In the past there's tended to be a perception that running applications in the cloud is less secure than keeping them in-house.

However, a new study by data protection company Bitglass suggests that this view is changing as cloud apps mature. 52 percent of organizations are now confident that cloud apps are as secure as premises-based apps, up from 40 percent a year ago.

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Modern-day computers began trickling into the auto industry with cars like the 1971 Chrysler Imperial, which was one of the first to offer anti-lock brakes controlled by an electronic sensor system. Some 45 years later, the growth in computer-based car technology shows no signs of stopping. A number of Chevy vehicles, for instance, will provide you with a standard mobile Wi-Fi hotspot and 4G LTE connectivity for less than $20,000. And for folks who can afford a Tesla, that brand's "Autopilot" nearly lives up to its name. But as we've seen in other fields, as the potential benefits of connectivity increase, so does the potential for cybercrime.

Consider something as basic as mobile Wi-Fi. While Chevy is the only mainstream brand to supply that technology with 4G connectivity right now, a growing number of premium brands offer it, and a growing number of customers want it. Yet while mobile Wi-Fi gives you the same kind of online access as you'd get at your home or office, it also opens you up to all the same security issues you face there, from worries about passwords and personal data being captured, to concerns over the automakers' own security protocols.

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If you like taking Live Photos with your iPhone then you probably want to share those moments with other folks. One of the best ways that you can do that is by converting your Live Photos to GIFs, so that everyone can enjoy them even if they do not have an iOS device or Mac.

By now there are loads of apps that let you do that, but Google believes that there is room for one more. So, its Research arm has introduced Motion Stills, which has a neat little trick up its sleeve.

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There are lots of business collaboration tools on the market, but a new offering from UK-based Connectik aims to combine productivity features with the ease of use of a social network.

Connectik's newly launched hub allows enterprises to create a social network with their customers, staff and business partners, while also serving as an internal collaboration and productivity tool.

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Microsoft is preparing to increase its commitment to the open-source Apache Spark big-data processing engine this week at the Spark Summit in San Francisco.

At the summit, officials from Microsoft will be offering further insight into its support for Spark with the company’s HDInsight, Cortana Intelligence Suite, Power BI and Microsoft R Server.

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Just one month on from the previous stable release, Opera Software has released Opera 38 FINAL. The latest release of this desktop browser for Windows, Mac and Linux has one major headline of note: new battery and power saver features for laptops.

The new build also refines the app’s ad-blocking tool by allowing users to import their own block lists, plus makes several minor Speed Dial improvements.

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Slack is one of the best communication tools for teams and it is fair to say that we are big fans of it. We use it every day to chat and share ideas for new stories but also to transfer files. And pretty soon we might start calling each other.

After beta testing the feature for the last couple of months in private, Slack is now officially rolling out voice calling. It is planned to reach users on both desktop and mobile apps, though its capabilities will be limited by their plan.

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CyberLink has unveiled the first public beta of CyberLink PresenterLink+, a simple tool for building presentations, running them locally, or broadcasting via common video conferencing services. The program is stripped back and extremely easy to use. Import one or more PowerPoint decks (if PowerPoint is installed locally) or images, rearrange as needed, and you can be ready to go within minutes.

Presentation tools allow annotating slides, quickly jumping to other slides out of sequence, sharing and annotating your desktop, adding your webcam as a PiP overlay, and switching to a projector or another monitor.

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To help its users stay on task and manage their assignments more easily, Microsoft has just launched a new project management tool for teams using Office 365 called Planner.

The company initially released a preview of its new tool in December 2015 and now it will begin rolling it out worldwide to all Office 365 users including those using Office 365 Enterprise E1-E5, Business Essentials, Premium and even its Education subscription plan.

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New technologies like big data and machine learning are beginning to revolutionize business, but they place increasing demands on the technical expertise needed to exploit them.

Development platform Mendix is launching its latest version, Mendix 7, that will allow businesses to build Smart Apps to improve operations, deliver differentiated services and create new business models.

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The first Surface tablets struggled to find an audience -- to put it politely -- but with Surface Pro 3 (and then Surface Pro 4) Microsoft finally got things right.

The company wants its range of slates to be a viable alternative to iPads for businesses and so has quietly introduced a membership plan that will allow firms to get the latest Surface devices, upgrade when available, and pay for things monthly.

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My oldest Internet ID, three letters, is vintage 1996. Yahoo's impending demise, which could be to Verizon, almost certainly will mark the end of our long relationship. We mutually will abandon one another. I'm sorry that it comes to this.

Yahoo sealed its fate when cutting the deal to outsource search to Microsoft during summer 2009. The disaster I predicted then will soon end the iconic brand, what little remains of it. Many people will blame CEO Marissa Mayer, but she was but steward of the sinking ship. Doom was a certainty after Yahoo surrendered crown jewel search. That the company limped along for another 7 years is testimony to the brand and to the services infrastructure built around it.

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The controversial Snooper's Charter -- or the Investigatory Powers Bill as it is officially known -- has been voted into law by UK MPs. An overwhelming majority of politicians (444 to 69) voted in favor of the bill which has been roundly criticized by both the public and technology companies.

The Investigatory Powers Bill grants the UK government, security, and intelligence agencies greater powers for monitoring internet usage, as well as permitting bulk data collection and remote hacking of smartphones. The law allows for the kind of mass surveillance that Edward Snowden warned about, and while the bill may have passed a majority vote, there are still those who fear not enough has been done to safeguard individuals' privacy.

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To keep enterprise users happy, Windows 10 includes both Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge. Internet Explorer may be included for legacy support, but just like non-enterprise customers, Microsoft is keen to get everyone shifted across to Edge or at least ensure the two browsers work well together.

To help encourage this migration, Windows 10 Anniversary Update brings support for a number of new management policies in Microsoft's newest browser. There's a clear need to continue to support legacy line of business (LOB) applications, but Microsoft also wants to make management as easy as possible.

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Depending on your hobbies or career, you may have a need for rugged devices. What would be some of these scenarios? Maybe your job is a coal miner, police officer, farmer, or in the military. Maybe on the weekends you need to take a laptop on a snowmobile or ATV. Whatever the case, constantly breaking your computer due to hostile environments can get costly quick.

Today, Getac announces one of the most rugged Skylake-powered Windows 10 laptops on the market. Called the B300, it has a Core i7 processor and is built like a tank. Not only can it take a beating, but its hardcore internal specifications can dish one out too.

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