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BetaNews.Com (19 non lus)

Windows 10 interrupts a live TV broadcast with an unwanted upgrade

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 8:27pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Ever since Microsoft made Windows 10 a recommended update there have been numerous reports of the new operating system installing itself without user consent, and without much warning. Microsoft has always played down this behavior, but an example of how the OS pushes upgrades on unsuspecting users was earlier today shown live on TV during a weather forecast. SEE ALSO: Microsoft reportedly installing Windows 10 without consent -- again If you’re in Iowa you might have seen KCCI 8 News Meteorologist Metinka Slater’s thunderstorm update and warning of 12 hours of heavy rainfall interrupted by an unwelcome upgrade message covering… [Continue Reading]
Ira Glass arrives on Pandora as This American Life is released on the streaming platform

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 8:25pm CEST par Alan Buckingham

You may well have heard the popular radio show This American Life. It's broadcast out of Chicago, but syndicated around the US, and perhaps has an even greater footprint thanks to its podcast. Host Ira Glass has taken his idea for a little show and turned it into a force in media. Despite the name, the shows are very much international, though they usually involve Americans, even in foreign locations. Glass also covers all sorts of incidents from the financial crisis to crimes. Now the long-running show is coming to Pandora, a platform known for its music streaming system. Pandora… [Continue Reading]
Malware compromises Swift system -- patch available

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 8:18pm CEST par Anthony Spadafora

The Swift (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) system has apparently fallen victim to the same sophisticated hacking scheme that was used to disrupt the Bangladesh central bank last month. The cyberattack in Bangladesh resulted in a loss of $951 million from the central bank's account at the Federal Reserve in New York and it now seems likely, thanks to new research from BAE systems, that Swift was also compromised during the attack. During their investigation of the attack, security researchers at the company found a hidden piece of malware that lead to a loss of $81 million. It was… [Continue Reading]
Microsoft makes Xamarin SDKs for Android, iOS and Mac open source

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 6:18pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Microsoft's embracing of the open source movement grows ever tighter, and today the company announced that its Xamarin SDKs (available for Android, iOS and Mac) will be open sourced. It's not long since Microsoft bought Xamarin, and just weeks later the SDKs are being opened up. Announced at the Xamarin Evolve 2016 event, the move sees Microsoft trying to encourage mobile developers. The company says it has already made great strides in this area: "we helped nearly 3.5 times more developers get started building great apps with Xamarin than ever in our history as a company". The Xamarin SDK has… [Continue Reading]
Companies invest more in DDoS protection

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 6:10pm CEST par Sead Fadilpašić

Pretty much every company out there has been, or will be a target of a DDoS attack. A new report by real-time information services provider Neustar, entitled The Threatscape Widens: DDoS Aggression and the Evolution of IoT Risks, released this month, says it’s no longer the question of "if" or "when" a company will be DDoSed -- it’s how often and how long will it last. According to the report, 73 percent of companies were attacked in 2015, with 82 percent of those attacked suffering multiple attacks. Out of that number, 45 percent said they were attacked six times, or… [Continue Reading]
Google antitrust: Getty Images files complaint against search giant for image scraping and piracy promotion

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 5:30pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Google is already embroiled in one antitrust case in Europe where the company stands accused of abusing Android's dominance. Now photo agency Getty Images is accusing Google of promoting piracy and engaging in anticompetitive behavior by 'scraping' images from third party sites. In a familiar-sounding complaint, Getty Images also says that Google skews search results in favor of its own services -- such as Google Images. The photo agency says that this directly impacts upon rival services, but perhaps the big charge is that a change made to Google Images provided access to copyrighted material and "promoted piracy, resulting in… [Continue Reading]
Why Microsoft remains 'committed' to Windows 10 Mobile

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 5:06pm CEST par Mihăiță Bamburic

