Blizzard: World of Warcraft, StarCraft II and more will stop running under Windows XP and Vista
Microsoft hasn't supported Windows XP and Windows Vista for a while (mainstream support ended eight and five years ago, respectively), but other technology companies have continued to support their own software under these ancient operating systems.
Now, however, Blizzard has announced that it is dropping support for the OSes in a number of its games. The list includes names such as World of Warcraft, StarCraft II and Diablo III, and the change is coming later this year.
WikiLeaks: CIA analyzed Russian and Chinese malware to inspire its own hacking and surveillance tools
Some four months after the first Vault 7 leak, WikiLeaks continues to publish revealing CIA documents that detail the agency's ability to hack, infiltrate and surveil targets. The latest batch goes under the banner "UCL / Raytheon", and comprises documents from CIA contractor Raytheon Blackbird Technologies.
Dating from late 2014 and late 2015, the documents show how the CIA, through Raytheon Blackbird Technologies, monitored malware in the wild to see how it could be used by the agency. The documents cover tools produced by the infamous Hacking Team as well as the Russian HammerToss malware delivered via Twitter.
AWS adds intellectual property protection to customer contracts
In an effort to appear more user friendly, Amazon has removed a controversial clause from its AWS customer agreement that may lead to more businesses signing up for its cloud computing services.
For quite a few years now, potential customers have been wary of a clause in the company's customer agreement that prohibited customers from suing it over patent infringement. Businesses chose other cloud providers instead as they were concerned over whether or not they could trust Amazon with the intellectual property of their companies.
Samsung Galaxy Note8 Android smartphone will make its triumphant debut next month
Samsung's Galaxy Note line of devices totally changed the smartphone landscape forever. Not only did the company revolutionize the "phablet" screen size, but with the addition of the wonderful S-Pen, it made handwriting entry relevant again. Even Apple faced the pressure of big-screen Android devices, finally altering its own iPhone with bigger displays.
Life was good for Samsung's Note smartphones, until it wasn't. In a sad turn of events, the most recent variant, the Note7, was recalled due to exploding batteries. While many companies would be unable to survive such a calamity, Samsung has. In fact, its brand is still incredibly strong and many consumers are clamoring for the next such smartphone. I am happy too say that, as rumored, the much-anticipated Galaxy Note8 will make its triumphant debut next month. It will be revealed in New York City at Samsung's annual "Unpacked" press event.
IBM announces new data centers in Australia, California and England as cloud revenue goes up
IBM has announced today that it will be launching four new data centers in England, Australia and California that will allow its customers to take advantage of its blockchain, big data and IoT offerings as well as have low-latency access to its cognitive services.
The firm reported its quarterly earnings this week and despite the rest of its business performing below expectations, its cloud division saw revenue increase by 15 percent year-over-year and accounted for $3.9 billion of its total revenue.
Intel reportedly shutting down its once-thriving wearables division
Despite previously being one of the most vocal champions of the wearable technology market space, semiconductor giant Intel has virtually (and quietly) shut down the business unit that was responsible for its once emerging line of smartwatch and fitness tracker components.
The dedicated unit was created after Intel acquired a little-known smartwatch company called Basis in 2014. The writing may have been on the wall after the company had to recall all Basis products late last year after multiple incidents of them overheating, causing users' wrists to become burned.
Following NSA endorsement, the US government can buy secure messaging tools from BlackBerry
BlackBerry has announced that it is now able to sell its secure messaging solutions to the US and Canadian governments. The news comes after the company received endorsement from the NSA's National Information Assurance Partnership for SecuSUITE for Government.
BlackBerry points out that governments have long had to contend with wiretapping and other forms of surveillance, and says that SecuSUITE for Government offers effective end-to-end encryption for voice calls and text messages.
