Google agrees to change its email scanning systems to avoid a privacy lawsuit
The fact that Google scans the contents of emails sent and received through Gmail has been known for some time now. It's just one of the ways in which the company gathers information about users to help deliver targeted advertising. Faced with a lawsuit over the privacy implications of this technique, Google has agreed to change its scanning systems.
Before you check to see whether hell has indeed frozen over, this is hardly a dramatic change of heart for Google. The change is only very slight, and in practice it will make little -- if any difference -- to end users.
30 easy security tips to keep you safe online
The world of cyber-security presents us with a tangled web of information. 2016 had its fair share cyber security tales and it’s clear that the hackers aren’t slowing down in their attacks.
In our increasingly paranoid online world, we are told what we can and can’t open, when and where we will be hacked, and how the cyber criminals are inescapable. Individuals and businesses are bombarded by the influx of guidelines on how to live their internet lives -- but how can this information be filtered into something tangible for everyday use?
Did Trump's tech meeting snub Twitter for lack of #CrookedHillary emoji?
At a meeting in Trump Tower, the president-elect brought together leaders from the world of technology, telling them: "We’re going to make it a lot easier for you to trade across borders".
But while Donald Trump was quick to lavish praise upon the likes of Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel and Tim Cook, Jack Dorsey (or, indeed, any representative of Twitter) was notable by his absence. The official story is that "the conference table was only so big", but there are reports that Trump is still riled by Twitter's unwillingness to create an anti-Clinton emoji to tie in with his #CrookedHillary election campaign.
Amazon Prime Air makes first drone delivery to a customer
Amazon is my favorite store. I don't just mean online either -- there is nowhere I'd rather shop, including brick-and-mortar retailers too. This is not just because of convenience either -- it has great product selection and competitive prices too. As a Prime member, I can even get my packages in two business days at no additional cost!
While I am totally satisfied waiting two days for my stuff, apparently some people aren't. Using drone technology, Amazon recently (December 7, 2016) delivered a package in a mere 13 minutes! This was the first-ever customer delivery using an Amazon Prime Air drone. Today, the company releases a video of the historic delivery, and it is pretty darn cool.
Yet another Yahoo hack -- this time over 1 billion accounts affected
Here we go again. Friggin' Yahoo. Sigh.
Earlier this year, the company announced that 500 million Yahoo accounts were hacked in a massive breach. This was very upsetting, as it happened back in 2014, meaning users were not made aware for years. Today, an entirely different hack is brought to light. It is even worse than the previously announced breach, as it happened a year earlier (in 2013), and it impacts twice as many accounts -- more than one billion!
Microsoft Edge will start blocking Flash by default
The Windows 10 Anniversary Update introduced a very welcome change to Microsoft Edge, the operating system’s default browser. In a smart move, Microsoft gave users the ability to selectively pause non-essential "peripheral” Flash content, such as animations and ads.
That was always just going to be the start of things however, as John Hazen, Principal Program Manager Lead, Microsoft Edge, had previously promised "We are planning for and look forward to a future where Flash is no longer necessary as a default experience in Microsoft Edge". And today, that future got a little bit closer.
Starting next year, Evernote employees could access your unencrypted notes
Evernote has published an update to its Privacy Policy, revealing that as of 23 January 2017, employees will be able to access unencrypted notes. The change is being wheeled in because of the apparent failings of machine learning.
Perhaps more worrying is the fact that Evernote says that it is not possible to opt out of having employees possibly accessing your unencrypted notes. The only way to fully protect your privacy is to delete all your notes and close your Evernote account.
Twitter apes Facebook and brings live video streaming to its mobile apps
Twitter is rolling out a new feature to iOS and Android users that enables users to broadcast live video from within the app. If this sounds rather familiar, it's because it's a feature copied from Facebook -- and something that is already offered by Twitter-owned Periscope.
But live video broadcasting on Twitter is not replacing Periscope, it is powered by Periscope. By moving live video direct into the app, Twitter acknowledges the importance that users place on the feature, something which has been proven by the popularity of Facebook Live videos.
SAM and IT leaders don't like being audited by Microsoft, Oracle or SAP
Software asset management and IT managers around the world, mostly fear being audited by Microsoft, Oracle and SAP. This is according to a new report, just released by SAM solutions developer Snow Software.
Polling managers worldwide, three quarters (75 percent) say they fear being audited by Microsoft. Just over half (53 percent) say the same for Oracle, and a third (33 percent) about SAP.
Microsoft Xbox One and Windows 10 getting Dolby Atmos surround sound
When people think of the technology behind video games and movies, they often just focus on the visuals. True, when creating an immersive experience, the video is probably the most important aspect from a technological perspective. With that said, audio quality is very important too.
Today, Microsoft announces that both Xbox One And Windows 10 will be getting Dolby Atmos support in future updates. If you aren't familiar, it is a surround sound technology with a focus on immersion. Don't have compatible audio hardware? Don't worry -- the Windows-maker is promising a "virtual" Atmos experience too.
I chose MacBook Pro with Touch Bar over Surface Book
Water smacked the windshield -- a torrent of heavy droplets -- as my wife struggled to feed money into the tollbooth machine. Pelting rain is uncommon during November in San Diego, but we had purpose for driving 36 km through the downpour to Chula Vista and the Otay Ranch Apple Store, where I had never been before. The shop was the only one around that had the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar in stock.
Eleven days earlier, Nov. 15, 2016, I received the 13.3-inch model that was ordered on October 27th. While first impressions were wow, the laptop felt slow compared to my previous MBP, and the battery drained in about half the time as specs stated. I worried that Apple produced a defective unit. No store in the area had the smaller laptop in stock, should I want to take advantage of the 14-day return policy. Deadline approached, so I considered as alternative my first 15-incher in more than a decade, tempted in part by quad-core processor and discreet graphics.
New technology stops mobile malware calling home
Modern day malware is all about stealing, whether it's data or money. That means to be effective it needs to communicate with its command and control servers.
A new technology released by cloud-based anti-malware company Percipient Networks for its Strongarm product aims to break this link without the need for VPNs or other potentially hard to implement solutions.
Angry IP Scanner 3.5 adds high DPI support, drops XP
Popular network tool Angry IP Scanner has hit version 3.5 with new support for high DPI displays on Windows and Linux (Mac Retina displays were supported already).
There are visual improvements for everyone, whatever your hardware, thanks to redesigned high DPI versions of all icons.
Is it time to wave bye-bye to the buy button?
Marketers are shifting their focus away from customer acquisition and tools like buy buttons in favor of brand loyalty and awareness according to a new study.
The report from email marketing platform Campaigner shows that compared to this year 9.5 percent fewer marketers have customer acquisition as a top goal for 2017, while 14 percent more selected brand awareness and 11.4 percent brand loyalty.
IT heads lack the confidence to fight security threats
Despite seeing how painful poor cyber-security posture can be on a company, IT decision makers are still skeptical of the funds given to them by upper management to combat the threat, and lack the confidence, too. This is according to a new report by cloud business applications provider Intermedia.
The company surveyed 350 ITDMs, asking questions in four categories: security, general IT services, infrastructure and skilled IT workforce. Overall, the confidence score is 7.2 out of 10, which Intermedia calls "modest" (0 means a company is not confident at all, and 10 means the company is "extremely confident").
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