Avast defends its data gathering and sharing practices -- 'that's how antivirus works'
Two days ago we reported how a joint investigation by Motherboard and PCMag discovered that Avast's free antivirus software was harvesting user data and selling it onto marketers in a way that could be linked back to an individual.
Following the inevitable backlash, Avast has responded, defending its data gathering and attempting to justify the practice of selling it on, while continuing to insist that the data is fully "de-identified".
Open source email client Thunderbird finds a new home
If you prefer to access your email through a desktop client, then Thunderbird is one of the better choices. However, the future of the open source tool has been a little rocky in recent years after the Mozilla Corporation decided to stop supporting it.
However, there’s a lot of love for Thunderbird out there, and it’s managed to survive, and even grow thanks to user donations. And now the email client has found a new home.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Insider Build 19551 to the Fast ring
Microsoft continues to roll out new test builds for future feature updates of Windows 10, and today sees the release of Build 19551.1005 to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring.
There’s not too much to get excited about here, although Microsoft is now conducting an experiment regarding how driver updates get delivered through Windows Update.
Microsoft's Your Phone app for Windows 10 now displays 2,000 photos from your Android device
Microsoft’s Your Phone app connects your Android smartphone to your Windows 10 PC, making it possible to view and reply to text messages directly in Windows, receive and manage phone notifications, and -- most recently -- make, receive, and decline phone calls directly on your PC.
One of the app’s more useful features is the ability to view and save copies of the most recent photos on your phone, but this did have one particularly annoying limitation.
The top creative trends for 2020 revealed
Individuals, brands, marketers and creatives looking to make a splash this year need to make sure their content -- be it images or videos -- is fresh and relevant.
Shutterstock has analyzed data gathered over a 12-month period from billions of customer searches for photos, illustrations, footage, and music, and produced a report predicting the styles that are set to dominate this year.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Build 19546 with new Graphing Mode in Windows Calculator
It’s been a big week for Microsoft this week. Windows 7 reached its end of life, and the NSA discovered a major flaw in Windows 10, which thankfully has been fixed as part of the software giant’s Patch Tuesday.
Not as exciting, but always interesting, Microsoft has also now released a new Windows 10 build for Insiders on the Fast ring.
Golden Globe winner '1917' leaks onto the internet
Every year around this time, a number of high profile movies -- Oscar contenders in particular -- leak onto the internet in the form of DVD screeners.
Some years only a small amount of these pirate screeners appear, but this year is proving to be a bumper one, with lots of major movies leaking, such as Frozen 2, Knives Out, Little Women and JoJo Rabbit, all of which are still in cinemas. Today, Golden Globe winner 1917 joins the list.
I'm Ronnie Kray -- which notorious mobster are you?
Las Vegas’ National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement (aka The Mob Museum) has launched a new smartphone app (a mob-ile app, if you will).
The app aims to provide the ultimate guide to the museum, delivering information on the history of the Mob and law enforcement. The main point of interest for users though will no doubt be its Doppelgangster feature, which lets you find out who from the mob world you most look like.
Windows 10 is 'better than ever' says Microsoft, as it issues a patch to fix a major vulnerability
Today, as you’ll know, marks the end of support for Windows 7, and Microsoft is -- predictably -- keen to get as many people as possible to switch to its new operating system.
However, on a day when the software giant has had to issue a fix for a flaw in Windows 10 that the NSA says threatens the foundations on which the Internet operates, there’s something more than a little embarrassing about Microsoft boasting how its new OS "makes you and your organization more productive and secure than ever".
NSA: Windows 10 flaw threatens the foundations on which the Internet operates
Earlier today we wrote about a major vulnerability affecting Windows 10 and Server 2016 which was uncovered by the NSA who duly reported it to Microsoft.
At the time details on the vulnerability were scarce, but now that Microsoft has issued a fix for it as part of its Patch Tuesday updates, the NSA has revealed its worrying findings.
NSA discovers a serious flaw in Windows 10
The US National Security Agency (NSA) has discovered a major flaw in Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 that could potentially expose users to "significant breaches or surveillance", according to the Washington Post.
In the past, the NSA might have simply weaponized the vulnerability, as it did by creating hacking tool EternalBlue, but this time around the organization instead chose to report the flaw to Microsoft, and a fix is expected to be issued as part of today’s Patch Tuesday updates.
This remastered Windows 7 is the Microsoft operating system you've been waiting for
Windows 10 is a very good operating system, but despite Microsoft initially offering it as a free upgrade, many users were reluctant to switch from Windows 7, and it’s easy to understand why. A lot of Windows 10’s big changes -- the Microsoft Store, bundled third-party apps, live tiles in the Start menu, Cortana, Bing integration, and so on -- simply weren't that appealing to users of previous versions of Windows.
Windows 7 still offers everything that most people would want from an OS, but over a decade on from its debut it now looks and feels quite dated compared to its successor, and of course tomorrow it reaches its end of life as well, leaving people little option but to switch. However, if the aging OS had a modern makeover, could it win back many of those people who have moved on to Windows 10 or a Linux alternative? I suspect so. Take a look at this superb modern re-imagining of Windows 7 and make up your own mind.
Microsoft takes us on a nostalgia-fueled trip through time
Microsoft has a long and illustrious/checkered history (delete as applicable), and if you’ve worked with computers over the years you’ll have used many of the company’s ever-evolving software and hardware.
In a new video, Microsoft takes us through time, starting on April 26 1983 and going right through to today, showcasing just how much things have changed over the years.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Build 19541 to the Fast ring
The holidays are nothing but a distant memory now, and so it’s back to business as usual for Microsoft which has just released its first new Windows 10 build of 2020.
Fast ring Insiders are now receiving builds from future versions of the operating system, and new Build 19541 introduces some minor improvements.
Get 'Kali Linux -- An Ethical Hacker's Cookbook, 2nd Edition' ($44.99 value) FREE for a limited time
Many organizations have been affected by recent cyber events. At the current rate of hacking, it has become more important than ever to pentest your environment in order to ensure advanced-level security.
Kali Linux -- An Ethical Hacker's Cookbook from Packt Publishing is packed with practical recipes that will get you off to a strong start by introducing you to the installation and configuration of Kali Linux, which will help you to perform your tests.
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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