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BMW will invest €500 million in automotive startups

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 8:27pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

BMW Group has announced that its i Ventures division will be investing €500 million over the next 10 years on new car technologies in an effort to bolster its progress in developing autonomous vehicles. The company's i Ventures division will use the money to invest in startups working on technologies such as autonomous driving and mapping that will allow BMW to improve its cars by making them both more intelligent and efficient. BMW made the announcement via its website this week and its decision to invest in new technologies comes at a time when the company has begun to lose… [Continue Reading]

Mesh Networking: An alternative internet?

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 7:19pm CET par Jeremy Cook

Currently, in order to exchange information on a computer or smartphone, we transfer it over the internet. This may take many different forms -- a web browser, email client, app or cloud storage -- but at the end of the day, you’re sending packets of information to another computer via the now-ubiquitous internet. Since we interact with this system all of the time, we no longer think about "going online". For many people, it’s just a natural state. If you step back a little bit, you’ll remember that the internet isn’t the only way to transfer computer information. Disks, CDs… [Continue Reading]

The 'age of automation' can benefit the security landscape

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 7:12pm CET par Sam Pudwell

Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and automation are technology trends dominating discussions in many different industries at the moment and cyber security is no exception. As cyber criminals become more advanced and the threat landscape continues to develop, businesses are looking to new technologies that can help secure their organization in a more proactive way. According to Dave Palmer, director of technology at Darktrace, this move to the so-called "age of automation" is an inevitable and much needed one: "When you think about networks getting faster and big data, it’s been just as useful for the bad guys as it… [Continue Reading]

The UK government's latest deluded idea: 'banning' underage sexting on social media

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 6:59pm CET par Mark Wilson

When the UK government is not busy looking for ways to invade internet users' privacy, it's looking for ways to restrict what they are able to do online -- particularly when it comes to things of a sexual nature. The health secretary Jeremy Hunt has made calls for technology companies and social media to do more to tackle the problems of cyberbullying, online intimidation and -- rather specifically -- under-18-year-olds texting sexually explicit images. Of course, he doesn't have the slightest idea about how to go about tackling these problems, but he has expressed his concern so that, in conjunction… [Continue Reading]

Google brings 4K video live streaming to YouTube

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 6:53pm CET par Brian Fagioli

While 1080p may look "good enough" to you, once you move to a higher resolution display, it is hard to go back. Prices for both 4K monitors and televisions continue to drop, meaning more and more consumers are buying them. During this past Black Friday, there were many such TVs being offered with big discounts. Now that there are a healthy amount of these displays in the wild, content creators will be more motivated to release content in that resolution -- movies, TV, and video games. While Google added 4K playback to YouTube years ago, it did not offer live… [Continue Reading]

PC market shows signs of recovery

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 5:49pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

PC shipments will continue to decline in 2016, according to a new IDC forecast, but the drop will be slightly lower than previously expected. What's more, things will improve even more in 2017. IDC expects PC vendors to ship a total of 258.2 million units this year, a figure which would be 6.4 percent lower than last year. The previous estimate was a 7.2 percent fall, which IDC announced in August. Growth will still be negative in 2017, but shipments are expected to decrease by just 2.6 percent compared to this year. IDC believes that commercial shipments of notebooks will… [Continue Reading]

Symbol-to-accept strengthens multi-factor authentication

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 5:26pm CET par Ian Barker

One of the more popular ways of securing logins in recent times has been the use of push-to-accept technology, sending a verification message to a user's mobile device. However, this runs the risk of users inadvertently approving login requests that they didn't initiate. Adaptive access company SecureAuth is launching its new Symbol-to-accept technology to boost security without sacrificing convenience. The way it works is that a push message is still sent to the user's mobile, but using Symbol-to-accept, the user is presented with several 'accept' buttons displaying single, randomly-selected symbols. To successfully log in, the user selects the symbol that matches one… [Continue Reading]

Netflix now lets you watch your favorite movies and TV shows offline

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 4:32pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

Many people stream their favorite movies and TV shows today through Netflix. The service, which boasts around 86 million subscribers, is available on all the major platforms, making it easy for users to enjoy it pretty much everywhere and on every PC, smartphone and tablet. That is, as long as there is a working Internet connection. That changes today, as Netflix announces that it is also making its content available offline. Users are now able to download movies and TV shows and watch them while, for instance, traveling on an airplane or in a remote area. Here is what you… [Continue Reading]

60 percent of enterprises have fallen victim to social engineering in 2016

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 4:28pm CET par Ian Barker

A new study from cyber security company Agari reveals the scale of social engineering attacks on industrial organizations across the US. Of over 200 security leaders surveyed 60 percent say their organizations were, or may have been, victim of at least one targeted social engineering attack in the past year, and 65 percent of those who were attacked say that employees' credentials were compromised as a result. In addition, financial accounts were breached in 17 percent of attacks. Among other findings are that 89 percent of respondents have seen either a steady pace or an increase in spear phishing and… [Continue Reading]

Free online test can tell if you're 'pre-disposed' to negative or bad behavior

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 3:54pm CET par Wayne Williams

In the 2002 movie Minority Report, a law enforcement squad called "Precrime" arrests future criminals before they commit their act. Imagine if businesses could predict the future behavior of potential employees before hiring (or not hiring) them? That’s what Veris Benchmarks’ products aim to achieve. The company also offers Veris Prime, is a free online test that you can take for yourself, and which measures your personal trustworthiness and shows how your results compare to white collar criminals. The test consists of 40 multiple choice questions, and requires around ten minutes to complete. You need to enter an email address,… [Continue Reading]

C programming language showing signs of weakening in 2016

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 3:53pm CET par Josh Althuser

Created in 1972 by Dennis Ritchie, C is a dinosaur among computing languages. It’s large, powerful, and has dominated the programming ecosystem for over three decades. Technology changes every few years, and today there are hundreds of programming languages. It’s remarkable that one language has been able to remain so popular over the years, and there’s a reason for that. Software developer Daniel Angel Munoz Trejo sums up C’s benefits well when he writes, "its closeness to the hardware, great portability and deterministic usage of resources make it ideal for low-level development for such things as operating systems kernels and… [Continue Reading]

Get regular 'take a break' reminders with stretchly

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 3:53pm CET par Mike Williams

Stretchly is an open-source tool which displays regular "take a break" reminders when you’re working on your PC, Linux system or Mac. There are plenty of similar tools around, but stretchly has some unusual touches which help it stand out from the crowd. Application size isn’t a strong point: 134MB, really?! But that’s what you get with Electron apps, and at least there’s no need to install anything: just unzip and go. The program immediately minimizes to your system tray and leaves you to work as usual. No bulky scheduling or setup dialog here. After 10 minutes (by default) an… [Continue Reading]

New Android malware breaches over a million Google accounts

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 3:27pm CET par Ian Barker

Researchers at cyber security company Check Point have uncovered a new malware variant that has breached more than a million accounts and is infecting over 13,000 Android devices a day. Called Gooligan, the malware roots Android devices and steals email addresses and authentication tokens stored on them. With this information, attackers are able to access users' sensitive data from Gmail, Google Photos, Google Docs, Google Play, and G Suite. It also generates revenue for the criminals by fraudulently installing apps from Google Play and rating them on behalf of the victim. Gooligan is installing 30,000 apps daily on breached devices,… [Continue Reading]

AWS could become Amazon's biggest business

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 3:25pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

Holiday sales from Black Friday and Cyber Monday could very well help Amazon hit its target of $134 billion in annual sales, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) could make up for $12 billion of it The company began offering web services to its customers over 10 years ago and in recent years this division has grown from a small to significant portion of the online retailer's business. AWS currently operates in 38 availability zones within 14 geographic locations and large companies such as Netflix, Adobe and Spotify have turned to the company for hosting and operating their websites and services. Andy… [Continue Reading]

Turn your Raspberry Pi into a 3D Christmas tree with this new board

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 2:03pm CET par Wayne Williams

If you need help to get into the festive spirit, and an Eggnog Latte from Starbucks isn’t quite cutting it, perhaps transforming a Raspberry Pi into an illuminated 3D Christmas tree will do the trick. The Pi Hut has created a Christmas tree board kit that you simply assemble and plug into your Pi. Once done, sit back and feel the joys of the holiday season as they come rushing towards you. Ho, ho, and indeed ho. The tree offers 25 individually controlled LEDs -- 24 red and one white (for the star on top), and hidden "stars" cut at… [Continue Reading]

Sentiment analysis helps sales teams measure customer reaction

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 1:28pm CET par Ian Barker

One of the problems sales teams face is knowing how their pitches, presentations and marketing materials are perceived by the customer. Cloud-based sales and content management platform Pitcher is hoping to offer teams better insight with its newly patented Sentiment Analysis Module (SAM). SAM allows sales representatives working in the field to seamlessly gauge and analyze customer reactions to sales and marketing materials, presentations and pitches in real-time. It gives front-line teams the ability to engage their customers and collect sentiment reactions to pitch materials, which are expressed either verbally or through gestures. While sharing content that highlights product offerings,… [Continue Reading]

The Internet Archive to set up Canadian mirror to stay out of Trump's reach

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 12:46pm CET par Mark Wilson

Many people are concerned about just what Donald Trump might do when he becomes president in 2017, and some of the biggest concerns lie in the fields of technology and the internet. Worried about what the arrival of President Trump could mean, the Internet Archive is collecting donations to fund a Canadian mirror of the site. The Internet Archive of Canada will lie outside of the jurisdiction of the US government and is being built based on the idea that "lots of copies keep stuff safe". Currently based in San Francisco, a blog post by the Internet Archive makes reference… [Continue Reading]

The Church Committee calls on Obama for leniency for Snowden if not a pardon

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 11:44am CET par Mark Wilson

The calls for Edward Snowden to be pardoned by President Obama before Donald Trump takes office have been getting louder. But while many would like to see him given a get-out-of-jail-free card, there is a growing recognition that this simply might not happen. The latest call in support of Snowden comes from the Church Committee (nothing to do with the church, rather the United States Senate Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities, responsible for investigating illegal CIA activity in the 1970s). In a letter to the out-going president, 15 former members of the committee say… [Continue Reading]

Automatically map the network drives you need with Network Drive Control

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 11:42am CET par Mike Williams

Set up your own home network and you can have Explorer automatically map any remote drives you like, whenever you log on. Connect to another network, though, and Explorer will still try to connect to the drives that aren’t there, along with drives for work, school, or whatever else you might have set up. Network Drive Control can help by checking a network as you log on, and only mapping the drives you need for that environment. For example, you could have the program map a backup drive on your home network, a completely different set of drives at work,… [Continue Reading]

Deutsche Telekom hack affects 900,000 customers

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 11:39am CET par Sead Fadilpašić

German telecommunications giant and T-Mobile parent company Deutsche Telekom was the victim of a cyber-attack over the weekend, which left some 900,000 users affected, the company confirms in a blog post. This weekend, a hacker (or more likely, hackers) infiltrated the company, and tried to infect users' home routers with malware. Deutsche Telekom said its network was not affected "at any time". "The attack attempted to infect routers with a malware but failed which caused crashes or restrictions for four to five percent of all routers", the company says. The telecoms company says it had implemented a series of measures to the network,… [Continue Reading]

It is terrifyingly easy to bypass BitLocker in Windows 10

Publié: novembre 30, 2016, 10:42am CET par Mark Wilson

The BitLocker feature of Windows is supposed to offer a degree of peace of mind that files are going to be secure -- but one expert points out that a simple key combo is all it takes to bypass the security feature. A bug has been discovered in the way Windows 10 handles a Feature Update -- the installation of a new build of the operating system. By taking advantage of the bug, it is possible to access a Command Prompt and gain unrestricted access to the contents of the hard drive. The reason for this is that BitLocker is… [Continue Reading]

Apple will not approve updates and new apps during winter holidays

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 9:21pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

The winter holidays are fast approaching and, just like other workers, many folks in the tech industry are looking forward to their vacation days. But, before employees can celebrate and unwind, companies have to adjust their schedule accordingly and prepare their customers for the limited (or lack of) office hours. Apple announces its schedule today, advising developers to submit their updates and new apps for approval in time, to avoid any delays and inconveniences. Between December 23 and December 27, Pacific Time, Apple says that it will not validate any updates or new apps, "so any releases should be submitted, approved, and… [Continue Reading]

The cloud can be a driving force for your startup

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 8:51pm CET par Kevin Linsell

Amazon Web Services (AWS) turned ten earlier this year and posted some pretty impressive figures to go with it (which have continued to impress in subsequent quarters). The public cloud provider revealed it is on course to generate more than $10bn in 2016, which highlights the success of the public cloud. Organizations from all over the world are tapping into this success, but could it also be the driving force behind successful start-ups? If so, what can enterprises learn from start-ups flourishing in the cloud? Airbnb and Uber highlight the success that can be achieved from launching a start-up. Both… [Continue Reading]

Google successfully uses machine learning to detect diabetic retinopathy

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 7:51pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Diabetes is a hell of a disease. While many people view it as nothing more than the inability to eat sweets, it is actually much more devastating than just that. If untreated, having high glucose levels can wreak havoc on a patient's body -- these folks can go blind, have limbs amputated, or worst of all, die. Diabetic eye disease is caused by retinopathy. Affected diabetics can have small tears inside the eye, causing bleeding. Over time, they can lose vision, and ultimately, they can go blind. Luckily, Google has been trying to use machine learning to detect diabetic retinopathy. Guess what? The search… [Continue Reading]

Mitigating the risks of third-party access to your data

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 6:55pm CET par Charlie Howe

If your office was broken into, you would fear what the intruders might take. Being so concerned about the possibility, you fit all the right locks and alarms and have good door and window security. However, do all the service providers that access your office do the same? If they’re not as security conscious, and they get broken into, the intruders could get hold of the access card or key to your office and then they’re in. It would be galling because, despite having done all the right things to protect your company’s assets, your defenses were still breached. There… [Continue Reading]

You can now play classic arcade games in Facebook Messenger -- Here's how

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 6:28pm CET par Wayne Williams

You’ve been able to play basic games in Facebook Messenger for a while -- things like chess, soccer and basketball -- but from now you’ll be able to play classic arcade games too. So, if in a middle of a chat with a friend you’re suddenly overcome with the need to challenge them to a game of Pac-Man, Galaga, Space Invaders, Puzzle Bobble, or Track & Field, you can. Available in Messenger for iOS and Android, the new gaming feature is very easy to use. Start a conversation with a friend, or friends, and tap the game controller icon below… [Continue Reading]

Lien pour 'BetaNews.Com/2016/11/29/The_Snooper_s_Charter_is_now_law__giving_the_UK_some_of_the_most_extensive__invasive_and_draconian_web_surveillance_powers_in_the_world'

The Snooper's Charter is now law, giving the UK some of the most extensive, invasive and draconian web surveillance powers in the world

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 6:27pm CET par Mark Wilson

The Investigatory Powers Act 2016, the Snooper's Charter, legalized spying: call it what you will, the UK now officially has some of the most extreme internet surveillance powers in the world. The Investigatory Powers Bill was today given royal assent, meaning it has now passed into law. Unsurprisingly, there have been huge protests from privacy groups, and an online petition against the new powers has already gained more than 136,000 signatures. The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 not only requires ISPs to store records of their customers' browsing history, but also make this data available to dozens of government agencies, and… [Continue Reading]

Plagued by Apple Calendar spam? Here's how to stop it

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 5:29pm CET par Wayne Williams

Recently a lot of people have been complaining about spam calendar invitations in iOS, and it’s something I’ve experienced too -- particularly on Black Friday. "$19.99 Ray-ban&Oakley Black Friday In-Store & Online" said one unwelcome invitation. While you can easily decline these invites, that’s not the greatest idea because -- just like responding to a spam email -- it has the side effect of telling a spammer that your account is active. Thankfully, there is an easy way to stop them. The problem happens because iOS and macOS automatically scan your inbox for invites so they can be added to… [Continue Reading]

Digital transformation is top strategic priority for half of execs

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 5:27pm CET par Ian Barker

Digital transformation is at the top of the strategic agenda for enterprises, and half of executives surveyed believe the next two years will be critical for their organizations. These are among the findings of a new report by Forbes Insights, in association with Hitachi Data Systems, which surveyed 573 senior executives worldwide as well as holding one-on-one conversations with top executives. Among the findings are that investing in new technologies to enable digitization is the top investment priority for 51 percent over the next two years, along with increasing data and analytics capabilities also cited by 51 percent. Drivers for… [Continue Reading]

Sophisticated social engineering attacks target hotel chains

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 3:45pm CET par Ian Barker

In the run up to one of the hospitality industry's busiest periods, cyber criminals are targeting hotel chains with a series of targeted attacks. Cyber security company Trustwave has investigated the attacks, which combine social engineering with sophisticated malware, against a number of its clients in the past month. Believed to originate from the prolific Carbanak crime group, the attacks start with a phone call to customer services staff claiming to be having trouble making an online booking and asking permission to email a document containing travel details. The attackers are careful to research their targets beforehand so that they're able… [Continue Reading]

TeamViewer 12 brings up to 20x file transfer speeds

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 3:35pm CET par Mike Williams

TeamViewer has just released TeamViewer 12, the latest edition of its popular remote control package. Major performance improvements include up to 20x faster file transfers, and frame rates of up to 60 fps. Connection settings can automatically adapt to network connections, giving you the best possible quality at all times. TeamViewer Premium users get mobile-to-mobile remote connections and screen sharing for any mix of Android, iOS and Windows Phone devices. New deployment features include a "silent host roll out" to install TeamViewer across thousands of devices simultaneously (Corporate and above). There are also options to centrally manage TeamViewer settings from… [Continue Reading]

Two factor authentication is not enough

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 3:24pm CET par James Romer

The general consensus appears to be that two-factor authentication (2FA) is the answer to our authentication needs. Be that from usage of consumer sites in our personal lives or as part of our daily requirements when signing into enterprise infrastructure and applications at work. However the cyber-attack on Three's customer upgrade database is yet another example of how 2FA is not enough. Organizations must move away from relying solely on usernames and passwords, as once again access was gained with a stolen employee login. The misuse and abuse of systems using username and password alone is now so common that… [Continue Reading]

Sling begins rolling out cloud DVR beta for Roku users

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 1:53pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Cord-cutters are certainly aware of services such as Sling TV and devices like Roku, the latter also being popular even with those who still retain a cable or satellite connection. There are drawbacks to some of this since you can't record a show you'll miss, though Sling does allow you to go back and watch what has already aired -- on certain channels. Now Sling wants to change all of that, bringing a cloud DVR to its service. The new release is a slow roll out and is beta only. However, the stats on it are promising. There is no… [Continue Reading]

Samsung considering advice to split in two

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 12:45pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

Samsung is currently deciding whether or it not it should follow the advice of the US hedge fund management firm Elliott Management that has proposed that the company split its business in two, with one holding company for ownership and another for operations. Elliott first proposed the split in October with the aim of boosting shareholder value. However, this move would also benefit the Lee family that owns Samsung as it would grant them tighter control over the company. The proposal will be decided on by the company's board of directors on Tuesday, November 29. The Korean Exchange is eager… [Continue Reading]

Cold War 2.0: Russia is borrowing the Great Firewall of China to implement greater state censorship and control

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 11:57am CET par Mark Wilson

The Great Firewall of China is a famous tool of censorship and state control of the internet -- and Russia wants to throw up its own version of the web filtering system. Russia already operates the so-called 'red web' which is used to not only monitor what Russian citizens are up to online, but also implementing blocks and filters such as the recent ban on LinkedIn. But now President Putin wants to steps things up a notch. Russia and China have become close allies in recent years, particularly in the field of state control of the internet, and there are… [Continue Reading]

Welcome to the Post-Decision Age

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 11:41am CET par Robert X. Cringely

There are more things to talk about than Donald Trump, though I doubt that Donnie agrees with me. But we have to get on with our lives which, at least in my case, means getting on with my reading. Where does all the crap I write here come from but reading, talking to people, and waiting in line at Starbucks? Nowhere else! And if you want to be like me you may choose to read a new book by Michael Lewis, The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds. Of course the book is very good and it’s very… [Continue Reading]

Ofcom to force Openreach to separate from BT

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 11:01am CET par Mark Wilson

BT has been under pressure from industry regulator Ofcom to separate Openreach, its broadband telecoms network, from its retail business. Having failed to voluntarily cooperate, the company will now be forced to separate in order to address concerns about competition. There have long been worries that BT's position of controlling the UK broadband network while simultaneously operating a retail business was a conflict of interest, and Ofcom recently informed BT that Openreach must be transformed into a "legally separate company" to BT. Ofcom believes that creating a separate Openreach will help in its goal of "better service quality and encouraging… [Continue Reading]

The benefits of thin clients for IT administrators

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 10:37am CET par Simon Richards

IT administrators should no longer be shackled to the desktop, trapped in permanent rounds of helpdesk visits, security patches and upgrades. The future could be an estate of efficient and remotely managed desktops and mobile devices; freeing IT administrators to focus on deploying IT innovation for competitive advantage. For many IT administrators the feeling of being shackled to the desktop will be all too familiar. An endless round of responding to helpdesk tickets raised by users, running security patches and rolling out upgrades. "Surely there must be more to life than this?", they ask as they trudge off to solve… [Continue Reading]

Google releases 'Featured Photos Screensaver' app for Mac

Publié: novembre 29, 2016, 2:26am CET par Brian Fagioli

Google and photography seem to go hand in hand. The company's new Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones take very high-quality pictures, while its Photos app for Android and iOS is a brilliant way to both store and categorize images in the cloud. Today, Google takes its passion for photography to another level with an all-new app for macOS. Dubbed 'Featured Photos Screensaver' it creates a screensaver using images that are sourced from user photos which were uploaded to Google+. Don't worry about privacy, folks -- these are images that users have agreed to share. Google+ photographers can choose to opt-out if they prefer. "From… [Continue Reading]

UK businesses unprepared for virtualization security challenges

Publié: novembre 28, 2016, 8:29pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

For UK companies with at least 1,000 PCs, virtualization is a "strategic priority", however, they are yet unprepared for all the different security challenges this approach brings. This is according to a new report by Bitdefender. Surveying 153 IT decision makers in the UK, working in such companies, the report says hybrid infrastructures are the major common architecture in enterprise environments, as CIOs all over the world being to increasingly adopt them. The report sheds some light on the biggest fears and concerns IT decision makers have with the new infrastructure approach. Most (75 percent) fear the possibility of a… [Continue Reading]

Security tips for 2017

Publié: novembre 28, 2016, 7:10pm CET par Paul Burns

In an increasingly digital world, criminals have the information and the means to ensure that high profile security breaches, involving major household names, continue to make the headlines. As technology evolves, so do the threats being developed by hackers who have a whole host of motivations for wanting to disrupt businesses of all sizes. It’s a constant battle but thankfully one that has resulted in increasingly sophisticated security tools coming to the market. Security Threats In many ways the hackers have more opportunities to attack, given the proliferation of devices being used to access systems and data remotely -- all… [Continue Reading]

ZOTAC VR GO is a Windows 10 backpack PC powered by Intel Core i7 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070

Publié: novembre 28, 2016, 6:57pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Virtual reality is rather cool, although it requires money and commitment. To truly experience VR on a PC, you need a powerful computer and, sometimes, a room to be dedicated to it too. After all, the VR mask usually has to be tethered to the desktop PC -- a messy experience, leading to tangled wires. Sadly, it is these wires that really limit the fun of VR on PC. Thankfully, some PC manufacturers have wisely created backpack computers -- a PC designed to be worn on the user's back. This creates greater mobility while experiencing VR, although it does have the… [Continue Reading]

Amazon is limiting the number of reviews you can write

Publié: novembre 28, 2016, 6:24pm CET par Mark Wilson

One of the benefits of shopping with Amazon is that you are able to read reviews written by other customers before you part with your cash. Now the company has updated its review policy, placing a limit on the number of reviews customers can write in a week. The new limit means that there is now a maximum of five reviews per customer per week, but there is an exception. If Amazon is able to verify that products have been purchased by -- rather than gifted to -- the reviewer, the limit is increased. But it gets a little more… [Continue Reading]

Dropbox Lepton compresses JPEGs by 20 percent or more

Publié: novembre 28, 2016, 6:07pm CET par Mike Williams

Earlier this year, Dropbox open-sourced Lepton, a lossless image compression algorithm which can reduce the size of JPEG images by an average of 22 percent. The technology converts your target JPEGs into the compacted LEP format, and restores the original version on demand. Dropbox is using Lepton right now to save bandwidth and storage space, and if you grab a copy of the Windows build then you can try it, too. The program is a single executable which you’ll need to run from the command line. At a minimum all you have to do is provide a target file name,… [Continue Reading]

The 30 percent bug sees iPhone battery life dropping dramatically in iOS 10.1.1

Publié: novembre 28, 2016, 6:07pm CET par Mark Wilson

If you've updated your iPhone to iOS 10.1.1, you may have started to feel that your battery is not lasting as long as it used to. You are not alone; you could be experiencing what has been named the 30 percent bug. Many users are complaining that their iPhones will suddenly drop from 30 percent battery charge to 1 percent, and then shutdown. The problem does not seem to affect one particular generation of iPhone, suggesting that the issue lies with iOS itself, but at the moment Apple does not have a fix available. There is a fairly lengthy thread… [Continue Reading]

OnePlus 3T first-impressions review

Publié: novembre 28, 2016, 6:03pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

The OnePlus 3T is shaping up to be one of the best smartphones that you can buy today. Replacing the OnePlus 3, it is a slightly beefier version of the former "flagship killer" that, at first glance, also feels more refined. Visually, it looks nearly the same, but the updated internals and improved software could make a big difference in day to day use. This is a first look at OnePlus' new flagship, which I feel is well needed as the OnePlus 3T today makes its European debut. Many of you will be considering it as your next smartphone, and… [Continue Reading]

Tech Deals: This year's best Cyber Monday deals on electronics, TVs and more

Publié: novembre 28, 2016, 3:51pm CET par BetaNews Staff

If you didn't manage to pick up the tech bargains you were hoping for on Black Friday, the good news is you get a second chance with Cyber Monday! Courtesy of our partners at TechBargains, our selection of great Cyber Monday deals include laptop and desktop computers, televisions, media streamers, tablets, games consoles, vacuum cleaners and much more. See the latest Cyber Monday Deals at TechBargains... Top Rated for Picture Quality: 50" Vizio M50-D1 4K UltraHD Home Theater Display + $200 Dell Gift Card + 6" Android Tablet Remote for $599.99 (list price $849.99). Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Intel Celeron… [Continue Reading]

Scality improves security for enterprise cloud

Publié: novembre 28, 2016, 3:08pm CET par Ian Barker

As organizations store more of their information in the cloud increased focus is placed on keeping it secure from breaches and other threats. Cloud storage specialist Scality is launching a new version of its RING software defined storage technology to provide extended security features and a trusted, compliant and secure storage infrastructure. "Data is a business critical asset but we are increasingly seeing more data breaches, security attacks and malware threats on businesses," says Giorgio Regni, CTO at Scality. "Organizations today need to reduce risk, assure compliance, securely store data and implement strict access controls and governance. We designed Scality… [Continue Reading]

