Microsoft's Desktop App Converter helps devs bring Win32 and .NET apps to the Windows Store
Apple has been hugely successful in building up an app ecosystem over the years, Microsoft rather less so. Today at Build, the Windows 10 manufacturer announced a tool that it hopes will bolster the number of apps that appear in the Windows Store: Desktop App Converter, part of the Project Centennial program.
The tool has been designed to make it possible for developers to convert legacy desktop apps into Windows Store-compatible AppX apps. The quick-and-easy conversion to Universal Windows Platform apps will enable developers to bring their creations to not just Windows 10 on the desktop, but also Xbox One and the Windows Mobile platform.
Big Windows 10 Anniversary Update coming this summer
At Build 2016, Microsoft revealed that Windows 10 has now been installed on more than a quarter of a billion devices. But Build is about looking forward, not to the past or present. Windows 10 may have been lapped up by hundreds of millions of users, but there is already demand for the next big update -- and it's just on the horizon in the form of Windows 10 Anniversary Update.
Due for release late summer -- although no date has been given at this stage -- Windows 10 Anniversary Update is described as an "interim release", but one that will feature "significant new features". Timed to coincide with Windows 10's first anniversary, the update will enable developers to make use of hundreds of new features in an updated API set.
Acer Predator Z850 gaming projector now available -- play games on a 120-inch screen!
Many PC enthusiasts spend a lot of time researching two things -- games and hardware. While playing the actual games is the ultimate goal, sometimes it can be even more fun building computers and reading about all the cool new hardware. Even after your machine is built, you still can spend time finding the right mouse, keyboard, and monitor to name a few.
What if you didn't connect your tower to a monitor though? Am I talking about headless gaming? No, that would be silly. Obviously you need to see what you are doing! What I mean to say is, what about a gaming projector? Today, Acer's Predator Z850 projector -- which was announced at CES 2016 -- becomes available for purchase. It allows you to project a monstrous 120-inch screen!
Microsoft and Canonical bring Ubuntu Linux binaries and Bash Shell to Windows 10
Well folks, today we witness history. For the longest time, Microsoft and the Linux community have been like Ford and Chevy, or Coke and Pepsi -- bitter rivals. Users have often chosen a side, and then hated the other. Of course, Windows has many more followers on the desktop -- Linux is largely insignificant in that regard. Mobile and servers are a different story, but I digress.
Today, pigs must be flying, as Microsoft does the unthinkable, and brings Ubuntu binaries and Bash Shell to Windows 10. Steve Ballmer would be rolling in his grave -- if he were dead, that is.
Windows 10 now powers over 270 million devices
Since releasing Windows 10 last year, in late-July, Microsoft has provided a couple of updates on the adoption rate of its latest operating system. In early January, for instance, we were told that over 200 million active devices were running Windows 10 across the globe -- at the time, NetMarketShare placed it at 10 percent usage share.
Nearly three months later, we can expect Microsoft to boast even higher adoption figures. And, with Build 2016 underway, the software giant reveals that, indeed, there are many more devices now running Windows 10, over 270 million in fact.
Find, install and update popular PC software with RuckZuck
Migrating to a new PC can be a lengthy and tedious business, especially if you have to manually find, download and install all the programs you had on your old system. RuckZuck is an open source package manager which helps you manage the process in a few clicks.
The program is portable, and surprisingly small -- a single 176KB executable -- although that’s partly because it uses PowerShell 4 to do most of the work.
Evernote 6 Beta sees further user-interface revamp, existing features refined
Evernote has unveiled Evernote for Windows 6.0.2 Beta, an early release version of the next major update of its desktop client for Windows users. The new release sees another user interface revamp, plus focuses on refining existing tools rather than introducing major new features.
Version 6.0.2 opens with support for High DPI displays, and rolls out various improvements to the Assisted Search tool. This includes moving the Search bar to the top of the note list, providing more detailed descriptions of the search results and the extension of the tool to cover the user’s entire account, with options for expanding the search to include recently deleted notes as well as general refinements.
Amazon bans non-standard-compliant USB Type-C cables and adapters
There are many USB Type-C cables on the market, but, as it has been pointed out numerous times, not all are standard compliant. Even the cable that ships with OnePlus 2, one of the few smartphones that support USB Type-C, is out of spec, and may not work flawlessly with other handsets. And this is a serious problem.
Cables that do not comply with the USB Type-C standard can cause permanent damage, as Google's Benson Leung has explained in his reviews of various options available on the market. Amazon has taken notice, banning such products that do not comply with the official standard.
New program ensures enterprises are prepared for cyber attacks
If a data breach happens customers expect a fast and reassuring reaction from the company affected. It's therefore crucial for businesses to have an incident response plan, but often those plans are only tested when a breach occurs.
According to an upcoming survey from customer security company AllClear ID the two most common challenges during a breach response are people related, with 66 percent citing internal politics and 60 percent "too many cooks in the kitchen".
The changing role of the firewall in network security
The firewall is still at the center of most network security strategies, but it needs to evolve as cloud technology, software defined networks and next generation firewalls take hold.
This is among the conclusions of the latest State of the Firewall Report from network security specialist FireMon, which finds that 91 percent of IT security professionals believe firewalls are still as critical or more critical than ever to their security architecture.
How enterprises can benefit from archiving in the cloud
Most businesses have information they need to keep for compliance and other reasons. Traditionally this has been in the form of paper archives, but the availability of low-cost cloud storage offers an attractive alternative.
Data management company Solix Technologies has produced an infographic looking at the advantages of cloud archiving.
Samsung Pay arrives in China
Samsung Pay made its debut last year in South Korea in August and then launched in the US in September. At the end of 2015, the company announced that it was bringing its mobile payment service to China.
After a one month beta period, Samsung Pay is now available for local users with a Galaxy S6 edge Plus, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S7 or Galaxy S7 edge.
Two key challenges of using open source in the enterprise
A myriad point-tools are involved in every organization's software production. Some of our enterprise customers report using over 50 tools along their pipeline, from code development all the way to releasing into production. For the majority of development organizations today, these tools are comprised of a mix of commercial and open source technologies.
Existing open source tools can be found throughout your software development and operations teams -- from programming languages, infrastructure and technology stacks, development and test tools, project management and bug tracking, source control management, CI, configuration management, and more.
Google enters the landline business with Fiber Phone
Google has its tentacles wrapped around many things. Not only does it dominate search, and provide the most popular mobile operating system with Android, but it is also an ISP with Fiber and a cellular provider with Project Fi. If it involves the movement, collection, or analysis of data, the search giant seems interested.
With so many people owning smartphones nowadays, you'd expect landline service to be going the way of the dodo bird, but there are many reasons to have it, such as dependability in an emergency. Today, Google is surprisingly entering the landline business with the VoIP-powered Fiber Phone. No, it is not an early April Fool's Day joke, folks -- it is the real McCoy.
How to mitigate ransomware risks
Ransomware has already caused businesses real trouble this year and recently, security firms have warned about a sudden surge in junk mail messages containing this kind of malware. It seems that organized criminals are now increasingly targeting businesses, which can offer them bigger returns than going after individuals.
The first wave of ransomware started in 2005 and was called Trojan.Gpcoder. Now the security industry (and many unfortunate users) are discovering new variants almost every day. For example, a strain called Locky, discovered only two weeks ago is now the second most prevalent form. Currently, it asks for three Bitcoins (about £885) as payment for the decryption key.
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