Mountain Duck 5 released with faster performance and new features for remote file access
Mountain Duck is a handy desktop tool that lets users mount server and cloud storage accounts as local drives in Finder on macOS and File Explorer on Windows. This allows remote files to be opened, edited, and saved directly in applications as if they were stored on the computer itself.
Iterate GmbH, which also makes one-stop cloud storage client Cyberduck, has released Mountain Duck 5, a major upgrade and the first since version 4 arrived in June 2020. This update introduces new features, faster performance, and improved compatibility across platforms.
How AI is transforming customer service interactions [Q&A]
If you’ve contacted a company recently it’s more than likely that you have encountered some form of AI either online or over the phone.
We spoke to Priya Vijayarajendran, CEO of ASAAP to find out how AI is transforming real-time customer service interactions in the contact center, and what it means for the evolving relationship between humans and machines.
Why using a VPN is becoming more important than ever
There’s been some controversy around the use of VPNs recently, mostly centering on the UK’s Online Safety Act. But despite this August 19th is International VPN Day and NordVPN has issued a timely reminder of the importance of using one.
A VPN isn’t just for tech experts, it’s a first line of defense against surveillance, data theft, and invasive tracking. However, not all VPNs are created equal and free ones may offer weaker protection and end up with your data being sold rather than protected.
Druva launches new AI agents to help boost cyber resilience
New AI agents launched today by Druva, the company says, will fundamentally change the way customers secure, recover, and manage their data.
A major expansion to DruAI, the company’s suite of AI capabilities for customers, features intelligent agents that can interpret user intent, analyze data, and take meaningful action. This shift aims to move enterprises beyond traditional, query-based AI to agentic systems designed for action -- helping teams strengthen cyber resilience with greater speed, simplicity, and confidence.
UK drops demands for back door access to encrypted Apple data
The UK is no longer seeking a back door that would have allowed it to access encrypted data of Apple users. Controversial from the start, the UK has been pushing for technology firms such as Apple, Meta and others to provide it with access to encrypted users data.
Billed as a crime-fighting measure, the requests outraged not only the companies involved, but also privacy advocates and concerned individuals. But now the US Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, says that the UK has had a change of heart.
96 percent of organizations worry about the impact of shorter certificate life
The radical shortening of SSL/TLS certificate lifespans from 398 days to 47 days by 2029 is shaking up the cybersecurity world. New research shows 96 percent of organizations are concerned about the impact of shorter SSL/TLS certificate lifespans on their business.
The study from Sectigo, developed in collaboration with global research firm Omdia, surveyed over 270 IT decision makers and finds fewer than one in five organizations feel very prepared to support the coming shift to 47-day certificate renewal cycles.
Microsoft adds a COPILOT function to Excel
We have already seen Microsoft bringing Copilot to Excel. The company only recently added the AI assistant to its spreadsheet as a way to explain formulae to help users better understand them.
Now Microsoft is bringing Copilot to Excel in more ways – arguably more useful ways. Currently available to Insiders, the latest addition sees Microsoft giving users the option to “bring AI to your formulas with the COPILOT function in Excel”.
OWC's latest portable SSD offers up to 8TB in a palm-sized design
Other World Computing has launched the OWC Express 1M2 80G, a portable SSD that brings USB4 80Gb/s performance to creators, mobile professionals, and gamers. The drive delivers real-world peak speeds of over 6000MB/s in a compact fanless design, making it one of the fastest palm-sized storage solutions available today.
The new device offers users two options: a do-it-yourself enclosure that supports standard NVMe drives, or ready-to-run configurations with capacities up to 8TB. Both options are upgradeable, allowing buyers to replace the drive later with larger or faster SSDs.
Windows 11’s dark mode remains a work in progress for Microsoft
Microsoft’s approach to Windows 11 means that the operating system is never complete. This is evident in many areas, including dark mode.
Like so many companies, Microsoft jumped on the dark mode bandwagon quite some time ago – almost a decade ago, in fact. Work started on the eye-saving option back in Windows 10 but it is still not complete. However there are signs that Microsoft has not given up, and there are still more changes to come.
Nearly half of Americans still reuse passwords despite phishing risks
Nearly half of Americans admit to reusing passwords across accounts, even as phishing attacks continue to rise. A new survey by Yubico and Talker Research shows that while many people feel confident in their ability to stay secure online, their actual habits reveal a different story.
The study asked consumers in 10 major US metro areas about their digital security practices. Forty eight percent said they use the same password for multiple accounts, a behavior that leaves them exposed if one login is compromised.
AI in-car assistant market set to more than double by 2031
The global AI in-car assistant market is set to take off massively in the coming years according to Valuates Reports, which forecasts an increase from $6.9 billion in 2024 to $15.8 billion by 2031. The company says this represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.8 percent, reflecting the increasing role of voice-driven and connected systems in vehicles.
AI in-car assistants are becoming integral to modern automotive design, combining voice recognition, infotainment, navigation, and predictive maintenance, in addition to providing drivers with hands-free control.
LibreOffice users can now generate AI art inside Writer and Impress
LibreOffice doesn’t ship with artificial intelligence features by default, but a new extension gives the office suite AI-powered features thanks to a community effort.
While Microsoft Office has started to integrate AI directly into its products, often tied to cloud subscriptions and proprietary tools, LibreOffice follows a different path where volunteers and independent developers can add optional capabilities through open-source extensions.
Shock! Microsoft is bringing Copilot to the Windows 11 Start menu
If you can rely on Microsoft for anything, it is that the company will use Windows to push its own products and services – just look at Copilot.
You will have noticed that Microsoft is busy squeezing Copilot into everything it possibly can. The latest victim of this treatment is the Start menu in Windows 11. This should come as no surprise – Microsoft is not only hellbent on shoving Copilot down people’s throats, it is turning to its tried and tested technique of using the Start menu to do so.
Lenovo's Lena AI chatbot had weakness that let attackers hijack sessions
Lenovo’s customer service AI chatbot Lena was recently found to contain a critical vulnerability that could allow attackers to steal session cookies and run malicious code.
Cybernews researchers discovered that with just one maliciously crafted prompt, the AI could be manipulated into exposing sensitive data. Lenovo has since fixed the issue, but the case shows how chatbots can create fresh risks when not properly secured.
New AI-powered Operator X streamlines offline defensive cyber missions
Sealing Technologies has launched Operator X, an AI Hunt Kit Assistant built for defensive cyber operations at the edge.
Operator X is designed for situations where you can’t rely on the internet or external cloud services. Many cyber defense teams work in places where security rules are very strict, so sending sensitive data to a cloud provider is not allowed. In those cases, everything has to run locally, inside the secure environment.
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