Automatically generate abstract art with Mondriaan Creator
Even if you don’t know Piet Mondriaan’s name, you’ll probably recognize the Dutch painter’s distinctive geometric style: white background and a black grid, partly filled with primary colors.
It’s not an approach that appeals to everyone, but if you’re interested then you can now generate new Mondriaan-style images with the free Mondriaan Creator.
CyanogenMod: reports of its death have been greatly exaggerated
Rumors started to circulate in recent days that all was not well at Cyanogen Inc. Reports suggested that the company was not only shedding a fifth of its staff, but was also moving away from its Android-based CyanogenMod to focus instead on apps.
After a few days of silence, the company has now come forward to set the record straight. Cyanogen Inc wants to make it clear that its operating system is here to stay, and there are no plans to become an app company.
Spam call protection arrives in the Google Phone app for Android
We're used to the idea of filtering spam emails from our inbox these days, but there is also the problem of spam phone calls. These are not just a nuisance, but may also be the start of scams. Google is pushing out an update to its Phone app that helps to keep you protected.
It's a simple idea. Whenever a suspicious call comes through, a warning is displayed on screen to let you know that you might want to either ignore the call, or take care if you answer.
Google Maps gets a facelift that makes it easier to read and areas of interest easier to find
You've probably noticed that it can be hard to make out details on Google Maps. You're not alone; Google has noticed too, and the company has just launched a redesigned version of the essential travel tool.
The changes apply to the desktop, iOS and Android versions of Google Maps and the most immediately apparent difference is the new color palette -- much subtler and easier on the eyes. But Google has also cleaned things up to improve visibility, and added new 'areas of interest'.
Hackers steal 1.6 million Clash of Kings forum accounts
The official forum for the popular mobile game Clash of Kings is the latest to fall victim to a cyberattack after a hacker broke through its defenses and managed to obtain the user data of around 1.6 million accounts.
The hack occurred on July 14 and the security breach was made known to the website LeakedSource.com by a hacker who wished to remain anonymous. The database of user account details taken from the forum contained the usernames, email addresses, IP addresses, device identifiers in addition to Facebook data and access tokens from those who signed in using their social accounts.
Bitcoin is not money, it's property
What's the first word that pops into your head when you hear Bitcoin? It's probably cryptocurrency, but a judge in Florida says this is wrong -- it's actually property.
In a case relating to alleged money laundering, Judge Teresa Pooler ruled that the charges could not stick as Bitcoin was not money, and therefore could not be laundered. With the decision that Bitcoin cannot be considered a 'monetary instrument', this could have implications for future cases.
Windows 10 Anniversary Update Preview gets another patch -- Build 14393.5 now available
Microsoft continues to polish Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14393 in preparation for its big release as the Anniversary Update on 2 August.
The latest cumulative update (KB3176927) is available for both PC and Mobile, and bumps the Fast ring build up to 14393.5. As you would expect, this patch fixes a fair few problems, including some notable ones.
Amazon gets government approval to test 'Prime Air' delivery drones in the UK
When Amazon initially announced that it wanted to make deliveries by drone, the world became very curious. The media jumped on the story, of course, driving people to get both excited and anxious about the possibilities.
Like many things, however, the USA government bureaucracy stifled our drone delivery dreams, somewhat. While I am all for safety and testing, I hate to see progress move at a snail's pace. The UK Government seems a bit more open to the unmanned delivery idea, as it is now working with Amazon to begin testing these drones in the nation as a delivery method.
Virtual reality comes to Lollapalooza's 25th anniversary courtesy of Samsung Gear VR
Back in 1996, I attended the greatest concert of my life. I was only a teenager -- not yet old enough to drive -- so I got a ride from Long Island to Randall's Island in NYC. The show was Lollapalooza, and the lineup was epic -- Metallica, The Ramones, Soundgarden, Wu-Tang Clan, and more.
Back then, concertgoers didn't have smartphones and other such modern technologies -- we stared at the stage, not a screen. In 2016, however, things are very different. The upcoming Lollapalooza concert -- the 25th anniversary of the festival which is being held in Chicago -- will have a more high-tech feel. Why? There will be virtual reality onsite -- and offsite too. The VR technology will be supplied by Sasmung's Gear VR.
The KickassTorrents forums are alive and kicking
Just a few days ago, KickassTorrents was dealt a blow when Artem Vaulin was arrested and the site seized by feds. Of course, it didn’t take long for mirrors to spring up, keeping KAT online in new locations. But the original team has also taken steps to ensure that the community lives on.
The KAT team has set up Katcr.co, home to a forum complete with many familiar old faces. This time around, there are no torrents -- this is strictly a forum -- although the KAT mirrors are still to be found online.
Polymail for Mac wants to provide a cross-platform email experience to die for
If you’re still looking for the perfect email experience on Mac and iOS, then Polymail, Inc may have something to fill the gap left by Mailbox’s unceremonious exit back in February. It’s just officially released Polymail for Mac 1.01 after around six months in beta.
Polymail for Mac joins existing iPad and iPhone client, Polymail for iOS 1.21, to provide a cross-platform email client for Apple fans.
Syncwire rugged microUSB cable review
USB cables may look durable, but it does not take much to bend a connector or damage the rubber jacket. These things happen, as you may have learned by now, and when they do they can easily ruin your day. Unless you have a spare, which is not always the case, you may be unable to charge your smartphone or power an important device.
Enter rugged USB cables. With tougher connectors and a more durable jacket, they can withstand a great deal of abuse -- even from curious pets. I've been testing Syncwire's "durable" microUSB offering for the past couple of weeks, and here are my impressions.
What you need to know about two factor authentication
Picture this: you open your laptop to begin checking online sales for your business. You log in with your email address, only to receive an uncharacteristic error message: "Your Password is Invalid". You type in the password again. "Your Password is Invalid". You try again. "Your account has been temporarily locked. Please contact support".
You quickly grab the phone and begin to dial. As you wait on hold, you decide to check your business’ website and are stunned to see a "Web Page Not Found" error. A technical support specialist answers your call and begins to explain that the website and linked email account have been hacked.
Create stylish coding snapshots with Marmoset
You’re building a website, presentation, maybe a CV listing your many coding skills, and would like some kind of graphic to illustrate that section. But what should it be?
Forget the usual clipart, install the Chrome app Marmoset instead, and it’ll help you create a stylish presentation-ready code snapshot in seconds.
Email is still king despite the threats it poses
Email is often cited as the technology that made the internet essential for businesses. You would have thought by now that something else would have come along to replace it in our affections, but the popularity of email shows no sign of waning.
A new infographic from email authentication company ValiMail shows that 98.5 percent of people check their email daily and spend as much as six hours doing so.
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