75 million installs, but what does that equate to in terms of usage share? NetMarketShare’s figures for August always promised to be exciting, and they definitely don’t disappoint now that they’re here.

  According to the analysis firm, Windows 10 now has 5.21 percent of the market. That’s a massive leap in a single month and shows the power of free. Microsoft needed to shift people off Windows 7, and wipe away the stench of Windows 8, and it looks to be succeeding here. Interest, and updates, might (and likely will) tail off over time, but the new OS is off to a cracking start.

  Naturally, Windows 10’s success comes at a cost for the other operating systems. Windows 8 dropped 0.21 percentage points going from 2.77 percent in July to 2.56 percent in August. Windows 8.1 dropped 1.72 percentage points, going from 13.11 percent to 11.39 percent.

  Combined Windows 8.x lost 1.93 percentage points. Windows 10 might be well ahead of Windows 8 now, but it still has a way to go to overtake both iterations of the tiled OS. At the rate upgrades are happening, we can probably expect that to occur in the next few months.

  Windows 7 also lost share in August, going from 60.73 percent to 57.67 percent, a drop of 3.06 percentage points. It’s still by far and away the most popular operating system and it will be interesting to see whether Windows 10 will be able to topple it.

  Windows XP users don’t benefit from getting Windows 10 for free, so it was going to be hard to predict how much the arrival of the new OS would affect its share. However, I doubt anyone would expect share to climb, but that's what happened. In July XP had 11.72 percent of the market and in August that rose to 12.14 percent.

  Some of the drops can be attributed to summer (people use their computers less when the weather is nice), but even so it’s clear that Windows 10 is shaking things up.

  Photo Credit: Vikacita/Shutterstock

  
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  The most-used passwords we choose are still terrible

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 10:18am CEST par Darren Allan

  

  There’s no excuse for having a ridiculously weak account password, and yet many folks continue to make no effort at all on the security front in this respect, according to a new piece of research.

  BT.com highlighted a government survey, which was part of the Cyber Streetwise campaign, and found that three quarters of UK citizens used passwords which weren’t secure.

  Those could be easy to guess passwords such as the person’s place of birth, and other information which could be readily available on a social media account, or other sources.

  As for the most common passwords used last year, that was the usual list of awful choices, topped by "123456" and the brilliant "password", followed closely by the ever secure "12345". "12345678" was in fourth place (at least eight characters, we suppose), followed by a switch to letters with "qwerty".

  Yes it’s the sort of stuff that makes you weep, if you’re a security expert at any rate. And yes, these passwords are likely employed for accounts people sign up for and use once, or they consider completely disposable or unimportant, but when you sign up for anything online, you should always make sure the password is at least half decent. And not just "password"...

  You might think that maybe all the recent high-profile hacks that we’ve seen could change these most-used terrible passwords, but the reality is, they won’t -- and the top 10 will likely always be much the same until we finally switch away from traditional passwords, and move to more secure systems (such as biometrics).

  Or you could always use a password management program, of course -- though that can come with risks of its own in terms of hacking, as we’ve seen in recent times.

  Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.

  Photo credit: shutteratakan / Shutterstock

  
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  The most-used passwords are still terrible choices

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 10:18am CEST par Darren Allan

  

  There’s no excuse for having a ridiculously weak account password, and yet many folks continue to make no effort at all on the security front in this respect, according to a new piece of research.

  BT.com highlighted a government survey, which was part of the Cyber Streetwise campaign, and found that three quarters of UK citizens used passwords which weren’t secure.

  Those could be easy to guess passwords such as the person’s place of birth, and other information which could be readily available on a social media account, or other sources.

  As for the most common passwords used last year, that was the usual list of awful choices, topped by "123456" and the brilliant "password", followed closely by the ever secure "12345". "12345678" was in fourth place (at least eight characters, we suppose), followed by a switch to letters with "qwerty".

