Why is WhatsApp not working on your phone? Because it's too old
Welcoming the new year with a trumpet of doom, WhatsApp is bringing misery to many users. If you're using old versions of iOS, Android or -- heaven forbid -- Windows Phone 7, Facebook's popular messaging tool no longer works.
There is a brief stay of execution for anyone still packing a BlackBerry, but as of June 30 these will also be cut off. WhatsApp says that "BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10, Nokia S40 and Nokia Symbian S60" will stop working by the middle of the year, but it is the hundreds of thousands of Android and iOS users that will be hardest hit.
Netrunner Desktop 17.01 'Baryon' Debian 9 Stretch-based KDE Linux distro now available
If you are a fan of KDE, I hope you are aware of Netrunner Desktop. If not, please know that it is one of the most polished Linux distributions available. If you haven't tried it, you definitely should -- it is a wonderful "out of the box" experience. It is a great choice for those looking to switch from Windows too.
Today, the operating system reaches version 17.01. Code-named "Baryon," it is based on the upcoming Debian 9 "Stretch." Users can choose to either run the OS as a stable release or opt for a more bleeding-edge rolling release.
My favorite tech items of 2016 [Joe]
The year 2016 is when the United States sold its soul to Donald Trump and I signed over mine to Apple. How's that for introduction to the five favs series, joining colleagues Alan Buckingham, Brian Fagioli, and Wayne Williams? Yup. I'm an Apple whore as 2017 opens onto its second day. The fruit-logo company won back my business as I gave up the Google lifestyle. Three main reasons: 1) I believed CEO Tim Cook's privacy promises, all while my concerns about Big G information collection increased. 2) I found the visual acuity of Apple fonts and user interfaces to be far superior to Google's, which helped compensate for diminishing reading vision (later recovered through eye surgery). 3) Google's platforms proved inadequate for easily recording, producing, and publishing the Frak That! podcast (a fun side project).
My contribution to the series is a bit disingenuous, though. I wouldn't call these "My favorite tech items of 2016". They are what I bought, or was released, last year that I use most often, regardless of their benefits and flaws. Each will get belated review sometime during the next few months. Consider this story each's preview. Okay, let's get to them.
System Ninja 3.1.6 adds Duplicate File Finder
SingularLabs has updated its PC maintenance tool System Ninja to version 3.1.6. New features include a Duplicate File Finder which can locate matches to a particular file or MD5 hash, as well as finding all duplicates in a folder tree.
The Junk Scanner now supports cleaning Vuze, Steam and .NET Framework logs. Windows 10 improvements include fixes for icon resolution issues, and better cleaning of Internet Explorer.
Dell unveils 27-inch Ultrathin monitor with super-slim profile
Tech companies use CES to launch a ton of products. Most of them are boring, but some are actually quite interesting. Dell's new 27-inch Ultrathin monitor falls in the latter category, thanks to a very slim profile, sleek design, and some pretty attractive specifications.
The appeal of the 27 Ultrathin, as it's officially called, obviously comes from its thin side profile, which Dell has managed to achieve by having the components that are traditionally placed behind the screen moved to the base of the monitor. That's an elegant solution, which makes the 27 Ultrathin a pretty appealing option for a home office.
How hybrid clouds and legacy apps will evolve in 2017
The reign of the cloud has begun. Employing a strong cloud strategy has escalated from being a luxury to a must have for the enterprise. Meanwhile, as companies around the world struggle with their digital transformation efforts, Bimodal IT has become the new norm, for good or bad. I anticipate we’ll see companies look to take their cloud strategies to the next level in an effort to bridge the divide between the two modes of IT in 2017.
They’ll do that through the use of hybrid approaches including the expansion of private cloud usage and new solutions that facilitate legacy application modernization. Here’s how I see those predictions playing out this year.
How to protect your company against a potential encryption backdoor policy
The election of Donald Trump has alarmed privacy advocates who worry that the self-described "law-and-order" president will take a more heavy-handed approach towards issues of security and privacy. Of particular concern are fears that there will be attempts to weaken or otherwise disable the encryption that is widely used to protect sensitive data and maintain user privacy.
