Financial services believe blockchain is the biggest innovation since the Internet

Best Windows apps this week


One-hundred and eighty-two in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 8.x and Windows 10 in the past seven days.
The Ready, Set, Summer sale has started. Brian has all the details for you, but if you are in a hurry, simply click on the following link to check out what is discounted. The sale includes Windows apps and games, movies, and music offers.
Facebook introduces new cookies policy and allows users to opt out of tailored ads on non-Facebook sites


When you hit Facebook today, you may well notice a new Cookies Policy warning at the top of the page. It states: "To help personalize content, tailor and measure ads, and provide a safer experience, we use cookies. By clicking or navigating the site, you agree to allow our collection of information on and off Facebook through cookies. Learn more, including about available controls: Cookies Policy". But what is it all about?
Facebook hasn’t made a great deal of fuss about it, but the social network has introduced not only a new cookies policy, but also made changes to ads. It is now possible to opt out of seeing tailored ads on non-Facebook sites. Facebook says it is all part of creating "a better online advertising experience for everyone".
Listary 5.0 is a massive update


The powerful search tool/ launcher Listary has hit version 5.0 with a huge list of major new features. You can now use Listary to run searches on your favorite websites, with the results opening in a new browser page.
A smarter launcher is able to launch Windows 8/ 10 apps, and run desktop applications as an administrator, even when Listary is launched normally.
Control of usage and costs is biggest challenge to public cloud


A new survey by cloud analytics company Cloud Cruiser and Dimensional Research shows that the top challenge with public cloud consumption is the ability to proactively manage usage and costs across the business.
The survey among almost 200 professionals who attended the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Global Summit in April also reveals that nearly one third of organizations are doing nothing to track, manage and allocate cloud consumption costs.
Windows 10's new Limited Periodic Scanning mode will keep your PC extra safe from malware -- here's how to use it


While there’s a lot of negativity surrounding Windows 10 at the moment, thanks mostly to Microsoft’s shady upgrade tactics, it is actually a very good operating system.
The upcoming Windows 10 Anniversary Update, out at the end of July, improves the OS significantly, introducing a wealth of new features, and one of the latest inclusions to be made available for Windows Insiders to try is Limited Periodic Scanning. This sets Windows Defender to scan your PC at intervals, even if you have another anti-virus program installed.
You could be held liable for cases of bank fraud if your online security isn’t up to scratch


If you need another reason to pay attention to online security, new measures under consideration by banks could sharpen your focus. At the moment, banks in the UK frequently shoulder the cost of online fraud when customers fall victim. But all this could be set to change.
The plans being looked at by banks, GCHQ and the UK government could see people who haven’t taken care of their own online security being excluded from receiving compensation if their account is hacked.
UK carrier Three will block ads for a day


In an attempt to improve the daily lives of its customers, Three is planning to block ads for all of the customers using its network in the UK.
The company will block all mobile ads for its users for one day next month. The trial will last for 24 hours but if it is received successfully by Three customers, the company has hinted that it would be willing to expand its experiment.
Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14352 includes Cortana, Ink and Feedback hub improvements


Microsoft has pushed Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14352 to the Fast Ring. The latest build introduced a number of updates and bug fixes. One of the biggest changes is to Cortana which can now be used to control a Groove Music Catalog and set a timer.
The recently-introduced Windows Ink gains improved Sticky Notes, and the ruler now benefits from the inclusion of a compass. Gamers can now enjoy the Windows Game bar at full-screen in more games, including World of Warcraft, Counterstrike: Global Offensive, and Diablo III. Important changes have also been made to the Feedback Hub.
Google wins trial against Oracle -- Java APIs in Android are 'fair use'


Google has won a case brought against it by Oracle in which it was accused of infringing on copyright by using Java APIs in Android. But at the end of a two-week trial, the jury found in Google's favor saying that 'fair use' was an acceptable defense.
Had Google lost the case, it could have cost the company billions of dollars and would have set something of a precedent. This was the first major case in which a company tried to use copyright law to control the use of APIs.
Google plans to replace your Android password with a 'trust score'


Google wants to do away with traditional passwords on Android and replace them with "trust scores".
The company outlined how it is planning to make the transition away from passwords on its mobile platform by 2017 during its I/O conference last week. By using a variety of different metrics, Google’s Trust API technology would be able to replace traditional passwords and pins used to unlock its smartphones.
Decade-old 'forbidden attack' vulnerability affects HTTPS Visa sites


A number of supposedly secure HTTPS sites owned by Visa are vulnerable to what has been dubbed the 'forbidden attack'. The security flaw makes it possible for hackers to inject content and code into sites, as well as opening up the possibility of performing man-in-the-middle attacks.
A team of researchers have published a paper that shows how 70,000 HTTPS servers were vulnerable to the attack, and 184 were found to be particularly at risk. While many of the affected sites have since been patched, sites belonging to Visa and Polish banking associate Zwizek Banków Polskich remain insecure because of reusing a cryptographic nonce in contravention of the TLS protocol (hence the 'forbidden' tag).
Microsoft and Facebook building underwater transatlantic 'MAREA' data cable


As the world's need for high-speed internet grows, there will be an increasing strain on existing infrastructure. While both the internet and the web can create a border-free exchange of data, something still needs to connect continents so that it can be shared. While you will likely never see it with your own eyes, there are actually data cables under the sea which connect large masses of land.
Today, Microsoft and Facebook announce a partnership to build a transatlantic subsea data cable. Called 'MAREA', it will connect the United States to Europe. More specifically, it will connect the State of Virginia to the country of Spain. The project will begin this August, with a targeted completion date of October 2017.
Toyota bets on Uber

Microsoft discounts Radiohead, Minecraft, and more in summertime Windows Store promo


Despite negative sentiment towards Windows 10 because of Microsoft's shady upgrade tactics, it is actually a wonderful operating system. It is fast, secure, and compatible with many hardware configurations. Its Windows Store, which first debuted in Windows 8, allows users to easily download content -- both paid and free.
When it comes to apps and games, there is a lot of garbage in the Windows Store -- more crap than not. With that said, there are quite a few gems too. Today, Microsoft announces a special summer sale, delivering big discounts for shoppers in the store. Even the super-popular Minecraft gets a whopping 50 percent discount! However, not everything seems to be getting a reduction in price.
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