Microsoft is working to address high CPU usage and search problems with KB4512941 update

Windows 10 boxes

A week after its release, Microsoft says it is working to fix a problem with the KB4512941 update for Windows 10. Users have complained of a spike in CPU usage by SearchUI.exe and said that search results are blank.

The company had been slow to recognize that there was a problem, but it did eventually acknowledge the issue on Twitter. Now Microsoft has provided more details about its work on a fix which is due for release later this month.

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Microsoft releases the first PowerToys utilities for Windows 10 -- FancyZones and Shortcut Guide

PowerToys reboot

It has been a little while since news broke that Microsoft was bringing back PowerToys for Windows 10 but four months down the line the company has kept its word.

Microsoft has just released the first preview of PowerToys, and you can download two new utilities right now. Kicking things off are FancyZones, a window manager which greatly enhances window snapping for improved productivity, and Shortcut Guide, which uses a screen overlay to reveal the keyboard shortcuts you can use at any given time. Sadly, however, there is no TweakUI for Windows 10.

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Dynabook Tecra X50-F is a premium 15.6-inch Windows 10 laptop with Thunderbolt 3, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5

Toshiba laptops are wonderful. Well, they used to be at least. You see, Toshiba essentially sold its US laptop business to Sharp, who then renamed it to Dynabook. So, technically, Toshiba laptops no longer exist, but they live on under the Dynabook branding.

Dynabook is marching forward with new laptops, and today, it announces an absolute stunner. Called "Tecra X50-F," the business-class Windows 10 Pro notebook features a 15.6-inch screen in an incredibly thin and light package -- 17.6mm thickness and weighing just 3.13 pounds. The chassis is made of durable magnesium, and it is MIL-STD-810G rated. X50 has very modern features too, such as two Thunderbolt 3 ports and Wi-Fi 6 (also known as 802.11ax). My favorite aspect, however, is the convenient privacy cover for the webcam! Sometimes it's the little things, folks...

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IT security professionals don't trust politicians to produce effective regulations

politician

Trust in politicians is at something of a low at the moment and at the same time we regularly see them calling for cyber measures, like backdoors to encryption, without seemingly understanding the implications.

The results of a new survey therefore shouldn't come as too much of a surprise.

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Google open sources its differential privacy framework

Google HQ logo

Google has today announced the launch of an open-source version of the differential privacy framework that powers many of the company’s data analysis systems.

Differentially-private data analysis is an approach that enables organizations to learn from the majority of their data while simultaneously ensuring that those results don't allow any individual's data to be distinguished or re-identified.

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Consumers prefer bots to humans

robot call center

Consumers increasingly prefer to interact with bots rather than humans, especially when it comes to researching products, learning about new services or making customer service queries.

A new study from the Capgemini Research Institute finds almost 70 percent saying they will progressively replace visits to a store or bank with their voice assistant within three years’ time.

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SMBs focused on improving IT security

Business security

Improving security remains the top priority for mid-sized businesses, but they need to be more proactive in their approach to managing IT according to a new report.

The 2019 State of IT Operations for Small and Midsize Businesses report from infrastructure management specialist Kaseya shows 32 percent of respondents experienced a security breach in the past five years, down slightly from 35 percent in 2018 with at least 10 percent of respondents reporting that they were hit by a breach in the past year.

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Check out the Samsung Galaxy Fold in this hands-on video

Samsung Galaxy Fold

Depending on where you are in the world, you could get your hands on a Samsung Galaxy Fold as soon as tomorrow -- and it should only be a matter of weeks before it launches in all the markets it will hit.

But what is the newly redesigned Galaxy Fold like? Samsung says it took note of the problems and criticism that cropped up after the first batch of review units were sent out, and now you can see what these changes have amounted to in a new hands-on video.

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Brave browser accuses Google of using hidden web pages to track users

Google logo on white wood

Google stands accused of using hidden web pages to circumvent EU privacy regulations, secretly sending users' personal data to advertisers.

The accusation comes from the privacy-focused Brave web browser which says it has, "uncovered what appears to be a GDPR workaround that circumvents Google's own publicly stated GDPR data safeguards". Evidence has been handed to the Irish Data Protection Commission that allegedly shows Google using hidden web pages to share data on its Authorized Buyers exhange, formally known as DoubleClick.

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Yahoo! suffers worldwide mail fail

Yahoo mail fail

Yahoo users attempting to log into their mailboxes this morning have been faced with a screen that says the site is experiencing "technical difficulties".

Downdetector indicates that the site went down in the early hours of this morning and the issue is affecting users around the world.

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Massive Facebook leak exposes 419 million users' phone numbers

Facebook logo and padlock

In its latest privacy lapse, Facebook has exposed the phone numbers of hundreds of millions of users on an unsecured server.

Databases on the server were not password-protected, and included details of 133 million US users, 50 million in Vietnam, and 18 million in the UK. In all 419 million records could be accessed by anyone looking in the right place.

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The Samsung Galaxy Fold finally has a release date

Samsung Galaxy Fold

It has been one of the most problematic handset launches ever, but the beleaguered Samsung Galaxy Fold finally has a release date.

Just days after pre-registrations for the folding smartphone went live in the UK, Samsung has started to reveal detail of the release schedule. For some people -- those in Korea specifically -- the Fold launches tomorrow, September 6. The launch for other regions follows in the coming weeks.

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Kaspersky helps enterprises protect blockchain projects

Blockchain

Blockchain is being widely touted as the technology to secure transactions and run large-scale, data-driven projects with more transparency and efficiency.

But projects which work with sensitive data will eventually become integrated with other business-critical systems and when that happens there’s a need to run security check and approvals. This is why Kaspersky is launching a new service that helps enterprises discover and fix security issues and discrepancies in smart-contract business logic while the blockchain project is on its way from internal innovation to part of actual business processes.

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The breach prevention playbook

It seems like every day we hear of a new, high-profile data breach. No longer are we shocked when some major brand is exposed for having lost data at the hands of external bad actors or unwitting internal parties. The question has switched from 'will I be breached?' to 'when will I be breached?'

In football, there’s an adage that the best offense is a good defense. In the battle against cyber attacks, it’s all about choosing the right defense to combat the ever-changing tactics used by bad actors both outside and inside your organization. In order for a team to succeed, it must find and exploit weaknesses in the opposing team’s defense. Cybersecurity is no different.

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Roku unveils Smart Soundbar and Wireless Subwoofer

I'm a cord-cutter and long gone are the days of me paying the cable company for television -- including the insane cable box rental fees. Instead, I utilize streaming services using my own hardware. In my home, Apple TV is what is used, but to be honest, I am souring on it. Not only is Apple TV overpriced, but the remote control is terrible. Lately, I have been considering a move to Roku instead -- I like the affordability of the hardware, but also, the remote works properly -- it isn't finicky and fragile like Apple's.

Today, Roku may have convinced me to finally make the switch. You see, the company plans to release what it calls the "Roku Smart Soundbar." It is essentially a traditional soundbar with a Roku media box built in. Believe it or not, it is priced the same as a base-model Apple TV 4K! In addition, Roku will sell an optional wireless subwoofer -- perfect for those that love bass.

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