Get 'Designing UX: Prototyping' ebook ($30 value) FREE for a limited time
If you’re involved in user experience design -- be it as a web designer or a software developer -- you’ll know that identifying and fixing problems is easier and cheaper if it can be done earlier in the process of design and build.
As work on a project progresses, so the effort involved in making any changes increases. If you can test out early ideas, via prototyping, then you can quickly identify whether those ideas are going to work. This great ebook from SitePoint -- which usually retails for $30 -- will tell you everything you need to know about prototyping.
Mozilla launches Firefox Focus, a privacy-focused web browser for Android
Late last year Mozilla launched a private browser for iOS called Firefox Focus. Now the browser arrives on Android bringing the same privacy-focused internet experience to users of Google's mobile operating system.
When Mozilla talks about being privacy-focused, it does not just mean using Private Browsing. Firefox Focus is a completely separate browser which blocks trackers, analytics and ads, and also wipes your browsing history with a single tap. As well as improving privacy, Focus also speeds up web browsing and reduces data usage.
Watch the OnePlus 5 launch event here today, live
It’s fair to say there’s a lot of anticipation around the new flagship killer from OnePlus, but the wait is very nearly over as today is the day it’s officially revealed.
Thanks to leaks and teases we already know a fair bit about the OnePlus 5, including that it’s going to be super thin, will have great cameras, and will likely feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and front fingerprint sensor.
New report reveals how malware uses evasion to hide in plain sight
People have been hiding secrets in everyday objects for hundreds of years. The digital world is no exception, and McAfee Labs has released its latest Quarterly Threat Report, part of which looks at how evasion techniques can be used to distribute malware.
The use of evasion techniques started in the 1980s, when a piece of malware defended itself by partially encrypting its own code, making the content unreadable by security analysts. Since then a dark market for off-the-shelf evasion technology has developed and several contemporary malware families now make use of evasion techniques.
YouTube updates its Restricted Mode policies after LGBTQ debacle
Back in March, Google was hit by criticism after it was discovered that its Restricted Mode filtered out many videos with LGBTQ content. A month later the company announced that it had fixed the problem that led to videos being "incorrectly filtered" and now, to coincide with Pride month, Google has revealed policy updates to Restricted Mode.
Google says that it has worked with LGBTQ creators and YouTube employees and will now explicitly allow content that was previously blocked, to be seen in Restricted Mode -- hoping to quieten any shouts of "censorship." The new policies mean that content such as "kissing at weddings, personal accounts of difficult events, and speaking out against discrimination" should no longer be caught in the net.
UK officials believe North Korea is behind WannaCry ransomware
Nearly a month after it struck devices around the globe, new information has emerged surrounding the major WannaCry ransomware attack.
The BBC says British officials from the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) are now claiming infamous North Korean cyber-criminal group Lazarus was behind the attack.
ASUS ZenBook 3 Deluxe Windows 10 laptop now available
Windows laptops are certainly getting more beautiful with every passing year. Elegance used to largely be an Apple-only affair, but that has been changing. Quite frankly, there are countless such notebooks on the market, making choosing one a bit difficult -- a good problem for consumers.
Today, ASUS unveils one of the most beautiful such Windows laptops. Called "ZenBook 3 Deluxe," it is insanely thin at a mere 12.9mm. It is quite light too, at only 2.42 pounds. Despite its svelte body, it is packed with plenty of excellent specs, such as a Kaby Lake Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB PCIe SSD. It has three USB-C ports, one of which is USB 3.0 speed, while the others are 3.1 Gen 2/ Thunderbolt 3. It even leverages biometrics for logging in, with a Windows Hello compatible fingerprint reader on the trackpad.
Cyber security is more important than Brexit in boardroom talks
Cyber security is a top concern in the boardroom, to the point where it’s a more important issue than Brexit. That's according to a new report from Radware examining the state of cyber security across the US and Europe.
The study shows that in 85 percent of cases security threats are now being discussed on a board level. Almost all of them (94 percent) see cyber security as a top priority, and two thirds (62 percent) see it as "extremely important." This figure is up nine percent, compared to last year.
Tech disruption will destroy jobs
The head of one of the UK's biggest advertising firms believes new technology will destroy jobs in the future.
"I happen to be in the camp of people who think that technology disrupts, and will destroy, jobs," says Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP, speaking at London Tech Week.
Now is the time to buy Microsoft Xbox One S
On November 7, the Xbox One X will become available. Want to know a secret? It plays the same games as Xbox One and Xbox One S. In other words, the $500 "X" console gives a similar experience as the $250 "S" variant. While both can play 4K media, only the X model can display actual games in that resolution, however. If that doesn't matter to you, why spend the extra money? You can use the savings to buy more games!
Today, Microsoft announces a trio of deals that will make buying an Xbox One S even more attractive. Not only can you get the console itself for $249, but you can also score a $50 gift card or free Xbox Wireless Controller. While the promotion also includes the "non-S" variant of the console, that is becoming harder to find, so you should probably stick with the S at this point. Any savings would be negligible anyway.
HTC U11 squeezable Android smartphone coming to America in beautiful 'Solar Red' color
One fun aspect of Android is that there are many different device designs. Unlike the iPhone which is largely uniform in style, there are countless smartphones running Google's mobile operating system with different sizes, shapes, colors, user interfaces, etc. Heck, you can still get an Android phone with a physical keyboard!
One manufacturer that is often pushing the envelope on design is HTC. Its newest smartphone, the U11, is absolutely gorgeous from an appearance perspective, but it has a very unique aspect too -- it is squeezable. Yes, you can squeeze the frame to interact with the phone. Unfortunately, one of the most lovely colors for the phone, called "Solar Red," was not available to consumers in the USA. This is changing, thankfully, as HTC is bringing the sought-after color to America.
Unsecured Amazon server leaks details of 198 million American voters
Personal data and profiling information about millions of American voters has been exposed in what is believed to be the largest ever leak of its kind.
198 million records were found stored on an unsecured Amazon S3 server owned by Deep Root Analytics, a Republican data analytics firm. It is thought that the data, which dates back more than a decade, includes information about every registered American voter.
Ring Video Doorbell 2 is here
It feels like everything is internet-connected nowadays -- lights, televisions, coffee-makers, and more. Heck, even doorbells are connected! One of the most popular such devices -- the Ring Video Doorbell -- allows the owner to not only see who is ringing the doorbell, but to communicate with them too. This can be done remotely with a smartphone, so even when you aren't home, you can give the illusion that you are. In theory, this could thwart burglars that are testing to see if a home is occupied.
Today, Ring Video Doorbell gets a generation 2 refresh. All of the features of the first-gen model are here, but it gets an improved design with 1080p video support and more.
Microsoft is killing off SMBv1 in Windows 10 to thwart the likes of WannaCry
From the fall, Microsoft is disabling SMBv1 in Windows 10. With the release of Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (or Redstone 3 if you prefer), the protocol that was exploited by the WannaCry ransomware will be no more.
The file sharing protocol was developed by Microsoft over two decades ago, and the company recognizes that the time has come for it to be retired. Internal builds of Windows 10 being tested by Microsoft already have SMBv1 disabled, and similar builds will make their way to Windows Insiders and the wider public in due course.
Unencrypted USB drives putting UK businesses at risk
UK businesses are putting almost no effort into securing the data they keep on USB drives, which is not in line with what GDPR demands, potentially putting them at risk of being hit with huge fines.
That's according to data storage firm Kingston, which concluded after polling 480 employees from companies in various industries.
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