System76 Oryx Pro is the Ubuntu Linux gaming laptop of your dreams [Review]


When you think of a gaming PC, two things probably come to mind -- Microsoft Windows and desktop computers. In other words, gamers don't typically target laptops for playing their favorite games, and even when some do, they will likely aim for Windows 7, 8, or 10. Thanks to Steam, however, Linux-based operating systems are a legitimate option for gaming.
If you want a Linux-based gaming laptop, your choices are slim. Yes, you can buy a Windows laptop and replace the operating system with Ubuntu or another OS, but that isn't the best experience. Ideally, you want a machine that was designed and sold with Linux in mind. Enter the Ubuntu-powered System76 Oryx Pro. This beast of a gaming laptop can be configured with some jaw-dropping specs. The one I have been testing features an Intel Skylake Core i7 processor, 32GB of DDR4 RAM, NVMe SSD and NVIDIA graphics, including G-SYNC. Are you salivating yet? Read on for more specs and my impressions.
Now that Google Glass is enterprise-only, it is more appealing than ever


The first generation of Google Glass spectacularly failed to get off the ground despite a long beta period. The second generation is on the cards, and it has an enterprise focus which serves only to make the hardware even more appealing. There's no release date, or even a vague schedule for release, yet, but images of the next version of Google Glass have appeared online.
A new filing with the FCC shows just what we can expect from the next version of Google Glass, and it's extremely promising. While there's no suggestion of a consumer model being released, what we learn about the enterprise edition will serve only to make it more appealing to the masses -- great looks, a foldable design, and a larger display. Will Google bow to the pressure that's almost certain to mount and try again with a consumer version?
AVG force-installed vulnerable 'broken' Chrome extension


Google Security Research has criticized AVG for "force installing" AVG Web Tuneup, a Chrome extension which could be exploited to reveal "browsing history and other data to the internet".
And it only gets worse, the report claims.
Goal! The NHL comes to TuneIn Radio


Earlier in this NFL season TuneIn landed a deal with the league to bring listeners radio broadcasts of all the games, which likely beefed up its subscriber numbers. Other sports were already participating in the broadcasts and now you can add one more to that list.
The National Hockey League is arriving on the streaming network, bringing radio broadcasts of the games for your favorite NHL teams from the US and Canada.
Adoption of cloud computing in the enterprise: The progress in 2015


In general, cloud penetration across the enterprise in terms of workloads being completed continues to be at a relatively low level, with many analysts firms reporting that penetration is at rates of less than 10 percent.
That said, the journey has begun in most organizations and Ovum has identified that nearly 75 percent of organizations will adopt some hybrid cloud strategy by 2016.
Seagate will introduce larger HAMR-based HDDs in 2018


The first HAMR hard disk drives are set to appear on the market in early 2018. The disks, which will be built by storage company Seagate, will be given to select customers and used as testing devices in late 2016 or early 2017, before shipping out to other consumers a year later.
The HAMR technology, (heat-assisted magnetic recording) promises to increase capacities of HDDs significantly in the coming years. You might wonder why HDD is still a thing when SSD is doing such a good job, but HDD is still used by millions of people and across virtually all data centers worldwide.
Microsoft explains why it's pushing Windows 10 so aggressively (spoiler: it's to keep you safe)


It’s understandable that Microsoft would want to push Windows 10 as much as possible, particularly as the rate of upgrades has been slowing recently. It must be a source of frustration to the company that users of Windows 7 and 8.1 appear so reluctant to switch, even though the upgrade for them is free.
In an effort to guide people on to Windows 10, Microsoft has been using increasingly aggressive methods, including pre-loading the installation files on to users’ systems, regardless of whether they want the new OS or not, and removing the option to opt-out of the upgrade. In the new year Microsoft intends to ramp up its push further, and joining the Windows Weekly team for a question and answer session, Microsoft Marketing Chief Chris Capossela made no apologies for his company’s approach which, he says, is being done to get users to a "safer place".
Get F-Secure KEY Premium, worth $32.99, for FREE this December 29 with Downloadcrew Giveaway


Using strong, secure passwords is the best way to protect your online accounts from attack. And on December 29th we’re making it easier than ever, by giving away a $32.99 1-year license for the password manager F-Secure KEY Premium for FREE!
The program generates secure passwords for your web accounts, on demand, and saves them to an encrypted database on servers hosted in Finland.
I am depressed. Technology is my lifeline


This is a personal account of my experience of depression and how I feel technology has both helped me, and held me back. I've been depressed for just about as long as I can remember, but it's only in the last six months or so that I decided I needed help and thought it was time to do something. 30-odd years is a long time to feel like Atlas bearing the weight of the world.
Having made this decision, technology was something of a lifeline... specifically, and perhaps oddly, Facebook. The social network made it possible for me to communicate with friends when the mere idea of actually speaking to someone seemed like an insurmountable obstacle. It broke down barriers of time and distance, eased my embarrassment, stopped me from feeling awkward for crying (although even writing that brought the tears welling up, and I feel like an idiot, albeit in private).
The future of data center infrastructure management [Q&A]


Recent research from Intel suggests that, despite the availability of automated solutions for data center infrastructure management (DCIM), many businesses are still using manual procedures to do their capacity planning and forecasting.
To get an insider perspective on how managers can better exploit the benefits of DCIM products to streamline their operations we spoke to Jeff Klaus, General Manager of Intel Data Center Solutions.
Microsoft CMO hints at 'breakthrough' Surface phone

UK's average Internet speed grows by 10 percent in 2015


All European countries surveyed recently, experienced a quarterly increase in average connection speeds, with double digit gains being posted by Norway (15 percent) and the UK (10 percent). Year-over-year it was up by 21 percent in the United Kingdom. Those are the results of a new report by Akamai, the content delivery network.
Global average connection speed has increased slightly (0.2 percent) to 5.1 Mbps from the second quarter, accounting for a 14 percent increase year-over-year, the report said.
The benefits of Blockchain for financial services


"Blockchain is ready to take centre stage", declared a recent Goldman Sachs report, just one of many indications that this virtual system has captured the attention of the financial services industry.
It is certain that Blockchain has the potential to transform centuries-old mechanisms for transferring money. Our latest research, which surveyed over 300 banking executives on the current payments landscape across Europe, found that cryptocurrency and Blockchain technologies are now seen as real drivers for change.
UK sees 5.2 percent growth in IT jobs this year


The growth of the IT sector in the UK has accelerated to its fastest rate since the end of the recession, according to an analysis by Nixon Williams.
Nixon Williams analyzed data obtained from a variety of recent reports published by the Office of National Statistics, which show that there are currently 154,765 active IT enterprises in the UK, a 7.9 percent increase on the previous year when there were 143,450 active IT enterprises. The rate of new business creation in the IT sector is at its highest level since before the start of recession in 2008.
Dodgy database exposes details of 191 million US voters


If you've voted in a US election at some point in the last 15 years, there's a high chance that your personal details are now out in the wild. Security researcher Chris Vickery found a misconfigured database that exposes the details of no less than 191 million US voters.
The discovery was made a little over a week ago, and includes the names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, state voter IDs, and party affiliations of people registered to vote since the year 2000. The amount of detail contained in the database gives real cause for concern, and Vickery was shocked to find his own details were easily accessible due to a database misconfiguration.
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