Acer Chromebook R 13 is a touchscreen convertible with Android app support
A lot of pundits like to put down the Linux-based Chrome OS for being deficient compared to more mature desktop operating systems. True, both Windows 10 and macOS are far more useful and powerful -- for now -- but the beauty of Chrome OS is its simplicity. It is arguably the most secure platform too, least likely to experience malware and vulnerabilities. Chromebooks rock, y'all!
With all of that said, Android app support is slowly being rolled-out to some Chromebooks, potentially making them much more useful. Hopefully this does not impact security, however. Today, Acer announces a 13.3-inch touchscreen convertible called 'Chromebook R 13'. While it will not have Google Play support out of the box, Android app support is being promised by the end of 2016.
Google to take on Uber and Lyft, using Waze to offer ride-sharing
Google's seemingly relentless expansion into just about every field of business looks set to continue as the company prepares to enter the ride-sharing arena. The likes of Lyft and Uber have already proved that there is a strong demand for such car-pooling services.
Following on from a pilot program in San Francisco, Google is set to make use of its Waze app to put commuters in touch with each other. Come the end of 2016, the program will be opened up to anyone in the Bay Area, with the possibility of a wider expansion later.
Why ransomware should be feared by companies of all sizes
Ransomware is a powerful cyberthreat that can bring any organization to its knees. It’s a popular tactic among hackers looking for financial gain, or to take down an organization for political or moral reasons -- and it works. In 2015, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received 2,453 complaints identified as ransomware, resulting in more than $1.6 million in company losses.
While some think ransomware is only a threat to large enterprises or government organizations, recent activity shows that it doesn’t discriminate based on the size or significance of an organization. According to a warning from the FBI earlier this year: "Hospitals, school districts, state and local governments, law enforcement agencies, small businesses, large businesses—these are just some of the entities impacted recently by ransomware, an insidious type of malware that encrypts, or locks, valuable digital files and demands a ransom to release them".
Logitech M720 Triathlon Multi-Device Bluetooth Mouse is perfect for Linux dual-booters
Nowadays, running more than one operating system on your computer is a breeze. Modern Linux-based operating system installers, for instance, take most of the hard work out of setting things up -- it used to be a much more difficult affair. It is not uncommon for people to dual-boot, say, Windows and Ubuntu. Heck, some folks even tri-boot with OS X.
A problem with running multiple operating systems on one machine is Bluetooth pairing. If you own a Bluetooth mouse, for instance, every time you switch the OS, you have to pair again. This becomes extremely tedious. Today, Logitech announces a product that alleviates that pain-point. Called the M720 Triathlon Multi-Device Mouse, it allows easy switching between up to three computers and/or operating systems.
Google's new In App Search mode finds content in your installed Android apps as well as online
Google has announced an update to the search function on Android devices. Helpfully named In Apps, the new search mode makes it possible to not only search online for information, but to scour the apps you have installed.
The update means that it's now easier than ever to find particular messages, files, videos and contacts. There's no need to have a data connection to make use of the new search mode, meaning that Android search now operates far more like searching from the Start menu in Windows 10.
View and search huge log files with glogg
Glogg is an open-source tool for viewing and searching even the largest and most complex log files.
The program opens files very quickly, because it reads data directly from disk and doesn’t try to load it entirely into memory. It’s a smart move which also means there’s no limit on the size of files you can view.
Your personal data is worth less than $1
There's a new calculator online which will tell you exactly how much your digital data is worth. This tool, created by Totally Money, asks you to name the price for 13 different data types, including email address, health condition, or credit rating. After giving your price, the calculator then tells you the real price.
The whole project was basically designed to show people just how easy and cheap it is for companies to buy your personal data. Following the release of the calculator, the company also did a survey of 1,000 UK adult consumers. Forty percent of Facebook users, for example, didn’t know the social media giant sold their data to third parties.
Make money on Twitter as the company starts to share video ad revenue with users
Twitter is to start sharing ad revenue generated by videos with the people who create those videos. The monetization model will start in the US for now, but it opens up a platform that was previously only available to big names such as the NFL and CBS.