How to save Spotlight lock screen images to use as wallpaper in Windows 10

Publié: novembre 28, 2016, 1:31pm CET par Wayne Williams

Windows 10 has a lock screen mode called Windows Spotlight that pulls attractive images from the web on a daily basis. In most instances, you’ll only see these when you log on, or lock your PC. If you see an image that you’d like to use as Windows wallpaper, you can’t simply right-click and save it, but there is a way to easily export Windows Spotlight images to a folder so you can use them as desktop backgrounds. Firstly, if you aren’t currently using Windows Spotlight, right-click the desktop and select Personalize. Click on 'Lock screen', and change the Background… [Continue Reading]

If you're going to San Francisco be sure to travel free with ransomware

Publié: novembre 28, 2016, 12:46pm CET par Ian Barker

The Muni public transport system in San Francisco has been hit by a major ransomware attack over the weekend that left the network having to give passengers free travel. It's estimated that around 2,000 systems have been affected by the attack, which began on Friday, including ticket machines, servers and Windows workstations. The software used in the attack is believed to be a variant of HDDCryptor. This uses freeware and open source tools to encrypt hard drives and network-shared files, as well as overwriting the master boot record on infected systems. Locked machines displayed a message reading, "You Hacked, ALL… [Continue Reading]

One in four Wi-Fi hotspots is a security nightmare

Publié: novembre 28, 2016, 12:19pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

A quarter of the world's Wi-Fi networks are so insecure that the only thing stopping hackers from abusing them is their own lack of will. This is according to a new, extensive research by security experts at Kaspersky Lab, which have analyzed more than 31 million public Wi-Fi hotspots all over the world. Basically, 25 percent aren’t using any type of encryption or password protection, meaning the information going through these networks is wide open for everyone to see. Another three percent are using WEP, which is a protocol that can be cracked "within minutes, using tools that are freely… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft enables Linux desktop users to send SMS text messages with latest Skype Alpha

Publié: novembre 28, 2016, 12:13am CET par Brian Fagioli

Linux-based desktop operating systems can sometimes be incredible for productivity and security, but they can be deficient from a feature and application perspective too. Windows 10 and macOS Sierra, for instance, are chock-full of some exciting software that is simply not available on Linux, such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop, although alternatives (LibreOffice and Gimp for example) can sometimes be passable. With all of that said, Microsoft has delivered an incredible feature to Linux-based desktop operating systems by way of the latest Alpha version of its Skype client. What is this exciting feature of which I speak? Well, the newly-released Skype… [Continue Reading]

The lure of keygens helps spread Gatak malware through the enterprise and healthcare industry

Publié: novembre 26, 2016, 10:51am CET par Mark Wilson

Malware spreads through various channels, and numerous methods are used to fool people into unwittingly installing it. In many cases, the promise of getting something for free -- naming expensive software -- is enough to trick a victim into infecting their own computer. It's far from being a new tactic, and warnings have been issued to fans of torrenting for some time. Keygens (small programs that promise to provide unlock codes and product keys for big-name software titles) are being used to help spread the Gatak or Stegoloader Trojan. Something that is interesting about this malware campaign is that it is… [Continue Reading]

HPE, IBM and T-Systems compete for Cern cloud platform contract

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 8:52pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

Cern is currently searching for a potential supplier for its €5.3 million Helix Nebula hybrid cloud platform and T-Systems, IBM and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) have made it to the last round. Initially, 28 different firms from 12 countries submitted bids for the lucrative contract to develop a hybrid cloud platform that will be built upon commercial cloud services, publicly funded infrastructures and each firm's own IT resources. Cern has narrowed down its list of bids down to the four firms based on the design ideas they have submitted for the project. The scientific organisation will eliminate one more firm… [Continue Reading]

VLC Media Player previews 360-degree video support

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 7:17pm CET par Mike Williams

VideoLAN has released a technical preview of VLC Media Player 3.0 with 360-degree video support. The new build handles videos following the Spatial Video format, and photos and panoramas following the Spherical spec (the official test page has sample files). The files play back just like any other video, but you can now left-click and drag within the screen or use the numeric keypad arrows to look around. VideoLAN says there are multiple display modes -- Zoom, Little Planet and Reverse Little Planet -- although we couldn’t immediately see how they were activated. This initial release is only available for… [Continue Reading]

A Ferrari, three blind men and DevOps

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 7:08pm CET par Arsalaan Kashif

In a rapidly evolving digital world, businesses are moving at breakneck speeds and one upping each other to achieve the unicorn of customer delight. For a number of organizations, a large part of that equation boils down to accelerating the release of high quality software. A release every three months is now being replaced by a release every three days. The timelines are shrinking; the expectations are only getting higher. It is crucial now more than ever for all the moving parts to come together in unison and work cohesively towards achieving a sustainable competitive advantage. Despite several reams of… [Continue Reading]

Sure, it's easy to criticize software -- but can I write it?

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 7:00pm CET par Mike Williams

It’s easy for me to poke holes in other people’s software, at least some of the time: oddball interfaces, missing functions, horrible performance, whatever it might be. But does that mean I have enough understanding of software to do any better myself? That was an interesting question, I realized, and there was only one way to find out: I had to develop something of my own. But what? With limited time (and ability, probably), there was no point going for something bulky, an office suite or graphics editor. I had to think more NirSoft-sized than Adobe. Something basic, then. Lightweight.… [Continue Reading]

Vufine+ wearable display review

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 6:52pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

Having a small display strapped to a pair of glasses may seem like a bad idea in a post-Google Glass wearables market, but Vufine is not afraid to take chances. The company successfully launched the original Vufine on Kickstarter in 2015, and now it is at it again with an updated model. And this one is proving to be a hit as well. It is called Vufine+ and what it does is give you a viewfinder or external display for an action camera, laptop or smartphone. There are no fancy smart features here. Instead, you can mirror what's on your… [Continue Reading]

BitFenix Whisper M quad-rail PSU is modular, efficient, and quiet

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 6:35pm CET par Brian Fagioli

When building a computer, many people focus on performance and cooling. There is another aspect that is important to some consumers, however -- noise. Sometimes builders get so caught up in benchmarks, that they forget about how loud the tower may be. As a result, the computer could sound like a jet engine. This is unfortunate, as it can negatively impact the overall computing experience. Luckily, more and more manufacturers are focusing on developing quiet products. Today, famed chassis manufacturer BitFenix unveils a high-quality quiet power supply unit. Dubbed "Whisper M", it should deliver a good balance of performance and quiet… [Continue Reading]

What are the benefits of DevOps?

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 5:33pm CET par Kong Yang

IT buzzwords change like the wind. From big data, to containers, to the Internet of things, there is no shortage of often-used phrases that organizations must quickly become accustomed to. DevOps is the latest trend that can increase agility and improve performance in the IT department. However, confusion is still rife, with many businesses unsure what it is, and how to capitalize upon it. One of the reasons that DevOps is proving so difficult for organizations to define is that it is constantly changing. It grows organically, and its implementation and use is quickly evolving. There is also a misconception over… [Continue Reading]

Right-wing Breitbart blocked by AppNexus ad exchange for hate speech

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 3:51pm CET par Mark Wilson

Right-wing website Breitbart -- the darling of the so-called alt-right movement -- has been blocked by a leading ad exchange. The site, home to Milo Yiannopoulos (also known as @Nero and banned from Twitter) will no longer be permitted to sell ad space via AppNexus. The move comes after an audit by AppNexus found that Breitbart was in violation of its policies on hate speech and incitement to violence. Speaking to the BBC, AppNexus' spokesman Joshua Zeitz said: "We use a number of third-party standards to determine what is and isn't hate speech, and if we detect a pattern of… [Continue Reading]

What is Huawei's XLabs Wireless?

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 3:50pm CET par Desire Athow

During this year's, seventh Global Mobile Broadband Forum in Tokyo, deputy chairman of the board and Huawei Rotating CEO Ken Hu took to the stage to share his vision of the mobile future and presented the XLabs Wireless. This brand new initiation aims to be the platform which will unite carriers, developers and companies from different verticals. Together, they must build an open ecosystem of mobile apps which will reshape the future of business, entertainment, and everyday living. XLabs Wireless consists of three elements -- the mLab, with the focus on people, vLab, with the focus on verticals, and hLab, focusing… [Continue Reading]

Many users don't want to deal with breached businesses

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 1:26pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

We get plenty of reports on people being asked if they'd continue doing business with organizations that got breached. Sometimes, the reports are positive, saying people understand all the hard work organizations put into securing their data and that, sometimes, breaches can happen. On other days, these reports claim people would walk away from such companies, never to look in their direction again. Today is one of those days. A new report by The Internet Society, called 2016 Global Internet Report, says 40 percent of users would not do business with a company that suffered a data breach. In the same… [Continue Reading]

North American businesses suffer twice as many cyber attacks

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 1:12pm CET par Ian Barker

A new report from Kaspersky Lab finds that businesses in North America are significantly less protected against cyberattacks compared to those worldwide. According to the study 20 percent of global enterprises suffered four or more data breaches in the past year, while 44 percent of North American businesses suffered a similar number of attacks. Two of the top causes of serious data breaches are careless or uninformed employee actions (59 percent) and phishing or social engineering (56 percent). The survey shows that cybercriminals are successfully hacking their way into corporations through uninformed employees. In addition the results reveal that 52 percent of… [Continue Reading]

Best Windows 10 apps this week

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 1:05pm CET par Martin Brinkmann

Two-hundred-and-six in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on Windows Store in the past seven days. As far as Windows 10 news goes, there has been plenty this week. It came to light that Microsoft is sharing Windows 10 Telemetry data with third-parties, and that EMET is still considered a good security option on Windows 10 despite Microsoft claiming otherwise. Good news however, if you are using a 4K monitor and Netflix, as you may use Edge to stream Netflix shows in 4K resolution. As always, if I… [Continue Reading]

Police warn about dating apps after serial killer conviction

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 12:51pm CET par Mark Wilson

Police are warning people who use dating sites and dating apps to take extra precautions to ensure their safety. The advice comes after serial killer Stephen Port who contacted his victims through apps such as Grindr and Gaydar. While people making use of dating services have always been warned to take safety precautions, police are concerned that sexual predators are increasingly using such sites and apps as a way of finding potential victims. The UK's National Crime Agency has noticed an alarming increase in the number of people reporting cases of rape after meeting someone through a dating site or… [Continue Reading]

Apple's disappointing Black Friday deals -- gift cards worth up to $150 with every order

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 11:20am CET par Mark Wilson

After years of avoiding getting in on the Black Friday action, 2016 sees Apple finally letting its hair down and joining in with everyone else. Earlier in the week we learned that there were some treats in store, and today we can reveal what they are. If you were hoping to save some money on a new MacBook Pro (2016) or to bag yourself a cheap iPhone, you're going to be disappointed. Apple is not offering any Black Friday discounts whatsoever; instead the company is giving away gift cards worth up to $150 with every order placed. So here's the… [Continue Reading]

Tech Deals: Amazing Black Friday bargains you won't want to miss

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 3:00am CET par BetaNews Staff

Black Friday is finally upon us, and to celebrate we have some amazing bargains for you to feast your eyes on. Courtesy of our partners at TechBargains, our selection of great deals include a 55 inch Samsung 4K UltraHD LED Smart HDTV (with a $150 Dell Gift Card) for just $599.99, and a Dell Inspiron 3650 Intel Core i7 Quad-Core Desktop with 16GB RAM, Win 7 Pro, and a 2GB HDD for $599. And that's just for starters. We also have great deals on Amazon products, laptops, HDTVs, electronics, cloud storage services, and much more... Be sure to check out… [Continue Reading]

Tech Deals: Amazing Black Friday bargains you won't want to miss [Updated with even more deals!]

Publié: novembre 25, 2016, 3:00am CET par BetaNews Staff

Noontec ZORO II wireless headphones review

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 9:28pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

Wireless headphones are the future. Apple knows it, and pretty soon you will too. Let's face it, the good old 3.5mm jack is on its way out. Smartphone evolution will see to it. And when it will no longer be an option, many of us will come to realize that we have been living in the past for far too long After the first couple of minutes of using the Noontec ZORO II, this much was clear. Noontec has designed the ZORO II for the discerning headphone buyer who is looking to get rid of wires but, at the same… [Continue Reading]

Facebook is ready to censor posts in China -- should users around the world be worried?

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 8:41pm CET par Mark Wilson

Facebook's relationship with China has a tense and turbulent history. The social network is currently banned in China, and this clearly takes a huge chunk out of Facebook's ad revenue. In a bid to keep Chinese authorities happy, Mark Zuckerberg has been involved in the creation of software that can be used to monitor and censor posts made by users. In terms of playing by China's rules, this is clearly great news for Facebook, and it opens up the possibility of the social network operating in the country. While there is the slight silver lining that Facebook's censorship tool does… [Continue Reading]

VirusTotal adds WhiteArmor to its lineup

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 8:00pm CET par Mike Williams

VirusTotal has announced the addition of WhiteArmor’s engine to its antivirus lineup. The Chinese developer explains: WhiteArmor is [a] mobile antivirus engine armed with artificial intelligence and machine learning. WhiteArmor offers enterprise Mobile Threat Defense (MTD) solutions as complementary to EMM [Enterprise Mobility Management] for securing enterprise mobility. It’s another major plus for WhiteArmor, following the company’s impressive scores at AV-TEST earlier this year (100 percent protection from recently discovered malware, 99.4 percent of the latest malware in real time). If you’d like to test the technology for yourself, WhiteArmor’s Antivirus & Mobile Security is a capable and no-strings free… [Continue Reading]

Why cloud? Justification for non-techies

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 7:56pm CET par Pete Johnson

Cloud computing is all the rage today, to the point that it feels like you can’t fill out your "buzzword bingo" card at any meeting without using the phrase. There are all kinds of technical reasons why cloud has the market momentum it does, but what if you aren’t swayed by such things? If you’ve seen technology trends come and go, you need non-technical justification for moving your business in any direction, and cloud computing is no different for you. So, what is the main justification for business owners to use cloud that doesn’t involve a lot of technical jargon?… [Continue Reading]

Deseat.me helps you delete yourself from the internet with a few clicks

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 7:09pm CET par Mark Wilson

Everyone has a digital footprint these days, and it can be terrifying to think about the amount of personal information stored online in various accounts. You may have resolved to clean up your act and close a few of your accounts, and this is where Deseat.me can help. The site takes advantage of the fact that many of your online accounts are linked together by a common thread -- Google. By signing into the site with your Google credentials, Deseat.me will find all of your linked accounts and give you the option of wiping them out in one fell swoop.… [Continue Reading]

UK bank will let customers withdraw cash using their smartphone

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 5:39pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

UK bank Barclays is testing a new feature for cash withdrawals which should eliminate skimming at ATM machines, the BBC reports. The idea is similar to contactless and mobile payment systems -- you wave your smartphone close to an ATM machine and, when prompted, type in your PIN code in either the smartphone or the ATM. The bank says that way it will make it much harder to hijack card details. The new feature is being tested for Android-powered devices only, with iPhones being out of the picture. Apple has limited the use of iPhone NFC chips to their own Apple… [Continue Reading]

Kaspersky: DDoS attacks are a smokescreen

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 4:49pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks make a lot of noise, and according to a new Kaspersky Lab report, that’s exactly what hackers are using them for. As businesses are preoccupied with handling DDoS attacks, hackers use the opportunity for another, more targeted, and more deadly type of attack. Basically, DDoS is nothing more than a smokescreen. The conclusion comes in Kaspersky Lab’s report, which polled businesses about their cybersecurity experiences. More than half (56 percent) say DDoS is being used to cover something else. In more than a quarter (29 percent) of attacks, DDoS has been part of the tactics.… [Continue Reading]

Black Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre: Is social media the future of car insurance?

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 2:58pm CET par Tom Roberts

A multinational company with thousands of employees and a turnover of more than £2 billion in 2015 requests access to young customers’ private social media history to predict their likely future behavior. While this might sound like the basis for an episode of Charlie Brooker’s dystopian TV series Black Mirror, it’s actually a real plan formulated by insurance provider Admiral to create more accurate quotes for young drivers. The initiative, aptly named firstcarquote, was intended to examine a user’s Facebook presence -- including the pages they like and the content they post -- to identify key personality traits. These traits,… [Continue Reading]

Hewlett Packard Enterprise laptop hack exposes personal details of 130,000 US Navy sailors

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 2:23pm CET par Mark Wilson

A data breach has exposed the personal details of more than 130,000 US Navy sailors, including social security numbers. Rather than being a breach of the Navy's own defences, the data leak came about after a laptop owned by a Hewlett Packard Enterprise employee was compromised. In total, 134,386 current and former sailors are affected by the problem. At this stage it is not known who has been able to access the data, but the Navy is confident that it has not been misused. An investigation is currently underway and the Navy will start to notify the thousands of affected… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft shares Windows 10 telemetry data with third parties

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 1:12pm CET par Wayne Williams

It’s no secret that Windows 10 records all sorts of usage information, some of which it feeds back to Microsoft. To help with the smooth running of Windows 10, and to get an idea of how users interact with the operating system, Microsoft collects telemetry data, which includes information on the device Windows 10 is running on, a list of installed apps, crash dumps, and more. Telemetry data recorded by Windows 10 is, in a nutshell, just technical information about the device the OS is on, and how Windows and any installed software is performing, but it can occasionally include… [Continue Reading]

CERT warning: Windows 10 is less secure than Windows 7 with EMET

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 1:09pm CET par Mark Wilson

In direct contrast to Microsoft's assertion that Windows 10 is its most secure operating system ever, the US-CERT Coordination Center says that Windows 7 with EMET offers greater protection. With EMET due to be killed off, security experts are concerned. A vulnerability analyst from CERT, Will Dormann, advises Microsoft to continue the development of EMET. Microsoft says 'many' of EMET's features have been integrated into Windows 10, but the concern is that key components are missing, and others have been implemented in such a way that reduces their security. CERT concerns will be particularly worrying to business and enterprise users,… [Continue Reading]

Making sports smarter with big data

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 1:08pm CET par Anil Kaul

Big data and analytics have transformed the way businesses operate, and big data increasingly has a profound influence on the daily lives of consumers. The sports world isn’t immune to the impact of big data: Statistics-driven sports like Major League Baseball and the National Football League have long crunched numbers to make key decisions, so using big data is a natural progression. During last summer’s Olympic Games in Rio, analysts and trainers pored over data to predict performance and develop strategies. Whether motivated by profit or the quest for a win, greater efficiency and increased accuracy, the sporting world is… [Continue Reading]

Caught red-handed: Reddit CEO edited comments that disparaged him

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 12:48pm CET par Mark Wilson

If you leave a comment on a website you expect one of two things. First, and most likely, is for your comment to be left alone and posted as-is. The second possibility is that you might find your comment has been deleted because of violating site terms. Reddit, however, has a third option. The self-styled 'front page of the internet' is a little red-faced after CEO Steve Huffman admitted editing comments that were critical of him. Posting using the name 'spez', Huffman was able to anonymously edit comments and replace references to his name with those of Reddit moderators. Huffman… [Continue Reading]

Tech salaries are up in the UK

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 12:44pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

The technology skills gap is working well for those already in the industry, as the salaries for these positions in the UK just keep going up. According to a new Dice report, tech jobs have seen an increase of five percent, on average, in salaries, in the last 12 months. The highest average pay was spotted for program managers, with these positions getting a six percent increase in salaries, up to £78,847 for permanent roles. Contractors have day rates of £600 now, 1.5 percent up compared to last year. The biggest jump, however, goes to security analysts and senior java… [Continue Reading]

Travel firm Skyscanner sold to Chinese site Ctrip in $1.74 billion deal

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 12:03pm CET par Mark Wilson

Edinburgh-based Skyscanner -- a site specializing in price comparison for travellers -- has been bought by its Chinese counterpart Ctrip. The deal values Skyscanner Holdings at $1.74 billion (around £1.4 billion) and sees the Scottish firm joining China's largest travel site, Ctrip.cn. Despite the sale, Skyscanner says that it will continue to operate as an independent company, and it will continue to help travellers find the best deals for hotels, flights and car rentals. Skyscanner already boasts 60 million monthly users, and is available around the world in more than 30 languages. The deal values the company slightly higher than… [Continue Reading]

11 rules to improve mobile security

Publié: novembre 24, 2016, 11:37am CET par Santosh Varughese

Mobile devices have inundated our lives. Smartphones, tablets, phablets, wearables, the list of mobiles and their variants is endless. People have stopped talking and started dat(a)ing in a big way. Communication through smart devices has clearly overwhelmed us like never before. People are buying, paying and living through their mobiles. Love and relationships can be activated through a single app. We have reached a state where people use more than a single smart device at a time. As long as the smart-ness of smartphones was confined to individuals, the corporate world could afford to remain a silent bystander, but no… [Continue Reading]

How will quantum computing impact security processes?

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 9:28pm CET par Cyrille Quemin

Quantum computers have the potential to perform calculations faster than ever possible before, inviting a significant rethink in how we approach cyber security. Given the amount of research being ploughed into this area, we are likely to see a commercially viable machine in the near future, so cryptographers and the cyber security industry in general should work to have a clear view on the implications way ahead of that achievement. Sure, But What Is Quantum Computing? Every current computer -- smartphones, laptops, smart TVs -- manipulates binary digits (bits), and these bits can only have two values: "0" or "1". (Note: bits… [Continue Reading]

IBM will build four new data centers in UK

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 8:17pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

IBM has announced its commitment to a multi-million pound project that will see the company construct four new data centers in the UK to increase its cloud capabilities in the region. The company revealed its new project ahead of the Autumn Statement, which offered a boost to the Government that has recently seen a number of large US technology companies increasing their operations in the country. IBM's decision to create four new data centers will triple its cloud computing capacity in the UK. Companies that use the US company's data centers will gain access to their large amounts of storage and… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft Solitaire Collection from Windows 10 now available for Android and iOS

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 6:22pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Back in the the mid-1990's, everyone thought they needed a computer. After all, Windows 95 made using one particularly easy, and the internet was a very attractive thing. Unfortunately, once some people got their first-ever PC set up in their homes, they didn't really know what to do with it. In the end, it would turn out that some consumers spent thousands of dollars for a machine dedicated to one thing -- playing Solitaire! Yes, this fun Windows game is responsible for much wasted time, but not just at home -- at businesses too. The card game has historically been viewed… [Continue Reading]

Process Lasso spin-off CPUBalance gets a beta release

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 6:19pm CET par Mike Williams

Bitsum Technologies has released a beta of CPUBalance, its intelligent tool for optimizing PC responsiveness. The program uses the same ProBalance technology as Process Lasso to monitor running processes, detect CPU hogs, and instantly adjust priorities to keep your system running smoothly. CPUBalance runs stand-alone, and you don’t need Process Lasso to try it out. Just install and launch the program and it works immediately. You can also run the program alongside Process Lasso, where it adds extra options. The developer explains: CPUBalance is unique in that it can either run independent of Process Lasso, or along-side Process Lasso, offering… [Continue Reading]

NHTSA reveals voluntary guidelines for smartphone makers to minimize distracted driving

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 5:43pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

Traffic fatalities are up for the first time in 25 years, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report, and one of the leading causes is distraction. One in ten people die on US roads as a result, and smartphones play a key part in it, so regulators want to do something about it. But, what exactly? The NHTSA will come up with a set of voluntary guidelines for smartphone manufacturers to limit the level of interaction their users can have while driving a vehicle. "As millions of Americans take to the roads for Thanksgiving gatherings, far too many… [Continue Reading]

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UK retailer Argos is selling the new Apple MacBook Pro (2016) for just £100!

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 5:02pm CET par Wayne Williams

Apple is planning some Black Friday offers, but if you’re looking to get a good deal on a new MacBook Pro (2016), you’re probably going to be very disappointed. However, UK retailer Argos has the deal of the century on the new MacBook Pro with TouchBar -- it’s currently offering it for just £100 ($124) -- a significant saving over the recommended price of £1,449. And if that’s still a bit rich for you, there are credit options available. Under a 'Boring but important info' heading, Argos says "Prices correct as displayed but are subject to change". Of course, you… [Continue Reading]

Consumers want to know more about how their data is used

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 4:05pm CET par Ian Barker

The world is ever more reliant on data, but consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about where their personal details are stored and who has access to them. Professional technology standards body IEEE has carried out a survey of 1,000 UK adults which finds that 81 percent believe the public should be better educated on how their data is being used online. In addition more than half of respondents would like to see clarity from individual websites on their specific use of personal data. Worryingly for online companies, 65 percent are able to cite a negative experience as a result of a… [Continue Reading]

How to keep track of your Windows 10 update history

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 3:37pm CET par Wayne Williams

Unless you’ve taken steps to actively block Windows 10’s mandatory updates, the chances are the new OS is regularly installing updates without your knowledge, and you'll probably only discover a new one has happened if/when something goes wrong. For the most part, updates are perfectly safe, introduce occasional new features, and keep your system protected from threats, without you needing to lift a finger. But if you’re the sort of person who likes to know exactly what’s going on with your computer, there are a couple of ways to keep track of the Windows 10 updates. SEE ALSO: How to… [Continue Reading]

Oracle buys DNS provider Dyn

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 3:24pm CET par Sam Pudwell

Oracle is showing no desire to slow down it's spending spree after announcing the acquisition of DNS provider Dyn for an undisclosed sum. The timing of the deal has raised a few eyebrows as, although Dyn powers some of the biggest sites in the world such as Netflix, Twitter and Spotify, in October it was hit by a DDoS attack which took several of its big-name clients offline. But it appears that this has not discouraged Oracle, with TechCrunch reporting that the enterprise services giant plans to integrate Dyn's DNS solution into its cloud platform to add to its IaaS… [Continue Reading]

Free tool helps consumers check online security ahead of Black Friday

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 3:05pm CET par Ian Barker

On this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday, more Americans will be shopping online than ever before, but a new study reveals that the majority are concerned about the potential to have their personal and financial information hacked. The survey from cybersecurity company UpGuard shows that almost 95 percent of consumers are concerned about the security of their information online, and more than half would break with their favorite brands if they knew their information was at risk. Roughly 92 percent of respondents say they think consumers should be moderately to extremely concerned about cybersecurity. 74 percent report they are… [Continue Reading]

Twitter accidentally suspends its own CEO's Twitter account

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 2:11pm CET par Wayne Williams

It’s a funny time to be the CEO of a social media site. First Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was "Killed" by his creation (along with a bunch of other users), and yesterday for a short time, Twitter suspended the account of its CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey. It may not be quite as bad as "killing" its CEO, but Twitter mistakenly suspending the account of the person who helped create it is still hugely embarrassing. Dorsey’s account was unreachable for a couple of hours. When he eventually got back on to Twitter, Dorsey explained the problem to his 2.84 million… [Continue Reading]

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Touché 1.0 extends Touch Bar functionality to any modern Mac -- for free

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 1:39pm CET par Nick Peers

Apple’s Touch Bar is a major new selling point for its latest generation of MacBooks, but that doesn’t mean you have to purchase one to find out what it’s all about. Touché 1.0 is a new freeware tool that places a virtual Touch Bar on the desktop of any Mac running the very latest version of MacOS Sierra (10.12.1 v2 or later). This isn’t an emulator, but a virtual copy of the Touch Bar itself, identical in every way to the hardware-based bar found on the latest MacBooks. The feature is made possible because Apple provided a virtual simulator for… [Continue Reading]

No kinky online sex, please -- we're British!

