Privacy alert -- Your iPhone is secretly sending your call history to iCloud
iCloud is hardly the finest example of secure cloud storage, as numerous hacked celebrities will attest. So it is perhaps a little concerning to learn that Apple is -- according to a Russian security firm -- storing months of call logs to iCloud without many users being aware of what’s going on.
Elcomsoft, which specializes in cracking software, discovered that if you are an iPhone owner with an active iCloud account, four months' worth of your phone calls have been stored online. Many people will see this as a privacy concern but, worryingly, Apple does not provide a way to disable call log syncing.
Wink releases version 2 of its hub, automate your home now
A while back Wink released its first hub and we put it to the test. After a few minor hiccups, everything worked fine and provided great integration with many products including voice control through Amazon Alexa, which can then control lights, Nest thermostats and more.
Recently the company announced version two of the device and now Wink has officially made it available for purchase.
Huawei MediaPad M3 Android tablet comes to the USA -- just in time for the holidays
Holiday shopping is upon us, and some people in my life have started asking me about technology to give as gifts. Tablets are sure to be popular again this year, although probably not as much as years past. Apple's iPad is always a smart choice, but it is becoming harder to recommend an Android tablet.
Unfortunately, quality tablets running Google's mobile operating system are becoming increasingly rare. Many Android variants are simply low-quality. Thankfully, a high-quality tablet from Huawei should excite shoppers. Previously available in Europe only, the Huawei MediaPad M3 is available in the USA starting today. Best of all? It is very affordable too.
Windows 10 Creators Update Preview Build 14971 for PC arrives on the Fast ring, includes Paint 3D, removes Command Prompt
Continuing its weekly update schedule, Microsoft has rolled out another new Insider Preview build to the Fast ring. Build 14971 is only for PC this time around. Windows 10 Mobile users on the Slow ring can however, now upgrade to Build 14965.
There won’t be a new Insider Preview build for either platform next week, due to Thanksgiving, so you’ll have to make do with this one, which offers some interesting additions, and also says goodbye to the Command Prompt.
Combine clipboard text snippets with clipLogger
If you’re researching online, or maybe browsing a collection of local documents, you might sometimes want to copy chunks of text elsewhere for later reference.
Sounds simple, but most solutions are either bulky (use a web clipping service or clipboard manager) or tedious in the extreme (copy text to the clipboard, Alt+Tab to Notepad, paste and Alt+Tab back).
OpenAI and Microsoft team up to create 'cloud brains'
The artificial intelligence (AI) non-profit OpenAI has agreed to partner with Microsoft to develop "cloud brains" to test its experiments.
The organization, which is backed by Elon Musk, has signed an agreement that will allow it to run large-scale experiments using the company's Azure cloud services. OpenAI aims to discover more about deep learning and AI, while Microsoft will use the partnership to create new tools and technologies that use AI.
Firefox Focus for iOS promises to tighten privacy while browsing
Mozilla has unveiled Firefox Focus 2.0, a brand new privacy conscious web browser for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Despite the version number, this is the first public release of the app.
The app aims to counteract two increasingly prevalent trends in web browsing: one, a lack of privacy, as users find their web activities tracking across multiple devices, and two, an increasingly cluttered web space where adverts jostle for attention and overwhelm basic content.
System76 adds 4K display to Ubuntu Linux-powered MacBook Pro competitor Oryx Pro
Apple makes a damn good laptop, and its new MacBook Pro computers are no exception. Unfortunately for some, Apple's latest offerings are too expensive and fall short -- most models lack the ability to upgrade the SSD, and the RAM maxes out at 16GB. Interestingly, many upset Apple fans even turned to System76 and its Ubuntu-powered machines following the big MacBook Pro unveil.
