• Article

Google is all about data. Yes, the company has the ability to track individuals using the information it collects, but more importantly, it can analyze on a more macro level, discovering global trends. Heck, Google has the potential to change the world by properly leveraging its collected data.

Today, Google is sharing some search trends that, while fun, are not at all world-changing. Actually, they are bordering on silly, but that's OK. What are they? Dad-related trends to celebrate the upcoming Father's Day which is this Sunday!

Continue reading →

A new feature is rolling out to Snapchat users around the world, making it possible to delete messages you send and then change your mind about.

It's something that users have been asking for for some time, but the update will not allow for stealthy message deletion -- to the disappointment of some.

Continue reading →

EE has announced the launch of a new smart number technology which enables its customers to use their phone number across multiple devices at no extra cost.

Initially, the service will be available to Apple users, giving them the option of using their iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or Mac -- up to five devices in total -- to send and receive text messages, and place and receive phone calls. The same options will make their way to Android devices at some point in the future.

Continue reading →

Bitcoin has once again demonstrated its volatility, dropping in value by 10 percent following news of an attack and theft from the South Korean exchange Coinrail.

Coinrail has confirmed that it suffered a "cyber intrusion" and while it did not specify the value of the coins stolen, local news outlet Yonhap News estimated it to be $37.28 million based on a loss of about 30 percent of the coins traded on the exchange.

Continue reading →

Microsoft has announced that starting next month it will no longer be participating in the technical support forums for Windows 7, 8.1, 8.1 RT and numerous other products.

On the software front, the company says that it will also no longer provide support for Microsoft Security Essentials, Internet Explorer 10, Office 2010 and 2013 as of July. It is not just software that is affected. Microsoft is also stopping support for Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2, Surface RT, Surface 2, Microsoft Band and Zune. Some forums will be locked, preventing users from helping each other as well.

Continue reading →

If you own an Xbox One, you know there are a lot of games available for the console. Hell, there are almost too many from which to choose -- a good problem, I suppose. Let's not forget all the DLC too! I personally feel overwhelmed by the number of games being announced these days, but I digress.

While the Xbox One consoles come with a good amount of drive space (500GB or 1TB), it can fill up very quickly. Thankfully, you can easily expand the storage using an external USB drive. For the best performance, a USB solid state drive is preferable to a mechanical hard drive. Today, Seagate announces the terribly named "Game Drive for Xbox SSD" which is, as you can guess, an external SSD for Xbox One. Of course, it will work with a PC too.

Continue reading →

A security researcher has discovered a vulnerability in the OnePlus 6 bootloader. The flaw makes it possible for someone to boot arbitrary or modified images -- even if the bootloader is locked.

Exploiting the vulnerability requires someone to have physical access to the phone, and after this it is a relatively simple task to restart the handset in fastboot mode. From here is would be possible to load a modified boot image, including one that has root access.

Continue reading →

There is a new remote installation feature available in the Microsoft Store on the web, making it possible to install apps on Windows 10 devices even if you are not currently using them.

Working much like the option found in Google Play that lets Android users push apps to any of the devices they have associated with their Google account, the new feature from Microsoft provides a similar ability with Windows 10 apps.

Continue reading →

It's not long since Google rolled out a major redesign to Gmail on the web, bringing not only a new look, but also new features. Now it's the turn of the Gmail app for Android.

The mobile app has supported swipe gestures for some time now, but the options have been rather limited -- toggling between read/unread or archiving/deleting messages. With Gmail 8.5.20 Google is now giving users no fewer than five actions to choose from when performing a left or right swipe.

Continue reading →

There has been a lot of talk recently about Facebook tracking users (and non-users) as they browse the internet. Ever a proponent of user empowerment, Adblock Plus has unveiled new features that make it possible to block tracking through social media buttons.

The company notes that Apple promised at WWDC to block social tracking, but with Adblock Plus this feature is available right now, regardless of whether you're an Apple customer. The only limitation is that you need to be using either Chrome or Firefox as your web browser.

Continue reading →

It is no secret that Microsoft would like people to move away from the decades-old SMBv1 protocol -- the same protocol that was exploited by Wannacry. The company has been trying to encourage users to seek out an alternative or move to a more recent version for some time.

Now people are starting to discover that upgrading to Windows 10 April 2018 Update kills the protocol. Users have taken to forums to complain that the latest Windows 10 update disables SMBv1, and even goes as far as blocking it from being re-enabled.

Continue reading →

The world is crazy right now. We have a reality TV star in the White House, and day after day, there are unbelievable things being reported in the news. Sometimes I wonder if I am dreaming, but sadly, this is real life. Try as I might, I can't wake up.

You know what else is crazy? The Linux Foundation is officially endorsing Microsoft's acquisition of GitHub! OK, maybe that isn't so crazy nowadays, but if you could get in a time machine and go back, say, 10 years, and you told people that not only was Microsoft an official Linux Foundation Member, but the foundation was endorsing the Windows-maker's purchase of a massive repository that hosts millions of open source projects, you'd probably be put in an asylum.

Continue reading →

Antibody-Software has released WizFile 2.0, a major update to its freeware Windows file-searching tool. The program -- also available in portable form -- provides users with lightning quick filename-based searches of their entire computer.

Version 2.0 adds support for non-NTFS hard drives, allows users to specify individual folders or network shares for more targeted searches and

Continue reading →

Beats headphones are really good. Yes they are overpriced, but no, they are not form over function. They are simultaneously fashion statements and high-quality headphones. In other words, even if a consumer buys them only because they are trendy and look cool, the person will still end up with a great product.

Apple is known for fun and bright designs -- its Watch bands, for instance, are full of color. Let's not forget the original iMac line which changed the computer industry forever. Now, Apple is making its Solo3 Wireless ($299.95) and Powerbeats3 Wireless ($199.95) super funky with the all-new "Pop Collection."

Continue reading →

During the month of June, we will be running several giveaways to celebrate the 20th birthday of BetaNews. Wow, 20 years... can you believe it? We owe our success to our loyal readers, who have stuck by us for two decades. We are happy to reward some of you with some seriously awesome prizes.

Today is our fourth hardware giveaway, and this time, it is gaming related. It is the super-premium HyperX Cloud Alpha gaming headset. It is not just for PC either -- it also works with Xbox, PS4, Switch, and mobile. Of course, you can use it for non-gaming things too, such as listening to music, watching movies, or chatting on Skype.

Continue reading →