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."
Apple AirPlay comes to IHG Hotels and Resorts
Guests at select IHG Hotels & Resorts properties, including those under the Kimpton, Hotel Indigo, Candlewood Suites, and InterContinental brands, now have a more personalized entertainment experience. More than 60 locations across North America now offer AirPlay functionality, allowing visitors to stream content from Apple TV+ and other services, listen to music, view photos, play games, or engage in fitness and meditation sessions -- all on the big screens in their rooms.
The new feature is available through a seamless connection process. Guests can link their devices to the room’s LG TV and the hotel’s Wi-Fi network by scanning a unique QR code displayed on the TV screen. This setup not only makes it easy to mirror content from iPhones and iPads directly to the TV but also ensures privacy and security.
Millennials are key targets for phishing
A new report reveals that millennials are the top targets for phishing attacks, receiving 37.5 percent of phishing emails.
The latest phishing trends report from Egress also highlights the widespread adoption of AI and QR code phishing (quishing). Quishing has risen from 0.8 percent in 2021 to 10.8 percent in 2024, whereas attachment-based payloads halved from 72.7 percent to 35.7 percent in the same period.
Get 'Applied Machine Learning and AI for Engineers' (worth $67.99) for FREE
While many introductory guides to AI are calculus books in disguise, this one -- Applied Machine Learning and AI for Engineers -- mostly eschews the math.
Instead, author Jeff Prosise helps engineers and software developers build an intuitive understanding of AI to solve business problems. Need to create a system to detect the sounds of illegal logging in the rainforest, analyze text for sentiment, or predict early failures in rotating machinery? This practical book teaches you the skills necessary to put AI and machine learning to work at your company.
Best Windows apps this week
Five-hundred-and-ninety-one in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.
Microsoft claims that it has improved the performance of the Microsoft Store significantly. Product pages, for instance, load 40% faster now than before, according to Microsoft.
The dynamics of modern Windows device management [Q&A]
Despite Apple and Linux gaining ground in recent years Windows still commands over 50 percent of the endpoint desktop market.
This means that Windows device management is a key priority for enterprises. We spoke to Apu Pavithran, founder and CEO of Hexnode, to learn more about device management and how it can be used effectively.
Netflix says it will no longer share details of subscriber numbers
In a letter to shareholders, Netflix says that it is to stop reporting quarterly membership numbers. The company will, mostly, keep details about subscriber numbers to itself from Q1 2025, it announced.
Although Netflix will instead start to report the amount of time users spend on its platform as well as information about revenue growth, the company says that it will still share "major subscriber milestones as we cross them". In its shareholder letter, Netflix also boasts that it is generating very substantial profit and free cash flow.
Microsoft releases preview version of Office 2024 for Windows and macOS -- download it now!
Having just issued a reminder to users of the non-subscription Office 2016 and 2019 about the impending end of support, Microsoft has now released the first preview of Office LTSC 2024.
There are advantages and disadvantages to using the long-term serving channel edition of Office, not least of which is that it is available for a one-time payment. While users miss out on some of the features of Microsoft 365 and the suite receives far fewer updates, this version remains a great option for businesses and organizations who want to avoid the disruption of unwanted changes from more frequent updates. Here's how to get hold of the Microsoft Office 2024 preview right now.
TEAMGROUP unveils MP44Q M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSD
TEAMGROUP has unveiled its latest product, the MP44Q M.2 PCIe 4.0 Solid State Drive. This new SSD offers impressive capabilities, primarily due to its use of the latest 3D QLC NAND technology which allows for storage capacities of up to 4TB. This considerable capacity is complemented by the PCIe Gen4 x4 interface which propels the SSD to achieve maximum sequential read and write speeds of up to 7,400 MB/s and 6,500 MB/s, respectively.
In addition to its performance features, the MP44Q SSD includes a unique heat management technology. It is equipped with TEAMGROUP’s patented graphene heat dissipation sticker, which is less than 1 mm thick. This helps avoid mechanical interference during installation and, when used in conjunction with the motherboard’s native heat sink, effectively manages the heat generated during operation.
Cyberwarfare incidents reported by almost half of UK firms
New research shows that 49 percent of UK businesses have reported cyberwarfare incidents to the authorities.
The report from Armis also shows 52 percent of UK IT leaders believe the government can't defend its citizens and enterprises against an act of cyberwarfare.
Ransomware, meet DRaaS: The future of disaster mitigation
Picture this: It’s 2031, and you’re chief information security officer (CISO) at a Fortune 500 company. Alongside many other innovative and emerging threats, you’re constantly battling AI-empowered bad actors. In fact, you spend the majority of your working hours combating emerging forms of ransomware. These dangerous incursions occur once every two seconds -- more than 43,000 attacks every day -- and all organizations are extremely vulnerable.
Although harsh, this scenario may soon become a reality. Threat actors are learning to use more refined tactics to infiltrate valuable consumer data, and it’s paying dividends. In 2023 alone, ransomware attacks increased by 68 percent.
Get 'Modern DevOps Practices -- Second Edition' (worth $39.99) for FREE
DevOps and the cloud have changed how we look at software development and operations like never before, leading to the rapid growth of various DevOps tools, techniques, and practices.
This updated edition of Modern DevOps Practices helps you pick up the right tools by providing you with everything you need to get started with your DevOps journey. The book begins by introducing you to modern cloud-native architecture, and then teaches you about the architectural concepts needed to implement the modern way of application development.
Number of ransomware victims up 20 percent in first quarter of 2024
A new report shows a 20 percent year-on-year increase in the number of ransomware victims, along with major shifts in the behavioral patterns of ransomware groups.
The Q1 2024 ransomware report, from the GuidePoint Security Research and Intelligence Team (GRIT), finds the number of active ransomware groups more than doubled, increasing 55 percent from 29 distinct groups in Q1 2023 to 45 distinct groups in Q1 2024.
Low-code tools boost developer productivity
Over 90 percent of respondents to a new survey say that low-code tools have boosted developer productivity in their organizations. 43.5 percent of developers are saving up to 50 percent of their time when they use low-code tools on a project.
The 2024 Reveal Biggest Software Development Challenges survey, finds that 28.2 percent of software developers' time is dedicated to coding, compared with 43.4 percent of their time the previous year.
Cisco warns of serious CLI command injection vulnerability in its Integrated Management Controller
A serious security vulnerability exists in Cisco Integrated Management Controller (IMC) which can be used by an attacker to elevate privileges to root.
The company has issued a warning about the vulnerability and acknowledged the availability of proof-of-concept exploit code for it. The high severity warning is accompanied by the release of patches, as well as a note that there is no workaround other than a software update.
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