Ransomware becomes biggest security threat on Android
Android users, beware. Ransomware for your favorite mobile operating system is picking up -- it's now the main threat in the US, UK, Germany, Denmark and Australia, in the first half of 2016.
These are the figures from security organization Bitdefender. Its report claims the Android SLocker ransomware family accounts for almost half of all mobile malware reported by infected devices in the first half of 2016 in Denmark.
Runtastic users can now listen to curated Google Play Music playlists during workouts
Any sort of exercise is made a little easier if you're listening to music. With this in mind, Google has teamed up with Runtastic to provide access to curated playlists in Google Play Music for keen runners.
It's a feature that is -- at the moment, at least -- exclusive to Android users, and it makes it easy to choose music that will suit your mood, or the speed at which you're motoring along.
Best Windows apps this week
Two-hundred-and-one in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on Windows Store in the past seven days.
App of the week is MALClient this time, a sophisticated app to manage your anime or manga collection in various ways.
Surprise! Here's Android 7.0 Nougat for OnePlus 3
It's no secret that there's an Android 7.0 Nougat update on the way to the OnePlus 3, but the question is: when?
Of course it is already possible to get Nougat running on your OnePlus 3 if you're willing to install a custom Cyanogenmod 14 build. But what most people are interested in is the official release direct from OnePlus. Well, it's not only in the works, we have a video of it in action.
Free disaster recovery for businesses in the path of Hurricane Matthew
Hurricane Matthew is already the most powerful Atlantic tropical storm in almost a decade and has caused devastation in Haiti. Homes and businesses in Florida are now bracing themselves for its impact.
In response to the storm, disaster recovery as a service specialist Axcient is offering complimentary, no commitment disaster recovery services to businesses potentially affected by Matthew's approach.
Buy a Google Pixel from Verizon and Verizon will be responsible for updates, not Google
The newly announced Pixel and Pixel XL caused great interest at the beginning of the week. Described by the company as being "the first phone made by Google inside and out" (even though we know that HTC is involved) you would expect that Android updates would be coming courtesy of Google itself.
If you thought that, you'd be wrong. Possibly. It depends where you buy your Pixel from. Buy it from Google, and Google will indeed be responsible for the update process. Buy it from Verizon -- Google's exclusive US partner -- and Verizon will be the one handling system updates, creating something of a two-tier system.
Worldwide device shipments fall by 3 percent
Worldwide shipments for devices including PCs, tablets, smartphones and mobile phones, are expected to decline three percent this year, according to a new report by market analysts Gartner. The company says this will be the second consecutive year of decline, as the global devices market fell by 0.75 percent in 2015. "The global devices market is not on pace to return to single-digit growth soon", says Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner.
"Growth is on pace to remain flat during the next five years. All segments are expected to decline in 2016, except for premium ultramobiles and utility mobile phones (entry level phones), which are expected to show single-digit growth this year", says Gartner.
Ultimate Ears unveils limited edition 'Yaqui Day of the Dead' UE BOOM 2 Bluetooth speaker
If you need a portable Bluetooth speaker, you can never go wrong with Ultimate Ears. All of the company's products are great, with a focus on listening to music and having fun. Some of its wireless speakers even support Siri and Google Now.
The company's UE BOOM 2 is a personal favorite. Not only is the Bluetooth speaker rugged and well-designed, but it produces satisfying audio too. Today, Ultimate Ears announces an all-new limited edition version called 'Yaqui Day of the Dead'. It retains the same 15-hour battery life and long 100 foot range, but adds a new design by a famed artist.
Google 'Code Next' helps Black and Hispanic students get excited about computer science
Many companies like to talk about diversity and inclusion nowadays, but for some, it seems to be nothing more than a way to get positive publicity. True diversity is not about having a balanced employee pie chart to show off to the media, but giving everyone opportunities despite things like gender, skin color, sex, and religion.
Today, Google announces that its 'Code Next' initiative is officially launching in Oakland, California. What is it, exactly? The search giant is looking to help Black and Hispanic students to get excited about computer science. Sadly, according to Google, more than half of Black students, and close to half of Hispanic students, do not have access to computer science learning. 'Code Next' is looking to change this.
Hitachi 4K Ultra HD TV's powered by Roku hit the market
HD inspired pretty much everyone to buy a new TV, but then the manufacturers faced a problem -- what next? They banked on 3D, but people balked, and the technology failed to capture interest with pretty much everyone.
As you may already know, Roku has jumped into the TV market now, pumped up by the possibilities for the future of the platform. The set-top box maker hasn't jumped into the business with its own OEM, but has licensed its software to power the latest big screens in your home. Now the latest model is hitting the market, this one rolling out from Hitachi, a big name brand in the electronics market.
Anonymous declares war on the 'corrupt' US government -- and calls for revolution
Anonymous has declared war on various organizations and individuals in the past, ranging from Islamic State, and Ku Klux Klan, to Donald Trump.
Today, in a video it describes as a "call to arms", the hacktivist collective declares war on -- wait for it -- the "corrupt" US government, which it says has "been working to end the Constitution because it has been bought by corporations" and will "endanger the American people".
Open source IT pros are in high-demand in Europe
Open source employees in Europe have it good, especially when we compare that market to the rest of the world. This is according to a new report by Dice and The Linux Foundation. The report says that out of 1,000 European respondents 60 percent believe it would be fairly easy to find a new job this year. Globally, the figure stands at about 50 percent.
"Demand for open source talent is growing and companies struggle to find experienced professionals to fill open roles", says Bob Melk, president of Dice. "Rising salaries for open source professionals indicate companies recognize the need to attract, recruit and retain qualified open source professionals on a global scale. Regardless of where they reside around the world, these professionals are motivated by the opportunity to work on interesting projects".
Resize and optimize web images with Tiny Beest Image Optimization for Chrome
Tiny Beest Image Optimization is a free Chrome extension which can resize and optimize web images to reduce their file size.
Once it’s installed, right-clicking an image displays a where you can resize the image to a few standard resolutions (1920px, 1440px, 1280px, 1080px, 600px, 300px). Alternatively, an "Optimize current size" option rewrites the image with lower quality settings.
Mastercard rolls out biometric payments in Europe
MasterCard has just rolled out a new feature that should simplify online shopping, without making any compromises in security. The feature, called Identity Check Mobile, allows users to use biometrics like fingerprint scanning or facial recognition to verify their identity before making a purchase, eliminating the need for passwords or PIN codes.
At the moment, the technology is being introduced in 12 European countries: the UK, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. Worldwide rollout is expected next year, although no specific dates have been given.
Duolingo introduces chatbots to help iPhone users learn a foreign language
There are many ways to try to learn a new language, ranging from audio books and text books, to software and web-based options. One learning tool that's proving popular at the moment is Duolingo, and a new feature has been introduced that helps to provide an immersive linguistic experience.
It is said that one of the best ways to learn a language is to visit the country that speaks it and surround yourself with native speakers. As this is not always possible, Duolingo's new chatbot feature could be the next best thing.
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