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BetaNews.Com (18 non lus)

SanDisk unveils 128GB Extreme PLUS microSDXC with gimmicky 'Works with GoPro' scheme

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 7:22pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

Micro SD cards are constantly getting bigger, faster, and more affordable. I purchased a 200GB SanDisk card from Amazon recently for $59.99 -- mind boggling. This will work brilliantly in devices such as the HTC 10, which supports cards up to a theoretical 2TB. Today, SanDisk announces its newest such card, the 128GB Extreme PLUS microSDXC. The card is fast, and should be reliable, as SanDisk says it is "shockproof, temperature-proof, waterproof, and X-ray-proof". The company is quick to tout another aspect of the card, however, but it seems very gimmicky. SanDisk explains that the card is one of the first cards to carry the… [Continue Reading]
European Parliament approves new general data protection regulations

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 7:13pm CEST par Sam Pudwell

After a whole lot of discussion and debate, new general data protection regulations have been approved by the European Parliament. In what has been described as a watershed moment for enterprise IT, the unification of Europe’s multiple data protection regulations into one common law signals a new beginning for businesses and consumers alike. Although it’s expected that the rules won’t be officially enforced for another two years, organizations will need to start preparing now to ensure compliance, with failure to do so potentially costing up to four percent of annual worldwide turnover. Andrew Dyson, partner and co-chair of DLA Piper’s international… [Continue Reading]
Microsoft Edge web browser gets plugin-free Skype, and that is great news for Linux users

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 6:41pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

As a Linux user, I have stopped using Skype recently. What was once a great experience on Ubuntu, Fedora, and other such operating systems, has been seemingly abandoned by Microsoft. Skype on Linux is barely usable nowadays, as the client has not seen an update in quite a while. This is rather tragic, as it is otherwise a great service on other platforms, such as Android, iOS, and of course, Windows. Users of Windows 10 that use the Edge web browser are getting a cool update this month, as Microsoft is rolling out plugin-free Skype support. While that is cool, the really… [Continue Reading]
Microsoft releases Project Madeira public preview

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 5:43pm CEST par Anthony Spadafora

Microsoft has finally released the details regarding "Project Madeira", its enterprise resource planning (ERP) client which many had speculated would be the next version of Dynamics NAV. Dynamics NAV is one of the company’s four different ERP products and it is aimed at small to medium sized businesses. While many thought that Madeira might be the next version of this product, it is actually a separate release. Microsoft has made its new Madeira app available for preview on Windows, iOS and Android over the past few days and it is not a client app for Dynamics NAV but rather a… [Continue Reading]
Identify the ransomware that's encrypted your data

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 5:27pm CEST par Mike Williams

It’s no secret that the best way to deal with ransomware is to avoid getting infected in the first place, and tools like BDAntiRansomware, Malwarebytes Anti-Ransomware and WinAntiRansom can do a lot to keep you safe. If your defenses are bypassed and some data lost, there may still be hope, as companies and individual researchers are producing recovery tools all the time. There’s just one problem: it’s not always obvious which family of ransomware has attacked your system. And if you don’t know the infection, it’s more difficult to look for a cure. ID Ransomware is an online service which… [Continue Reading]
UK startups receive less in VC funding

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 5:11pm CEST par Anthony Spadafora

Venture capitalists have scaled back the size and amount of their deals across the world and UK-based startups received less funding during Q1 2016 than in Q4 2015 as a result. A new report from the analytics company CB Insights and the advisory firm KPMG Enterprise has revealed that, between January and March, startups in the UK were able to raise $1.3 billion across 105 deals. Across Europe as a whole venture capitalist (VC) funding totaled $3.5 billion across 338 deals. Thirty-six percent of all VC funding in Europe went to companies in the UK. Tech companies received 77 percent… [Continue Reading]
Security threat or untapped potential? Dark data and Accounts Payable

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 4:21pm CEST par Stephen Mackey

Data, in whatever format it may take, is a vital part of every business. With phones tracking our every move, all aspects of customer interaction recorded, and new cars generating around of 350MB of data per second, there’s a lot of data to look at. Billions of gigabytes of data are generated across the world every day; so much that it’s almost impossible to quantify. This data poses both a potential problem and a possible reward. With so much information in front of businesses, the vast majority is lost, disappearing into the dark and creating a possible security threat. But… [Continue Reading]
Stop using shortened URLs to share private content

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 3:58pm CEST par Mihăiță Bamburic