Windows 10 Mobile does not have much of a future. With two very disappointing quarters for Lumia sales, a market share of around one percent, poor vendor support, and no mention of it at Build 2016, this much is clear. You would expect Microsoft to pull the plug any minute now, but the software giant seems to be doing just the opposite. In an internal email, Terry Myerson is encouraging "certain partners" to continue to pour their resources into the platform. Microsoft's EVP of Windows and Devices Group says that the company is still "committed" to Windows 10 Mobile, claiming… [Continue Reading]
New partnership helps boost eCommerce platform performance

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 2:59pm CEST par Ian Barker

In order to get a competitive advantage, retailers are increasingly looking to deliver a rich, interactive eCommerce experience for their customers. The problem with this is that it can lead to platforms being loaded down with extra functions that result in a drop in performance. Application delivery specialist InstartLogic has announced that it's partnering with IBM to help retail clients accelerate the performance of their eCommerce platforms. Instart Logic's Application Delivery Platform brings a fundamental new approach to website delivery and security to users of the IBM WebSphere Commerce platform and IBM Commerce on Cloud. It uses software and machine… [Continue Reading]
Win tickets to the Beyoncé Formation World Tour with this Uber promo code

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 2:37pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

Whenever I go to NYC, I have an internal struggle over transportation. Once I arrive in Penn Station by way of the Long Island Railroad, do I choose a yellow cab, or an Uber ride? Many things weigh on my choice, such as the weather, or a very long wait at the cab line in front of Madison Square Garden. Now it seems I have yet another factor in my decision -- Beyoncé. How is the superstar singing sensation impacting my choice between yellow cab and Uber? Well, American Express is now offering a chance to win tickets to her sold-out tour. By using… [Continue Reading]
Remove CryptXXX ransomware with Kaspersky's free decryption tool

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 2:16pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Security firm Kaspersky has released a tool that can be used to decrypt files on computers hit by the CryptXXX ransomware. Rather than paying the ransom demanded to regain access to files, victims are now able to turn to the free RannohDecryptor utility. CryptXXX had been identified by ProofPoint earlier in the month and described as being closely linked to the Reveton ransomware operation and Angler/Bedep. The ransom of $500 is considered to be quite high, but Kaspersky's free decryption tool means that files can be retrieved without having to part with a cent. CryptXXX uses RSA4096, but Kaspersky's John… [Continue Reading]
BlackBerry Priv gets Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 2:12pm CEST par Mihăiță Bamburic

Android 6.0 launched over half a year ago, but even today there are still lots of devices that have yet to receive the software upgrade to Marshmallow. In fact, at the beginning of this month fewer than one in 20 were running Google's latest mobile operating system. For BlackBerry Priv users though things are looking up. The Canadian maker has announced the Marshmallow rollout for its first Android smartphone, introducing improvements to the camera, battery, privacy, security, and more. BlackBerry says that Android 6.0 Marshmallow is available now for smartphones purchased through ShopBlackBerry.com (unlocked models, basically), and will reach carrier-branded… [Continue Reading]
Can we dispense with the 'Apple is dead' meme -- other CEOs would lose a limb to have a bad quarter like this

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 2:00pm CEST par Joe Wilcox

Listening to Apple's fiscal second quarter 2016 earnings conference call yesterday was like attending a funeral—where the eulogy is for someone whom you know has gone to Hell. There's no way to sugarcoat that the good days are over and an eternity of burning flesh awaits. I kid you not. Haul over to iTunes and download the replay. You'll feel the grim reaper looking over your shoulder while CEO Tim Cook talks as joyfully about Apple's performance as a man granted last words before the gallows. And I wonder why? So what that Apple reported its first revenue decline in… [Continue Reading]
Free online service helps uncover malicious domains

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 12:29pm CEST par Ian Barker

Phishing sites that use domain names similar to a legitimate company’s, along with cybersquatting are a major problem. Open DNS recently claimed that cyber squatters have become more active during the US election campaign. Web security solutions company High-Tech Bridge is launching a new, free, online service that will allow anyone to instantly detect typosquatted, cybersquatted or phishing domains targeting their domain or brand name. Called Domain Security Radar, the service is simple to use -- just enter a URL and results include details on cybersquatted domains, typosquatted domains and phishing websites. It also shows the latest trends and alerts… [Continue Reading]
Why ATMs are easy to hack

