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Microsoft owns the desktop with Windows -- it is undeniable. You know what? That's fine. But the success of Windows is not a failure for Linux. What I mean to say is, the open source kernel is omnipresent, whether you know it or not.

To highlight the ubiquitous nature of Ubuntu in particular, Canonical today releases an all-new infographic showing how this distribution "connects everything." I urge you to give it a look, as it will open your eyes to just how important Ubuntu -- and Linux overall -- really is. Apparently, this is an update to a previous infographic released in 2016, refreshed for 2018 following the release of Ubuntu 18.04 Bionic Beaver.

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Chrome's Incognito Mode is handy for those times you want to hide your browsing history from others on a shared system -- whether it's because you want to keep a birthday gift secret, or there are just sites you visit that you’d rather keep private.

Now the same feature is coming to YouTube. Having already undergone a period of testing, Incognito Mode is rolling out to Android users around the world, making it easy to hide evidence of the videos you have been watching, or the type of content you have been searching for.

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Apple is working away on iOS 12 at the moment, but it's still pushing out updates for iOS 11. As promised just a few weeks ago, a new update aims to block the use of iPhone passcode cracking tools, such as those used by law enforcement. But the patch has already been found to be flawed.

The latest update to iOS introduces a new USB Restricted Mode which is supposed to prevent the Lightning port of an iPhone or iPad being used to transfer data an hour after the device is locked. However, security researchers discovered that it is possible to bypass this security feature by plugging in an "untrusted USB accessory" -- and Apple sells such a device for just $39.

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There might be interest in a Surface Phone, but for now there's the Surface Go to enjoy. Revealed late yesterday, the Surface Go is described as Microsoft's "smallest, lightest Surface yet" -- and it's available to pre-order right now.

Unfortunately, there's no discount for jumping on a pre-order, but if you're quick, you should be able to guarantee that you'll get one when it launches on August 2. The tablet will cost you $399, but you'll need to purchase a Signature Type Cover separately if you want to type rather than using the on-screen keyboard, and a Surface Pen if you like the idea of stylus operation.

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Penetration testing company Positive Technologies has released some alarming figures surrounding the vulnerability of corporate networks to insider attacks.

During testing performed as an internal attacker, the company's researchers were able to obtain full control of infrastructure on all the corporate networks they attempted to compromise. Only seven percent of systems were assessed as having 'moderate' difficulty of accessing critical resources.

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Google continues to expand the capabilities of Google Pay, and today the company launched a new series of updates. Catching up with the likes of Apple Pay, Google's own digital wallet can now be used to store boarding cards and tickets.

While this is something that is already catered for by other apps -- such as those from airlines and box offices -- Google is clearly hoping that its "everything under one roof" approach will attract users. In addition to the new ticketing option, Google Pay is also combining the Google Pay and Google Pay Send apps.

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If you are a regular reader of BetaNews, you may have noticed that many of our licensed images come from Shutterstock. That online service is wildly popular, thanks to its massive collection of images and other media. Quite frankly, it is a joy to use -- both its website and mobile apps are top notch.

Today, the company reaches an incredible milestone -- a 15th birthday! Yes, the site was founded on this day way back in 2003. To celebrate, Shutterstock has released 15 digital posters -- one for each year the company has been in business. Each poster commemorates an important event that happened in that year. This includes some important tech-related moments, such as the launch of Facebook and the release of the first-ever iPhone. Not to mention, who can forget Pokémon Go -- a game that made augmented reality mainstream.

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We all know that Google collects data and uses it to sell adverts. But just how well does Google know you?

VPN service comparison site TheBestVPN has created a full guide to how the corporation tracks you and what it does with the information.

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According to a new study, 68 percent of IT professionals believe their organizations are failing to carry out all procedures in line with data protection laws.

The report from digital security specialist Gemalto also shows 65 percent of companies are unable to analyze all the data they collect and only just over half (54 percent) know where all of their sensitive data is stored.

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Microsoft’s Surface computers are quite popular, but unfortunately, they are quite expensive too. Some consumers simply can’t afford them. Thankfully, Microsoft today announces a new computer that puts Surface in reach of more people.

Called "Surface Go," it is is an affordable Windows tablet with a 10-inch, 1800 x 1200 display. How much does it cost? It starts at a rather low $399. Unfortunately, as with the more powerful Surface Pro tablets, a keyboard is not included, making the initial price a bit misleading.

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It’s been a little while since we had a new Surface product from Microsoft, but the wait appears to be (almost) at an end.

In a new tweet posted today, Microsoft asked 'Where will Surface go next?' above a picture of the current range of Surface devices, with a shadow from an un-shown model on the far right. The picture also includes tomorrow’s date, so it’s pretty clear that’s when the new product will be revealed.

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While all desktops (and most laptops) have video outputs, having a video input is much more rare. The reason why is simple -- most people don't need such a thing. Quite frankly, outside of some business use, home users never really had much of a need. With the invent of video gameplay streaming on platforms like Twitch, however, this changed. Now, more and more home users want video capture devices to connect a game console to their PC.

Today, StarTech releases its latest such product for both business and personal users alike. Called "UVCHDCAP," it is an HDMI to USB-C Video Capture Device for Mac, Windows, and Linux -- no drivers needed. It uses USB 3.0 Type-B for connectivity, and there is a Type-B to Type-C cable in the box. Your computer doesn't have a USB-C port? No worries, a Type-B to Type-A cable is included as well.

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Today Samsung is opening what it describes as the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturing facility. The factory is opening in India as the South Korean giant looks to take advantage of the fastest-growing mobile market.

Located in Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi, the new facility will give Samsung the ability to output handsets at an unprecedented rate -- said to be up to 120 million smartphones a year.

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Back in May, it was revealed that an anonymous donor was giving the GNOME Foundation a cool million bucks. For some in the Linux community -- including yours truly -- there were mixed emotions. On the one hand, it was positive news -- money makes things happen, and it should make the GNOME Project better. On the other hand, the anonymous nature of the donation was troubling -- what if the donor was an evil person or company? GNOME users and developers deserve to know who or what is funding the project, right?

While we still do not know the identity of the donor, we do know how the GNOME Foundation will be putting some of the money to work. The foundation is using part of the funds to hire four additional employees.

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It's not all that long since fitness app Strava caused something of a security nightmare by inadvertently revealing the locations of numerous secret military bases. Now another app -- Polar Flow this time -- has gone a step further and revealed the names and home addresses of nearly 6,500 users.

A joint investigation by Bellingcat and Dutch journalism platform De Correspondent found that the app is "revealing the homes and lives of people exercising in secretive locations, such as intelligence agencies, military bases and airfields, nuclear weapons storage sites, and embassies around the world".

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