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 12:46pm CET par Mark Wilson

The UK government's relationship with the web is something of a checkered one. Keen to pander to the fear of concerned hand-wringers, we've seen torrent sites blocked and there are plans afoot to censor porn sites that do not implement 'effective' age checks. Now there is a chance that UK web users will be denied access to websites that portray "non-conventional sexual acts" in the latest act of censorship by the government. A bill currently being considered would apply the same restrictions to online pornography that currently apply offline. In what appears to be yet another example of the government… [Continue Reading]

No, Microsoft's zombie groan isn't racist

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 12:33pm CET par Wayne Williams

Racism is something that’s in the news a lot at the moment following Donald Trump’s election victory and the rise of the alt-right. The unfortunate side effect of all this is companies occasionally get criticized for doing something that isn’t the slightest bit racist, but could be viewed as such, if you chose to do so. Case in point, a day or so ago Microsoft sent out a promotional email for Dead Rising 4 with the subject heading "NNNNGGGHHAAAA". That’s a zombie groan right? Nope, apparently, it’s the N-word. Some people saw the email heading and got offended, as people… [Continue Reading]

Revamped Google Sites now let anyone create websites for free

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 12:11pm CET par Mark Wilson

Google Sites recently underwent something of a redesign and it was made available to a select group of testers. Now the website building tool is available for everyone to use. For anyone who has used any of Google's online apps, Sites will be immediately familiar. Like so many web building tools, it eschews HTML in favour of a WYSIWYG interface, meaning that even web novices can get a site up and running easily. As you would expect from Google, Sites works well with the other tools in G Suite. This means that if you are creating a shared site for… [Continue Reading]

Google buys Qwiklabs

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 11:51am CET par Anthony Spadafora

Google has announced that it has acquired Qwiklabs in order to train developers how to use its cloud services. Qwiklabs is designed as a way to give developers and IT professionals a hands-on learning platform from which they can gain experience with cloud platforms and the way in which they operate. The company launched in 2012 and its primary focus is teaching its customers how to use the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud. In a company blog, Qwiklabs offers more details on its recent acquisition by Google, saying: "We will be joining the Google Cloud team to help deliver hands-on lab… [Continue Reading]

Why did Apple limit the MacBook Pro (2016) to 16GB RAM? Battery life

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 10:48am CET par Mark Wilson

The recently unveiled MacBook Pro (2016) complete with its Touch Bar has been praised and criticized in just about equal measure. One of the biggest criticisms levelled at Apple is that RAM is limited to 16GB. Why such a cap on a professional device? Apple has revealed that the reason for the limit is nothing to do with -- as some may have suspected -- keeping costs down (as if!), but rather due to concerns about battery life. The reasoning may be fairly sound, but the full explanation may not be enough to silence critics completely. Speaking to MacDaddy Apple's… [Continue Reading]

Tech Deal: Get a Newton subscription for 50 percent off

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 8:59am CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

You will find plenty of deals on tech products this Black Friday and Cyber Monday. As usual, the focus is on hardware, but there are some significant discounts to be had on software as well. Case in point is Newton, my favorite cross-platform email app. Formerly known as CloudMagic, in September it received a rebranding which also introduced a subscription that unlocks a number of premium features. And, starting today until November 29, you will be able to purchase one for 50 percent off. But, what exactly does the subscription include? You get read receipts, snooze, send later, undo send,… [Continue Reading]

Things to keep an eye on in the eCommerce space

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 6:59am CET par Barclay Ballard

ECommerce has come a long way in recent years. We’ve all heard about how online shopping was responsible for the death of the high street, but eCommerce is now about much more than the likes of Amazon and eBay. As an industry, eCommerce is expected to be worth $6.7 trillion by 2020 and now encompasses relatively recent technological developments such as mobile payments and cryptocurrencies. The convenience offered by eCommerce is proving hugely popular with consumers and so it is not surprising that some of the tech industry’s biggest players are looking to dominate the market. However, eCommerce is becoming… [Continue Reading]

Watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 360-degree YouTube live video stream here

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 2:51am CET par Brian Fagioli

Thanksgiving is coming this Thursday, meaning friends, family, food, and football. Around the USA, people will be chowing-down on Turkey, stuffing, and all the other popular food side-dishes too. Another popular Thanksgiving tradition is watching The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV (if you cannot be there in person). If you aren't familiar, it is a New York City parade featuring many giant inflatable cartoon characters, plus floats carrying celebrities. Unfortunately, not everyone enjoys watching the parade, leading to fights over the television. This year, however, a TV is not required. If you have an internet-connected device, you can watch it on YouTube in… [Continue Reading]

Watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 360-degree YouTube live video stream online here!

Publié: novembre 23, 2016, 2:51am CET par Brian Fagioli

Symantec acquires LifeLock for $2.3bn

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 11:24pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

Security firm Symantec is buying US identity theft protection services company LifeLock, Reuters has reported. The deal is worth $2.3 billion (£1.87bn), and it is claimed that this is Symantec’s way of amping up sales at its Norton cybersecurity unit. According to the report, Norton is still profitable, but its sales are in decline for one simple reason -- mobile. Norton comes preloaded on a large number of traditional computers, but people are turning more towards mobile devices. "Norton had been declining with the declines in PC market share. This acquisition brings $660 million in revenue to the consumer business and… [Continue Reading]

Satechi unveils elegant Smart Charging Stand for smartphones and wearables

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 7:21pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Wearables are all the rage nowadays, and I expect them to be very popular holiday gifts this year. While Microsoft has killed its Band, there are still many other great options such as Apple Watch, Fitbit, and more. Unfortunately, a smartwatch or other wearable is yet another thing to charge. As a result, many people have wires all over the place, leading to messy nightstands and kitchen counters. Luckily, a good charging station can make things much more tidy. Today, Satechi unveils its Smart Charging Stand for smartphones and wearables. This elegant product will not only reduce clutter, but offer much… [Continue Reading]

OnePlus 3T now available in US and Canada

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 5:48pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

After just five months on the market, the excellent OnePlus 3 is no more. But, OnePlus is not without a "flagship killer", as, in its place, it has introduced an updated model that features some welcome improvements while still maintaining an attractive price tag. And, starting today, the OnePlus 3T is officially available for purchase. The latest flagship killer is released in US and Canada first, and it will reach Europe on November 28. Today, it is available in both storage options but only in a single color, as the Soft Gold trim will be offered later down the road. In US, the… [Continue Reading]

Druva launches pay-as-you go disaster recovery on AWS

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 5:45pm CET par Ian Barker

Disaster recovery is something that all businesses need but few like to contemplate. It's tempting therefore to think that storing data in the cloud makes the problem go away, but of course it doesn't. You need to look after your data wherever it's stored and to help AWS users with this, data protection specialist Druva is launching its Phoenix cloud-native solution for backup, archive and disaster recovery on the AWS Marketplace. Using a single dashboard for backup, availability and governance, Druva Phoenix is designed for today’s distributed enterprise server infrastructure. It reduces the risk, effort and cost of protecting and… [Continue Reading]

NirSoft releases GUIPropView

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 5:03pm CET par Mike Williams

NirSoft has released GUIPropView, a developer-oriented tool which displays extensive details on your system’s open windows. The program lists all top-level windows, along with their handle, title, state (normal/ maximized/ minimized), visibility, position, size, class name, style, process ID, thread ID, parent handle, process name, instance name, class module filename, and more. Click one of these windows and its child windows are displayed, with further details of their own: handle, parent handle, ID, text, enabled, visibility, Z-Order, position, size, class name, process ID, thread ID and more. If you’re not a developer, and don’t know or care what the "Style… [Continue Reading]

OneDrive for Business accounts used to spread malware

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 4:49pm CET par Ian Barker

Malware purveyors have been making use of cloud services for some time, sending cloud-storage links that host malware to victims is an efficient way for cyber criminals to operate. In a new twist to the technique, Forcepoint Security Labs has discovered that cybercriminals have been utilizing compromised Microsoft OneDrive for Business accounts to host malware since at least August of this year. Criminals are exploiting the 'MySite' feature which allows work-related files to be uploaded and shared, even with external parties. Download links are sent to prospective victims as part of social engineering mass-mailing campaigns. The links lead to a… [Continue Reading]

Apple has some Black Friday special offers for you -- but they're secret for now!

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 4:43pm CET par Mark Wilson

Black Friday is mere days away, and shoppers are preparing to hit the streets and online stores. Big names like Microsoft have already revealed some of the bargains you can snap up, and this year Apple is getting in on the action too. Apple has traditionally turned its nose up at Black Friday, but the lure of shifting a few extra units by lopping off a few dollars seems to have been too great this year. The company's Black Friday special offer site is up and running, but it's a bit of a tease at the moment. The page for… [Continue Reading]

56 percent of Brits want to move to the Moon

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 3:31pm CET par Ian Barker

Whether it's a result of Brexit or they're simply sick of the weather, a new survey reveals that 56 percent of British people would like to move to the Moon. If money were no object 19 percent also say they would buy a holiday home on Mars. Product development company Arconic surveyed 1,000 people in the UK to find out how they thought technology would develop over the next 50 years. Almost half (46 percent) expect space travel for the average person will be possible in the next 50 years and 43 percent would like to inhabit an undiscovered planet… [Continue Reading]

Fedora 25 now available -- makes it easier to switch from Windows 10 or macOS to Linux

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 3:28pm CET par Brian Fagioli

After the release of both alpha and beta versions, Fedora 25 is officially here and ready for production machines. If you aren't familiar with the popular Linux-based operating system, please know that it is the distribution of choice for the founder of the Linux kernel, Linus Torvalds. One of the most endearing qualities of Fedora is its focus on only offering truly free open source software. Also, you can always count on a very modern version of the Linux kernel being available. Despite having very up-to-date packages, it is always very stable too. My favorite aspect, however, is the commitment… [Continue Reading]

The first official 64-bit OS for Raspberry Pi arrives -- but there's a catch

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 3:04pm CET par Wayne Williams

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B is the first 64-bit version of the popular barebones computer, yet despite its processor upgrade, there isn’t an official 64-bit OS available for it. That’s because the Raspberry Pi Foundation has focused instead on making its Raspbian OS run on all generations of Pi. However, the good news is Pi 3 owners can now take advantage of the full capabilities of their device, thanks to SUSE which has released a version of its 64-bit Linux Enterprise Server product that supports Raspberry Pi 3. SEE ALSO: 8 superb -- and cheap -- Raspberry Pi alternatives This… [Continue Reading]

People don't understand how they get infected with malware

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 2:30pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

A new Kaspersky Lab report says a lot of us end up with viruses on our machines, but we just don't know how. But, in fact, we very much do. Here are the report's figures. Almost half (42 percent) of internet users have either come across or have been targeted by malware online. A fifth of those (22 percent) have fallen victim to it, and almost a third (29 percent) have "no idea how it ended up on their device". Just after that, the report says this: "The study found the highest number of infections happen when people visit suspicious… [Continue Reading]

NHS partnership with DeepMind puts Google AI in charge of sharing patient data

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 1:59pm CET par Mark Wilson

Google is no stranger to working with user data, but its latest partnership with the National Health Service sees the company entering unchartered waters. Having already been granted access to the records of more than 1.6 million patients in London, Google's DeepMind will be used by the NHS to alert medical staff to the condition of people under their care. Given Google's track record of using data gathered from its users as part of its ad business, there are understandable concerns from privacy groups about the company's involvement. But data shared with DeepMind will not make its way to Google… [Continue Reading]

iOS bug means glitchy videos can kill any iPhone or iPad

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 12:43pm CET par Mark Wilson

iPhone users are familiar with strange bugs that crop up from time to time that can, temporarily at least, kill their cell phone. We've seen specially-crafted text messages crash iPhones, and now there is a video which can render Apple smartphones useless -- until they are restarted, that is. The video takes advantage of a bug in iOS relating to the handling of media files, and it appears to affect both iPhones and iPads. The model of phone or tablet doesn’t seem to matter, and the problem affects iOS 10 and goes back as far as iOS 5. So, if… [Continue Reading]

Vivaldi embraces IoT with support for Philips Hue lights, adds multiple tab selection

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 12:34pm CET par Nick Peers

Vivaldi Technologies -- led by Opera co-founder Jon S von Tetzchner -- has released Vivaldi 1.5, the latest version of its customizable web browser for Windows, Mac and Linux. The big talking point in version 1.5 is Vivaldi’s integration into the Philips Hue IoT ecosystem, but the new release also adds a number of more universal features, such as support for tab drag and drop, which makes tab stacking much simpler than before. Those with a Philips Hue smart lighting system in their home will be attracted by Vivaldi 1.5’s headline new feature. The feature is switched on via Tools… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft releases Windows Defender Hub

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 12:07pm CET par Wayne Williams

Windows Defender can help keep Windows 10 safe from threats, and run as a second line of defense alongside any existing security software you have installed. Microsoft has added various new elements to the program in the Anniversary Update, including Limited Periodic Scanning and Block at First Sight protection. There’s now a new Windows Defender Hub available to download in the Windows Store. Windows Defender Hub basically provides you with an easy way to open Windows Defender (click the button and the front end for the software will appear immediately), and in addition to that the Hub provides security tips,… [Continue Reading]

Google has tips and new features to help you beat the crowds in the Black Friday sales

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 12:06pm CET par Mark Wilson

Black Friday can be a great way to bag yourself a bargain, but it can also be a nightmare in terms of stress. If you're looking to save a few bucks in the run-up to Christmas but want to avoid the Black Friday crowds, Google could just be able to help. Google Search and Google Maps now not only show you the times of day that a particular store, bar or other location tends to be busy, there's now also real-time updates about just how busy places are. Armed with this information you can time your shopping trips more effectively.… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about mobile payments

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 11:36am CET par Barclay Ballard

Mobile payments have actually been around for a few years now, but have only recently made the kind of impact that makes consumers and businesses take note. Unsurprisingly, mobile payments refer to financial transactions that are performed using a mobile device, most commonly a smartphone. As an alternative method of payment to debit cards or cash, mobile payments have gained in popularity all over the world, with businesses ranging from tech giants to independent startup all vying for market share in this fledgling industry. As with any other new technological phenomenon, mobile payments are sure to create as many disruptions… [Continue Reading]

The Grand Tour is Amazon's biggest hit

Publié: novembre 22, 2016, 11:29am CET par Wayne Williams

The British edition of Top Gear holds the record for being the most widely watched factual television program in the world. Having departed that show under a cloud, the presenting trio of Clarkson, Hammond and May had a lot to live up to with their new show on Amazon, but it turns out The Grand Tour fully met expectations, and then some. If you’ve watched it, you’ll know it’s pretty much Top Gear with a much, much bigger budget. As it’s an Amazon Prime exclusive and currently only available in the US, UK, Germany, Austria, and Japan (officially anyway), it… [Continue Reading]

Want to watch 4K Netflix content in Windows 10? You'll need Microsoft Edge

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 8:14pm CET par Wayne Williams

Despite being the default browser in Windows 10, Edge really hasn’t taken off in the way that Microsoft would have hoped. According to the latest usage figures from NetMarketShare, the new browser currently has just 5.26 percent share. In a bid to improve matters, the software giant has started using pop-up notifications to push Edge in Windows 10, and bash its "rival" Chrome on both security and battery life. But if those arguments aren't enough to persuade you to switch, maybe the lure of 4K content from Netflix being exclusive to Edge will do the trick. SEE ALSO: Microsoft Edge… [Continue Reading]

'BlackNurse' DDoS attack targets firewalls vulnerable to ping flood

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 8:13pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

Security researchers have discovered a new distributed denial of service (DDoS) method that requires less effort to launch large-scale attacks that can bring down servers or firewalls from a single laptop. The new method of launching DDoS attacks called BlackNurse was discovered by researchers at the Security Operations Center of the Danish telecom operator TDC (TDC SOC). It operates by using attacks based on low volume Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) to overload firewalls to the point where they shut down. BlackNurse also specifically targets firewalls made by Cisco, PaloAlto and other companies that are vulnerable to a "ping flood attack"… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about GDPR

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 7:17pm CET par Ian Barker

The concept of data protection has been around for many years, since the UK first implemented a Data Protection Act in 1984. The general data protection regulation is a piece of legislation drawn up by the European Commission to unify data protection within the EU and to govern the export of personal data beyond the EU’s boundaries. GDPR is due to come into force across the EU in May 2018 following a two year transition period. Being a regulation rather than a directive, it doesn’t require enabling laws to be passed by member states. Why Data Protection Matters Businesses and… [Continue Reading]

Apple reportedly kills its Linux-unfriendly AirPort line of wireless routers

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 6:35pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Apple's AirPort wireless routers are iconic -- well designed aesthetically, while being rock solid from a performance standpoint. The company even took an odd approach to management -- an app that was only available for macOS, iOS, and Windows. In other words, it did not use a browser-based web interface like routers from other companies. The routers' lack of a web UI meant that it could not be managed from Linux-based operating systems. If you owned an Android device, Chromebook, or PC running Ubuntu, you could not change the AirPort settings. Some would argue that a lack of web interface made… [Continue Reading]

SJCAM SJ5000x Elite action camera review

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 6:13pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

When looking at the budget action camera market there are few brands that stand out from the crowd. SJCAM is one of them. The company has built up a reputation for delivering quality action cameras at attractive price points and, most importantly, that can hold their own when pitted against premium rivals. It is no wonder that so many folks recommend them. SJCAM's SJ5000x Elite is among the most popular options in this segment, featuring impressive specs just above the $100 mark. On paper, it seems to have everything that you could want and more, but just how good is it really?… [Continue Reading]

How seasonal tech gifts could be risking your data

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 5:06pm CET par Ian Barker

In the run up to the holiday season many of us will be buying internet connected devices. But new research from Intel Security shows that technology bargains and gifts could be putting consumers' data at risk. The survey among UK consumers shows smartphones and tablets come top of many seasonal shopping lists, with 42 percent planning to upgrade gadgets to the latest models. Yet 60 percent say they have no plans to ensure security software is installed. "An underlying issue is that consumers simply don't know which products need protecting," says Nick Viney, VP consumer at Intel Security. "A fifth of… [Continue Reading]

BullGuard updates BullGuard Internet Security with extended cloud backup, multi-device license

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 5:04pm CET par Mike Williams

BullGuard has released the latest version of its all-in-one anti-malware suite, BullGuard Internet Security. The new package extends its cloud storage abilities with enhanced support for Dropbox, OneDrive and Google Drive. Simplified backups enable users to copy files to the cloud directly from the program, without having to manually transfer them to a provider’s virtual drive first. Files and folders may now be encrypted before they’re uploaded to protect your privacy. A scheduler runs automated backups at regular intervals. Smaller enhancements include improved parental controls, smarter Registry protection, and more PC cleanup options and tweaks. A simpler licensing scheme means… [Continue Reading]

Obama is not going to pardon Edward Snowden -- and Trump certainly won't

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 5:00pm CET par Mark Wilson

Edward Snowden. A liberal darling, and simultaneously a figure of hate. His surveillance leaks are now legendary, and while the NSA whistle-blower hides away in Russia, there are calls for President Obama to issue a pardon before President Trump becomes a reality. But Obama is having none of it. In an interview with Germany's Der Spiegel, the out-going president was asked bluntly about pardoning the former NSA contractor. His response was: "I can't pardon somebody who hasn't gone before a court and presented themselves". Obama, of course, could pardon Snowden if he wanted, regardless of whether he has faced trial,… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft reveals minimum specs for Windows Holographic compatibility

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 4:38pm CET par Mark Wilson

As Windows 10 evolves, Microsoft is incorporating a number of different technologies from 3D to mixed reality. The company's own AR/VR platform, Windows Holographic, has headsets like Oculus Rift, and the minimum spec for connected PCs is slowly starting to emerge. As noted by the Verge, the latest insider builds of Windows 10 include a Windows Holographic First Run app that gives you the chance to test your computer to see if it is compatible with Windows Holographic. The minimum specs are surprisingly low. While it is certainly not going to be possible to connect a Windows Holographic headset to… [Continue Reading]

Amazon Alexa continues its rollout to Fire tablets

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 4:31pm CET par Alan Buckingham

If you happen to own the Amazon Echo and also happen to have a Fire Tablet sitting around, then you have an update for the tablet that has either arrived or soon will. Version 5.3.2 brings a very interesting feature that many users have been clamoring for. This update rolls Alexa into the mix, bringing voice control to the handheld device. This means you can access the Echo from anywhere in your home, even out of voice range. When the update is first installed it will walk you through what you can do, but it's pretty much anything you'd be able… [Continue Reading]

SoftwareOK unveils MultiClipBoardSlots

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 4:25pm CET par Mike Williams

Freeware developer SoftwareOK has released MultiClipBoardSlots, a lightweight clipboard extension for Windows. The program extends Windows with up to ten clipboards. You’re able to copy to any slot with Ctrl+<slot number> without overwriting anything else, and paste from it with Alt+<slot number>. This works with text, images, Explorer files and folders and anything else you might normally pass through the clipboard. MultiClipBoardSlots is extremely configurable. You can enable or disable individual slots, customize their hotkeys, or choose to play an audio alert for copy and/ or pasting operations (handy as reassurance that everything is working correctly). The program can also… [Continue Reading]

How secure are online retailers?

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 3:22pm CET par Ian Barker

With Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the holiday season on the horizon, many people are going to be shopping online. But how much do you trust the sites you’re dealing with? Password management company LastPass has released a report looking at each site's password requirements, how much information they store, and how much effort they put into helping customers follow good password security practices. It has identified the top online retailers based on e-commerce sales in 2015 and analyzed each website on a set of six criteria. It then ranks each on a scale of zero to 10 points, depending… [Continue Reading]

Intel will complete in the AI space with its Nervana platform

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 2:53pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

Intel has announced its plans to develop artificial intelligence (AI) and the chipmaker has claimed that within the next three years it will reduce the time needed to train a deep learning model by up to 100 times. The company's AI development will be centered around its own Intel Nervana platform that is the result of its recent acquisition of Nervana Systems. Intel purchased the deep learning startup earlier this year for over $400 million and its technology will play a key role in its efforts to pursue AI. Nvidia is currently at the forefront of AI due to its GPU… [Continue Reading]

How businesses should respond to unplanned downtime

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 12:41pm CET par Ian Barker

Today's businesses face a wave of challenges when it comes to protecting their data. Securing data in the cloud, a rise in ransomware attacks, and increases in unstructured data all make it hard to plan operations effectively and can lead to unscheduled downtime. Cloud data protection company Arcserve, however, sees this as an opportunity for organizations to re-assess their ability to cope with problems. The company has released a report setting out five strategies to help organizations prepare for and respond to unplanned downtime. These include improving risk management and making more effective use of the cloud. By applying Arcserve's strategies… [Continue Reading]

Saving the Internet of Things (IoT)

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 11:30am CET par Robert X. Cringely

This is my promised column on data security and the Internet of Things (IoT). The recent Dyn DDoS attack showed the IoT is going to be a huge problem as networked devices like webcams are turned into zombie hoards. Fortunately I think I may have a solution to the problem. Really. I’m an idiot today, but back in the early 1990’s I ran a startup that built one of the Internet’s earliest Content Distribution Networks (CDN), only we didn’t call it that because the term had not yet been invented. Unlike the CDNs of today, ours wasn’t about video, it… [Continue Reading]

Apple launches battery replacement program for iPhone 6s handsets with shutdown problems

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 11:06am CET par Mark Wilson

Apple has launched its second repair program in quick succession, this time focusing on iPhone 6s handsets that suffer unexpected shutdowns. The program will see batteries replaced in a number of affected phones. The battery replacement program comes hot on the heels of a repair program for iPhone 6Plus handsets afflicted with 'touch disease'. Apple stresses that the battery problems are not a safety issue such as seen with the Samsung Galaxy Note7, and advises customers with problematic handsets how to get a repair. The battery replacement program is in operation around the world, and Apple is offering refunds to… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about supply chain management

Publié: novembre 21, 2016, 10:40am CET par Barclay Ballard

Supply chain management (SCM) is a vitally important business feature for many industries, having an impact on every aspect of the supply chain, from supplier to customer. Every detail of this process must be managed carefully, as even the smallest mistake could lead to delays, customer frustration and lost revenue. What’s more, supply chain management does not only refer to the movement of physical products through the supply chain. Any data associated with these products, including invoices, schedules and delivery information, also needs to be managed appropriately to ensure that businesses have visibility and clarity across the length of the… [Continue Reading]

Samsung says batteries in the Galaxy S7 family are safe

Publié: novembre 20, 2016, 7:13pm CET par Mark Wilson

Following on from the Note7 battery farce, Samsung is understandably keen to reassure customers -- and would be customers -- that its other phones are safe. Having lost untold billions of dollars because of exploding Note7s, the Korean company has taken the strange move of advising people that the Galaxy S7 family is safe. In a weirdly proactive post in the Samsung Newsroom, the company points out that there have been no instances of internal battery failure in these devices. It does concede, however, that there have been instances of battery failure following external damage. The post is a little… [Continue Reading]

How will Facebook fight the fake news phenomenon? Poorly... and stupid, lazy users don't help

Publié: novembre 20, 2016, 5:50pm CET par Mark Wilson

Facebook has many problems, but the most recent and prominent of them has been the issue of fake news. So serious is the problem, that some have blamed fake news stories on Facebook as being the reason Donald Trump is now president elect. Mark Zuckerberg has made it fairly clear he doesn't subscribe to this particular idea, but he is certainly aware that fake news is a problem. Under pressure to do something about it -- bearing in mind that for a worrying percentage of people, Facebook is their only source of news -- Zuckerberg wants to not only make… [Continue Reading]

Sysinternals ships Sysmon 5.0, Process Explorer 16.20

Publié: novembre 20, 2016, 5:36pm CET par Mike Williams

Microsoft Sysinternals has released updates for some of its best tools, including Sysmon 5.0 and Process Explorer 16.20. Sysmon gets a major update, with new support for recording file creations, Registry create and delete options, value sets and key and value renames. Other logged events may include process creations and terminations, driver loads, raw disk access reads, network connections made, and more. The new additions make the tool even more suitable for long-term system monitoring, although it’s also much more awkward to set up than other Sysinternals’ software. Be sure to read the official product page in full if you… [Continue Reading]

Zorin OS 12 Ubuntu-based Linux distribution now available -- a Windows 10 alternative

Publié: novembre 20, 2016, 12:31pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Windows 10 is a really great desktop operating system, but it is not for everyone. For those that care deeply about security and privacy, an open source Linux-based operating system is a wise alternative. The problem? Learning a new user interface can be hard for some. If you have always used a Windows OS in the past, moving to a desktop environment like GNOME or Unity can be confusing and scary. Luckily, for those that have difficulty with change, there are some Linux-based operating systems that are designed for Windows-switchers. One fairly popular such offering, Zorin OS, has now reached version… [Continue Reading]

Prevent forced system shutdowns and restarts with shutdownblocker

Publié: novembre 20, 2016, 12:57am CET par Mike Williams

Shutdownblocker is a simple tool which intercepts and blocks shutdown, restart, logoff and related commands. The program offers some protection from user mistakes or poorly designed software which forces a restart, as well as preventing forced Windows 10 Update restarts. Getting started is easy. Launch the program as an administrator, check "When blocking, also intercept shutdown.exe…", click Hide and shutdownblocker adds an icon to your system tray. Has it worked? Open a command window, enter shutdown.exe /? , and you should see, well, nothing at all. The command prompt moves to the next line, but there's nothing else. Shutdown.exe no… [Continue Reading]

