Latest Technology News

One of the core elements that Microsoft dropped from the latest version of its operating system was Windows Media Center. The software giant softened the blow at the time by stating that it would be releasing a DVD Player as an add-on. Hardly a like-for-like swap, but better than nothing.

True to its word, Microsoft has now made the Windows DVD Player available for all, but while some Windows 10 upgraders will get it for free, others will have to pay $14.99 for the same piece of software. Which camp do you fall into?

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Scheduling the shutdown of your PC can save energy, money, maybe improve your security, and you don’t need to install any extra software to make this happen. A few minutes spent with Task Scheduler and reminding yourself of shutdown.exe’s command line switches will point you in the right direction.

Choosing the right shutdown scheduler can give you much more flexibility, though. DShutdown has been around for so long that it still supports Windows 9x, but it’s still being developed, with the latest release giving you even more PC management power.

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The number of attacks and breaches in recent months indicates that current security models are struggling to cope. On-premises security solutions such as gateways or proxies limit the visibility of security teams, as they can't easily monitor or control today’s growing volume of cloud-to-cloud traffic.

Security company CloudLock is launching an industry first cloud cybersecurity-as-a-service offering for any cloud environment. It's able to protect off-the-shelf SaaS, IaaS, PaaS and IDaaS systems as well as custom and home grown cloud apps.

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The Document Foundation has released LibreOffice 5.0 64-bit and LibreOffice 5.0 32-bit. This is a major new release that will form the cornerstone of future development on mobile platforms as well as the upcoming LibreOffice cloud version.

Version 5.0′s highlights include a brand new 64-bit Windows build to accompany existing Mac and Linux releases, plus compatibility with Windows 10, a user interface facelift, better interoperability with major office suites and a number of new features across its component parts, particularly Writer and Calc.

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As APIs fast become the dominant channel for exchanging data between both external and internal audiences and services, there's increasing concern over the threats and vulnerabilities they present.

A new survey by API management company Akana reveals that API security is as much an issue for the business as it is for IT, with 75 percent of respondents saying that API security was a CIO-level concern whilst 65 percent say it's an issue for business managers. As APIs are increasingly being adopted to drive digital initiatives, both business and IT increasingly see value in securing them.

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T-Mobile has received some great news this week. The magenta carrier has finally overtaken Sprint, becoming the third-largest carrier in US. And its mobile network is said to be the fastest in the country, a title which will undoubtedly find its place in many comparisons against more popular rivals AT&T and Verizon.

Sprint's latest earnings report is what has actually confirmed T-Mobile as the third-largest mobile carrier in US, revealing 57.7 million subscribers to the latter's 58.9 million subscribers. The speed title comes from Ookla, the company behind renowned Internet speed testing app, and website, Speedtest.net, which has posted results for the four-largest carriers in US.

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The saddest thing about the summer is that it must end. If you are a student -- high school or college -- you are probably sad about your vacation ending. Yeah, it stinks, but you know what makes it stink less? Buying new technology -- hopefully with your parents' money!

While laptops and calculators used to be the only tech a student would need to focus on, 2015 has so much more. There are tablets, e-readers, music players, alarm clocks, and so on. It can feel overwhelming, but don't worry -- I've got you covered. Here is the tech you need for the upcoming semester.

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The move to bigger iPhones is arguably the best decision that Apple has made in recent years. Consumer demand has been extremely strong from launch, proof being that Apple was able to match Samsung's shipments in Q4 2014 and post record sales quarter after quarter. The result? Record earnings.

The strong iPhone sales also translate into a strong market share. In Europe, Apple's handsets are gaining ground across all five-largest local markets, at the expense of either market leader Android or third-place rival Windows Phone, according to a new report from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.

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You’re browsing online, and find a quote you’d like to keep or share with others. Should be easy, but instead you’re copying and pasting the quote, maybe editing it for Twitter, adding a link, perhaps a bookmark. Although even then, any URLs point at the page, not the content you’re after.

Pullquote is a free Chrome extension which changes all this by providing a simple, unified way to tweet and save quotes, images and more.

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Microsoft can focus on Windows 10 Mobile now that Windows 10 is officially available to PC and tablet users. While we do not yet know exactly when the software giant plans to introduce the new version of its smartphone operating system, we do have an idea about which Lumia handsets will be the first to receive the coveted software upgrade.

Windows 10 Mobile will be available to virtually all smartphones that run Windows Phone 8.1, partly because the system requirements are pretty much the same. The Lumia devices that will get the software upgrade first are newer handsets that either sell well at the moment or are positioned at the top of the lineup.

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After months of testing the new video player, YouTube is finally rolling the update out to all desktop users. Even though it is not a full revamp to the video player, it lowers the size of the various elements and offers smarter automatic resolution options.

All the parts of YouTube’s video player are still where they were pre-update. Play/pause, fast forward and sound are located on the bottom left; video quality, size, Chromecast and fullscreen are located on the bottom right. For some videos, a promotional button will be located on the top right, highlighting featured content.

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Windows 10 is now with us, and, whether you've made the move from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, there is a lot to love, but also a lot to hate. With this latest release, there is also one very big difference from previous versions of Windows: it is free of charge.

This is not only likely to encourage more people into making the move to Windows 10, but it also opens up a possibility that many people would simply not have considered before. If you decide that you don’t like Windows 10 (the OS is not without its fair share of problems, after all), you can downgrade to your previous version without ending up out of pocket. The question is, how many people will go -- or have gone -- down this route?

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About two weeks ago, I shared how Apple Watch tickles my fancy. From likes, we go to dislikes, and keeping with the other I purposely limit the number to five. Quick recap: I bought the aluminum model on June 18, 2015 from the local Apple Store. Seven days later, I exchanged for the stainless steel variant. Except to charge or to shower, I've worn it constantly since.

Broadly, my feelings about the smartwatch are mixed. The delivered benefits are excellent, but they aren't enough to justify the lofty price. If not for using MacBook Pro and iPhone 6 Plus this summer, Android Wear and iOS incompatibilities, or the promise of watchOS 2 coming early autumn, I would not have purchased the device. I'm not dissatisfied with Apple Watch, but want more from it. As I explained on July 18, the measure of success or failure isn't sales but returns. I kept mine. How many early buyers didn't?

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Microsoft today announces a number of changes to the online version of Outlook. One of the biggest updates sees the rollout of a new, cleaner interface which Microsoft says helps to improve efficiency. In addition to aesthetic alterations, there are also a number of new tools that make it easier to manage an inbox.

There is also something of a rebranding taking place. The Outlook Web App (OWA) is no more; say hello to Outlook on the web. The new name is a minor change, however. The big news today are the visual and productivity updates.

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The focus of the launch of Windows 10 so far has very much been on the desktop version of the operating system and the preview builds for Windows Phone handsets. But the latest version of Windows is about creating a Windows ecosystem that embraces a plethora of platforms, and that includes Xbox One.

Microsoft has already given us a glimpse of what is in store for owners of its games console, and today the company revealed that the Windows 10-powered update will arrive in November. As well as bringing Windows 10 to gamers -- including Cortana -- the update will also make it possible to play Xbox 360 games.

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