Microsoft wins Supreme Court case about scratched Xbox 360 discs

With staggeringly coincidental timing, just as Microsoft revealed its upcoming Xbox One X console, the company received some great news from the US Supreme Court. In an 8-0 decision, the court overturned an earlier ruling in what has become a complex and lengthy case.

What originally started off as a fairly simple case around a decade ago about game discs scratched by Xbox 360 consoles, has evolved into quite a different beast. The latest ruling means that a case that was to be brought collectively by tens of thousands of gamers cannot be granted class action status.

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Malicious antivirus apps prey on ransomware fears

Malware magnifier

Recent weeks have seen a rise in fake WannaCry protectors on mobile app stores, even though this particular infection doesn't target mobile devices.

But using the fear of high profile infections to get users to download potentially unwanted programs or malware is nothing new according to threat management company RiskIQ. Using its mobile database, hundreds of examples of apps that claim to help defend mobile phones were found, instead, to be preying on unsuspecting users by pushing adware, trojans, and other malware.

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People in the US are less savvy about cyber security than people in the UK

US v UK

A new report suggests that people in the UK are more aware of the terminology surrounding cyber security, and are less likely to fall victim to hacking and identity theft. Wombat Security Technologies' 2017 edition of its User Risk Report reveals a stark difference in cyber knowledge on either side of the Atlantic.

The report is based on a survey carried out last month into knowledge of, and attitudes to, cyber security topics and best practices. While the report shows that the UK is generally more cyber security savvy, the US is shown to fare better when it comes to passwords and backing up data.

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Collaboration cloud services lead to a rise in data violations

Almost 10 percent of data loss prevention (DLP) violations come from collaboration services according to a new report.

The study from cloud security company Netskope shows that as cloud services like HipChat and Slack have increased in popularity enterprises need to put policies in place to protect the information that’s shared.

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Dell refreshes Alienware Area-51 with AMD Ryzen Threadripper and Intel Core X options

The news from E3 2017 is coming fast and furiously. Just yesterday, console gamers were treated to something very exciting -- Xbox One X. While Microsoft's latest console is a bit pricey, the cost is probably deserved -- it is the most powerful gaming system ever.

Today PC gamers are getting some big news from Dell. The company is refreshing its Alienware Area-51 gaming desktop with the latest-and-greatest from both AMD and Intel. Yes, folks, Threadripper and Core X will soon be configuration options for the beautiful computer.

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Do you know where your cloud data is stored?

Cloud server

IT security heads may be drastically underestimating the size of their organization’s cloud presence, leading to potentially huge security risk, a leading expert has warned.

Speaking to ITProPortal at the recent InfoSecurity 2017 event in London, Darren Thomson, EMEA CTO at Symantec, said that it was "a massive, massive concern" that many CISOs and CIOs were unable to accurately say how big their company’s cloud presence was.

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Google launches 'Qibla Finder' augmented reality web app to help Muslims pray

When Muslims pray, they are supposed to face Mecca -- a city in Saudi Arabia. This can be difficult for those that travel, as the direction can change based on the person's current location. For someone that tends to always be in the same city, this can be far easier to remember day to day.

If you are a Muslim that desires absolute accuracy when praying, Google has a new solution for you. Called "Qibla Finder," it is a web app that will show you the exact location to face.

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Meet the new Moto E4 and Moto E4 Plus

Nearly a year after unveiling the Moto E3, today Lenovo officially announces its successor. It's called the Moto E4 and it is offered in two versions, with some major differences between them.

There's the base Moto E, which comes with a 5-inch screen and a 2,800mAh battery, and the larger 5.5-inch Moto E Plus, which features a 5.5-inch display and a massive 5,000mAh battery.

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Farming needs technology to feed the globe

Farmers need to embrace advanced technologies such as the IoT in the next few years in order to support the growing human population, new research has claimed.

With the global population set to reach 11 billion by the end of the century (according to UN estimates) and climate change set to affect agriculture, changes are required in how we source and grow food, analyst firm Beecham has said.

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Linux Mint 18.2 'Sonya' Beta Ubuntu-based distribution now available with KDE or Xfce

This has been an interesting week for Linux Mint. The team released the official beta for the Cinnamon and Mate versions of "Sonya," signaling a final release should be here soon. While that is good news, there was some bad news too. While technically not a Linux Mint issue, it was discovered that the MintBox 2 had a bios vulnerability. Luckily, there is already a patch for the diminutive computer.

Today, we can get back to the positive news, as there are two new Linux Mint releases. You can immediately download Linux Mint 18.2 'Sonya' Beta ISO images with the KDE or Xfce desktop environments. True, the Mint experience is usually all about Cinnamon and Mate, but the team offers a choice to those that dislike the standard environments.

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Minecraft is going cross-platform! For real! Kind of...

At its annual laser-laden, pyrotechnics-padded, 110-minute trailer fest, also known as the Xbox E3 2017 briefing, Microsoft showcased dozens of titles that will be coming to the Xbox One (and Xbox One S/Xbox One X) over the next several months. But developer Mojang also made some news during the event. It announced that its incredibly popular game Minecraft will be playable online across multiple devices and multiple platforms.

You may have heard terms like "cross-platform" in various descriptions and releases of Mincecraft titles, but until now that term has confusingly and incompletely been used for very specific platform integrations. For example, those playing the Windows 10 edition of the game can play alongside those who are playing on an iPad or Android tablet. However, Xbox One players -- for now -- can only interact with Xbox One players.

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WiMiUS L1 4K action camera review

The action camera market has exploded. There is an overwhelming number of options to choose from, with the vast majority targeting price-conscious buyers. In fact, many of those affordable action cameras are actually underpinned by the same chip, even though the price difference may lead you to believe otherwise.

The WiMiUS L1 is no different, having the same processor as, for instance, the hugely popular SJCAM SJ5000X Elite. The L1 is on the low end of the price spectrum, undercutting its rival by a significant margin, but is it any good? I've tested it to find out.

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Organize all your messaging and email services with Rambox

Rambox is a smart tool which enables accessing all your messaging and email services from a single cross-platform Electron-based app.

We really do mean all. The program opens with icons for 90+ supported services: Flock, Gmail, Hangouts, Hootsuite, Hushmail, iCloud Mail, ICQ, LinkedIn Messaging, Outlook, Outlook 365, Pushbullet, Skype, Slack, SquirrelMail, Steam Chat, TweetDeck, WhatsApp, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Messenger, Zimbra and more -- and you can add as many others as you need.

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Bitcoin exceeds $3,000 and Ethereum breaks $400

bitcoin_and_benjamin

The price of Bitcoin this year has served as a constant reminder that I should take chances more often. When I wanted to invest a small amount -- but didn't -- it cost less than $30. On January 1, it was trading for over $1,000. On May 20, it broke the $2,000 mark for the first time.

And, today, the price of Bitcoin breaks another record, trading past $3,000 for the first time. It is a huge increase in less than half a year, and an astronomical increase compared to when I should have invested -- I wish I didn't know math for a second, because the price of Bitcoin today is 100 times higher. Ouch!

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Microsoft integrates with Zimperium to guard against zero-day mobile threats

microsoft + zimperium

Cyber attacks aren't limited to desktop systems, mobile endpoints are equally at risk and for enterprises this is something else that needs protection.

Mobile threat defense specialist Zimperium is announcing an integration with Microsoft Enterprise Mobility + Security to integrate its product with the Microsoft Intune mobile device and application management product.

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