UPDATE: Scale of Three customer data breach massively downsized, but identity theft remains a risk

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 8:25pm CET par Mark Wilson

Late yesterday, Three admitted to a breach of its customer databases which potentially put 6 million people at risk. Today the company has spoken out, indicating that far fewer customers were affected than first thought. In fact, data from just over 130,000 accounts was accessed, with varying levels of access meaning different customer information was exposed. Three says the primary goal of the database breach was to intercept handsets rather than for other purposes, and it stresses that no financial information was stolen. Three says that for 107,102 customers, the following information may have been accessed: whether they are a… [Continue Reading]

Plextor EX1 SSD targets Apple MacBook Pro (2016) with USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C interface

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 7:19pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Apple's all-new MacBook Pro looks to be a very well-designed machine. It features Thunderbolt 3/USB Type-C ports only -- something I think is a wise choice. True, those that want to leverage USB Type-A and other ports will need to use dongles, but in a couple years, consumers will be glad to have nothing but the latest-and-greatest connector on their machine. For comparison, look at FireWire, floppy disk, and optical drives -- Apple was panned for their removal too. If you need to expand storage on your new Touch Bar MacBook Pro, you unfortunately cannot upgrade the internal SSD. Instead, you… [Continue Reading]

Google Cloud Platform will offer GPU options next year

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 7:15pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

Google has announced that early next year it will be adding graphics processing units (GPUs) as a service to its Cloud Platform in order to better compete with its rivals. GPU as a service is already available on Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and IBM's Bluemix, but Google's Cloud Platform will seek to differentiate itself by offering a variety of GPUs for customers to choose from. The company will allow users the option to use two AMD FirePro S9300s or either a Nvidia Tesla P100 or K80. Google has also decided to change the way it prices GPU usage to… [Continue Reading]

Best Windows 10 apps this week

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 7:12pm CET par Martin Brinkmann

Two-hundred-and-five in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on Windows Store in the past seven days. Microsoft released a new Windows Insider build this week. You can check out what is new here. As always, if I missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email instead. Discounts this week Some apps are discounted for more than one week. Starting this week, only new apps and games are… [Continue Reading]

Facebook fake news guru Paul Horner credits himself with getting Donald Trump elected

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 6:43pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Fake news stories are on the rise, spreading across the internet via social media. They spread at a quickening rate thanks, in large part, to well-known people sharing them. Now some services are cracking down on these stories, but is it too late? Just recently we learned that both Google and Facebook are clamping down on the spread of fake news stories, with Google withholding ads that appear on sites it deems to contain misleading content. Now, in an interview with the Washington Post, Paul Horner, a top purveyor of this 'news' is crediting himself with getting Donald Trump elected. He… [Continue Reading]

IBM launches new services to help enterprises with cloud migration

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 5:08pm CET par Ian Barker

Businesses are turning to the cloud as a way of coping with ever larger amounts of data. But moving to the cloud at the same time retaining control of where data resides and how it’s accessed is a challenge. To help enterprises migrate and more easily generate business insights, IBM is announcing a range of new services on its Bluemix cloud platform. IBM Decision Optimization on Cloud is capable of ingesting large amounts of data including predictions, master and transactional data, business goals, and business rules to prioritize and rank business decisions such as plans and schedules. It includes the… [Continue Reading]

Amazon finds another way for you to spend money

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 4:41pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Black Friday is still a week away, but that hasn't stopped stores from beginning the sales rush. The deals have been announced and some are already available. Now Amazon has a unique idea to make shopping simple, but it does have one requirement -- you have to be an Alexa customer to benefit. The company is announcing voice shopping via the popular device and it comes with some special deals. You can grab an Amazon Tap for $79.99, a 32 inch Samsung 1080p LED TV for $119, and a Philips Hue starter kit for $15 off. That's not all, there will many more… [Continue Reading]

New Nokia smartphones will debut in 2017

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 4:35pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

We've known for quite some time that Nokia will make a comeback in the smartphone industry. But this time around the Finnish company will not be the one building the smartphones, as it has instead opted to license its brand to HMD. It is a clever move, as if things work out Nokia will reap the rewards, but if these efforts fail the damage will be unsubstantial. The company's fans have surely wondered when exactly a new smartphone adorning the Nokia brand will see the light, and the answer is "pretty soon". An official presentation reveals that the "return to smartphones" will… [Continue Reading]

How to enable Windows 10's Block at First Sight protection in Windows Defender

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 4:00pm CET par Wayne Williams

Windows Defender in Windows 10 may not be the best security solution, but it will keep your system safe from threats if you don’t have a third-party anti-malware program installed. Microsoft made several improvements to it in the Anniversary Update, and as a result it's now much more useful. Newly introduced features, available from Build 1607, include Limited Periodic Scanning, which can intermittently scan your system and notify you of any threats (even if you are using another anti-malware program and have Windows Defender turned off), and Block at First Sight protection. What Block at First Sight does is use… [Continue Reading]

The paperless office is a dream

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 3:58pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

After last month’s report from AIIM, which said we were actually inching closer to a paperless office thanks to the unrelenting digitization, a new report from Danwood now says exactly the opposite. Not only are we not moving towards the paperless office, but away from it, and worse of all -- it’s digitization’s fault. After surveying 1,000 office workers, almost half (46 percent) say they print something every day and 84 percent say this is an "important aspect of work". So how does this relate to the digital transformation? Well, increased digitization means organizations are getting a lot of information,… [Continue Reading]

Almost half of businesses have suffered a ransomware attack in the last year

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 3:39pm CET par Ian Barker

A new survey of over 500 businesses in the US, UK, France and Germany shows that in the last 12 months, 48 percent have fallen victim to a ransomware campaign, with 81 percent having suffered three or more attacks. The study from endpoint security company SentinelOne reveals employee information (42 percent), financial data (41 percent) and customer information (40 percent) are the types of data most often affected by these attacks. Respondents identified the most likely motives of their attackers as financial gain (54 percent), operational disruption (47 percent) and cyber espionage (42 percent). In 81 percent of cases respondents… [Continue Reading]

Apple launches costly repair program for iPhone 6 Plus 'touch disease'

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 2:11pm CET par Mark Wilson

The iPhone 6 Plus' so-called "touch disease" has been known about for some time now, but Apple has only just got around to launching a repair program -- the Multi-Touch Repair Program for iPhone 6 Plus. But in addition to taking its sweet time in getting round to addressing the issue, Apple is set to upset large number of users by charging them $149 for the privilege. The repair program will run for five years from the on-sale date of the iPhone 6 Plus, but it should not be seen as a way to repair a cracked screen at the… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft plays nice with the EU to buy LinkedIn

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 2:11pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

According to the European Commission, Microsoft has made commitments to appease EU antitrust regulators regarding its $26 billion acquisition of the professional social networking site LinkedIn. The company announced its plan to acquire the site in June for $26 billion, in its largest acquisition to date. The deal would allow Microsoft access to LinkedIn's large user base and would give it an edge in providing cloud-based services -- such as Office 365 -- to businesses. Last week, EU regulators expressed concerns regarding the deal and the company was forced to make concessions in order to gain approval for its acquisition… [Continue Reading]

Facebook's Social Good Forum aims to improve the world with donations in live video and Community Help

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 12:46pm CET par Mark Wilson

Facebook just held its first Social Good Forum and used it to unveil a number of new tools and options focused around raising money to help out those in need. It also announced the expansion of the existing Safety Check feature. The social network has faced criticism in the past for triggering Safety Check -- which lets Facebook users tells friends and family they are OK in the event of a disaster or crisis -- for some major events, but not others. Now Facebook is taking a hands-off approach: it can be triggered by the community. Another new feature announced… [Continue Reading]

Why Facebook Workplace has no future

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 12:39pm CET par David Lavenda

On October 10, Facebook debuted its long-incubated and much-anticipated platform for business: Workplace. But within days it was already clear that it wasn't going to live up to the hype. In fact, there's no way it could have. This is not meant as a snub of Facebook. It makes perfect sense that Mark Zuckerberg would want his platform to become as popular for work as it is for fun. It has even made some initial converts. Hootsuite CEO Ryan Holmes defended Workplace -- which he has implemented at his offices -- in a Fast Company article because it represents "part of a… [Continue Reading]

Millions of mobile users at risk after Three customer database breach

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 11:12am CET par Mark Wilson

Hackers have gained access to a database containing the personal details of up to six million customers of mobile carrier Three. A report in the Telegraph cites 'sources familiar with the incident', but while Three has confirmed a security breach took place, the company is yet to provide precise details. What we do know is that the incident took place when hackers used employee login credentials to access the customer upgrade database. It is thought that the hackers gained accessed to customer names, addresses, phone numbers and dates of birth, but financial details were not exposed. News of the breach… [Continue Reading]

Privacy alert -- Your iPhone is secretly sending your call history to iCloud

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 10:16am CET par Mark Wilson

iCloud is hardly the finest example of secure cloud storage, as numerous hacked celebrities will attest. So it is perhaps a little concerning to learn that Apple is -- according to a Russian security firm -- storing months of call logs to iCloud without many users being aware of what’s going on. Elcomsoft, which specializes in cracking software, discovered that if you are an iPhone owner with an active iCloud account, four months' worth of your phone calls have been stored online. Many people will see this as a privacy concern but, worryingly, Apple does not provide a way to… [Continue Reading]

Wink releases version 2 of its hub, automate your home now

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 5:38am CET par Alan Buckingham

A while back Wink released its first hub and we put it to the test. After a few minor hiccups, everything worked fine and provided great integration with many products including voice control through Amazon Alexa, which can then control lights, Nest thermostats and more. Recently the company announced version two of the device and now Wink has officially made it available for purchase. The company claims that it set out to make this product accessible to everyone, regardless of technical knowledge, and it thinks it succeeded. In addition, it boasts feature improvements in speed, thanks to a faster processor.… [Continue Reading]

Huawei MediaPad M3 Android tablet comes to the USA -- just in time for the holidays

Publié: novembre 18, 2016, 1:29am CET par Brian Fagioli

Holiday shopping is upon us, and some people in my life have started asking me about technology to give as gifts. Tablets are sure to be popular again this year, although probably not as much as years past. Apple's iPad is always a smart choice, but it is becoming harder to recommend an Android tablet. Unfortunately, quality tablets running Google's mobile operating system are becoming increasingly rare. Many Android variants are simply low-quality. Thankfully, a high-quality tablet from Huawei should excite shoppers. Previously available in Europe only, the Huawei MediaPad M3 is available in the USA starting today. Best of all? It… [Continue Reading]

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Windows 10 Creators Update Preview Build 14971 for PC arrives on the Fast ring, includes Paint 3D, removes Command Prompt

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 7:58pm CET par Wayne Williams

Continuing its weekly update schedule, Microsoft has rolled out another new Insider Preview build to the Fast ring. Build 14971 is only for PC this time around. Windows 10 Mobile users on the Slow ring can however, now upgrade to Build 14965. There won’t be a new Insider Preview build for either platform next week, due to Thanksgiving, so you’ll have to make do with this one, which offers some interesting additions, and also says goodbye to the Command Prompt. The Creators Update focuses on 3D, and Build 14971 includes the Paint 3D Preview app. If you open Paint from… [Continue Reading]

Combine clipboard text snippets with clipLogger

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 7:23pm CET par Mike Williams

If you’re researching online, or maybe browsing a collection of local documents, you might sometimes want to copy chunks of text elsewhere for later reference. Sounds simple, but most solutions are either bulky (use a web clipping service or clipboard manager) or tedious in the extreme (copy text to the clipboard, Alt+Tab to Notepad, paste and Alt+Tab back). ClipLogger is a simple, lightweight alternative which automatically saves and combines clipboard text and/ or the paths of copied files. The download is so small it makes Nirsoft apps look bulky (48KB, really?), and you can get started with the program right… [Continue Reading]

OpenAI and Microsoft team up to create 'cloud brains'

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 7:22pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

The artificial intelligence (AI) non-profit OpenAI has agreed to partner with Microsoft to develop "cloud brains" to test its experiments. The organization, which is backed by Elon Musk, has signed an agreement that will allow it to run large-scale experiments using the company's Azure cloud services. OpenAI aims to discover more about deep learning and AI, while Microsoft will use the partnership to create new tools and technologies that use AI. OpenAI was one of the first adopters of Microsoft's Azure N-Series Virtual Machines service that was designed to handle the intense computing workloads that are needed to run simulations and deep… [Continue Reading]

Firefox Focus for iOS promises to tighten privacy while browsing

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 7:18pm CET par Nick Peers

Mozilla has unveiled Firefox Focus 2.0, a brand new privacy conscious web browser for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Despite the version number, this is the first public release of the app. The app aims to counteract two increasingly prevalent trends in web browsing: one, a lack of privacy, as users find their web activities tracking across multiple devices, and two, an increasingly cluttered web space where adverts jostle for attention and overwhelm basic content. These days, most web browsers now offer various privacy tools built in -- even Firefox for iOS has the ability to open private windows where… [Continue Reading]

System76 adds 4K display to Ubuntu Linux-powered MacBook Pro competitor Oryx Pro

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 6:13pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Apple makes a damn good laptop, and its new MacBook Pro computers are no exception. Unfortunately for some, Apple's latest offerings are too expensive and fall short -- most models lack the ability to upgrade the SSD, and the RAM maxes out at 16GB. Interestingly, many upset Apple fans even turned to System76 and its Ubuntu-powered machines following the big MacBook Pro unveil. At the time, I compared the MacBook Pro to the Oryx Pro to highlight that you could get more performance from System76 for less money. Obviously, it was not an entirely fair comparison, as they are different… [Continue Reading]

OnePlus 3 reaches end of the road

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 5:35pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

The launch of the OnePlus 3T has created some uncertainty regarding the fate of the previous "flagship killer". Will OnePlus sell both devices going forward, or will the new smartphone replace the OnePlus 3 in its lineup? Based on price alone, it would make sense for OnePlus to offer both devices. The OnePlus 3T is a bit more expensive, so it would slot above its predecessor in the range. However, as it turns out, OnePlus has other things in mind. OnePlus says that after the existing stock for North America and Europe is sold out the OnePlus 3 will be… [Continue Reading]

UK businesses are not keen to embrace AR

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 5:01pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

Businesses are reluctant to accept augmented reality, a new survey by ISACA has shown. The main reasons for this reserved stance is that they don’t believe the benefits are bigger than the risks of implementing the new technology. The findings were published in ISACA’s new report, entitled IT Risk/Reward Barometer, which polled 363 UK professionals. Less than a fifth (18 percent) currently believe the benefits of AR are bigger than the risks, and 40 percent say that both organizations and consumers should be "very concerned" about the privacy risks that go with the implementation of augmented reality tech. The biggest fear is… [Continue Reading]

Cloud use could be putting businesses at risk

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 4:01pm CET par Ian Barker

According to a new study, 69.7 percent of cloud applications do not specify whether the customer keeps ownership of uploaded data, just 8.7 percent commit to not sharing data with third parties, and only 16 percent delete data immediately after contract termination. All three of these things could leave businesses open to non-compliance files under the EU's GDPR requirements. The report from cloud security company Skyhigh Networks analyses real life cloud usage data from 30 million cloud users worldwide to assess the risk the cloud presents. What businesses upload is important too, 18.1 percent of files uploaded to cloud-based file sharing… [Continue Reading]

Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 835 -- here is what you need to know

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 3:58pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

US chip maker Qualcomm today announces a new flagship mobile processor that will power next year's generation of high-end smartphones and tablets. Called Snapdragon 835, it is the company's first 10nm offering and promises increased energy efficiency and performance in a smaller package. To build the Snapdragon 835, Qualcomm has teamed up with Samsung to take advantage of its 10nm FinFET manufacturing technology. This is not the first time that the two players have worked together, as Samsung also makes the Snapdragon 820. Let us take a closer look at the new kid on the block. One of the most-interesting things… [Continue Reading]

Almost 40 percent of Americans would give up sex for cyber security

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 3:08pm CET par Ian Barker

According to an online survey of over 2,000 adults, 39 percent of Americans would sacrifice sex for one year if it meant they never had to worry about being hacked, having their identity stolen, or their accounts breached. Women are more likely than men to be willing sacrifice a year of sex in exchange for online peace of mind (44 percent vs 34 percent), and sex isn't the only thing people would give up to remove cybersecurity headaches. Four in 10 (41 percent) would rather give up their favorite food for a month than go through the password reset process… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft releases new Office Hub app for Windows 10 Creators Update for Insiders

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 3:03pm CET par Alan Buckingham

If you are using Office on an Insider Preview of the Windows 10 Creators Update you are getting some goods today as Microsoft quietly released a new app. The Office Hub can now be found in the Taskbar. Before you get too excited, the app is currently pretty basic right now. It allows you to view your Office documents, open Office apps and get support. However, it is expected to be improved before the final release and there is some speculation about what those improvements could be. These include mobile apps to allow access to documents. This is just one… [Continue Reading]

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What does Pokémon Go reveal about the future of Augmented Reality?

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 2:45pm CET par Pramitha Krishnamurthyprakash

The lifecycles of breakthrough technologies such as augmented reality (AR) are heavily reliant on mainstream take up. Many believed AR would initially be used by architects to visualize buildings and design companies for 3D graphic imagery. Yet its first major adoption saw more than 100 million people take to the streets to hunt Pokémon. Evolving from a simple, location-based AR game into a cultural phenomenon, Pokémon Go was the most successful app launch of 2016. Approximately one in five 14-24 year olds installed Pokémon Go and it has been credited as the most successful mobile game launch in history. It… [Continue Reading]

Go retro with this Nintendo SNES-styled USB gamepad for Raspberry Pi

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 2:16pm CET par Wayne Williams

The Raspberry Pi is great for all sorts of projects, including retro gaming. The Linux-based Lakka OS is perfect for this as it transforms the Pi into a full-blown games console that can run all manner of emulators. You really need a gamepad to play most classic games -- especially Nintendo and Sega ones -- and The Pi Hut has come up with a Super Nintendo/Famicom inspired USB controller for the Pi that really looks the part. "It feels like finding the perfect USB controller for the Raspberry Pi has taken us forever. We tested a dozen samples from an… [Continue Reading]

Wi-Fi is more important than sex

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 2:08pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

Which of these would you consider a daily essential: sex, chocolate, alcohol or Wi-Fi? If you depressingly chose the fourth and final answer, then you probably are a mobile professional, according to a new iPass report, the iPass Mobile Professional Report 2016. The report surveyed 1,700 mobile professionals, and 40 percent of them choose Wi-Fi. Thirty-seven percent choose sex, 14 percent chocolate and nine percent chose alcohol. When asked why they gave such answers, three quarters (75 per cent) say having Wi-Fi improves the quality of their life. Almost two thirds (63 percent) prefer using Wi-Fi over mobile data, and three quarters… [Continue Reading]

Legal mass surveillance: Investigatory Powers Bill could become law by the end of the year

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 1:35pm CET par Mark Wilson

The highly controversial Investigatory Powers Bill could be enshrined into UK law by the end of the year after it was passed by both houses of Parliament. Strongly opposed by privacy campaigners, the bill -- dubbed the Snooper's Charter -- will mean a full record of every UK internet users' browsing history is accessible by the government. All that remains is for the bill to receive royal assent -- essentially a formality -- and it will then become the Investigatory Powers Act. It means the UK will have one of the most wide-ranging, all-encompassing, and privacy-invading mass surveillance programs in… [Continue Reading]

iOS apps three times more likely to crash than Android

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 1:30pm CET par Ian Barker

With iOS and Android waged in a long term battle for smartphone market share every quarter, device performance can often play a role in shaping the final results. According to a report released today by Blancco Technology Group, Apple is losing the app performance battle to Android with its iPhones and iPads failing at a rate of 62 percent worldwide, compared to the 47 percent failure rate of Android devices. Pokémon GO has highlighted problems, with users spending a lot of time on the game. The app ranked as one of the most unstable iOS apps with five percent experiencing… [Continue Reading]

Facebook's privacy-invading WhatsApp user data dipping ends in Europe

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 1:13pm CET par Mark Wilson

Facebook has stopped using data collected from WhatsApp users to customize ads in Europe. The move comes after the practice was banned in Germany, and after the UK's Information Commissioner announced an investigation. The social networking giant had already agreed to stop using WhatsApp data from users in the UK, but this has now been extended on a Europe-wide basis. Last month Facebook was on the receiving end of criticism from the Article 29 Working Party who complained about the invasion of users' privacy. Like many technology companies operating in Europe, Facebook's European headquarters can be found in Ireland. The… [Continue Reading]

Tech Deals: Get a 55 inch Samsung 4K UltraHD Curved LED Smart HDTV (with a $175 Dell Gift Card) for $699.99

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 12:47pm CET par BetaNews Staff

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are almost here, but you don’t have to wait for those big shopping days to pick up a bargain. Courtesy of our partners at TechBargains, we have a selection of great deals to share with you right now, including a 55 inch Samsung 4K UltraHD Curved LED Smart HDTV (with a $175 Dell Gift Card) for just $699.99, Amazon Fire HD6 6 inch 8GB WiFi Tablet for $49.99, Amazon Echo Bluetooth Speaker with Alexa Voice and Home Automation Control (Refurb w/ 1-year Amazon Warranty) for $119.99, and much more. See more Black Friday Deals as they… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about fog computing

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 12:18pm CET par Ian Barker

You could be forgiven for thinking it’s something to do with improving weather forecasts, but in fact fog computing is a type of decentralized infrastructure. In a fog computing -- sometimes referred to as edge computing -- model, computing resources and applications are placed at the most logically efficient point, whether that’s in the data center or in the cloud or somewhere in between. The idea of this is to boost efficiency, return faster responses and to minimize the amount of data that has to be moved around. It is a key part of implementing the Internet of Things as… [Continue Reading]

Betternet is a simple, free and 'unlimited' VPN

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 1:54am CET par Mike Williams

Connecting to a virtual private network can shield your IP, maintain your privacy on insecure wireless hotspots and perhaps help you access websites you couldn’t reach normally. VPN’s usually require paying a chunky subscription fee, but Betternet promises an unlimited service for absolutely nothing at all. We grabbed the Windows client --there are also iOS and Android apps, as well as Chrome and Firefox extensions -- and ran the installer. It’s essentially a front end for the OpenVPN client, which works for us, but doesn’t pack your PC with any other network layers or components. Betternet doesn’t require any registration, which is another… [Continue Reading]

CEOs not deemed responsible for cyber-security -- but they should be

Publié: novembre 17, 2016, 12:47am CET par Sead Fadilpašić

Chief executive officers in the UK are still far from being considered responsible for keeping their organizations safe from cyberattacks, according to a new report by NCC Group. The report, which the risk mitigation and cybersecurity company just released, is based on a poll of 200 UK board of directors, where they were questioned on cybersecurity. Just 13 percent say the managing director was responsible for cyber risks in their company. Also, just nine percent named the financial director. The biggest burden is still on the shoulders of CTOs and CIOs -- 52 percent. "Boards continue to pass the cyber buck by… [Continue Reading]

Google will offer digital skills training for free in UK

Publié: novembre 16, 2016, 9:47pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

Google has just announced that it will be offering free digital skills training to everyone in the UK with the aim of ensuring that the country's population is able to take advantage of its online tools. The company's CEO Sundar Pichai offered further details regarding Google's latest program, saying: "No matter where you live, no matter where you're from, no matter what your job is – you deserve access to all the information, education, and opportunity the web has to offer. Our aim is to make sure that every individual and business in the UK has the support they need… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft releases SQL Server Preview for Ubuntu and Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Publié: novembre 16, 2016, 6:28pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Microsoft is a big proponent of open source, something highlighted by its becoming a Linux Foundation Platinum Member earlier today. The company has been contributing to multiple projects, and back in March, it even announced it was bringing SQL Server to Linux-based operating systems. Today, the Windows-maker follows through on its promise and delivers SQL Server Preview packaged for two of the most popular business-used Linux-based operating systems -- Ubuntu and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). While it is not ready for prime-time, both administrators and developers that prefer those aforementioned operating systems can start testing now. "We are excited to… [Continue Reading]

Cyber crime affects 40 percent of manufacturing companies

Publié: novembre 16, 2016, 5:53pm CET par Ian Barker

In an increasingly interconnected world, all organizations are at risk from cyber attacks and manufacturing businesses are no exception. A new study conducted by Deloitte and the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) reveals that 40 percent of manufacturing companies were affected by cyber incidents in the past 12 months, and 38 percent of those impacted suffered damages in excess of $1 million. Other findings are that four of the top 10 cyber threats facing manufacturing organizations are directly attributable to internal employees. Intellectual property tops the list of data protection concerns for 36 percent of manufacturing executives, and… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is now a Linux Foundation Platinum Member

Publié: novembre 16, 2016, 5:51pm CET par Brian Fagioli

The year 2016 has been very weird. I mean, hell, a reality TV star is the president-elect of the USA -- it doesn't get more odd than that. Well, maybe it does, actually. Today, Microsoft becomes a Linux Foundation Platinum Member. But wait, isn't the Windows-maker an enemy of open source? Not anymore, folks. Actually, the company is a major contributor to the Linux kernel, and it has been embracing other open source projects too. Satya Nadella's Microsoft is a very different beast compared to the company under prior leadership. "From cloud computing and networking to gaming, Microsoft has steadily increased… [Continue Reading]

Test email brings UK's NHS to its knees

Publié: novembre 16, 2016, 5:47pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

The entire email system of the UK NHS (National Health System) crashed on Monday after an IT contractor sent out a "test email" to all of the 1.2 million staff using the system. News of the crash first appeared after NHS staff began to complain about the test email they had received from an IT contractor in Croydon on Twitter. The email itself was sent to everyone in the organization and that along with the high number of replies sent out caused the entire email system to be overloaded and go offline. NHS digital has noted that 840,000 accounts were… [Continue Reading]

Apple makes 2016 MacBook Pro harder to repair and upgrade

Publié: novembre 16, 2016, 4:54pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

Apple is obsessed with making its products smaller and lighter -- and this shows with the latest-generation MacBook Pro. Both the 13-inch and 15-inch models are more portable than their predecessors, making the prosumer line a much better choice for road warriors. But, knowing that Apple does not always give without taking away, what is the catch? Well, in the quest to improve the new MacBook Pro line, Apple has made them harder to repair and upgrade. The company is not renowned for making laptops that are easy to service, but with the 2016 MacBook Pro line it is taking things to the… [Continue Reading]

Malwarebytes 3.0 beta is now available

Publié: novembre 16, 2016, 3:44pm CET par Mike Williams

Malwarebytes has unveiled a beta of its next-generation, do-everything product, Malwarebytes 3.0. The package combines anti-malware, anti-exploit, anti-ransomware and web blocking technologies for the maximum all-round protection. This does make for a slightly more complex interface, but it’s straightforward and much like any other security suite: an opening dashboard displays your security status, there’s a Scan button if you’re worried, and usually that’s all you need to know. You’re still going to notice some major improvements. Despite all the extra security layers, for instance, Malwarebytes says system scans are now three to four times faster. If you’re an experienced user… [Continue Reading]

Smaller ISPs have happier customers

Publié: novembre 16, 2016, 3:31pm CET par Mark Wilson

If you have eschewed the big names and opted for a smaller ISP, you probably have a happier broadband experience. These are the findings of a report which says the big four ISPs in the UK -- BT, Sky, Virgin Media and TalkTalk -- are rated lower than their smaller rivals. In fact, the highest rated provider, SSE, has only been in the broadband game since 2014, with Yorkshire-based Plusnet coming in second place, says Cable.co.uk. Of the big names, TalkTalk provides broadband to 13 percent of UK internet users, yet it scored just 6.66 out of 10 and placed… [Continue Reading]

Protect your privacy with SafeErase Professional 11

Publié: novembre 16, 2016, 2:44pm CET par Mike Williams

O&O Software has released the latest version of its commercial secure-deleting privacy protector, SafeErase Professional 11. The interface has been revamped for ease of use, while the core engine is even faster at wiping every trace of your confidential files. Browser improvements include support for even more Chrome extensions, and there’s now an option to delete Firefox bookmarks and history separately. Enhanced support for deletions on SSDs ensures the program won’t shorten your drive’s lifespan by overwriting everything several million times. Technical tweaks include support for the latest edition of the .NET Framework, although that’s not a requirement: the package… [Continue Reading]

How storage can help fight malware [Q&A]

Publié: novembre 16, 2016, 1:40pm CET par Ian Barker

We tend to think of storage as being a target when it comes to malware attacks with cyber criminals seeking to steal data or encrypt it to demand a ransom. But in fact technology can make storage part of the solution. Hybrid storage specialist Reduxio believes innovative storage can be used to fight and defeat ransomware and malware. We spoke to Reduxio's Jacob Cherian (VP of product strategy) and Mark Grandinetti (chief marketing and corporate strategy officer) to find out how. BN: How much of an impact can ransomware have on a business? MG: Ransomware is a top concern for… [Continue Reading]

Google PhotoScan turns your smartphone into a scanner for your old photos

Publié: novembre 16, 2016, 12:12pm CET par Mark Wilson

Despite the name, smartphones are generally used for anything but traditional phone related activities -- and one of the most popular usages of the devices is snapping photographs. But while an entire generation of photographers has grown up with digital photography, there are plenty of physical photos out there waiting to be digitized. Google thinks it has the answer in the form of PhotoScan. The app is available for iOS and Android, and it transforms your smartphone into a scanner so you can preserve old photos. Unsurprisingly, it is packed with smarts to simplify the whole process, and it all… [Continue Reading]

Mozilla Firefox 50 trims start-up times, widens download protection

Publié: novembre 16, 2016, 11:30am CET par Nick Peers

Mozilla has released Firefox 50.0 for Windows, Mac and Linux, with Firefox for Android 50.0 due imminently. For the second release in a row it’s launched a week late, but this time the reason behind the pause is different. The extra week gave Firefox 50 time to unveil its headline new feature: significant start-up improvements, achieved through an overhaul of the application’s add-on SDK module system. Elsewhere download protection covers a wider range of executable files, plus Firefox 50 introduces a smattering of useful usability improvements. The existing add-on SDK’s module system was described as a "performance disaster" in the… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about federated identity

Publié: novembre 16, 2016, 10:40am CET par Ian Barker

As we conduct more and more of our work and personal lives using information technology, we have to sign in to lots of different systems. That can mean many different sets of credentials which can be hard to manage. Federated identity is a way of streamlining this by linking an electronic identity and attributes across several identity management systems. This is related to single sign-on (SSO), which involves sharing authentication between systems -- such as signing onto other websites using your social network ID -- but federated identity goes much deeper. Background At its simplest federated identity means having a not… [Continue Reading]

Could alt-right account bans spell the end of Twitter?

