How to test anti-keylogger software
Installing any good antivirus program will protect you from known keyloggers, but you’ll still be vulnerable to the very latest threats.
Specialist anti-keyloggers such as SpyShelter take a very different approach. Instead of trying to detect and remove malware, they focus on preventing anything intercepting your keypresses.
Microsoft offering last-minute holiday shopping deals on Surface, Xbox, and more!
Christmas is almost here, and I am so excited! My tree is decorated, and there are wrapped gifts underneath it. Soon, Santa Claus will come and add to the number of presents -- I'll have to leave some cookies and milk to thank the man.
If you haven't completed your holiday shopping, you should probably start panicking. All hope is not lost, however, as you do have some time left. Thankfully, Microsoft is offering some last-minute deals for procrastinators. The Windows-maker is offering special discounts on things like Surface Book, Surface Pro 4, and Xbox games.
iPhone should replace Chromebook in the classroom
Many educators won't agree, but perhaps students will: The PC, whether desktop or notebook, is obsolete in the classroom. This reality, if accepted for what it is, presents Apple opportunity to retake the K-12 market from Alphabet-subsidiary Google's incursion and sudden success with Chromebook among U.S. schools. If the fruit-logo company doesn't seize the moment, a competitor will—and almost certainly selling devices running Android.
Chromebook's educational appeal is three-fold: low cost, manageability, and easy access to Google informational services. For buy-in price, and TCO, no Apple laptop or tablet running macOS or iOS, respectively, can compete. Think differently! Providing students any kind of computer is shortsighted, by narrowly presuming that schools, or their parents, must buy something. I suggest, in this time of budgetary constraints, that educators instead use what the kids already possess (or want to) and what they use easily and quickly: The smartphone.
Logitech MX Master and MX Anywhere 2 wireless mice now available in two new colors
Logitech is probably my favorite accessory maker ever and for good reason -- it makes great products. Not only does the company have forward-thinking designs, but its products often have excellent build quality too. From mice and keyboards to speakers and webcams, you can never go wrong with Logitech.
On a daily basis, I use Logitech's MX Anywhere 2 with my computers, running both Windows and Linux. It is a wonderful portable Bluetooth mouse, and now it gets two new color options -- navy blue and stone (gray). Those colors are not only limited to that portable pointing device, however, as the larger wireless desktop mouse -- Logitech's MX Master -- gets them too.
Spilled coffee, soda or water on your laptop? Here's what you need to do
As much as I tried not to spill anything on my beloved MacBook Air, last month I knocked over a cup of coffee, getting almost all of it over the keyboard. I feared this would happen, but I did not think it would happen to me. I'm super careful with any coffee, soda or water that I bring to my desk. But, the thing I dreaded the most happened.
There was coffee all over the keyboard, touchpad and the left side of my Mac. It is not a pretty sight, unless you are dying to get a new laptop -- which, really, wasn't the case. Knowing that liquid damage can be the end of it, I quickly powered it off, turned it upside down, and the coffee started to drain from it. With a bit of luck, I knew that I could fix it. And I did. Here is how I did it and what I learned from it.
HP unveils security solutions for business laptops
HP has just announced a new security solution, called the Sure Start Gen3, and a new laptop series, the EliteBook 800 G4 series. These new notebooks will be shipped with the security solution, which is why HP is calling them the "world's most secure and manageable PC".
The solution handles the computer's BIOS, and makes sure no tampering can occur on that microlevel, whatsoever. "HP Sure Start Gen3 will help prevent such attacks by automatically detecting tampering attempts with the BIOS (both in pre-boot and run-time), notifying the user of a problem and restoring the BIOS to its original pristine condition from a copy stored on a dedicated computer chip. In that sense, it’s self-healing", Hp promises. HP also says this solution works great with Windows 10, as it also protects the data governing BIOS configuration and policy.