Generating a shortened URL to share content may seem like a good idea, but it may also expose you to unnecessary security risks, a new research paper shows. Titled Gone in Six Characters: Short URLs Considered Harmful for Cloud Services, it explains how short URLs can be used by malicious players to plant malware, copy personal files, and retrieve all sorts of personal information, like your home address, among other things. URL shorteners, as their name suggest, are meant to bring long links, that can contain dozens of characters, usually down to just a few letters and numbers. That has… [Continue Reading]
Facebook video scam targets Chrome users

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 3:06pm CEST par Ian Barker

Researchers at security company ESET have released details of a new piece of malware that spreads disguised as video posts on Facebook. Malicious links appear as a video post you were tagged in on a timeline, or as a message sent to you via Facebook Messenger by a friend. They use the titles, 'My first video', 'My video', 'Private video' or a string of randomly generated characters. Clicking on the link tells you that a plugin is needed in order to play the video. If this is installed your Facebook wall will be flooded with fake video posts tagging various friends.… [Continue Reading]
The Commodore 64 returns in computer and handheld versions

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 2:29pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Old computer favorites never die, they just fade away for a bit and then reappear in a new form looking for funding on Indiegogo. The ZX Spectrum was previously resurrected as Vega, and the handheld Vega+, and now there’s a new version of the Commodore 64 looking for funding. Called simply THE 64, this too will be available in desktop and handheld versions. While the Vega/Vega+ is being developed by Sir Clive Sinclair and others responsible for the original ZX Spectrum, THE 64 is being developed by fans of the Commodore classic who have previously had success with other consoles… [Continue Reading]
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 14322 to Fast Ring -- here's what's new

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 2:19pm CEST par Mihăiță Bamburic

We may not have heard much about Windows 10 Mobile at Build 2016, but Microsoft is actively working on refining its smartphone operating system. Now, we have a new Insider Preview build, introduced to Fast Ring, which adds improvements and changes to Action Center, notifications, Cortana, Settings, emoji, Microsoft Edge, lockscreen, and more. Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 14322, as it is formally known as, also comes with lots of bug fixes in tow, and a few known issues as well. Here is what you need to know about it. In Action Center Microsoft has modified the way app… [Continue Reading]
For sufficient data protection, companies must do more than just mirroring

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 1:54pm CEST par Mike Johnson

Many folks question all sorts of things within the IT world, one them being about backup and recovery solutions. Often questions arise that are compelling and need a good answer. One of the more popular queries is why someone would need to install a backup and recovery program when mirroring is already taking place. This is an excellent question, and comes up more often than you may think. Below you will find out why mirroring alone is not enough to ensure total protection regarding your data. Though not entirely crazy, the stance of relying upon mirroring alone for data protection… [Continue Reading]
Xara Web Designer 365 launches

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 12:55pm CEST par Mike Williams

Xara Group has shipped Xara Web Designer 365, the first release under its new "365 Update Guarantee". Buying a 365 product not only gets you a perpetual license, you’ll also get new features as they’re developed over the 365 days after purchase (no more waiting for the next version), and supporting services such as online hosting are also free over the same period. Sounds good to us, especially as this first release already has a strong set of new features. Animations are a highlight, with new support for parallax scrolling, 30 other scroll animations, and 40 extra "on reveal" animation… [Continue Reading]
Best Windows apps this week

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 12:44pm CEST par Martin Brinkmann

One-hundred and seventy-six in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows 8.x and Windows 10 in the past seven days. Microsoft released an online demo for Windows 10 this week which has been designed to persuade users to upgrade to Windows 10. News broke earlier this week that the major Anniversary Update for Windows 10 will likely be released in July. There's no app of the week award this week unfortunately. As always, if I missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly… [Continue Reading]
Chatbots, apps and the path to victory

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 12:38pm CEST par Sameer Singh

This week, Facebook opened up its long awaited bot platform within Messenger following similar moves from LINE, Telegram and Kik. It almost seems as though bots have peaked on the "Hype cycle" in just a few short weeks since they entered mainstream discussion. This isn't a criticism of the concept, but rather of industry discourse. Chatbots certainly have potential, but where that lies is just as important as the eventual scale. Facebook demonstrated quite a few bots during this week's F8 conference. Unfortunately, it appeared as though many of them were just apps built inside a messaging app (a concept… [Continue Reading]
British workers don't know their privacy rights

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 10:48am CEST par Sead Fadilpašić

British workers are mostly unaware about their privacy rights at work, a new survey suggests. Security firm Comparitech.com has polled 1,000 employees living in the UK, and according to the poll, 53 percent don’t believe bosses should be allowed to read their private communications during working hours.