Publié: novembre 16, 2016, 10:33am CET par Mark Wilson

Abuse and trolling has been a serious problem for Twitter for some time and continues to be so. Various measures have been introduced to help with the issues, but now the site is going down a more drastic route, banning prominent alt-right accounts. This is not something that is entirely new; earlier in the year Breitbart's Milo Yiannopoulos (also known as @Nero) was permanently banned from Twitter. In the wake of Donald Trump's astonishing rise to presidency, the alt-right movement has enjoyed a major boost. The question is, does Twitter risk cutting off too many of its users if it… [Continue Reading]

Google Translate gets better thanks to Neural Machine Translation technology

Publié: novembre 16, 2016, 2:56am CET par Brian Fagioli

The internet has made the world feel smaller, connecting people all over Earth. The problem? Many of us speak different laguages! Sure, some of you speak multiple languages, but for many of us -- including yours truly -- one is all we know. Thankfully, translation services -- such as Google Translate -- removes barriers, allowing people to more easily communicate despite language differences. Today, the search giant announces that it has massively improved its service thanks to Neural Machine Translation technology. But wait, what is Neural Machine Translation, anyway? Barak Turovsky, Translate Product Lead, Google explains the following. At a high level,… [Continue Reading]

Samsung buys Harman for $8bn

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 10:39pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

In an effort to expand into the auto market, Samsung has announced that it will purchase Harman for $8 billion to gain access to both its automotive and audio offerings. The American company Harman is best known for its audio equipment, though it also has a large presence in the automotive market. Last year, the company earned over $7 billion, of which its connected car devices and audio systems accounted for 65 percent of the total sales. Harman's products are installed in around 30 million vehicles worldwide which could really benefit Samsung as it has already lost a lot of… [Continue Reading]

Bigger battery, better camera, faster processor -- the OnePlus 3T is even more of a flagship killer

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 8:44pm CET par Mark Wilson

The OnePlus 3 -- unashamedly billed as the 'flagship killer' -- caused major ripples of excitement when it was released earlier in the year. Now, after rumors and teasers, and mere months after the launch, there is a follow up -- the OnePlus 3T. One of the key features of the OnePlus 3 was Dash Charge, its fast charging option still offers a full day's usage from 30 minutes of charging -- and the battery has jumped in size. Internally, the processor has been upgraded to a Snapdragon 821 chip clocked at 2.35 GHz, and there's now a 128GB model… [Continue Reading]

What you need to consider before adopting Microsoft Office 365

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 8:39pm CET par Vivek Vahie

The cloud-based office productivity software market is expected to reach $17 billion in 2016. That’s more than a 400 percent increase from 2009 when the market was valued at $3.3 billion. With the success of cloud-based applications and their pay-as-you-go model, it shouldn’t be surprising that the cloud version of one of the most widely used desktop application packages would grow to become a popular choice for businesses. I’m of course referring to Office 365, Microsoft’s leading productivity and work software package delivered via the cloud. What’s the Fuss? Mobile devices and cloud technologies at large have drastically changed the… [Continue Reading]

Android backdoor found sending personal information from US users to China

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 8:16pm CET par Mark Wilson

Mobile security firm Kryptowire has discovered a backdoor in several Android smartphones sold in the US. The company says that the firmware collected personal data about users without consent, and sent this private information on to Chinese firm Shanghai Adups Technology Company. Included in the reams of personal data shared to a third party server were the full text of SMS, call histories, and unique device identifiers. In addition to this, an OTA (over the air) update to firmware allowed for the non-consensual installation of apps, user location tracking and keyword monitoring. Kryptowire says that the smartphones -- including the… [Continue Reading]

Is Apple crazy to sell a $300 hardcover photo book? Not at all

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 6:58pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Last month, Apple unveiled new MacBook Pro laptops. While the machines were undoubtedly great, their prices were very high -- even for Apple. Despite the cost, they are apparently flying off virtual shelves, as shipping dates are now in late December. In other words, price be damned, people will buy what they want, and they are willing to splurge on quality. The old adage of "you get what you pay for" is sometimes quite true. Today, Apple announces a hardcover book called "Designed by Apple in California". It is a paper book comprised of high-quality photographs of the company's products. There… [Continue Reading]

SMBs hold on to their hardware longer than enterprises

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 6:39pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

Smaller and medium-sized businesses would rather wait a couple years longer before upgrading their systems, compared to large enterprises, a new survey by memory and storage company Crucial shows. Out of 350 IT decision makers in the UK, US, Germany and France, more than half (52 percent) say their company has a hardware refresh cycle of about three to four years. Large organizations replace systems every two years or so (23 percent) while small organisations wait four years or more (22 percent). The reason behind upgrades is always the same -- their current systems are no longer good enough. Sometimes, businesses would… [Continue Reading]

Twitter expands Mute feature to help combat its troll problem

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 6:09pm CET par Mark Wilson

Twitter has promised for some time that it will do more to tackle the problem of trolling, abuse and harassment. Today, the company announces that it is expanding its Mute features, giving users the ability to mute keywords, phrases, and conversations. This comes in response to feedback from people who have long-asked for a way to prevent notifications about topics they are not interested in, from people they don’t want to hear from, and so on. Twitter also says that it has retrained its staff and improved systems to make it easier and more efficient to report and deal with… [Continue Reading]

Time tracking tools aren't keeping up with mobile workforces

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 5:38pm CET par Ian Barker

Modern businesses are increasingly concerned with agility and efficiency and this leads them to seek more mobile solutions. But a new report shows that workforces are struggling with outdated processes that don't adequately support this new world. The study by performance management specialist Changepoint shows that organizations using time and task data to guide business decisions are relying on old-fashioned methods including Excel spreadsheets (28 percent) and even pen and paper (36 percent). The company surveyed more than 800 global project managers, executives, and IT professionals and found that 77 percent aren't confident in the accuracy of the timesheets they… [Continue Reading]

Comodo launches new certificate management platform

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 5:38pm CET par Ian Barker

Digital certificates are an essential part of online security and as the number of Internet of things devices continues to grow they'll become more important still. But as we rely more on certificates so managing them becomes more complex. Cyber security solutions company Comodo, the world's leading certificate authority, is launching the latest release of its Comodo Certificate Manager (CCM), a full-lifecycle digital certificate management platform which makes it easier for enterprises to manage their certificates. CCM allows businesses to self-administer and instantly provision Comodo certificates and to auto-discover and manage all certificates, from any certificate authority, throughout the organization. The… [Continue Reading]

35 percent of cloud spend is wasted through inefficiency

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 4:47pm CET par Ian Barker

In the dash to the cloud it's easy to lose sight of the fact that it isn't necessarily always the answer to spending your IT budget in the most efficient way. New data released by cloud management company RightScale reveals that cloud users could reduce their spend by an average of 35 percent by making better use of resources. Based on three months of data from RightScale's Cloud Cost Optimization Service it finds that compute resources represent 76 percent of cloud spend and database services account for only 15 percent. Cloud spending continues to rise overall, up 76 percent from… [Continue Reading]

Office 365 and G Suite now in 59 percent of organizations worldwide

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 3:46pm CET par Ian Barker

Cloud adoption has hit an all time high in 2016, largely driven by productivity packages like Microsoft Office 365 and Google's G Suite, according to a new report. Data protection company Bitglass scanned the cloud use of more than 120,000 companies to identify the primary cloud productivity suite used. It finds 59 percent of organizations worldwide now use one of these two apps, up from 48 percent in 2015. Office 365 continues to edge ahead of G Suite and is deployed in more than a third (34.8 percent) of organizations while G Suite is used by 25 percent. Public companies… [Continue Reading]

SCOSCHE unveils floating BoomBUOY waterproof Bluetooth speaker

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 2:58pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Yesterday, I reviewed the LG V20 -- one of the more recent Android flagship smartphones. While I really like that device, it suffers from a disappointing integrated speaker -- a problem on many phones. Luckily, a Bluetooth speaker can always be paired to improve sound quality and offer louder volume. The problem, however, is there are too many similar Bluetooth speakers nowadays; so much choice can confuse consumers. Today, SCOSCHE unveils a new wireless speaker, called BoomBUOY, that stands out from many others. What makes it so unique? It floats! While there have been floating speakers released before, this one is rugged… [Continue Reading]

What causes networks to fail?

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 1:25pm CET par Ian Barker

Network outages are a major source of pain for businesses, so understanding what causes them is an important part of preventing them in the first place. A new survey from Veriflow reveals that complexity and human error are high on the list as contributing to network problems. Of 300 plus network professionals responding to the survey, 97 percent admit that human factors cause network outages. Yet despite this 69 percent of respondents still rely on manual processes, such as inspecting devices via the command line interface (CLI), inspecting configurations and performing manual traceroutes or pings, as one of their main solutions.… [Continue Reading]

New security solution protects Office 365 customers

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 11:33am CET par Ian Barker

More and more companies are moving their office applications to the cloud and Microsoft Office 365 is one of the most popular options with around 85 million subscribers. One of the major concerns with this trend is keeping information secure, to address this IT management solutions provider Kaseya is launching its latest AuthAnvil. An identity and access management solution, this provides single sign on (SSO), multifactor authentication (MFA) and automated user provisioning for Office 365. AuthAnvil gives end users the simplicity and time saving of securely signing in once to access all applications without having to remember multiple sets of… [Continue Reading]

Major Linux security hole found in Cryptsetup script for LUKS disk encryption

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 10:41am CET par Mark Wilson

A security vulnerability discovered in numerous Linux distros potentially puts millions of users at risk. CVE-2016-4484 (Cryptsetup Initrd root Shell) affects the Cryptsetup script that is used to unlock partitions encrypted with LUKS (Linux Unified Key Setup). The flaw means that it is possible for a hacker to access, change or delete data on the hard drive, and it is not even necessary to have physical access to exploit the vulnerability in every circumstance. But the worrying thing is just how easy the problem is to exploit. The problem lies in the way password checking is handled by /scripts/local-top/cryptroot. By… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about network function virtualization

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 10:32am CET par Ian Barker

We’re seeing more and more technology functions being virtualized in order to streamline operations and cut costs. Networking is no exception to this trend, though it has been slower to adopt it than some other areas, there are good reasons for this which we’ll look at later. A shift is beginning to occur though. Network function virtualization allows network tasks to be performed by software running on commodity hardware, replacing expensive, dedicated hardware appliances. This promises easy scaling of functions and should help in the automation of service delivery. The Background to NFV In the telecommunications sector products have generally… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about enterprise mobility

Publié: novembre 15, 2016, 12:23am CET par Barclay Ballard

The importance of mobility in the workplace has grown significantly in recent years, driven by technological innovations like smartphones and web-based applications. The traditional office confines have been eroded and now customers, clients and employees demand the tools required to work whenever and wherever they need to. Businesses that are unwilling to embrace mobility, or do so ineffectively, risk being overtaken by a competitor that is able to provide the flexibility required by the modern world of work. There are legitimate concerns when it comes to business mobility, but fortunately there are also a number of solutions that allow organizations… [Continue Reading]

LG V20 Android 7.0 Nougat smartphone [Review]

Publié: novembre 14, 2016, 11:52pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Android is in a weird place. The latest version, 7.0 Nougat, is on very few devices, which highlights the operating system's biggest issue -- fragmentation. True, most apps will work fine on slightly older versions of the OS, but the true problem is security -- not compatibility. Once a manufacturer stops supporting a smartphone or tablet, the user is at risk of future vulnerabilities. With OS upgrade concerns in mind, I decided to test Android Nougat on a new Verizon smartphone -- the highly anticipated LG V20. This is the followup to the sleeper-hit V10. The new device retains the famed… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about business broadband

Publié: novembre 14, 2016, 10:23pm CET par Barclay Ballard

Businesses are often told that the only way to succeed is by embracing the newest, most innovative technologies. The Internet of things, wearables, 3D printing, augmented reality, the list of disruptive technologies that will make or break your organization is never-ending. However, it is often the less glamorous, but more fundamental technology, that actually determines everyday success. Business broadband, although hardly cutting-edge, is vital in the "always-on", connected world that we live in. No matter what industry you work in, broadband Internet connectivity is likely to underpin many of your daily tasks. Whether you need to stream video files, access… [Continue Reading]

Don't take part in a DDoS botnet

Publié: novembre 14, 2016, 8:23pm CET par Kimberley Parsons Trommler

DDoS attacks have been at the forefront of the media for weeks. The unprecedented scale of the attacks on Brian Krebs website lit the powder keg, and it hasn’t stopped, with the most recent example being the attack on Dyn’s servers that led to a major outage on the east coast of the US. As The Register reported, the Krebs attack was the largest known single DDoS attack ever, with more than 152K devices involved, generating more than 620Gbps in the attack. The Dyn attack received even more coverage, as it affected many popular consumer sites, including media-friendly Twitter. Nothing… [Continue Reading]

Oops! Leak reveals Microsoft is to launch Visual Studio for Mac

Publié: novembre 14, 2016, 8:14pm CET par Mark Wilson

Microsoft accidentally revealed that Visual Studio is making its way to the Mac. A blog post published in error on MSDN shows that the company plans to bring its coding tool to the Apple platform. Transforming Visual Studio into a cross-platform development tool is an interesting move for Microsoft, and something it has resisted for quite some time. The official announcement is due at Connect later this week, but the leak means that we already have all the details we need. While the original blog post has vanished from MSDN, there's still a cached version available that reveals all. The… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft goes greener by purchasing massive amounts of wind energy

Publié: novembre 14, 2016, 6:29pm CET par Brian Fagioli

The folks over at Microsoft seem to be very committed to doing "good". Not only does the company produce products that make the world better (Windows, Skype, and Office to name a few), but through its noble Winsiders4Good initiative, Dona Sarkar and other Microsoft employees are aiming to improve people's lives using technology. Today, Microsoft announces yet another way that it is helping humanity. The Windows-maker makes its "largest ever" purchase of wind energy -- 237 megawatts. In other words, the company will be using less fossil fuels, and reducing its overall carbon footprint. "Microsoft has contracted with Allianz Risk… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft has huge Black Friday savings on Surface devices, Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One S

Publié: novembre 14, 2016, 6:11pm CET par Mark Wilson

Black Friday is just around the corner, and Microsoft is already talking about what special offers it's going to have on the big day. Whether you're looking for a new desktop PC, an Xbox One S, or a Surface, you could save yourself hundreds of dollars. In fact, if you are in the market for a Surface device, there's never been a better time to consider making the leap -- you could save up to $430. Microsoft is also offering the Xbox One S at its lowest price ever, and there are savings to be made on games and much… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft says Windows 10 Anniversary Update is the most secure version of Windows ever

Publié: novembre 14, 2016, 4:49pm CET par Mark Wilson

In a white paper and blog post, Microsoft makes the claim that changes introduced in Windows 10 Anniversary Update make it the most secure version of Windows ever. The company is particularly proud of its ability to fight ransomware, but also points to security features such as Credential Guard and Windows Hello. Microsoft says that Windows Defender -- recently complained about by Eugene Kapsersky -- is to thank for this. Cloud-based protection and faster updates mean protection is more effective than ever. In the white paper, entitled Ransomware Protection in Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Microsoft says that Windows 10 computers… [Continue Reading]

The Android 7.0 Nougat beta on my Samsung Galaxy S7 is a revelation

Publié: novembre 14, 2016, 3:46pm CET par Randall C. Kennedy

Those who have followed me over the years know that I came somewhat late to the mobile computing party. I didn’t buy my first smartphone until 2014 -- an el-cheapo Samsung Galaxy Avant running Android 4.4.2. However, after languishing in the hinterlands of abandoned devices (Samsung never bothered to updated the Avant’s OS past "KitKat"), I finally bit the bullet and this past August splurged on a Galaxy S7 (I went for the nondescript black model to discourage phone thieves). No question, the Galaxy S7 is a wonderful "piece of kit" (as my UK friends would call it). It’s fast, has… [Continue Reading]

HoneyNet delivers deception technology for all sizes of enterprise

Publié: novembre 14, 2016, 2:55pm CET par Ian Barker

Data breaches can be hard to detect and are often missed by traditional cyber security approaches, allowing attackers to spend a long time inside a network. One way of combating this is to catch attackers out by deploying decoys that mimic desktops, servers, printers and other technology present in a network. But until recently this approach was only available to large organizations. But now security information specialist EventTracker is launching a "deception-as-a-service" product called HoneyNet. This provides a managed security service that enables any size of enterprise to add a deception network layer to its cyber security defenses. HoneyNet uses… [Continue Reading]

Philips Hue lights can spread IoT worm

Publié: novembre 14, 2016, 2:51pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

Philips Hue light bulbs could be vulnerable to a cyber attack, according to researchers who have developed a proof-of-concept worm capable of spreading from bulb to bulb with the power to turn the lights on and off. The researchers efforts at gaining access to the connected light bulbs was detailed in their paper titled IoT Goes Nuclear a ZigBee Chain Reaction. The worm they created was able to gain access to the Philips Hue devices by exploiting hard-coded symmetric encryption keys that are used to control devices over Zigbee wireless networks. The worm is able to spread from a single… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about Hadoop

Publié: novembre 14, 2016, 1:18pm CET par Ian Barker

Unless you’ve been hiding away from the world of computing for the last few years, you’ll have come across Hadoop. Apache Hadoop, to give it its full name, is an open source framework designed to handle the storage and processing of large amounts of data using low-cost commodity hardware. Since its initial release in 2011, it has become one of the most popular platforms for handling big data. How Does It Work? Hadoop grew out of Google File System, and it’s a cross-platform program developed in Java. It has four core components: Hadoop Common, which holds all of the libraries… [Continue Reading]

The new Google Play Music rolls out to Android, iOS and the web

Publié: novembre 14, 2016, 11:19am CET par Mark Wilson

Starting today, Google is rolling out an updated version of Google Play Music, its streaming music service. The company says that the update sees the use of machine learning to create contextual playlists based on where listeners are and what they are doing. The latest version of Google Play Music is more "assistive" than ever, with Google making much of the personalized playlists it is able to automatically create. Playlists are created based on a number of "signals". As well as taking into account the types of music you listen to most frequently, how the weather is like, what activity… [Continue Reading]

How to restart your graphics driver instantly with a key combination

Publié: novembre 14, 2016, 10:55am CET par Mike Williams

Your PC suddenly locks up. Nothing responds. The screen turns black. It looks like disaster… But no. There’s a beep from the speaker, your screen comes back to life, and a message explains that your display driver stopped responding, but had now recovered. That ability to automatically restart a driver is very useful, but you don’t have to wait for your system to detect an issue. To restart your graphics driver at any time, just press Win+Ctrl+Shift+B: the screen flickers, there’s a beep, and everything is back to normal immediately. From what we could tell, this seems to be very… [Continue Reading]

Generate soothing ambient soundscapes with Halotea Free

Publié: novembre 14, 2016, 10:44am CET par Mike Williams

If you like some background noise while working on your PC then it can be tempting to play music, stream video, maybe just turn on the TV. But that can be distracting, and you might not get as much work done as you’d hoped. Halotea Free generates ambient soundscapes instead -- birdsong, rain, white noise -- which help you tune out distractions and concentrate on whatever you’re doing. On launch the program displays 28 suitably-named themes: Jungle, Magic Chimes, Night Fire, Rain and Forest, Sleep, and so on. Click any of these and it starts playing immediately. We choose Woods… [Continue Reading]

Hillary Clinton blames FBI email investigation for her election loss to Donald Trump

Publié: novembre 13, 2016, 5:25pm CET par Mark Wilson

Donald Trump said in no uncertain terms that he believed the US election was rigged. If he had lost, he would have almost certainly contested the result, making claims of vote influencing, media bias and who knows what else. But the reality is that Trump won, and this means that it is Hillary Clinton who is left pointing the finger of blame for losing. Unsurprisingly, it's the FBI that finds itself named as being responsible, with Clinton referring to letters from FBI director James Comey relating to the investigation into her use of a personal email server as the reason… [Continue Reading]

Mark Zuckerberg denies Facebook influenced the US election, and vows to tackle fake news

Publié: novembre 13, 2016, 2:12pm CET par Mark Wilson

In the wake of the election of Donald Trump as Barack Obama's successor as president of America, Mark Zuckerberg has spoken out to deny claims that Facebook in any way influenced the result of the US election. Criticism of Facebook has taken various forms. One of the key complaints is that its news algorithms serve to create an echo chamber, exaggerating the already-present confirmation bias effect. But there are also concerns that fake news is a serious problem on the platform. Writing in a post on his own Facebook page over the weekend, Mark Zuckerberg said: "After the election, many… [Continue Reading]

New emoji revealed: breastfeeding, vomiting, and naked sauna users

Publié: novembre 13, 2016, 12:56pm CET par Mark Wilson

The emoji lexicon is one that continues to grow month after month, year after year. Once little more than a collection of smiley faces and a few symbols, there are now emoji representing just about everything imaginable -- and they're even considered works of art. At the moment, Unicode is considering which of a number of proposed new emoji should be added to the collection in 2017. Included in the list of proposals are a swearing face, a vomiting face, an exploding head, emo hair, a breastfeeding mother, a hajib wearer and a couple of naked sauna users. The addition… [Continue Reading]

Furious Kaspersky is 'disappointed and dismayed' with Microsoft

Publié: novembre 13, 2016, 11:27am CET par Mark Wilson

Claims of anti-competitive behavior are incredibly common in the world of tech; Google finds itself on the defensive on just about a weekly basis. Microsoft is certainly no stranger to accusations of anti-competitiveness, most notably for bundling Internet Explorer in older versions of Windows. But now it's Microsoft's approach to security that's in the firing line. Eugene Kaspersky (yes, that one: the Russian security expert and CEO of Kaspersky Lab) has fired a vitriolic tirade at Microsoft in which he complains about how Windows Defender works in Windows 10. Windows 10 has been lambasted for many reasons since it launched,… [Continue Reading]

Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg is dead... maybe you are too

Publié: novembre 12, 2016, 11:28am CET par Mark Wilson

A "terrible error" has been blamed for the accidental virtual killing of a number of Facebook users, including none other than Mark Zuckerberg. Thousands of users of the social network logged into their accounts to find out they were dead after Facebook experienced a strange bug. The accounts of many people were memorialized as friends were invited to "remember and celebrate" the lives of the "deceased". The mistake led to Facebook users having to reassure friends and family that they were OK and remained alive and kicking. Facebook has since addressed the problem and issued a statement expressing regret. A… [Continue Reading]

Employees want flexibile hours more than a company car

Publié: novembre 11, 2016, 6:27pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

It's been a while since remote working became a reality, but this latest survey into the matter showed that it is now becoming the norm. As a matter of fact, employees would rather have flexible hours and the possibility of mobile working than a company car, according to BT. A total of 1,500 workers in the UK, Germany, France and Spain were polled for the report, and 67 percent confirm the claim regarding the car. For 76 percent, flexible working is one of the top three priorities in their company. But mobile working is far from perfect -- current technology… [Continue Reading]

Tech Deals: Get a Dell Inspiron 17 5000 17.3" laptop for just $609, plus fantastic bargains on Xbox One, PS4, and more

Publié: novembre 11, 2016, 5:49pm CET par BetaNews Staff

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are fast approaching, but you don’t have to wait for those big shopping days to pick up a bargain. Courtesy of our partners at TechBargains, we have a selection of great deals to share with you right now, including a massive saving on a Dell Inspiron 17 5000 series laptop, a Dell PowerEdge T130 desktop, and a 55" Vizio M-Series 4K UltraHD LED Smart HDTV with HDR and a $250 Dell Gift Card. Plus we’ve great deals on games consoles, top games, and Amazon devices too. Featured Deals Highly Rated -- 55" Vizio M-Series 4K UltraHD… [Continue Reading]

