Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14942 arrives on the Fast ring -- introduces several big changes
It’s been a full week since the last Insider Preview build made its way on to the Fast ring, but it’s been worth the wait.
Arriving just in time for the weekend, the latest release, Build 14942, is much more interesting than its predecessor, and introduces some major new features.
Ubuntu Core 16 Beta Linux distro for PC available now -- coming soon to Raspberry Pi
Ubuntu Core is a very different operating system than traditional Ubuntu. While both are Linux distributions, "Core" takes a different approach to package management, using modular "snaps". This way of computing is quite brilliant, as it removes dependencies and keeps everything in its own sort of sandbox. While the focus of Core seems to be the cloud and IoT devices, some people -- including yours truly -- see the writing on the wall. The Core design may eventually become the foundation of regular Ubuntu too.
Today, Canonical announces the latest Ubuntu Core 16 beta with feature freeze. If you are a home desktop Linux user, this is definitely not for you. Instead, this should be tested by developers and those that have a genuine use for Core.
Systemd vulnerability crashes Linux systems
A new vulnerability has been discovered that could shut down most Linux systems using a command short enough to fit in a tweet.
Linux administrator and founder of the security certificate company SSLMate Andrew Ayer discovered the bug, which has the potential to kill a number of critical commands while making others unstable just by entering the short command: NOTIFY_SOCKET=/run/systemd/notify systemd-notify "".
Samsung could be facing another Galaxy Note7 recall
The Galaxy Note7 is back on sale in some markets, but that does not mean that the new units Samsung is shipping are perfectly safe. A passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight says that his replacement Galaxy Note7 caught fire, causing minor damage to the plane and the flight to get canceled.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has opened an investigation, basically to find out whether another recall is in order. "If it’s the fixed phone and it started to smoke in his pocket, I’m going to guess there’ll be another recall", says the agency's former executive director, Pamela Gilbert. Does a second recall sound unlikely at this stage? No.
Fewer businesses investing in big data
Market analyst company Gartner has issued a report that says that investment in big data is up, but fewer companies are actually planning on investing in this field. While 48 percent of companies have invested in big data in 2016, up three percent compared to the year before, the percentage those who plan on investing within the next two years is down from 31 to 25 per cent.
According to Paul Cant, EMEA head of enterprise solutions operation for BMC Software, businesses are giving up on big data because they failed to implement it properly and are not really reaping the benefits.
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.
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