Zuckerberg's #BLM rant and the dangers of corporate Thought Police
Corporate leaders, especially those considered thought leaders, have a firm right and assumed expectation to voice their opinion on public policy. As such, I've got no inherent issues with Facebook's founder and chief, Mark Zuckerberg, proclaiming his positions publicly -- even if I happen to blatantly disagree with them.
Mark and other leaders of their respective industries have something very intrinsically unique that most others do not. That comes in the form of the power of the pulpit. It places their opinion in a position which bring inherent weight and reach which many could only dream of. Yet, this advantage comes with a social responsibility so as to not abuse or otherwise misuse the privilege.
'Mumblehard' malware turns thousands of Linux servers into spam botnet -- ESET shuts it down
Linux-based operating systems are rock solid -- reliable and secure -- but not infallible. The Mumblehard malware, for instance, targets servers running the open source kernel, installing a backdoor, and then turning them into part of a powerful spam-focused botnet. Surprisingly, Mumblehard was rather widespread, infecting 4,000 Linux-powered servers.
Of course, had administrators patched the systems appropriately, there is a good chance that some of them would have avoided infection. I say this, because ESET found that some machines were infected through known exploits, in things like WordPress. Thankfully, ESET successfully terminated the botnet on February 29th, 2016 by taking control of the home IP.
Draft encryption bill could spell the end of privacy and security as we know it
Apple's battle with the FBI has focused the attention of the technology community on encryption. But while just about all of the big players in the tech world backed Apple's refusal to create a backdoor for the FBI into iOS, Congress has a very different idea about how encryption and governmental access to data should be handled. This is perfectly demonstrated by a new bill.
The draft version of the Compliance with Court Orders Act of 2016 -- penned by Senators Diane Feinstein and Richard Burr -- would essentially force all US companies to decrypt data they may have encrypted, or to provide backdoors when asked. It's a bill described variously as 'dangerous', 'encryption-weakening', and 'anti-security', and it starts off aggressivley in stating that "no person or entity is above the law". In effect, it renders the encryption put in place by the likes of WhatsApp completely pointless as, if the bill is passed, companies would have to decrypt data on demand.
Linux can still beat Windows in the desktop war, and Linus Torvalds is 'working on it'
About a year ago, I declared Windows 10 was "the final nail in the coffin for the Linux desktop". What I meant by this was not that Linux on the desktop was really dead, but that the Linux community had failed to capitalize on the negative sentiment towards Windows 8x. What I didn't expect at the time, however, was Microsoft's privacy faux pas with Windows 10. While there are more than a quarter billion installs of the latest operating system, plenty of folks have serious concerns about spying.
Maybe Linux has a chance on the desktop after all. Ubuntu is being integrated into Windows 10, and Android seems to be headed towards the desktop. In other words, Linux is making significant moves. Heck, even Linus Torvalds is prepared to keep fighting the good fight, and he declares that he is still "working on it".
Windows 10 Anniversary Edition is due for release in July
Microsoft's Windows 10 Roadmap for business users reveals that the eagerly-anticipated Windows 10 Anniversary Edition is due to launch in July this year. At Build 2016 earlier in the month, Microsoft said that the big update was due to launch 'this summer', but did not get any more precise than this for the Redstone branch release.
But digging into roadmap documents, Microsoft makes it clear that it is aiming for a July release. The company has said that the update will bring "significant new features", including taskbar badge notifications and a revamped Start menu, but it is when talking about the new features that are coming to Cortana that the date is revealed.
Thrustmaster announces TMX Force Feedback racing wheel for Xbox One and Windows 10
Illegal street racing is totally dangerous. Quite frankly, not only can you injure or kill yourself, but even worse, you can impact innocent pedestrians. Luckily, if you have the need for speed, video games can give you your racing fix in a safe environment.
Today, Thrustmaster announces the TMX Force Feedback racing wheel for Xbox One and Windows 10 (plus Vista, 7, and 8x). For under $200, you can take your games to the next level with a feedback-focused racing wheel.
If you torrent pirate TV shows, prepare to switch to MKV format
Let's not beat around the bush: we know that a lot of you use the likes of the Pirate Bay, KickAssTorrents and the like to grab copies of movies and TV shows. You're probably aware of a number of release groups on the scene, but you might not know that there are fairly strict rules dictating capturing, formatting and naming releases.
This weekend a major change comes into force. Until now MP4 has been the video format of choice, but the change in standards means that this format is being ousted in favor of MKV. There are astoundingly lengthy standards documents covering standard and high definition releases of TV shows, and while the alterations are touted as bringing things up to date, not everyone is happy.
