Google employee's anti-diversity manifesto goes viral as the company dismisses the diatribe
A document entitled "Google's Ideological Echo Chamber" in which an employee strongly criticizes the company's efforts towards diversity and equality has gone viral. The opinionated article was written by an unnamed senior software engineer, and it accuses Google of political bias while calling for great "ideological diversity."
The document has been dubbed a "manifesto" and it went viral within Google. It was shared internally on a mailing list, and several Google employees tweeted about its existence. It did not take long for the rant -- which attributes the gender gap in technology to biological differences between the sexes -- to go public, and for Google to attempt to distance itself from the contents.
Microsoft video confirms Spotify is coming to Xbox One
It has long been expected that the Spotify app would make its way to Xbox One, and evidence supporting this has been mounting for some time. Now a video by Major Nelson -- or Larry Hryb, if you prefer -- confirms the existence of the app.
Earlier in the week, eagle-eyed Xbox One users noticed Hryb was using the app. Later, a screenshot of Microsoft's ExpertZone website showed further evidence in the form of a (now-deleted) page referencing "Spotify goes Platinum" and a note that "Spotify is coming to Windows 10 and Xbox."
YouTube Music gets a proper offline mode for songs, albums and playlists
The arrival of offline mode to YouTube Music may not seem like news, but the reality is that the "mixtape" option that was available was very limited. Now YouTube has made it possible to download playlists, songs and albums for offline listening.
As before, you need to be a YouTube Red member to take advantage of the feature, and the update means that users now have far more control over their offline listening rather than relying on YouTube to select tracks based on listening history.
Report: LTE Apple Watch is on the way this year
One of the limitations -- if you want to class it as such -- of the Apple Watch is that it needs to be paired with an iPhone. But this could be about to change.
According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is preparing to launch a new LTE version of its smartwatch later in the year. This will eliminate the need to own an iPhone and enable owners to connect directly to the internet with their watch. The company is said to already be in talks with mobile providers in the US and Europe about an upcoming LTE Apple Watch (or Apple Watch series 3).
What you need to know about the shared services delivery model
Shared services delivery models are becoming increasingly popular in the business world, as a way of driving growth and increasing profit margins. However, not all of these models are up to the same standard. While some of the basic approaches might be suitable for smaller businesses, your best bet is to opt for one that allows the flexibility you need to grow successfully. To help you make the right choice for your business’s future, read on to discover just why flexibility is key in today’s highly competitive economy,
Inflexible shared services models essentially mean you are putting a cap on how much you can expand your business and keep up with customer and marketplace demands. Instead, you should look at crafting an advanced shared services organization, which can quickly react to marketplace and competitive changes to stay one step ahead of the game.
Bad news for Windows Insiders hoping to try Windows 10 Redstone 4
It’s a good time to be a Windows Insider. Microsoft is busy cramming in last minute features and changes to the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (also known as Redstone 3), including rather unexpected surprises, and the builds are a lot more stable now.
A week ago, Microsoft introduced the option to bypass any future Fall Creators Updates builds and skip ahead to the Redstone 4 branch. If that sounds like something you would have liked to have done, there’s some bad news -- it’s now too late.
Recover from ransomware with Paragon’s Backup & Recovery 16 Free
How often do you hear "it won’t happen to me", which is the primary reason many of us do not bother to backup our data. Sure, like us you can store some of your most important files in the cloud, but that has storage limitations and none of us wants to spend time trying to salvage our computer when we’re pressed for time.
The rise of ransomware means your computer is vulnerable, even if you have the latest security software. Once your files are encrypted, short of paying the ransom, there’s little else you can do.
Creative launches beautiful Halo Bluetooth speaker with 16.8 million colors
There are so many Bluetooth speakers nowadays, that it is hard for any to stand out. That's not to say they are all equal from a sound quality perspective. Actually, many of them are downright terrible. It is hard to find a model that produces acceptable-sounding music. This is why it is wise to stick with reputable brands, such as JBL, Bose, and Ultimate Ears. Don't misunderstand me, there are solid offerings from some less-known brands, but they are few and far between.
One reputable company that has been involved in sound technology for many years is Creative -- maker of the iconic Sound Blaster series of PC sound cards. Today, Creative unveils an absolutely beautiful Bluetooth speaker called "Halo." What makes it stand out from other such speakers is the cool-looking "halo" effect on the face. This is done with LED lights which feature an impressive 16.8 million color options. The lighting can be customized using a mobile app, allowing the user to find the best color combination for them. How cool is that?
New OnePlus 3/3T beta rolls out, while OnePlus 5 update is recalled
There's good news and bad news for OnePlus handset owners -- whether it's good or bad depends on whether you have a OnePlus 3/3T or a OnePlus 5. For users of the older handset, there's a new OxygenOS Open Beta which adds a decent selection of new features.
For OnePlus 5 users, however, the OxygenOS 4.5.7 update that was released earlier in the week is being recalled. OnePlus is responding reports of terrible gaming performance in withdrawing the update.
Game of Thrones S07E04, The Spoils of War, leaks online
The fourth episode of the latest season of Game of Thrones has leaked online before its official air date. Download links to the episode -- The Spoils of War -- have been shared on Reddit and Twitter, and the video appears to be a low-quality internal version.
Earlier this week, HBO was the victim of a hack in which 1.5TB of data was stolen. In addition to full episodes of other shows, there were scripts and spoilers for Game of Thrones, and these were subsequently leaked. This time around, however, it does not seem that the hack was the source of the S07E04 leak.
Delphix partners with Azure to ease cloud migration
Microsoft Azure is increasingly popular as a business cloud platform, but migrating to Azure often means bringing together data from a range of sources. Lack of access to this data can hinder development and slow delivery.
Data management specialist Delphix is launching a new Dynamic Data Platform for Azure, which offers enterprises the ability to streamline cloud migration projects, accelerate development and testing, and significantly reduce cost and complexity.
WikiLeaks: CIA's Dumbo project can hack webcams and corrupt recordings
WikiLeaks has published the latest installment of its cache of CIA documentation known as Vault 7. This time around we learn about Project Dumbo, a hacking tool which allows for the control of webcams and microphones.
Wired, Bluetooth and wireless devices can all be detected by Dumbo. In addition to this, Dumbo gives the CIA the ability to delete or corrupt recordings that have been made. WikiLeaks has published user guides for three versions of Dumbo, the most recent of which is dated June 2015.
Giveaway: Get Advanced SystemCare 10.5 PRO (worth $19.95) FREE for a limited time
As Summer continues relentlessly, why not escape the sun and spent some time optimizing your PC? From today, 4 August 2017, you’ll be able to do just that thanks to our 48-hour Downloadcrew Giveaway, which is for a year’s license for Advanced SystemCare 10.5 PRO, worth $19.95.
This package contains an entire library of essential tools to help you clean up, optimize, maintain and secure your PC.
Coinbase and GDAX will offer Bitcoin Cash withdrawals after all
Before Bitcoin Cash arrived, Coinbase made it clear that it had no plans to support a hard fork of Bitcoin and the resulting coins. That policy applied to its trading platform, GDAX, as well. So, customers who wanted to access Bitcoin Cash were told to withdraw their Bitcoin before the beginning of August.
However, fast forward to today and Coinbase announced that it will support Bitcoin Cash after all, in what looks like an attempt to appease the horde of angry customers that either did not get its original message or couldn't withdraw their Bitcoin in time for the hard fork.
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Two-hundred-and-forty-two in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days.
Microsoft released a build of Windows 10 S, a new version of Windows 10 designed specifically for Education, which you can now download and install.
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