Google updates its site verification process to flag 'repeat offenders'

Publié: novembre 11, 2016, 5:26pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

Google has decided to rework the way it classifies dangerous and harmful sites in an effort to better protect users from being infected by malware. The search engine has tried to protect its users for a number of years by displaying a warning when a link appears that could lead them to an unsafe site trying to infect their systems with malware or trying to obtain their personal information through phishing. However, sites were able to bypass Google's warning by making temporary adjustments that would allow their site to be successfully verified by the search engine. Once the verification process was… [Continue Reading]

Why letting attackers inside your network is the smartest thing you can do [Q&A]

Publié: novembre 11, 2016, 3:39pm CET par Wayne Williams

Organizations waste millions of dollars trying to keep hackers away from sensitive information using outdated perimeter-based security technologies. The result is obvious: it isn’t working. Percipient Networks’ CTO Todd O’Boyle has counterintuitive advice for businesses when discussing what to do about hackers: let them in your corporate network. I spoke to Todd, and he explained why that advice is more sound that you might think. BN: Why would I ever leave an attacker inside my network? TO: Many reasons. We were motivated to perform the research around our technology after watching the same attacker come back a number of times,… [Continue Reading]

Why choosing authorization over authentication will kill your enterprise

Publié: novembre 11, 2016, 3:19pm CET par Dr. John Callahan

Today, the majority of enterprises rely on employee authorization by means of keycards or passcodes. While this form of security is convenient, these methods don’t truly authenticate nor verify the identity of the person at the time and place of an access request. We’ve all seen how usernames and passwords can be easily stolen. When this inevitably occurs within an organization, that factor becomes useless and will allow an attacker to gain access to everything the employee was authorized for. Employee authorization based on a single paradigm is highly flawed because it could easily be lost, stolen or duplicated. If… [Continue Reading]

The five most common social engineering attacks

Publié: novembre 11, 2016, 3:09pm CET par Ian Barker

However much technology you throw at protecting your organization's systems the weakest link is still the person sitting in front of the endpoint. No surprise then that social engineering is increasingly the attacker's weapon of choice for gaining access to sensitive systems. Security rating and risk monitoring company SecurityScorecard has put together an infographic showing the five most common attacks and their impact on enterprises. The attacks identified are 'pretexting' -- assuming another identity to obtain sensitive information, 'tailgating' -- following a person with legitimate access into a secure location, 'quid pro quo' -- offering some incentive in exchange for… [Continue Reading]

Be aware of these threats from the Internet of Things

Publié: novembre 11, 2016, 3:03pm CET par Rick Delgado

Have you ever imaged your refrigerator or coffee maker being a threat to you? Probably not. That’s a problem of sci-fi and the future, right? With the Internet of Things (IoT), the future is becoming the present. More and more IoT devices are coming into everyday life. We pay attention to how convenient it is for our thermostat to know when we’re coming home and therefore turn on the air or heating, and how our jackets can tell us about our health. We often don’t pay attention to how it transmits that information to an outside source. The IoT is… [Continue Reading]

Netpeak Spider scans websites for 50+ common problems

Publié: novembre 11, 2016, 3:00pm CET par Mike Williams

Netpeak Spider is a Windows-based SEO analyzer which can quickly detect 50+ common website optimization issues. The program looks for PageRank issues, 4xx errors, dubious redirects, missing titles and descriptions, missing image ALT attributes, duplicate content, long server response times, non-HTTPS pages, and a host of other site problems. Netpeak Spider is normally a subscription based product costing $117 in year one, but there’s a free and unrestricted 14-day trial available, and occasional one month subscriptions can be yours for $14. The program is designed for extreme ease of use. Launch it, the "Initial URL" box and large green "Start"… [Continue Reading]

OnePlus 3 will officially get Android 7.0 Nougat in November

Publié: novembre 11, 2016, 1:44pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

OnePlus has been working on the Android 7.0 Nougat update for its latest flagship killer for a few months now, but it has not provided many details about what it will bring new to the table. However, it looks like OnePlus 3 users will not have to wait long to find out. That is because the Community Build -- a preview branch of OxygenOS -- will make the move to an Android 7.0 Nougat base this month, leaving Marshmallow behind. Sure, this is basically a beta build that should not be used on daily drivers, but the company will follow up with… [Continue Reading]

BYOA: Challenges and opportunities

Publié: novembre 11, 2016, 12:55pm CET par Andrew Filev

The bring your own access (BYOA) movement has presented a number of challenges and opportunities to IT leaders in recent years. Since the dawn of the smartphone, the consumerization of IT has left CIOs fighting to keep up with the latest trends in productivity, communication and creativity apps. Driven by simple user interfaces and the promise of fast synchronization across devices, business users have flocked away from the typical corporate IT stacks and begun to pick and choose their own tools, often without the consent of IT. Because this is a potential nightmare for CIOs, two forces have been acting… [Continue Reading]

Best Windows apps this week

Publié: novembre 11, 2016, 12:35pm CET par Martin Brinkmann

Two-hundred-and-six in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on Windows Store in the past seven days. Another week, another Windows 10 Insider Preview build. Wayne has you covered this time. There have also been reports about more ads on Windows 10. Check out Mark's article on that. As always, if I missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email instead. Discounts this week Some apps are discounted for more… [Continue Reading]

OSForensics 4.0 ends free version

Publié: novembre 10, 2016, 9:50pm CET par Mike Williams

PassMark Software has unveiled OSForensics 4, a major update for its powerful PC forensics tool. There’s bad news: the "free for personal use" edition has been replaced by a 30-day trial. The trial has more than enough power to run one or two quick investigations, though, and the latest additions deliver even more information about your target PC. Password recovery is a major highlight, with OSForensics 4 now finding and decrypting stored logons for Windows accounts, wireless networks, Outlook and Windows Live Mail accounts. There are new options to choose a dictionary for brute force attacks on account passwords, and… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about business process automation

Publié: novembre 10, 2016, 9:49pm CET par Ian Barker

Automation means many different things, in the context of business it usually involves streamlining processes in order to reduce costs. Applied across the whole organization it means restructuring resources and integrating the applications used across the enterprise to save time and money. Business process automation (BPA) automation is aimed at those tasks that involve a series of processes which follow a predictable pattern with a series of repeated operations. As research specialist Gartner puts it, "It focuses on 'run the business' as opposed to 'count the business' types of automation efforts and often deals with event-driven, mission-critical, core processes. BPA… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about human capital management

Publié: novembre 10, 2016, 8:04pm CET par Barclay Ballard

Employees are often a company’s largest expense, but they can also be their most important asset. After all, without talented and dedicated staff at every level of the business, organizations will fall behind in terms of productivity, leadership and creativity. Although human resources has traditionally been tasked with handling all matters people-related, as this facet of business management has become increasingly complex and dynamic it has largely gone by another name. Human capital management (HCM) is often broken down into three categories (workforce acquisition, workforce management and workforce optimisation) and incorporates a vast array of business processes, ranging from the… [Continue Reading]

How to buy the Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic tomorrow

Publié: novembre 10, 2016, 7:09pm CET par Brian Fagioli

While many people covet powerful current-generation consoles like Xbox One and PlayStation 4, others are more excited for something far less modern. Tomorrow, nostalgia takes front stage as Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic will hit store shelves. Planning to buy one? Ha! Good luck. This refreshed 1980's console is expected to be both extremely popular and limited. Quite frankly, it will be virtually impossible to get. After all, it comes pre-loaded with 30 classic games. There will be many sad nerds this year when they find out there is no NES Classic under the Christmas Tree. Don't panic, however, as BetaNews… [Continue Reading]

How to buy the Nintendo Entertainment System: NES Classic today

Publié: novembre 10, 2016, 7:09pm CET par Brian Fagioli

No more Microsoft Security Bulletins after January 2017

Publié: novembre 10, 2016, 5:56pm CET par Mark Wilson

Microsoft has a long tradition of publishing Security Bulletins to share information about patches and security fixes that it releases. But starting next year this is going to change. As of February 2017, Microsoft will make use of the newly launched Security Updates Guide database. This, on the face of it, sounds like a great idea -- a searchable database of information -- but it changes the way information is presented and is unlikely to be well-received by users. The announcement was hardly shouted from the hilltops -- it was a little afterthought tacked on the end of a short… [Continue Reading]

Google flatly denies claims that Android has hurt competition -- quite the reverse

Publié: novembre 10, 2016, 5:52pm CET par Mark Wilson

Google's battle with the European Commission has raged on for many years, and the company has faced frequent accusations of anti-competitive behavior for one reason or another. Today the Android producer has hit back at the European claims, saying that the existence of iOS is proof that its own mobile operating system is not anti-competitive. Senior vice president of Google, Kent Walker, writes on the company blog that "Android is not a 'one way street'; it's a multi-lane highway of choice". He also points to the fact that the cost of smartphones running Android has dropped dramatically over the years,… [Continue Reading]

WTF?! Twitter saw a significant rise in swearing following Trump's win in US election

Publié: novembre 10, 2016, 4:59pm CET par Wayne Williams

If you spend a lot of time on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, you probably thought Hillary Clinton was a shoo-in for president, and that Donald Trump had next to no chance of beating her. As my colleague Ian Barker explains, social networks can create something of a bubble, that pops when the real world intrudes, as it did in both Brexit and the US election. SEE ALSO: How social media bubbles are driving political anger Inevitably, the news that Donald Trump had won and was now president-elect really did surprise and shock a lot of people on Twitter… [Continue Reading]

Why you need to know who owns your encryption keys [Q&A]

Publié: novembre 10, 2016, 4:58pm CET par Ian Barker

As companies move more of their data to the cloud it's not surprising that they’re turning to encryption in order to keep their data safe. But if you're using a third-party cloud provider, who owns and controls the keys to your encrypted data? Rui Biscaia, director of product management at data classification specialist Watchful Software believes it's vital for companies to know. BN: Why has encryption become such an important tool? RB: Encryption technology is a fundamental, underlying part of protecting sensitive data. It ensures that the wrong people don't have access to your information and can't leverage it for… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about converged infrastructure

Publié: novembre 10, 2016, 4:46pm CET par Ian Barker

Information technology infrastructure is made up of many components, servers, storage, networking hardware, systems management software, and more. This can lead to a complex system being built up of components from several different suppliers. What converged infrastructure does is to bring together all of these things into a single, integrated package. For businesses this means that they can centralize the management of all their IT resources with a view to increasing use and cutting costs. Converged infrastructure is often associated with the cloud and outsourcing, but it can work just as well applied internally within large organizations too. Origins and… [Continue Reading]

Watch Edward Snowden discuss Trump's victory, and privacy implications, in a live Q&A today

Publié: novembre 10, 2016, 3:32pm CET par Wayne Williams

It’s fair to say, yesterday’s US election result sent shockwaves around the world. Donald Trump was seen as an outside bet by many people, but now he’s won the race for the White House, the big question, is what will his victory mean for the people, both at home and abroad? Former NSA contractor turned whistleblower Edward Snowden has a lot to say on government matters, and today in a live Q&A he’ll be opining on how the US election results could affect your privacy, as well as any potential pardon for himself, and answering questions submitted via social media.… [Continue Reading]

Malicious spam levels hit two year high

Publié: novembre 10, 2016, 3:28pm CET par Ian Barker

A new report from Kaspersky Lab reveals that its products blocked 73,066,751 attempts to attack users with malicious attachments during the third quarter of this year. This represents the largest amount of malicious spam since the beginning of 2014 and is a 37 percent increase compared to the previous quarter. The majority of the blocked attachments were ransomware trojan downloaders. "Spam is often just unwanted advertising, but it has a darker side too," says Daria Gudkova, acting head of content analysis and research at Kaspersky Lab. "Criminals use spam to distribute malware and exploit users' vulnerability, convincing them to hand… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft patches Windows flaw reported by Google

Publié: novembre 10, 2016, 3:26pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

Microsoft has kept its promise and delivered a vulnerability patch for its Windows operating system, for a flaw, revealed by Google, which allowed attackers to gain full control of a targeted system. Releasing the details in a security bulletin, Microsoft says the flaw in the Windows kernel "could allow elevation of privilege if an attack logs onto an affected system and runs a specially crafted application that could exploit the vulnerabilities". Once an attacker gains control of the system, they can install other malicious applications which would allow even easier access, eliminating the need for the original flaw. "To exploit… [Continue Reading]

Bitcoin price surges after Trump's victory

Publié: novembre 10, 2016, 10:11am CET par Sam Pudwell

The world is still reeling from the outcome of the US elections, where Donald Trump came out on top against Hillary Clinton to become the 45th President of America. Financial markets around the world have been affected by the shocking and unexpected news and the notoriously unpredictable digital currency Bitcoin is no exception, with prices close to hitting a 35-month high against the pound amidst investor uncertainty. Against the dollar, the price of Bitcoin rose by up to 4.6 percent to reach a high of $738 on Wednesday, before settling at the $726 mark. This is approximately a three percent rise… [Continue Reading]

Google fails to patch Chrome browser bug -- Microsoft Windows users at risk of scams

Publié: novembre 10, 2016, 12:46am CET par Brian Fagioli

Many people use Google Chrome, and rightfully so. The cross-platform web browser works brilliantly, and is super-fast. Plus, the search-giant's browser is very secure too, right? Not so fast... Today, Sophos drops a bombshell by revealing that scammers are actively targeting Chrome users by leveraging a bug. These bad guys pose as Microsoft tech support and display an in-browser message that says the user's computer is infected with "Virus Trojan.worm! 055BCCAC9FEC". To make matters worse, Google has apparently known about the exploit for more than two years and simply failed to patch it. "Tech support scammers have started exploiting a two-year-old bug… [Continue Reading]

Google's new Safe Browsing site is home to malicious site reporting, transparency reports, and policies

Publié: novembre 9, 2016, 9:28pm CET par Mark Wilson

Google today launches a revamped version of its Safe Browsing site, bringing a number of tools and services under one roof. The tag line for the site is "Making the world's information safely accessible," and Google makes much of fact that it now keeps more than two billion devices safe online -- desktop and Android, as well as devices running Google tools such as Chrome and Gmail. One of the main purposes of the site is to make it easier for people to report malicious sites they encounter, so other internet users can be warned and protected. But the updated… [Continue Reading]

Facebook Messenger is now able to pump ads into your eyeballs

Publié: novembre 9, 2016, 8:22pm CET par Mark Wilson

Facebook, like Google, is all about the ads. Not content with filling newsfeeds with advertising, Facebook Messenger -- already something of a privacy nightmare -- is about to become home to 'sponsored messages'. Ads by another name. The new ad formats follow on from newsfeed data designed to direct Facebook users to Messenger, and from there the idea is to drive brand awareness and increase sales. But as with other advertising on Facebook, ads are targeted, meaning there is more than a slight degree of concern when it comes to privacy. Support for sponsored messages is rolling out on a… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14965 for PC and Mobile arrives on the Fast ring

Publié: novembre 9, 2016, 7:36pm CET par Wayne Williams

We’ve already started to see the beginnings of the next big version of Windows 10 appearing in new builds for Windows Insiders. Termed the Creators Update it has a heavy focus on 3D, but there’s more to it than just that. The previous new Insider Build, released last week, didn’t have much in terms of new features on show, but the latest offering, Build 14965, is thankfully much more exciting. If you have a Windows tablet, you will now be able to control a second screen using a virtual touchpad -- no need to attach a mouse. Just connect the… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about enterprise connectivity

Publié: novembre 9, 2016, 7:31pm CET par Barclay Ballard, Ian Barker

Connectivity is vital for all businesses. Whether you need to communicate with customers, clients or employees, or simply rely on it to deliver your service, the importance of connectivity cannot be overstated. What’s more, this importance is clearly growing. In the always-on, cloud-based, mobile-first digital world that we inhabit, enterprise connectivity is not merely desirable -- it is expected at all times. Connectivity, of course, means different things to different businesses and the level of connectivity that you are able to provide is likely to depend on a number of factors. Do you have the technology required, including the hardware… [Continue Reading]

Google is closing down Map Maker

Publié: novembre 9, 2016, 7:11pm CET par Mark Wilson

Google has announced that Map Maker -- the tool which can be used to make and suggest changes to Google Maps -- is to close down. The closure is scheduled for March 2017, and Google says that the editing features will be gradually integrated into Google Maps itself as part of a streamlining process. It's not clear just how long it will take for all of the editing features to roll out to Google Maps, but some features will be missing for a while, if not permanently. The change means that map editing will not be quite such a free-for-all… [Continue Reading]

A closer look at the OpenStack platform

Publié: novembre 9, 2016, 7:07pm CET par Ian Barker

Providing an open source platform for cloud computing, OpenStack allows the use of multi-vendor commodity hardware in a data center to process and store data, and deliver networking resources. It’s managed through a dashboard or an API and is used by many major companies around the world to manage their IT infrastructure. OpenStack grew out of a joint project between NASA and Rackspace Hosting and launched in 2010. It’s currently managed by the not-for-profit OpenStack Foundation created in 2012. More than 500 companies are now members of the OpenStack project. OpenStack has a six-month release cycle with each release planned… [Continue Reading]

Google unveils 'Code-in 2016' open source mentor organizations

Publié: novembre 9, 2016, 6:14pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Open source software and ideology is critical to the future of technology. As more and more people demand transparency in the programs and applications they use, companies will have to take notice. To keep the open source movement going, it must be handed down to incoming developers. In other words, the children are our future, and education is key. Google's "Code-In" contest is a great program that invites teen students to directly contribute to quality open source projects. Now, the search giant finally announces the projects that will be participating as "mentors". "We’re excited to introduce the 17 open source… [Continue Reading]

SMBs find cash increasingly expensive to manage

Publié: novembre 9, 2016, 6:12pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

Businesses are moving faster towards a cashless society because it's cheaper than handling "real" money. This is according to a new report by Sage, integrated accounting, payroll and payment software provider. The company’s latest report says small and medium-sized businesses are losing £9.4bn each year through cash payments. A quarter (24 percent) say that staff members stole some cash, a third (34 percent) believe human error had them losing money, and more than half (56 percent) claim they spend at least an hour every week counting and sending money to the bank. All these reasons are giving businesses strong arguments… [Continue Reading]

Car hacking: Imminent threat or farfetched fear?

Publié: novembre 9, 2016, 5:27pm CET par Charles Krome

According to a recent report from cyber-security experts at RSA, in today’s increasingly computerized world, cyber-crime issues "comprise a threat horizon that continues to accelerate and expand with no end in sight". Since much the same can be said about the growth of computing power in today’s vehicles -- which rely on technology for everything from 3D navigation graphics to semi-autonomous driving capabilities -- the risks for having your car or truck hacked would seem to be on the rise as well. But should current drivers be worried about the issue right now, or is it time to pump the… [Continue Reading]

IBM launches experimental platform to embed Watson into any device

Publié: novembre 9, 2016, 4:22pm CET par Ian Barker

IBM's Watson project has been a leader in cognitive computing, enabling machines to understand the world in a similar way to humans. Today the company is unveiling the experimental release of Project Intu, a new, system-agnostic platform designed to allow developers to embed Watson functions into various end-user device form factors, offering a next generation architecture for building cognitive-enabled experiences. Using Project Intu developers can simplify and integrate Watson services, such as Conversation, Language and Visual Recognition, with the capabilities of the 'device' to, in essence, act out the interaction with the user. Instead of a developer needing to program… [Continue Reading]

GCHQ belives ISPs can prevent all DDoS attacks

Publié: novembre 9, 2016, 4:21pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

The head of of the GCHQ believes that distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks could be eliminated completely if internet service providers (ISPs) were to completely rewrite their software and its code. The technical director of GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre, Ian Levy, is already preparing to engage in talks with ISPs, such as BT, over how they could be the key to ending DDoS attacks. After the cyber attacks that occurred as a result of the Mirai malware were made public, GCHQ made it a priority to prevent further attacks that could be launched using the same measures. In… [Continue Reading]

Business needs a 'connectivity-first' approach

Publié: novembre 9, 2016, 3:24pm CET par Ian Barker

Many companies are realizing that traditional integration approaches no longer satisfy business requirements and are not designed for the digital age, according to a new report. The State of Salesforce Connectivity survey from cloud integration company Jitterbit looks at integration trends and needs from 300 companies from 33 different industries running Salesforce. The findings reveal that IT is increasingly being cut out of the software purchasing process. More than 70 percent of new software and technology purchases are made or influenced by the operating department, and around one in four new software purchases are made without involvement from IT at… [Continue Reading]

Marp creates PDF presentations from Markdown

Publié: novembre 9, 2016, 2:42pm CET par Mike Williams

Building presentations often involves mastering a heavy-duty GUI: layouts here, color panels there, transition previews, animation and more. Marp strips all that away, and enables creating presentations with just a little GitHub-flavored Markdown. This makes for a very plain, distraction-free interface: just a left-hand pane where you type your code, and a right-hand pane with a preview. There’s not a lot of help for the Markdown novice. You might automatically select some text and press Ctrl+B to style it, for instance, and that would be easy for the program to detect and convert, but... it doesn’t. The usual Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I… [Continue Reading]

President Trump: The hangover

Publié: novembre 9, 2016, 1:37pm CET par Robert X. Cringely

Wow, what an election! I’m tempted to say the FBI gave it to Trump but the results are too strong for that to be the sole reason for his victory. There’s a real movement behind this result and it isn’t in any sense a triumph of Republicanism. In fact I think it may be hard for the Republican Party as we knew it to even survive. Time will tell. Until such time, the world will go a little crazy. Stocks will slide, women will swoon, babies and men will cry. But eventually we’ll pick ourselves up and get back to… [Continue Reading]

For the audiophile: Grado Labs RS1e [Review]

Publié: novembre 8, 2016, 8:36pm CET par Joe Wilcox

Late last month, I sold my beloved Grado RS1e headphones, which get my highest recommendation. Parting ways, time is long overdue for a review, even if post-mortem. I let go the cans mainly because my lifestyle changed. Being tethered by wires is too confining; I listen to music more on the move now. As such, fine-fidelity Bluetooth cans—Master & Dynamic MW60—give great sound with more flexibility and mobility. I purchased the RS1e direct from manufacturer Grado Labs in late July 2014, soon after release. Grado is a family-owned/run Brooklyn, New York-based business that opened in 1953 offering turntable cartridges. In 1990,… [Continue Reading]

IoT security is an afterthought

Publié: novembre 8, 2016, 8:16pm CET par Dr. Christos Dimitriadis

What once was the plot of creative Hollywood blockbuster movies is now becoming a reality. The Internet of things (IoT) continues to grow as consumers, businesses and governments recognize the benefit of connecting devices to the internet, be it smart phones, wearable devices or smart homes. It is estimated that the number of connected devices in use by 2020 will be 30 billion, one in five cars will be connected vehicles in the next five years and by 2025 the IoT is predicted to have a global economic impact of US $11trillion. The growing presence of connected devices is increasing… [Continue Reading]

Get voice-based Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Election Day results with Amazon Alexa

Publié: novembre 8, 2016, 6:51pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Election Day is finally here, and I have already voted. Throughout the rest of the day, many Americans will head to their polling places to cast a vote for Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, or someone else. No matter who you vote for, it is certainly an exciting day. Today, Amazon's Alexa voice-assistant gains new Election Day commands. If you want to get information about the election without turning to the TV or radio, you can just summon the assistant to be presented with audible information. "It's finally Election Day and Alexa has all the tools you need to stay informed now… [Continue Reading]

Women in tech earn 9 percent less than men in UK

Publié: novembre 8, 2016, 6:48pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

Women in the UK's tech industry earn nine percent less money than men, according to a new report by Hired. In salary terms, that's approximately £5,000 a year in difference. The worst part is the UK is leading the way globally, when it comes to gender pay gap in the technology sector. The US has a gender pay gap of 8 percent in the tech sector, Canada 7 percent, and Australia has the lowest gap -- five percent. Hired's report also says that it's not just about the pay. Getting promoted and being part of the boardroom is also more challenging… [Continue Reading]

Run multiple processes simultaneously with MParallel

Publié: novembre 8, 2016, 5:21pm CET par Mike Williams

Multi-core CPUs have been around for a very long time, but unfortunately most software is still single-threaded and has no idea how to utilize all that power. MParallel is an open-source tool which offers one simple workaround, launching multiple processes in separate threads so that you can run them all simultaneously. Take the Ping console command as a very basic example. To run this normally you’d specify one IP address or domain, wait for a response, enter the next and repeat. Most of the time you’re just waiting around. MParallel can launch several Ping commands at once, each in their… [Continue Reading]

Google adds High Dynamic Range (HDR) video support to YouTube

Publié: novembre 8, 2016, 1:05am CET par Brian Fagioli

For some millennials, YouTube stars are more important than popular pop musicians or famous Hollywood actors. Older folks may not understand this phenomenon, but it actually makes a lot of sense -- YouTube is a platform where many young people spend their time. Today, Google announces that it is making YouTube even better. The service can already stream video in 4K, and is available on countless devices, but now the videos are gaining High Dynamic Range (HDR) support too. This means the content will be presented with better contrast and more vibrant colors. Of course, the benefits will only be relaized… [Continue Reading]

Google: EU commissioners don't understand antitrust law

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 8:27pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

In an effort to soften the European Commission's inquiry into business practices, Google has claimed that those bringing charges against it do not fully understand antitrust law. Kent Walker, senior VP and general counsel, took to the company's corporate blog to respond to the commission's concerns over how it has prevented rival sites and services from competing in the areas of online advertising and sales. In his blog post, Walker was quick to point out that the Commission had failed to acknowledge the role that Amazon plays in how consumers shop online. Google's comparison shopping engine, "Shopping" is currently under… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about data warehousing

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 7:58pm CET par Ian Barker

Data warehouses are at the core of many information driven business initiatives. They’re used to store large volumes of historical data which can then be used in business intelligence projects to create knowledge-based reporting. But a data warehouse isn’t just a single, huge repository of data, they come in a number of different types. What they all have in common is that they’re separate from day-to-day operational systems. Data is uploaded to a warehouse after it has served its primary purpose, so that it can be used for statistical analysis and decision support, once out of date for this purpose… [Continue Reading]

Google is altering Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton 2016 Presidential Election results

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 6:55pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Today is Election Day Eve, and I am tired. Not physically tired, mind you (coffee keeps me running), but instead, I am both emotionally and mentally drained. I am certainly not alone in this feeling, either. This presidential race feels like its been going on forever, and I cannot wait for it to end. God willing, tomorrow evening, we should have a definitive victor. Of course, there is always the possibility of a tie or other voting drama, but I digress. If you have needed assistance with any aspect of tomorrow's election, Google has been offering help. Between its famed search engine… [Continue Reading]

Android Auto can now be used on your phone in any car, regardless of age

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 5:51pm CET par Mark Wilson

It's quite some time since Google launched Android Auto -- around two years, in fact -- but adoption has been hampered by one little niggle: you needed a compatible car to take advantage of it. Today that changes. Starting today, Android Auto is available as a stand-alone phone app that can be used to bring the tool to any car via an Android device. This means that older vehicles can now feel the benefits of Android Auto and use it to get directions, listen to music, and much more. All you need to enjoy Android Auto is a phone running… [Continue Reading]

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Open Hardware Monitor: it’s still alive!

