Latest Technology News

iHome announces new line of outdoor speakers

If you are looking for an outdoor speaker for this summer then you want something proven to withstand the elements. iHome is a premier maker of such devices and is now announcing a new line that it claims is perfect for outdoor use.

The Weather Tough line is being called "military grade" portable Bluetooth speakers. They were announced back in January at the Consumer Electronics Show, but are just hitting the market now.

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More than half of board members are willing to sack security execs for poor reporting

Boss firing employee message card

The decisions that board level executives make on cyber security are very dependent on the quality of the reports they receive from front line management.

A new report from cyber risk analysis specialist Bay Dynamics, carried out in conjunction with Osterman Research, looks at how boards of directors see cyber security reports. Among its findings are that 59 percent of board members say that one or more IT security executives will lose their job as a result of failing to provide useful, actionable information.

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Ransomware now targets your smart TV

Ransomware is an increasing security concern for IT professionals

While the ransomware threat is growing at an alarming rate, many consumers remain oblivious to the dangers posed by this form of malware. It is no wonder that infections are at a record level. And things will only get worse as ransomware creators target new types of devices.

Security researchers at Trend Micro have discovered a new ransomware, referred to as FLocker, that targets Android-powered smart TVs. When activated, it locks the device and asks the user to pay "a fine" to enable full functionality again. Interestingly enough, it takes the ransom in iTunes gift cards, not Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency.

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Apple doesn't seem to have decided which devices will support iOS 10

When Apple announced iOS 10 yesterday, there was one question that people around the world were asking themselves: will my device run it? The company sent out rather confusing signals yesterday in answer to this question.

Slides shown during the announcement presentation revealed the iPads, iPhones and iPods that will be able to upgrade to iOS 10. But the official iOS 10 preview page told a different story. Devices that were previously absent from the support list -- such as 3rd generation iPad -- were suddenly listed as supporting iOS 10. Now Apple has changed its mind again, and updated the list once more.

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Portworx launches enterprise-class storage for containers

Disk backup

The use of containers has done much to transform the deployment of applications. However, storage hasn't kept pace as it's difficult to scale up to cope with increased workloads.

Data storage specialist Portworx is launching new purpose-built, enterprise-class storage solution for containers. PX-Enterprise will enable IT to match the agility of application developers and deliver lower costs compared to legacy solutions.

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SailPoint extends open identity management platform

unknown identity

Since threats to enterprise systems often come from stolen or compromised credentials, managing user identity is a vital part of modern security.

Access control specialist SailPoint is announcing a plugin framework for its SailPoint IdentityIQ platform that will allow customers and partners to develop extensions to the core product features, so they can move towards a more identity-aware organization.

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Internet of Things devices are NSA's latest target

The Internet of Things (IoT) may be the US National Security Agency’s next potential target for spying and collecting data according to a comment made by its deputy director at a recent military technology conference.

During the conference, which was held in Washington DC on June 10, deputy director of the NSA Richard Ledgett said that the agency is considering potential ways it could collect data from internet-connected devices such as smart appliances and pacemakers.

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Flamory is a smart bookmark manager for web pages and local files

Flamory is a free-for-personal-use research tool which allows recording and searching web pages and local files. This starts with a simple screenshot function. When you’re viewing an interesting website or document, press Ctrl+Alt+A to take a screenshot, and it’s saved locally.

Open the viewer later and you’re able to browse captures and annotate them with a pen, shapes, pointers or text captions.

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elementary OS 0.4 'Loki' Beta now available -- download the popular Linux distro here

There are a lot of Linux-based desktop operating systems nowadays. Understandably, it can be hard to pick one. Many Linux users end up being distro-jumpers, constantly trying many, yet never settling.

One popular Linux distro is vying for your attention, hopefully making you feel at home -- no jumping needed. Called elementary OS, it uses an Ubuntu base for stability and software compatibility. The developers put a high value on the user experience -- the interface is both gorgeous and intuitive. Today, the much anticipated 0.4 version -- code-named 'Loki' -- sees Beta release.

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Encryption-focused Apple File System (APFS) replacing HFS+ on macOS, iOS, tvOS, watchOS

Apple was quite boisterous at WWDC today regarding its operating systems and services. Quite frankly, I was blown away at all the ways the company is looking to improve its customers' lives, but some folks were apparently underwhelmed. Oh well, you can't please everyone, I suppose.

For some reason, Apple was fairly quiet about one huge change -- it is replacing the HFS+ file system. Based on the more-than-30-year-old HFS, it is apparently time to move on. What is the upcoming file system called? The unimaginatively "Apple File System". The encryption-ready file system will be used on macOS, iOS, tvOS, and watchOS.

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Finally! iOS 10 lets you remove built-in apps like Stocks

It’s something that many iPhone and iPad owners have asked: just how the hell do I delete the pointless Stocks app? With iOS 10 there's no need to go as far as jailbreaking your beloved device, as Apple is making it possible to delete no fewer than 23 of the built-in apps.

That useless Stocks app? Gone! The News app you never use? History! There are many reasons for wanting to banish these apps. Apart from not using them, you might want to free up screen space by getting rid of unnecessary icons. You might feel you can free up a bunch of storage space -- but Apple insists that "the apps built into iOS are designed to be very space efficient, so all of them together use less than 150MB". Whatever. The point is: you can now delete them!

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With iOS 10 and macOS Sierra, Apple drops support for many older Macs, iPhones and iPads

With Apple's software announcements today, the focus has been on what is new and exciting. But with (just about) any operating system update, there is a darker side: the older devices that slip into oblivion, never to be updated again.

It's no different with iOS 10 and macOS Sierra. On the mobile front, Apple is giving up on the A5 chip, meaning that a number of iPhones and iPads are not going to support the latest version of iOS. It’s a similar story for Mac and MacBook owners -- older devices simply aren’t going to get the goodies.

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Apple renames OS X to macOS -- upcoming 'Sierra' version will get Siri, Apple Pay, and more

If you are wanting a desktop operating system, you largely have two options -- Windows or OS X. To a lesser extent, consumers can opt for Linux-based operating systems, such as Chrome OS or Ubuntu, but Apple and Microsoft's offerings reign supreme. While OS X is arguably more elegant than Windows, it only comes installed on Apple's expensive hardware. Microsoft's OS is the best option for those on a budget.

One thing that was not elegant about OS X, however, was the name. It was not in line with the company's other operating systems -- iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. Not to mention, the 15 year old "X" branding was getting a bit long in the tooth. Today, Apple renames it to macOS, while also designating a new code name to the upcoming version -- Sierra. It looks to be the best Mac operating system ever.

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Apple focuses on new features and privacy in iOS 10, while opening up to developers

It's what Apple is describing as 'the biggest iOS release ever'. Whether everyone else agrees remains to be seen, but today the company took the wraps off iOS 10 -- and there's certainly a lot to take in. Perhaps the most notable change, for developers at least, is the fact that Siri has been opened up so that it can be used by third party apps.

Messaging has become more important than ever in recent years, and this is something that Apple recognizes with iOS 10. Taking design cues from the likes of Facebook and WhatsApp, the Messages app now includes full screen animations, and there's a neat new feature that means you can handwrite messages.

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Microsoft's Xbox 'Project Scorpio' will be the most powerful games console ever

Continuing to steal Apple's WWDC thunder, Microsoft has been using its E3 press briefing to make some major announcements.

First up, the tech giant unveiled the Xbox One S, a slimmer, much improved Xbox One, but the real excitement is not that games console, but a future device.

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