Netflix starts to block proxy and VPN access
Just last week Netflix announced plans to clamp down on VPNs and proxy tools. In what appears to be a move to please license holders the company has already started to impose new restrictions.
Some Netflix customers in Autralia who are using the uFlix VPN have noticed that their access to Netflix has been denied. Attempting to access Netflix using the tool results in an error message being displayed: "You seem to be using an unblocker or proxy. Please turn off any of these services and try again". But this is not the end of the story.
Developer: Windows Store is a disaster
One of the features that an app store must absolutely get right is search. Users have to be able to find what they are looking for and discover titles that meet their needs. At the same time, developers who spend time creating apps need to have their titles easily available to potential customers. If one, or both, of these requirements is not met, that creates a serious problem.
Windows Store is in this exact situation, according to multiple developer reports. Microsoft has been unable, or, worse, unwilling, to make the search functionality as useful as users and developers might like, at a time when Windows Store is already being penalized by its pitiful selection of top-tier and quality apps.
Virgin Media says it's not right to advertise broadband speeds that most people cannot get
The 'misleading' nature of ads for broadband services has been the subject of debate for some time. The 'up to' figures put forward in relation to speed are often so open to interpretation as to render them meaningless. Customers have had enough, and now Virgin Media is ready to fight on their behalf.
Current rules enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) permit UK ISPs to make claims about broadband speeds, even if just 10 percent of customers could receive these speeds. Virgin thinks this is unfair and is calling on the ASA to update its guidelines so customers will have an easier time comparing deals.
Humans get frozen out of frontline security
A new report from application delivery and cyber security specialist Radware suggests that the human element will increasingly be excluded from security as 2016 brings a 'battle of the bots'.
It finds that throughout 2015, no industry was immune to cyber attacks, and few were prepared for them. In 2016, attacks are predicted to become even more aggressive with the arrival of Advanced Persistent Denial of Service (APDoS) attacks and an increase in volume and scope of sophisticated bot-generated assaults against web application infrastructure.
Majority of consumers expect their data to be compromised in 2016
The series of high-profile data breaches we witnessed last year has left a mark on the way consumers perceive online business, a new research from NCC Group and IDG Research Services shows.
According to the research, entitled Trust in the Internet 2016, 63 percent of consumers expect their data to be compromised this year, and 60 percent are now worried, more than ever, about protecting their data on the Internet.
Microsoft debuts more powerful models of Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book… and a new gold pen too
If you’re thinking of buying either Surface Pro 4 or Surface Book, there’s quite a few variations in the range to consider, with different capacities for different budgets.
Today Microsoft launches the most powerful versions yet of both devices, and also introduces a new Gold Surface Pen for people looking to make a "bold statement" (Microsoft’s words, not ours).
You won't believe how many subscribers iHeartRadio has
iHeartRadio, a leading provider of streaming music, has numerous stations customers can listen to either on the web or through mobile apps. It's a popular service in a crowded streaming market. In fact, it even sponsors a major music festival each year in Las Vegas, the most recent taking place back in September.
What sort of follower-base does putting on a show with big name artists take? Obviously there's a lot behind it, aside from followers -- contracts with artists and radio stations, for example.
Microsoft is finally hiding Skype users' IP addresses by default -- better late than never
Microsoft is a curious company sometimes. Quite often, it offers wonderful products, but then fails to truly focus on the details. A great example is Skype. On paper, it sounds great -- a cross-platform communication solution. Sadly, the Windows clients are quite ugly, and overall, it can feel half-baked. The company really needs to dedicate some resources to improving the user experience, but I digress.
The largest oversight with Skype, however, is that it can expose your IP address. Sure, there may be situations where you might want to share this, but for many users, it is simply a security and privacy faux pas. Today, Microsoft finally rights this terrible wrong, and will be hiding the IP by default. Better late than never, eh?
Google paid $1 billion to Apple so its search would stay on iPhones
In the smartphone arena, Apple and Google are rivals -- but that doesn't mean they can't have a symbiotic relationship. Longstanding rivalry in mind, many people have questioned why Apple has retained Google as the default search choice on iPhones. The reason is that money talks.
Transcript of a copyright case involving Google and Oracle show that the search giant paid Apple $1 billion in 2014. An agreement is in place that sees Google paying Apple a percentage of the revenue it generates through iOS devices. This is something that has been rumored for some time, but neither Apple nor Google has commented on.
Best Windows apps this week
One-hundred and sixty-four 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.
As has been the case in the past two weeks, no "best app of the week" award was given out due to a lack of notable additions to the Windows Store lineup.
Only 45 percent of organizations are confident in their security
According to a new report 92 percent of executives believe regulators and investors will expect companies to manage their cyber security risk exposure, yet only 45 percent are confident in their security posture.
This is among the findings of the Cisco 2016 Annual Security Report which looks at the challenges businesses have in the face of a growing number of cyber threats.
Final Prediction #10: Apple will buy Dish Network
A third of the people who read this column don’t live in the USA so maybe this prediction isn’t interesting to them, but I think Apple will buy Dish Network, the American direct satellite TV broadcaster. It’s the only acquisition that will give Apple the kind of entry point they want into the TV business, allowing Cupertino to create overnight an over-the-top (OTT) Internet streaming video service -- effectively an Internet cable system.
Buying Dish would be a bold move for Apple because all the benefits Cupertino seeks aren’t obviously available. True, Dish has 14 million U.S. subscribers (I am one of those) who get 100+ channels of TV from the sky. True, Dish has an existing OTT streaming service called Sling that already offers a subset of the company’s cable channels. But it doesn’t necessarily follow that Dish could simply transfer its satellite content to the Internet, at least beyond what it does already with Sling.
Businesses believe compliance is effective at stopping data breaches
Companies are approaching the data safety issue the wrong way, according to Vormetric's 2016 Data Threat Report, which was issued in conjunction with analyst firm 451 Research. The two companies polled 1,100 senior IT security executives from large businesses worldwide.
Key findings suggest that the rate of breaches is up, with 61 percent experiencing one in the past. From that number, 22 percent happened in 2015, and 39 percent in the year prior.
Major university goes all-in on iPad Pro -- shuns Microsoft Surface
The original iPad is one of the most disruptive products in the history of personal computing. Its popularity caused the entire industry to shift -- it made Microsoft go bonkers with Windows 8 (retrofitting a touch UI to a mouse and keyboard OS), while countless manufacturers tried to copy it with Android. Yes, many have tried to duplicate the magic, but ultimately, nothing has ever truly matched it.
The iPad Pro, however, has not seen the same consumer interest, and for good reason -- its not intended for personal use (although it can be). Actually, the "Pro" moniker seems to be quite intentional; it is more appropriate for things such as business and education. Speaking of the latter, today, Lynn University announces that it is giving an iPad Pro to all undergraduate students and some members of faculty. Unfortunately for Microsoft, its Surface line was not chosen.
Angler exploit kit celebates the new year by adding CryptoWall 4.0
We're only a couple of weeks into a brand new year, and the outlook for security isn't looking particularly better. That doesn't mean you'll be hacked or malware will run wild on your computer, but it does mean you'll still need to be vigilant.
Now the popular Angler exploit kit has a brand new threat contained within it and this one could be especially scary. CryptoWall aims to lock up your files and hold them for ransom, an attack method that has been around now for sometime.
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