WordPress.com app now available for Windows
While the browser is likely to remain the most-popular and convenient way of managing a WordPress site from a PC, Automattic, the company behind the hugely-successful content management system, also wants to give users a more focused tool for the job. So, in late-November, it announced dedicated apps for Windows, OS X and Linux.
The idea behind the PC apps is to make it easier for users to focus on their content, by getting rid of the distractions that come with working inside a tabbed browser environment. The OS X app launched first, arriving at the time of the announcement, and now it is Windows users turn to get a dedicated WordPress.com app.
Microsoft rolls out Cortana to iOS and Android, to take on Siri and Google Now
Cortana is no longer limited to devices running Windows 10. After short period of public beta testing, Microsoft's digital assistant is now rolling out not only to iOS and Android, but also Cyanogen OS devices.
Just as on Windows 10 Mobile handsets, these new releases include many of the features that are found in the desktop version of Cortana. There are, however, some functions that remain exclusive to Windows phones -- you cannot, for example, change system settings in iOS and Android nor, frustratingly, use the hands-free "Hey Cortana" voice command.
Optimize PNGs, GIFs and JPEGs to cut their file size
PNGmicro, GIFmicro and JPEGmicro are freeware Windows tools which optimize images to reduce their size.
Each program offers lossless compression by rewriting files more efficiently and stripping out surplus data, and you also get options to cut file size even further by reducing image quality.
New Year's resolutions for those in IT
Ah, yes. Nothing like the crushing pressure of New Year’s resolutions to finally address everything we’ve been doing wrong for the past 12 months! (Or 24 months or 36 months or 48 months... who’s counting?) For many, the resolutions for the upcoming year will undoubtedly include healthier diets, more exercise, and less time staring at smartphones.
Of course, if joining the panicked masses overtaking the elliptical machines at the gym isn’t your style, think about the 'digital fitness' of your enterprise instead. Here are some things to keep in mind for better data practices in 2016 that won’t feel like pulling teeth (and speaking of dentistry, flossing regularly is always a great resolution too).
Remember Hyperloop? It's getting ready for testing
A while back Elon Musk, of Space X and Tesla Motors, as well as a founder of PayPal, drew up designs for a futuristic mode of travel that he dubbed Hyperloop. It's essentially a super-speed rail system running in a vacuum-like tube. At the time, it drew some derision as not being possible, both physically and economically.
Despite that, Hyperloop Technologies Incorporated was born and it has slowly grown. How far? Well, the company is now ready to set up a test run. The company has found space in North Las Vegas, Nevada at the Mountain View Industrial Park. The site it obtained is approximately 50 acres.
All businesses share the same cloud security concerns
All organizations have the same key concerns regarding the security of their data in the cloud, according to a new report.
The study by security-as-a-service specialist CloudLock reveals that every organization shares five primary cloud cyber security concerns, regardless of industry. These are: account compromise, cloud malware, excessive data exposure, over-exposed personally identifiable information (PII) and payment card industry (PCI) data, and collaboration.
Apple hardware gains popularity in the enterprise
Apple devices are becoming an integral part of today's enterprise environment, with nearly all enterprise IT professionals saying that their internal teams provide support for Mac, iPhone and iPad devices.
This is among the findings of a survey amongst IT professionals by Apple device management company JAMF Software. It shows that 96 percent of teams support Macs, 84 percent iPhones and 81 percent iPads.
Microsoft partners with The Linux Foundation for 'Linux on Azure' certification
Linux is not only the future, but the present too. Even if you do not directly use an operating system based on the kernel, there is a good chance that it impacts you every day. Much of your precious internet traffic is routed through servers that run Linux. Many set-top boxes and devices are powered by the kernel and you may not even know it. Of course, Android is one such Linux-based operating system that millions upon millions of people use daily.
With that said, careers in Linux could be ready to explode. Believe it or not, 97 percent of surveyed hiring managers are looking to add Linux professionals, according to the 2015 Linux Jobs Report. Seriously, if you or someone you know has an interest in computers, yet don't know which direction to take in school or career, it is something to explore. While it may not be a good fit for everyone, it is worth your attention -- even Microsoft is hiring Linux professionals nowadays. In fact, today, that company announces a partnership with the The Linux Foundation for a special, Microsoft-issued, Linux on Azure certification.
Patch Tuesday December 2015: The most-important patches
There we are: the last Patch Tuesday of 2015. It turns out to be about average, with maybe a bit more severity in the bulletins than usually. We have eight critical bulletins in the total 12, including one that fixes a 0-day vulnerability, currently in use by attackers to escalate privileges in Windows. 0-days used to be very rare occasions, but this year they have become almost mainstream.
After all the year started off with a string of 0-days in Adobe Flash and since then we have seen almost every month a patch for a vulnerability that is already under attack. Definitely a sign of the increasing technical capabilities that attackers are wielding and a reminder that IT Managers should not only patch their systems promptly, but also look for additional robustness.
McAfee's enterprise security software can be bypassed with a 'specially crafted username'
A kind word will open any door, but a special kind word will open all doors to an otherwise safe computer system, a McAfee advisory says.
The advisory has said that "a specially crafted username" can get past the Security Information & Event Management logins without authentication, and without a password, "if the ESM is configured to use Active Directory or LDAP".
SMBs lack the resources to protect themselves from cyber attacks
Only 37 percent of SMBs believe that their organizations are fully equipped to handle IT security according to a new survey.
The study by security company Webroot reveals that in most small to medium businesses, IT teams are expected to handle all cyber security management and concerns. IT employees at almost one in three companies (32 percent) juggle security along with their other IT responsibilities, which leaves them limited time to cope with security tasks.
Amazon launches a streaming partners program, brings Showtime and more
Just when you thought Amazon Prime couldn't offer much more, the retail giant goes and tries to do just that. The company is unveiling new streaming partners that will bring even more content and it comes from major players in the market.
The service is announcing a streaming partners program that will bring this additional content. This is a Prime only option, so you'll need to sign up for an account.
5 reasons why web apps are so frequently insecure
The unrelenting move to the cloud means that web apps are becoming ever more common. They have also increasingly become targets for hackers and this is often because of security failings; many of the recent high-profile security breaches have come about because of web app security vulnerabilities.
Ilia Kolochenko, CEO of High-Tech Bridge suggests a quintet of things companies do -- or fail to do, that make the life of hackers easier.
Myths and facts about backup, restore and disaster recovery
With the rise of digital data, changing technology, and common usage of personal devices, the IT world has become ever more complex with new challenges around every corner. In the wake of such quick changes and complexity, many individuals end up exaggerating the difficulties found within these new systems and thereby begin spreading some major falsehoods within this vast IT sphere.
Even though the influx of information and discovery has given way to the creation of several urban legends, below you will see what is true and what is not.
Mozilla puts Firefox OS out of its misery -- good riddance
When it comes to the death penalty, I generally am against it -- all human life is precious. With that said, I am all for the killing of both crappy software and hardware. For instance, Amazon's Fire phone deserved its death and Windows Phone can't die fast enough.
Unlike the in-denial Microsoft, who keeps trying to make Windows Phone, or Windows 10 Mobile, or whatever they want to call it, a thing, Mozilla is showing mercy to its failed mobile platform. Yes, let us all rejoice, as Firefox OS is being killed. The web-based mobile operating system that nobody wanted and everyone predicted would die, finally has.
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