Wireless routers seen as essential as smart devices take off

The back of a Wi-Fi router with antenna mounted

The wireless router is the number one technology US consumers can’t live without for more than day, according to managed services provider iQor.

A working router is necessary for consumers to enjoy smart devices and the connected lifestyle, including smart TVs and streaming devices, multiplayer gaming, tablets, voice controlled virtual assistants and smart speakers, IoT-enabled security systems, and more. According to the survey 64 percent of US adults say they couldn’t be without Wi-Fi for a day.

Continue reading

Scientists discover a new way to use DNA as a storage device

DNA strand

The future of technology is about more than just increasing raw processing power and embracing the likes of quantum computing -- storage is also a serious concern. We already generate huge amounts of data, and the amount we need to store is only going to increase.

Just as processors have developed in new and exciting ways over the years, so there have been great strides made in the field of storage. But variants on the current methods of storage are simply not going to cut it for much longer. Thankfully, scientists in Ireland may have come up with a solution -- storing data in DNA.

Continue reading

The $600 billion cost of global cyber crime

Cybercrime cash

We all know cyber crime is a major problem, but just how big is its worldwide impact? A new report from McAfee and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) reckons it costs businesses almost $600 billion a year or 0.8 percent of global GDP.

Global losses in 2014 were estimated at $445 billion and the report puts the increase down to criminals quickly adopting new technologies, the ease of engaging in cyber crime -- including an expanding number of cyber crime centers -- and the growing financial sophistication of top-tier criminals.

Continue reading

Technology and compliance teams work together to minimize the risk of data breaches

team collaboration

Organizations are facing an unprecedented variety of cyber risks that have the potential for devastating consequences, but a new study reveals that IT, security and compliance teams individually lack the resources to deal with them.

The study for communications compliance specialist Actiance and conducted by IDG Research finds enterprises moving towards a collaborative risk management model with increasing overlap between the different teams.

Continue reading

FireAlpaca 2.0 improves layer support, adds 64-bit Windows build

Japanese developer PGN Inc has released FireAlpaca 2.0, a major new release of its free paint app for Windows and Mac users. The app is aimed at wannabe painters with a variety of drawing tools coupled with advanced features such as layer support.

Version 2.0’s headline new feature is the addition of a separate 64-bit build for Windows PCs, but it also improves its layer support along with some minor tweaks and adjustments.

Continue reading

Google Reply lets you use smart replies with popular Android messaging apps

Chat Bubble Smartphone

There are times when you don't need an elaborate reply to a message a friend just sent. Maybe all you need to say is "I'll be there," "No, thanks" or "Cool." However, many messaging apps do not give you the option to send these kind of smart answers, which, in this day and age, sounds like something that should be standard, given all the talk about AI and clever bots in this space.

Google has decided to do something about it, as it's working on an app, called Reply, that lets you offer smart replies to messages in many messaging apps, including Google Hangouts, Android Messages, WhatsApp, Twitter and more.

Continue reading

New robotic process platform helps businesses stay competitive

robot office worker

Robotic process automation is increasingly popular with businesses looking to streamline their operations and cut costs.

Specialist in this area Redwood Software is launching a new robotic process automation (RPA) platform that offers access to over 35,000 robotic tools for tasks like accounting, payroll, compliance, claims processing and more.

Continue reading

Parallels Toolbox 1.5 for Windows adds presentation mode and disk cleanup tool

Parallels may be best known for its virtualization software for Mac, but the company is also active in the Windows scene. One of its most interesting programs is Toolbox, which, as its name suggests, offers a suite of tools to help power users make the most of their PC.

And, today, it gets an update, as Parallels releases Toolbox 1.5 for Windows. The new version adds a presentation mode, a disk cleanup tool and an option to quickly change your display's resolution.

