Windows 10 China Government Edition allows China to control encryption and telemetry
Microsoft's event in Shanghai today may have been mainly about the Surface Pro, but there was also news of a new version of Windows 10. The new version -- which we reported about a couple of months ago -- is called Windows 10 China Government Edition and it makes a number of concessions to keep Chinese officials happy.
It’s a release that raises a lot of questions. The Windows 10 China Government Edition allows the country to not only use its own encryption, but also to control updates, remove unwanted apps, and manage telemetry. Users around the world will almost certainly be asking why control over telemetry is not an option for them, and what the implications of making changes for the Chinese government could be.
Microsoft announces the thinner, faster new Surface Pro
At today’s launch event in Shanghai, Microsoft officially took the wraps of its new Surface Pro tablet. There was no official live stream, and the software giant’s live blog was hit by technical difficulties which meant it wasn’t updated as intended, but we finally have the information on the new device, which Microsoft describes as "the most versatile laptop."
Called simply Surface Pro, the tablet is a beautifully crafted device that’s the thinnest and fastest produced so far. It’s powered by the Core i7 7th Gen Kaby Lake processor, and promises 13.5 hours of battery life -- that's a big 50 percent improvement over the Surface Pro 4.
Huawei unveils MateBook X, MateBook E, and MateBook D Windows 10 devices
Last year, Huawei released its first-ever Windows 10 device -- the MateBook. The tablet/laptop hybrid was a bit underpowered, but had incredible build quality and a gorgeous screen. It also had solid speakers and a fast fingerprint reader. Overall, I picked it as my favorite Windows 10 device of 2016. Today, Huawei unveils its successor -- the MateBook E. It isn't a radical redesign, which is a good thing.
The company is not stopping there, however, as it also announces two new MateBook computers which are traditional laptops -- the "X" and "D". The former is a very svelte and elegant 13-inch Ultrabook, while the latter is a larger 15.6-inch laptop.
Symantec pins WannaCry on North Korean Lazarus group
There have already been suggestions that the now infamous WannaCry ransomware was the work of the North Korean hacking group Lazarus. Security firm Symantec now says it is "highly likely" that Lazarus is to blame, having unearthed further evidence of the re-use of code from other attacks by the group.
But while the links to Lazarus are strong, North Korea denies that it was involved in any sort of state-sponsored attack, dismissing such claims as "a dirty and despicable smear campaign." It is thought that the group -- also responsible for attacking Sony Pictures and stealing $81 million from the Bangladesh Central Bank -- operated independently for personal gain.
New software adds secure authentication to any enterprise application
Increased numbers of phishing and other cyber attacks are putting companies under greater pressure to secure their applications.
Conventionally this requires re-coding or other work to achieve, but new software from behavioral firewall specialist Preempt lets organizations add secure authentication to any enterprise application.
Phishers cash in on WannaCry attack
The UK's ActionFraud cyber crime reporting center is warning customers of BT’s internet services of a phishing scam claiming to protect against WannaCry-style attacks.
The emails claim that BT has launched preventative measures to protect data on an international scale and try to get recipients to click on a link to a 'security upgrade'.
Apple and Nokia end all litigation as they sign patent license and business cooperation agreement
Apple is dropping its lawsuit against Nokia. The iPhone manufacturer and the Finnish company reached an agreement to not only bring the intellectual property dispute to an end, but also to start a multi-year patent license.
Described as a "meaningful agreement", details of the new arrangement are confidential, at least for the time being, but Apple does shed a little light on what's going to be happening moving forward. Apple will receive network infrastructure product and services from Nokia, and the company will also resume carrying the Withings health products Nokia bought.
Google Cloud IoT Core helps businesses manage data and devices
Google has announced the launch of a new service to help businesses handle large volumes of data created by their IoT devices.
IoT Core will look to take on the likes of AWS and Microsoft, although a company's spokesperson says that Google is not playing catch up.
LG X venture is an affordable and rugged Android smartphone that is exclusive to AT&T
LG makes absolutely wonderful Android smartphones, with the G6 and V20 being two of my recent favorites. Both of the those flagships offer quality experiences, although they can be a bit pricey.
Today, LG announces a new phone called the "X venture." It borrows aspects from both of the aforementioned smartphones, but at an insanely low price. Exclusive to AT&T in the USA, the Android 7.0 Nougat phone has a massive 4,100mAh battery and features upgradeable storage via micro SD. Best of all, it is extremely rugged.
Customers prefer bots over humans for support
People are now more receptive of bots in customer support services, a new report by LivePerson has concluded. Consumers would rather talk to a bot than to a human, and usually rate the interaction with the digital helpers as a great one.
Even though the general opinion of bots was that they were implemented by companies to cut costs, it is now being realized that it was also (or even more) about the speed of service.
Android vs. BlackBerry Round 2: The battle of car operating systems
BlackBerry has a pretty decent market share. When was the last time you heard that sentence? If you're talking about smartphone competition, it's been a while. In the world of in-vehicle operating systems, however, a new story is beginning to unfold.
As with its phone business, BlackBerry has a storied history with in-car telematics, with a footprint dating back more than 20 years. Its most relevant current presence, though, goes back to 2010. That's when BlackBerry (then known by the now-defunct parent company name Research in Motion) acquired the Unix-based embedded operating system QNX.
FreeDriveC is a simpler, safer drive cleanup app
As you’ll guess from the name, FreeDriveC is yet another Windows application for freeing up space on your system drive. We’ve seen more than enough of these already, and we’ll bet you have, too.
But wait -- FreeDriveC isn’t all about emptying your TEMP folders or wiping browser history. Instead it’s more like a simple Control Panel applet, providing easy access to relevant Windows tools.
What TechOps needs to better support the business
The arrival of the digital age is changing the way organizations work and how they interact with the outside world. Highly competitive and disruption-prone markets demand businesses to think fast and act fast -- and IT capabilities are widely recognized as the key to success. Yet, the role of Enterprise IT is often associated with cost and frustration, rather than that of enabler, or perhaps even driver of innovation. Can this image be repaired?
When people talk about Enterprise IT what they often refer to is the Operations side of the IT world. And, to be even more specific it is the Technical Operations (TechOps, sometimes also referred to as Operations Engineering) part of the team that is under significant pressure to meet the ever-increasing demands of their business while being itself disrupted by the advances of technology. Service Operations, the other part of the corporate IT team -- usually associated with the Service Desk, but at least in theory covering a lot more -- is battling its own maturity challenges in the service economy.
Tech-savvy workers increasingly common in non-IT roles
IT professionals are becoming an increasingly common presence outside of the traditional IT departments, new research has found.
According to CompTIA, it seems executives are calling for specialized skills, faster reflexes and more teamwork in their workers.
My nerdy pilgrimage to the Microsoft campus in Seattle
I was recently in Seattle for Microsoft's Build 2017 developer conference. It was a monumental trip for me, as I had never been to the west coast before. Being a New Yorker, the furthest west I'd ever been was Colorado. Getting there was an interesting experience in itself, as I had a layover in Minnesota -- yet another place I had never been.
On the final day of Build 2017, some journalists -- including yours truly -- were invited to a tour of the Microsoft campus. This was an invitation I couldn't pass up. As a self-proclaimed computer nerd, visiting such a historic place -- a nerdy pilgrimage, if you will -- was on my bucket list, so I jumped at the opportunity.
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