Kindle Kids Edition -- Amazon launches ebook reader for younger bookworms

Amazon Kindle Kids Edition

Amazon has launched a child-friendly version of its Kindle ereader -- the Kindle Kids Edition.

At $110, this special edition device is slightly more expensive than the cheapest Kindle, but it has one massive advantage that will appeal to parents, kids and others: it is free from ads. But there are lots of other features to cater for young readers, including access to more than 1,000 books, and achievements to encourage reading.

Continue reading

New online tool helps quantify insider email risk

Holding email icon

Email is now the preferred communication method for businesses, but this brings with it greater risk of employees leaking data due to errors or deliberate activity.

A survey from data security company Egress shows that of employees who had accidentally shared data almost half (48 percent) say they had been rushing, 30 percent blamed a high-pressure working environment and 29 percent said it happened because they were tired.

Continue reading

Teardown of 'alarmingly fragile' Samsung Galaxy Fold suggests 'screen replacements seem inevitable'

Samsung Galaxy Fold teardown

Back in April, teardown site iFixit took an in-depth look at the Samsung Galaxy Fold. Following complaints and intervention from Samsung, however, the teardown was removed from the site.

Now iFixit has taken a look at the redesigned Galaxy Fold and, while it found that things have improved since the first version, there is still cause for concern. As well as pointing out that there are plenty of points of entry for dirt, dust and other debris, iFixit also says: "You wouldn't even have to drop this thing to break it, meaning screen replacements seem inevitable, and that's a scary thought".

Continue reading

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 and Premiere Elements 2020 gain striking user-friendly features

Adobe has released major new versions of its entry level image and video-editing suites with the joint release of Adobe Photoshop Elements 2020 and Adobe Premiere Elements 2020 for Windows and Mac.

Both new products add a smattering of new features to add to their already rich capabilities. Photoshop Elements includes the ability to automatically colorize photos and select subjects in a photo with a single click, while Premiere Elements adds a feature to reduce grain from noisy videos.

Continue reading

StarTech.com TB3CDK2DP Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C hybrid dock is magical [Review]

Unless you are a gamer or enthusiast, owning a desktop computer these days is sort of, well... stupid. Look, even if you do most of your computing at a desk, you should still buy a laptop. Why? Think about it -- a desktop keeps you tethered to one place, while a notebook is portable. Thanks to Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C, you can use your laptop as a makeshift desktop by using a docking station. In other words, you can connect your notebook to a monitor, keyboard, mouse, web cam, external hard dive -- pretty much anything you need. The dock will charge and power your computer too. A traditional desktop is very limiting.

One such docking station that piqued my interest recently is a Thunderbolt 3 model by StarTech.com. Called "TB3CDK2DP," it has a very unique feature -- it is compatible with USB-C laptops that are lacking TB3. In other words, if you have a Thunderbolt 3 laptop, this dock will work in full TB3 mode. If you have another computer that only has a regular USB-C, however, it will function in a USB mode. This essentially gives you the best of both worlds. I have been testing this docking station extensively with a MacBook Pro with Thunderbolt 3, as well as a Windows 10 laptop and Chromebook that only have USB-C and not TB3. Unfortunately, I do not have a Windows machine with Thunderbolt 3.

Continue reading

Developer of HildaCrypt ransomware releases decryption keys for free

Hacker

Ransomware is a pervasive problem, and for victims it can be difficult to know whether paying up will help them to regain access to their maliciously encrypted files. So when ransomware decryption keys are released free of charge, it's always good news -- and this is exactly what has happened for HildaCrypt.

The developer of this particular strain of ransomware has released the decryption keys after a security researcher shared detailed of what was initially thought to be a new type of ransomware.

Continue reading

KB4517211 update is breaking search and VMWare Workstation in Windows 10

Frustrated with computers

Microsoft has had an appalling run of problematic Windows 10 updates recently, and the spate of dodgy patches shows no signs of letting up.

With the recently released KB4517211 update, users are now reporting problems using Windows 10's search function, as well as finding that the update is preventing VMWare Workstation from launching.

Continue reading

Apple acknowledges that some iPhone 6s and 6s Plus handsets do not turn on, and launches free repair program

iPhone

If you have an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus that won't start up, you are not alone. Apple has acknowledged a problem with a batch of handsets that means some iPhone purchased in the last year cannot be turned on.

Apple says that handsets bought between October 2018 to August 2019 are affected, and the problems stems from the failure of an unnamed component. The company has launched a free repair program for anyone experiencing the issue.

Continue reading

Printer-fixing KB4524147 update is breaking the Start menu in Windows 10

Frustrated computer user

Another update for Windows, and another set of unwanted side effects. Continuing Microsoft's recent run of problematic updates, users are reporting that KB4524147 is killing the Windows 10 Start menu.

KB4524147 was supposed to fix -- among other things -- a printing problem that was introduced by the KB4522016 cumulative update. But rather than helping, this latest update seems to be making things worse, resulting in people seeing the error message "Your Start menu isn't working. We’ll try to fix it next time you sign in".

Continue reading

Microsoft Surface Pro X now available for pre-order

Earlier this week, Microsoft unveiled several new devices, such as Surface Pro 7, Surface Laptop 3, Surface Neo, and Surface Duo. What has many consumers excited, however, is the Surface Pro X. This new 13-inch tablet is designed to compete with the iPad Pro. Despite being powered by an ARM Processor, Surface Pro X can run legacy Windows software, making it very attractive to those that rely on Windows but want a svelte device with long battery life.

Like other Surface Pro devices, the X can double as a laptop with a keyboard attachment -- sold separately of course. They keyboard is quite cool, as it has a dedicated place to store the optional Surface Slim pen; the stylus wirelessly charges while stowed away too.

Continue reading

OnePlus 8 leaks months ahead of launch

OnePlus 8

OnePlus fans may still be waiting for their OnePlus 7T to arrive, but a new leak gives us a glimpse further into the future, revealing what the OnePlus 8 (probably) looks like.

A series of renders show off the unreleased handset, showing it to have a curved screen, a hole punch camera on the front, and a triple camera arrangement on the rear.

Continue reading

Microsoft fixes Windows 10 printer problems with yet another patch

Microsoft glass building logo

Microsoft's game of patching catch-up continues this week. After a raft of problematic updates, some Windows 10 users found that a recent update was causing problems with printing.

The company has now released a new update that addresses this and other issues in both Windows 10 and Windows Server.

Continue reading

Microsoft releases Windows 10 20H1 Build 18995 with new sign-in option and Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) updates

Microsoft will begin rolling out the Windows 10 19H2 update very soon, but in the meantime it’s working hard on the next big feature release -- the May 2020 Update, due out next spring.

Fresh from its big hardware event yesterday, the software giant today rolls out a new flight to Fast ring Insiders. Build 18995 introduces a number of new features, including adding Windows Hello PIN sign-in support to Safe mode, and yet more improvements for Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

Continue reading

Microsoft's Your Phone app gains new features


Microsoft’s Your Phone app allows you to link your Android or iOS device to your Windows 10 PC, and perform tasks like viewing your phone's photos on your computer, and reading and sending text messages from the comfort of your desktop or laptop.

Today, the software giant rolls out a big update to the app that introduces some additional features that will be of particular interest to owners of a Samsung flagship phone.

Continue reading

Better understanding of software usage helps drive monetization

businessman apps

In order to make better decisions concerning their products, software developers need to know not just whether an app is being used but also which features are most used and whether that use is increasing or declining.

Flexera is releasing its Monetization Monitor: Usage Management & Insights report which seeks to understand how usage data can be used to improve products.

Continue reading

© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy.