WTF?! Twitter saw a significant rise in swearing following Trump's win in US election


If you spend a lot of time on social networks like Facebook and Twitter, you probably thought Hillary Clinton was a shoo-in for president, and that Donald Trump had next to no chance of beating her.
As my colleague Ian Barker explains, social networks can create something of a bubble, that pops when the real world intrudes, as it did in both Brexit and the US election.
Watch Edward Snowden discuss Trump's victory, and privacy implications, in a live Q&A today


It’s fair to say, yesterday’s US election result sent shockwaves around the world. Donald Trump was seen as an outside bet by many people, but now he’s won the race for the White House, the big question, is what will his victory mean for the people, both at home and abroad?
Former NSA contractor turned whistleblower Edward Snowden has a lot to say on government matters, and today in a live Q&A he’ll be opining on how the US election results could affect your privacy, as well as any potential pardon for himself, and answering questions submitted via social media.
Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14965 for PC and Mobile arrives on the Fast ring


We’ve already started to see the beginnings of the next big version of Windows 10 appearing in new builds for Windows Insiders. Termed the Creators Update it has a heavy focus on 3D, but there’s more to it than just that.
The previous new Insider Build, released last week, didn’t have much in terms of new features on show, but the latest offering, Build 14965, is thankfully much more exciting.
Hillary Clinton will definitely be president, according to Microsoft


The polls have shown a narrowing gap between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House recently. After what seems like forever, in less than 24 hours we will finally find out who the next president of the United States will be.
There have been plenty of predictions made in the past month alone. An AI with a history of correctly predicting election winners claimed that Trump would take it, while Tinder -- yes, Tinder! -- predicted victory for Clinton, something Microsoft’s Bing Predicts agreed with.
8 superb -- and cheap -- Raspberry Pi alternatives


As great as the Raspberry Pi is -- and let's be honest, all of the devices in that family are excellent, especially for the money -- it’s not the only such device available to buy, and some of the rival systems are arguably better as they come with Wi-Fi built-in, and other tricks, such as the ability to double as a wireless router, run Android, or display on-board scrolling messages.
While there are plenty of pricier (and therefore more powerful) options available, I’ve focused on the more affordable choices here -- ones that match, or better, the Raspberry Pi for value and will do everything you'd expect from them, and more.
How to speed up Windows 7 update checks


When Windows 7 checks for updates, the process can take an age. Often you might find yourself staring at the screen while nothing much seems to happen.
Finding the list of updates for you to install should only ever take a few minutes at worst, but for many people that isn’t the case. Thankfully there’s a quick fix to try.
Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14959 -- Creators Update -- for Mobile and PC arrives on the Fast ring


It’s taken a few days longer than normal for a new build to arrive for Windows Insiders, but Build 14959 for both PC and Mobile finally makes its way onto the Fast ring.
This is the first new build since Microsoft announced the next big step in Windows 10’s evolution -- Creators Update. This is due to be released early next year, but Windows Insiders will get an early taste of all its new features and improvements.
VoCore2 is a coin-sized Linux computer and fully functional wireless router


Raspberry Pi has taken the world by storm, and inevitably there are now lots of similar, rival computers vying for attention, often offering something different in order to stand out from the crowd. Omega2, for example, is a $5 Raspberry Pi rival, with built-in Wi-Fi and storage.
VoCore2’s unique selling points are size -- it can fit on a coin -- and versatility. It can be used as a Linux-based computer with Wi-Fi, or as a fully functional wireless router. It’s incredibly affordable too.
How to rename Cortana in Windows 10 (you can call her 'Siri' if you like!)


One of Windows 10’s biggest new features is the inclusion of Microsoft’s personal assistant, Cortana. She can do all sorts of things for you, from searching the web, to setting reminders, and even looking up songs as they play.
You can summon Cortana at any time simply by saying "Hey, Cortana", but if you’d rather call her something different -- "Siri", perhaps, or "Darling", or "Ava" -- it’s possible to give her a name change. This is how.
Microsoft Surface Book i7 vs Apple MacBook Pro 2016: Which new laptop should you choose?


Last Wednesday, Microsoft revealed, among other things, an updated Surface Book. The following day, Apple introduced a new MacBook Pro. Both devices look great, sport powerful innards and come with a suitably high price tag.
Which you go for will likely depend on whether you’re a fan of Microsoft or Apple, but if you’re not firmly entrenched in either camp, and need a little guidance to decide which laptop to go for, here are all the details you need.
Microsoft Edge is way more secure than Chrome and Firefox


While Microsoft Edge might be a little lacking in features, compared to more established browsers like Chrome and Firefox, one area where it is better than its rivals is security.
That’s according to NSS Labs which today announced the results of its latest Web Browser Security comparative test. The test pitted Chrome, Firefox and -- for the first time -- Edge against each other to see how effective the browsers are at protecting against threats.
Bad news for Microsoft as Windows 10's market share flatlines


While it was free, and being aggressively pushed on to users (whether they wanted it or not), Windows 10 saw strong growth, rapidly gaining significant market share. However, since it became a paid product, it’s fair to say the new operating system has been struggling.
In September, NetMarketShare reported that Windows 10 didn’t just show slower growth, it went into reverse gear and actually lost usage share. And things weren’t much better for Windows 10 in October either.
Thanks to Microsoft, Chrome is now 15 percent faster on Windows


In a bid to make its browser faster than ever, Google has started using Microsoft’s Profile Guided Optimization (PGO). Introduced in Chrome 53, this technology can help optimize high-use functions in the browser.
The nightly Chrome builds track how often functions are used, and these functions are then optimized by PGO, sometimes increasing their binary size. In addition, PGO optimizes the memory location of the browser code, keeping rarely and frequently used functions away from each other.
How well would your city survive a zombie apocalypse?


If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead you’ve probably, at one time or another, considered how well you’d fare in a zombie apocalypse.
Where you live would certainly have a major impact on your ability to survive, and with this in mind, and to celebrate Halloween, CareerBuilder's EMSI (Economic Modeling Specialists Intl.) looked into how well the major US cities would cope in the event of an actual zombie outbreak.
Relive the 1990s in animated GIFs, at the Internet Archive


The 1990s were great -- multiplayer shooters like Doom and Quake were revolutionizing gaming, Friends and ER were on the TV, and we were all enjoying a new, fledgling technology called the World Wide Web.
Before Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter came along, there was GeoCities, a web hosting service eventually acquired by Yahoo, that allowed users to place their websites in virtual 'cities'. But if there was one thing that most people remember about GeoCities, it was the animated GIFs.
Wayne's Bio
Wayne Williams has been writing about computers, technology, and the web for over 30 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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