If you are using Office on an Insider Preview of the Windows 10 Creators Update you are getting some goods today as Microsoft quietly released a new app. The Office Hub can now be found in the Taskbar.

Before you get too excited, the app is currently pretty basic right now. It allows you to view your Office documents, open Office apps and get support. However, it is expected to be improved before the final release and there is some speculation about what those improvements could be. These include mobile apps to allow access to documents.

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The lifecycles of breakthrough technologies such as augmented reality (AR) are heavily reliant on mainstream take up. Many believed AR would initially be used by architects to visualize buildings and design companies for 3D graphic imagery. Yet its first major adoption saw more than 100 million people take to the streets to hunt Pokémon.

Evolving from a simple, location-based AR game into a cultural phenomenon, Pokémon Go was the most successful app launch of 2016. Approximately one in five 14-24 year olds installed Pokémon Go and it has been credited as the most successful mobile game launch in history. It captured the imagination of a new generation of game players by combining location awareness, exploration and much loved cartoon characters in a global treasure hunt.

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The Raspberry Pi is great for all sorts of projects, including retro gaming. The Linux-based Lakka OS is perfect for this as it transforms the Pi into a full-blown games console that can run all manner of emulators.

You really need a gamepad to play most classic games -- especially Nintendo and Sega ones -- and The Pi Hut has come up with a Super Nintendo/Famicom inspired USB controller for the Pi that really looks the part.

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Which of these would you consider a daily essential: sex, chocolate, alcohol or Wi-Fi? If you depressingly chose the fourth and final answer, then you probably are a mobile professional, according to a new iPass report, the iPass Mobile Professional Report 2016.

The report surveyed 1,700 mobile professionals, and 40 percent of them choose Wi-Fi. Thirty-seven percent choose sex, 14 percent chocolate and nine percent chose alcohol.  When asked why they gave such answers, three quarters (75 per cent) say having Wi-Fi improves the quality of their life.

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The highly controversial Investigatory Powers Bill could be enshrined into UK law by the end of the year after it was passed by both houses of Parliament. Strongly opposed by privacy campaigners, the bill -- dubbed the Snooper's Charter -- will mean a full record of every UK internet users' browsing history is accessible by the government.

All that remains is for the bill to receive royal assent -- essentially a formality -- and it will then become the Investigatory Powers Act. It means the UK will have one of the most wide-ranging, all-encompassing, and privacy-invading mass surveillance programs in the world.

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With iOS and Android waged in a long term battle for smartphone market share every quarter, device performance can often play a role in shaping the final results.

According to a report released today by Blancco Technology Group, Apple is losing the app performance battle to Android with its iPhones and iPads failing at a rate of 62 percent worldwide, compared to the 47 percent failure rate of Android devices.

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Facebook has stopped using data collected from WhatsApp users to customize ads in Europe. The move comes after the practice was banned in Germany, and after the UK's Information Commissioner announced an investigation.

The social networking giant had already agreed to stop using WhatsApp data from users in the UK, but this has now been extended on a Europe-wide basis. Last month Facebook was on the receiving end of criticism from the Article 29 Working Party who complained about the invasion of users' privacy.

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Black Friday and Cyber Monday are almost here, but you don’t have to wait for those big shopping days to pick up a bargain.

Courtesy of our partners at TechBargains, we have a selection of great deals to share with you right now, including a 55 inch Samsung 4K UltraHD Curved LED Smart HDTV (with a  $175 Dell Gift Card) for just $699.99, Amazon Fire HD6 6 inch 8GB WiFi Tablet for $49.99, Amazon Echo Bluetooth Speaker with Alexa Voice and Home Automation Control (Refurb w/ 1-year Amazon Warranty) for $119.99, and much more.

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You could be forgiven for thinking it’s something to do with improving weather forecasts, but in fact fog computing is a type of decentralized infrastructure. In a fog computing -- sometimes referred to as edge computing -- model, computing resources and applications are placed at the most logically efficient point, whether that’s in the data center or in the cloud or somewhere in between.

The idea of this is to boost efficiency, return faster responses and to minimize the amount of data that has to be moved around. It is a key part of implementing the Internet of Things as computing, storage and networking can be placed anywhere along the line between the thing and the cloud. But while the main driver is efficiency, fog computing is sometimes also adopted to meet compliance and security requirements.

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Connecting to a virtual private network can shield your IP, maintain your privacy on insecure wireless hotspots and perhaps help you access websites you couldn’t reach normally.

VPN’s usually require paying a chunky subscription fee, but Betternet promises an unlimited service for absolutely nothing at all.

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Chief executive officers in the UK are still far from being considered responsible for keeping their organizations safe from cyberattacks, according to a new report by NCC Group. The report, which the risk mitigation and cybersecurity company just released, is based on a poll of 200 UK board of directors, where they were questioned on cybersecurity. Just 13 percent say the managing director was responsible for cyber risks in their company.

Also, just nine percent named the financial director. The biggest burden is still on the shoulders of CTOs and CIOs -- 52 percent. "Boards continue to pass the cyber buck by delegating accountability to technical leads likes CIOs and CTOs. Cyber security is the responsibility of the CEO and the main board as it is the most significant issue facing businesses today", comments Rob Cotton, CEO at NCC Group.

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Google has just announced that it will be offering free digital skills training to everyone in the UK with the aim of ensuring that the country's population is able to take advantage of its online tools.

The company's CEO Sundar Pichai offered further details regarding Google's latest program, saying: "No matter where you live, no matter where you're from, no matter what your job is – you deserve access to all the information, education, and opportunity the web has to offer. Our aim is to make sure that every individual and business in the UK has the support they need to make the most of online tools to innovate, compete and have fruitful careers in the digital age".

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Microsoft is a big proponent of open source, something highlighted by its becoming a Linux Foundation Platinum Member earlier today. The company has been contributing to multiple projects, and back in March, it even announced it was bringing SQL Server to Linux-based operating systems.

Today, the Windows-maker follows through on its promise and delivers SQL Server Preview packaged for two of the most popular business-used Linux-based operating systems -- Ubuntu and Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). While it is not ready for prime-time, both administrators and developers that prefer those aforementioned operating systems can start testing now.

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In an increasingly interconnected world, all organizations are at risk from cyber attacks and manufacturing businesses are no exception.

A new study conducted by Deloitte and the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI) reveals that 40 percent of manufacturing companies were affected by cyber incidents in the past 12 months, and 38 percent of those impacted suffered damages in excess of $1 million.

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The year 2016 has been very weird. I mean, hell, a reality TV star is the president-elect of the USA -- it doesn't get more odd than that.

Well, maybe it does, actually. Today, Microsoft becomes a Linux Foundation Platinum Member. But wait, isn't the Windows-maker an enemy of open source? Not anymore, folks. Actually, the company is a major contributor to the Linux kernel, and it has been embracing other open source projects too. Satya Nadella's Microsoft is a very different beast compared to the company under prior leadership.

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