Linux is not as safe as you think
There is a notion by many people that Linux-based operating systems are impervious to malware and are 100 percent safe. While operating systems that use that kernel are rather secure, they are certainly not impenetrable. In fact, users are arguably less safe when they believe that stereotype, since they could be less vigilant.
Many of these same people view Windows as being Swiss cheese-like. With that said, would you be surprised if I told you that threat methods for Linux increased an astonishing 300 percent in 2016, while Microsoft's operating systems saw a decrease? Well, according to a new report, that is true.
How the iPhone transformed visual communication
Last week we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the first iPhone. Now, if Apple sticks to it usual schedule, we will all be anxiously awaiting the newest iPhone debut for the next 2 months.
It’s hard to imagine a world without iPhones. Today, most people wouldn’t even consider leaving home without it. Apple’s impact on the world we live in spans far beyond telecommunications. Over the past decade, the iPhone has grown to become Apple's biggest moneymaker and its influence on human behavior and interaction continues to inhabit our everyday life.
AI and Machine Learning: Not just for data scientists anymore
While industry thought leaders are predicting a surge in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning this year, much of that usage is still siloed in the hands of large technology enterprises such as Apple, Google, and Facebook. In fact, your smartphone has a lot more AI in it than your local call center operator terminal. In a recent Forrester survey among technology and business professionals, 58 percent responded that their organizations are researching AI technology; however, only 12 percent are now using AI systems at work.
Why the gap between interest and implementation? For many organizations, the bottleneck lies in machine learning platforms that are designed to maximize ease of use and value for data scientists and not day-to-day business users. As a result, predictions, recommendations, and any actionable insights end up siloed in the data and analytics departments or executive reports, denying business users the insights they need to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. But that has begun to change.
Enterprise migrations to Microsoft Windows 10: Faster than previously projected
A recently completed Adaptiva survey on efforts to migrate enterprise desktop and laptop systems to Microsoft Windows 10 reveals that enterprises are completing their migrations faster than earlier surveys had projected. In a survey conducted in 2016, a significant majority of respondents (88 percent) indicated that they had barely begun to deploy Windows 10. That group was running Windows 10 on less than 5 percent of their systems. Only a small portion of the 2016 respondents (12 percent) had migrated more than 5 percent of their systems to Windows 10, and less than half of this small portion (representing a total of 4.8 percent of all respondents) indicated that their enterprises had migrated more than half of their systems to Windows 10.
So, with more than 88 percent of last year’s respondents indicating that they had not even migrated 5 percent of systems to Windows 10 -- and with more than 95 percent of respondents indicating that they had migrated less than 50 percent of their systems -- we were more than slightly surprised when more than 10 percent of respondents to this year’s survey indicated that they had already completed their migrations.
Ukraine police raid accounting software company as part of NotPetya investigation
Police in the Ukraine have seized the servers of Intellect Service, a company supplying accounting software, as part of their investigation into the NotPetya ransomware attack.
A malicious update to Intellect's MeDoc accounting package is believed to have been responsible for some of the initial NotPetya infections.
Payment processor Worldpay agrees to $10 billion acquisition offer from Vantiv
The UK's biggest payment processor, Worldpay Group, has agreed to the terms of an acquisition offer from US rival Vantiv. News of the $10 billion (£7.7 billion) deal sent Worldpay's share price tumbling; while the planned takeover values shares at 385p, they quickly dropped to 368p.
Just days ago, Worldpay revealed it had been approached with offers from Vantiv and JPMorgan, and the latter has now ruled itself out of making an official bid. Vantiv's takeover of Worldpay would see the US company spreading into Europe with its POS and online payment services.
How to create and use separate user profiles in Kodi
Kodi is a very flexible media center that you can use to watch local media, or stream content via third-party add-ons.
If you share Kodi with other family members you can set up user profiles for each person who uses the software. This will let you all keep what you watch separate and you can control what content your children have access to.
