Signal Desktop first beta now available
Edward Snowden-endorsed developer Open Whisper Systems has announced the first public beta of Signal Desktop, a secure chat app for Chrome.
The new release enables users of its popular mobile app, Signal Private Messenger, to carry on a conversation across even more devices.
Instart Logic and Verisign team up to fight DDoS attacks
DDoS activity is at its highest for two years according to Verisign's Q3 2015 DDoS Trends Report, and as the number and sophistication of attacks increases, companies are recognizing the need for better security.
Application delivery specialist Instart Logic has announced a partnership with Verisign to offer customers an advanced DDoS scrubbing capability.
Shutterstock Tab brings beautiful images to every new Chrome tab
Stock photo vendor Shutterstock has released Shutterstock Tab, a free Chrome extension which displays a gorgeous image as a background for every new Chrome tab.
As a bonus, there’s also a clock, a 5-day weather forecast, and a tiny toolbar with links to recently visited sites.
Google becomes the largest non-power company consumer of renewable energy
This week saw the big climate conference in Paris, bringing together numerous world leaders to discuss the changes occurring in our world. What we hope to get is improvement in the increasing amount of climate change, an effort to protect the environment for us and the wildlife that depend on it.
One answer is now coming from Google, which has long been a proponent of the need for change. The search giant has long backed renewable energy and now it claims to be the largest consumer of it. Well, the largest that isn't classified as a power company.
Record desktop activity to tiny self-playing EXEs with Screen2SWF
Windows screen recorder Screen2SWF, once a $49 commercial product, is now available for free.
With so much freeware competition around already you might be thinking, "so what?", but wait: the program does have some interesting features which help it stand out from the crowd.
Chimera crypto-ransomware threatens to share your private files online
Crypto-ransomware is one of the latest trends in the world of malware. Encrypting and holding files to ransom provides a way to extort money from victims, but a new example takes things one step further.
Chimera not only locks users out of their files until a ransom is paid, but also threatens to release unencrypted copies of the files online if payment is not made. Security company Trend Micro says this is the first instance of this type of threat. Interestingly, Chimera also seems to be part of an affiliate program.
How effective are parental controls for your child's safety?
Children are figuring out how to use the internet at a much younger age than in the past. Kids 1 or 2 years old are exposed to computer devices to help distract them. They quickly learn how to press the right buttons on smartphones, tablets and other devices. It is great that kids are learning to use technology at such a young age, but it also can create nightmares for the adults.
The internet is full of information and entertainment for people of all ages, but not everything found on the internet is appropriate for young children. It is up to the parents to make sure that the kids are not exposed to things they are not prepared to handle or that could put them into a dangerous situation. Parents need to find ways to protect their children when they are not around to monitor it themselves.
iOS 9's adoption rate dwarfs Android 6.0 Marshmallow
This fall we saw the release of iOS 9 from Apple just before the company launched the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
The success of these new models along with an uptick in the adoption rates of iOS 9 showed how quickly Apple users were to upgrade their devices. So far iOS 9 has an adoption rate of 70 percent which is significantly higher when compared to Marshmallow’s adoption rate.
IFTTT gains support for Honeywell Total Connect Comfort with new channel
If This Then That has been popular for a while, allowing users to create all sorts of new and creative functionality to make their lives simpler. In fact, recently the service became compatible with Amazon Echo and we took a look at how to set up a simple recipe that allows users to locate a lost phone -- providing it isn't muted and is within range to hear it ringing.
We're always looking for new and creative ideas to make this even better and one of those is home automation. With that in mind, IFTTT is unveiling its Honeywell Total Connect Comfort channel. Much like Nest, this is a smart thermostat that can be set from an app and done from anywhere in the world.
Top Bing searches of 2015 -- Caitlyn Jenner, Paris attacks, Pizza rat, Tom Brady, and more
To quote my main homeboy Charlie Brown, "Good grief!" -- 2015 has been a very difficult year. While no year has ever been perfect, this one has felt particularly long and taxing. Sure, there were positives, such as Caitlyn Jenner's courageous gender change, and the royal birth of baby Charlotte. But sadly, there were also horrific moments, such as the terrorist attacks in Paris, the Germanwings 9525 crash, and the heart-breaking EU refugee crisis.
While the importance of each moment varies in importance from person to person, overall, we have a shared societal experience that makes all of these things impact our lives. Whether you like it or not, the Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy break-up -- as silly as it may be -- has changed the world. A great way to see what is on the minds of people is to analyze search data. Today, Microsoft shares the top Bing searches of 2015. And yes, Kim Kardashian is once again making the list.
AMD unveils FirePro W4300 -- a low-profile CAD beast, capable of both 4K and 5K
If you are a computer builder, you have probably bought a graphics card before. Sure, some people -- like yours truly -- like to utilize on-board graphics when possible to save money, but for the best gaming performance, a dedicated GPU is ideal.
For businesses, however, gaming is not typically a priority. With that said, some companies still have a need for a powerful GPU in a workstation depending on their needs. For instance, if your business works with CAD, it is essential. Today, AMD unveils the FirePro W4300 -- a low-profile beast. It features 4GB of GDDR5 and four mini Display Ports in a svelte package -- perfect for small form factor machines.
Facebook's Page plugin ventures into CRM territory with new Events and Messages options
Facebook has done an excellent job of becoming the social network, connecting people all over the world. More recently, it has tapped into business markets by providing companies with a quick, easy, and -- importantly -- free way to create an online presence. Now, with an update to its Page plugin, Facebook is making it easier for businesses to connect and communicate with customers.
The update makes it possible to better integrate Facebook with an existing website. Companies can easily add the ability to send a message via their website, and the communication will appear on Facebook on the Messages tab. The update also makes it easier to share news about upcoming events, keeping all-important customer engagement going.
Facebook will stop tracking Belgian web users who shun the social network
Privacy issues in relation to Facebook make frequent appearances, but they tend to focus on instances of the social network using the browsing and account data of logged in users. However, a recent court case in Belgium highlighted the fact that the site was tracking people who accessed public Facebook pages either without a Facebook account, or without logging into one.
This change has a couple of implications for people. Firstly, it means that people who are trying to stay off Facebook's radar will be better able to do so, but it also means that previously accessible content will only be available to those willing to log into their account. Facebook is complying with the Belgian court order that was handed down last month, but the company is not happy about it and intends to fight back.
Sling TV updates it Roku app, adds new UI and more
Slowly over the past couple of months, Sling TV has been rolling out an update. It has already hit Amazon Fire TV, Xbox One, Android TV, Mac, PC and also mobile platforms Android and iOS. Now the reach of this release will become complete, as Roku is on tap.
This is happening now, as Sling TV is officially announcing the update for the tiny set-top boxes. The company labels this as phase one of its plan. This brings a brand new user interface which contains a revamped channel guide that Sling claims gives a quicker response and easier access to live channels and on-demand content.
Hackers make DDoS threats to extort Greek banks
A group of hackers is trying to extort money from three Greek banks and is threatening the financial institutions with DDoS attacks unless they comply.
The group, which goes by the name Armada Collective, has asked the three banks which weren’t named, to pay a ransom in Bitcoin or face a distributed denial of service attack.
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