Google Chrome finally arrives in Windows 10's Store (kind of) [Update]
Google is notorious for its abysmal support of Windows 10's app store. A quick search reveals that there are only two apps available from the company, both of which are called Google. One is for PCs and the other targets mobile devices. Neither is of any real value to Google users on Windows 10 though.
If you want Gmail, Google Calendar, YouTube or Google Maps you will have to use the browser. However, there is a different story with Google Chrome. The browser just landed on Microsoft Store (Windows 10's app store), making it easier than ever to download it on a Windows 10 machine.
Currency mining Android Trojan can kill your phone
Researchers at cyber security company Kaspersky Lab have discovered a new Android mobile Trojan called Loapi.
It uses a modular architecture, allowing functions to be added to the software so it can be used for anything from crypto currency mining to DDos attacks. Crucially though Loapi can create such a heavy workload on an infected device that the battery overheats and destroys the phone.
Big data delivers higher revenue and faster growth
Almost 60 percent of enterprises adopting big data cite both increased productivity across the organization and improved efficiency leading to reduced costs as their biggest gains.
This is among the findings of a survey by enterprise software company Syncsort, which finds that the most dramatic increase in reported benefits was higher revenue and accelerated growth, which 55 percent named as a benefit this year compared with only 37 percent last year.
Privacy: WhatsApp told to stop sharing user data with Facebook
A French privacy watchdog has ordered WhatsApp to stop sharing user data with Facebook. The CNIL (National Data Protection Commission) issued the Facebook-owned company with formal notice to cease violations of the French Data Protection Act, suggesting that user consent was not properly obtained.
A change to WhatsApp's privacy policy last year saw the app transferring data to its parent company for the purposes of "business intelligence" and security purposes. It is the business intelligence side of things -- which analyses user behaviour -- that France considers illegal.
Kaspersky sues Trump administration over government software ban
US concerns about links between Kaspersky Labs and the Russian government led to a ban on the security software being used on US government computers. The ban was only recently signed into law by Donald Trump, and now Kaspersky has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security in response.
Kaspersky Labs is asking a federal court to overturn Trump's ban. The Moscow-based company maintains that it does not have links to the Kremlin, and has published an open letter saying that it had not been afforded "adequate due process" and that the US government's decision was based on flawed information.
AOC unveils 1080p 'G90 series' gaming monitors with 144Hz refresh and AMD FreeSync
While 4K is a popular resolution at the moment, it isn't always big with PC gamers. Why? Well, UHD can be very taxing on a graphics card, leading to lower frame rate. Not to mention, 4K monitors are still fairly pricey by comparison. Depending on your hardware, you might have a more enjoyable experience using a lower resolution, such as the trusty 1080p. For example, some people would rather get 60fps with 1920x1080 than 30fps with 3840x2160 -- I know I would.
Today, AOC unveils a trio of new 1080p gaming monitors that are aimed at PC gamers on a budget. All three feature AMD FreeSync technology, while two of them also have 144Hz refresh for extra-smooth motion. The very small bezels and red color makes them look very attractive too.
Twitter Insiders is dead
Today, the Twitter Insiders program dies. Wait, you didn't know such a thing existed? You aren't alone. It certainly wasn't a household name, and interest in it was apparently quite low. As a result, Twitter is temporarily ending the program as of December 22, 2017.
If you aren't familiar, Twitter Insiders was a survey program that was announced in June of 2016. Data analysts from a company called "C Space" would solicit feedback from Twitter users that signed up. The program would not only ask for feedback about Twitter, but other brands and topics too. While some of the survey feedback was given for free, Twitter would sometimes pay users for participating too -- a dollar here, five dollars there -- nothing significant. And now it is dead.
Microsoft Launcher is very popular with Android users
Microsoft has become one of the most relevant mobile developers by offering its best products and services to (virtually) everyone who owns a smartphone and tablet -- for free. Major apps like Word, Skype and Outlook are among the most popular titles in their respective categories on the two biggest platforms: Android and iOS.
