Verizon Up is a rewards program you pay for with your privacy
You don't, as we all know, get something for nothing... but that doesn't stop companies from making it appear as though you do. The latest perpetrator of this crime against common sense is Verizon. The carrier has rolled out a rewards program -- Verizon Up -- which enables subscribers to earn credits for racking up a bill.
For every $300 spent on Verizon Wireless products and services users are paid a credit which can be collected and spent on various rewards (money off handsets, accessory discounts, and so on). But there is a price, and that price is privacy. In return for letting you accrue credits, Verizon scoops up vast swathes of personal data including browsing history, app usage, location, interests, and much more.
LG confirms its next flagship smartphone has a 6-inch plastic OLED FullVision display
LG has confirmed rumors that its next flagship smartphone will feature a 6-inch OLED screen. While the Korean company does not reveal the name of the handset, it is believed to be the V30 which is due to be revealed very soon.
Despite the giant size of the screen, the overall size of the phone is smaller than last year's LG V20; the company says this is thanks to a reduction in bezel size. The QHD+ OLED screen will also feature curved edges to improve ergonomics and, despite being plastic, there's still protection from Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
Facebook Messenger chatbots help companies boost sales
Chatbots on Facebook's Messenger have helped companies increase their sales more than expected, meaning the technology could soon become widespread.
The news was announced during Facebook's F8 keynote, with its VP of messaging products David Marcus discussing a number of big-name brands such as Sephora, SnapTravel and Tommy Hilfiger.
HP ElitePOS is a secure retail point-of-sale system powered by Microsoft Windows 10
Windows 10 has proven to be a bit disappointing for some users, but for others, it can be a satisfying experience. If you cannot afford a Mac, and learning Linux is out of the question, Microsoft's desktop operating system is your best bet. Look, Windows 10 isn't a bad OS at all. Actually, it scales rather well to many computer types and screen sizes. For instance, no other desktop OS can match it on a touch screen.
To highlight this, today, HP announces a beautiful Windows 10 point-of-sale system. Called "ElitePOS," it leverages many of Windows 10's strengths, such as touch-input and security. The little business computer is quite attractive too, which is very important for a customer-facing machine. The machine has solid hardware on the inside as well, featuring Kaby Lake processors and DDR4 memory. The body doesn't just look good, it is built well too, with military-grade ruggedness. In other words, this POS computer is not a "POS."
Facebook buys AI startup Ozlo to improve Messenger
Facebook has acquired an AI start-up as it aims to strengthen the artificial intelligence capabilities of its Messenger platform.
The start-up in question is called Ozlo. It is based in Palo Alto, California, and has roughly 30 employees, the majority of which will be joining Facebook in either Menlo Park, California, or Seattle, Washington.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Fall Creators Update Build 16257, with one big unexpected change
Windows 10 Fall Creators Update isn’t too far off being ready for release, which should mean that the new builds we see are pretty unexciting, with bug fixes and minor improvements the order of the day.
But it appears Microsoft didn’t get that memo, as there’s several big changes in new Build 16257, including one that no one saw coming, and which won't be visible to most.
Blockchain technology is an integral part of FinTech's future
Blockchain technology is perceived as "critical" for the future of financial services companies, a new report by Cognizant has shown.
A poll of more than 1,500 financial services executives from more than 500 companies worldwide found that 91 percent saw implementation of blockchain technology to be critical for the firm’s future.
Fractal Design launches 'Define C TG' chassis series with tempered glass
One of my favorite computer chassis-makers is Fractal Design. Why? Well, the company's designs are both affordable and no-nonsense. Rather than make its cases look like spaceships for children, the designers focus on conservative designs that real PC builders appreciate. In other words, they are not form over function. Don't misunderstand me, the chassis designs aren't boring; just classy rather than flashy.
Today, Fractal Design launches a tempered glass update to one of its most popular case series -- Define C. If you aren't familiar these cases, they ditch the front cages, making the chassis less deep. This is not just better for aesthetics, but cooling too. I like this design, as far fewer builders are using optical drives or 3.5-inch hard drives -- it was wasteful to have empty space at the front. There is still room for SATA drives, however, underneath the shroud -- which is also home to the power supply unit. This new "TG" variant with tempered glass makes a great case even better.
Most IT departments in UK under pressure to reduce costs
IT departments across the UK will soon face major budget cutbacks over the next five years as companies try to get a handle on increased costs, new research has claimed.
A shocking 92 percent of IT departments are under pressure to reduce expenditure, according to a poll of over 900 IT leaders by Fuze.
Plex Live TV and DVR features arrive on Android and Apple TV
Plex has some good news for cord cutters with Plex Media Server installed and a Plex Pass. The Plex Live TV and DVR features are now out of beta!
Live TV does very much of what you would expect, allowing live TV broadcasts to be streamed from a TV tuner to Plex. Plex DVR also lets you record shows, and time shifting has also been added so you can pause and rewind live broadcasts.
As Game of Thrones spoilers leak online, Panda Security issues a stark warning
This week's hack of HBO led to the release of stolen episodes of Ballers and Room 104, and the threat of Game of Thrones leaks. Now the hackers have made good on their threat and uploaded scripts and episode summaries for yet-to-be-aired episodes, and speculation is rife that it is just a matter of time before episodes hit torrent sites such as The Pirate Bay.
Season seven of the show is just getting underway, and details of episodes three and four have now been published online. Other files have also been leaked following the hack, including log in credentials for HBO staff.
Security teams lack the right endpoint detection tools
A new survey of IT and security professionals reveals that many teams lack the appropriate endpoint detection and response tools to quickly and efficiently deal with security alerts without the need to take endpoints offline to re-image them.
The survey of 385 North American professionals by forensic security specialist Guidance Software reveals that 95 percent of respondents say advanced software functionality for malware removal and system recovery -- without the need to re-image a system -- is important in an endpoint security suite.
Updated Google Earth arrives on iOS
It has been a number of months since Google Earth received a makeover on Android and the web, and now the update is making its way to iOS. The latest version of the 3D world-exploration tool has been overhauled, bringing a number of new features to iPhone and iPad users.
These features include 360-degree videos, guided tours, and the interactive Voyager option for traveling virtually to major cities of the world.
Microsoft partners with PayPal on new 'Send Money' funds transfer feature for Skype
Skype isn't the best communication service. Actually, it is often quite bad. Microsoft's development team seems to not care about the user interface as it looks terrible compared to competitors. Quite frankly, it is often a frustrating experience. The saving grace for Skype is its cross-platform nature -- there are clients for all popular operating systems. Not to mention, many users likely use it out of habit and name recognition.
All is not lost, however, as Microsoft still has plenty of time to right the ship and make Skype better. Today, the Windows-maker unveils a new feature that, while cool, doesn't exactly address Skype's needs. But OK, I'll take it. What is it? Well, Microsoft has partnered with PayPal for a new way to transfer funds using Skype. The unimaginatively named "Send Money" feature lets you easily do things like split a restaurant bill with friends or family, pay a dog-walker, and more.
Malicious SSL content more than doubles in six months
As the overall percentage of encrypted traffic increases, hackers are increasingly using SSL to conceal device infections, and hide their other activities.
A new study from Zscaler finds that an average of 60 percent of the transactions in the Zscaler security cloud have been delivered over SSL/TLS.
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