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Using a virtual operating system has its merits.  For developers, it’s the ideal tool for sandboxing your computer so you can test software for bugs before it’s released to beta testing. You can also install your software across a range of operating systems for compatibility.

As a consumer, there are valid reasons why you may want to consider a virtual system. You may need to use a Windows computer for work but would like to experiment with a Linux installation. A virtual OS enables you to test new bleeding-edge software or tools where you are wary of the source. Problem? Simply revert back to a previous snapshot.

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Plex continues to evolve, and the latest addition to the media player is the ability to download subtitles from within the software. This will come as great news for anyone who has battled with subtitle websites, and greatly simplifies the process of adding them to your media collection.

But as well as adding this option, Plex has also announced that it is sunsetting three features -- namely Watch Later, Cloud Sync and (perhaps surprisingly) support for plugins.

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Mozilla has partnered with Troy Hunt -- the brain behind data compromise checking service Have I Been Pwned -- to create its own data breach notification service. Called Firefox Monitor, the free service lets users check if any of their email accounts or personal data have been involved in data breaches.

More than this, Firefox Monitor can also keep an eye out for future data breaches and notify those who have signed up whether their data has been affected.

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With the release of Chrome 70, Google is set to address two recent privacy concerns with its browser. Users have been unhappy with Chrome 69 forcibly signing them into the browser when they sign into a Google website, and there have also been concerns about the handling of cookies.

Due for release in the middle of October, the next version of the web browser will enable users to disable the controversial sign-in feature, as well as changing the way Chrome handles the clearing of auth cookies.

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Thanks to Apple's courageous (kidding!) act of removing the 3.5mm headphone jack from the iPhone, more and more consumers are opting for Bluetooth headphones these days. True, unlike wired variants, they do need to be charged, but their convenience can make up for this deficiency. Exercisers and other active folks can workout more comfortably, without fear of getting wires stuck on equipment -- dangerous for the wearer and any device to which the headphones are attached.

The problem? Many Bluetooth headphones are trash. Amazon is littered with cheap no-name offerings that are of low-quality which should be avoided. Instead, consumers would be wise to invest in quality Bluetooth headphones from a reputable manufacturer. Today, one such quality company -- Jaybird -- announces its latest product. Called "Tarah," these Bluetooth Wireless Sport Headphones are surprisingly affordable at less than $100.

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Continuing to face criticism for failing to successfully tackle abuse on its platform, Twitter has announced a new approach. The company is planning to introduce new policies, but before they become part of official rules it will ask for feedback from users.

Starting off with a new Dehumanization Policy, Twitter will invite users to give their opinion and complete surveys about proposed policy changes. The first policy to be subject to this public scrutiny says: "You may not dehumanize anyone based on membership in an identifiable group, as this speech can lead to offline harm".

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Cryptocurrency mining malware has seen an increase of 86 percent in the second quarter of 2018, according to a new report from McAfee Labs.

After gaining ground the fourth quarter of 2017 to around 400,000 samples, new cryptomining malware samples grew a stunning 629 percent to more than 2.9 million in Q1 of 2018. This trend has continued in with more than 2.5 million new samples detected.

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Chip-maker Qualcomm has today accused Apple of stealing trade secrets and sharing them with Intel. The company alleges that Apple wanted Intel to be able to improve its own chips so it could move away from using Qualcomm's.

Qualcomm and Apple are already engaged in a legal battle, and with its latest accusations, the chip-maker wants the court to amend its existing lawsuit against the company. Apple stands accused of engaging in a "multi-year campaign of sloppy, inappropriate and deceitful conduct".

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Protecting data in the cloud and ensuring compliance with rules and regulations is a complex task. The adoption off SaaS applications like Office 365 makes it even more so.

Symantec is launching an enhanced version of its Data Loss Prevention technology to protect data in Office 365 and allow users to safely share it internally as well as with partners and contractors.

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If you are going to use Linux on the desktop, you might as well use Fedora. Why? Well, it is a pure open source experience. I mean, why switch from Windows to a distro that isn't entirely focused on FOSS? You should go all in! Not to mention, it uses very modern packages while retaining stability. Oh, and it uses the best overall desktop environment, GNOME, by default. It's no wonder the father of Linux, Linus Torvalds, uses it.

The next version of the operating system is Fedora 29, and today, it achieves Beta status. It features updated packages, improved support for Raspberry Pi, and more.

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As a suburbanite homeowner, nothing brings me more joy than having a nice yard. Yeah, it can be hard work to mow the lawn, rake leaves, and pull weeds, but it is totally worth it. Earlier this year, I even installed the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller to more intelligently water my grass, and I came away very impressed. Not only does it keep my lawn looking good, but it saves me money too. How? It knows to skip watering based on the weather -- no more running sprinklers in the rain!

Believe it or not, starting today, the Rachio 3 is getting even better. No, the company is not upgrading the hardware. Actually, it is improving thanks to all-new Apple HomeKit support! Yes, owners of iPhone, iPad, HomePod, or other Apple devices can now control Rachio 3 using either the HomeKit app or Siri.

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Use of known vulnerable open source components has increased by 120 percent over the last year and 62 percent of organizations say they have no meaningful control over OSS components, according to a new study.

Sonatype's fourth annual State of the Software Supply Chain Report shows that open source continues to be a key driver of innovation -- with software developers downloading more than 300 billion open source components in the past 12 months. However, hackers are exploiting this growing trend, and even beginning to inject vulnerabilities directly into open source projects.

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CRM service Zoho disappeared from the internet after its domain registrar suspended it for failing to deal with phishing appropriately.

TierraNet blacklisted Zoho.com after receiving complaints about phishing emails sent from Zoho-hosted accounts. This meant that many businesses were unable to access their documents, address books and emails, causing chaos for many. Zoho has said that in order to ensure such an occurrence is never repeated, it will become a domain registrar itself.

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Six years after their company was bought by Facebook, Instagram co-founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger have resigned. The pair say they are "planning on taking some time off to explore our curiosity and creativity again".

But while the departures have been presented as being amicable, sources suggest that the resignations came about because of Systrom and Krieger's unhappiness at the direction in which Facebook was taking the app.

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If you don't yet have a 4K TV, what the heck are you waiting for? Granted, a couple years back, these televisions were expensive and there was little 4K content, but in 2018, these are no longer true things. A 4K TV can be had without breaking the bank, while streaming services such as Netflix and YouTube offer videos using this ultra high definition format.

Today, Roku unveils two new 4K streaming media boxes that are surprisingly affordable. The "Premiere" and "Premiere+," as they are called, are priced low while also being quite capable. True, they forgo 802.11ac, but N wireless is more than fine.

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