Microsoft did not stop there though, as it also created new apps specifically tailored to attract new users on a platform. Microsoft Launcher is one of them, being designed as an alternative launcher for Android devices that ties in with the company's other products. And, believe it or not, users have responded really well to it.
Mobile ads shift to using video as spending doubles
With consumers spending more of their smartphone time in apps worldwide, in-app advertising continued to be the main growth area in worldwide mobile ad spending and video ads are increasingly dominant.
Data from real-time advertising platform Smaato reveals in-app ad spend taking at least 85 percent of mobile ad spending in each of the top 20 mobile advertising markets worldwide.
Consumers lack data breach awareness
New research from cyber exposure company Tenable reveals a widespread lack of consumer awareness surrounding the impact of data breaches.
The results based on an online Harris Poll of more than 2000 US adults show that only 12 percent think their data has been stolen over the past year. But given the Equifax breach exposed up to 143 million Americans, that number is statistically impossible.
Why moving to the cloud can help boost security and compliance [Q&A]
Although the adoption of cloud services has increased over the past few years, many organizations are still unwilling to make the move to the cloud due to security and compliance concerns.
But Jim Hansen, VP of product marketing at security management firm AlienVault argues that companies with limited resources and budget should actually consider moving to the cloud in order to benefit from stronger security and compliance, in addition to other business benefits. We spoke to him to find out more.
Western Digital My Book Duo 20TB USB-C external RAID hard disk drive [Review]
Nowadays, more and more consumers are embracing the cloud for data storage and backup. This is not a mistake -- it is smart to store your files off premises. With that said, it is even smarter to also store the data locally for redundancy purposes. For instance, with local storage, if your internet connection is down, you can still access your files. With the cloud, if there is a disaster -- such as a house fire -- your data can be retrieved even if your local storage drives are destroyed. In other words, using the cloud and local storage together gives you the best of both worlds.
Picking local storage can be tricky, however. For cost purposes, a mechanical hard disk drive is still your best bet for backup. If you have a desktop, you can probably buy an internal drive, but laptop users aren't often as lucky. If you own a notebook, you most likely need to opt for an external USB drive. With USB 3.0 being fast enough for connecting a mechanical hard drive, even desktop users should probably consider it for convenience. I have been testing a very intriguing new external USB-C HDD with my MacBook Pro (running High Sierra). What makes the drive so special? It features 20TB of storage!
ZoomGo unveils its own media stick with extras
Streaming media sticks have become an in-thing these days, with big releases from major players like Amazon and Roku. They plug into an HDMI port on any TV and bring you all sorts of entertainment goodness. The one drawback is that they aren't exactly mobile.
Now one company aims to change that, giving you all of your media on the go and just in time for a big travel season.
Linux Mint 18.3 'Sylvia' Xfce and KDE editions are available for download
Linux Mint is killing the KDE version of its operaring system -- a move some people applaud. That's what makes the new 18.3 version -- named "Sylvia" -- so frustrating. It's bizarre to release a new version of an operating system that essentially has no future. But oh well, here we are. After a short beta period, the KDE distro is now available for download -- if you still care. I recommend that KDE loyalists just switch to Kubuntu or Netrunner, but I digress.
Despite being the final version of Linux Mint KDE, it is still a great alternative to the consistently disappointing Windows 10. After all, it has been discovered that Microsoft is bundling a bug-ridden password-manager with its operating system without user consent! How can you trust such an OS?! Sigh.
Google Assistant gains 'Hey, Google' support on a range of Android devices
Voice control of computers and smartphones is becoming increasingly common, and for Android users a new option is opening up. Previously only available on Nexus and Pixel devices, support for the "Hey, Google" trigger is rolling out to more handsets.
This gives Android users another option for calling up Google's voice-activated assistant, adding to the existing "OK, Google" command.
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