Cortana for Android loses its raison d'être
When Cortana made its way to the Windows 10 desktop, lots of users were excited by the prospect of a Microsoft version of Siri. Moving to Android as well as Windows 10 Mobile devices, Cortana could really compete with not just Siri's voice control options, but also OK Google.
Now this has changed -- at least for Android users in the US. The latest update to the app strips out the voice activation options leaving users questioning whether or not there is any point in having the app installed.
What you need to know about VPNs
A virtual private network (VPN) brings additional security to anyone using a public network, such as the Internet. Using a variety of security methods, such as encryption, the VPN is able to safeguard any data transmitted across the network, which may be at risk if it simply used the underlying public network infrastructure.
VPNs are often employed when it would not be practical to use a physical private network, usually due to financial reasons. As businesses embrace mobile working and face increasing pressure to protect sensitive information, many are employing virtual private networks to improve their network security.
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Ericsson suckles on Apple's massive teat thanks to multi-billion dollar patent deal
Some companies innovate, while some imitate. Other businesses make money from patent deals. There is nothing wrong with protecting patents, but sometimes a company that truly moves the dial ends up paying a lesser company as a result.
The latest such case of this, is Ericsson signing a patent deal with Apple, ending years of legal battles. The latter company is forward-thinking and one of the most important tech companies in the world; the former, while important, is not on the same level as Apple. I am not saying Ericsson doesn't deserve to profit from Apple's arguable use of its patented technology, but the deal is yet another another example of a company seemingly suckling at Apple's massive teat.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 9.7 is a great iPad Air 2 alternative [Review]
Tablets are often seen as a consumer device, allowing you to update Facebook from the sofa while you watch TV, or catch up with iPlayer in bed. But they’re increasingly finding a place in the business world too, allowing mobile workers to catch up with emails or update documents on the move. They can also be a viable laptop replacement for tasks like making sales presentations.
The iPad remains popular, since it popularized the tablet format, but of late, Android devices have been catching up in terms of quality and capability. Samsung has long been one of the biggest players in the Android tablet market and its latest premium tablet, and the Galaxy Tab S2 is clear evidence of the company’s intention to park its tank on the iPad’s lawn. But how well does it succeed and what does it have to offer to tempt business users away from buying the Apple device?
Motorola Droid Turbo 2 can survive a 900ft drop, putting all other smartphones to shame
Modern phones are not designed to be durable. If you take a current-generation smartphone and you drop it, chances are you will end up with a shattered screen and a dent in the frame. Or, if you're not careful enough, it can develop massive scratches. Considering how expensive they can be to repair, it might be cheaper to just buy a replacement. We've been slowly eased into this, no doubt helped by carrier contracts which allow us to get a newer handset every two years or even sooner.
But not all modern phones are this fragile. Take Motorola's Droid Turbo 2 for example. It's a top-of-the-line smartphone, with a price lower than the typical players in that segment, but with a display that still works after the device is dropped from 900 feet. In fact, the handset itself looks pretty good after that, all this considered.
The enterprise trends of 2015
Businesses tend to be quite conservative in their approach to technology, so it's always interesting to look at what's been sparking their interest.
Identity and mobility management specialist Okta has released a new report, based on analysis of its customers, looking at the big winners and losers in the enterprise over the past year.
Shut down Windows 10 telemetry with Win10 Spy Disabler
Windows 10 brought us Cortana. Edge. A brand new Start Menu. Oh, and a host of new and extended ways for Microsoft to capture data on your activities.
Fortunately 2015 has also seen the growth of a whole new market for programs to turn these technologies off again, and Win10 Spy Disabler is the latest example.
Please, sir, I want some porn
UK consumers of porn will have to ask their ISP to provide them with access to X-rated content. As the government continues its futile bid to sanitize the web, new customers signing up for internet access with Sky will find that an adult content filter is enabled by default.
This means that anyone wanting to view content that has been deemed 'adult' will have to contact Sky to lift the block. The decision to make the content filter opt-out rather than opt-in was taken after it transpired that a mere 3 percent of existing users had taken the step of switching it on in the first year since its introduction in 2013.
New HTTP 451 error indicates pages have been blocked or censored
It's not every day that a new HTTP error code is introduced -- there are, after all, a limit to the number that could possibly be needed -- but it may not be long before you encounter a 451 error. The code has been made a new standard by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to indicate when sites have been taken down for legal reasons.
Described as an 'HTTP Status Code to Report Legal Obstacles', it is hoped that 451 errors will introduce a new level of transparency about sites that have been killed by governments or law enforcement agencies. In some ways it is an extension of the 403 (Forbidden) error, but it provides a little more information as to why a particular site cannot be accessed.
Human behavior is the biggest threat to company security
A new survey of cyber security professionals from information management company Nuix shows that businesses are placing greater emphasis on insider threats.
The report reveals that 71 percent of respondents report that they have an insider threat program or policy, and 14 percent say that they allocate 40 percent or more of their budget to insider threats.
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Microsoft has a bright future, says Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs thinks Microsoft is making a comeback. The investment banking firm has produced a 22-page document -- titled Righting a Wrong -- looking at Microsoft’s current business, the recent changes it has made and it’s future opportunities.
The research analyzes Microsoft’s core businesses of Azure, Windows and Office and believes that the future looks bright for the company, going as far as to change its stock rating from Sell to Neutral.
Another nail in the coffin for Flash as Facebook defaults to HTML5 video
The demise of Flash has been long, lingering, and painful -- and highly over due in many people's books. There has been a spate of high profile ditchings of Flash recently: Speedtest.net, Twitch, Chrome and Netflix to name but a few. Now Facebook has thrown its hat in the ring switching to HTML5 video.
This is a move that is browser-agnostic, and means that every single video you see on the social network will default to HTML5. While many will see this as a cause for celebration, the change does not completely spell the death of Flash -- it will continue to be used on Facebook for many games.
KickassTorrents now has its own movie release group
There has been something of a clamp down on torrent sites around the world in recent years, but that doesn’t mean they're going away. It may be slightly harder to get a torrent fix these days, but where there's a will there's a way. One of the biggest names still on the scene is KickassTorrents, and it has now ventured into new territory by starting a release group of its own.
Over the last few days, the group -- under the handle KATRG -- has been pushing out numerous Blu-ray rips and screeners. There's no sign of Star Wars: The Force Awakens just yet (although it's surely not long before it makes an appearance), but there are some big releases out there including The Hateful Eight, The Peanuts Movie, and The Revenant.
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