PayPal angers consumers with telemarketing agreement
Anyone who’s ever received an automated PPI spam phone call will know that receiving pre-recorded messages, often which have no relevance to you whatsoever, can be very annoying. In fact, unwanted telemarketing of any kind can be a real turn-off for consumers, which is why many people are disappointed by recent changes to PayPal’s terms of service.
The company website lists the new agreement clearly and suggests that customers could soon be receiving a lot more unsolicited calls and texts from not only PayPal, but its affiliated businesses too.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 10130 ISOs -- too buggy for Slow Ring
As we move closer and closer to July 29, Windows 10 is shaping up to be a very solid operating system. Unfortunately, it is not yet perfect. I have been testing Build 10130 and while it is markedly improved over past releases, it still has bugs. The most frustrating of which is the occasional non-functioning Start Menu. For whatever reason, it stops working sometimes, requiring me to reboot to resolve.
Because of bugs, Microsoft has decided to hold this Build back from Slow Ring users -- for now, at least. In a strange move, however, the company releases the ISO images anyway.
Amazon Fire TV rises to the top of US set-top box market
Last year Amazon rolled out its competitor in the set-top box market, the Fire TV. The box seemed to be a hit, and the price point was right to compete, at $99. That places it squarely in the crosshairs of Roku and Apple. But how is it fairing in this tight market?
According to a recent report the answer is "quite well". According to Strategy Analytics, the retail giant is pulling in a whopping 30 percent of the current streaming media device market. In fact, the top four makers account for 90 percent of the total market.
Selectively block web scripts, styles, frames and more with Policeman
Scripts, applets, analytics and ads: the web has a wide range of content which might compromize your privacy. And normally there’s not a great deal you can do about it.
Policeman is a Firefox add-on which helps you fight back, by giving complete control over which content you’d like to access, and which should be blocked.
Forget cables, the Internet of Things could be powered by Wi-Fi
There is currently a battle underway over the Internet of Things. Samsung has its ARTIK platform while Huawei is pinning its hopes on its tiny LiteOS -- and Microsoft has Windows 10's AllJoyn feature which could prove pivotal in the widespread uptake of the IoT.
There is still plenty of scope for innovation, and it seems that the next great leap forward for connected devices could be the delivery of power over Wi-Fi. A team of US researchers have developed a technique that can be used to power small devices without the need for wires or battery changes.
Linux-powered Steam Machines now available for order -- Gamers, grab your credit cards
PC gaming has historically been a Windows-affair. For the most part, this works rather well. After all, Microsoft's operating system is easy to use and has incredible hardware compatibility. With that said, Windows does have a fair bit of overhead both from a performance and price perspective.
For many people, a Linux-based operating system makes more sense as it is free in cost while being lightweight from a performance perspective. In other words, the modular nature makes Linux ideal for focusing on gaming. Valve's long-promised Steam Machine concept was designed with this in mind, and after a long wait, you can finally order one.
Skype for Web (Beta) now available to all US and UK users
The web-based version of Skype first debuted last year, but as an invite-only service. Today however, Skype is opening it up to new and existing users in the US and UK.
To use the service just go to web.skype.com and sign in (or sign up) and you can send instant messages, and make Skype or video calls directly in your browser.
Uber's adding 'hundreds of thousands' of new drivers monthly
Uber made some impressive announcements at its San Francisco headquarters for the fifth anniversary of the mobile taxi service. Chief executive Travis Kalanick revealed one million drivers have worked on Uber and it is adding "hundreds of thousands" of new drivers every month.
The ramp on Uber’s growth is massive, steadily moving upward from 2010 to 2013 and escalating in 2013 and 2014 to massive heights. It has 26,000 active drivers in New York, more than the entire Medallion workforce and its San Francisco drivers make more revenue than the entire taxi industry in the city.
20,000 London police officers will wear body cameras
Police in London are about to be equipped with 20,000 cameras on their bodies, together with tablet computers, improved computer systems and 999 text messages.
No, of course a single police officer won’t be wearing all 20,000 of them.
LYCOS wants to change your life with wearables
Remember LYCOS? Before Google came along it was one of the leaders in the search engine market. It's since tried to reinvent itself as a digital portal in the style of Yahoo or MSN but, be honest, when was the last time you visited its site?
The company is now making a renewed bid for attention with its entry into the wearables market. On June 8 the company is launching a range of devices that will, it says, "serve as a single point of entry into users' digital lives".
Leaked Windows 10 Build 10135 release notes herald Microsoft Edge and more
Another set of release notes for Windows 10 have been leaked online by Wzor -- this time for build 10135. Despite being just five increments up from the build that's currently publicly available, there are still a few changes of note, including the official arrival of Microsoft Edge in place of Project Spartan.
As well as the name change for Microsoft's latest browser, the Snipping Tool also receives an update introducing a delayed screen capture option. Skype is now brought front and center thanks to preinstallation on the desktop, and there are all manner of bug fixes.
Millions of US government workers’ records exposed by data breach
The US government has been hit by a massive data breach at the department which handles government employee records, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). According to officials this has the potential to affect every federal agency.
The Reuters news agency says that it's been told by a US law enforcement source that a "foreign entity or government" was believed to be behind the attack. Suspicion has fallen on China although Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said the accusations were, "irresponsible and unscientific".
Google improves Chrome's power consumption
Google Chrome may be one of the most powerful and reliable browsers around, but it is also one of the biggest offenders when it comes to energy consumption. It does not matter if you are using a PC or Mac, or even iPhone or iPad, its impact on battery life is considerable.
Google is well aware of Chrome's shortcomings, now announcing that it is rolling out a number of changes in the coming months that are meant to improve the browser's power consumption. The first improvement targets Adobe Flash.
Virginia opens up 70 miles of highway for testing self-driving cars
The state of Virginia has announced that it is making 70 miles of highway available for the testing of self-driving vehicles.
The "Virginia Automated Corridors" will be located in the northern part of the state and will be managed by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI).
Intel Unite modernizes sharing and collaboration in the enterprise
Modern offices are often anything but; many of them are straight out of the stone age. Hell, at many businesses, I half expect to see Fred Flintstone chiseling an email with a bird's beak! It is quite maddening that the world is chock full of amazing technology while office workers continue to use fax machines and meet in cramped conference rooms. There needs to be a better way to meet and collaborate.
Intel Unite may be that better way. This is a new solution aimed at converting old-school conference rooms into modern marvels. Best of all, the solution can be achieved using any mini PC powered by an Intel Core vPro processor. Users simply install the Unite software -- for both Windows and OS X -- and are off to the races.
