Byte -- not v2 or Vine 2 -- is coming soon to replace Vine

Byte logo

Vine may have closed down a couple of years ago, but it has certainly not been forgotten. There has been eager anticipation of its replacement, and disappointment when this was delayed earlier in the year.

Originally said to be named V2, the successor to Vine has now been revealed to be called Byte. Vine co-creator Dom Hofmann made the revelation on Twitter, adding that Byte is due to launch in the first half of 2019.

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There's a fix for the Windows 10 file association problem coming -- slowly

Too slow

Having a problem with Windows 10? Did it delete your files? No? Perhaps it downgraded your Windows 10 Pro installation to Windows 10 Home, or maybe it introduced display audio issues, installed bad audio drivers, failed to handle zip files correctly, or display all unicode characters, or maybe you had problems with Edge and Store apps? No? Maybe it broke Windows file associations for you, so you can’t open files in the default programs you choose.

If your problem is the latter, the good news is Microsoft is working on a fix. The bad news is it doesn’t seem to be in a huge hurry to solve the problem.

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O&O DiskImage Professional 14 adds a flexible restore option and VHDX support

di-14-200x175

We’re constantly reminding users to backup their data. It’s not until you hear of a severe malware attack, where a business is being ransomed over their important documents, do you realize you wish you’d stored securely them in another location.

And that’s the important point of backing up your data. It offers an additional safeguard. In the case of ransomware, the easiest solution is to simply wipe your drive and restore a cloned version of your system and you’d be back up and running within minutes.

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Google: adding Dark Mode to apps saves battery

Black!

There has been a spate of adding dark modes to apps, websites and operating systems in recent times. Many people simply prefer the look, while others say a darker theme is easier on the eye. But there is also the school of thought that says dark mode saves battery life.

And this is very much the message that Google is sending to Android developers. At the Android Dev Summit this week Google highlighted the massive difference Dark Mode makes, seemingly in a bid to encourage more developers to embrace the idea and add the option to their apps.

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How automation is changing data science and machine learning

machine learning

Almost any article you read about how automation will affect our future can be classified into one of two narratives. The first one is that it will definitely lead to a better future, as it always had since the industrial revolution. Of course, some people will lose their jobs, but as history shows, new jobs will be created. And not just new jobs, but better jobs. The other narrative is that this time is different. The robots are becoming more and more intelligent and capable. And the number of jobs and industries they’ll destroy will far exceed the number of jobs they create. Of course, it’s impossible to tell which of the two narratives will become a reality. What we can tell is that these narratives share similar inception: more and more parts of our jobs and lives are being automated.

Take for example the process of driving. For many years now, we have been taking small parts of the driving process and automating them. For a better driving experience, we built cruise control. For route planning, we developed the GPS. Now, we are able to tackle more complex problems like lane merging and emergency braking. In the next couple of years, we will most certainly have fully autonomous cars driving on the roads. Just last week Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving subsidiary, officially received the very first California permit to test their vehicles in the state without a human behind the wheel.

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Satechi unveils Aluminum USB Type-C Mobile Pro Hub Adapter for 2018 iPad Pro and more

SATECHI_SmartHUB_Silver_9

The newest iPad Pro tablets are amazing, albeit overkill for many consumers. Not only are they beautifully designed, but powerful as hell. Believe it or not, they can outperform many Mac computers. In other words, iPad is getting closer to becoming a legit laptop alternative.

Unfortunately, the 2018 iPad Pro still does not have mouse support, meaning navigating iOS while in "laptop mode" with the keyboard attachment can be tedious. While it finally has a USB-C port, there is still no USB Type-A port (and there never will be). Also missing is the 3.5mm audio jack. Luckily, as is typical with Apple products these days, adapters and dongles are here to save the day. Today, Satechi announces the Aluminum Type-C Mobile Pro Hub Adapter which makes the 2018 iPad Pro much more capable.

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Android file manager Files Go becomes Files by Google and undergoes a redesign

Files by Google

It's less than a year since Google launched Files Go, its first attempt at a file manager app for Android. The primary aim of the app is to help users to free up space on their phones, and today Google announces that it not only has a new name, but also a new look.

