Gender equality remains a Silicon Valley sore spot
 
          
           
          For those of you who are not in the know (and you really should be) Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire and bring together like minded entrepreneurs and provide a space to network in. Last night, the inspiring President and CFO of Mind Candy, Divinia Knowles, took to the stage at Google Campus, London for a fireside chat with Zomato UK CEO, Kimberly Hurd.
Divinia is one of the driving forces behind Mind Candy and along with Michael Acton Smith, guided the company from a small startup to one of the most successful tech companies, responsible for the behemoth that is Moshi Monsters. Moshi Monsters is a phenomenally successful website for 6-14 year olds with over 80 million users registered in over 150 territories worldwide. The website was so successful that a movie and mobile games have all since been released. Interestingly, Divinia hinted at the potential to move the brand onto new platforms such as Smart TV and, once they have matured, both VR and the Apple Watch Platform, so watch this space!
ProtectWise streamlines data breach analysis
 
          
           
          It often takes time for data breaches to be uncovered and that can present problems when it comes to analysing them and tracing their cause.
Denver-based startup ProtectWise has an answer in the form of its new technology that can record all network activity and store it in the cloud for analysis and playback at a later date.
Microsoft plans to purchase leading to-do service Wunderlist
 
          
           
          Microsoft is planning to acquire German application developer 6wunderkinder, the team behind Wunderlist, for around $250 million (£161 million).
It is another move by Microsoft for a small development studio, following the acquisition of New York-based calendar developers Sunrise and email startup Acompli.
Leaked document shows Europe would fight UK plans to block porn
 
          
           
          Before the UK elections earlier in the month, David Cameron spoke about his desire to clean up the internet. Pulling -- as he is wont to do -- on parental heartstrings, he suggested that access to porn on computers and mobiles should be blocked by default unless users specifically requested access to it. This opt-in system was mentioned again in the run-up to the election as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Sajid Javid assured peopled that the party "will age restrict online porn".
But it's not quite that simple. There is the small problem of Europe. A leaked EU Council document shows that plans are afoot to stop Cameron's plans in its tracks -- and with the UK on the verge of trying to debate a better deal for itself within Europe, the Prime Minister is not in a particularly strong position for negotiating on the issue.
How to upgrade from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10 via Windows Update
 
          
           
          If you like the idea of trying out the next version of Windows before it is officially launched, Microsoft has made the Windows 10 Technical Preview available for everyone to use. There are various ways to get the preview installed on your computer, but since the release of build 9926, it is possible to upgrade your current Windows 7 or Windows 8 installation to Windows 10 using Windows Update.
This is a much simpler option than downloading the ISO image, but it is an upgrade route that almost encourages people to install the preview build on their everyday computer -- don’t forget that this is not a finished product! We've already looked at how to install Windows 10 in a virtual machine, but if you have a spare machine running Windows 7 or 8, using it as a test bed for Windows 10 just got a whole lot easier.
Reor is a quirky desktop calculator
 
          
           
          Launch Windows desktop calculator Reor for the first time and it’s tempting to think: is that it? The tiny interface really is stripped back, with little more than a numeric keypad, four operators and an equals button.
But wait. There’s more. And clicking on the Menu button reveals all.
Pebble Time starts shipping this week
 
          
           
          The Pebble Time first batch of units will be shipping to customers starting May 27. Manufacturing started earlier this month, following a small delay to the smartwatch.
Pebble plans to send out a backer invitation allowing them to add shipping address and other final details. Some international customers will still have a few months wait on their hands, depending on how fast Pebble can get the 70,000 units delivered.
Windows 10 Build 10125 leaks online -- here's what's new
 
          
           
          The latest Windows 10 build that you can officially get your hands on was released less than a week ago. It comes with some interesting improvements and new features, which should keep Insiders happy for a while.
But, if you are among those who are already looking for something newer to test, there's some good news for you. A new Windows 10 build, version 10125, has leaked online; and we already know what's new -- get ready for some nice changes.
Making it easier for developers to monetize their apps [Q&A]
 
          
           
          Anybody can develop a mobile app, but making money out of it is another matter. Accepting adversing is a popular route but it involves linking the app to a specific network and that means making code changes if you decide to switch at a later date.
Estonian company MoneyTap is aiming to change that and put the developer in control. We spoke to the company's business development manager Pavel Goryakin to find out how.
DDoS for hire services: What you need to know
 
          
           
          Think back to when you were a kid. No matter how well-adjusted and even-tempered you were (or weren’t) there was at least one other kid you just could not stand. You hated his face, his hair, his teeth, the way he talked, the way he looked at you, and the way he just existed. Remember the way he’d eat his sandwiches? He ate his sandwiches like a jerk.
Chances are, though, that no matter how much you couldn’t stand him, you didn’t go marching over to throw a dozen eggs at his house. The chances of getting caught were too high. You’d get in trouble. Everyone would know you did it and your parents would be mortified. But what if there had been a machine you could have secretly put a dollar in from several blocks away, and it would have rolled up in front of that kid’s house and started firing eggs? All that mess and damage, with none of your fingerprints on the eggshells. It would have been a strong consideration, right?
For all the blathering smartwatch idiots...
 
          
           
          It's a reminder: You're even dumber than you think.
Tireless commentaries and speculation about when will Microsoft release a smartwatch are ill-informed -- as are other speculations about when will watchmakers release their own devices. (I refer not to our readers but writers here, there, and everywhere.) Perhaps you were sucking your thumb or mommy cleaned your poopy diapers when both were trendsetting market realities.
Terrify your friends with Windows Error Message Creator
 
          
           
          You're busy working on your PC. Everything seems fine. But then, without warning, an error message tells you that some irreplaceable files have been lost forever.
It's horrible. A nightmare. But if you're the twisted type then you can now bring this experience to your friends, with a little help from Windows Error Message Creator (WEMC).
USA Freedom Act is blocked but NSA will stop phone data collection anyway
 
          
           
          Privacy advocates in the US -- and, indeed, the world over -- had pinned great hopes on the USA Freedom Act bringing to an end the mass collection of phone records. Hitting the Senate for the second time this year, the Act was blocked in a 57-42 vote.
Section 215 of the Patriot Act expires on 31 May, and it had been hoped that the hype and momentum surrounding it would have helped push the USA Freedom Act through. Despite making through the House of Representative, the Bill failed to reach the 60 vote goal it needed to hit. But as of 1 June, the NSA will still not be collecting phone data. So what happened?
Amazon decides to start paying tax in the UK
 
          
           
          The issues of big companies paying enough taxes is something that has a lot of people talking at the moment -- governments in particular. Many companies -- including Microsoft, Apple, Google, and others -- take advantage of financial schemes that funnel money through other countries. Now Amazon has announced that it is to start paying corporation tax on sales made in the UK.
Using a scheme similar to the so-called Double Irish, Amazon had been routing transactions for UK-based sales through offices in Luxembourg. The decision to move these sales to the UK means that the company will be able to avoid the possibility of being hit with a hefty bill if the UK government clamps down on the use of such tax avoidance schemes.
US Govt proposes to classify cybersecurity or hacking tools as weapons of war
 
          
           
          Until now only when someone possessed a chemical, biological or nuclear weapon, it was considered to be a weapon of mass destruction in the eyes of the law. But we could have an interesting -- and equally controversial -- addition to this list soon. The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), an agency of the United States Department of Commerce that deals with issues involving national security and high technology has proposed tighter export rules for computer security tools -- first brought up in the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) at the Plenary meeting in December 2013. This proposal could potentially revise an international agreement aimed at controlling weapons technology as well as hinder the work of security researchers.
At the meeting, a group of 41 like-minded states discussed ways to bring cybersecurity tools under the umbrella of law, just as any other global arms trade. This includes guidelines on export rules for licensing technology and software as it crosses an international border. Currently, these tools are controlled based on their cryptographic functionality. While BIS is yet to clarify things, the new proposed rule could disallow encryption license exceptions.
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