Crappy phone battery life? Video ad fraud could be to blame
Few people can claim to like the ads that have become part and parcel of smartphone usage, but for the most part they can be endured. But what about when a minor inconvenience that merely infringes on your time becomes even more of a nuisance and actually starts to kill your phone battery?
According to an investigation, this is precisely what has been happening. An ad fraud scheme has been uncovered that invisibly plays videos lucrative video ads on handsets, earning money for fraudsters and draining the batteries of Android handsets.
TP-Link adds four new 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) routers to its affordable Archer A Series line
If you have a lot of disposable income, and you are a technology enthusiast, then buying a $600 router, such as the upcoming drool-worthy NETGEAR Nighthawk RAX200 isn't so crazy. Look, there's nothing wrong with being an early adopter -- spend your money as you want! Many consumers, however, simply can't afford such high-end networking gear -- even if they want the latest and greatest.
Thankfully, a quality wireless router doesn't have to cost more than $500. Hell, you can get a very nice router for less than $100! One company in particular that focuses on the common consumer -- the "every man," if you will -- is TP-Link. Its routers are very well regarded by both professional reviewers and shoppers alike. It's not hard to see why that is either -- not only are its products affordable, but high-quality too. I often recommend TP-Link products to friends and family.
Build 18362 looks to be the Windows 10 1903 Release Candidate
Although it’s a bit of a meaningless term these days, it looks as if 19H1 Build 18362, which was released to the Fast ring on Wednesday and is now making its way on to the Slow ring today, could well be the Release Candidate for the next big feature update of Windows 10.
The new release, due out next month, has the unenviable task of following the disastrous October 2018 Update, and Microsoft will hoping things run a lot smoother this time around, especially as the previous update only began its full rollout yesterday.
Trend micro calls in artists to make cybersecurity beautiful
When you think of cybersecurity, art and beauty probably aren't the first things that come to mind. But if Trend Micro has its way that could be about to change.
The company has commissioned a number of artists to create what it calls The Art of Cybersecurity. This is a series of works based on security data, with the idea of shifting the perception of protecting systems from a burden, to something beautiful.
Panic Button secures data -- by destroying it
One of the biggest worries about someone gaining unauthorized access to your computer is that they can view and steal your data.
The CyberYozh security group has launched a product that protects your sensitive files, browser data and more, by taking the nuclear option of destroying it.
Kaspersky reports Apple to antimonopoly authorities over the handling of its apps
Security firm Kaspersky has reported Apple to Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service. The complaint comes after Apple rejected the Kaspersky Safe Kids parental control app from the App Store, saying that the implementation of two "essential" features contravened store policies.
Kaspersky was surprised at the removal of the app as it had been sitting happily in the App Store for some three years. The company believes that Apple has forced the app out of the store because iOS 12 introduced its own Screen Time parental controls -- something Kaspersky views as restrictive and monopolistic behaviour.
Moleskine teams up with Adobe to create a smart notebook: the Moleskine Paper Tablet Creative Cloud Connected edition
Moleskine is a name to be reckoned with. Its paper notebooks have been used by writers, poets and artists for years, and it's a brand that has a dedicated following.
Now, having previously worked with Adobe to blur the boundaries between digital and analog writing and drawing, Moleskine has once again joined forced with the Photoshop-maker. The outcome of this latest partnership is the Moleskine Paper Tablet Creative Cloud Connected edition, a smart notebook that works with Adobe Illustrator in conjunction with the Moleskine Pen+ Ellipse optical pen.
Sign up to beta test Android Pie on OnePlus 3 and 3T
OnePlus has a decent track recording of supporting its handsets for longer than most other companies, pushing out security updates and even operating system upgrades long beyond the point at which other manufacturers have let their handsets fall by the wayside.
Having already rolled out Android Pie to the OnePlus 5 and 5T, it wasn't long before we learned that the company hadn’t forgotten about owners of older handsets. Now you can sign up to take part in a beta program to test Android Pie on your OnePlus 3 or 3T ahead of the impending launch of the Pie-based OxygenOS 9.
Omnicharge Omnimobile high-powered USB-C power bank [Review]
I crave juice. No, not apple, orange, or any other fruit drink -- I am addicted to electricity. Look, we are all hopelessly dependent on our mobile devices these days. Between laptops, smartphones, and tablets, there is hardly a moment in the day when I'm not staring at a screen. Even when I am watching TV (yet another display), I have my iPad in hand for a second screen experience -- I play a lot of Words With Friends while watching The Big Bang Theory reruns.
All of this heavy device usage at home is fine, because there are many power outlets available when batteries get low. When I am on the go, however, it is a very different story. All joking aside, I get anxiety if I'm out of the house and my iPhone battery dies. What if I get lost? What if I need to call 911? What if I need to snap a quick photograph? A nightmare! Thankfully, USB power packs/banks can solve this dilemma. If you aren't familiar, it is simply a battery with a USB port (or ports) that can charge your devices.
ZOTAC launches diminutive, yet powerful, MEK MINI gaming PC
Does size matter? Well, that depends on what we are talking about. Regarding computers, gaming variants used to be massive towers loaded up with several fans and a full-sized ATX motherboard. Nowadays, small is in fashion -- many system builders opt for Micro ATX or Mini-ITX boards. It can be fun to see how much performance can be crammed into a tiny system.
ZOTAC is a company that likes to focus on the diminutive, and today, it launches an all-new such gaming PC. Called "MEK MINI," it's not as small as some of its other computers, but this one is designed for playing games, so it needs to be larger to accommodate the higher-end components. The beautiful chassis features an easy-open side panel, allowing you to more easily access the internals. Despite the small size, the specs are actually quite impressive -- it has a six-core Intel i7-8700 and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 8GB GDDR6 GPU. Windows 10 Home comes pre-installed -- not Pro, sadly. And yes, since this is a gaming product, it has RGB lighting.
Facebook stored millions of users' passwords in searchable plain text for years
Just when you think things couldn't get any worse with Facebook, something else comes along to lower your opinion of the social network even further. The latest security slip-up relates to passwords: it turns out that for up to six years, millions of user passwords were stored in plain text.
As well as being stored in plain text, passwords were searchable by thousands of Facebook employees. An investigation by Facebook suggests that somewhere between 200 million and 600 million user accounts were affected, some as far back as 2012.
Windows 10 October 2018 Update finally starts to roll out to all
Although the Windows 10 October 2018 Update did arrive in October 2018, it came with lots of problems, and Microsoft was forced to pull it, reissuing a slightly less buggy version in November.
Despite this, the actual phased rollout didn’t start in January, and even so uptake was very slow. Yesterday, however, Microsoft finally flipped the switch to begin automatic updates, but there are still some users who won’t be offered it.
New vulnerability reporting platform aims to make open source safer
Vulnerabilities in open source code represent a risk for businesses, but the process of reporting them is cumbersome and that can leave software open to risk.
Without a standard for responsible disclosure, even those who want to disclose vulnerabilities responsibly can get frustrated with the process and turn to public lists or social media, where bad actors can easily find the details before fixes are created.
Windows Virtual Desktop preview goes public
Back in September last year Microsoft announced the launch of its Virtual Desktop to allow Windows to be run in the cloud.
At the time, however, it was only a private preview. Today the public preview launches, so anyone with an Azure subscription can try out the service.
Microsoft brings its Windows Defender antivirus software to Mac
In February, Microsoft announced Microsoft Threat Experts, a new service within Microsoft 365 Security designed to better protect businesses.
Today, the software giant extends its endpoint protection platform to Mac, and in keeping with that move renames the Windows Defender ATP platform to Microsoft Defender ATP.
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