At the time, I compared the MacBook Pro to the Oryx Pro to highlight that you could get more performance from System76 for less money. Obviously, it was not an entirely fair comparison, as they are different in many ways. For example, the Oryx Pro only featured a 1080p screen. Today, this changes, however, as System76 adds a 4K display option to its MacBook Pro competitor. Will this make macOS users more likely to switch to Linux?
OnePlus 3 reaches end of the road
The launch of the OnePlus 3T has created some uncertainty regarding the fate of the previous "flagship killer". Will OnePlus sell both devices going forward, or will the new smartphone replace the OnePlus 3 in its lineup?
Based on price alone, it would make sense for OnePlus to offer both devices. The OnePlus 3T is a bit more expensive, so it would slot above its predecessor in the range. However, as it turns out, OnePlus has other things in mind.
UK businesses are not keen to embrace AR
Businesses are reluctant to accept augmented reality, a new survey by ISACA has shown. The main reasons for this reserved stance is that they don’t believe the benefits are bigger than the risks of implementing the new technology.
The findings were published in ISACA’s new report, entitled IT Risk/Reward Barometer, which polled 363 UK professionals. Less than a fifth (18 percent) currently believe the benefits of AR are bigger than the risks, and 40 percent say that both organizations and consumers should be "very concerned" about the privacy risks that go with the implementation of augmented reality tech.
Cloud use could be putting businesses at risk
According to a new study, 69.7 percent of cloud applications do not specify whether the customer keeps ownership of uploaded data, just 8.7 percent commit to not sharing data with third parties, and only 16 percent delete data immediately after contract termination.
All three of these things could leave businesses open to non-compliance files under the EU's GDPR requirements. The report from cloud security company Skyhigh Networks analyses real life cloud usage data from 30 million cloud users worldwide to assess the risk the cloud presents.
Qualcomm unveils Snapdragon 835 -- here is what you need to know
US chip maker Qualcomm today announces a new flagship mobile processor that will power next year's generation of high-end smartphones and tablets. Called Snapdragon 835, it is the company's first 10nm offering and promises increased energy efficiency and performance in a smaller package.
To build the Snapdragon 835, Qualcomm has teamed up with Samsung to take advantage of its 10nm FinFET manufacturing technology. This is not the first time that the two players have worked together, as Samsung also makes the Snapdragon 820. Let us take a closer look at the new kid on the block.
Almost 40 percent of Americans would give up sex for cyber security
According to an online survey of over 2,000 adults, 39 percent of Americans would sacrifice sex for one year if it meant they never had to worry about being hacked, having their identity stolen, or their accounts breached.
Women are more likely than men to be willing sacrifice a year of sex in exchange for online peace of mind (44 percent vs 34 percent), and sex isn't the only thing people would give up to remove cybersecurity headaches. Four in 10 (41 percent) would rather give up their favorite food for a month than go through the password reset process for all their online accounts.
Microsoft releases new Office Hub app for Windows 10 Creators Update for Insiders
If you are using Office on an Insider Preview of the Windows 10 Creators Update you are getting some goods today as Microsoft quietly released a new app. The Office Hub can now be found in the Taskbar.
Before you get too excited, the app is currently pretty basic right now. It allows you to view your Office documents, open Office apps and get support. However, it is expected to be improved before the final release and there is some speculation about what those improvements could be. These include mobile apps to allow access to documents.
What does Pokémon Go reveal about the future of Augmented Reality?
The lifecycles of breakthrough technologies such as augmented reality (AR) are heavily reliant on mainstream take up. Many believed AR would initially be used by architects to visualize buildings and design companies for 3D graphic imagery. Yet its first major adoption saw more than 100 million people take to the streets to hunt Pokémon.
Evolving from a simple, location-based AR game into a cultural phenomenon, Pokémon Go was the most successful app launch of 2016. Approximately one in five 14-24 year olds installed Pokémon Go and it has been credited as the most successful mobile game launch in history. It captured the imagination of a new generation of game players by combining location awareness, exploration and much loved cartoon characters in a global treasure hunt.
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