Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary Update rollout starts August 9
The same day that Windows 10 Anniversary Update started to roll out to computers around the world, the launch date for the Windows 10 Mobile version has been revealed.
The Lumia India team -- so an official Microsoft source -- said on Twitter that Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary Update will be available from August 9. This is just one week after the desktop launch, and it will give those with compatible handsets to take advantage of a raft of new features.
$72 million Bitcoin theft from Bitfinex exchange causes cryptocurrency price plunge
The theft of 119,756 Bitcoin from the Bitfinex exchange has seen the price of the cryptocurrency plummet by 23 percent. In what has been described as the second biggest Bitcoin theft after MtGox, $72 million worth of Bitcoins vanished from user's accounts.
It seems that Bitfinex suffered a massive security breach when it was hit by hackers who started to filter money out of segregated wallets. Despite the hack, the exchange says that this incident doesn’t "expose any weaknesses in the security of a blockchain".
If you want to buy your own HoloLens augmented reality headset... you can!
When Microsoft announced its entry into the world of augmented reality with HoloLens, there was a great deal of enthusiasm from the technology community. But while HoloLens is undeniably exciting, there was a problem -- it was only available to a very select few.
Now that changes. Anyone who has $3,000 to spare, and who lives in the US or Canada, can get their hands on a headset right now. It's the Microsoft HoloLens Developer Edition that's up for grabs, but you don’t (really) have to be a developer to buy one.
Chrome 52 for Android massively reduces battery and data consumption by video
Google is pushing out Chrome 52 for Android, and the big news with this release relates to video. With video being such a massive component of internet traffic, it is perfectly natural for Google to focus on this area, and the company says that improvements have been made to battery consumption and loading times.
There is a marked shift of focus to speed and power efficiency -- compared to the desktop where the focus has long been quality over everything else.
Adblock Plus arrives for Microsoft Edge in Windows 10
Today is the day that Windows 10 Anniversary Update rolls out to the masses, but this is not the only big Windows 10 news of the day. The version of Microsoft Edge included in the latest update features support for extensions -- and this means that millions of Windows 10 users can now take advantage of Adblock Plus.
Of course, this is not entirely new news. Windows Insiders have been able to use Adblock Plus for a little while now, but now that same option is available to anyone running the latest version of Microsoft's operating system.
Google rolls out native notifications to Android users when new devices sign into their accounts
Google continues to take steps to improve the security of Android, and the latest addition starts to roll out today. Lengthily referred to as "Android notifications for newly added devices", the feature does exactly what you would expect it to do.
Whenever a new device is added to an account, a native Android notification will appear. This gives users the opportunity to review the device and determine whether it is something suspicious.
Microsoft launches beta version of IFTTT competitor Flow for Android
Automation tools for mobiles were something of a craze a little while ago, with the likes of IFTTT proving incredibly popular. Last month, Microsoft released its own automation tools, Flow, to iOS users, and now a beta version has been launched for Android.
Microsoft's take on automation is very much what you would expect -- it's all about connecting different cloud services and apps, and getting them to work together in a helpful way.
Android 7.0 Nougat could launch on August 5 -- without Nexus 5 support
We waited for an age to find out what Android 7.0 (or Android N) was going to be called -- Nougat, as we all now know -- and the next natural question is: when will we get it?
If the usually-reliable Evan Blass is correct, it might only be a matter of days before the rollout starts. In a tweet over the weekend, the tipster said that Android 7.0 will be released at the same time as the August security patch -- on August 5.
Microsoft tightens up Windows 10 security by requiring kernel mode drivers to be digitally signed
Windows 10 will not load unsigned kernel mode drivers, starting with version 1607 of the operating system. This is something that had been announced back in 2015, but is only just being implemented.
The decision was taken in order to improve the security of Windows 10, but Microsoft says that "due to technical and ecosystem readiness issues, this was not enforced by Windows Code Integrity and remained only a policy statement". Now it is a reality, and it's something developers and users need to keep in mind.
Free gifts for Windows 10 Insider testers -- and more in store for the future!
It's now a full year since Windows 10 was first, and to thank the Insiders who have been providing feedback to help shape the direction of the operating system, Microsoft has a couple of gifts and a little surprise.
As well as handing out an exclusive-to-Insiders wallpaper package and a Ninja Cat animated GIF, Microsoft has also awarded Insiders with a surprise badge that appears next to their profile in the Feedback Hub.
Xbox Summer Update is rolling out bringing closer Windows 10 integration
It's another couple of days until Windows 10 Anniversary Update rolls out to users, but Xbox One users now have something very exciting to download -- the Xbox Summer Update. Previously available as a preview, the latest system update sees the arrival of Cortana, background music and much more.
Major Nelson has announced that the rollout of the update starts this weekend, but there is no guarantee of when it will arrive on your Xbox One. If you're the impatient kind, you'll be pleased to hear that you can force the update to download and install it straight away!
Changes are coming to Microsoft's Privacy Statement and Services Agreement
On August 2, coinciding with the launch of Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Microsoft is updating its Privacy Statement. The company is a little light on the details of exactly what the changes are, but says that more will be revealed on the big day. The aim of the changes, as with previous updates is to "eliminate redundancies, improve usability and increase clarity and transparency".
Microsoft makes clear that it is in the habit of sharing user data with others "in certain cases" and it also announces that the Services Agreement will be updated on September 15. You are advised that if you don’t agree with the changes you should "discontinue using the products and services, and close your Microsoft account before these terms become effective".
The SwiftKey keyboard app is busy leaking email addresses and phone numbers to strangers
Who doesn't love a good AI-driven keyboard, eh? Well, people who have discovered that the keyboard is sending their email address and phone number to strangers, for starters. And that seems to be precisely what's happening with SwiftKey.
The Microsoft-owned company has disabled the syncing of data between devices after users complained not only about the appearance of unknown email addresses and phone numbers in suggestions, but also suggestions in unknown foreign languages. The problem became apparent when users who saw the random email address suggestions contacted the owner of the address.
Reminder: You now have mere hours to upgrade to Windows 10 for free
Today is the big day -- July 29, the last day when you can upgrade to Windows 10 free of charge. Actually, the cut-off point really depends on where you are in the world, but you have until 11:59 pm UTC-10. Timeanddate.com has a handy conversion to work out what this means for you.
It would be fair to say that there has been plenty of warning about the impending deadline, but there are still people who are putting things off. But really there is no reason not to upgrade; even if you decided you don’t want Windows 10, you can rollback, and you have the option of changing your mind further down the line without having to cough up for the upgrade.
WhatsApp doesn't properly delete 'deleted' chats
A security researcher is warning WhatsApp users that their chats can be retrieved even after they have been deleted, cleared, or archived. Jonathan Zdziarski says that even using the 'Clear All Chats' option leaves behind a 'forensic trace'.
He warns that the only way to be certain that your chat history is deleted, is to get rid of the app entirely. The problem appears to stem from WhatsApp's use of SQLite which fails to overwrite deleted data by default, rendering it recoverable.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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