The discovery of child porn is not enough to justify warrantless email searches
Child pornography is something that, understandably, raises hackles and many people would argue that anything possible should be done to pursue those believed to be involved. But a court in the District of Kansas has ruled that the discovery of images of child porn is not enough to justify warrantless email searches by agents.
The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that email attachment images obtained by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) should be dismissed as evidence as they were gathered via what was deemed to be a warrantless search.
Hackers compromise Oracle's point-of-sale unit
Another day, another major data breach. This time it’s Oracle’s MICROS, its point-of-sale division, that got hurt. According to security researcher Brian Krebs, who first disclosed the breach in a blog post (you can read it here), chances are that a Russian organized cyber-crime group is behind this.
The group, called Carbanak, is believed to have inserted malicious code in the company’s software and, apparently, 700 internal systems were compromised as a result.
Google will block Flash in Chrome 53
Following the lead of Apple with Safari in macOS Sierra, and Mozilla with Firefox, Google has announced that Chrome will begin to block Flash content. Starting with Chrome 53 in September, Google will "de-emphasize Flash in favor of HTML5".
Google says that the decision has been made to improve security, performance, and battery life, and it builds on an earlier change that made some Flash content click-to-play rather than loading it by default.
Adblock Plus responds angrily to Facebook's plan to circumvent ad blockers
Facebook's plans to show adverts to everyone regardless of whether they are using an ad blocker was always going to prove controversial. The decision to bypass the privacy and security tools that many people have put in place has riled one company in particular -- Adblock Plus.
Describing the social network's latest move as being 'all anti-user', Adblock Plus's Ben Williams says that it is an 'unfortunate move' that 'takes a dark path against user choice'. He goes on to pooh-pooh the idea that Facebook made the decision based on what users want.
Twitter 'Moments' creation coming to everyone
When it comes to Twitter, I don't like change. Many folks likely feel the same way -- its users seem to be very passionate, as if the social network is sacred. Quite frankly, from an engagement standpoint, that is a good thing.
The social network's 'Moments' feature -- a curation of Tweets focused on storytelling -- annoyed me at first. I found it to be a waste of space -- something I only accessed by mistake. Over time, however, I learned to love it. It is a great way to keep track of trends and follow stories. Unfortunately, not all creators have access to contributing to it. Today, Twitter announces that it will be opening access to 'Moments' to more people, beyond the existing curators.
The benefits of a DevOps culture [Q&A]
Many IT teams are looking for a way out of the quagmire of delayed projects, questionable quality, and missed deliveries in which they often find themselves without writing blank cheques. The concept of DevOps has taken the IT world by storm, but has the day-to-day practice caught up?
Brian Dawson, DevOps expert, CloudBees discusses how this new approach can help these IT projects can progress and transform businesses.
DisplayFusion 8.0 improves Anniversary Update compatibility, unveils new Triggers function
Binary Fortress Software has released DisplayFusion 8.0, a major update of its multi-monitor management tool for Windows. Available in both free and Pro versions, version 8.0 focuses on fixing numerous bugs for the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, but does introduce some new features.
Chief among these is a new Triggers feature, which replaces the previous Windows Location feature, promising to be more robust and flexible. There are also updates to the program’s wallpaper tools as well as changes and other bug fixes.
Canonical makes subscribing to Ubuntu Advantage professional Linux support easier
Many people think the big selling point of Linux is that it doesn't cost money. Yeah, operating systems based on the open source kernel are largely free up front, but that isn't the whole story. True, home users can probably get by without paid support, but businesses can't always rely on Google searches and forum posts for help.
Enter Ubuntu Advantage. If you are a small, medium, or large business that is transitioning to the Ubuntu operating system, going it alone is not always wise. UA is a paid subscription offering from Canonical, which provides professional-level support. Today, the company makes it even easier for users to subscribe.
Is cloud migration right for you?
Companies are jumping on the cloud bandwagon at a rapid pace. In fact, Gartner predicts that the public cloud services market will grow 16.5 percent to $204 billion in 2016.
If you attend any IT conferences, you’ve heard the buzz. "What have you moved to the cloud?" "What are you planning to move?" On top of that, the goal of moving some part of your infrastructure to the cloud may have burrowed its way into your annual performance objectives. The pressure is on. It’s time to make the move. Or is it?
Facebook's ads will bypass ad blocking software
Advertising on Facebook has undergone many changes over the years, but the latest tweak is likely to prove particularly controversial. As well as announcing the rollout of new controls for users to set ad preferences, the social network today says that its ads will circumvent ad blocking software.
The idea of bypassing the likes of Adblock Plus will almost certainly rub many Facebook users the wrong way. In an attempt to sweeten the pill a little, the company says its new ad preferences controls will enable you to filter out irrelevant ads so you only see ads that might be of interest.
New FAA drone regulations mean new business opportunities
"It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No, it’s a drone!" may soon be a phrase we’ll all be saying. Our skies will be buzzing with these wireless devices, each on a separate mission from safe and timely delivery of a transplant patient’s new organs to expansion of critical search-and-rescue efforts. It’s clear that drones aren’t just for fun and games, but will help improve our lives in countless ways.
Drones are already in operation in a variety of industries, helping to save millions of dollars and support thousands of jobs. Telecommunications companies are now better able to monitor and maintain infrastructure, as well as plan for large-scale events, due to drone use. Complicated construction projects that require 100-foot ladder climbs can be completed in less time with less risk to employees with the assistance of drones. Energy and retail sectors are eager to enhance productivity and efficiency via unmanned aerial systems.
Brexit has little impact on UK's IT jobs market
The Brexit vote is yet to make a more significant impact in the UK’s tech job market, according to a new Dice report. The career site for the tech community surveyed 1,200 UK tech professionals and recruiters, and found that people are generally not making any dramatic movements because of Brexit.
It says that just above a fifth (22 percent) changed their career plans since Brexit. While more than half think a positive vote on the referendum would have a negative impact on the UK’s tech job market, 44 percent say they’re now looking for a new job in the EU.
Are you spending too much of your life using technology?
We all spend more time using computers, mobiles and other devices, but exactly how much of your life is devoted to using technology?
UK technology rentals chain BrightHouse has done some research which shows that 37 percent of Brits spend more than two hours every day browsing the web. What’s more the average 18-year-old spends 343 hours a year checking social media.
How to hide the Windows Defender icon in Windows 10 Anniversary Update
If you have just upgraded to Windows 10 Anniversary Update, you have possibly noticed the addition of a Windows Defender icon in the notification area. Then again, you may not -- a quick straw poll in the BetaNews newsroom reveals that not everyone is seeing it.
Assuming the icon has suddenly appeared for you, it's possible that you'd rather it vanished. Here's what you need to do if you would like to banish the Windows Defender icon and clean up your notification area.
Google can already protect most Android phones from the QuadRooter threat
The discovery of QuadRooter is one of the biggest security threats to Android users since Stagefright. Security firm Check Point Software has released a tool to help people determine if their phones are at risk, but Google says that it is already able to block apps with the QuadRooter exploit.
The Verify Apps feature of Google Play Services is able to detect and block any apps that feature QuadRooter. As the exploit has to be delivered via an app, this effectively protects the vast majority of handsets that are threatened.
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