An apology letter to IT
Dear IT, we owe you an apology.
To IT teams everywhere, we’re sorry. We’re sorry for the endless To Do list that never seems to go away. In fact, it seems to only get longer, and we know it feels even more impossible to get your head above water every single day. The overwhelming number of security threats. The never-ending Windows updates. Helpdesk requests and self-inflicted errors caused by rogue software that users install without permission. The ridiculous number of mobile devices we’ve introduced into the landscape, which we expect you to protect and maintain. You’re swimming faster and faster, but still drowning in tasks. And, we know that you’re getting tired.
Men are being given much larger credit limits for Apple Card than their wives
New York's Department of Financial Services is starting an investigation into Goldman Sachs because of concerns of gender discrimination when assigning credit limits to Apple Card users.
Goldman Sachs is the financial body behind Apple's credit card, and concerns have been voiced that the company is offering men higher credit limits than their wives -- even the women in question have a higher credit rating. Among those surprised at the discrepancy is Steve Wozniak who reported that he was offered ten times the limit of his wife.
Samsung Galaxy S11 details leak: three screen sizes across five models, including a huge 6.9-inch version
Time for more smartphone leaks. This time around it is the turn of Samsung; specifically the Galaxy S11 range of handsets.
Thanks to reliable leakster Evan Blass, we now know that we can expect to see three the phone in three screen sizes: a 6.2 or 6.4-inch model, a 6.7-inch one, and a massive 6.9-inch version. In all, no fewer than five variants are due to go on sale, with mid- to late-February currently pegged as a launch date.
Apple is fixing a macOS flaw that exposes snippets of 'encrypted' emails
Apple is working to fix an issue that makes it possible to read portions of encrypted email in macOS after an IT specialist discovered a flaw in the way Mail's messages are handled by Siri. The problem affects macOS versions from Sierra to Catalina.
It is important to note that there are a number of criteria that have to be met for the issue to rear its head, but the fact that it is possible at all is still a concern. For a company that has just been shouting about its privacy policies, the timing is less than ideal -- particularly as Apple has been aware of the problem since July.
Microsoft listens to feedback and removes Downloads folder from Disk Cleanup
Microsoft has decided to remove the Downloads folder from the Disk Cleanup tool that is built into Windows 10. The move comes after users expressed fears that important files could be inadvertently deleted when using the utility.
While the ever-spiralling size of hard drive means that we now have to worry far less about running out of space, Disk Cleanup still has its uses from time to time. Microsoft says that the decision to make the change comes in response to feedback from users.
YouTube has a new interface -- here's how to disable it if you hate the new look
Google has updated YouTube with a new-look interface on tablets and the desktop. Thumbnails are bigger and easier to see, some superfluous links have been removed, and there are changes to the way the video queue works.
But, of course, not everyone likes change. If you're not a fan of the new interface, there are steps you can take to stick with the old look.
You can now control Roku with Apple Watch
Apple Watch is extremely popular with iPhone users, so you might think that they all also own Apple TV for their streaming needs. Well, while I am sure many do, not all iPhone users are heavily invested in Apple's ecosystem -- it can be quite the expensive affair. For instance, Mac computers are much more expensive than Windows machines with similar specifications. Also, the Apple TV media box is much costlier than Amazon Fire TV or Roku. In other words, there are iPhone users that also own Apple Watch, but use non-Apple devices in their lives too.
If you are an Apple Watch user that also owns a Roku device, I have great news. Starting today, you can control your media box using the wearable on your wrist. Yes, the Apple Watch can effectively be turned into a remote control for interacting with Roku.
Your Amazon Ring doorbell may have leaked your Wi-Fi username and password
If you've ever expressed concern about the security implications of Amazon Ring connected doorbells; if you've ever voiced privacy concerns about letting Amazon have such a portal into your life... your fears have been justified.
It has just been revealed that a security flaw in the camera-toting devices made it possible for hackers to access customers' Wi-Fi usernames and passwords. With these credentials, it would then be possible to launch a wider privacy-invading attack on households, accessing all manner of data and devices on home networks.