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 5:13pm CET par Mike Williams

After almost two update-free years, the Open Hardware Monitor project has jumped back to life with the release of version 0.8. The open source project is a free tool for monitoring CPU load, clock speed and temperatures, fan speeds, voltages, video adapters, RAM usage and more. The new build brings much-need hardware support for Intel Skylake CPUs, along with Kaby Lake, Airmont and i5, and the Xeon E5-26xx v4 and D-15xx. Added support for the ITE IT8620E, IT8628E, and Nuvoton NCT6102D/NCT6106D super I/O chips should get the program working with many more motherboards. There’s now more information available for NVIDIA… [Continue Reading]

Online retailers warned about price-fixing ahead of Black Friday

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 5:10pm CET par Mark Wilson

Black Friday is just around the corner, and while shoppers may be looking forward to making big savings the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued a warning to online retailers about price-fixing. The consumer body has not revealed which retailers it has written to, but it says that "a number of online companies" have received letters. It's part of a campaign to make it clear to companies selling online that "discussing and agreeing price levels with competitors is illegal, and can result in serious penalties". The CMA has previously been involved in clamping down on price-fixing in Amazon's marketplace,… [Continue Reading]

How Western businesses should manage their websites in China

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 5:07pm CET par Alex Nam

The idea that the Chinese market is emerging is an idea that firmly belongs in the past -- while online gaming is worth $22 billion, the construction market is worth a staggering $2 trillion. Cross-border ecommerce sales -- consumers from China buying goods from outside China -- is expected to reach just under a trillion US dollars in 2016. Outbound tourists from China reached 120 million in 2015, and they spent $104.5 billion around the globe. Internet usage and access in China is growing, despite the restrictions in connectivity the region faces. Even though the Great Firewall of China can… [Continue Reading]

Prisma-like NeuralStyler brings more creative control

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 4:51pm CET par Mike Williams

Open-source video-to-art creator NeuralStyler has hit version 1.2 with some handy new features. A simple video trimmer allows selecting the scene you’d like to transform. It’s not precise -- you choose your start and end points by seconds, not frames -- but that’s still enough to save you a lot of time and hassle. If you’re converting an image, a "Style Strength" slider instantly customizes the effect. Again, it’s basic, apparently just blending the converted image with the original, but we found it helped fine-tune the results. You’re no longer restricted to choosing from a few predefined export resolutions. Select… [Continue Reading]

How to block Windows 10 popups for Microsoft Edge and Bing Rewards

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 4:35pm CET par Mark Wilson

Just the other day users started to notice that Microsoft was using Windows 10 to push ads for its Edge browser. Already riled by ads for Windows 10 itself and the appearance of app ads in the Start menu, people were soon asking how to stop the unwanted popups. One suggestion that started doing the round was that simply unpinning Microsoft Edge from the taskbar does the job -- but it doesn’t seem to work for everyone. Here are a few more things you can do to prevent the appearance of Microsoft's ads. If you have yet to try unpinning… [Continue Reading]

Employees feel pressure to use personal devices for work

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 4:02pm CET par Ian Barker

Of employees in the US who use their personal smartphones for work, 45 percent are required to do so by their employers and 55 percent do so voluntarily. However, of those voluntary users 42 percent feel pressured to use their phone for business use outside of work. This is among the findings of a new survey by platform services company Syntonic which reveals mounting pressure on employees to use their personal devices for work even if not required by their employer. This is coupled with a growing reluctance by individuals to use their personal data plans. Half of employees postpone… [Continue Reading]

8 superb -- and cheap -- Raspberry Pi alternatives

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 3:30pm CET par Wayne Williams

As great as the Raspberry Pi is -- and let's be honest, all of the devices in that family are excellent, especially for the money -- it’s not the only such device available to buy, and some of the rival systems are arguably better as they come with Wi-Fi built-in, and other tricks, such as the ability to double as a wireless router, run Android, or display on-board scrolling messages. While there are plenty of pricier (and therefore more powerful) options available, I’ve focused on the more affordable choices here -- ones that match, or better, the Raspberry Pi for… [Continue Reading]

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Slack’s morning after

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 3:26pm CET par Mike McCamon

The rite of passage from youth to adulthood is filled with "morning after” moments -- those times when you realize that only 24 short hours ago (or less) you had bad judgment. Last Wednesday is Slack’s morning after... it thought it mattered as much as Microsoft. Slack is a great product with deeply devoted fans, there’s no doubt about that. Its management has embraced the "accidental genius" narrative ("We don’t know why people use our product"), have talked about revolutions, and have driven one hell of a valuation. Good for them. Sadly, witty narratives, claims that your technology is disruptive and a lot of… [Continue Reading]

(Un)colored is a rich content HTML and Markdown editor

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 2:51pm CET par Mike Williams

#(Un)colored is a distraction-free HTML and Markdown-compatible document editor for Windows, Linux and Mac. The program opens with an empty window, no toolbars, ribbons or anything else -- it’s just an empty frame where you can start to type. Select some text, though, and a pop-up displays various formatting options: text styling (bold, italic, underline), headings, paragraphs, lists and more. Even better, you can also embed YouTube, Vimeo, Dailymotion or Twitch videos, images by URLs, or add custom content by using your own embed code. You can’t use local content as easily, unfortunately. Other Markdown editors might import a local… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about enterprise collaboration

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 2:48pm CET par Barclay Ballard, Ian Barker

Enterprise collaboration, sometimes abbreviated to EC or ECS for enterprise collaboration systems, is becoming an increasingly vital tool for many businesses. Essentially, it comprises various forms of hardware and software used to enable the seamless and efficient sharing of information and resources within a particular company. Enterprise collaboration systems can simply be relatively common communication tools such as email and instant messaging. Increasingly though businesses are turning to more bespoke solutions that combine these functions with project management and document management software. It is also worth noting that enterprise collaboration can prove beneficial for teams based in the same office,… [Continue Reading]

Apple makes 2016 MacBook Pro's dongle hell less expensive

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 2:46pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

With the latest-generation MacBook Pro, Apple made a giant leap forward and fully-embraced USB Type-C. It went so far as to drop all other ports on its new prosumer-oriented laptops, even if the consumer market is not ready for it. The end result is that, if you want to use your existing peripherals and accessories, you will need (quite) a few dongles. And this creates a problem. The new MacBook Pro does not come with any dongles in the box, so you will have to buy them yourself. This has angered quite a few prospective buyers, so, to make up for it,… [Continue Reading]

US launches website to share open-source software code

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 1:34pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

The US government has just launched its latest website, Code.gov with the aim of preventing the replication of code across government agencies in order to conserve valuable time and resources. The site, which was launched on Thursday, already contains almost 50 open-source projects from a number of government agencies. Code.gov is the product of the Federal Source Code policy that was first announced in August by the White House. The site's goal is to provide new custom source code that can be reused across government agencies to cut down on replicating code which is a waste of government expenses and… [Continue Reading]

SoftPerfect RAM Disk no longer free for personal use

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 11:50am CET par Mike Williams

SoftPerfect has released SoftPerfect RAM Disk 4.0 with a major license change: the program is no longer free for home users. After the 30-day trial is up, version 4.0 now requires a $29 license for home users. As before, it’s $49 for businesses. If you’re happy with a previous version, there’s no need to upgrade and you can carry on using your existing build. SoftPerfect is also offering a free license to anyone who helps create or improve one of the program’s translations. Grab the official Language file for more details. Alternatively, you could switch to one of the competition.… [Continue Reading]

FBI says Clinton emails show no signs of wrong-doing, but Trump has his doubts

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 11:02am CET par Mark Wilson

Just over a week after the FBI announced it was re-opening the investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails, bureau director James Comey has announced that the previous investigatory conclusion of no wrong-doing remains. Looking at a new batch of emails that were discovered during a separate investigation has "not changed our conclusion", he said. But while the Clinton camp welcomed the news, Donald Trump was more suspicious. "You can’t review 650,000 emails in eight days," he said. Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server is an issue that has dogged her presidential campaign for months, and Comey's announcement that the… [Continue Reading]

How biometrics are addressing privacy concerns [Q&A]

Publié: novembre 7, 2016, 10:55am CET par Ian Barker

As traditional password security methods become increasingly discredited, enterprises are turning to other technologies to secure systems and transactions. Though many of the technologies are still in their infancy, others are becoming mainstream. We spoke to David Gerulski, vice president of fingerprint device specialist Integrated Biometrics to find out more about then latest technologies and how they're being used to address privacy concerns. BN: Will biometrics ever completely replace passwords or will they always be part of a two-factor model? DG: The current consensus heard at major identity conferences around the globe, and within biometrics industry advocacy groups, including the… [Continue Reading]

SEO alert: Google search to rank sites according to their mobile versions

Publié: novembre 6, 2016, 8:37pm CET par Mark Wilson

Having recently said that it will show different search results to mobile and desktop users, Google now has another search related announcement. Reacting to the fact that most searches are conducted from mobile devices, search results will be ranked according to sites' mobile content. Google says that it has "begun experiments to make [its] index mobile-first", and it's a move that essentially says that mobile searchers are more important than the rest. In light of the recent splitting of mobile and desktop indexing, the announcement is hardly a bolt out of the blue, but it's still something that many site… [Continue Reading]

Neil Young returns to Apple Music and Spotify

Publié: novembre 6, 2016, 6:00pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Neil Young is one of my favorite musicians. He is second only to Joni Mitchell for touching my heart and soul. Surprisingly, I haven't listened to his music for well over a year. Why? He pulled his tunes from streaming services, such as Spotify and Apple Music. He claimed that he did this because he was dissatisfied with the sound quality of these online platforms. Quite frankly, I was very angry with Young for this move. True, he was totally within his rights to remove his music catalog, but many fans -- such as yours truly -- were perfectly happy… [Continue Reading]

Sonos brings a new color sub to your home

Publié: novembre 6, 2016, 3:33am CET par Alan Buckingham

Most people with a passing affinity for home media likely know the name Sonos. The company has become the go-to whole-house media system. It's a bit high-end, but those who buy in swear by the setup. Perhaps just as important as the sound and overall capability to many people is the aesthetics. After all, if a device is sitting in your home in plain view then it's nice if it looks like it belongs and isn't some alien object. Now Sonos is introducing a new addition to its lineup -- a white subwoofer. The device features one button setup so… [Continue Reading]

Samsung forcing out software update to render Note7 batteries rubbish

Publié: novembre 5, 2016, 7:10pm CET par Mark Wilson

Samsung's Note7 fiasco has been in headline for some weeks now, most recently when it emerged that the company was working with telecoms companies to cut off the phones from networks in New Zealand. Now Samsung has announced that it is pushing out an update to US users that will limit how much the battery can be charged. This is not so much a case of limiting the charge to make the phone safer, rather an attempt to annoy Note7 owners who have not yet taken advantage of the 'refund and exchange' program to do just that. The hope is… [Continue Reading]

Samsung forcing out software update to render Galaxy Note7 batteries rubbish

Publié: novembre 5, 2016, 7:10pm CET par Mark Wilson

Samsung's Galaxy Note7 fiasco has been in headline for some weeks now, most recently when it emerged that the company was working with telecoms companies to cut off the phones from networks in New Zealand. Now Samsung has announced that it is pushing out an update to US users that will limit how much the battery can be charged. This is not so much a case of limiting the charge to make the phone safer, rather an attempt to annoy Galaxy Note7 owners who have not yet taken advantage of the 'refund and exchange' program to do just that. The… [Continue Reading]

Hacker discovers Gmail vulnerability that leaves any account open to compromise

Publié: novembre 5, 2016, 6:13pm CET par Mark Wilson

A student and security researcher from Pakistan has found a serious issue with Gmail that makes it possible for a hacker to take over any email address. The vulnerability relates to the way Google handles the linking of a primary Gmail account to another email address for the purposes of message forwarding. In just a few steps it was -- before Google fixed the problem -- possible to take over ownership of an email address by tricking the system into sending out the necessary verification code. If a hacker knows a secondary email address associated with a Gmail account he… [Continue Reading]

Capture and analyze your network traffic with Dripcap

Publié: novembre 5, 2016, 4:35am CET par Mike Williams

Dripcap is a cross-platform open-source packet analyzer which allows even total network novices to inspect their network traffic. The program is simple to set up, as there’s no installation or third-party capture tool required -- just unzip the download to any convenient folder. There's no complexity to the workflow, either. Click "Start New Capturing", choose a network adapter, click Start and Dripcap goes to work. Basic packet details are displayed as they're captured: type (TCP, UDP, DNS, ARP etc), source and IP addresses and packet length. Clicking any packet gives you a low-level breakdown: time stamp, MAC addresses, source and… [Continue Reading]

G.SKILL unveils insanely fast 3600MHz Trident Z DDR4 64GB RAM kit

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 5:17pm CET par Brian Fagioli

While many people buy pre-assembled PC gaming machines nowadays -- including diminutive mini variants -- there is still much to be said for building your own computer. Selecting your processor, chassis, PSU, and memory can be extremely rewarding. You get the opportunity to create your vision, and sometimes it can be more cost-effective too. Today, G.SKILL unveils some system RAM which should make PC builders absolutely giddy. The company's latest member of the Trident Z family is a four-module 64GB DDR4 kit. What makes it so special? It can run at an insanely fast 3600MHz! "G.SKILL International Enterprise, is thrilled to announce DDR4… [Continue Reading]

The common causes of IT stress and how to deal with them

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 4:13pm CET par Ian Barker

Anyone who works in IT knows that there are times when it can be an extremely stressful occupation. Especially when you’re expected to drop what you’re doing and fix a problem. Meeting technology specialist Highfive has put together an infographic looking at some of the most common causes of stress and how they can be managed. From low stress tasks like troubleshooting and implementing BYOD to more stressful issues like connectivity and highly stressful ones like rollouts and security breaches, it offers tips for staying on top of things whilst keeping your blood pressure under control. A lot of this… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about blockchain

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 3:52pm CET par Ian Barker

For all the recent buzz surrounding the cloud and big data, it remains a fact that at the heart of much business computing there is still some form of database. In particular the operation of digital currencies like Bitcoin relies on databases that are able to track large volumes of transactions and keep them secure. The solution used by digital currencies -- though it’s increasingly finding other applications too -- is the blockchain. First implemented in 2009, blockchain technology consists of blocks that hold batches of timestamped transactions, each block is linked to the previous one, thus forming a chain.… [Continue Reading]

You can use your phone, just shut up about the election!

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 3:37pm CET par Ian Barker

Smartphone use at family dinners used to be something of a frowned on activity. But a new survey reveals that people are becoming more tech tolerant. The study from connected experience agency Sequence shows that while 35 percent of those surveyed say smartphone use at the holiday table creates tension, far more (65 percent) are bothered by discussing politics. In fact, 59 percent of consumers feel their family and friends are good about keeping their smartphones away during the holidays, which is a 20 percent increase from 2015. Nearly half of millennials (47 percent) say smartphones at the holiday table… [Continue Reading]

Google: HTTPS usage is rising among Chrome users

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 3:04pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

Google is actively pushing websites to embrace HTTPS, going as far as to warn Chrome users when they visit a page that can transmit sensitive data over the unsecured HTTP protocol. The search giant hopes that this will speed up HTTPS adoption, and to help us keep track of how things evolve it has updated its Transparency Report to reveal how HTTPS usage is increasing among Chrome users. Google says that the majority of pages that Chrome users access on desktops are now loaded via HTTPS, and two thirds of their time is spent on pages loading the secure communications protocol. The platform… [Continue Reading]

Will scanning documents help my business?

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 3:04pm CET par Neil McKeever

Have you ever needed to access an important piece of information from an old document, and ended up spending hours rifling through filing cabinets and searching for the folder where you think you might have put that required piece of paper? Or maybe you know what information you need, but can’t remember exactly which document it’s on. You’ve got shed loads of stored documents, and you know it could be a 'needle in a haystack' attempt to check multiple files and find the necessary document. It’s these time-consuming, frustrating and inefficient processes that document imaging addresses. When done correctly, it… [Continue Reading]

How to speed up Windows 7 update checks

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 2:53pm CET par Wayne Williams

When Windows 7 checks for updates, the process can take an age. Often you might find yourself staring at the screen while nothing much seems to happen. Finding the list of updates for you to install should only ever take a few minutes at worst, but for many people that isn’t the case. Thankfully there’s a quick fix to try. What you need to do is download the 32-bit or 64-bit version of KB3172605 (depending if you have the 32, or 64-bit version of Windows 7), turn off your internet connection, and install it. You may encounter a "not applicable… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about social relationship management

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 2:38pm CET par Barclay Ballard

The importance of social media to businesses has long been recognized. According to a recent survey, time spent on social platforms represents 28 percent of all online activity, so if it’s important to customers, it naturally becomes important for companies too. While some firms are content to carry out intermittent checks on Facebook and Twitter, many businesses are now demanding more nuanced ways of monitoring social media content. Social relationship management, or SRM, is a software solution that promises to strategically analyze social network interactions to give your business a competitive edge. With organizations from a broad spectrum of industries… [Continue Reading]

The trends in Public, Private, and Hybrid Cloud: Which is right for you?

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 12:57pm CET par Chris Churchey

Organizations are rapidly migrating to the cloud. According to the 2016 Cloud Migration Survey, the top reasons for the cloud rush are the promise of high availability, reliability and potential cost savings. Companies, however, are not taking a one-size fits all approach. They are recognizing the pros and cons of private versus public cloud and tailoring their migration strategies to meet their needs. The RightScale 2016 State of the Cloud Report, which includes responses from over one thousand technical professionals, notes that private cloud adoption by organizations will rise from 63 percent in 2015 to 77 percent in 2016. Because… [Continue Reading]

Evernote enables sign-in with Google

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 12:53pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Have to keep track of something like a to-do list, shopping list or other items? There are multiple apps that will handle this for you and sync across platforms, allowing your lists to go on the road with you. That ability is one of the keys to choosing a good note-taking app, but things such as easy sign-in are also important for most users. You are, perhaps, used to seeing options that allow you to bypass entering a username and password and instead click a button that will log you in automatically. While Facebook is the primary thing to pop… [Continue Reading]

Here we go again! Microsoft throws more ads into Windows 10

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 12:41pm CET par Mark Wilson

With Windows 10, Microsoft faced criticism for its heavy promotion of the new operating system. Windows 7 and 8 users became more than a little annoyed by the presence of persistent nagging upgrade prompts, and others have been irritated by the addition of 'promoted apps' to the Start menu. Now Microsoft is at it again. Apparently unhappy with the number of people using its Edge browser, the company is now trying to encourage people to switch from rivals by using popup ads to push Edge and Bing Rewards. Will the company never learn? As reported by PCWorld, Microsoft has started… [Continue Reading]

Best Windows apps this week

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 12:26pm CET par Martin Brinkmann

Two-hundred-and-five in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on Windows Store in the past seven days. Microsoft released a new Windows Insider build this week. You can check out what is new here. As always, if I missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email instead. Check out last week's Best Windows apps post if you missed it. Discounts this week Some apps are discounted for more… [Continue Reading]

Telecomms companies blacklist Samsung Note7s to prevent people using dangerous phones

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 12:04pm CET par Mark Wilson

The Samsung Galaxy Note7 was one of the -- if not the -- most disastrous phone launches of all time. After numerous reports of handsets catching fire or exploding, Samsung was forced to recall the device -- but some people have been reluctant to give theirs up. The phone may have been banned from planes, and Samsung has even offered a financial incentive to hand over the Note7, but despite the potential danger many users are hanging onto their phones. In a drastic move to prevent them from being used, some mobile providers -- incoordination with Samsung -- are disconnecting… [Continue Reading]

Telecomms companies blacklist Samsung Galaxy Note7s to prevent people using dangerous phones

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 12:04pm CET par Mark Wilson

The Samsung Galaxy Note7 was one of the -- if not the -- most disastrous phone launches of all time. After numerous reports of handsets catching fire or exploding, Samsung was forced to recall the device -- but some people have been reluctant to give theirs up. The phone may have been banned from planes, and Samsung has even offered a financial incentive to hand over the Galaxy Note7, but despite the potential danger many users are hanging onto their phones. In a drastic move to prevent them from being used, some mobile providers -- incoordination with Samsung -- are… [Continue Reading]

IT pros earn less in UK than Australia and New Zealand

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 11:52am CET par Sead Fadilpašić

A new survey has revealed that IT professionals working in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) earn a substantially higher salary than their counterparts in the UK and Ireland. Computer Weekly and TechTarget's Salary Survey 2016 APAC found that the average salary of ANZ IT pros was between £50,000 and £94,000 a year. In order to learn more about IT salaries in the region, 450 IT professionals from Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia were questioned regarding how much they earned annually. A similar survey conducted in the UK and Ireland by Computer Weekly found that IT professionals in those countries… [Continue Reading]

How to remove unused Android phones and tablets from your Google Play account

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 11:32am CET par Mark Wilson

If you visit Google Play on your computer, you can install apps to any of the Android devices you own. All you need to do is click the Install button and you'll then be presented with a list of your phones and tablets to choose from. Over the years, you've probably owed a number of Android devices, and it's possible that this list has become a bit unwieldy. Why should you be forced to make a selection when you only have one phone? Here's how to clear up the list and make your life a little easier. If you head… [Continue Reading]

Most IT pros change jobs for a higher salary

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 9:57am CET par Anthony Spadafora

IT experts will be doing a lot of job switching with the start of next year, according to a new report by Spiceworks. Releasing the report during SpiceWorld 2016 Austin, the company says more than a third (37 percent) of IT professionals will start looking for a new job next year. More than a quarter (26 percent) plan on accepting an offer next year, as well. A vast majority (69 percent) want to do it in order to advance their IT skills, but 64 percent say they want a higher salary. Four in ten say they want to work in an organization where IT… [Continue Reading]

Ubuntu Core 16 IoT-focused Linux distro finally available for PC and Raspberry Pi

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 7:48am CET par Brian Fagioli

Last month, Canonical released a beta of Ubuntu Core 16. This is not a typical Linux distribution, but instead, one that is focused on Internet of Things and the cloud. What makes the operating system particularly interesting is the use of "Snaps" -- an ingenious modular way of handling software. It combines applications and dependencies into one convenient package. Today, Ubuntu Core 16 achieves final release status. You can download it immediately for free for PC, Raspberry Pi, and more. With all of the IoT-related botnet news nowadays, this is arriving at the perfect time. "Gartner suggests more than half of new… [Continue Reading]

Unified Update Platform (UUP) means much smaller updates in Windows 10 Creators Update

Publié: novembre 4, 2016, 4:13am CET par Mark Wilson

For anyone who is a Windows Insider, the release of a new insider build is something of a double-edged sword. There is -- of course -- the excitement of trying out the latest and greatest build of Windows, but there is also the prospect of a huge download; one that must be completed on every computer you use. Microsoft has a plan to reduce the size of update downloads. The Unified Update Platform (UUP) sees the introduction of differential download packages meaning that users need only download the bits that have changed since the last release rather than having to… [Continue Reading]

How to get free access to NYTimes.com for 2016 Trump vs. Hillary presidential election

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 11:01pm CET par Brian Fagioli

The US Presidential election is less than a week away. Holy cow! This election season is rather torturous, dividing a nation and leading to really ugly campaign advertisements. Seriously folks, some of these television ads are downright mean. I don't know how anyone can still be undecided at this point, but OK, if you still can't pick between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, you will soon have a new tool at your disposal for both learning about the candidates and following the election coverage. Famed newspaper, The New York Times, is temporarily removing its paywall, enabling anyone to view its content… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14959 -- Creators Update -- for Mobile and PC arrives on the Fast ring

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 6:59pm CET par Wayne Williams

It’s taken a few days longer than normal for a new build to arrive for Windows Insiders, but Build 14959 for both PC and Mobile finally makes its way onto the Fast ring. This is the first new build since Microsoft announced the next big step in Windows 10’s evolution -- Creators Update. This is due to be released early next year, but Windows Insiders will get an early taste of all its new features and improvements. SEE ALSO: Windows 10 'Creators Update' arriving next spring, and it's (mostly) all about 3D In fact, if you’re a Windows Insider you’ll… [Continue Reading]

Huawei unveils 'Mate 9' and 'Porsche Design Mate 9' Android 7.0 Nougat smartphones

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 6:34pm CET par Brian Fagioli

While the Android smartphone market was starting to feel stale, there have been many great offerings lately, such as LG V20, Google Pixel, and the LeEco Le Pro3. In other words, it is a great time to be buying an Android handset. Today, Huawei adds another remarkable-looking Android smartphone to the list -- the much-anticipated 'Mate 9'. The 5.9-inch 1080p screen should look great, and the company promises two days of use from the 4,000mAh battery -- plus fast-charging, of course. It even has 4GB of RAM standard, plus 64GB of storage. Will consumers embrace the premium dual-sim device? "The… [Continue Reading]

App developers spend too much time debugging errors in production systems

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 5:12pm CET par Ian Barker

According to a new study 43 percent of app developers spend between 10 and 25 percent of their time debugging application errors discovered in production, rather than developing new features. The survey carried out by ClusterHQ found that a quarter of respondents report encountering bugs discovered in production one or more times per week. Respondents were also asked to identify the most common causes of bugs. These were, inability to fully recreate production environments in testing (33 percent), interdependence on external systems that makes integration testing difficult (27 percent) and testing against unrealistic data before moving into production (26 percent).… [Continue Reading]

VoCore2 is a coin-sized Linux computer and fully functional wireless router

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 4:50pm CET par Wayne Williams

Raspberry Pi has taken the world by storm, and inevitably there are now lots of similar, rival computers vying for attention, often offering something different in order to stand out from the crowd. Omega2, for example, is a $5 Raspberry Pi rival, with built-in Wi-Fi and storage. VoCore2’s unique selling points are size -- it can fit on a coin -- and versatility. It can be used as a Linux-based computer with Wi-Fi, or as a fully functional wireless router. It’s incredibly affordable too. The full VoCore2 costs just $11.99, but there’s a Lite version priced at $3.99. SEE ALSO:… [Continue Reading]

Mobile devices set to influence holiday shopping habits

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 4:43pm CET par Ian Barker

We're increasingly reliant on our mobile devices for many aspects of our lives and that includes our shopping. As we move towards the holiday season advertising platform Opera Mediaworks has surveyed 800 mobile users to find out how they intend to use their mobile devices for their seasonal shopping. Among the findings are that 40 percent of shoppers have made mobile purchases directly from an advertisement and 57 percent would make a mobile purchase if the product was relevant. In addition nine out of 10 shoppers find value in having their mobile devices with them while shopping in-store. There are… [Continue Reading]

New solution aims to stop phishing attacks in their tracks

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 3:26pm CET par Ian Barker

We know that phishing is on the increase and that attacks are becoming ever more sophisticated. The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) found more than 460,000 unique phishing sites in the second quarter of 2016 alone, up 61 percent over the previous quarter and almost three times the number observed in the fourth quarter of 2015. Doamin name and threat intelligence company DomainTools is launching a new security solution that helps to prevent phishing attacks before they happen by spotting phishing domains. Called PhishEye -- see what they've done there? -- it automates the process of identifying look-alike domains that spoof… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft's Windows is one of the 'other' smartphone platforms, says Strategy Analytics

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 2:42pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

Windows does not seem to have a future in the smartphone market, as the vast majority of consumers opt for either Android or iPhone. It is a sad state of affairs, but there is little that Microsoft and its partners can do now to turn things around. Judging by the software giant's most-recent press events, it seems that it has stopped trying to compete. And this is reflected in the latest quarterly figures from Strategy Analytics. The report, which analyzes smartphone shipments in Q3 2016, puts Windows under the "Others" category, a place reserved for the least-popular platforms that only… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about unified communications

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 2:34pm CET par Barclay Ballard

Unified communications (UC) refers to a technology whereby a number of different communication media or platforms are connected and accessed as if they were a single entity. In practical terms, this enables businesses to employ a less fragmented approach to communication, allowing them to access and manage their internal and outward comms more easily. The breadth of applications covered by unified communications is relatively wide and growing to accommodate new methods of interaction. UC may incorporate email, instant messaging, smartphones, landlines, fax and social media outlets. Unified communications tools are also capable of handling both audio and video content, which… [Continue Reading]

LastPass is now available for free on smartphones, tablets and PCs

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 2:28pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

If you have considered LastPass in the past and deemed it too expensive it is now time to take another look at the popular service, as the password manager is finally offered for free across all types of devices it supports -- PCs, tablets and smartphones. Gone are the annoying limitations of before. Previously, users who wanted to take advantage of the LastPass free plan were limited to syncing passwords only between devices of the same type -- for instance, only PCs. This was not only impractical, as few of us use only smartphones or PCs, but also a serious reason to give up on LastPass --… [Continue Reading]

OWC's 13-port Thunderbolt 3 Dock expands 2016 Apple MacBook Pro's connectivity

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 1:27pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

Apple's latest MacBook Pro is a connectivity nightmare. If you opt for the base 13-inch model you only get two USB Type-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports -- but when you charge it you can only use one. The pricier models do feature twice as many ports but, regardless, you still need to buy a bunch of dongles to use your existing devices with it -- or replace them with new ones. However, if you are in the market for a new MacBook Pro your options are not as limited as they seem, as OWC just unveiled a 13-port hub -- called Thunderbolt 3 Dock -- that… [Continue Reading]

Off-the-shelf Android spyware targets high level executives

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 1:14pm CET par Ian Barker

The increasing commoditization of malware means that you no longer need to be a technical expert to launch an attack. You can simply buy the tools off the shelf. Researchers at Skycure Research Labs have uncovered just such an off-the-peg spyware attack targeting senior company executives. The app called Exaspy is a commercial Android spyware package that gives an attacker access to much of the victim's data. It was found on an Android device belonging to the vice president of a global technology company. The software disguises itself as an app called 'Google Services' and uses the package name 'com.android.protect'. This… [Continue Reading]

Instapaper Premium is now free for everyone!

