Harley-Davidson unveils its first electric motorcycle
Legendary motorbike manufacturer Harley-Davidson has invited members of the public to test its first electric motorbike. Instead of the bike going on general sale, US customers will be invited to take it out for a spin and provide feedback.
The bike, labelled project LiveWire, will visit over 30 Harley-Davidson dealerships between now and the end of the year by travelling down the US' iconic Route 66.
Elasticsearch releases new Hadoop connector
Search analytics specialist Elasticsearch has announced the 2.0 release of its Hadoop connector, bringing advanced search techniques to the popular big data platform.
It's also now certified for Cloudera Enterprise 5. This means Elasticsearch is now compatible across all Apache-based Hadoop distributions, helping businesses extract immediate insights regardless of where their data is stored.
Convert scripts to exe files with Bat To Exe Converter
Scripts can be a great way to automate tasks on your PC, and are usually very easy to create and share. Just launch Notepad, enter a few lines, and after a quick File and Save it’s ready to go.
Batch files have down sides, too. You don’t always want others to be able to view or edit them. It’s difficult to restrict their use, and of course the console window appears every time they’re launched. But fortunately the free Bat To Exe Converter can solve all these problems by converting your scripts into stand-alone executables.
US Supreme Court squares up to software patent trolls with stricter rules
A ruling by the US Supreme Court could change the way patents are assigned in the future. A case between New York-based CLS Bank International and Australian company Alice Corp found judges unanimously agreeing that software patent was invalid because it was simply an existing idea transferred to a computer. In order to qualify for a patent, an idea must be unique, and the court ruled that the simple addition of a computer application is not enough.
CLS Bank International had complained that Alice Corp had applied a "generic computer implementation" to a patent owned by the bank, rendering it invalid; the court agreed. "The representative method claim does no more than simply instruct the practitioner to implement the abstract idea of intermediated settlement on generic computer", the ruling states.
US Marshals Service has no idea how email works
A list of prospective bidders for a significant haul of US-government seized bitcoins has been leaked by the very administration that is organizing the auction.
The US Marshals Service accidentally revealed the confidential email addresses of interested parties when messaging them about the process and it has already apologized for the mistake that "was in no way intentional".
Request legally binding signatures via any email client
Email may have revolutionized business communication, but if you need a signature on a contract or business document in most cases you still have to send it through the post or use a cumbersome e-signature app.
Until now that is, Barcelona-based startup Signaturit has a new solution that enables you to request handwritten signatures through any email client.
Paedophile use of dark net increases for child abuse images
Tens of thousands of paedophiles are using the dark net to circulate images of sexual abuse, according to a report by the BBC.
The National Crime Agency said that abusers were increasingly turning to encryption software to maintain anonymity. The dark net is a hidden part of the Internet which can only be accessed by special software, one of the most popular of which is the TorBrowser.
Microsoft, Google to include kill switch in Windows Phone, Android
Both Microsoft and Google have agreed to add a kill switch their mobile operating systems. Following an agreement with the New York Attorney General, the next versions of Windows Phone and Android will include a feature that will render handsets useless if they are stolen. The attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, published a report yesterday outlining the importance of such a feature, and revealed that two of the biggest names in technology are on-board.
It's something that authorities have been calling for for some time now, citing the sheer number of mobile phone thefts taking place around the world. Schneiderman's report points to Apple as proof of the efficacy of a kill switch. Thefts of iPhones dropped by 17 percent in New York City after the introduction of a remote wiping and locking feature. The Secure Our Smartphones report took fire at Samsung. The company had opted not to include a kill switch, and thefts of Samsung handsets jumped by 40 percent in NYC. "Reactivation Lock" has since been implemented on a small number of new Galaxy handsets.
AOMEI Backupper Standard 2.01 review
When we first looked at AOMEI Data Backuper in January 2013 it was a capable free image backup tool with some limitations -- no scheduler -- but a lot of promise. Now at version 2.x , and renamed to AOMEI Backupper Standard, is the program worth considering again? We checked it out.
Installation remains quick and easy. It’s the free edition of a commercial product, but there’s no adware, no nag screens, no unmarked functions which display annoying "can’t use this until you pay" messages. Only an unobtrusive "Upgrade" link on the main page reminds you there are other options available.
Heartbleed: Really that bad?
Most information security scares come and go with relatively little fanfare, some though make a splash and catch the attention of the public and media.
Heartbleed was the latest to fall into the latter category and sent the IT world into a bit of a frenzy. But how bad was it really? Security specialist Secunia rates vulnerabilities on a one to five scale and given the amount of publicity it received you might expect Heartbleed to be at the top end.
Android 4.4.4 KitKat available now, here's how you can install it
Less than a month after the last Android update launched, Google is now treating Nexus users to another iteration of KitKat. It made its way to the factory images repository first, but is also slowly rolling out over-the-air to compatible smartphones and tablets.
Android 4.4.4 KitKat, build version KTU84P, is available, through a corresponding factory image, for the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, 2012 Wi-Fi Nexus 7, 2013 Wi-Fi Nexus 7, and Nexus 10. The Nexus 7 slates with cellular connectivity (3G and 4G, launched in 2012 and 2013, respectively) have yet to receive the same treatment.
LinkedIn repeatedly ignores warning of widespread security flaw
LinkedIn has failed to address a security flaw for over a year that puts at risk the data of all of its over 300 million users and means that sensitive user information can be pilfered easily.
A report conducted by Zimperium Mobile Defense Security found a straightforward MITM attack that uses an SSL stripping technique allows hackers to steal user credentials and gain full control of an account.
Quickly access your favorite folders with FoldersPopup
When managing files, it's important that you can browse quickly to your most frequently-used folders, and Windows provides various ways to help. You might add some to your Explorer Favorites, pin more to the taskbar or Start Screen, create custom shortcuts for Explorer, maybe a batch file: there's a lot to do.
Alternatively, you could just use the free FoldersPopup, a single tool which provides quick, easy and configurable access to your key folders from just about anywhere.
Mozilla partners with the New York Times, Washington Post and Knight Foundation
Firefox is like a good friend I haven't seen in a very long time. Sure, I still care about Firefox, but I don't care to use it every day. There is nothing wrong with it, but it no longer offers a compelling reason to choose it over competitors. Even Internet Explorer 11 has proven to be a great browser. You know that old joke, where people would say they only used IE once, to download Firefox? Well, the tables have unfortunately turned.
Mozilla is in trouble and no one is happy about it. Everyone thinks fondly of the Firefox browser. It is just worrying that the company's major source of income is Google, the maker of a competing browser. Also, there was the whole CEO scandal, that caused many people to question the leadership at the organization. But ultimately, the question is, if the Google cash-cow stops, where would money come from? Today, Mozilla may have an answer, albeit partial, by partnering with the New York Times, Washington Post and Knight Foundation. Wait, what?
On the eve of the Surface Pro 3 release, Microsoft releases firmware update
Dear BetaNews readers, a poem from yours truly. Ehem. Twas the night before Surface Pro 3 release and all over the net, people were anticipating having their computing needs met. If you preordered the tablet you should be fine, but if you didn't reserve it, get up early and start waiting in line. Thank you.
Yes, tonight is the eve of the official Surface Pro 3 release. If you are buying it tomorrow, you will be very happy. However, once you turn it on, before you do anything, you should check for updates. Why, you ask? Well, earlier today, Microsoft released an important firmware update and you might as well get it out of the way. As per a Microsoft representative, here's how to get it manually:
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