Xiaomi stocking up on patents, makes deal with Nokia
Xiaomi has made some steps towards an international expansion in recent years, like hiring former Google VP Hugo Barra to help it enter new markets but, so far, it has not really gotten out of its comfort zone in Asia. And it is not because the company lacks the financial resources to do it, or because its devices lack the appeal. No, what's stopping Xiaomi is the barrage of costly lawsuits that would most likely ensue.
However, Xiaomi has been slowly stocking up on patents from the big players in the tech industry to beef up its portfolio. For instance, it bought about 1,500 patents from Microsoft a year ago, and now it's made a deal with Nokia that involves "a multi-year patent agreement, including a cross license to each company's cellular standard essential patents. Xiaomi also acquired patent assets from Nokia as part of the transaction."
Auditors to check all audiovisual content uploaded to Chinese sites to ensure 'core socialist values'
China's control of the internet is no secret, and the Chinese government has just introduced new regulations that require all audio and video content to be vetted by officials before it can be posted online.
The aim is to check that content adheres to the government's "core socialist values" and don’t stray into out-of-bounds topics such as homosexuality and drug-taking. The new regulations take immediate effect, and bloggers, media outlets, and filmmakers are concerned that they will be either censored or shut down.
AOC unveils beautiful 1080p Porsche-designed PDS241 and PDS271 monitors
While many consumers are going gaga over high-resolution monitors, let's be honest -- 1080p is still great. For those that want to save money and don't need the latest-and-greatest, a Full-HD offering can be a great way to stay on budget. For gamers in particular, a lower-resolution can allow you to squeeze more performance from a meager graphics card.
Today, AOC unveils a beautiful 1080p monitor designed by Studio F. A. Porsche. It offers 250 cd/m2 brightness in a choice of two sizes -- 24-inch (PDS241) and 27-inch (PDS271). It features a beautifully designed stand and extremely thin bezels. What really makes it stand out, however, is the breakout box that houses the HDMI (no DisplayPort) and power ports; there are no connection options on the monitor body itself.
OneDrive users furious as Microsoft kills access to their external storage without warning
Microsoft has made a change to its cloud synchronization and storage service OneDrive that requires users to use NTFS formatted drives.
The change came out of the blue, with no announcement from Microsoft, meaning that anyone using a non-NTFS drive, such as an SD card, suddenly found themselves unable to use their OneDrive shares, and as you might expect they aren’t too happy about that.
Major cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb gets hacked
Thanks to its rapidly growing value, relative anonymity, and easy trading opportunities, the cryptocurrency market is a highly attractive target for hackers. Making things even more interesting, the major exchanges deal with significant volumes throughout the day, making them a prime target for cryptocurrency thefts.
Bithumb is among the biggest targets, being the fourth-largest cryptocurrency exchange by volume and the largest in South Korea. And last week it got hacked, with users estimated to have lost billions of won as a result. I say estimated because Bithumb hasn't gone public yet with an accurate figure -- or any figure for that matter.
Should Microsoft rethink its Windows 10 feature update plans?
Over on Ghacks, Martin Brinkmann posted his thoughts on Microsoft’s Windows 10 feature updates schedule. The software giant is committed to rolling out two major updates to Windows 10 every year. In April we had the Creators Update, and in a few months' time the Fall Creators Update will begin to roll out.
Martin asks if this rapid release schedule is such a wise idea, and he has a good point.
UK companies reluctant to embrace public clouds
The UK is lagging behind much of Europe when it comes to seeing the real benefits of cloud services, new research has claimed.
Despite businesses on the continent fully embracing the cloud, companies in the UK appear more reluctant to make the move, meaning they are potentially missing out on some major advantages, according to a report from Barracuda.
Microsoft shutters Windows App Studio
Microsoft is killing Windows App Studio, its web-based app development tool. The news was announced late last week by the Windows Apps Team. However, don't be too alarmed -- the Redmond giant has already prepared a replacement.
Windows App Studio has long been the go-to place when it comes to the first steps in app development. Starting as a Windows phone app, it transformed over the years and became available for desktop operating systems, including Windows 10.
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