  Yes it’s the sort of stuff that makes you weep, if you’re a security expert at any rate. And yes, these passwords are likely employed for accounts people sign up for and use once, or they consider completely disposable or unimportant, but when you sign up for anything online, you should always make sure the password is at least half decent. And not just "password"...

  You might think that maybe all the recent high-profile hacks that we’ve seen could change these most-used terrible passwords, but the reality is, they won’t -- and the top 10 will likely always be much the same until we finally switch away from traditional passwords, and move to more secure systems (such as biometrics).

  Or you could always use a password management program, of course -- though that can come with risks of its own in terms of hacking, as we’ve seen in recent times.

  Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.

  Photo credit: shutteratakan / Shutterstock

  
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  Bing can help you win your NFL fantasy football league

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 8:31am CEST par Brian Fagioli

  

  September is officially here. For students, this means the end of summer vacation. Luckily, the month is not all doom and gloom, as it also means American Football! Yes, fans of the NFL will finally have games to watch on Sundays.

  For many people -- myself included -- this also means fantasy football is here. If you aren't familiar, this is a highly-competitive game where you select NFL players and have their performance ranked against an opponent's players. Whoever has the most points each week between the two people wins -- real money can be involved too. Today, Microsoft announces that Bing can help you win in fantasy football as well as provide other helpful NFL information. Will you leverage Bing to win?

  "Bing has all your professional football needs covered this season. Whether you want to know the chances of your team winning in the upcoming week, the likelihood of your favorites making the playoffs, or key strategies to help your fantasy team get the edge, Bing boosts your confidence to compete. And of course, we help you discover all the information you need for schedules, score, standings, teams and players", says The Bing Team.

  The team further explains, "for some of you, the success of your fantasy football team is as important as the record of your hometown franchise. That’s why we built two new features this year to help you get the competitive advantage in your fantasy league. Bing will help you decide who to start each week by position, and which free agents to pick up in order to help you optimize your weekly lineup".

  

  Bing's sports data and predictions have largely been successful, so it is definitely a legit source for fantasy assistance. Anything to get an edge against your opponents is extremely valuable.

  As you can see above, a search for "Week 1 running backs fantasy predictions" displays the players and Bing's projected fantasy points for week 1. This also works for other positions like quarterback, tight end and wide receiver. Unfortunately, Bing seems to exclude team defenses and kickers.

  If you are interested in tracking my fantasy performance, you can check out my league here. My team is the unimaginatively named "Brian's Team".

  

  Do you love the NFL, but aren't into the fantasy thing? Don'y worry, Bing's got you covered too. Fans of enjoying watching games and rooting for specific teams can get information about game dates and times, plus the TV channel on which the game can be seen. Microsoft's search engine will even predict the winners of all the games. If you are a gambler, this may help you with betting. With that said, Bing will not tell you if a team will cover the spread.

  Will you use Bing for the upcoming NFL season? Tell me in the comments.

  Photo Credit: Jeff Thrower/Shutterstock

  
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  Lenovo refreshes ThinkPad E Series laptops -- Windows 10, new AMD and Intel chips

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 5:59am CEST par Brian Fagioli

  

  When it comes to laptops, there is probably no name more prestigious than ThinkPad. That branding is a symbol of quality and durability. Just as Nokia phones have a reputation of being indestructible, so too are many Lenovo ThinkPad machines.

  Today, Lenovo announces a refresh to the popular E Series of ThinkPad laptops. Not only are the machines attractive and competitively priced, but they offer incredible specs, like Intel Skylake, AMD FX and AMD A-Series APUs.

  "The trustworthy and reliable ThinkPad E Series, available with 14-inch and 15.6-inch anti-glare displays, offers strong performance, mobility and features for small business users seeking leading edge technology that addresses their needs and offers incredible value", says Lenovo.

  The famed manufacturer further says, "loaded with the latest technology and stylish designs, the ThinkPad E Series is designed for small and medium businesses who are looking for PC solutions to reduce IT headaches and increase efficiency and collaboration between employees in the office and on the road. They need to keep business data safe and ensure critical data protection as they look towards expanding their business information and services to the cloud".

