Best Windows apps this week
One-hundred and seventy-five in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows 8.x and Windows 10 in the past seven days.
This week saw the release of several great applications and games including Quantum Break, a Windows 10 exclusive game (also available on Xbox One).
Microsoft's Hub Keyboard now available on iPhone, iPad
Microsoft continues to bring out apps for rival mobile operating systems that aren’t available for Windows Phone.
Its Hub Keyboard, which was first released for Android back in February, is now available for iOS and makes it easy to access content from other apps. It also offers Office 365 integration.
Why it's vital for retailers to have a mobile strategy [Q&A]
We already know that having a mobile friendly site is important to search rankings, and with Google's announcement in March that it will start to rank mobile-ready sites even higher, companies are likely to focus even more on the mobile experience.
It's particularly important for retailers to connect with millennial shoppers who are more likely to research or buy using their mobile devices. We spoke to Aaron Shook, executive software architect of digital transformation specialist PointSource, to find out why a mobile strategy and good design are key to success.
Global IT spending will reach $3.49 trillion in 2016
IT spending, worldwide, will decline 0.5 percent this year, Gartner forecasts. The market analyst firm says this year’s forecast totals $3.49 trillion, down from $3.50 trillion which were spent in 2015. Last quarter’s forecast was 0.5 percent growth, and these new changes are mainly due to currency fluctuations, Gartner says.
"There is an undercurrent of economic uncertainty that is driving organizations to tighten their belts, and IT spending is one of the casualties", said John-David Lovelock, research vice president at Gartner. "Concurrently, the need to invest in IT to support digital business is more urgent than ever. Business leaders know that they need to become digital businesses or face irrelevance in a digital world. To make that happen, leaders are engaging in tough cost optimization efforts in some areas to fund digital business in others".
Microsoft Translator for iOS gets offline language support and new Safari extension
While learning a second language is probably very rewarding -- I wouldn't know -- it is becoming less necessary. Thanks to technology, people can easily translate languages while on the go with a smartphone or tablet. The problem? Many translator apps require an internet connection. This is a problem, as many people need these apps when traveling abroad, where they may not have a data connection.
Today, Microsoft updates its Translator app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch making it infinitely more useful for those traveling without data. In addition, the app is getting a new Safari extension, so users can easily translate webpages when needed.
Microsoft bangs another nail in Adobe Flash's coffin with a big change to Edge
Flash is not as integral to the web as it once was, but it’s still required for some content, despite being a huge security nightmare.
Microsoft, like Google and Mozilla, wants to hasten the transition away from Flash to a more modern, standards based web, and so plans to make a big change to Edge in the forthcoming Anniversary Update to Windows 10.
The FBI vs Apple fight is not over
The recent furore between Apple and the FBI over access to the San Bernadino shooter’s iPhone brought privacy debates firmly into the public eye. Despite tech giants, politicians and privacy campaigners explaining the potential ramifications of the case, many people remained on the fence.
A recent survey by the Pew Research Centre found that the majority of Americans sided with the FBI and believe that Apple should have complied with its demands. I find this deeply concerning because it shows how easily our collective privacy could be eroded in the name of national security, and also how little most people seem to understand the encryption technologies which protect us all.
Pfizer and IBM using Internet of Things for Parkinson's Disease project
While life can be a glorious thing, there are many scourges that can make it more difficult. Between things like cancer and heart disease, it can be impossible to get through the minefield of life unscathed. Unfortunately, there are many more health risks out there than just those two aforementioned examples.
One particularly heartbreaking condition is Parkinson's Disease. While many people have the affliction, Michael J. Fox is one person that comes to mind when discussing it. The disease causes him, an others, to lose body control, making day-to-day activities a tiring chore. Today, Pfizer announces that it is partnering with IBM to focus on improving Parkinson's Disease care by using the Internert of Things.
Apple could soon censor swearing in your music collection
As the parent of a young child I often have to give some serious thought as to what music I play in the car when she’s with me, in order to avoid accidentally exposing her to a song peppered with swear words.
This problem could soon become a thing of the past however, as Apple has patented a method of using software to automatically censor swearing in music and audio books.
For $500 you could look through your competitor's email
So you want to snoop through your competition’s email? Yeah, we can make that happen, but it’ll cost ya! How much? You’d be surprised. Secure Works’ researchers have dug deep into a popular cyber-crime forum to find out how much it costs to hire a hacker to do your dirty work, and the results, somewhat surprising, have been published in the Secure Works report.
Apparently, the luxury of reading your competitor’s email will cost you $500 (£353). To make things even better, the hacker will not change the email’s password or anything, so it will be pretty darn hard for the victim to realize they're being spied upon.
Eagle Mode: not your average file manager
Tired of Windows Explorer? There are alternatives around, but most use a very similar core interface with a few extras bolted on.
Eagle Mode is more imaginative. There’s no folder tree, no file pane, in fact it doesn’t look much like a file manager at all. Until you begin to explore…
Startup company launches solution to protect connected cars from cyber attacks
In our increasingly connected world it isn't just your computer or smartphone that can fall victim to attack. The Internet of Things is producing a whole new generation of vulnerable devices.
Not least of these are connected cars where attackers can potentially infiltrate and take control over car systems, even killing the engine as you drive.
Reddit launches official Android and iOS apps
Reddit has evolved into one of the most popular websites in the world but, despite its success, the self-titled "front page of the Internet" never released an official app. So, over the years, users have turned to third-party clients, one of which -- Alien Blue -- Reddit actually bought two years ago. Now though users are finally getting the real deal.
Reddit has finally launched official apps for Android and iOS. They come with support for inline images and themes, and promise "simpler navigation", and more. Here is what else you can expect.
Basic API security measures are often overlooked
APIs are the glue that holds much of the digital world together, connecting systems, apps and data. But a new survey reveals that many organizations are failing to place enough emphasis on API security.
Research company Ovum in partnership with bot detection and mitigation firm Distil Networks, surveyed 100 IT and security professionals. They found that 30 percent of APIs are planned out with no input from the IT security team and 27 percent of APIs proceed through the development stage without the IT security team weighing in.
Internet of Things is now mainstream, Verizon says
According to a new report released by Verizon, the Internet of Things is now mainstream. The report, titled State of the Market: Internet of Things (IoT), used the company’s customer usage data, research from Oxford Economics, customer case studies, and third party data to come to its conclusion in regard to the future of IoT.
Verizon’s experts see the combination of five macrotrends as the catalyst behind the IoT finally being embraced by consumers and businesses.
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