Looker launches analytical apps for business
Data is the lifeblood of most areas of business, but often companies end up with isolated analytics tools used by different departments and no central overview.
Analytics specialist Looker is launching a range of new apps that can meet the needs of individual departments but which all deploy on the Looker Data Platform, so an entire company can use Looker to understand each aspect of their business with up-to-the-minute data to make data-driven decisions.
Malware takes advantage of Windows' God Mode hack to slip past security
The so-called God Mode hack for Windows is rather less grand than it might first sound. Rather than granting users deity-like abilities, it simply provides one-folder access to an absolute butt-load of Control Panel options and settings. But security researchers have discovered that the technique used to create this special folder can also be exploited by malware.
McAfee says that while the Easter Egg is great for power users, it is also being used by attackers for "evil ends". By placing files within the God Mode shortcut folder, malware such as Dynamer is able to run undetected on a victim's computer.
The rise of the virtual CIO [Q&A]
The role of chief information officer has become entrenched in large organizations, but smaller businesses often can't afford to employ one. This means that they miss out on the expertise a CIO can bring, but also lack representation of IT at board level.
In some cases businesses are getting around this by outsourcing the role to a 'virtual CIO' who may only be needed for one or two days a month, so they can also work across multiple organizations, and from different locations. We spoke to Dean Coleman, head of service delivery at service management specialist Sunrise Software to find out more about this trend.
Windows 10 is now on 300 million devices
Microsoft has gone on record as saying it wants to get Windows 10 on a billion devices in 2-3 years. It’s made good headway so far, helped by making the new OS a free upgrade for users on Windows 7 and 8.1, and also by labeling it as a 'recommended' update so it automatically installs on some systems. Whether the user wants it or not.
A lot has been written about Microsoft’s aggressive promotional tactics, but they certainly seem to be paying off, as even though adoption has slowed lately, Windows 10 has found its way on to a lot of systems.
'Weak' Craig Wright backs out of Bitcoin claim
Craig Wright, the main claiming to be Bitcoin inventor Satoshi Nakamoto has started to backpedal on his claim. There has long been speculation about the identity of the person behind the cryptocurrency, and earlier this week Wright stepped up to the plate.
After doubts had been expressed about his claim to the Bitcoin crown Wright had promised to reveal "extraordinary evidence" as proof. But now he has had a change of heart. He's not saying -- yet -- that he's not Satoshi Nakamoto, but that he does "not have the courage" to publish the proof so many people are demanding to see.
Speed up your internet connection with SpeedGuide.net TCP Optimizer... Maybe
Once upon a time, not so long ago, just about every PC optimization suite included a module to "speed up your internet connection".
They’re not so common these days because Windows’ own settings generally give good results, but if you’d like to try one for yourself then there are still some useful programs around. SpeedGuide.net TCP Optimizer has been around for years, and is very convenient to use: there’s no installation required, and it runs on everything from Windows XP up.
Tech companies could disrupt financial industry
People would gladly take banking services from tech companies such as Google, Amazon or Facebook, a new survey has shown.
According to a new Europe-wide study by Fujitsu, the digital transformation keeps disrupting the financial industry, and if traditional service providers fail do adapt on time, tech disruptors will step in.
Vine unveils Windows 10 app
Video sharing social network Vine has released its first app for Windows 10. In a click -- or a tap -- you’re able to explore channels like Music, Sport and Comedy, or follow individual creators, even if you don’t have a Vine account.
Videos play back-to-back by default, as with the mobile apps, but you can loop them with a mouseover or touch.
Microsoft prevents Windows 10 Pro admins from blocking access to the Windows Store
Microsoft has castrated some of the capabilities of Windows 10 Pro admins looking to lock down the computers they manage. The company is removing the ability to block access to the Windows Store using Group Policy Editor.
The option will still be available to those running Education or Enterprise versions of Windows 10. It means that businesses who have come to rely on this option as part of their security regime will have to consider upgrading to a different version of Windows 10.
Now Microsoft is breaking Windows 7 to get users to upgrade to Windows 10
Microsoft has made a change to an update for Windows 7 that can prevent certain systems from booting. While you might expect me to say, "good news, the software giant has fixed the problem", in fact what Microsoft has done is switch the update from "optional", to "recommended". So, on some systems, it will now install, and break Windows 7 automatically.
There is good news though, and that’s you can solve the problem and get your computer working again by (can you guess?) upgrading to Windows 10. Hooray!
Attack researchers are top target of DDoS activity
We all know that the cyber security world is a constant war of attrition, but it seems that DDoS attackers are targeting those firms which represent a direct threat to their business model.
According to a new report from cyber security company Nexusguard, an attack research group, Loryka LLC, was the number one target in the first quarter of this year, with 90 DDoS attacks.
Nearly half of OS X devs want to learn Swift
Almost a quarter (25 percent) of OS X developers don’t use file sharing in the cloud -- at all, according to a new survey.
German-based Fournova surveyed more than 7,000 OS X developers in more than 100 countries to see which tools, services and technologies are the most popular ones.
Opera 37 gets video pop-outs, ad-blocking technology
Opera Software has released Opera 37 FINAL, a major new release of its desktop web browser for Windows, Mac and Linux PCs. The latest release contains two new major features of note: built-in ad-blocking and support for video pop-outs.
The ad-block feature has also been added to the brand new release of Opera Mini for Android 16.0, also out today.
Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator now available with Wi-Fi, touchscreen, and more
Samsung makes amazing products, and I'm not just talking about smartphones and tablets. I have one of its 4K televisions in my house, not to mention a washing machine and clothes dryer. These things work wonderfully, and create memorable experiences -- I recommend them highly.
Today, Samsung announces immediate availability of its smart refrigerator. What has historically been a large box designed to keep food and drinks cold, can be so much more. Its Family Hub fridge has a huge touchscreen, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and can communicate with your smartphone. It even has a built-in web browser!
Hacker leaks millions of Hotmail, Gmail, and Yahoo Mail usernames and passwords
A number of major webmail services have suffered one of the largest security breaches in recent years. The account details of Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Hotmail, and Mail.ru are just four of the services affected.
Security firm Hold Security says that it has been contacted by a hacker in possession of 272 million unique pairs of email addresses and unencrypted passwords. This is far from an insignificant number, and the situation is made all the worse as the data is being freely shared for just about anyone to access.
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