Open source champion Google becomes Cloud Foundry Foundation gold member
Say what you want about Google, but the company is clearly a major proponent of open source ideology. Some people criticize the search giant for making billions on the back of open source (such as with Android), but Google is a code contributor too. You know what? If a company can have success using open source code, that is a good thing -- as long as it is properly licensed, of course.
Today, Google announces that it has joined the Cloud Foundry Foundation as a gold member. This is yet another example of the search giant's open source focus. Google joins some other respected companies at this membership level, such as Verizon, GE Digital, and Huawei to name a few. For whatever reason, the search giant stopped short of committing as the highest-level platinum member, however.
Apple loses wireless patent violation and employee rest break lawsuits
A jury in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California has ruled against Apple in a lawsuit about wireless patent infringement. Core Wireless was awarded $7.3 million in damages after Apple was found to have violated two patents owned by the company.
Apple was found to have infringed upon Core Wireless' patents in iPhones and iPads, taking advantage of technology that "provide innovations that improve battery life and signal quality in mobile phones". The company is expected to appeal against the ruling, but this is not the only case it has lost.
Linux Mint 18.1 'Serena' is here for Christmas! Will you install this open source holiday gift?
Linux Mint is an operating system that I simultaneously love and hate. I love it because it makes Linux easy to use for home users. I sometimes hate Linux Mint because it is essentially just a tweaked version of Ubuntu -- I'd rather see users choose Canonical's OS as intended. True, Mint's tweaks are actually very good, but I am not sure it warrants an entirely different operating system -- even if the final product is rewarding.
But OK, if you love Linux Mint and use it regularly, I have very good news -- version 18.1 'Serena' is finally here. Yes, Santa Claus has delivered an early Christmas gift! There are two desktop environments from which to choose -- Cinnamon and Mate. Thankfully there is no KDE version to further confuse things, but I digress. Will you download Linux Mint 18.1?
App update prevents users going viral on Instagram by pretending to be in Singapore
Instagrammers around the world recently discovered a quick and easy way to gain greater attention and increase the likelihood of going viral -- tagging their images as if they were in Singapore.
A flaw in Instagram's algorithms meant that images geotagged on the Malaysian island were more likely to be picked to be featured on the Explore page. Greater publicity equals greater views equals viral status equals win. Or at least it did.
Having mainframe problems? You're not alone
Enterprises that rely on mainframe are having a hard time delivering applications as fast as they need to, a new report by Forrester and Compuware has shown. Nine in ten (90 percent) of enterprises are having these issues, the report says, adding that it is a serious issue, as the majority of new business initiatives include the mainframe.
Almost half (48 percent) have moved some apps off the mainframe, which resulted in security issues, higher costs, poor performance and project delays. More than four in ten (41 percent) are trying to work around the mainframe, resulting in greater complexity, more expenses, double tooling and more security risks.
When Things attack and other security predictions for 2017
The past year has been a pretty turbulent one for IT security with high profile data breaches, Apple and the FBI wrangling over encryption, persistent threats from ransomware and more.
So as industry experts begin to roll out their predictions for 2017, what can we look forward to, or what do we need to beware of, in the security field?
The Intercept and the Guardian are most secure news sites, but there are lots of duds out there
The Freedom of the Press Foundation has published the results of research into the security of top news websites. Topping the list is the Intercept which managed to earn itself an A+ rating, while the Guardian was a close second with A-.
Both sites scored highly for their support for HTTPS, and the fact that they defaulted to a secure connection to keep visitors safe. Both also feature HSTS, but the Intercept was awarded extra points for using HSTS pre-loading. While the top of the chart makes for thought-provoking reading, it's also interesting to look further down the rankings where there are some surprisingly big names.
AOMEI Backupper Standard 4 adds real-time file sync, supports backup to cloud
AOMEI has released AOMEI Backupper Standard 4.0, the second major update of its freeware Windows backup, imaging and cloning tool in 2016.
Version 4.0 adds an additional arrow to the tool’s bow -- the ability to sync file changes in real-time. There’s also added support for a number of popular cloud storage devices as well as a number of more minor improvements.
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Two-hundred-and-nine 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 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.
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