IoT's powerful promises
How big is the Internet of Things (IoT) market? According to a Gartner report, by 2020 connected devices across all technologies will reach 20.6B. The early adopters of this technology can be found in agriculture, utilities, and cities, but the applications are seemingly endless and extend into homes and even wearable devices. In a similar manner that the Internet has changed our lives, so too will its extension into many "things" that connect and extract pertinent data to improve our personal and professional existence.
Interjecting smarts into muted devices will require new methods of connectivity.
HyperX launches Alloy Origins Core tenkeyless RGB mechanical gaming keyboard
If you are a serious PC gamer, a mechanical keyboard is definitely a product worth your attention. While it won't magically make you better at games, it should outperform whatever cheap membrane keyboard you are using now. Even for non-gaming activities, such as typing, some people prefer a mechanical model.
There are tons of mechanical keyboards on the market these days, making it hard for consumers to pick the right one. My advice? Stick with a reputable brand, and if you aren't sure which key color to go for (maybe it is a gift for someone else) opt for red -- it is smooth and not noisy. Red switches are a good choice for someone that doesn't want to annoy other people in a home or office.
Overcoming information overload with knowledge graphs [Q&A]
Businesses are generating ever larger quantities of data, much of it in unstructured form. Extracting value from this massive amount of information can be difficult, which is why it can sometimes feel as if there is simply too much data.
Augmented intelligence specialist Yewno believes it has the technology to help people research and to understand the world in a more natural manner, inspired by the way humans process information from multiple sensorial channels. We spoke to the company's CEO, Ruggero Gramatica, to find out more.
Windows 10 November 2019 Update is breaking File Explorer
Microsoft has had a pretty bad run of things recently with numerous problematic updates for Windows 10. With the November 2019 Update the spate of issues continues.
Despite the diminutive size of the Windows 10 November 2019 Update, it is still wreaking havoc for some users. The update is breaking one of the fundamental components of Windows 10, freezing File Explorer when the search box is used.
Facebook Viewpoints will pay you money to complete surveys, but you shouldn't do it
I suppose there is nothing inherently wrong with handing over your data to big corporations -- as long as you do so willingly. Look, there are several "free" services online these days, such as Facebook, Gmail, and YouTube that many people use daily. These services aren't really free, however, as your data is largely the price of admission.
For those without actual disposable income, this data is a valuable commodity that they can use to trade for services -- it opens doors to some. With that said, it can be argued that this is essentially taking advantage of low income people. Similarly, this is one of the reasons it is illegal to sell your organs in the USA -- you'd have poor people transferring kidneys to the wealthy just to pay the rent.
Satechi launches Compact Backlit Bluetooth Keyboard for Apple macOS
Apple laptops are very good computers -- they even make solid makeshift desktops when you connect a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. While Apple's wireless Bluetooth keyboard is very good, it is also quite expensive. Apple charges a staggering $129 for the white model with number pad. Hilariously, it charges a $20 premium if you want the space gray color! Oh, Apple...
Today, Satechi launches a beautiful Apple-like wireless keyboard for macOS that features the coveted space gray color. It even charges with USB-C rather than Lightning. Best of all, Satechi's keyboard costs nearly half that of the Apple equivalent! Since the Mac mini doesn't come with a keyboard or mouse, this new product should be a good choice for Apple's diminutive desktop too.
Browser push notification scams triple in 2019
Fraudulent browser push notifications as a means of delivering phishing and advertising are becoming more common, up from 1.7 million in January to 5.5 million in September this year according to the latest Kaspersky research.
Push notifications were introduced several years ago as a useful tool to keep site visitors informed with regular updates, but today are often used to bombard people with unsolicited advertisements or encourage them to download malicious software.
F-Secure builds 'swarm intelligence' to boost cyber security
We hear a lot about the use of AI in improving security products, but in most cases the assumption is that it will in some way mimic human intelligence.
Finnish company F-Secure is challenging that assumption with an initiative it calls Project Blackfin. This aims to use collective intelligence techniques, such as swarm intelligence, to create adaptive, autonomous AI agents that collaborate with each other to achieve common goals.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee launches 'Contract for the Web' to stop it descending into a digital dystopia
The inventor of the world wide web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, has launched a new initiative with the bold aim of transforming the web for the better, avoiding what he sees as the very real risk of it becoming a "digital dystopia".
The Contract for the Web is the work of 80 organizations and sets out a number of key principles that will help to bring global internet access while simultaneously fighting problems such as fake news, privacy invasion and political manipulation. In all, there are just nine principles underpinning the vision; three for governments, three for companies, and three for citizens.
Ubuntu Linux strangely promotes Brony culture on Twitter
I am not one to judge people. However, the whole "Brony" thing does bewilder me. If you aren't familiar, "Bronies," as they are called, are adult males that enjoy watching the TV show My Little Pony -- a cartoon designed for children. They even play with pony action figures and attend conventions where they dress up like ponies. Sadly, some of these Brony people even sexualize the cartoon ponies. It's a really disturbing community.
And so, today, I was a bit dismayed by a Tweet from the official Ubuntu Linux Twitter account. You see, on that social network, the operating system seems to be promoting Brony culture by suggesting users install a cartoon pony-related package called "ponysay."
Microsoft is blocking Windows 10 updates for some Avast and AVG Antivirus users
If you're looking to install either Windows 10 1903 or Windows 10 1909 (the May 2019 and the November 2019 updates) and you're a user of Avast or AVG Antivirus, you may well find that Microsoft prevents you from updating.
The company has identified a compatibility issue with the antivirus software and is therefore blocking the updates. Microsoft is also advising users not to try to sidestep the block by manually installing the update.
Windows 10 November 2019 Update is seriously small, but Microsoft says not to get used to it
When you download Windows 10 November 2019 Update (Windows 10 version 1909), you might be somewhat surprised at just how small it is.
At a ridiculous 180KB (yes, you did read that correctly) this is a tiny size for a feature update -- but it doesn't signal the way things are going to be moving forward. So how on earth did Microsoft manage to make this update so small? What's going on?
Now you can enable 2FA on Twitter without a phone number
There's a lot to be said for enhancing account security with two-factor authentication (2FA) but Twitter has long-insisted that this be done by handing over your phone number -- not something everyone is happy with.
But now the company has announced a change of heart. With immediate effect, Twitter says "you can Starting today, you can enroll in 2FA without a phone number". The move comes after Jack Dorsey's account was hijacked and used to send racist tweets, and just two months after Twitter revealed that 2FA data had 'inadvertently been used for advertising purposes'.
Microsoft delays Surface Earbuds until Spring 2020
If you were hoping to get your hands (or ears) on a pair of Microsoft's Surface Earbuds for Christmas, you're going to have to wait a little longer.
Originally pencilled in to launch before the end of the year, Microsoft's $249, AirPod-baiting wireless earphones have been delayed. The worldwide launch is now destined for spring 2020 according to a tweet by Panos Panay.
OnePlus suffers data breach, exposing personal details of online store customers
OnePlus has issued a security notice to customers that have used its online store, informing them that their order information has been accessed by an unnamed third party in a security breach.
The company is giving away very little in the way of details about the incident. It is not clear when the data breach happened, who may be responsible, or how many customers are affected. OnePlus says that information such as names, phone numbers, email addresses and shipping addresses have been exposed.
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