Latest Technology News

You know all those little car icons you see when you open up your Uber app? All those little cabs in close proximity, just waiting to pick you up?

Well, they might be fake. Researchers from think-tank Data & Society said the cars shown to be very close to you could be fake, but the arrival times are still accurate.

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The wait is finally over. Over the past few months you've downloaded countless gigabytes of Windows 10 related files and now you've had enough. Windows 10 RTM is now installed on your computer and you're happy to stick with a relatively stable version for the foreseeable future.

You've had enough of being a Windows Insider, but how do you stop those pesky preview builds from being downloaded? Thankfully it is very simple to opt out of the Insider program so preview builds will become a thing of the past; here's what you need to do...

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If you’ve upgraded to Windows 10 you’ll likely have discovered an app called Groove Music. This is the new name for Xbox Music which was included in Windows 8.x.

When you first open the app there’s not much to see. Groove Music is a rather bland looking affair with lots of white space. The app will automatically import music from your PC, although if you’re anything like me, you’ll need to change the location it looks in to get all of your songs and albums added. To do this, and also import iTunes playlists into Groove Music, just follow these instructions:

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The Windows 10 Search box next to the Start button lets you search through Windows and the web. Type in a query, and the results will appear in your default browser. The first time you do this you’ll see it’s Bing producing the results.

If you don’t mind that, then great. Move along, there’s nothing to see here. But if you’re not a fan of Microsoft’s search engine, you can easily disable this feature. There is one downside however, and that’s you’ll also lose Cortana as well as Bing. If you don’t mind that, here’s what you need to do.

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Right now, Windows 10 is rolling out to users all over the world. One of the coolest things about Microsoft's newest operating system is the Cortana integration. If you aren't familiar, it (she) is a powerful virtual assistant that will help you search, set calendar reminders and other amazing things too. She can be summoned on-screen or using voice.

While some manufacturers are planing to include dedicated Cortana buttons on their laptops, not everyone will be buying a new laptop; certainly not just for an added button. Not to worry, Windows 10 users, you can now add a dedicated Cortana button to your existing machine or Windows Phone. Today, Satechi announces the BT Cortana Button which connects using Bluetooth.

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Windows 10 is insanely easy to use -- says me. I am not everyone, and the term easy is subjective. While I am sure most -- if not all -- BetaNews readers should be able to use Window 10 without issue, not everyone is as tech savvy.

Maybe you have a friend or family member that struggles with change. Don't panic. You are probably dreading being their go-to Windows 10 tech support, right? Well now you don't have to; send them to Best Buy instead! Yes, the retailer is offering free in-store Windows 10 training classes.

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The big day has arrived and every company is scrambling to be ready for Windows 10. Microsoft's latest operating system steps back a bit from the shudder Windows 8 gave many users. Does that mean it's better? Maybe. The general consensus seems positive.

Now Logitech is bringing software to aid in your use of this latest operating system. The company, which makes solid peripherals, aims to smooth the transition.

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Forget touch screens, and moving your mouse, if you want to really want to speed through using Windows 10, keyboard shortcuts are where it’s at.

With the right key presses you can snap windows to where you want them, manage virtual desktops, awaken Cortana, and navigate seamlessly through the new OS like a seasoned professional. Just got Windows 10 today? Learn the following shortcuts, and it will be like you’ve been using it your whole life.

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Say what you want about the restricted nature of Apple's iOS, but I appreciate its security -- it makes me feels safe. Comparatively, Android can feel much less secure. Not only is it fragmented due to carrier and manufacturer reluctance to support long term updates, but we are constantly hearing about vulnerabilities such as the one with Stagefright.

Sadly, we see yet another vulnerability today, and it is quite the bombshell. Respected security company Trend Micro explains that bad guys can turn your device into a brick -- a totally non-functioning state. Not only is this inconvenient, but potentially dangerous (and deadly) too.

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So now that a good number of you have installed Windows 10 (obviously a fair few of you will have been Windows Insiders for a while as well), we’d like to hear what you think of it.

The BetaNews audience has never shied away from passing comment on all manner of stories (it’s what we love about you guys) and Windows 10 has divided opinion pretty much from day one. It’s easy to pick holes in a work-in-progress OS, but now that Microsoft has released the completed version, has it changed your view at all? Do you love it, hate it, or sit somewhere in-between?

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Customer identity management firm Gigya has released its Q2 "landscape of customer identity" figures, showing how consumers are using third party identity providers such as Facebook and Google+ to log into other websites.

Facebook continued its dominance, now controlling two-thirds of all social logins, followed by Google+ (20 percent), Twitter (six percent) and Yahoo (four percent).

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Since news and entertainment websites are amongst the most popular on the net, it's not surprising that they're more likely to play host malicious adverts.

A new report by Bromium Labs reveals that more than half of malvertising is unknowingly hosted on news and entertainment websites. 58 percent of online adverts with hidden malware were delivered through news websites (32 percent) and entertainment websites (26 percent). Major websites unknowingly hosting malvertising included cbsnews.com, nbcsports.com, weather.com, boston.com and viralnova.com.

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The new Action Center keeps you informed about what’s going on in Windows 10, providing a single place for all of the notifications from Windows and installed apps, and also informing you about new emails, instant messages, Facebook updates, and much more.

Notifications flash up on screen and come from all sorts of places, and if you’re not careful, you can easily find yourself bombarded with alerts. Fortunately it’s easy to trim down which notifications you see.

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Artificial intelligence is the next step in the world of technology, but some of the leaders and speakers in the industry have asked for more oversight on weapons with AI.

Renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk and co-founder of Apple Steve Wozniak have all spoken out in favour of more regulation on AI weapons. In the open letter posted on A Future For Life Institute, which Musk donated $10 million (£6.4 million) to see further research into AI, it asked for governments to not allow offensive weapons manufacturing that uses AI to pick out targets.

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Hooray, Windows 10 has a Start menu. It may not be the Start menu you were hoping for (Windows 7 users I’m looking at you), but it’s there, and easily customized.

You can change the colors, transparency effect, and size and position of the tiles. If you don’t want the tiled interface you can turn this off, and just have a straightforward Windows 7-style menu. Here’s what you can do.

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