From Windows XP to Windows 10 -- How Microsoft's end-of-life nag screens have changed
Microsoft has evolved its approach to warning users about the end of life (EOL) of its Windows operating systems over the years. The methods and techniques used, from Windows XP onwards, have varied, ranging from the polite to the downright aggressive (we're looking at you, Windows 7).
This journey, revealed in a new video, highlights how Microsoft's strategy has shifted to ensure users are aware of when their operating system will no longer receive support, emphasizing the importance of security and system updates and, in some cases, upgrading you against your will without warning (we're still looking at you, Windows 7).
Pour one out for the Linux homies: Fedora 40 released
Fedora Linux 40 has officially landed (download here), bringing a slew of updates across its various desktop environments and tools aimed at enhancing user experience and developer capabilities. This release delivers updates to both the GNOME and KDE desktop environments, and the reintroduction of the Fedora Atomic Desktop brand.
In the Fedora Workstation Edition, users will now experience GNOME 46. This update includes a variety of enhancements that aim to improve usability and performance. Those interested in the specifics of what’s new in Fedora Workstation 40 can find detailed updates and features highlighted in the release notes.
Phishing attacks up 60 percent driven by AI
A new report reveals a year-on-year increase of nearly 60 percent in global phishing attacks, fueled in part by the proliferation of generative AI-driven schemes such as voice phishing (vishing) and deepfake phishing.
The report from Zscaler ThreatLabz shows that in 2023 the US (55.9 percent), UK (5.6 percent) and India (3.9 percent) are the top countries targeted by phishing scams. The high level of phishing in the US is attributable to its advanced digital infrastructure, large population of internet-connected users and extensive use of online financial transactions.
Samsung begins mass production of 1Tb 9th-Gen V-NAND
Samsung has started mass production of its one-terabit (Tb) triple-level cell (TLC) 9th-generation vertical NAND (V-NAND). This is seemingly aimed at strengthening the company’s position in the NAND flash market, particularly within the high-performance solid state drive (SSD) segment.
SungHoi Hur, Head of Flash Product & Technology at Samsung’s Memory Business, commented on the launch: “With the industry’s first 9th-gen V-NAND, we aim to meet the growing demand for high-performance, high-density SSD solutions that are suitable for AI and other future applications.”
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Coding with AI For Dummies introduces you to the many ways that artificial intelligence can make your life as a coder easier. Even if you’re brand new to using AI, this book will show you around the new tools that can produce, examine, and fix code for you.
With AI, you can automate processes like code documentation, debugging, updating, and optimization. The time saved thanks to AI lets you focus on the core development tasks that make you even more valuable.
Meta introduces Horizon OS
In what appears to be a response to Apple's recent success with the Vision Pro, Meta has unveiled its own open computing initiative with the introduction of Meta Horizon OS. This new mixed reality operating system is part of Meta's strategy to recover ground in the rapidly evolving metaverse sector, where Apple has set a high standard.
Meta Horizon OS will be the backbone for a series of new devices from major tech players like ASUS, Lenovo, and Xbox. These collaborations seem to be Meta's attempt to broaden its ecosystem and challenge Apple's dominance. ASUS's Republic of Gamers, for instance, will develop a performance gaming headset, tapping into the gaming market where Apple's presence is less pronounced. Lenovo is poised to leverage its past collaboration on Oculus Rift S and its hardware prowess to create mixed reality devices aimed at productivity and entertainment, sectors where Apple's Vision Pro has made significant inroads.
Stop sideloading headaches on Apple devices: Why EU admins need MDMs now more than ever
Apple just went full Android in the EU. While sideloading, the act of installing apps from sources other than the OS's official app store, is a familiar practice for Android users, it marks a departure from the tightly integrated ecosystem that has long characterized Apple's approach.
While the option to pick and choose the apps on their devices holds appeal for certain enterprises, EU admins might not agree. Maintaining a delicate equilibrium between user privacy and strong endpoint security has always been a challenge, one that is bound to escalate with the EU's latest regulatory changes.
Email still the most popular phishing technique even on mobile
Most incidents of phishing or spoofing on smartphones still happen via email, according to MEF's (Mobile Ecosystem Forum) 9th Annual Trust Study.
The report shows 52 percent of users reporting personal experience of data harm via this channel. Surprisingly, 39 percent of those users still took no preventative measures to protect their online data.
Proton Mail launches Dark Web Monitoring to alert users to leaks
One of the most common forms of cyberattack is credential stuffing, using exposed details on different sites to exploit the fact that people frequently reuse passwords.
Proton Mail is introducing a new Dark Web Monitoring feature that will alert customers if their credentials are exposed on the dark web, where stolen emails and credentials get bought and sold.
Cloud security and speed -- how fast do your processes need to be? [Q&A]
Moving to the cloud offers many benefits for businesses, but it doesn't remove the need to keep your systems secure. The tools that make the cloud fast and attractive for business can also be used by attackers.
We spoke to Anna Belak, director, Office of Cybersecurity at Sysdig to discuss the pain points that she sees security teams dealing with today, where those problems come from, and how to address them around process and skills rather than just looking at the tech side.
Updated, lightweight Microsoft Store offers faster downloads and multi-app parallel installations
In response to user feedback, Microsoft has launched Microsoft Store installers for web with refined workflow and faster app downloads.
The changes only apply to Store apps installed directly from apps.microsoft.com, but for anyone using this approach rather than the Microsoft Store app, there are great improvements to the UX. Fewer clicks are now needed to locate and install an app, individual installations are faster, and parallel installation of multiple apps are possible.
The unseen ethical considerations in AI practices: A guide for the CEO
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is only accelerating its adoption among global corporate enterprises, thus CEOs and business leaders are positioned at the confluence of innovation and ethics, as it relates to implementing AI projects, in their businesses.
While technical prowess and business potential are usually the focus of conversations around AI, the ethical considerations are sometimes overlooked, especially those not immediately obvious. From a perspective that straddles the line of business leadership and technical acumen, there are five critical, yet often missed, ethical considerations in AI practices that should be part of your due diligence in starting any AI projects:
The rise of the outsmarted insider
Malware, ransomware, and phishing. These are just a few examples of software disruptors that can wreak havoc on a business and cause major personal and financial loss.
Most recently, organizations and vendors have gotten good at protecting their business from malware and infiltrations from the outside. Their security has gone up, so it's now more difficult and expensive for an outside attacker to attack this traditional way. Additionally, organizations have gotten smarter about preventing ransomware and not falling for the ransomware attack by paying the ransom. Most organizations won't pay the ransom anymore because governments don't want them to.
Firefox Nightly expands to Linux on ARM64
Mozilla has announced Firefox Nightly for ARM64. This release will cater to the growing demand for support on ARM64 platforms, commonly referred to as AArch64.
Feedback from the community has led Mozilla to expand the availability of Firefox Nightly. Users can now access the browser as both .tar archives and .deb packages, depending on their preference and requirements for installation.
How writing zip support for Windows almost cost its creator his job at Microsoft
These days, we take Windows' built-in zip support for granted, even if we prefer to use an alternative tool like 7-Zip. The story of how Microsoft added zip functionality to its operating system is an interesting one, and the guy responsible for it reveals how its creation nearly got him fired from his job at the tech giant.
Dave Plummer is a retired operating system engineer for Microsoft who worked on MS-DOS and Windows 95, among other things. He wrote the zip file support for Microsoft’s Windows 95 Plus pack, a feature which became an integral part of Windows 98 onwards and which, in his own words, "hasn’t really changed all that much in the 30 years since."
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