The Linux Foundation will participate in 'Hour of Code'
Nowadays it can feel like kids are more interested in social media, emojis and video games than math and sciences. Look, I was a kid once, and I know school can feel boring, but knowledge of STEM is important; not only for the children, but for all of society. It is imperative that something is done to motivate students to create and make so the world can continue to advance.
Luckily, there are many initiatives in place to increase interest in STEM. One of the most popular is the 'Hour of Code', which is described as a "one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics". Today, The Linux Foundation announces its support.
Microsoft introduces Office 365 E5 subscription
Microsoft has launched a new premium Office 365 package for its enterprise customers, accompanied by a significant price increase.
Office 365 Enterprise E5 replaces Enterprise E4, which will be dropped by June 2016, and will cost $35 per user per month, compared to $22 per user per month for its predecessor.
GoPro Hero4 Session gets $100 price cut, Xiaomi Yi launches in US
When GoPro introduced the Session action camera in its Hero4 line, it made the mistake of offering the new model at the same price point as the much more capable Silver. So, naturally, consumers wanting a $400 GoPro have pretty much ignored it.
That is, until GoPro announced in late-September that it would slash $100 off its price. But, even $299.99 seems to have been too high a price in consumers' eyes, as Hero4 Session just received another price cut.
Net neutrality on trial: judges hear lawsuits against FCC
The Federal Communications Commission finds itself in court today, as the hearing gets underway to determine the legality of net neutrality rules. A total of 10 lawsuits have been brought against the commission by a number of cable and telecoms companies.
Earlier in the year the FCC banned service providers from creating internet fast lanes that could have been used to give those willing to pay for it a faster service, or to offer certain types of traffic preferential treatment. This could be the hearing that decides once and for all whether the idea of treating all web traffic equally is a workable option.
Windows 10 Mobile is dead in the water
Windows Phone's market share took a huge hit last quarter, dropping to a ridiculously low 1.7 percent. Things could improve following the introduction of Lumia 950, Lumia 950 XL and other Windows 10 Mobile smartphones, but, in the long run, the platform is not expected to regain much of the ground it lost to Android and iOS.
Windows Phone's market share for 2015 is expected to be around the 2.2 percent mark, according to an IDC forecast, which would be a major decline compared to last year, when its market share was 2.7 percent. But, that's not the real bad news. By the end of 2019, Windows on smartphones is expected to only see a slight bump to 2.3 percent.
Xbox One had a big Black Friday according to Microsoft
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are in the books as the big holiday looms ever larger on the horizon. But what gifts will be given this year? According to Microsoft a number of people will be unwrapping its products that morning.
Xbox Live chief Larry Hryb, aka Major Nelson, says that Xbox One had record sales on the biggest shopping day of the year. Not only that, but he claims Windows 10 gaming continues to rise, which is hardly surprising. The operating system is only recently on the market and consumers are switching to it. Hryb claims that in November Windows 10 gaming hours exceeded Windows 8 for the first time.
Google introduces interactive ads so you can try out Android apps without installing them
Google is experimenting with a way to make Android-based ads less irritating and more useful. Trial Run Ads are a new type of interactive ad that lets you try out games by streaming them rather than installing them. It's a format that Google and developers hope will help to drive installations, the thinking being that try-before-you-buy makes things easier for the would-be customer.
The new ads came about after research showed that mobile users' attention spans have shortened, and a quarter of downloaded apps are never used. Google is also introducing beta support for HTML5-based Interactive Interstitial ads which can be used for regular apps and not just games.
Best Windows apps this week
One-hundred and fifty-seven 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.
This is the second week without an app of the week award. That does not mean that the apps and games listed below are not entertaining or worth a try.
JD Wetherspoon's customer details leaked after cyber attack
Personal details of hundreds of thousands of JD Wetherspoon customers have been accessed and leaked following a hack of its database. The cyber attack affects more than 650,000 customers, the UK pub chain has announced.
The leaked data includes names, birth dates and email addresses, as well as the partial credit and debit card details of some customers who bought gift vouchers. Although the attack occurred back in June, JD Wetherspoon has only just gone public about it.
Barbie says hello to more security flaws
Hot on the heels of last Friday's news of the potential of the Wi-Fi enabled Hello Barbie doll to be hacked, new research has uncovered security issues with the mobile app associated with the doll and with its connections to cloud servers.
Application security specialist Bluebox working with independent researcher Andrew Hay has revealed that the app can be modified to reveal confidential information including passwords.
Steve Ballmer: Windows 10 Mobile needs Android apps
Microsoft held its yearly shareholder meeting this week in Bellevue, Washington. According to executive vice president and chief financial officer Amy Hood, the company did well during the fiscal year of 2015 and it has already reported a strong start when it comes to the current fiscal year.
However, former CEO of Microsoft Steve Ballmer was displeased with the level of disclosure at the meeting concerning Microsoft’s revenue. He believes that revenue is a key metric and that it should be reported as opposed to the run rate.
Microsoft shows compassion during Chennai flood with free Skype calls to Tamil Nadu
Often, when there is a tragedy in the world, you can depend on people and corporations to offer help. Sure, some companies do it for publicity, but regardless of motive, the recipients of the aid will appreciate it.
Today, Microsoft is showing compassion for the flood victims in Chennai -- a city in India that is experiencing its worst rainfall in over 100 years. The company is offering free intentional Skype calls to the Tamil Nadu section of the country. Microsoft deserves major kudos for this generous move.
Follow the Inca trail and make the trek to Machu Picchu with Google
The ruins of Machu Picchu are perhaps the most familiar and enduring reminder of the once mighty Inca empire. Thought to have been built in the 1400's, the city is a spectacular site thanks to its location high atop a peak in the Andes mountains. Reaching it is part of the adventure.
It is, no doubt, on many bucket lists, but the journey is not for everyone. Now Google has partnered with Peruvian Ministry of Culture to bring you this fantastic location that few will ever see in person.
Over 50 percent of devices in US classrooms are Chromebooks [Infographic]
Chromebooks are viewed by many people as the Windows Phone of laptops, paling into insignificance when compared to Windows machines and MacBooks. But the cheap and cheerful nature of (most) Chromebooks has seen the share of certain markets rocket -- particularly in the classroom.
Back in 2012, less than one percent of devices in US schools was a Chromebook -- now the Google-powered laptops account for more than half of the market. Google's interest in education is not new, but the inroads it has managed to make in such a short space of time has caught many people off guard.
Patent troll claims HTTPS ownership, lawsuits ensue
Ah, don’t you love the smell of patent trolls in the morning?
In the latest news regarding these wonderful creatures, it was unveiled this week that a Texas company called CryptoPeak Solutions has sued basically everyone, everywhere, for using the HTTPS protocol.
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