Files Go has been rebranded Files by Google, and the updated version of the app is starting to roll out now.

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Docker launches Windows Server application migration program

Docker

Containerization enables organizations to both modernize existing applications and adopt new technologies based on business requirements. But the process of migrating older systems can be daunting.

Popular container platform Docker is addressing this with the launch of a new Windows Server application migration program. This is designed to allow businesses to migrate and modernize their legacy Windows Server applications in advance of the end-of-support deadline for Microsoft Windows Server 2008.

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Facebook defends the privacy of Portal as the smart devices start shipping

Facebook Portal

As soon as Facebook announced its smart video calling device -- Portal and Portal+ -- there were concerns about the privacy implications of introducing Facebook hardware with a camera into your home.

The company has already gone to some lengths to try to allay privacy-related fears, clearly pre-empting the concerns people would have. Facebook describes Portal as "private by design", but now it has gone further, using a blog post to stress the privacy and security of the devices, as well as offering reassurances about how data collected through them will -- and won't -- be used.

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95 percent of IT security professionals underestimate phishing risks

Phishing

A new survey of cybersecurity decision-makers shows that most companies lack adequate safeguards against phishing threats and many don't fully understand the risks or how widespread the threat is.

The survey from phishing site detection company SlashNext reveals that 95 percent of respondents underestimate how frequently phishing is used at the start of attacks to successfully breach enterprise networks.

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Number of data breaches falls but 2018 is still set to be the second worst year on record

data breach

In the final quarter of 2018, the number of reported breaches is down by eight percent and the number of exposed records is down around 49 percent, from seven billion in 2017.

The latest Data Breach QuickView report from Risk Based Security shows that seven breaches exposed 100 million or more records with the 10 largest breaches accounting for 84.5 percent of the records exposed this year to date.

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Windows 10 Pro suddenly downgrading to Windows 10 Home for a growing number of users [Update]

Shock horror

The Windows 10 shit show continues with yet more problems with Microsoft’s newest operating system rearing their ugly heads. Some users -- including a friend of my colleague Brian Fagioli -- have suffered from a problem whereby file associations are broken, so you can’t open files in the default programs you choose.

Now a growing number of users are complaining on Reddit that their Windows 10 Pro installations are suddenly reverting to Windows 10 Home.

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NETGEAR announces beautiful Nighthawk AX8 and AX12 Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) routers

netgearax03

If you absolutely need a new router today, there are plenty of great options on the market. If your current device is good enough and functioning, however, I would advise to hold off on an upgrade. Why? There is a big change coming to wireless internet -- 802.11ax, also knows as "Wi-Fi 6." Not only will these new routers potentially offer more speed and bandwidth, but some will eventually offer WPA3 too -- the latest and greatest security standard.

Today, NETGEAR announces two upcoming Wi-Fi 6 routers -- the Nighthawk AX8 and AX12. Not only is each model chock full of great specs, but they have quite the wild design too. They almost look like they have shark fins protruding from both the right and left side. Are they overkill for most homes? Absolutely. Still, if you like new and shiny things, and you are willing to spend top dollar to be an early adopter, you will want to take a look.

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Samsung unveils its foldable smartphone -- behold the Infinity Flex Display

folded phone

The concept of a foldable phone has been around for a while now. Indeed, Microsoft’s oft-rumored Surface Phone was expected to offer a foldable display that looked like a tablet when opened up.

Samsung has been teasing us with its own plans for a foldable phone for weeks now, and today at the Samsung Developer Conference 2018 it showed off a prototype which folds out to form a tablet, and back again to become a slightly fat phone.

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Microsoft releases Windows 10 19H1 Build 18277 with fewer annoying notifications, additional emoji, improved high DPI settings

Windows-10 key

While there’s still no sign of a re-release for the botched Windows 10 October 2018 Update, Microsoft is rolling out new builds for the feature update that follows it, codenamed 19H1.

Today’s new release, Build 18277, gains a new focus assist option that will spring into life whenever you’re doing anything full screen on your PC so you’re not bothered by notifications.

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