All of the key players in social media are focusing their efforts on video, and in giving users the opportunity to make money through their footage, Twitter is really upping the ante. It's a move that pits the company against the likes of YouTube, and one that will be seen as a desperate bid to attract more users.
Browse tech documentation offline with Zeal
Can’t remember some obscure HTML tag detail, Apache directive or C++ function? There’s endless technical documentation on the web, so entering a few keywords at Google will probably tell you all you need.
Web-based solutions aren’t always the best, though. You’ll need to be online. Sites may be slow and unresponsive. Documentation quality will vary, and every site works differently.
Amazon Dash Button arrives in the UK to cater for the terminally lazy
Amazon Dash Button is now available in the UK. For anyone who finds logging into their Amazon account to place an order for everyday things like loo roll and coffee difficult, this physical button (thought by many to be an April Fool a couple of years ago) does the 'hard' work for you.
Available exclusively to Amazon Prime members, the Amazon Dash Button is available for a number of top brands and is (effectively) free. Amazon describes the button as "the Wi-Fi-connected device that conveniently reorders your favourite products with the simple press of a button", but it's hard not to see it as a product that panders to the terminally lazy and those under the illusion that their time is the most valuable.
Fedora 25 Alpha Linux distro now available
Fedora is one of my favorite Linux-based operating systems for multiple reasons. As a big GNOME fan, I like that the distro treats the desktop environment in a pure manner. It is also rock solid with regular updates -- including very modern versions of the Linux kernel. Plus, if you want a true "free" open source experience, it is not corrupted by closed source and other non-free packages. Of course, you can always add those types of packages through repos if you absolutely need them.
Today, Fedora 25 Alpha sees release. While the pre-release distribution is not ready for end users, it does give testers an early start at poking around.
Logitech unveils 'Z625 Powerful THX Sound' 2.1 speakers with optical input
When people think of desktop computer speakers, their minds likely go to low-quality freebies that came with the machine. My first-ever PC, a Packard Bell, came with speakers that attached to the sides of the included CRT monitor. The sound quality was terrible (they hummed), but this was acceptable at the time; most folks didn't use their computer for listening to music or watching full length-films back then. It wasn't until the mp3 revolution that the PC became the central point of music and other media for some.
Believe it or not, over the years, generic OEM desktop computer speakers have remained fairly average. Of course, in-the-know audio enthusiasts could always upgrade to some quality gear from a company like Logitech. Speaking of that company, today it announces its latest set of 2.1 speakers, the 'Z625 Powerful THX Sound'. Featuring both RCA and optical inputs, they should prove quite versatile. Whether it is for a desktop, laptop, or even a television. Logitech's latest looks like an affordable winner.
Software-defined networking is here, whether enterprises are ready or not
Software-defined networking will enable today’s explosive data growth to continue by making telecoms more agile and scalable.
Network traffic is growing at an astonishing rate. We attribute this to video conferencing, dynamic cloud workloads and unified communications. Data traffic on the AT&T wireless network grew more than 150,000 percent between 2007 and 2015. This is only the beginning, though. New technology will continue to push bandwidth demand even higher in the future. This includes the Internet of Things, 4K video, virtual reality and augmented reality.
The digitization of manufacturing
When I was younger, I used to think of the classical manufacturing companies as dinosaurs, part of the old economy. For me, they were large and slow lumbering beasts, many of them soon to be extinct, and rendered obsolete by emerging high-tech companies like Nokia, Intel, Microsoft. I was not alone in this feeling.
Manufacturing companies built cars, compressors, drilling equipment and all sorts of other products that I rarely encountered in daily life. In my mind, I contrasted these traditional manufacturers with the new economy in which I was working. High-tech and software was cool, innovative and forward looking. Manufacturing was boring, dirty and obsolete.
How HP has changed after the split [Q&A]
We recently sat down with George Brasher, the managing director for UK and Ireland at HP, to discuss his approach to business and how the company has changed since the split from HP Enterprise.
You can read the Q&A below.
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