Microsoft joins Open Invention Network and open sources its patent portfolio
Microsoft has joined the "largest patent non-aggression community in history", the Open Invention Network (OIN), effectively open-sourcing almost its entire patent portfolio.
The company has shown increasing warmth to the open source community in recent years, and this latest move means that other OIN members will have access to its patents -- with the exception of those relating to Windows and desktop applications. The OIN embraces -- as Microsoft has done of late -- Linux "as a key element of open source software".
Hackers, geeks and thieves -- analysis of dark web communities reveals varied motives
When we talk about the dark web it's easy to think of it as an amorphous malevolent blob. But new research from Recorded Future reveals some key differences between dark web communities in different parts of the world.
The company's Inskit Group of researchers has actively analyzed underground markets and forums tailored to Russian and Chinese audiences over the past year and has discovered a number of differences in content hosted on forums, as well as differences in forum organization and conduct.
Snap launches Snap Originals -- original, bite-sized, interactive shows for Snapchat
Snap has announced the launch of a new range of original, scripted shows for Snapchat. Snap Originals are penned by Hollywood writers that Snap describes as the "world's greatest storytellers".
The shows are not going to compete with offerings from the likes of Netflix. These are not shows of typical episode lengths, but a mere five minutes long. Snap will be hoping that the length, in conjunction with the interactivity and social elements of the shows, will increase their appeal to teenage Snapchat users.
Carbon Black launches advanced threat hunting from the cloud
Most endpoint detection tools collect only a limited set of data, which can make it hard for teams to track down and combat threats.
To address this issue, endpoint security specialist Carbon Black is launching a new threat hunting tool as part of its Predictive Security Cloud (PSC).
68 percent of enterprises are not ready to cope with DNS attacks
A new study reveals that 68 percent of the top 50 companies on the Fortune 500 rankings are not adequately prepared for the next major DNS attack.
The Global DNS Performance Report by network intelligence company ThousandEyes shows that DNS best practices are not widespread in major enterprises and SaaS providers, leaving them needlessly vulnerable.
Microsoft has bumped up the price of Windows 10 Home by nearly $20
You'd be forgiven for not having noticed, but Microsoft has quietly -- virtually silently, in fact -- increased the price of Windows 10 Home.
Previously available for $119.99, the operating system will now set you back $139 -- a $19.01 increase. While it's fair to say that the price increase of close to $20 won't affect too many people -- there are just a handful who don't either opt for an upgrade, or buy it pre-installed -- Microsoft did a great job of introducing the new price by stealth.
Microsoft fixes Windows 10 October 2018 Update data deletion issues, delivers new test version to Insiders
Yesterday was supposed to be the day when the Windows 10 October 2018 Update started to properly roll out to users, but due to a number of well publicized problems, most notably with the OS deleting user data, Microsoft was forced to change its plans.
It "paused" the update last week in order to investigate the problems, and now has an updated version of Windows 10 1809 ready for Windows Insiders to test and provide feedback on.
Google Home Hub is smart display that lacks a camera
Yesterday's Google event was primarily about the launch of the new Pixel phones and Slate tablet, but there was much more announced. One of the more interesting products to be revealed was the Google Home Hub.
Ostensibly a smart display, Home Hub lacks something found on Facebook's Portal -- a camera; considering the leakiness of Google, this is probably no bad thing. But what does Google's latest addition to the growing selection of smart devices have to offer?
Twitter is killing off Moments on iOS and Android
In less than two weeks, Twitter's Moments will no longer be available to mobile users.
Seemingly in recognition of the fact that hardly anyone used the feature, Twitter is killing off the ability to create Moments in its iOS and Android apps. But the company is not completely shutting down Moments -- the feature will still be available to those who really want to continue using it.
Dropbox makes PDFs and images searchable with automatic OCR feature
Dropbox is in the process of launching a new feature that will make life easier for people using the cloud storage service to house PDFs and image files: automatic OCR.
The optical character recognition is rolling out to paying subscribers, and is an acknowledgement of the fact that a large proportion of files uploaded to Dropbox are photographs of documents. By adding machine learning-powered OCR, Dropbox is making these files searchable.
How voice search is changing the way we shop
Over the years, the way we interact with the world around us has changed considerably. Where once analog and physical interactions ruled, now we value digital, virtual and simulated experiences -- some of which bridge the gap between these worlds.
For example, buying goods online or through a mobile app and then picking them up at a local store is a cross-platform experience for the modern age.
Google Chromecast gets better, but it cannot compete with Roku and Amazon 4K devices
Google's Chromecast is a curious product. It solves a major consumer need -- getting media content from a smartphone's small screen to a larger television screen. And it accomplishes that goal fairly well. When it was first released in 2013, its biggest selling point was its low price. These days, the $35 asking price is far less impressive. For instance, for just $5 more, you can get a 4K Roku box with a remote.
Realizing that the Chromecast was in desperate need of an upgrade, Google today launches a new model. The $35 price remains, but the hardware gets a significant refresh. The processor is apparently 15 percent faster, enabling 1080p at 60fps -- a big upgrade from the 720p found on the prior generation. Sadly, it is apparently not capable of doing 4K. Also of significance, it now supports 5GHz 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
Google reveals the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL
There have been so many leaks surrounding Google's latest Pixel phones that today's announcements felt like little more than a formality. Nevertheless, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are now official.
Taking design inspiration from numerous other handset manufacturers, the new Pixels move away from previous models and have a glass construction. The 5.5-inch Pixel 3 does not feature a notch, but the 6.3-inch XL model does; both handsets feature a Snapdragon 845 SoC, 4GB of RAM, and 64 or 128GB of storage -- and, of course, Android Pie.
Half of new app development requests end in failure
In the US and across European countries, 50 percent of all new app development requests end in failure -- either by not being delivered at all, or being delivered without meeting the original business need.
According to research carried out by IDG for low-code development platform Appian, 16 percent of new development projects requested by EMEA enterprises never even get started.
Google's Pixel Slate is an affordable 2-in-1 alternative to Microsoft Surface
Interest in tablets has been waning for years -- even Apple can’t really get us that excited about new iPads. People are still buying Amazon’s Kindle Fires, but mainly because they are so attractively priced.
At its 'Made by Google' event in New York today, Google revealed a brand new Chrome OS tablet called the Pixel Slate with an optional keyboard and Pixelbook Pen.
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