Sharing passwords is a bad idea, yet people still do it
A lot of people like sharing their passwords with others, even though such actions put their data at risk -- and they know it. Those are the results of a new survey commissioned by password management firm LastPass, and conducted by RedShift Research.
According to the survey, more than half (55 percent) of UK’s consumers share passwords with others, jeopardizing their financial information in the process. They know that’s risky -- three quarters (75 percent) have confirmed it -- but still, 96 percent have admitted sharing up to six passwords with others.
Microsoft delays Windows 10 'Redstone 2', now expected spring 2017
Microsoft is currently working on the next version of Windows 10, codenamed Redstone, and we’ve been seeing the results of this labor in the form of new Insider Preview builds arriving on the Fast ring at a rate of around one a week now.
The updated OS will include new features, tweaks and general improvements and should, finally, introduce extension support to the Edge browser. It will also bring the different Windows 10 devices -- PC, Xbox, Mobile -- closer together.
Google kills Project Fi invites and discounts Nexus 5X -- service now open to anyone in USA
Many consumers have a love/hate relationship with their cell providers. On the one hand, these companies provide us with our much-needed data -- allowing us to access the Internet from almost anywhere. On the other hand, where the hate comes in, is high prices and data caps. By limiting data, these companies are arguably impeding technological progress -- users shouldn't have to be mindful of data usage.
It is for this reason that Project Fi has been a godsend for some. Google's cellular service -- piggybacked off of Wi-Fi, T-Mobile, and Sprint -- offers affordable tiered data plans. The big catch, unfortunately, was the invite system. You see, you had to have a special invite to sign up, meaning many of those that wanted to, simply couldn't. Today, this changes as Google kills Project Fi invites, making it available to anyone in the United States. I am very happy to say 'RIP' to the invite system!
Microsoft brings SQL Server to Linux
The new Microsoft has placed an increased importance on the cloud, and with other companies following suit, reliance on server solutions has increased. Today the company announces that it is bringing SQL Server to Linux.
Both cloud and on-premises versions will be available, and the news has been welcomed by the likes of Red Hat and Canonical. Although the Linux port of SQL Server is not due to make an appearance until the middle of next year, a private preview version is being made available to testers from today.
House of Commons embraces electronic voting via Surface Pro to improve speed and transparency
Starting today, every vote that takes place in the House of Commons will be recorded on tablets -- specifically Microsoft Surface Pros. This is an expansion of the program used by UK MPs voting in divisions under the "English votes for English laws" procedure and means that the electronic system will be used in all situations.
It does not mean that each politician is equipped with his or her own tablet, but votes will be recorded by an appointed clerk. As well as improving accuracy internally, electronic voting means that data about votes can be made publicly available more quickly in the name of transparency.
How you use your device might serve as a password
Behavioral biometrics, user authentication and malware detection company BioCatch has announced that it has been granted a patent for a new authentication technology through which devices would actually recognize their users by the way they use them.
The patent has been granted by the US Patent Office. It is called Device, system, and method for detecting user identity based on motor control loop model.
New WordPress plugin lets anyone create Facebook Instant Articles
Facebook's biggest news recently has been the global roll out of Reactions. But bubbling away in the background over recent weeks have been changes to the Instant Article program. Initially made available only to larger publishers, Facebook Instant Articles help to improve user-engagement by providing articles that load internally up to ten times faster than linking to external sites.
Facebook then announced that Instant Articles would be made available to publishers of all sizes, and today a WordPress plugin has been launched that means any blogger can take advantage of the feature. The partnership between Facebook and Automattic opens up Instant Articles to millions of users.
Microsoft acting like Donald Trump by attacking Apple MacBook Pro in new Surface Book videos
This may blow some peoples' minds, but both OS X and Windows 10 are great operating systems. True, Microsoft's latest offering has some major annoyances such as privacy concerns, but overall, it is solid. One major way the two OS experiences differ is with touch screens. Microsoft has embraced touch and drawing with its operating system, while Apple has not. In fact, the fruit-logo company has failed to manufacturer a touch-enabled laptop (some would argue wisely).
If you do not need a touch experience, or stylus, not having those things won't really matter. If you do need those things, however, a Windows 10 computer such as the Surface Book could be the smarter choice. To highlight this, Microsoft is straight-up attacking Apple's MacBook Pro in a series of new videos. Quite frankly, Microsoft seems a bit like a bully -- sort of like Donald Trump -- by attacking Apple in this way. Is the Surface Book truly better than Apple's offering as the videos suggest?
Seagate succumbs to phishing scam: customers should be safe, employees not so much
Companies seem to get compromised on a regular basis and, for the most part, it's security holes in their systems. But user error can also be blamed in some cases -- an errant click on an email attachment can unleash all matter of headaches for an IT department.
Such seems to be the case now with Seagate as reports are emerging of a loss of employee data that came via a phishing scam.
The best customer support is on social media
Email is falling behind social media channels when it comes to customer support, a new survey by Eptica suggests. The multichannel customer interaction management software provider trialled 100 "leading" UK companies, mimicking the behavior of ordinary customers by asking 10 routine questions.
It wanted to see how long it took the companies, and which channels they mostly used, to answer their customers to any questions they might be asking.
Sweeping changes at Microsoft Studios spell the end of Lionhead Studios and its Fable series
Microsoft has announced sweeping changes at Microsoft Studios, affecting development teams in the UK and Denmark. In sad news for gamers, development of Fable Legends has been brought to an end. The Fable series is one that has suffered numerous setbacks and delays over the years, but this is the biggest blow yet.
More than this, the team behind Fable -- Lionhead Studios -- is at risk of closure, and Microsoft is in talk with employees about this. General Manager of Microsoft Studios Europe, Hanno Lemke also announced that Press Play Studios in Denmark will close, leading to the end of development on Project Knoxville.
Security is a major concern in the IT industry
Security, and pretty much everything related to security, is the biggest challenge the IT industry is facing nowadays. Those are the results of a new annual research conducted by IT management and innovative security systems provider Shavlik.
The key takeaway point from the report is that 58 percent of IT professionals are more concerned about system security than they were 12 months ago, and we have all the high-profile security breaches that happened recently to thank for that.
Choetech Choe Qi is an affordable fast wireless charging pad [Review]
Wireless charging is one of the nicest and most convenient features added on smartphones in the past couple of years. Increasingly seen on mid-range and high-end offerings, it enables devices to charge simply by resting on a small pad. After experiencing the benefits, you will not want to go back to using a wall charger and cable again.
It is not enough to have a smartphone that offers this feature, as you also need a compatible pad to wirelessly charge it. A very interesting proposition is Choetech's Choe Qi, which offers fast wireless charging at an attractive price point. I have been using it for a few weeks to find out whether it's worth buying, and here are my impressions.
New security solution protects Android apps throughout their lifecycle
Although mobile apps may be tested for security threats present at the time they're developed, they are of course subject to attacks once they’re out in the world.
Security solutions company SEWORKS is launching a new SaaS-based protection for Android called AppSolid, which will give development teams proactive protection and tracking of their apps across their entire lifespan.
Setting up Nest to work with Wink home automation hub
We have previously written about setting up lights with the Wink home automation hub – there are a number of bulbs that work including GE Link and Cree. We have also provided a tutorial for installing the Nest thermostat.
Now we're looking at linking the two together. Wink can be paired with Amazon Echo, which means you can control your heating and cooling by voice. For now, let's just worry about the first part and we'll get to Alexa later.
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