  

  If you prefer AMD processors, the company is offering many options, such as the AMD A10-8700P and AMD A8-8600P APUs. If you want more power, you can opt for the AMD FX-8800P. The AMD model numbers are E465 (14 inch screen) and E565 (15.6 inch screen). Pricing starts at $449.

  Intel fans are in for a real treat, as most configurations offer 6th generation Skylake processors -- Intel Core i7 6500U, i5 6200U and i3 6100U. Only one configuration, the E560, has the lowly Celeron 3855U as an option. The Intel model numbers are E460 (14 inch screen) and E560 (15.6 inch screen). Pricing starts at $549.

  While Windows 10 is a wonderful operating system -- arguably the best Windows ever -- don't forget, these are business-focused notebooks. With that said, many companies are still using Windows 7. Don't worry, both operating systems are available.

  All of the machines can be configured with fingerprint readers for added security. The E560, however, can be had with an Intel RealSense Technology 3D camera -- this is perfect for Windows Hello face detection security. Beyond security, Intel's camera technology has cool 3D applications too.

  Will you buy a refreshed E Series ThinkPad for your business when they launch in November? Check out the full specs below and tell me in the comments.

  

  

  
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  Samsung Gear S2 is a beautifully circular Tizen-powered smartwatch

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 4:08am CEST par Brian Fagioli

  

  The wearable market is not very mature. We are only starting to scratch the surface of what the future holds. For the time being, however, we pretty much have alerts and fitness tracking. Let's be honest, many computer and gadget nerds don't bother with exercise (prove me wrong, people), making the wearables a glorified alert screen. In other words, as fun as Apple Watch and Android Wear can be, they are very much version 1.0 of smartwatches.

  While Samsung embraces Android Wear, its Tizen-based models, such as Samsung Gear S, have more functionality. Today, the company officially announces the beautiful successor -- the Gear S2. Users can even opt for a 3G model so they do not need Wi-Fi or to be tethered to a phone. Android Wear and Apple Watch can't do that...yet.

  "Introduced in two different options -- the Gear S2 and the Gear S2 classic -- Samsung designed the Gear S2 to appeal to two distinct consumer preferences. The Gear S2 classic is made for users who prefer a more timeless watch design, offering an elegant Black finish with a matching genuine leather band. The Gear S2 is ideal for those who are on-the-go and have an admiration for minimal and modern design", says Samsung.

  The company further says, "for the ultimate convenience, the Samsung Gear S2 comes with NFC technology which will enable mobile payments without the need for a wallet. Samsung is working with a wide selection of partners across different industries to expand the usability of wearables and streamline consumers' mobile lives in a variety of ways, including smart car keys, residential room keys, and remote controls to manage a connected home".

  Samsung shares the following specs.

  Display

  1.2 inch, Circular Super AMOLED, 360x360, 302ppi AP Dual core 1.0 GHz OS Tizen based wearable platform Audio Codec: MP3/AAC/AAC+/eAAC+
  Format: MP3, M4A, AAC, OGG Memory Storage: 4GB Internal Memory / RAM: 512MB Features Communications:
  - Contacts, Notifications, Messages, Email, - Preset text, Voice Input, Emoticons, Keypads Health & Fitness:
  - S Health, Nike+ Running Information:
  - Schedule, News, Maps & Navigation, Weather Media:
  - Music Player, Gallery Others:
  - Voice, Voice Memo, Find My Device, Power Saving Mode, Safety assistance, Privacy lock IP68 Certified Dust and Water Resistant Samsung Services Samsung Gear Apps Connectivity Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n
  Bluetooth 4.1
  NFC Sensor Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Heart Rate, Ambient Light, Barometer Dimension Gear S2: 42.3x49.8x11.4mm (47g)
  Gear S2 classic: 39.9x43.6x11.4mm (42g) Gear S2 3G: 44.0 x 51.8 x 13.4mm (51g) Battery (Gear S2 and S2 Classic) Wireless Charging
  250mAh Li-ion
  Typical Usage 2~3days

  Battery (Gear S2 3G)

  Wireless Charging
  300mAh Li-ion
  Typical Usage 2 days

  

  Understandably, Android fans may be hesitant to buy a smartwatch that isn't compatible with Android Wear. That said, there are arguably no game-changing apps for Google's young platform at the moment; Tizen OS is very promising. The Gear S2 offers some unique functionality, such as optional 3G compatibility and the ability to make voice calls.

