Latest Technology News

Microsoft to close free Windows 10 upgrade loophole

Free upgrades to Windows 10 officially came to an end on 29 July, but there are ways to continue upgrading without purchasing a license. The easiest method is to take advantage of a scheme that Microsoft has in place for users of assistive technologies.

As detailed here, Microsoft created a web page that allows users with accessibility needs to continue to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, but because it doesn’t require users to prove they use assistive technologies, anyone can take advantage of the free extension.

Continue reading

Investigating the DNC hack [Q&A]

Following uncertainty around who was responsible for the compromise of the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) servers in the US -- which was first blamed on the Russian Government and then claimed by an individual named Guccifer 2.0 -- Fidelis Cybersecurity was approached by personnel handling the investigation for the DNC to undertake an independent investigation in order to provide its perspective on the intrusion.

As part of this investigation, Fidelis analyzed the same malware and data (including file names, file sizes and IP addresses) that were used in the DNC incident. Here are the main findings.

Continue reading

How to stop receiving Insider Preview builds after upgrading to Windows 10 Anniversary Update

Windows 10 users who are part of the Windows Insider program can choose to stop receiving new preview builds after installing the Anniversary Update. Microsoft is making it very easy to stick with stable releases going forward, either temporarily or for good, so, if you want to opt out, here is how you can do it and what it entails.

Microsoft is giving you a lot of leeway with regards to how you leverage the Windows Insider program. The devices that you have enrolled are treated separately, so you can switch to stable releases on a desktop, laptop or tablet and continue to receive Insider Preview builds on another.

Continue reading

Join the Dropbox Paper open beta now for Android, iOS, and web

Dropbox is my favorite cloud storage service. I am such a fan, that I actually put my money where my mouth is -- I pay for it annually rather than use a "free" alternative. Why do I open my wallet? Besides being cross-platform and offering a Linux client, I respect the company's consistent improvements and innovations. I also like that its business is mostly focused on storage -- it isn't just one tentacle of a much larger octopus-like creature, such as Microsoft or Google.

Today, the company opens up the beta-testing of its all-new Dropbox Paper apps for Android, iOS, and web. If you are interested in participating in testing the collaboration tool, please read on.

Continue reading

Starbucks app comes to Windows 10 Mobile -- maybe Microsoft's platform isn't dead

Let's be honest, folks -- Windows 10 Mobile is not a popular phone operating system. Compared to Android and iOS, Microsoft's OS is largely insignificant. In fact, many people -- including my colleague Mihăiță Bamburic -- consider it a dead platform without a future.

Today, however, Windows 10 Mobile gets a significant app, showing that maybe it isn't dead after all -- Starbucks. While you may not view it as a big deal, many people depend on the coffee chain's app to pay for drinks and find locations. The fact that Starbucks put resources towards the app should make Microsoft fans very happy.

Continue reading

How to create a bootable Windows 10 Anniversary Update USB drive

flash drive and laptop

Microsoft has officially launched the much awaited Windows 10 Anniversary Update. The latest release brings lots of exciting new features and improvements that make the operating system much more powerful and refined. And, naturally, many of you will want to create a bootable USB drive to perform a clean install of Windows 10 Anniversary Update on your devices.

Creating a bootable Windows 10 Anniversary Update USB drive is very easy. All that you need is a USB drive, a Windows 10 Anniversary Update ISO, a Windows device, and a couple of minutes to spare.

Continue reading

Google previews faster search results with Accelerated Mobile Pages

Google's AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) project aims to speed up the web for mobile users. The company has just announced that the technology is being previewed in mobile search results to help searchers get to the content they want faster.

As the name suggests, this is something that is only rolling out to the mobile side of Google search, and it works in a similar way to Facebook's Instant Articles. As AMP is still in fairy early stages of development, the technology is not yet perfect and site support is a little limited, but it all bodes well and the preview period gives the likes of you and I the chance to see what all the fuss is about.

Continue reading

How Pokémon Go could be putting corporate data at risk

Mobile frustration

The privacy implications of the Pokémon Go craze have already had plenty of publicity, but according to a report from cloud security specialist CloudLock employees are granting access to corporate environments, despite these warnings, and are potentially opening backdoors to their organization's most sensitive databases via the app.

CloudLock analyzed more than 900 corporate environments and found that 44 percent of all organizations have employees who have granted access to Pokémon Go using their corporate credentials.

Continue reading

Almost 40 percent of enterprises hit by ransomware in the last year

ransomware key

Ransomware is one of the biggest security threats that organizations face. New research from malware prevention and removal specialist Malwarebytes across the US, Canada, UK and Germany and finds that nearly 40 percent of businesses have experienced a ransomware attack in the last year.

The study conducted by Osterman Research also reveals that of those that have fallen victim more than a third lost revenue and 20 percent had to stop business completely.

Continue reading

Google tells Android developers how to squeeze the most money out of mobile gamers

Mobile apps, particularly games, are not just about providing functionality or entertainment to users, they are about making money for developers. This has been the case for some time, and people's reliance on free apps has seen a huge surge in alternative income streams, such as advertising and in-app purchases.

But it's not just developers that reap the financial rewards of micro transactions within apps and games, as Google takes something of a cut. To help improve the flow of money for both parties, Google has shared a number of tips with Android developers that reveal how to "improve game-as-a-service monetization".

Continue reading

New malware campaign avoids detection to target major financial brands

Malware magnifier

Updated versions of the Gozi malware are being used in currently active campaigns targeting global financial brands according to threat intelligence experts buguroo Labs.

Targets of the attack include PayPal, CitiDirect BE, ING Bank, Société Générale, BNP Paribas, and the Bank of Tokyo. It's expected that attacks currently being perfected in Poland, Japan and Spain, will soon be launched in the US and Western Europe.

Continue reading

LibreOffice adds financial forecasting to Calc, streamlines main toolbar

The Document Foundation has unveiled LibreOffice 5.2 64-bit and LibreOffice 5.2 32-bit. It arrives on time, six months after the last major release in the 5.x branch. Like the previous two major releases, LibreOffice 5.2 contains numerous user-centric changes and updates, continuing to refine the GUI while introducing significant new features.

Headline new features include the addition of a Standard (Single Mode) toolbar option in Writer and Calc. This provides a streamlined set of common formatting, function and insert tools that take up half the space of the original toolbar to increase the size of the available workspace.

Continue reading

Digital evolution -- how computers have changed the world

Computer evolution header

We tend to think of computers as a relatively modern innovation, but some of the concepts behind them, the binary system for example, go back as far as the 18th century.

The Computer Science Zone careers advice website has produced an infographic looking at the evolution of computing from the punch card controlled weaving loom to the latest nanotechnology.

Continue reading

Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary Update rollout starts August 9

The same day that Windows 10 Anniversary Update started to roll out to computers around the world, the launch date for the Windows 10 Mobile version has been revealed.

The Lumia India team -- so an official Microsoft source -- said on Twitter that Windows 10 Mobile Anniversary Update will be available from August 9. This is just one week after the desktop launch, and it will give those with compatible handsets to take advantage of a raft of new features.

Continue reading

Most enterprises lag behind in mobile security

Business mobile devices

Enterprises are still not doing enough to protect corporate data on their employee’s mobile apps and devices from cyber threats, according to a new report from MobileIron.

According to the Mobile Security and Risk Review report for Q2 2016, less than five percent of enterprises are using mobile threat detection software and only eight percent have an enforced operating system update policy in place.

Continue reading

© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.