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 12:24pm CEST par Sead Fadilpašić

Security researchers claim ATM machines are usually not that difficult for hackers to penetrate. Once they’re inside, they can steal money, or banking details from unsuspecting victims. Now, researchers from Kaspersky Lab have investigated what makes ATMs such an easy target for hackers, and came to two conclusions: both software and hardware are easy to access and temper with. According to the researchers, ATMs are usually based on outdated systems (usually Windows XP), which makes them vulnerable to either malware attacks or exploits. In many cases, ATMs communicate with banking infrastructure through an old, unsecure XFS standard. "The problem is… [Continue Reading]
Feedbro is a one-stop reader for RSS, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, more

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 11:43am CEST par Mike Williams

Feedbro is a versatile feed reading Chrome extension which keeps you up-to-date with RSS/ Atom/ RDF sources, blogs, Twitter, Instagram and more. The extension is stand-alone, rather than being a front-end for a website, which means there’s no need to sign up, create accounts, log in or anything else. You don’t have to waste time manually transferring feeds from other readers. either. OMPL support means you can have them imported in just a few seconds. In Internet Explorer, for example, click File > Import and Export > Export to a file > select Feeds > Next > Export to save… [Continue Reading]
Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14332 for PC and Mobile now available in the Fast ring

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 9:04am CEST par Wayne Williams

The past two Windows 10 Insider Preview releases -- Builds 14316 and 14328 -- have been packed with new features and notable changes. The very latest Fast ring release, Build 14332, marks the start of the Bug Bash, in which Windows Insiders will be set quests to help Microsoft eradicate problems and fix flaws in the OS in preparation for the big Anniversary Update out in July. However, the new build is not only about fixes, there are some new features and improvements too. SEE ALSO: Microsoft's Handoff-like feature makes an appearance in Windows 10 Build 14328 First up, there… [Continue Reading]
Google Maps Street View sails through the Sydney Opera House

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 6:03am CEST par Brian Fagioli

Believe it or not, I have never been to the opera. Truth be told, I am more of a sports and chicken wings kind of guy, but I am not opposed to more sophisticated things. I've been to my fair share of Broadway shows, and eaten at fancy restaurants with cloth napkins, but the opportunity to attend the opera has never surfaced. Thanks to Google Maps Street View, however, I can now experience the Sydney Opera House, including its famous "sails", from the comfort of my computer. Yes, you can now take a virtual tour as if you are really there! "Perched on… [Continue Reading]
Satechi unveils Aluminum Mini Docking Station for Windows and Mac

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 5:02am CEST par Brian Fagioli

When it comes to computing, I always prefer a desktop when possible. I like using a big monitor, mechanical keyboard, and mouse. If I am not at a desk in a comfortable chair, my productivity drops. While I do use a laptop when on the go, a trackpad and small screen are pain points for me. Not everyone can afford to have both a desktop and laptop, so luckily, it is easier than ever nowadays to use the latter as a makeshift of the former. Unfortunately, docking stations from laptop manufacturers are often expensive and proprietary. USB variants are sometimes preferable,… [Continue Reading]
This dude won the Microsoft Open Source Challenge, and you didn't

Publié: avril 27, 2016, 3:43am CEST par Brian Fagioli

The future of computing is open source -- the writing is on the wall. Major companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Google are embracing this software ideology, and more and more consumers are expecting it. Of course, for open source to continue its ascent, we will need students to be knowledgeable about it. Microsoft had this in mind when it announced its Open Source Challenge for students, and now we have four official winners. The top champion is a dude named Akond Rahman -- yeah, that is his smiling face to the right -- and he is now $5,000 richer. Better than the money, he… [Continue Reading]