Running Kodi on Amazon Fire TV or Fire TV Stick? You're at risk from cryptocurrency mining malware
Amazon’s Fire TV products are very popular with Kodi users, because it’s easy to install the media center software on it, along with any streaming add-ons.
Users of Kodi boxes are used to hearing of potential dangers -- some threats of which need to be taken with a pinch of salt -- but there’s a new malware variant that’s infecting Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick devices globally, and which could well be on your device now.
Which? finds half of Windows 10 users have encountered problems, calls for Microsoft to pay compensation
It’s fair to say Windows 10 hasn’t had the smoothest of rides. Users were slow to adopt it, and Microsoft’s response to this -- forcing the OS on to users against their will -- didn’t go down at all well. As you’d expect.
Windows 10 is now a pretty good operating system, and offers a number of welcome features, but it’s not without its problems, as consumer champion Which? has found.
Amazon Fire TV Cube puts Alexa in control of your home entertainment
It was only a matter of time before Amazon properly combined two of its biggest home grown product lines -- Fire TV and Amazon Echo -- and today we get to see what the end result looks like.
Amazon Fire TV Cube is a hands-free 4K Ultra HD streaming media player with Alexa built in, allowing you to control your TV from across the room. You can use your voice to play, pause, and resume content, but that’s not all.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17686
Microsoft continues to roll out new Windows 10 RS5 builds on a weekly basis. Build 17686 is available to Fast ring Insiders and those who have opted to Skip Ahead.
This build includes some privacy improvements, better localized settings, and updates for Windows Mixed Reality. It also includes a number of improvements, fixes, and known issues.
#BetaNews20 Giveaway: Meural Canvas Wi-Fi enabled digital art frame from Wellbots
Throughout the entire month of June, BetaNews will giving away thousands of dollars of amazing prizes to celebrate our 20th birthday!
Our third giveaway is a Meural Canvas handcrafted 27in digital art frame courtesy of Wellbots. This is a spectacular product built to showcase high quality artwork. Each frame gives you instant access to amazing works of art and photography, and it’s easy to upload your own images to the Wi-Fi enabled canvas.
Get 'Career Development All-in-One For Dummies' ($20 value) FREE for a limited time
Want to get ahead in the workplace? Take control of your career today.
Learn new skills and increase your visibility as a leader in your company with the help of this practical, hands-on guide to professional development. You'll find new techniques for being a better leader, tips for writing better emails, rules for running more effective meetings, and much more. Plus, you'll discover how to give presentations that will keep your audience engaged and learn to be a more mindful person.
Facebook now lets you lip sync to your favorite songs
Having recently set up licensing deals with some major record labels, Facebook has now started introducing new music experiences to the platform.
The first of these additions is the ability to share videos with music, but it’s Lip Sync Live which is the more interesting feature.
Apple introduces macOS Mojave with Dark Mode, desktop Stacks and more
This year's Apple WWDC has been all about software, with the focus on new versions of iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and of course macOS.
The next version of the Mac desktop operating system will be called Mojave -- named after the Californian desert -- and introduces a number of new features and improvements, including a cool new Dark Mode.
Apple wants you to spend less time on your iPhone
At Apple's WWDC 2018 keynote today, the tech giant announced a raft of new features coming to iOS 12. If you’re concerned how much time you -- or your family -- spend on your iPhone or iPad, Apple has you covered with its next big release.
The company has introduced new options for the Do Not Disturb mode, greater control over notifications, and a Screen Time feature, which lets you see how much you use your phone and apps, and set limits.
Would this foldable Surface Phone running Windows 10 make you switch from Android or iPhone?
Windows 10 Mobile might be all but dead and buried, but there have been rumors of a new Surface Phone for a while now.
The phone, should it exist, is expected to be a foldable device with a hinge in the middle and two displays, allowing it to switch from phone to tablet mode in seconds.
How to watch Apple's WWDC 2018 keynote live on any device including Windows, Linux and Android
Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference kicks off today, Monday 4 June, in San Jose, with the big keynote speech scheduled for 10am PDT/1pm EST/6pm BST. As always it will be streamed live so you can tune in at home or (maybe) work.
As WWDC is for software developers, Apple doesn’t usually reveal major new hardware, but we are expecting to see a refresh for the iPhone SE, and maybe a new HomePod. Siri may also be getting a new voice. We're also anticipating information on iOS 12, as well as updates to macOS, watchOS and tvOS. There are likely to be some interesting surprises too.
BetaNews' Big 20th Birthday Giveaway #BetaNews20
On June 1 1998, BetaNews hit the web for the first time. We’re celebrating the site’s 20th birthday with a huge, month-long giveaway, and there are some truly spectacular products up for grabs.
Throughout the month of June, we will be giving away thousands of dollars worth of hardware products, including a mesh Wi-Fi system, Xbox router, digital art frame, robot vacuum cleaner, hardware encrypted hard drive, smart home camera, keyboards, mice, and more! There will be the opportunity to enter multiple times for each product, giving you more chances to win.
Shhh... something BIG is happening tomorrow (but what?)
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17682 to the Fast ring
Microsoft seems -- finally -- to have got the hang of its six monthly update schedule for Windows 10. Not only has it pushed out the April 2018 Update to over 50 percent of Windows 10 users in a very short space of time, but the next feature update, codenamed Redstone 5, is shaping up very nicely already.
The big new feature in this next major update is Sets, and Build 17682 introduce some improvements to it based on Insider feedback.
Windows 10 April 2018 Update rolling out at an impressive rate
Microsoft rolls out feature updates for Windows 10 twice a year, often at quite glacial speeds. The Creators Update, released last Spring, was particularly slow and problematic. By the time its successor arrived, six months later, over a quarter of users (27.5 percent) still didn’t have it.
The Fall Creators Update push was, in comparison, much smoother. Helped by the delay in getting the Spring 2018 Update out of the door, it managed to make its way on to more than 92 percent of Windows 10 PCs, making it the most installed Windows 10 update ever.
Wayne's Bio
Wayne Williams is BetaNews' managing editor. He has been writing about computers, technology, and the web for over 20 years now. He’s written for most of the UK’s PC magazines, and launched, edited and published a fair few of them in his time also. If you like what you read, you can Buy Me a Coffee!
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