All the features Microsoft is removing or deprecating in Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

Windows 10 Fall Creators Update

Each new big update for Windows 10 introduces a wealth of new features. The forthcoming Fall Creators Update will be no different, delivering lots of improvements as well as new components like OneDrive Files On-Demand, and My People.

But when Microsoft giveth, it also taketh away, dropping various features and functionalities from its new build. In preparation for the release of the Fall Creators Update, Microsoft has released the full list of features that will be removed or deprecated from the new version.

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No, Google is not about to redesign its iconic minimalist homepage

A few days ago Google announced plans to update its iOS and Android apps. The update sees the arrival of algorithm-powered feeds that display a personalized stream of content.  Note the reference to Apple and Google’s mobile platforms.

This story was widely reported in the tech press, but the Guardian decided to take things further, claiming that Google was on the verge of unveiling a "radical" change to it homepage on the desktop. The story is seemingly plucked out of thin air, as Google has made no such suggestion. In fact, the company has spoken out to refute the claim.

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Verizon's 'video optimization' test throttles Netflix and YouTube

Verizon Wireless customers complained this week that the company was throttling Netflix traffic. With talk of net neutrality ringing in their ears, people were upset to find that download speeds were capped at 10Mbps.

When Netflix denied implementing a cap, the finger of suspicion pointed at Verizon. Now the company has owned up to testing a new "video optimization" system, but it's not clear how this resulted in the cap-like effects experienced by many users.

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UK government proposes mandatory drone registrations and safety awareness tests

The UK government has announced plans to force private drone owners to register their devices as well as passing a safety awareness test -- a drone driving test essentially. The rules would affect drones weighing more than 250g and they come in response to an increasing number of near-misses between drones and aircraft.

The Civil Aviation Authority’s Airprox Board investigated no fewer than 22 incidents between drones and commercial aircraft in the first four months of the year, but police currently have a near-impossible task when it comes to tracing owners of drones that have been flown dangerously.

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Bank of England supports FinTech startups

Fintech

The Bank of England has allowed access to settlement accounts in the real-time gross settlement system (RTGS), the media reported this week.

Apparently, this move should blow some wind into the sails of innovative fintech companies, boosting competition.

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London Stock Exchange trials blockchain for shares in Italy

London's Stock Exchange is set to start using blockchain to improve transparency for shareholding information among unlisted businesses.

According to a news report by CityAM, the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) will use Hyperledger Fabric, one of the open source blockchain frameworks hosted by The Linux Foundation to make info on private SMEs digital. The end goal is to draw more mature investors.

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One in 10 UK businesses moved to the cloud

A tenth of all UK businesses have moved entirely to the cloud, according to a new Breaking Barriers 2020 report from Fuze.

The report is based on a poll of more than 900 CIOs, and claims that the UK keeps lagging behind North America and the rest of Europe in terms of adopting cloud services. The report compares the UK with American firms, 45 percent of which have fully made the migration to cloud.

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GLAS is Microsoft's gorgeous Cortana-powered smart thermostat

Microsoft has announced its entry into the smart office market with the launch of a new thermostat.

GLAS, which was revealed in a YouTube video this week, targets businesses and stores looking to establish a smarter, more connected workplace.

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Nintendo, expectedly, trademarks Nintendo 64 Classic Edition

What do 1985 and 2016 have in common? The same video game system as one of the hot-ticket Christmas presents. Nintendo has masterfully fulfilled the need for nostalgia among millions of gamers, in addition to creating that need for countless others who, thanks to the hype of the NES Classic Edition, didn't even realize how cool it was to play games from their childhood days in the 2010s.

It came as no surprise, then, when Nintendo announced the follow-up Super NES Classic Edition last month, which is due to be released in September. And eagle-eyed fans have discovered that there is likely another stop on the nostalgia train before too long.

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deepin 15.4.1 Debian-based Linux distribution now available for download

So many Linux distributions, so little time! Today, yet another operating system based on the kernel gets a new version. This particular distro, called "deepin" is a bit controversial, as it comes from China -- a country not known for human rights or user privacy. Since the OS is largely open source, I am not really worried, but I can respect people that are wary of spying, however.

This new version of deepin is 15.4.1. I know what you are thinking -- this is just a point release, is it really interesting? Actually, yes! There are quite a lot of new features and fixes, making this essential for existing users of the operating system. Those looking to try it for the first time -- maybe because they are dissatisfied with Windows 10 -- are in for a treat, as it has quite the unique and elegant user interface, delivering a very positive experience. Since it is based on the great Debian, you know that it will be rock solid.

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The biggest challenge to adopting IoT? Identifying ROI

The biggest challenges companies have with implementing IoT technologies is not security but rather identifying ROI.

This is according to a new report by Canonical, entitled Defining IoT Business Models, which polled 360 IoT professionals, including devs, vendors and enterprise users, more than half (53 percent) say "quantifying ROI and providing a clear use case" is currently their biggest challenge.

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YouTube Video Editor and Photo slideshows to close September 20

YouTube has quietly revealed that its Video Editor and Photo slideshows features will close down in just two months. It seems that not enough people are using the two tools to warrant keeping them alive, so they are being "retired".

Users are warned that while videos that have already been published will remain accessible, projects currently sitting in Video Editor must be completed by the shutdown date of September 20.

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Essential Phone will be released soon in US and international markets

Essential Phone

Andy Rubin's startup, Essential, announced its highly-anticipated smartphone in late-May. The high-end device, called Essential Phone, is aimed at flagship buyers looking for something a little different from an iPhone 7 or Galaxy S8, packing some cool features and a clean design at a competitive price.

But, unlike an iPhone 7 or Galaxy S8, you cannot just go out and buy an Essential Phone. Users can, however, "reserve" one, in either black or white, but when it will ship is as yet unknown at this stage. An email from Andy Rubin gives us a pretty good idea as to when it will be available though.

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YouTube employs the Redirect Method to counter searches for violent extremist videos

Google, Facebook and other big tech companies have all committed to trying to eradicate extremism from their respective networks in recent months. YouTube has just announced its latest strategy, with a technique which sounds rather like a type of contraception.

The Redirect Method uses a very simple technique of displaying safe, carefully curated content when certain keywords are used as search terms. More than this, when searches for extremist content are conducted, YouTube will actually show videos that "debunk violent extremist recruiting narratives."

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Coinbase and GDAX will not support Bitcoin hard fork

There is a lot of discussion surrounding what will happen to Bitcoin come August 1, when two major changes to the protocol are scheduled to take place. Will we have a soft fork, which will keep Bitcoin on the current blockchain, or will a hard fork take place, creating a separate blockchain?

There is no definitive answer yet, but the major exchanges are preparing its customers for what will likely be a bumpy period in trading. Coinbase has announced its stance, revealing that it will not support the hard fork and the coins that it may create.

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