Based on the proposed cabinet-level nominees put forth by Trump, these fears may be well-founded.
Update side-loaded Android apps with APKUpdater
When you install apps from Google Play, you'll be notified whenever an update is available. If you have opted to side-load apps from other sources, however, this update notification is not available, leaving you having to keep manually checking for new versions.
This is, of course, a massive pain in the derriere, and far too much like hard work. Install APKUpdater, and your side-loaded apps will be kept up to date just like those from more official sources. Here's what you need to know.
REX is a streamlined take on chess
REX is a streamlined chess-like digital board game that’s easy to learn and quick to play.
The board is a compact 5×5 squares, and each player starts with only 5 pieces: two "Guards", two "Priests" and a "King".
So you want to edit tweets? Jack Dorsey says the option is 'definitely needed'
Unlike Facebook, Twitter lacks the option to edit what you have posted in order to correct typos or other mistakes. It's something that has been the subject of complaints and discussion for years now, and Jack Dorsey is finally starting to listen.
Writing -- on Twitter, funnily enough -- just before New Year, Dorsey said that an edit function is "def needed. But for everyone, not just those w badges". At the moment it is not known whether the feature is due to arrive, but it's clearly something that Twitter is considering. Dorsey makes it clear that he understands the pros and cons of making tweets editable.
NetWorx no longer freeware
SoftPerfect has updated its network monitor NetWorx to version 6.0. The big change, in line with other recent SoftPerfect updates, is that NetWorx is now only available as commercial software.
The program is still available as an unrestricted 30-day trial, but continued usage requires a license.
This website knows what you have torrented, and you can use it to spy on people
It's no secret that despite being billed as a great way to download large Linux distros and copyright free software, BitTorrent is primarily used to download the latest Star Wars movie, episodes of The Grand Tour, and illicit copies of Photoshop.
A new website -- unsophisticatedly named 'I Know What You Download' -- does exactly what you might expect: it exposes the torrents you have downloaded. More than this, it can be used to check what has been downloaded by any IP address, and there is even an option to trick people you know into letting you spy on what they are torrenting.
Samsung kicks off 2017 with new photo-centric Galaxy A7, Galaxy A5, and Galaxy A3 handsets
We are less than 48 hours into 2017, and Samsung is already on the ball with a series of new smartphone announcements. Kicking things off for the new year is the updated Galaxy A series -- comprising the Galaxy A7, Galaxy A5, and Galaxy A3.
Available in Black Sky, Gold Sand, Blue Mist and Peach Cloud, the handsets feature 5.7-, 5.2- and 4.7-inch screens respectively. The main focus of the product line refresh is the enhanced camera, but Samsung also highlights the metal frame and 3D glass back which it says draws on the company's "premium design heritage".
Dell 'accidentally' leaks upcoming XPS 13 9365 2-in-1 convertible Windows 10 laptop [UPDATE]
If you need a Windows 10 laptop, you really can't go wrong with the Dell XPS 13 -- it has great specs and exceptional battery life. Heck, the company even sells a version pre-loaded with Ubuntu, making it a popular choice for Linux users too.
While you could configure the laptop with a touchscreen, there was no option for a convertible 2-in-1 version, sadly. This was particularly disappointing, since Windows 10 works wonderfully on both a laptop and a tablet. This is soon to change, apparently, as Dell has leaked a new version of the laptop -- seemingly by accident -- on its website.
Windows 10 enters 2017 not with a bang, but a whimper
Happy New Year! 2016 was certainly an interesting one for Microsoft and Windows 10. The software giant hit more than a few low points during the year, and while the new operating system managed to gain decent market share off the back of an incredibly aggressive push, its growth came shuddering to a stop once the free upgrade period ended.
December should have been a great month for Windows 10, with people buying new PCs for the holidays, but actually it was a pretty lackluster month in which the new OS’s gains were minimal, and way less than those enjoyed by the aging Windows 7.
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