Alan Buckingham

Today marked a major milestone for mobile gaming studio Rovio. The Finland-based company is releasing it's latest version of the Angry Birds, this one aptly named Angry Birds 2. It follows up on the success of many predecessors, from the original to Space, Star Wars and more.

Like all previous versions, it's the tried and true "birds versus pigs" formula. There are a few strange things about it. For one, early levels are intent on telling you where to aim. For another, some levels force you to choose a different bird, You have no choice -- you can't fire until you've done it.

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Do you speak a foreign language? If not then Google Translate becomes your friend while travelling and today it's getting a bit better. Actually a lot better, going from seven languages to 27, which triples the amount it could handle -- okay that math is slightly off, but it's close enough.

Google announces the update to the app, which can be pointed at a foreign language and read the words in your native tongue. That's pretty essential for traveling. While it's good to know the language in any nation you're visiting, it's not always possible.

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The big day has arrived and every company is scrambling to be ready for Windows 10. Microsoft's latest operating system steps back a bit from the shudder Windows 8 gave many users. Does that mean it's better? Maybe. The general consensus seems positive.

Now Logitech is bringing software to aid in your use of this latest operating system. The company, which makes solid peripherals, aims to smooth the transition.

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Spotify is one of the top music services in business today. It's a tough market, with a growing field of competitors aiming to get your money. It can be good, and many people love it, but how could it become even better?

How about adding If This Then That (IFTTT) support? The service has added a new channel that allows you to utilize its capabilities for many functions associated with your music.

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I'm late to the game, switching from a standard Kindle to a Paperwhite. Honestly, there's nothing not to like about the low-end Kindle -- it's priced right and provides a fine reading experience. But just about everything can be improved upon with a bit effort and ingenuity.

That's exactly what Amazon has done. I can't speak for the first generation Paperwhite, I never used it. But the switch from standard to second generation is a world of difference. It's noticeable right away.

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Mongolia seems to be a country largely forgotten by the outside world. Aside from Genghis Khan it appears few people know much about the Asian nation. That's a shame because it has a beautiful countryside with deserts, rivers and mountains.

Now Google wants to take you on a rather long journey through the country -- 5,000 km to be exact. All the way across Mongolia, including those beautiful Steppes.

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People have been waiting for Pebble Time, the latest device in the Pebble line of smartwatches. The company once again utilized Kickstarter for this project, and did so with great results. Pebble Time shipped early to its backers, but now it hits stores for everyone to buy.

Unlike the previous Pebble, this one has a color screen and looks much more vibrant -- keeping up with Android Wear. It also has more features for users to enjoy.

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There's no reason to give you a full review of Amazon's Echo, my colleagues have already said plenty on that score. Instead I wanted to explain what living with Echo is like after one day. Yes, that's how long I've had the device, so this is a "first impressions" in the truest sense, and they run all over the place.

First, Echo has very solid build quality; it's a hefty device and it's very easy to set up -- plug it in, download the Android app and you're on your way. The app walks you through the process and there isn't a whole lot to it.

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Last week Amazon announced "Prime Day", an invented holiday for loyal customers of the Prime service. The retailer also revealed that there would be more deals than even Black Friday manages. Now the company is showcasing some of those bargains in an effort to entice customers.

There's quite a list, but some are worth mentioning. The Fire TV Stick will be $15 off, while other Amazon products will also see significant discounts. For instance, The Kindle will drop in price by $30, the Fire HD 7 is seeing a $30 reduction and the kids' edition of the HD 7 will get slashed by a whopping $60.

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Earlier this week an exploit for Adobe Flash was revealed -- a shock, I know. Now a second is in the wild and already being used. Known by the catchy name CVE-2015-5122, security firm FireEye discovered the flaw buried in the Hacking Team leak and alerted Adobe to it.

Adobe has released a security bulletin stating "Critical vulnerabilities (CVE-2015-5122, CVE-2015-5123) have been identified in Adobe Flash Player 18.0.0.204 and earlier versions for Windows, Macintosh and Linux. Successful exploitation could cause a crash and potentially allow an attacker to take control of the affected system".

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We're only weeks away from the official launch of Windows 10, or, as some people may think of it, Microsoft's correction to the problems of its last operating system. That means OEMs are busy readying products to push to market for the big day, and HP is among them.

The company is announcing an entire portfolio of computers that are designed to run this new operating system, though not all will ship with it.

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Windows 10 is about to arrive and with it comes a host of new features, like Cortana. There's also Wi-Fi Sense which is designed to allow a Windows Phone to connect automatically to any open network it knows about, and even accept the terms of use automatically. It's a nod towards convenience, and that's something Microsoft needs in its Windows 8x replacement.

Security firm AVG, makers of very good anti-virus software, both free and paid, see the inherent problems with this, and there are several.

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The NSA's covert data collection has become the worst kept secret in the world. Edward Snowden blew the lid off the program and has released many documents providing validity to what he has said. While he continues to harbor in Russia, the US is split over whether he is a traitor or hero. Whistle blowers certainly aren't new -- they date back many years and include the famous Deepthroat who revealed Watergate.

Now more information has come to light in the form of XKeyscore, a program designed to glean data from user's router, webcam and Skype calls. It's just as scary as it sounds.

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Think you got some good deals and a lot to choose from on Black Friday or Cyber Monday? Amazon now wishes to top that with an even better event -- Prime Day. The retailer is looking to roll out deals to its most valued customers, those who subscribe to Prime for the good deals, free shipping, and more.

The deal is in celebration of Amazon's 20th birthday, which occurs next week. The sales will be available to customers in the US, UK, Spain, Japan, Italy, Germany, France, Canada and Austria.

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The internet can be a scary place, as sites and services get breached on a regular basis. However, it's also become an integral part of life for many people. That's why constant vigilance is in order to try and maintain a level of safety.

The latest victim is Plex, the media server and client, that many home theater enthusiasts use. If you just have a standard account then you should be safe, But, if you signed up for the forums, then you'll need to pay attention. Plex is notifying users to change their passwords.

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