Microsoft releases Project Centennial Desktop App Converter Preview for Windows 10
At Build 2016 earlier this month, Microsoft talked about Project Centennial and the Desktop App Converter. Part of the company's app drive, the tool has been designed to make it easier for developers to convert legacy apps into Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps for Windows 10.
This is Microsoft's attempt to get more apps into the Store, making things as easy as possible for devs. Designed to run on the Enterprise and Pro versions of Windows 10 Anniversary Update build 14316 and newer (Redstone), Desktop App Converter is a free tool that can be used to quickly create apps that will run not only on Windows 10 desktops, laptops and tablet, but also phones, HoloLens and Xbox One, taking full advantage of features such as Live Tiles.
5 common data migration mistakes
Every once in a while you will have to migrate data from one system to another. This could be for reasons of upgrading your systems or for development of infrastructure. When you want to test your new apps during the development process, you will need to use the data that your business has generated. The test data is really hard to access simply because of the migration work. It is hard for the developers to migrate data from the full sandboxes to the developer sandboxes.
It is only left to the imagination how difficult migrating all of your business’ data can be. There are so many mistakes that you are most likely to make during the data migration process. You should beware of these pitfalls and learn how to avoid them. If you fall into them, you are going to spend a huge amount of money and time repairing the errors that they will cause. Here are some of those challenges.
EMC wants to sell Documentum
The EMC-Dell deal never stops to capture headlines, and today is no different. The media have reported that EMC is looking to sell Documentum, its enterprise content management platform.
Documentum was acquired by EMC in December 2003, when it cashed out $1.7 billion for it. The platform is a part of EMC’s Enterprise Content Division (ECD) business unit.
G.SKILL unveils Trident Z DDR4-3600MHz 16GB (2x8GB) CL15 desktop memory kit
If you are a PC builder, you know that we are in the middle of a shift to DDR4. While DDR3 is perfectly fine for now -- and the only option for current AMD builds -- DDR4 is certainly the future. Believe it or not, prices for this newer RAM can sometimes be lower than DDR3 at the same capacity.
If you are planning to do a new Intel build, G.SKILL -- a very well-respected manufacturer -- has a new RAM kit that will certainly interest you. This 16GB DDR4 CL15 kit runs at an insane 3600MHz, making it perfect for things like gaming.
Maktub ransomware phishing scam knows your home address and uses it as leverage
Ransomware is one of the most prevalent security threats at the moment, and each week there are new examples that up the ante a little more. In recent months we have seen cross-platform ransomware, Tesla 4's unbreakable encryption, and the MBR-overwriting antics of PETYA, but a new phishing scam takes another approach.
In a cleverly orchestrated campaign, a phishing scam is doing the rounds whereby malware meets social engineering in a bid to extract cash from victims. It marries together the file-encrypting Maktub ransomware with a thinly-veiled threat -- home addresses. Quoting victims' home addresses to them serves two purposes: it adds a level of authenticity to the phishing email, but also acts as additional leverage by upping the fear level.
Outlook gains Evernote, Facebook and Wunderlist integration on Android and iOS
Outlook is without a doubt one of the most powerful email apps available on Android and iOS. It supports all the major email providers, works with popular cloud storage services, gives you access to contacts, and integrates your calendars. On top of all this, Outlook is also optimized for use in the enterprise, so it can be a great app for work too.
Microsoft is now making Outlook even better as it launches Calendar Apps. This is a new feature that is designed to give you access to more calendar sources, with Evernote, Facebook and Wunderlist being the first available services.
WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption is not all it's cracked up to be
Just a few days ago, WhatsApp trumpeted the roll out of end-to-end encryption for its messaging service. The world rejoiced. With events such as the battle between Apple and the FBI turning attention to encryption, the announcement was well-timed to ride the crest of the wave. But it seems that for all of the bluster and bravado, the news about extra protection may not be quite as good as it seems.
Analysis of WhatsApp's privacy documentation reveals that the Facebook-owned company retains a huge amount of data about messages that are sent. If this all sounds familiar, it's because the retention of metadata is precisely what the NSA was (is?) up to, trawling web communications and upsetting Edward Snowden and privacy advocates around the world. WhatsApp's encryption and policies mean that those who are concerned about their privacy should not rest on their laurels.
Consumers do not trust Internet of Things
Even though consumers see tangible benefits of the Internet of Things (IoT) adoption, many have their doubts regarding security, trust and safety, and that could seriously hurt the adoption of the new technology.
Those are the results of a new study conducted by global mobile trade body Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF). The Global Consumer Survey asked 5,000 mobile users in eight markets about the future of the connected world.
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