Christmas tech gadgets increase household cyber risks
Many people will be receiving new tech gadgets over the Christmas period, including smartphones, gaming consoles, tablets, connected toys, and a whole range of apps to go with them.
But new research from from cybersecurity training organization the SANS Institute finds that while people are aware of the risks these devices can pose, they may not have the skills to properly protect them.
Windows 10 sends activity history to Microsoft even when told not to
We all know that Windows 10 logs data about what you do on your PC. What you may not be aware of is that it still sends that information to Microsoft even if you have told it not to. Sneaky, huh?
People on Reddit have been discussing the issue and finding that even if the option to send data to the cloud is turned off it still shows in the online Privacy Dashboard.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 19H1 Build 18298 with Notepad improvements and updates to File Explorer and the Start menu
Although the Windows 10 October 2018 Update is still only trickling out to users (AdDupex says as of the end of November under 3 percent of users have it installed), Microsoft is hard at work on the follow up due out next spring.
The latest Windows 10 19H1 Insider preview Build for Insiders in the Fast ring offers a number of new changes including File Explorer and Start menu improvements, and Notepad updates.
Google Maps 'For You' tab comes to iPhone
Google Maps is probably the best navigation and maps application available today -- it is chock full of useful features. While Apple Maps is actually pretty great these days, the search giant's offering still reigns supreme. It isn't hard to see why Google's app is so good -- the company collects data on its users to create a more focused experience. In other words, if you are willing to trade privacy for convenience, Google Maps is sure to delight you.
As a way to leverage some of the information it collects, Google Maps introduced a new "For You" tab for Android users earlier this year. It is essentially a personalized section based on the data Google has collected on the user. Today, iPhone and iPad users in more than 40 countries get to take advantage of this feature too. In addition, the search giant announces it has expanded "For You" Android availability to users in more countries too.
Google+ to close down earlier than planned after another data leak is discovered
We already knew that Google+ is closing down, but following the discovery of a second data leak, Google has announced that it is bringing the closure forward.
The company has revealed that a bug in the Google+ API exposed the data of 52.5 million users, and as a result it is expediting the shutdown. Previously due to close in August 2019, Google+ will now be killed off in April 2019.
Microsoft confirms you will be able to use Chrome extensions in Edge
The news that Microsoft is going to create a Chromium-based version of its Edge browser has been met with a mixed reaction, but there is some good news for users. The company has confirmed that the adoption of Chromium means that Edge will support Chrome extensions.
Microsoft Edge has been much maligned for its lack of features when compared to Firefox, Chrome and Opera, and the number of extensions currently supported by the browser is laughably small. For this reason, the confirmation that Chrome extensions will be supported will be warmly welcomed by users.
Develop cross-platform apps using Google's Flutter
Speak to most app developers and they’ll tell you it’s much harder, more complicated and less interesting to produce an Android app, compared to iOS. Indeed, ask for a quote and both will be priced separately as both require separate development time and teams.
This might all be about to change with the final first release of a new cross-platform development tool from Google. Imagine a toolkit that you can use to program the functionality, allowing the UI framework to be provided to you separately and seamlessly.
The benefits of a cloud-based testing regime [Q&A]
DevOps teams are under constant pressure to release faster, improve quality and keep costs under control. This means testing increasingly becomes a priority to ensure accelerated releases and many companies are turning to cloud-based testing tools.
However, as with any move to the cloud, there are some challenges that need to be overcome. We spoke to Uzi Eilon, chief technology officer at cloud-based testing platform Perfecto to find out more.
WordPress 5.0 'Bebo' unveils new block-based editor and default theme
It’s time to embrace block-based editing. WordPress 5.0 has been unveiled, debuting a brand-new block-based editor designed to simplify the construction of web pages. The new release also unveils a new default theme, Twenty Nineteen.
The new editor is basically the sole highlight for version 5.0, but those who don’t want to embrace it will be reassured by news that the Classic Editor will live on as a plugin, fully supported until 2021.
Uniblue closes its doors for good
There are some firms you look at with a kind of wary admiration primarily because they were a marketing pioneer of their time. Or that’s what we thought.
Uniblue is one of these companies and, you should believe this is no understatement, it used to be major software developer, with adverts in every location, as little as eight years ago. Before it all went horribly wrong. Now Uniblue has closed the company for good with no prior warning whatsoever.
Mageia 7 Beta 1 Linux distribution now available for download
It's been damn-near a year and a half since the last major release of Mageia -- version 6. With that said, Mageia 6.1 was released in October of this year, however. This can feel like an eternity for Linux users, when some distributions see major updates once or twice a year. Of course, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, dear Mageia users. After all, as the saying goes, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Mageia 6.1 is great.
If you are chomping at the bit for a new major Mageia release, I have good news for you -- the first beta of Mageia 7 is finally here.
Microsoft says it is time for government regulation of facial recognition
Facial recognition is becoming more widely used in both general computing and in the wider world. Smartphones and computers can be unlocked with your face, but the technology is also used for security and policing purposes.
While most uses are legitimate and helpful, there is scope for abuse. Microsoft thinks it is time for regulation to help avoid this. The company is calling on government around the world to introduce new laws, but also on the technology industry to introduce safeguards to protect against abuse and bias.
You may be happy about Microsoft's adoption of Chromium, but Mozilla thinks it is bad for competition
After the rumors, confirmation came from Microsoft that it plans to move its Edge browser from the EdgeHTML engine to Chromium. Reaction from users has been largely positive, but it's not the same story across the technology industry as a whole.
While Google is understandably happy about the change, the CEO of Mozilla, Chris Beard, says it is bad for competition and will help to make Google even more powerful.
How deception can provide an edge in fighting cyberattacks [Q&A]
Businesses are starting to recognize that it may be impossible to keep attackers completely out of their networks, so they are starting to look for ways of fighting them more efficiently.
One of the ways of doing this is to use decoys to lure attackers and allow the threat to be dealt with before it affects live systems. We spoke to Carolyn Crandall, chief deception officer at Attivo Networks to find out more about how this deception technology works and what it can do.
Google Translate aims to reduce gender bias
Gender and sex are two different things -- the latter is biological, while the former is a social construction. For much of humanity, the two have been linked, but in recent years, some of our minds have evolved to think outside this box. Sure, there are still ignorant people that feel gender and their stereotypical roles should be cemented into society, but the truth is, women are doing jobs that men have historically done, and vice versa. And doing them well, I must add. For instance, a woman can be a soldier, while a man can be a nurse -- it is wonderful.
Unfortunately, major languages were formed during the ages of gender ignorance, causing some words to unnecessarily have masculine and feminine versions. For instance, in English, a man is a hero while a woman is a heroine. This is problematic with translation services, as gender bias in machine learning can influence the end results. Google is not satisfied with that, so today, it announces its Translate service will be offering multiple translation results when they can vary by gender. The user can then select the appropriate one.
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