It is fair to say that many people want the net neutrality rules implemented during the Obama administration to stay in place. Even major tech companies support them. But not everyone feels the same -- just ask telecommunications companies what they think about it.

The Trump administration is among the main opponents, with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai spearheading the efforts to repeal the rules. Today, the federal agency announces it's shared a draft, called Restoring Internet Freedom Order, that aims to do just that.

My last column was about the recent tipping point signifying that cloud computing is guaranteed to replace personal computing over the next three years. This column is about the slugfest to determine what company’s public cloud is most likely to prevail. I reckon it is Amazon’s and I’ll go further to claim that Amazon will shortly be the new Microsoft.

What I mean by The New Microsoft is that Amazon is starting to act a lot like the old Microsoft of the 1990s. You remember -- the Bad Microsoft.

Kodi boxes, and other so-called illicit streaming devices (ISDs), are the big-target for anti-piracy organizations at the moment. It’s a war being fought on many fronts. While bulling third-party add-on developers into retiring using legal threats is one of the most high-profile approaches, it’s far from the only tactic being used.

Governments and anti-piracy organizations are also using heavy doses of FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt) to persuade Kodi lovers to seek other -- legal -- methods for streaming content.

The Adwind cross-platform, malware-as-a-service Trojan has been around since 2012. Spread by phishing emails claiming to be invoices, purchase orders, and requests for quotations, it's aimed at high value targets like finance departments.

While it never completely disappeared in recent years the number of attacks did die down. However, security awareness training company KnowBe4 has noted an upsurge in Adwind emails during October of this year.

There are many ways to secure your personal data, but if you have a lot of files and folders you want to keep completely private, then you really need to be looking at a hardware solution.

iStorage sells a range of external OS and platform independent USB drives that use hardware-level, real-time military grade AES-XTS 256-bit encryption to secure your content, with access via a built-in PIN pad.

Data is the lifeblood of businesses and many companies are now turning to DataOps methodology to create an agile, self-service workflow that fosters collaboration and boosts creativity, while respecting data governance policies.

Data platform specialist MapR Technologies is launching its latest Converged Data Platform 6.0, offering new advancements to help organizations achieve greater value from all of their data through DataOps teams.

While many people opt for cable there are also a fair amount who go against that grain, subscribing to a satellite provider for various reasons -- maybe it's location, perhaps it's NFL Sunday Ticket. There are two major players in that market -- DirecTV and DISH.

All sorts of problems can interrupt service, both to an entire system, or just certain provided networks. One of the biggest reasons for providers and customers alike is contract disputes. That's something we see all too often. The mess is generally sorted out, but it sometimes drags out for too long.

The idea that what you do online is not a secret is something that we have all -- just about -- come to terms with. That said, most people still expect a modicum of privacy, and they certainly don’t expect literally every keystroke they type to be logged by the websites they visit.

But, say researchers at Princeton University, this is exactly what is happening. Hundreds of the most popular websites are using "session replay scripts" that record every single thing a visitor does. They are designed to monitor how visitors interact with a site to help gather information that could improve page design, and the incredibly extensive data that is collected is sent off to a third party for analysis.

Literature and Latte has released Scrivener 3.0 for OS X, a major new version of its writer-centric tool. The app combines traditional word-processing features with project management and organization tools to provide a one-stop shop for any writing project.

Version 3.0 unveils a number of new and enhanced features, alongside an updated user interface, Touch Bar support and rewritten codebase for 64-bit.

LibreELEC is a fantastic open source Linux-based operating system designed to run Kodi. It is particularly well suited for devices like Raspberry Pi. If you want to build your own Kodi box, it's ideal.

Today, the LibreELEC team releases a new build that it expects will be the last from the current branch -- going forward the focus will be firmly on LibreELEC (Leia) 9.0 development.

The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit as it tries to block the acquisition of Time Warner by AT&T. The DoJ says that the merger would cause bills to rise and stifle choice for consumers.

There is concern about the level of control such a merger would give the company over programming and distribution, but AT&T says that it will fight the lawsuit, saying that there is no reason for the merger to be blocked.

There are various stories surrounding the origins of Black Friday, the most common being that it was the day retailers turned the corner from loss to profit and the figures in the ledger changed from red to black.

Whatever its roots, Black Friday was a purely American phenomenon. That is until 2010 when Amazon first brought Black Friday deals on more than 500 products across to the UK. Since then it's caught on in a big way on that side of the pond.

All eyes may be on the meteoric rise of Bitcoin at the moment, but it's far from being the only cryptocurrency on the block. Startup Tether issued a critical announcement after it was discovered that "malicious action by an external attacker" had led to the theft of nearly $31 million worth of tokens.

Tether is a dollar-pegged cryptocurrency formerly known as Realcoin, and it says that $30,950,010 was stolen from a treasury wallet. The company says it is doing what it can to ensure exchanges do not process these tokens, including temporarily suspending its backend wallet service.

If you want to get a hardware voice assistant, you cannot go wrong with Echo. Amazon's hardware is great, but more importantly, its "Alexa" assistant is much more capable than any of its competitors. This can largely be attributed to developers -- there are countless "skills" and compatible devices that make the entire Alexa experience a joy.

Still haven't bought an Echo? Well, I have some great news. Waiting sometimes has its benefits, and today, those still on the fence about Echo should definitely pull the trigger. You see, Amazon will be selling a special PRODUCT(RED) version of its second-gen Echo.

Internet, TV and phone have become, perhaps sadly, some of the most important services in our lives. The problem for many of us is getting the service we want as it's limited in most areas -- in fact, many people only have one choice thanks to monopolies by area.

If you live in a location which has Verizon then you have access to one of the faster connections in the United States and now you can get a better deal on the service, although it's for a limited time only.