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 12:54pm CET par Mark Wilson

A couple of months after joining forces with Pinterest, Instapaper has announced that the premium version of its web bookmarking and syncing service is now completely free of charge. Ditching the subscription fee does not mean that users will be inundated with ads, however. The company says that it is now far better financed, and can therefore afford to deliver an ad-free experience to everyone. Anyone who has a free Instapaper account at the moment will find that they have been automatically upgraded, and can immediately take advantage of a number of extra features. This includes the ability to save… [Continue Reading]

WindowBlinds 10.5 adds universal app skinning

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 12:04pm CET par Mike Williams

Stardock has released WindowBlinds 10.5, the latest edition of its desktop customization tool, with new support for skinning universal apps. There’s no extra work involved for the user, nothing else to configure -- just choose a visual theme and your desktop, applications and apps all get the new-look interface. Improved Windows 10 support sees skinning now applied to taskbar preview thumbnails, and the ability to blur the area behind skinned areas. The program is able to skin Windows ribbon controls, and blend the results better with title bars. (If that’s not enough, you can now hide the Windows Explorer ribbon… [Continue Reading]

Kaspersky tells ransomware victims not to pay up

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 9:54am CET par Sead Fadilpašić

If your organization ever gets infected by ransomware (and there are good chances it will) it is better not to pay up because you probably won’t get your data back, even if you do pay the ransom. This is according to a new report by security firm Kaspersky Lab, which urges organizations to instead report the incident to the authorities. It bases its conclusions on a couple of research results -- more than a third (36 percent) of organizations pay the ransom, but around 20 percent still don’t get their files back. Approximately 17 percent of organizations have been victims… [Continue Reading]

ZOTAC unveils VR-ready 'MAGNUS ERX480' mini gaming PC with AMD Radeon RX 480

Publié: novembre 3, 2016, 12:43am CET par Brian Fagioli

It used to be that if you wanted a powerful gaming PC, you would need a monstrous tower with many loud fans. Nowadays, you can build a Mini-ITX system that offers impressive specifications in a tiny package. What if you want something even smaller? Zotac has a new VR-Ready mini PC that is shockingly tiny. Inside the diminutive 'MAGNUS ERX480' barebones box is an Intel Skylake Core i5-6400T and an AMD Radeon RX480 (4GB GDDR5 256-bit). It supports DDR4 RAM (1866 or 2133) up to to 32GB and an M.2 connector for storage. For convenience, it can also be had… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about smart cities

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 9:29pm CET par Barclay Ballard

Imagine living somewhere where traffic jams were a thing of the past, where ambulance crews started on-route to an emergency before anyone had dialed 911 and where critical infrastructure operated at maximum efficiency. This utopian city may not currently be possible, but the Internet of things could change that in the not too distant future. By connecting various aspects of the urban landscape to the Internet, local administrators will gain access to countless extra data sets that could help them provide better services for their citizens. These smart cities not only promise to improve the lives of their inhabitants, but… [Continue Reading]

Adblock Plus gets its panties in a bunch over 'crazy accusations'

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 8:07pm CET par Mark Wilson

Online advertising is a divisive issue, and one that sees many people turning to ad blockers to improve their online experience. The biggest name in the business is Adblock Plus which has come under fire in recent months for its Acceptable Ads program that allows certain ads to be whitelisted. The company behind Adblock Plus, Eyeo, today published an extraordinary blog post in which it attacks "crazy accusations" made about it and its program. Introduced in the format of an election-style fact checker, the post from Ben Williams drips with barely disguised fury at what are described as "slants, spins… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about deep learning

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 7:12pm CET par Ian Barker

The concept of machine learning has been around for some time. Deep learning is an area of research aimed at taking things further still and getting closer to an artificial intelligence system by using neural networks in a way that imitates the human brain. Sometimes also referred to as hierarchical learning or deep structured learning, it seeks to model data in order to solve problems like object and facial recognition, natural language processing and speech recognition. It’s called deep learning because the data is processed through a number of layers, usually in a neural network, the output from one layer… [Continue Reading]

How to rename Cortana in Windows 10 (you can call her 'Siri' if you like!)

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 5:57pm CET par Wayne Williams

One of Windows 10’s biggest new features is the inclusion of Microsoft’s personal assistant, Cortana. She can do all sorts of things for you, from searching the web, to setting reminders, and even looking up songs as they play. You can summon Cortana at any time simply by saying "Hey, Cortana", but if you’d rather call her something different -- "Siri", perhaps, or "Darling", or "Ava" -- it’s possible to give her a name change. This is how. First you need the portable MyCortana, which you can download from here. It’s a tiny 353KB download. Launch it and click 'Settings'… [Continue Reading]

Need personalized #Election2016 voting information? Direct message @Gov on Twitter

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 5:44pm CET par Brian Fagioli

November 8, 2016 is Election Day, and I am excited. While neither of the two major presidential candidates are exceptional in my eyes, I have decided on one of them. It is my responsibility and duty as an American to vote, and when I cast my ballot for her/him, I will do so proudly -- not holding my nose as I pull the lever. If you are still undecided about choosing a candidate, or simply don't know where to go to vote, I have good news. Twitter is making it all very easy. Simply direct message the @Gov account, and… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft launches Teams -- and Slack is worried

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 5:30pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

It is no secret that Microsoft has been working on a Slack rival, but it is not until today that we get to take a proper look at the new collaboration tool. Called Microsoft Teams, it will officially launch in the first quarter of 2017, though the software giant is making it available as a public preview starting today. Should you give it a try? The benefit to Microsoft Teams, as the software giant explains it, is the integration with some of its most important products and services, like Office 365 and Skype, to help users collaborate more easily on different… [Continue Reading]

Datto launches new ransomware protection for SMBs

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 5:18pm CET par Ian Barker

We already know that ransomware is a lucrative business for the attackers. But for the victims, especially smaller businesses, it can prove devastating. A new solution offering enterprise-class ransomware protection for small and mid sized companies is being launched by data protection specialist Datto. In the event of an attack it aims to shorten downtime, save money and reduce the impact to business, giving companies an effective and reliable alternative to paying hackers' ransoms. The software guards against malicious encryption in the company's Backupify, Datto NAS and Datto Drive offerings, as well as providing ransomware detection within its flagship SIRIS… [Continue Reading]

Developers prefer open source tools

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 3:53pm CET par Ian Barker

New research shows that 98 percent of developers use open source tools at work, with 56 percent revealing that more than half of their development tools are open source, and 18 percent using only open source tools. The study from code collaboration platform GitLab also shows that more than half of developers (55 percent) are able to choose the tools they work with. When asked about the tools and techniques that are most important to them, 92 percent say distributed version control systems (Git repositories) are very or extremely important for their everyday work followed by continuous integration (77 percent),… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft Surface Book i7 vs Apple MacBook Pro 2016: Which new laptop should you choose?

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 3:00pm CET par Wayne Williams

Last Wednesday, Microsoft revealed, among other things, an updated Surface Book. The following day, Apple introduced a new MacBook Pro. Both devices look great, sport powerful innards and come with a suitably high price tag. Which you go for will likely depend on whether you’re a fan of Microsoft or Apple, but if you’re not firmly entrenched in either camp, and need a little guidance to decide which laptop to go for, here are all the details you need. Obviously, the Surface Book i7 and MacBook Pro 2016 aren’t exactly like for like. The Surface Book’s display detaches, for one… [Continue Reading]

New platform aims to deliver personalized communications to any device

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 2:53pm CET par Ian Barker

In order to retain customers businesses need to be responsive to their needs and send them relevant communications. Mobile growth platform company Urban Airship is making it easier for marketers to do this with a service that lets them deliver individualized messaging to any platform, device or marketing channel and use real-time customer data from any system. It uses a two-pronged approach with what it calls Open Channels and Open Profiles. Open Channels, allows companies to reach customers with rich notification-style messaging on any channel -- from chat messaging services and email, to intelligent personal assistants and in-car information systems.… [Continue Reading]

Explore malicious executables with Adlice PEViewer

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 2:51pm CET par Mike Williams

Adlice PEViewer -- aka RogueKillerPE -- is a free tool for analyzing and exploring Windows executables. The results can help you troubleshoot programs, find out more about what they’re doing, and perhaps identify malware that your regular antivirus tool has missed. It’s the free version of a commercial tool and a nag screen appears occasionally, but not enough to be annoying and there are no other major restrictions. Launch PeViewer and you’re able to open an EXE disk image, handy for performing a PeStudio-like static analysis of the file. Usefully, you can also select a target from your running processes,… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about automation

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 2:27pm CET par Barclay Ballard

When businesses think of automation, they probably conjure up images of simplicity, efficiency, lower costs and increased productivity. Of course, this is something of an oversimplification and there are certainly challenges to adopting workplace automation. However, it is not hard to see why more and more industries are automating their business processes. Whether it’s via robots or software, automation can eliminate the repetitive, manual tasks that, while essential, are a huge drain on employee time. Automation lets members of staff direct their energies into more productive areas, such as coming up with innovative new ideas. Before embracing automation, however, organizations… [Continue Reading]

New platform improves accuracy of behavioral attack detection

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 1:15pm CET par Ian Barker

As cyber attacks get more sophisticated, so being able to spot them requires a different approach from simply looking for signatures. Behavioral detection company LightCyber is launching a new version of its Magna platform that increases the precision and speed of detecting an in-progress attack from either a malicious insider or external bad actor. "Detecting and thwarting an active attack requires highly precise detection of the attacker’s operational activities," says Jason Matlof, executive vice president of LightCyber. "The historic problem endemic to security has been the inability to parse out the most relevant attacker signals, which has resulted in overwhelming… [Continue Reading]

Mozilla pulls Battery Status API from Firefox over privacy concerns

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 12:35pm CET par Mark Wilson

It was supposed to be a feature that allowed more efficient versions of websites to be delivered to people running out of battery power. But the Battery Status API built into Firefox was also found to be problematic from a privacy point of view after it was discovered that visitors' battery levels could be used to track them online. In response to this the API is being pulled from Firefox. The potential for the Battery Status API to be misused has been known for some time -- it is possible to track users even when they are using VPNs or… [Continue Reading]

Five reasons why VDI is a good match for Windows 10

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 11:44am CET par Patrick Brennan

The first anniversary of the launch of Windows 10 was marked by Microsoft revealing that the operating system enjoyed one of the fastest adoption rates in the history of Windows. The software giant announced that over 300 million devices are now using Windows 10. Adoption rates for its latest operating system are 145 percent higher than for Windows 7 and 400 percent better than for Windows 8. But however popular Windows 10 might be in terms of user adoption, it still brings a lot of the baggage of its predecessors for IT professionals to deal with, including painful migrations, time-consuming… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft: Russian hackers are exploiting Windows flaw exposed by Google

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 11:29am CET par Mark Wilson

Microsoft says that a vulnerability in Windows made public by Google has been exploited by a hacking group with links to Russia. The group -- known variously as Strontium, Fancy Bear, and APT 28 -- has executed several spear phishing attacks, the company says. Google was criticized for publicizing the vulnerability before Microsoft has released a patch. A fix for the security hole is not due to be released until Tuesday, 8 November -- voting day in the US election. The hacking group is one that has been linked to the Russian government, and is thought to have been behind… [Continue Reading]

Admiral Insurance to use algorithms to set insurance prices based on customers' Facebook posts

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 10:44am CET par Mark Wilson

Facebook, it is said -- much like Big Brother -- is watching you. Privacy groups have long warned about the potential for information shared on the social network to be misused, and now an insurance company is planning to make use of the status updates customers post to determine the type of drivers they are. The controversial move finds Admiral Insurance using an algorithm to analyze the posts of new drivers in a bid to determine the type of people they are. By linking 'likes', writing style and other factors, Admiral believes the system -- called firstcarquote -- can be… [Continue Reading]

RealVNC rebrands as VNC Connect 6.0, switches to subscription-based model

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 9:56am CET par Nick Peers

RealVNC Ltd has unveiled RealVNC VNC Connect 6.0, the newly rebadged and updated version of its VNC server and client package for Windows, Mac and Linux. There’s a shift from a perpetual license keys to a subscription-based model, plus a large number of new features, including cloud connections, team-based remote access and sharing, and support for improving remote access. The name change from RealVNC to VNC Connect reflects some of the major changes implemented in version 6. There’s no longer any permanent licenses for sale -- instead, users have a choice of three subscription tiers: Enterprise, Professional and a free… [Continue Reading]

Belkin 6,700 mAh 'Valet Charger Power Pack' charges both iPhone and Apple Watch

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 1:36am CET par Brian Fagioli

Having a removable battery in a smartphone can be convenient, but portable USB battery packs have made that concept obsolete. Investing in extra batteries which are designed for only one specific device can be costly and wasteful when you change phones. A USB pack can be used with many devices, making it a good investment. Today, Belkin announces one of the most elegant such products -- especially for Apple device owners. You see, the 6,700 mAh 'Valet Charger Power Pack' can charge both iPhone and Apple Watch. In addition to a USB port, it offers wireless charging for Apple's wearable, making this an indispensable… [Continue Reading]

Meet Master & Dynamic MW50 Wireless on-ear headphones

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 12:18am CET par Joe Wilcox

I am a big fan of on-ear headphones, which attitude bucks the noise-cancellation trend. The design is a nice compromise between over-ear and open-back styles—the latter of which can present the best soundstage. Cans that rest on the ears, rather than cover them, tend to be lighter and confer airier, more natural sound. However, they also leak noise both ways, which makes them less appealing for commuter trains or air travel. Since I reviewed MW60 Wireless last week, I simply must point out that Master & Dynamic launched MW50 on-ear Bluetooth headphones today. Yes, I plan to review them in the near future. The company… [Continue Reading]

Alcatel IDOL 4S is a VR-ready Windows 10 Mobile smartphone you might actually want

Publié: novembre 2, 2016, 12:04am CET par Brian Fagioli

Windows 10 Mobile is a solid smartphone operating system with two big flaws -- lack of both apps and developers. This has lead to such low market share, that many consider Microsoft's mobile operating system to be irrelevant. With that said, not everyone needs a lot of apps. If you mostly do things like text messaging, surfing the web, and accessing email on the go, a Windows 10 device is a brilliantly secure way to do so. Today, Alcatel officially announces the previously leaked IDOL 4S with Windows 10 (there is an Android version too). Not only is the inexpensive device beautiful, but chocked full of… [Continue Reading]

Samsung's Note7 exchange booths: Could users' old data be exposed?

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 9:12pm CET par Richard Stiennon

When it comes to the exploding batteries on Galaxy Note7 models, Samsung has been lauded for its crisis management approach and how it’s accepted responsibility for the problem. Now setting up exchange booths at airports around the world so users can exchange their Galaxy Note7 phones is yet another example of its exceptional crisis management approach. But while it’s commendable how swiftly Samsung is taking action to replace the faulty handsets, the company has left one crucial component out of this plan. That is, erasing the data from those Galaxy Note7 devices that are turned in at its exchange booths… [Continue Reading]

Suck this! Razer cuts Apple with below-the-belt MacBook Pro attack

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 8:33pm CET par Mark Wilson

The latest addition to the MacBook Pro range has seen Apple heaped with praise -- for the most part. While the reception has been largely positive, there have been pockets of criticism. One thing for which the late-2016 MacBook Pro has been mocked is its lack of an SD card reader. Some critics have said that the absence of such a port means the laptop is not worthy of its 'professional' tag. Razer, the company behind high-end gaming laptops, today took to Twitter to take a swipe at Apple with a taunt that raised eyebrows and caused a degree of… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft Edge is way more secure than Chrome and Firefox

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 8:24pm CET par Wayne Williams

While Microsoft Edge might be a little lacking in features, compared to more established browsers like Chrome and Firefox, one area where it is better than its rivals is security. That’s according to NSS Labs which today announced the results of its latest Web Browser Security comparative test. The test pitted Chrome, Firefox and -- for the first time -- Edge against each other to see how effective the browsers are at protecting against threats. The test measured how well the browsers did when protecting against social engineered malware (SEM) (one of the most common security threats facing users) and… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about enterprise resource planning

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 8:24pm CET par Sam Pudwell, Ian Barker

We’ve already covered what businesses need to know about enterprise content management (ECM), so now it’s time to move on to another popular business tool: enterprise resource planning (ERP). ERP is business process management software -- typically consisting of a suite of integrated applications -- that allows an organization to manage its entire business and automate many back-office functions. It is designed to be used by larger enterprises -- often requiring dedicated teams to customize and analyze the data -- and integrates various facets of an operation, including sales and marketing, product planning, manufacturing and inventory management, making sure everything… [Continue Reading]

How to re-enable the startup chime on a late-2016 MacBook Pro

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 8:12pm CET par Mark Wilson

For some, Apple's decision to drop the startup chime from the latest batch of MacBook Pros came as great news -- for others it was an absolute travesty. The quest for a silent startup has led many Mac users over the years to seek out third party tools to kill the sound, but now that it has gone there are those who want it back. All is not lost! If you prefer a musical start to your computing sessions, you can re-enable the chime. As discovered by one enterprising MacRumors forum user, all it takes is a little work in… [Continue Reading]

Google demos how neural networks can encrypt communications

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 8:07pm CET par Anthony Spadafora

In an effort to demonstrate how AI could be used to boost encryption, researchers at Google taught two neural networks how to communicate with one another while keeping their conversation secret from a third. Researchers at the company's deep learning initiative, Google Brain, have successfully taught two neural networks, given the nicknames "Alice" and "Bob", to secretly communicate with one another while keeping the details of their conversations hidden from one called "Eve". Last week, the team behind this endeavor published a paper detailing the process of the experiment and its results. Neural networks operate by searching through copious amounts of… [Continue Reading]

AWS more popular than Microsoft, Google and IBM's clouds combined

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 7:40pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

Amazon Web Services is the undisputed leader in the public cloud market, with a market share larger than the next three competitors -- Microsoft, Google and IBM -- combined, according to a new report from Synergy Research Group. In Q3 2016, AWS had a share of around 45 percent in the public IaaS (infrastructure as a service) market, while Microsoft's Azure, Google's Cloud and IBM's cloud did not even get past the 20 percent mark. Things are expected to change in the future, as Microsoft and Google have higher growth rates in this space as AWS. So, we can expect… [Continue Reading]

What the heck is happening at Apple?

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 6:22pm CET par Robert X. Cringely

"What the heck is happening at Apple?" people ask me. "Has the company lost its mojo?" "Why no new product categories?" "Why didn’t Apple, instead of AT&T, buy Time Warner?" And "Why are the new MacBook Pros so darned expensive?" After first getting out of the way the fact that Apple is still the richest public company in the history of public companies, let’s take these questions in reverse order beginning with the MacBook Pros. In addition to their nifty OLED finger bar above the keyboard, these new Macs seem to have gained an average of $200 over the preceding… [Continue Reading]

AdWords malvertising targets macOS users

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 6:10pm CET par Ian Barker

Researchers at threat prevention company Cylance have discovered a malvertising campaign on Google AdWords for the search term "Google Chrome", where unsuspecting macOS users were being tricked into downloading a malicious installer. The installer, identified as "OSX/InstallMiez" (or "OSX/InstallCore"), ultimately downloads a malicious file named "FLVPlayer.dmg". The malware hash changes on each download, making it difficult to detect and track. Once the installation is completed, the browser is redirected to a scareware page. Clicking on the link leads to another page offering a potentially unwanted program (PUP) claiming to cleanup OS X computers as well as starting a download for… [Continue Reading]

What you need to know about data centers

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 5:42pm CET par Barclay Ballard

Data centers, in the sense of a centralized space where business information is stored, have always been important, but as we move towards an increasingly digital economy, and indeed, way of life, they have taken on even greater significance. The importance of data centers to our everyday actions can be glimpsed simply by taking a look at the amount of energy that they consume. According to the National Resource Defense Council, the Internet, which relies on data center infrastructure for its utility, represents 1.1 to 1.5 percent of all global electricity use -- with the associated annual greenhouse gas emissions… [Continue Reading]

Hello 'Sense with Voice' is an evolution of the company's original sleep system revolution

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 4:58pm CET par Brian Fagioli

When people think of health, they often forget about sleep. This is unfortunate, as getting meaningful nighttime rest is an important part of a healthy life. The problem? Fitness wearables that double as sleep-trackers have a fatal flaw -- if you wear them day and night, when the heck do you charge them? This was my problem with Microsoft's (now-canceled) Band -- I wanted to wear it at night, but on some evenings, I couldn't, as I had to charge it. A company called "Hello" brilliantly solved this dilemma, by offering a dongle that connects to your pillowcase (called "Sleep Pill"), which… [Continue Reading]

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British empire strikes back with new cyber security strategy backed by £1.9 billion investment

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 4:20pm CET par Ian Barker

The UK government has today launched a new National Cyber Security Strategy, setting out decisive action to protect the nation's economy and the privacy of British citizens, and strike back against attackers, while encouraging industry to up its game to prevent damaging cyber-attacks. The strategy sets out how the UK will use automated defenses to safeguard citizens and businesses against growing cyber threats, support the UK's growing cyber security industry, develop a world-class cyber workforce, and deter cyber-attacks from criminals and hostile actors. The announcement also promised £1.9 billion (around $2.3 billion) of investment for action in three key areas,… [Continue Reading]

Analyze and compare video quality with QCTools

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 4:13pm CET par Mike Williams

QCTools is an open-source cross-platform tool for analyzing and objectively measuring video quality. The program is aimed at helping professional users identify problems with digitized footage, but it could also help to compare video codecs, conversion tools and more. QCTools is available for Windows, Linux and Mac. It’s a lightweight package -- a single executable and a few text files -- and installed easily on our test PC. Drag and drop a video or two onto the program and it begins analysis. This is an in-depth, frame-by-frame process, so you’ll probably need to be patient (even a 150-second test video… [Continue Reading]

Enterprises put themselves at risk by running outdated Microsoft products

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 3:46pm CET par Ian Barker

According to a new report 65 percent of Windows systems are still running Windows 7, and a small percentage of devices are still running Windows XP. The survey from trusted access specialist Duo Security analyzed more than two million endpoints and found 63 percent of them running Microsoft operating systems. Yet only 24 percent are running Windows 10. Windows 7 remains the most popular despite there being over 600 vulnerabilities affecting unpatched versions. The unloved Windows 8.1 is on eight percent of surveyed systems. Although only one percent of systems are still running XP that still accounts for tens of thousands of… [Continue Reading]

Bad news for Microsoft as Windows 10's market share flatlines

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 1:33pm CET par Wayne Williams

While it was free, and being aggressively pushed on to users (whether they wanted it or not), Windows 10 saw strong growth, rapidly gaining significant market share. However, since it became a paid product, it’s fair to say the new operating system has been struggling. In September, NetMarketShare reported that Windows 10 didn’t just show slower growth, it went into reverse gear and actually lost usage share. And things weren’t much better for Windows 10 in October either. SEE ALSO: WTF? Windows 10 now actually losing market share NetMarketShare shows that in October, Windows 10 went from 22.53 percent usage… [Continue Reading]

70 percent of organizations are swamped by threat data

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 1:05pm CET par Ian Barker

New research from threat intelligence platform Anomali and the Ponemon Institute shows that 70 percent of security industry professionals believe threat intelligence is often too big and/or complex to provide actionable insights. It also shows that they often fail to share essential threat data with board members and C-level executives, despite the fact that security is now a business priority. In addition the study finds that security teams within organizations aren't optimized to deliver on threat intelligence. Less than half (46 percent) of those polled say incident responders use threat data when deciding how to respond to malicious activity, which… [Continue Reading]

Will Hillary Clinton win? Can Donald Trump become president? Find out live on YouTube

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 12:48pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Today is the first day of November. While the start of this month is not normally exciting, it is home to my favorite holiday -- Thanksgiving. This year, the month is much more than turkey, however. You see, on November 8th, many Americans will cast their votes for President of the United States. This election season has been particularly contentious, so it can feel like the stakes are very high. Not to mention, there is the possibility of history being made, as we could see the first woman elected to this particular office. Do you think Hillary Clinton will win the… [Continue Reading]

Tinder has spoken -- Hillary Clinton will beat Donald Trump

Publié: novembre 1, 2016, 12:06pm CET par Mark Wilson

There's now just a week to go in the battle between Trump and Clinton. The race to the White House is nearly over and as revelation after revelation sways polls this way and that way, voters and pundits alike are asking: just who will win this election? Dating app Tinder thinks it knows the answer. Working in conjunction with Rock the Vote, Tinder users were invited to Swipe the Vote to see not only who they would vote for, but also which candidate they most closely matched. Around the world -- with the exception of Russia -- Clinton came out… [Continue Reading]

Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » novembre 2016

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