Latest Technology News

Dirty COW is a privilege escalation vulnerability found in the Linux kernel. Although it’s been there for nine years, it’s only recently been identified.

The vulnerability, which affects the 'copy-on-write' (COW) mechanism, can be found in most Linux distros, and since the Raspberry Pi runs Linux, it too is at risk.

Like many technology companies, Microsoft is pinning a lot on AI -- including the areas of speech and image recognition. To help speed up development, and to enable others to start working on their own projects, the company has released an updated, open source version of the Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit.

This is a deep learning toolkit, previously known as the Computational Network Toolkit (CNTK), and it's available for anyone to use completely free of charge. The toolkit has applications far beyond speech recognition, and it has already been used in Bing, and the latest version includes support for Python and C++.

IObit has released IObit Advanced SystemCare 10, its hugely comprehensive all-in-one PC optimization suite.

Top of the new feature list is FaceID, a clever tool which uses facial recognition to identify unauthorized users of your system, store their image and raise alerts.

The world's second-largest mobile operator, Vodafone, has been handed a £4.76 million ($5.60 million) fine by industry regulator Ofcom. The fine -- the largest ever for a telecoms company -- was a result of Vodafone's "serious and sustained" failings.

The company failed to top-up customers' accounts when they bought credit, and failed to act quickly enough to rectify the problem. The failings cost customers £150,000, and it is now going to cost Vodafone £3.7 million; the remaining £925,000 of the fine is for failures with complaint handling.

Okay, I’m back, still without cataract surgery but I have the fonts cranked-up on this notebook and my one working eye is still, well, working so I am, too. My next column will be about last week’s Internet DNS failure but right now I want to write about all these folks who have been asking to connect with me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media. I’ll bet you have the same problems that I do.

Once you have enough connections (I have 2785 Facebook "friends" and 2552 "connections" on LinkedIn) you become a target for people trying to build their networks. In the beginning my philosophy about these things was to never ask anyone to be my friend or my connection but to always accept any friend or connection requests. I didn’t feel I was taking advantage of anyone yet my networks grew nicely, though I’d hardly met any of these people in real life.

A new survey carried out by data management company NetApp reveals the trends in flash storage adoption throughout various industries in the UK.

The legal industry is currently leading the way, with (50 percent) of respondents having already adopted it. This is followed by finance and manufacturing (both at 46 percent), education (42 percent) and IT and telecommunications (40 percent).

The release of macOS 10.12.1 was a fairly unremarkable affair... apart from one thing. In addition to the expected fixes and changes, hidden in the code are images relating to Apple Pay that appear to show off the new MacBook Pro -- the updated model that's not due to be announced until the upcoming event on 27 October.

The images are very revealing too, showing off a few surprises that Apple would probably have liked to have kept secret until the big day. Gone are the function keys at the top of the keyboard, replaced instead by a touch sensitive OLED panel presumed to be called the Magic Toolbar. There's also -- it appears -- built in support for Touch ID, and a few other changes.

Businesses can never go wrong choosing Microsoft. Between Windows, SharePoint, and Office, a company should see much success in both productivity and collaboration. One place where Microsoft was pretty much unchallenged in the enterprise was with Surface Hub -- its big-screen collaboration device running the wonderful Windows 10. Today, however, this changes, as Google unveils something of a Surface Hub competitor.

Called "Jamboard", the search-giant's digital whiteboard features a beautiful 55-inch 4K display, HD camera, and integrated speakers. Yeah, it seems very impressive. With that said, Google services like G Suite are unproven in the enterprise; an IT decision-maker would be taking a huge risk by spending company funds on Jamboard. After all, it costs $6,000.

Two days before Apple's next media event, where long-overdue new laptops presumably arrive, the Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant released fiscal fourth quarter and full-year 2016 results. You could feel the anticipation after the Bell closed on Wall Street today—and, honestly, it had been palpable for weeks. Shares closed $118.25, up .51 percent.

The drama is a TV thriller: Release of iPhone 7 and 7 Plus set against a backdrop of saturated global smartphone sales; launch of Apple Watch Series 2 into an already declining market for smart timepieces; analyst data showing calendar third quarter to again be bad for PC shipments—with even Macs losing momentum. So everyone wants to know: What was the quarter's financial crop?

When employees started bringing their devices to work with the rise of the smartphone, companies in all industries feared what that would mean for productivity and security. Nowadays, personal devices in the workplace are a given -- so much so that Bring Your Own Device programs (BYOD) are being implemented across the enterprise at an increasing rate.

Unfortunately, those programs come at a price. Organizations that have attempted implement a BYOD program, however are largely failing as employees don’t want the company to control their entire device.

Microsoft is hosting a big Windows 10 event tomorrow, which you’ll be able to watch live here. It will be showcasing some new Surface hardware, and also revealing more about the future of the operating system.

In advance of that happening, the software giant has pushed out a new build for Windows Insiders on the Fast ring.

The Internet of things is predicted to revolutionize the way in which we live our lives, with many industry experts tipping it to have the biggest technological impact since cloud computing.

The reason behind such a bold claim is that IoT devices have the potential to be more pervasive than any other form of technology. By embedding Internet connectivity into everyday objects we can open every facet of our lives to technological innovation. In truth, it is impossible to say with certainty what the future impacts of this will be, and there are just as many Internet of things doomsayers as there are enthusiasts.

Avira has released Avira Free Security Suite 2017, a comprehensive bundle of its antivirus, antiphishing, VPN and speedup products.

The package includes four products. Avira Free Antivirus keeps malware at bay, Avira Browser Safety blocks dangerous links, Avira Phantom VPN encrypts web traffic and masks your IP address, and Avira System Speedup optimizes your PC’s performance.

Following the large scale cyberattack that took down a number of high-profile sites last Friday, a Chinese electronics component manufacturer has admitted that its products were used by the attackers behind the disruption.

Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology, which produces DVRs and internet-connect cameras, has come forward to acknowledge that its products were exploited and that the attackers had taken advantage of security vulnerabilities resulting from weak default passwords.

We are currently in the golden age of television. Not only are shows like The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones excellent, but there are so many ways to consume it all. Of course, you can watch TV live on cable or satellite, but thanks to DVR and streaming, you can watch on your schedule too. It is all quite glorious.

For those serious about their television watching, an investment in a quality remote control can be very wise. Logitech's Harmony line is arguably the best, and today, it gets even better. Owners of hub-compatible models can now link their Amazon Echo to the Harmony app, enabling voice controls for their AV equipment. Yes, fellow couch potatoes, we can now be even lazier when watching TV!