Petcube Bites Treat Cam lets you reward your doggo or kitty when away from home
Dogs are the best; certainly better than cats. I mean, litter boxes -- am I right? OK, cats are pretty cool too. Hell, all pets are wonderful -- except maybe snakes. Pets bring joy to our lives and provide unconditional love. After a hard day at work, petting your doggo or kitty can release stress and make everything feel alright.
Sadly, we can't be with our pets all the time -- we have to leave the house to earn money so we can buy them treats and toys. It can be heartbreaking to walk out the door while they look at you with sad eyes. Thankfully, Wi-Fi cameras allow us to see our furry friends even when we aren't home. Some models even let you interact with two-way audio. Today, a new product takes this a step further. The "Petcube Bites Treat Cam," as it is called, quite literally is a camera that remotely dispenses treats. While not the first such product to do so, it looks particularly elegant.
Apple greenlights Dash cryptocurrency in the App Store
Apple has a selective approach towards cryptocurrency, which is why iOS users only have access to a handful of coins in the App Store. You can find players like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and Ripple, but most others are pushed aside.
There is no official position, but it is believed that Apple only accepts cryptocurrencies that are reputable. And Dash just rejoined that list. The sixth-largest cryptocurrency is back in the App Store, after being banned last year.
Elementary, my dear Watson -- IBM's cognitive system learns to spot differences in tone
Human conversations are littered with subtle indicators, like tone of voice or slang, which can make the meaning of the dialog very different from what the words actually say. Online the situation is made more complex still by the increasing use of emojis.
All of this can leave automated chatbots and customer service systems floundering when interacting with unhappy or frustrated individuals.
Goldeneye attack is not ransomware
On June 27, reports of a rapidly spreading ransomware attack started to emerge from Ukraine. The speed at which critical infrastructure networks were shutting down pointed to a ransomware application with a wormable component, whose virality called to mind the WannaCry ransomware. In less than three hours, the infection crippled banks, ATMs, public transport and an airport, as well as utilities provider Kyivenergo. Then it spread outside the Ukraine.
As multiple critical infrastructure networks reported major blackouts, Bitdefender started an internal investigation over isolated malware samples to trace the attack’s origin and better understand what it targeted, and how.
Data breaches are down but retailers still think they’re vulnerable
US retail data breaches have dropped from 22 percent last year to 19 percent this, but 88 percent of retailers still think they’re vulnerable according to a new report.
The latest retail edition data threat report from cyber security specialist Thales e-Security, in conjunction with 451 Research, shows that 52 percent of retailers have suffered a data breach in the past. However, retailers may not be learning from past mistakes, with more than half of the 19 percent that were breached this year having also experienced a breach previously.
If you're downloading Game of Thrones, HBO has its eye on you
As the new season of any major series kicks off, torrent traffic for episodes clogs up internet pipes around the world. This has been true of everything from True Blood to Lost, and it's no different with season seven of Game of Thrones.
Clearly the networks behind shows that are shared via BitTorrent and through other means are keen to clamp down on piracy, and anyone planning to download Game of Thrones is cautioned that HBO is actively monitoring people pirating the series, and warnings are being sent out.
Amazon Spark is a shopping social network for iOS
Over the years Amazon has spread its wings in various directions, and the latest venture sees the online shopping giant dipping its toe into the waters of social networking. While not strictly a social network, Amazon Spark has many of the hallmarks of one.
Borrowing heavily from Instagram and Pinterest -- among others -- Amazon Spark is available for Prime subscribers using iOS. There is, of course, a strong emphasis on shopping, and members are able to post photos of items for sale, and can click through to buy, post comment, and leave "smiles" -- Spark's take on likes.
Department of Homeland Security lifts airline laptop ban
The Department of Homeland Security has lifted the ban on laptops on flights into the US from Middle Eastern and North African countries. The controversial ban, introduced by the Trump administration back in March, was almost extended to all international flights, but has now been scrapped altogether.
Airports have introduced enhanced security measures, and this means that the restrictions on portable electronic devices is no longer considered necessary.
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