What’s more, 36 percent said bosses aren’t allowed, legally, to read such emails and texts, while 13 percent said they’d quit their job if they found out their bosses were reading their private communications.

However, Comparitech.com reminds everyone of the January European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling, which said bosses can review any messages sent during working hours.

"Many staff members won’t be clear what the policy is regarding bosses reading their emails unless they’ve read their employment contract in detail -- and by then it may be too late", said Lee Munson, researcher at Comparitech.com.

The company also said every worker should be careful when signing their contracts, and should check to see what the contract says about the use of social media and private communications in general.

"The study proves that people need to be more vigilant in knowing their rights in the workplace by thoroughly checking their contracts for reference to use of social media, personal email and chat at work, especially if they send private messages at work and are concerned about them being read".

Comparitech.com also says if you’re in doubt, assume all emails you send and receive from a corporate email account will be read. If you really must send a private message, make sure to use an encrypted emails service. The best solution would be to use a personal device, with a personal account, through a personal network, and not the corporate Wi-Fi.

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

Image Credit: Syda Productions / Shutterstock
If you have QuickTime for Windows you need to uninstall it NOW

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 9:40am CEST par Wayne Williams

Apple’s QuickTime was popular years ago, particularly for anyone wanting to watch movie trailers on the web, but its time has long since passed. There’s really very little need to have it installed on your system these days.

Because you no longer need it isn’t the only reason to uninstall it through. Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative has released two advisories (ZDI-16-241 and ZDI-16-242) which detail new, critical vulnerabilities affecting QuickTime for Windows, and these won’t be patched as Apple has reportedly deprecated the software.

The found vulnerabilities both allow attackers to remotely execute code after users have visited a malicious page or opened malicious files.

Apple hasn’t confirmed the vulnerabilities, nor (at this time) confirmed that it has deprecated QuickTime for Windows, in fact the software was just updated a few months ago in January. However, the latest version of QuickTime for Windows is aimed at users of Windows 7 and Vista, so it’s obviously outdated.

Following Trend Micro’s Zero Day revelations, the Department of Homeland Security's United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) has advised users to take action and uninstall QuickTime for Windows.

Apple provides information on how to remove the software which you can see here.

Photo credit: Maridav / Shutterstock
Mozilla to make internet more inclusive

Publié: avril 15, 2016, 2:36am CEST par Brian Fagioli

Years ago, personal computing and the internet was a hobby reserved for those with a lot of money. Unlike today where you can buy a Chromebook for under $200, a desktop could cost $3,000 or more -- preventing many from participating. In other words, even in many of the richest countries in the world, many people could not afford to surf the web.

Nowadays, however, the number of people owning internet-connected devices has exploded. Heck, many households have multiple such devices and Wi-Fi is ubiquitous. Sadly, not everyone in the world has internet access, and many folks are computer illiterate -- including oppressed women in some countries. Thankfully, Mozilla is looking to change this by making the internet more inclusive.

"Mozilla will launch a public challenge this year to spur innovation and equal-rating solutions for providing affordable access and digital literacy. The goal is to inject practical, action-oriented, new thinking into the current debate on how to connect the unconnected people of the world", says Mozilla.

The Firefox-maker further says, "additionally, Mozilla is building a global hub to help more women learn how to read, write, and participate online. Over the past five years, Mozilla volunteers have started over 100 clubs and run over 5000 local events in 90 countries to teach digital literacy. Building on this model, Mozilla is now working with U.N. Women to set up clubs just for women and girls in Kenya and South Africa. This is the next step towards creating a global hub".

While this initiative sounds great, Mozilla is not exactly a super-wealthy company. I would prefer to see the organization partner with big-name players, such as Google and Microsoft, for a better chance at having the vision realized. In other words, the programs can't be funded by good intentions. But yes, these are very good intentions.

Mark Surman, executive director, Mozilla Foundation says the following:

We must address the breadth but also the depth of digital inclusion. Having access to the Web is essential, but knowing how to read, write and participate in the digital world has become a basic foundational skill next to reading, writing, and arithmetic. At Mozilla we are looking at -- and helping to solve -- both the access and digital literacy elements of inclusion.

What do you think of Mozilla's goals? Tell me in the comments.

Photo credit: one photo / Shutterstock