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Apple is just one of many technology companies whose tax arrangements in Europe have been criticized. Like other firms, Apple made use of Ireland to help reduce its tax bills, and this is something that the European Commission took exception to.

Last year the EC said that tax benefits received by the company in Ireland were in fact illegal under EU law, and ordered that an outstanding €13bn ($15.3bn) tax bill be settled. Despite Apple not wanting to pay the bill -- and the Irish Government not wanting to receive it -- the two sides have now come to an agreement that means the money owed will now be collected.

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War always sparks innovation, and over the years conflict has led to improvements in technology and the acceleration of development in things like radar and the jet engine.

So, is the war against cyber crime driving technologies that will improve the internet? Security education site Cyber Security Degrees thinks so and has produced an infographic to prove it.

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Over the weekend, Apple pushed out iOS 11.2 a little earlier than planned to address a crashing problems affecting iPhone users. The update included a non-functioning version of Apple Pay Cash, but now Apple is flicking the switch to activate the new payment options.

Apple Pay Cash makes it possible for people to send and receive payments through iMessage. It serves as an alternative to the likes of PayPal, and it's a payment option that's now rolling out across the US, with other parts of the world to follow in due course.

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Despite Microsoft's aggressive pushing of Windows 10, Windows 7 remains staggeringly popular. A growing number of users are currently reporting an issue with Windows Update at the moment  -- specifically error 80248015.

The full error message reads: "Windows Update cannot currently check for updates, because the service is not running. You may need to restart your computer." Needless to say, a simple restart is not enough to fix the problem, although a workaround has been discovered that solves the issue for some people.

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Not all hard drives are created equally. When you are in the market for a storage drive, there are many things to consider. Most importantly is brand -- if you are storing important data, you want a product from a company with a good reputation. Next, you want to target the capacity that meets your needs and fits your budget. Obviously the more capacity the better, but there is no point in buying much more than you need. In other words, if you only need to store 1TB of data, an 8TB drive would be a foolish buy.

Another thing to consider when buying a hard drive is reliability. Some drives are rated for more use than others, with NAS drives often topping that rating. Why? These drives are quite literally designed for network attached storage where they could be in constant use -- including serving as a personal "cloud." Today, Toshiba unveils a beautiful new SATA 3.3 NAS drive with a massive 10TB capacity and impressive 256MB cache/buffer. Called "MN06ACA10T," it is designed for 24/7 usage and workload transfer-rated for 180TB per year.

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There is this stereotype that Linux is not conducive to creativity, and I want you to know it is totally false. True, some photographers, videographers, and other types of artists may opt for a Mac or Windows machine, but they can be just as creative with open source and Linux. Not to mention, if you are a maker, engineer, or other type of creator, Linux is probably your best option.

The folks over at System76 have been preaching about the benefits of Linux and open source for many years, and its excellent Linux-powered computers are used by many creative professionals -- including Pixar. This year, however, the computer seller decided to take things a step further by creating its own Ubuntu-based operating system. Called "Pop!_OS," it aims to inspire its users. The company wants to get more people using the distro, so today, it announces a really cool new contest. By simply trying the operating system and sharing your experience with System76, you could win some sweet prizes, including a trip to the company's headquarters in Denver, CO!

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Holiday shopping is here, which means many consumers are visiting popular retailers like Walmart, Kohl’s, and Target. True, more and more shoppers are opting for an online experience from websites like Amazon, but the brick-and-mortar sellers are still wildly popular. Yeah, waiting in line stinks, but it can sometimes be more rewarding to see products in person. Shoes and clothing in particular can be tried on before buying.

Regarding those long lines that shoppers despise, Target has found a way to make them move a bit quicker. You see, starting today, the Target app for Android and iOS gains a new Wallet feature that makes the act of paying even faster. Better yet, it makes it easier to manage and use coupons.

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Windows PowerShell is a task-based command-line shell and scripting language designed specifically for system administration.

This ebook can teach you the fundamentals of PowerShell, enabling you to build reusable scripts and functions to automate administrative tasks with Windows.

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Every now and then OnePlus introduces a limited edition of its flagship killer. They're usually nicer than the original, but not quite close to collector's item status in my opinion. The latest one might be different.

Why? Because the new one, which is based on the awesome OnePlus 5T, gets Star Wars branding. The limited edition arrives in anticipation of The Last Jedi's debut in movie theaters next week.

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When Windows 8 arrived there was one thing that everyone wanted to know -- "Where’s the Start button gone?" In removing the traditional Start menu from its reimagined tiled OS, Microsoft managed to immediately alienate the majority of its user base. It was, unquestionably, one of the main reasons why that OS flopped so badly.

Thankfully, programs like Classic Shell (which has been around since 2009) stepped in to fill the void, reintroducing the classic Start menu to Windows 8, and later Windows 10. While Microsoft’s new OS has a Start menu of its own, a lot of people still prefer Classic Shell’s simpler, tile-free design.

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The massively prolific Neil Young has just made his entire musical back catalog available to stream free of charge. Obsessed with audio quality -- you might well remember Young's Pono music player and streaming service, as well as his hatred of the MP3 format -- tracks are provided at an extremely high bit rate.

Of course, this is not a completely selfless offering from the Canadian musician. The free availability of tracks is a time-limited offer -- it's really little more than an advertising stunt for his paid-for Xstream Music subscription service.

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In a move that's likely to raise a few eyebrows, Facebook today opened up its messaging platform to children under the age of 13. A new app, Messenger Kids, is now available in the US for iOS users.

The app is currently available as a preview, and Facebook says that it has worked with parents and groups such as the National PTA to ensure safety. The company also emphasizes the fact that parents are in full control of who their children are able to connect with.

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Over the last year attacks like WannaCry and Petya have brought ransomware into the public eye like never before.

Security intelligence platform CyberSight is launching a new solution to predict, detect and stop ransomware attacks.

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While Windows 10 still lags behind Windows 7 in terms of market share, there’s one section of user that has embraced the new operating system since day one -- gamers. That’s no surprise of course, as they like to run the latest and greatest hardware and software.

Steam’s monthly usage survey, which shows the state of things from the gamers’ perspective, has consistently reported Windows 10 as the top operating system of choice, until last month when -- to the surprise of many -- Windows 7 took over.

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You can’t have failed to notice, but copyright holders and anti-piracy groups are waging war on Kodi -- and "fully loaded" Kodi boxes in particular -- at the moment. And as is the case in all wars, the first casualty is truth.

A new video from the Hollywood-backed Digital Citizens Alliance is so full of lies and nonsense it will have you shaking your head in wonderment. Does anyone truly believe this propaganda anymore (if they ever did)? Clearly the DCA thinks they do.

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