Continue reading

Logitech unveils 2018 Art Collection of M235C wireless mice

You don’t truly appreciate a Logitech mouse until you try a bad model from another brand. While some other companies make quality mice too, many models on the market are terrible. I will sometimes buy a cheap mouse from a lesser-known company on, say, Amazon.com, and I'll almost always be disappointed. Why do I bother? I’m a sucker for a "sale". These poor quality mice often have lousy tracking, and even worse, problematic clicks -- nothing frustrates me more than having a click go unregistered. Grrr!

Logitech’s M235C portable mouse is a classic -- a no nonsense product that will last a long time. It is reliable, affordable, and comfortable. This wireless mouse can be a lot of fun too, as Logitech often releases it in specialty colors and designs. Today, the company unveils the 2018 Art Collection for that mouse. These designs aren’t new, however -- it is a "best of" collection of artistic designs from years past, such as Purple Peace and Black Taboo.

Continue reading

How tech companies have created a massive content problem

Fake news on a mobile phone

When you wake up in the morning and read the news, or start consuming content, where’s the first place you turn? According to Pew Research Center, about 66 percent of adults who use Facebook on a regular basis get their news there primarily -- nd 40 percent of adults, in total, rely on Facebook as a primary source of news. If you don’t check Facebook as a primary source, you probably use Google searches to find news and content -- or at least to supplement your primary channel.

For the most part, search engines, social media sites, and news aggregation platforms have worked wonders for society. They make it faster and easier than ever to read new information -- mostly for free -- and have only grown in popularity over the years. However, they’ve also created a massive problem -- and one that isn’t easy to fix.

Continue reading

Top US banks have multiple online security flaws

online banking

Analysis of the internet presence of 25 out of 50 top US banks reveals a worrying number of online security flaws.

Threat management company RiskIQ used its Digital Footprint product, which provides a real-time inventory of all internet-facing assets, including the components running on assets that may expose the organization to vulnerability risk. It also correlates newly discovered vulnerabilities with internet-exposed components and assets, highlighting those at risk to inform patching and remediation planning.

Continue reading

Just one percent of NHS trusts have migrated to Windows 10

Last year, the UK’s National Health Service was hit hard by the WannaCry/WannaCrypt ransomware attack that went on to infect computers around the world. The attack was so bad that Microsoft took the unprecedented step of patching Windows XP to try and stem the spread of the problem.

While it first believed that NHS computers running XP were the source of the issue, it turned out to be Windows 7 systems that were mostly to blame. PCs running Windows 10 were immune from the attack. You would have thought, having been through such a terrible experience, that the NHS would have taken steps to prevent it happening again, but it seems not.

Continue reading

Say goodbye to Swype

goodbye

Android and iOS users who are not happy with the stock keyboard on their device have lots of third-party options to choose from. Among the established alternatives is Swype, which has been available for nearly five years on Android and over three on iOS. It's actually one of the first third-party keyboards I tried on both platforms.

Swype, however, hasn't really caught on in quite the same way that, say, SwiftKey has, which is likely the reason why the company behind the app, Nuance, has announced that it's reached "end of development." In other words, Swype users, your favorite keyboard is now discontinued.

Continue reading

GDPR and the challenge of personal data discovery

GDPR touchscreen

For enterprises to comply with GDPR it's vital that they have an understanding of where personal data is located in each of their systems.

Metadata discovery specialist Silwood Technology is releasing research into five of the largest and most widely used application packages to understand the scale of the challenge encountered by their customers when locating personal data.

Continue reading

Samsung starts mass producing 'PM1643' SSD with monstrous 30.72TB capacity

Solid state drives are much faster than mechanical hard drives. From a capacity perspective, however, the old-school hard drives typically offer more storage space. It is for this reason that many individuals and businesses still rely on hard disk drives for larger backups.

Today, Samsung throws all logic out of the window by announcing it is mass producing a solid state drive with monstrous capacity. The "PM1643," as it is called, offers an insane 30.72TB of storage space! This is achieved by using 32 x 1TB NAND flash.

Continue reading

© 1998-2024 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.