Microsoft releases first Windows 10 Redstone 3 build to the Fast ring
The majority of Windows 10 users are still waiting to receive the Creators Update, but Microsoft has just released the first update from the Development Branch to Windows Insiders on the Fast ring.
Build 16170 for PC doesn’t have any new features or massive changes to get excited about (no sign of Project Neon or OneDrive On Demand Sync here) but there are plenty of smaller changes, improvements and fixes, as well as a number of known issues to watch out for.
TP-Link Smart Wi-Fi Bulbs get color change Amazon Alexa skill
Turning on a lamp or other light fixture with your voice can feel like magic. I use the feature every day with my Amazon Echo and WeMo smart outlet. At the end of the evening, when heading to bed, I verbally tell Alexa to turn off the lamp. If I need to get up at night for, say, a drink of water, I can easily turn it back on the same way. It is great.
WeMo is not the only game in town, however, as there are plenty of smart outlets an bulb manufacturers. TP-Link is a popular manufacturer of smart devices, and its bulbs are compatible with Alexa voice commands too. Today, the company's color-changing bulbs are gaining a new Alexa skill. Using your voice, you can easily change the color or white balance with ease.
Windows 10 Creators Update changelog -- (nearly) everything that's new or improved
Like all big new versions of Windows 10, the Creators Update introduces a lot more features and improvements than just the headline additions.
If you’re wondering exactly what changes Microsoft has made to its new OS, we have a (nearly) complete changelog for you to browse.
You can remap the Bixby button on Samsung Galaxy S8
Samsung has created a new personal assistant for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ and it is so confident that you will love it that it has given it its own physical button. That is great if you want to have quick access to Bixby, but not so much if you prefer Google Assistant or would like to open a different app instead, like the camera.
Samsung does not provide the option to customize the Bixby button, but the good news is that you can remap the key using a dedicated app -- and here is how you can do that.
Why you shouldn't rush to install the Windows 10 Creators Update
Although Microsoft’s official rollout of the Windows 10 Creators Update begins on April 11, you can get it now, if you so desire.
I’ve updated my copy of Windows 10, because I have to. I write about Windows a lot, and so I need to be on the latest version. But if you don’t need to be running the Creators Update, and you’re not desperate for any of the new features or improvements, I’d caution against upgrading, and here’s why.
While iOS 10 powers 79 percent of iPhones and iPads, Nougat only runs on 4.9 percent of Android devices
The Android landscape is changing, albeit at a really, really slow pace. That explains why, in early-April, Google reports that Nougat is found on 4.9 percent of Android devices, while the older Marshmallow powers nearly a third -- 31.2 percent -- of the smartphones and tablets that run the most-popular mobile operating system.
Things couldn't be more different if we look at the iOS space, where iOS 10 currently holds a 79 percent share. Meanwhile, its predecessor, iOS 9, can be found on just 16 percent of the iPhones, iPads and iPod touch devices in use. Google released Nougat in mid-August, last year, while Apple introduced iOS 10 the following month, in September.
Australia sues Apple over iPhones bricked by Error 53
Early last year, iPhone users upgrading to iOS 9 started to complain that their phones were being "bricked" by the process. An Error 53 was generated, and Apple explained that the bricking was intentional when it was detected that an iPhone had been subject to third party repairs. Many people were unhappy about this, and Australia is suing Apple.
The country's watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), argues that consumer rights are being infringed upon. It says that Apple has engaged in "misleading or deceptive conduct and made false or misleading representations to consumers."
YouTube: no ads until your channel has 10,000 views
YouTube is more than just a source of cat videos and hilariously painful-looking accidents caught on camera: for many people it is a source of extra income, or even a living. But the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) through which advertisements can be used to generate money is also open to abuse.
The Google-owned site has a plagiarism problem whereby popular content is stolen and re-uploaded to a different channel to generate money for a third party. In a bid to stop this practice, YouTube is banning channels from displaying ads until they have managed to hit 10,000 views.
WikiLeaks' Vault 7 revelations continue: Grasshopper is the CIA's Windows malware maker
The latest batch of documents published by WikiLeaks as part of its Vault 7 CIA series purportedly reveals the tools used by the agency to create malware for Windows. The Grasshopper framework is revealed in 27 documents, and they show how to create Windows installers with a malware payload.
Importantly, Grasshopper allows for the easy creation of custom malware delivery options, dependant on the operating system and virus protection detected on a target machine. The documents show that the CIA repurposed malware from Russian and Italian organized crime groups.
New rating system measures national cyber security risk
Although governments need to secure their nation's critical infrastructure from cyber attack, they can often lack the context in which to assess risk.
Security ratings specialist BitSight is addressing this with the announcement of its Sovereign Security Ratings, the first objective measurement of national cybersecurity risk.
Twitter sues US government for trying to reveal identity of anti-Trump user, @ALT_uscis
A lawsuit filed by Twitter shows that the US government has been trying to force the company to reveal the identity of a user behind an account that is critical of Donald Trump and government policies.
The lawsuit reveals that Customs and Border Patrol hit Twitter with a summons in the middle of March relating to the @ALT_uscis (Alt US Citizenship and Immigration Services) account. The account is one of many "alt" accounts that sprang up after Trump inauguration, purportedly set up by disgruntled civil servants, and it is critical of immigration policy and plans to build a wall on the Mexican border.
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Two-hundred-and-twenty-six 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.
The Windows 10 Creators Update is available already. You can check out Mark's post on how to install it if you need help with that.
Facebook goes on the offensive against fake news and aims to educate users
Having introduced various tools to fight fake news, the next weapon in Facebook's arsenal is education. Over the next few days a large "Tips for spotting fake news" banner will appear at the top of news feeds in 14 countries, but the approach it is taking is unlikely to have much impact on those most influenced by, and most likely to share, fake news.
Like Google, Facebook is taking steps to tackle fake news. The social network has already announced a raft of measures aimed at stamping out the problem, but now it is trying to not only educate people about how to spot fake news, but also to stem the spread of fake news, and to disincentivize the practice.
Browse, remove and replace media file tags with Metadata++
Windows File Explorer has been able to display basic media file metadata for years, but it doesn’t support all the tags you’re likely to need, and it’s inconvenient to set up and use.
Metadata++ is a freeware tool for viewing, editing, extracting and copying the metadata from multiple audio, media and video file types.
Google tackles fake news with global fact-checking rollout
The spread of fake news has become something of an epidemic in recent years, and there has been pressure on the likes of Google, Facebook and Twitter to do more to stem its flow. Google's Fact Check feature is not new, but today the search giant is rolling out the feature around the world.
A global rollout is important if such a tool is to have any real impact. It's all well and good to have reports fact-checked on one side of the world, but it's of little use if the same fake stories remain unquestioned and untested elsewhere. Google is doing its part by making the Fact Check label available in Google News everywhere, and spreading it into search results in all languages as well.
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