The risks from IoT devices in the workplace
With more and more devices now connecting to the internet, the risk of a security breach from an unsecured piece of kit grows too. But exactly how big is this problem?
Workplace productivity and network security software specialist CurrentWare has produced an infographic looking at the impact of the IoT on workplace security.
AMD unveils godlike 3rd Gen Ryzen Threadripper processors and TRX40 platform
Every once in a while, a computer component is released that turns the PC industry on its head. Today, we experienced such an event with the official unveiling of AMD's latest and greatest desktop processors -- the 3rd Gen Ryzen Threadripper chips. The godlike multi-core processors are designed to give extreme processing power to enthusiasts and professionals. There are two model from which to choose-- the 24-core Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and the insane 32-core 3970X. And yes, they are wildly expensive -- as they should be.
Of course, a new chip generation often means a new platform too, and today, AMD is also unveiling TRX40. There are already Socket sTRX4 motherboards planned from companies like ASUS, ASRock, Gigabyte, and MSI. These boards will all be offering PCIe 4.0, meaning you can take advantage of the latest blazing fast solid state drives. You can even equip your Threadripper 3 build with Quad-Channel DDR4 memory! This is what dreams are made of, folks...
Logitech releases Slim Folio keyboard case for 3rd generation Apple iPad Air
Apple's iPads are all wonderful devices. Whether you buy an iPad, iPad mini, iPad Air, or iPad Pro, you are guaranteed a top-notch tablet experience. Believe it or not, they can even serve as decent makeshift laptops too -- when you add a keyboard case. This is particularly true nowadays as Apple has forked iOS into iPadOS for its tablets. The operating system is now better focused for both the tablet and laptop experiences. iPadOS 13 even added rudimentary mouse support, but it really isn't a fully matured option -- yet.
If you need a keyboard case for your iPad, you can always go with Apple's own option, but in-the-know consumers will likely turn to another company -- Logitech. Yes, that company's keyboard case offerings, including the Slim Folio, have historically been very well received. Today, Logitech launches that popular product for the 3rd generation of iPad Air.
Microsoft's Surface Pro X is better than any iPad*
It's now a little over a month since Microsoft revealed the Surface Pro X, and the device only launched in the last few days. With those two milestones out of the way, one thing remains: a teardown!
True to form, this is exactly what iFixit has done, and the teardown experts have some great news for potential buyers. The Surface Pro X is better than any iPad. Ever. (*in terms of repairability, if nothing else.)
Consumers shun social media and apps in favor of emails and texts
In recent years there has been an explosion in the number of different channels that businesses use to keep in touch with their customers.
But a new study from cloud communications platform Twilio reveals that the newer channels aren't especially popular, with 83 percent of global consumers saying they prefer email when receiving communications from businesses.
New cloud integrations help streamline big data use
As users and enterprises demand more added capacity, particularly for their data-driven workloads, they are increasingly moving towards all cloud or hybrid cloud environments.
This needs cloud data orchestration to accelerate and synchronize data across different environments, and as a result users are turning to cloud data analytic services like Amazon's EMR and Google Cloud's Dataproc that reduce hardware spend, eliminate the need to overbuy capacity, and provide business agility.
ADATA launches IM2P33E8 PCIe Gen3x4 M.2 SSD
If you are a computer enthusiast, you likely have a solid state drive in your computer, but if it a SATA variant, you are truly missing out. PCI Express-based NVMe SSDs are far faster, and if your PC can accommodate such a storage drive, it is well worth the upgrade. Prices on these drives have dropped significantly, making them a "no-brainer" for those that crave speed and top performance.
Today, ADATA launches its latest such drive. The unimaginatively named "IM2P33E8," as it is called, is mostly designed for harsh industrial applications, but it can, of course, be used in consumer laptops and desktops as well. Since it is a PCIe Gen3 x4 drive, it is insanely fast.
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