Security: macOS High Sierra bug lets you log in as 'root'... without a password
If you thought that you needed a password to access a password-protected Mac, think again. A massive security hole has been discovered in macOS High Sierra that makes it possible to log in with admin rights without the need to provide a password.
The problem appears to be specific to High Sierra, and the ease with which it is possible to gain unfettered access to a system has many people -- understandably -- concerned.
Bad news for Windows 10 testers -- you may not get access to all future features
Microsoft is working in earnest on the next feature update of Windows 10, codenamed Redstone 4. It’s already released a number of builds to Insiders in the Fast ring, and today the software giant revealed some of the big new features users can look forward to.
However, it also delivered something of a bombshell to Insiders keen to test forthcoming features and changes for themselves -- future additions aren’t going to be available to all.
Microsoft reveals some of the exciting new features coming to the next version of Windows 10 (Redstone 4)
Windows Insiders get to test up and coming Windows 10 features before anyone else. New features and updates appear in Insider builds on a regular basis, often with little warning or fanfare.
Terry Myerson, EVP for Windows and Devices, today provides an insight into some new additions which will appear in the next big Windows 10 update, codename Redstone 4, expected to arrive next April.
Are you ready for containers in your office?
It happened again. You were attending a conference, or meeting with industry peers and someone said it: "Containers." No, that person isn’t talking about a method to package or ship products -- they’re talking about software.
For those coming away from these scenarios scratching their heads, it’s time you ask yourself, "What exactly is a container, and what do I need to know about it for my organization?"
Throw that new 4K TV into the garbage -- 10K is here thanks to HDMI 2.1
This holiday season, many consumers are buying 4K televisions -- and rightly so. Look, UHD offers significant improvements over 1080p, while prices for these displays are at all-time lows. If you need a television, it would be foolish not to get a 4K variant at this time.
What if I told you that 4K was old news? It’s true. While UHD is hardly obsolete -- it will be around for a very long time -- the future is starting to emerge. You see, today, the HDMI Forum releases the next standard -- HDMI 2.1. This will not only allow 10K video content, but 8K @ 60Hz and 4K @ 120Hz. This won’t just benefit movie playback either -- gamers will be big winners once hardware catches up.
Fall Creators Update already on over 20 percent of Windows 10 PCs
Microsoft released the Creators Update for Windows 10 back in April, but it was a glacial, and at times problematic, rollout. A fortnight after the initial launch, Microsoft warned users to wait until they were offered it, rather than opting for a manual update, and even when it was finally made available to (almost) all, the take up was very low.
Its successor, the Fall Creators Update, launched in October, at which point a quarter of Windows 10 users still didn’t have the Creators Update.
Most people would stop dealing with companies following a data breach
If a company suffered a data breach, 70 percent of consumers would stop doing business with it, according to a new survey of 10,000 people worldwide.
The study carried out for digital security company Gemalto also reveals that 37 percent now believe that they could be a victim of a breach at any time, compared to those surveyed in 2016 (35 percent) and 2015 (27 percent).
The strangest ways of stealing data
Most data thefts are down to relatively simple techniques, like phishing, in order to get hold of login credentials. But even where systems are well protected, hackers can find ingenious ways of breaching security.
VPN advice site Top 10 VPN has compiled information from research and from real world attacks to highlight some of the more innovative ways of stealing data in an infographic.
Bitcoin breaks $10,000 -- crypto market exceeds $310 billion
The fact that the price of Bitcoin today went past $10,000 for the first time ever will not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with this crazy market. The most-valuable cryptocurrency has had a fantastic year, setting record after record. On January 1, trading opened at $963.
Considering that Bitcoin peaked at over $10,100 moments before writing this article, this means that it is up around 1,048 percent since the beginning of the year. Let that sink in for a moment, and let's move on to more mind-blowing figures.
Privacy: a huge proportion of Android apps are secretly tracking you
A joint research project between Yale University's Privacy Lab and French non-profit Exodus Privacy has uncovered widescale tracking in a large number of Android apps. The likes of Tinder, Spotify, Uber, Twitter and Snapchat -- as well as masses of lesser-known apps -- were found to be riddled with snooping components relating to no less than 25 well-known trackers.
In all, around three quarters of apps were found to gather personal information about users via a variety of third-party tracking techniques. Researchers have published their findings online so Android users can check if their favorite apps are snooping on them.
TeamViewer 13 now supports remote iOS screen sharing
TeamViewer GmbH has released the final version of TeamViewer 13, its remote access tool for Windows, Linux and Mac computers, with ChromeOS, iOS, Android and Windows App editions.
The primary focus of version 13 is iOS screen sharing, which enables a technician to troubleshoot an iPhone or iPad from their desktop, in real time. Ideal if a customer has support query from the iPad and you need to guide them through solving their issue.
Ok, Google, call Santa
Christmas is now less than a month away, and if you have any kids in the house, it won't be long before excitement reaches fever pitch. Helping to keep the magic alive this year, Google is giving your children (or you) the chance to phone Santa.
If you have a Google Home, Google Home Mini, or an Android phone with Google Assistant, you can use a voice command to call the fat, festive fellow and have a chat and a sing-song with him.
Number of stolen credentials at top UK companies triples in 2017
A new study from threat intelligence platform Anomali reveals that the volume of credential exposures among FTSE 100 companies in the UK has dramatically increased to 16,583 from April to July 2017, compared to 5,275 in last year’s analysis.
According to the findings 77 percent of the FTSE 100 -- the 100 largest companies listed on the London stock exchange -- were exposed, with an average of 218 usernames and passwords stolen, published or sold per company.
10 surprising ways machine learning is being used
Machine learning is taking the tech world by storm. Recently, an announcement that Google was open-sourcing Tensor Flow, their machine learning (ML) software, and Microsoft quickly followed suit. Baidu and Amazon unveiled their own deep learning platforms a few months later, while Facebook began supporting the development of two ML frameworks. But the revolution has spread far beyond the tech realm. In fact, some of the more recent applications of ML technology aren’t just innovative; they’re weird and surprising.
As machine learning (ML) continues to take over the tech world, companies and researchers outside the tech bubble have started using ML in strange and surprising ways. Here are ten unexpected ways machine learning is being used:
Microsoft to drop Facebook login from Skype
Starting next year, it will no longer be possible to log into Skype using your Facebook account. Thanks to the rollout of the updated Skype experience, as of January 2018, Skype users will need to log in using their Microsoft account.
This is not a change that is likely to affect regular users of Skype, but for anyone who rarely uses it, it is something of a pain.
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