No more Windows 10 keys for Insiders; post-RTM installs must be on previously activated PCs
Each version of Windows has involved entering a product key either during the installation, or prior to activation. Things have changed with Windows 10, and as anyone who looked for their own Windows 10 product key will have found, Microsoft has used generic keys this time around.
For all intents and purposes, the installation of Windows 10 is now keyless, but there has been some confusion about what this means for future installations, particularly for Windows Insiders trying out new preview builds. Microsoft's Gabe Aul has stepped up to the plate to clear thing up, explaining that Insider builds can only be installed and activated on computers which have preciously activated the RTM build.
Welsh car firm can't advertise on Twitter because it tweets in Welsh
Twitter has inadvertently given a wealth of priceless advertising to a Welsh car company despite refusing to run its ads. Used car dealership Ceir Cymru has been operating in North Wales for over 30 years, but has been told that it is not able to advertise in its native tongue.
Twitter Ads supports just a limited number of language, and Welsh is not included. Having applied to use the service Ceir Cymru was told by Twitter that it would not be able to advertise as more than half of its tweets are in Welsh -- hardly surprising for a car dealership in Wales. Ceir Cymru says Twitter is "stamping on minority languages".
Swatch swipes trademark for Steve Jobs' 'one more thing' catchphrase
Is it a troll move, smart marketing, or something else entirely? It's not clear quite what Swatch wants to do with Steve Jobs' famous 'one more thing' line, but the Swiss watch company has grabbed a trademark on the three word phrase.
Before his death, Jobs was renowned for introducing a surprise (although frequently not so surprising) extra at the end of a presentation. Although Apple has never really exploited 'one more thing' in advertising, Swatch's new European trademark will no doubt stick in the craw somewhat.
Apple launches free replacement program for defective iPhone 6 Plus iSight cameras
Complaints about the camera of the iPhone 6 Plus have been plentiful, and Apple has finally acknowledged that there is a problem. It's not something that affects all iPhone 6 Plus owners, but the company says that phones manufactured between September 2014 and January 2015 could include a failed camera component.
Apple has set up a replacement program which enables those with problems with the rear camera to obtain a replacement. Before you get too excited, it is just replacement camera components that are on offer, not replacement iPhones. You'll need to check to see if your phone is eligible at the program website.
Bcachefs is a new speed-focus Linux filesystem from Kent Overstreet
Bcache was first announced by ex-Google engineer Kent Overstreet a little over five years ago. Now the Linux kernel block layer cache is being used as the basis for a new open source filesystem. The focus is on speed, but it is also hoped that the file system could be used for servers and storage arrays because of its reliability.
At this stage, Overstreet describes Bcachefs as "more or less feature complete" and says that even at this early stage performance numbers are "good enough to be interesting". At the moment, features such as replication, caching, and compression are supported, and there is the promise of snapshotting in future releases.
Chrome finally becomes memory and power efficient -- you can try it out now
It's no secret that Chrome for Mac (OS X) is a mess. It eats a ridiculously high amount of memory, energy and shortens the battery life. Google announced earlier this year that it was working on a fix. And now it is delivering on that promise. The latest Chrome build -- available via Canary channel -- is significantly less resource hogging, and surprisingly faster at the same time.
The company has been hard at work improving the memory consumption in its Web browser while also making the tabs snappier. You can read about the development process and feedback at Chromium's developer website. The build dubbed 45.0.2454.46 is also significantly lighter on the battery and is no longer making the laptop crazy hot. In a recent build, the company was testing interesting internal processes like tab discarding in the background. The idea behind it is simple: make the tabs you haven't used in awhile idle automatically. This would, under the typical condition, free up a significant amount of memory.
Google integrates Twitter into search results on the desktop
It's a little while since Google and Twitter announced a partnership that saw the integration of tweets into search results. When this feature started to roll out back in May, Twitter integration only applied to iOS and Android devices. Today it rolls out to desktop search results as well.
The new desktop integration means that it is now possible to search for hashtags, trending topics, and Twitter accounts with a regular Google search. Including real time events in search results is not new for Google, but Twitter integration adds a new dimension.
Greece plans to roll out Bitcoin ATMs across the country
Greece might be settling for a deal with the European Union, but inside of the country big changes are happening to the economy to deal with sanctions and lack of funds.
The most expensive and popular cryptocurrency Bitcoin has shot up in popularity. The popularity has risen to the point BTC Greece is planning a 1,000 Bitcoin ATM rollout, available in stores, banks and tourist locations.
Amazon brings new tricks to Echo, rebrands app name
If you haven't yet tried out Amazon Echo then you're in for an... ah... experience. It works quite well most of the time. Response speed is amazing. It can become temperamental when you branch out into other aspects like home automation, although to be fair I think that's the fault of the hub more so than Echo.
You'll also need to get past the fact that Amazon is listening to what you say, not to mention that you look a bit like a crazy person talking to an imaginary friend.
Sony unveils SmartBand 2 fitness tracker
Sony has unveiled a new fitness wearable called SmartBand 2. The device is a successor to the first SmartBand, and its key feature is an advanced heart rate sensor.
Even though it is a common feature on most fitness wearables today, the heart sensor was absent from the first SmartBand. This time around, Sony has upped the game. It also features a smart notification system, which works through a set of vibrations and colored LEDs.
Chrome extensions coming to Firefox as Mozilla unveils major changes
Mozilla today announces a series of important changes that affect Firefox add-ons. The good news? Add-ons should be reviewed faster, they will be more secure, and a new API means that Chrome extensions can be more easily ported across. But, of course, there is also bad news.
The bad news for developers is that Mozilla is switching to new technologies -- Electrolysis and Servo -- and this means that work will have to be done on existing extensions to ensure compatibility. In the switchover, it is likely that a large number of older add-ons will simply not be updated, but with a 12 to 18 month timescale for phasing out XPCOM and XUL means there is plenty of time for other developers to come up with alternatives to projects that have been abandoned and will no longer work.
Your Uber driver might be a convicted felon
Even though Uber prides itself on the extensive background-checking of its drivers, it is now being accused that some of its drivers are convicted felons.
According to a report by Sky News, a complaint was filed by the San Francisco district attorney’s office, in which it was said that one of the drivers is a convicted murderer who spent 26 years in prison before being released on parole in 2008.
Spotify says sorry for confusion over its privacy policy
We reported earlier today that streaming music service Spotify had upset a lot of users with changes to its privacy policy. In particular sections concerning what information the company is allowed to collect have sent some users into a spin.
Evidently stung by the reaction, Spotify has been quick to respond. In a blog post by CEO Daniel Ek it says sorry and explains more about what the changes actually mean.
Microsoft will only provide information about Windows 10 updates when it wants to
It's less than a month since the launch of Windows 10, and there have already been three cumulative updates released. There has been far greater interest in these updates than for previous versions of Windows, but there has been frustration about the lack of detail provided about the changes the third brought.
Users were told that the update includes "improvements to enhance the functionality of Windows 10", but no specific details were given. Microsoft has now made it clear that extra detail will only be provided for some updates depending on their significance. Considering Windows 10's forced installation of updates, this is something that is unlikely to go down well with users.
How today's work gets done in the cloud
In recent years cloud technology has allowed organizations of all sizes and across all industries to become more flexible and more productive.
Identity and mobile management specialist Okta has produced a report based on usage data across more than 2,500 customers and 4,000 apps that sheds light on how organizations and people get work done today, and on what security measures companies use to keep data safe.
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