ZTE leads the way in unwanted call protection
Phone spam from robot calling systems is a major issue in the US and around the world, prompting regulators to look at controlling the problem.
Smartphone maker ZTE is taking a proactive approach and teaming up with caller profile service Hiya to integrate caller identification, spam detection and call blocking into its latest Axon 7 handset.
Trump's anti-H-1B order won't be what it seems
Immigration policy and trade protectionism play large roles in the new Administration of President Donald Trump. With the goal of Making America Great Again the new President wants to more tightly control the flow of goods and labor into the USA. Over the last week this has taken the form of an Executive Order limiting travel from seven specific Muslim countries. That order wasn’t well done, wasn’t well explained, has caused lots of angst here and abroad and is at this moment suspended pending litigation.
That order is supposedly about limiting terrorism. It will be shortly followed, we’re told, by further Presidential actions limiting abusive labor imports using, specifically, H-1B visas. This time, depending again on how the actual order is interpreted, it might be the right thing to do, because H-1B visa abuse is a very real thing that has hurt American workers.
House of Representatives approves Email Privacy Act requiring warrants to search email and data
The Email Privacy Act (HR 387) has passed through the House of Representatives for the second time. It's an attempt to update the now-ancient Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) from 1986 which gave cause for concern as it grants the government the ability to access emails and data older than 180 days which is stored on third-party servers without the need for a warrant.
The Email Privacy Act changes that. Privacy advocates are currently celebrating the fact that the updated Act has been approved by the House, but it now needs to pass through the Senate -- where it already faltered last year. Google is among those to welcome the Act's progress.
NirSoft releases LoadedDLLsView
Freeware machine NirSoft has unveiled its latest system tool, LoadedDLLsView (32-bit version).
If you don’t know what the program does from the name then you’re not in the target audience, but essentially it scans all the running processes on your system, detecting and listing whatever DLLs they’re using.
Google makes it much easier to share AMP links
A huge proportion of web traffic comes from mobile devices these days, and this means people are often trying to access online articles when they have a slow data connection. For this reason, Facebook introduced Instant Articles, and Google introduced Accelerated Mobile Pages.
Both of these technologies allow for near-instantaneous loading of pre-cached, optimized articles on mobile devices, but they have a problem. Both mask the original URL which can make it difficult to share interesting articles with others. Google has seen the problem and made an important change to the way AMP works, helping to increase trust.
Logitech unveils BRIO 4K Pro Webcam with HDR and Windows Hello support
When you buy a laptop nowadays, it will absolutely have a built-in webcam. Some desktop users may have a webcam built into their monitor too. For the most part, those integrated cameras should be passable in a pinch, but the overall performance often disappoints. It is for that reason that many consumers will still buy an external USB webcam.
Logitech has long offered well-reviewed USB webcams, and today, it is announcing what could be the best such camera ever. The BRIO 4K Pro Webcam is capable of recording or streaming 4K content. While UHD support alone makes it intriguing, it also has other notable features like HDR, USB-C connectivity and Windows Hello support. It even comes with a privacy shade in the box. If you want to mount it on a professional tripod, there is threading for that too.
HyperX adds Cherry MX Red and Brown switch options to Alloy FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
Mechanical keyboards are all the rage nowadays, and for good reason -- they can be brilliant for both gaming and typing. The tactile and audible feedback that they can offer are sometimes a world beyond the crappy pack-in keyboards that come with many desktops. That's not to say that all non-mechanical keyboards are bad -- that is not the case at all. In fact, it is largely personal preference.
Back in October, respected manufacturer HyperX (a Kingston gaming brand) released the 'ALLOY FPS' Cherry MX Blue mechanical LED backlit gaming keyboard. The problem? Not everyone likes Blue switches. You see, different switches perform in different ways, and consumers can vary wildly in their preferences. You can witness visual examples of the differences below. Today, the company refreshes the keyboard with two new Cherry MX switch colors/types -- Brown and Red.
Due diligence is vital when buying a business
Technology companies are in a dynamic sector. You may want to expand your business through acquisition, or you may want to sell your company. In either situation you need to go about the process in systematic way which means becoming familiar with due diligence.
When you are excited about buying a business (or selling one) you can easily miss important steps that will help establish if you are making a good decision. Due diligence is a process to help achieve a deal. It uses checklists and also relies on combining these with good business sense: without due diligence you could make a deal you regret. It’s my view, after many years of experience, that not enough people undertake proper due diligence.
Western Digital unveils first-ever 512 gigabit 64-layer 3D NAND chip
Solid state drives are one of the greatest things to ever happen to computers. Whether for business or personal computing, these SSDs have increased disk access performance dramatically. Heck, for mobile devices like laptops, the switch from physical hard drives has also improved battery life, while better protecting data from bumps and jostles.
As great as these solid state drives are now, they are only getting better. For example, SATA-based SSDs were once viewed as miraculous, but they are now looked at as slow -- PCIe-based NVMe drives are all the rage. To highlight the steady evolution of flash storage, Western Digital today unveils the first-ever 512 gigabit 64-layer 3D NAND chip.
'Streaming Prevention' technology takes a new approach to stopping cyber attacks
Traditional security techniques can be effective in fending off cyber threats, but a new generation of non-malware attacks try to gain control of computers without downloading malicious software. Instead, they use trusted, native operating system tools, such as PowerShell, and exploit running applications, like browsers.
Endpoint security specialist Carbon Black is launching a new tool which can combat both types of threat. Called Streaming Prevention it uses event stream processing to continuously update a risk profile based on a steady stream of activity.
Democracy 'threatened' by the social media echo chamber
In the wake of Donald Trump's election in November, we looked at the phenomenon of social media bubbles and the effect they have on political discourse.
Research released by UK political think tank Demos reveals some of the extent of the echo chamber effect in political discussions on Twitter.
Kodi 17 'Krypton' unveils major facelift alongside suite-wide improvements
The XBMC Foundation has unveiled Kodi 17.0. Codenamed "Krypton", the new release is available on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and (jailbroken) iOS devices.
The new release unveils new default skins for both regular and touch devices. It also unveils significant improves to audio and video, music libraries, live TV and PVR.
UMi Plus E: An affordable smartphone with premium aspirations [Review]
Smartphones have replaced tablets and traditional computers for millions of users as the preferred -- and often only -- way to access the internet.
While the initial waves of devices were nothing more than souped-up feature phones, the past couple of years have seen the arrival of models that are not only far more sophisticated but also significantly more powerful than their predecessors.
Artpip sets beautiful artworks as your desktop wallpaper
Artpip is a free Windows and Mac app which sets your desktop background to a beautiful new artwork every day.
We’re not sure how large the library of images might be, but artists include Manet, Munch, Renoir, Whistler, Van Gogh, Gruner, Pissarro, Cezanne and more.
Microsoft says Tom Brady and New England Patriots will win NFL Super Bowl LI tonight
Today is Super Bowl Sunday, and I am so excited. Yesterday I went to the grocery store and bought chicken wings, fried mozzarella sticks, and seven-layer dip. By halftime, I will probably be in a food coma.
As a New Yorker and Jets fan, I don't have a horse in the race, but I do have a team that I am rooting for -- the Atlanta Falcons. Why? Because the Patriots have already won many championships, and quite frankly, New York and New England generally have a hardcore sports rivalry. Unfortunately for me and some others, according to Microsoft, Tom Brady and team will be victorious tonight.
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