ASRock Mars 4000U Series mini PC is world's thinnest AMD desktop
As we start to approach the end of 2020, and we reflect on the year, AMD stands out as one of the biggest success stories. The company's desktop and laptop processors absolutely destroyed Intel, disrupting the CPU market entirely. It was once thought that Intel was unbeatable, but if 2020 taught us anything, it's that nothing (good or bad) is impossible.
For those of you that love both AMD processors and mini desktop computers, I have some very exciting news. You see, ASRock has launched a mini PC that it claims is the world's thinnest AMD desktop. Called "Mars 4000U Series," its chassis is less than a liter! It is a bare-bones system, meaning you need to add your own RAM and storage.
Microsoft 365's 'Productivity Score' raises serious privacy concerns
Microsoft has attracted the attention of privacy campaigners over the Productivity Score feature of Microsoft 365. The tool uses telemetry to enable employers to track the activities and performance of workers.
The analytics tool has been criticized for being a serious invasion of privacy, as it gives employers the ability to closely monitor individuals. One data privacy researcher describes it as "turn[ing] Microsoft 365 into a full-fledged workplace surveillance tool".
Zero trust access, VPN, both? The changing face of remote network access [Q&A]
Virtual private network (VPN), software defined perimeter (SDP), zero trust network access (ZTNA), there are plenty of technologies around for protecting remote access to enterprise networks.
This is an area that's been thrown into sharper focus this year, but what's the best option for keeping remote access secure? We spoke to Scott Gordon, CISSP for Pulse Secure to discuss the value of the different options available.
Blender 2.91 rings in the changes with an avalanche of new features and improvements
Blender 2.91’s many sculpting updates includes support for collisions in the cloth sculpting tool.
"Fourth time's also a charm", says The Blender Foundation as it releases Blender 2.91, the fourth major release of the open-source 3D graphics tool in 2020.
The latest release promises further improvements to the user experience along with a range of new features including new Booleans, collision support for cloth sculpting and volume objects modifiers. There’s also the promise of improved animation tools.
LibreOffice 7.1 Beta 1 for Linux, Windows, and Mac is here -- get the FREE open-source Microsoft Office alternative now
Is LibreOffice better than Microsoft Office? No, and it's not even close. Say what you want about Microsoft, but Office is in a league of its own -- the best productivity software on the market.
Why would anyone not use Microsoft Office? Well, for one, it costs money -- potentially hundreds of dollars. Secondly, it is not available on all operating systems. Linux users, for instance, simply can't use Microsoft Office (except the web version). Not to mention, Microsoft Office is closed-source software, and some folks only want to use open source options.
This beautiful Android 12 design could lure me away from the iPhone
I’ve switched between owning an iPhone and various Android handsets over the years, but for me iOS remains easily the best mobile operating system (and iPhone 12 Pro the best smartphone). It would take something very special to tempt me back to Android.
Something like this stylish vision of Android 12.
Employees' home networks could lead to SMEs failing security assessments
With the pandemic forcing more people to work from home, businesses in the UK -- particularly smaller ones -- may not have considered the fact that their employees' home networks now fall under the scope of regulatory and certification requirements.
According to a report from support solutions company A&O IT Group, if an individual works from home more than half of their time, their network must be compliant with current regulations.
How the banking sector is adapting to security and regulatory requirements [Q&A]
Banks and other financial services institutions have been moving more and more towards digital in order to streamline processes and improve customer service.
The pandemic has accelerated this process but has also brought a rise in cyberattacks. Regulators have also begun to take more notice of security practices surrounding accounts. We spoke to Michael Magrath, director, global regulations and standards, at specialist in anti-fraud and digital identity solutions for financial institutions OneSpan, to discover more.
If you're still using Windows 7, you need to install this important, free 0-day patch
Windows 7 may be rather long in the tooth, but there are still millions of people using it globally. And just because the operating system has been around for years, that does not mean all of the bugs and security issues have been ironed out; far from it, in fact.
Earlier this month a security researcher discovered a local privilege escalation vulnerability in both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. There's no indication that Microsoft will issue a patch even for organizations the paid for extended support, but the vast majority of Windows 7 users will be left vulnerable. Or at least that would be case if it wasn't for 0patch stepping up to the plate and making a micropatch available for free.
Pirated data risks: Remote teams need to become a first line of defense
The increasing number of news headlines that mention data piracy, theft and database hacking makes it clear that businesses need to treat data as a valuable asset. This is especially true of businesses with teams that work remotely, as these set-ups usually have fewer security protocols.
Most remote workers are working from their homes, and unless those team members are conscious of cybersecurity, they’re not likely to have intrusion detection systems and firewalls on their personal networks.
How to get a new tech job during a pandemic
Earlier this month, we took a look at how COVID-19 is impacting the technology job market, with a focus on precarious tech positions. In this piece, we want to explore a related question: if you are a tech worker who has recently been laid off or lost your job, which steps can you take right now to stay competitive in a tight job market?
Here are three tips for tech workers seeking jobs who want to set themselves apart from the pack.
You can make unlimited Zoom calls for free this Thanksgiving
Like many things happening in 2020, Coronavirus means that Thanksgiving is going to be very different to previous years. While friends and family would normally gather together, COVID means that more of this year's celebrations will be held remotely.
And with this in mind, Zoom is here to help. Over the Thanksgiving period, the company is lifting its 40-minute limit on calls and will let everyone -- all over the world -- make calls of unlimited length for free.
Baidu apps with 6 million US downloads found to be leaking sensitive user data
Security researchers from Palo Alto Networks have discovered that apps produced by Chinese firm Baidu have been leaking sensitive data about users.
Baidu Search Box and Baidu Maps -- which have been downloaded more than six millions times in the US alone -- were found to be sending details such as MAC addresses, phone models, IMSI and IMEI to a server in China. The researchers warned Google about the activity of the Android apps which were then removed from the Play Store.
Linus Torvalds wants Linux running on Apple's new M1 Macs
When Apple launched its new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac Mini systems, there was much excitement about the performance boost the M1 chips are bringing to the table.
People who have been running Windows and Windows apps on Macs, however, are less happy due to the lack of support for Boot Camp, and the lack of M1-ready virtualization software from the likes of Parallels. But what about the prospect of Linux on M1 Macs?
More than 5,000 Black Friday-related scam sites registered in November
While the holiday season is a peak time for retailers, it also represents an opportunity for cybercriminals. This is particularly true of 2020 when more people than ever are likely to be shopping online.
Research from Comparitech analyzed around 30 million websites registered this month to identify efforts by cybercriminals to trick consumers looking for holiday shopping deals.
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