  I am particularly intrigued by the hardware-based navigation. A rotating bezel is genius, and physical home and back buttons are greatly appreciated. Android Wear, by comparison, is very swipe-heavy which can become laborious.

  While I don't normally like watches with leather bands, the S2 Classic really appeals to me. I am OK with a smartwatch not looking like a traditional timepiece (like Microsoft's Band), but damn, the S2 Classic is just so smooth. It can be worn to work, when relaxing on the weekend, or to a fancy dinner. Versatile.

  With all of that said, pricing is still a mystery (as is availability). The Samsung Gear S2 should be available in the Fall. If you want the 3G model (like I do), both Verizon and T-Mobile have pledged to carry it.

  Will you buy the Samsung Gear S2? Tell me in the comments.

  Samsung Gear S2 (both Bluetooth & 3G connected models) will be avail from Verizon. Availability & pricing will be announced at a later date

  — Verizon News (@VerizonNews) August 31, 2015

  You know your wrist wants it. Be there when the #SamsungGearS2 hits the Un-carrier this fall! pic.twitter.com/jNIaSPoI8h

  — T-Mobile (@TMobile) August 31, 2015

  
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  What you need to know about cybersquatting [Infographic]

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 1:45am CEST par Sam Pudwell

  

  As the internet has expanded in recent years to become a vital part of practically everything, companies have been scrambling to get their hands on the best domains in order to leverage their business potential to the maximum.

  But, this has been made tricky by a growing phenomenon known as cybersquatting, which is where companies of individuals register a particular domain with the sole intention of selling it on at a later date.

  The domains usually contain a brand of company name, meaning the owners can charge astronomical amounts when the respective brand comes calling.

  Cybersquatting really came into prominence in 2011 when the organization in charge of top-level domains (ICAAN) expanded the number of domains available. Over 500 have since been approved with a further 837 under process.

  The US is currently the country filing the most domain name cases, with the top five industries consisting of retail (13 percent), banking and finance (11 percent), fashion (10.3 percent), internet and IT (7 percent) and heavy industry and machinery (6.3 percent)

  To delve a little deeper into the cybersquatting phenomenon, mobile app development firm IrishApps has created an infographic, which can be found below.

  

  Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.

  Photo credit: Tomislav Pinter / Shutterstock

  
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  Sling TV comes to Amazon Fire tablets

  Publié: septembre 1, 2015, 12:45am CEST par Alan Buckingham

  

  Sling TV has become the un-subscription model, bringing you TV over an internet connection and eliminating contracts. You'll need a box -- both Roku 3 and Amazon Fire TV will work just fine and put video on the big screen just like cable or satellite. The company motto is "take back TV", and it does so. You can get channels ranging from ESPN to HBO to Food Network.

  But what about on the go? Well, you can use your phone, but now the screen gets a bit bigger. Sling is announcing the debut of its service on Amazon Fire tablets.

  "Available now, the Sling TV app can be downloaded from the Amazon Appstore onto your Amazon Fire HD or HDX tablet. Get ready to bring your favorite live and on-demand programming with you, wherever you and your tablet may go", Sling states.

  This will work on the HDX 7 or 8.9, as well as the HD 6 and 7. Users will also get a free trial for 14 days to evaluate the service.

  With Sling TV you can cancel anytime, there's no obligation. You can also add other packages of channels that will net you extra sports channels, news or even foreign language. The base price will set you back $20, and packages run $5 extra, while HBO will take $15 from your wallet.