Facebook to start testing reaction emoji -- but no Dislike button
Facebook's Like button is famous, but users have long asked for more ways to express their reaction to posts on the social network. Recently, rumors surfaced that a Dislike button was on its way (although this was not only untrue, but also the source of numerous scams), but Mark Zuckerberg said that users would be given new ways to express empathy.
The Dislike button may not be happening, but reaction emoji are. Facebook is reported to start testing of six new reactions, beginning in Spain and Ireland. A global rollout could be on the cards at some point in the future, but TechCrunch has been given a sneak preview of what the new emoji look like.
How to kill a Windows process
If you’ve finished with some Windows application then you’ll probably get rid of it by pressing Alt+F+X, clicking the top-right Close button, or following some other documented route.
This is generally the safest approach, too, as it gives the program an opportunity to close down properly, save important data, delete temporary files and generally clean up. But if the application won’t close, or you’re looking to do something more advanced -- close several processes in one operation, maybe -- then there are other options you might want to try.
Handmade by Amazon is ready to take on Etsy
Amazon has become the one-stop online shop for just about anything you might want. Now the retail giant is adding another string to its bow: handmade, artisan products. At the moment, anyone looking to sell things they have made themselves has a few outlets to choose from, but Etsy and eBay are the two most likely contenders.
Now there is Handemade by Amazon, a new branch of the online store "featuring genuinely handmade items crafted and sold directly from artisans". This is where Amazon is looking to differentiate itself from Etsy -- everything must be handmade as this is an entirely "factory-free" experience.
Dell unveils Surface Pro 4-like XPS 12, new premium ultrabooks
Hybrid devices have started to gain traction in 2015, with IDC estimating that shipments will grow by 86.5 percent year-over-year to reach 14.7 million units. That is in no small part due to increased competition in this space, and it will only heat up thanks to Microsoft's new Surface Pro 4, which goes on sale in late-October. Vendors in the high-end segment will have to step up their game.
With the new XPS 12, Dell has come up with a hybrid device which may successfully compete with devices like Surface Pro 4. With a price-tag that starts at $999, however, it better be good.
The Wall Street Journal and why 'rebooting Microsoft Office' is not an option
Call it the "curse of runaway success". Over the past 20+ years, Microsoft's Office suite has grown from a laughable also-ran in a market dominated by Lotus 123 and WordPerfect to become the dominant productivity platform for both personal and professional computing. Along the way, it has picked up a plethora of sophisticated features and obscure developer plumbing that makes it one of the most complex code bases ever deployed on a PC -- second, perhaps, only to the Microsoft Windows operating system upon which it runs.
No question, the Office of today is an incredibly intricate bit of software. So when casual users, like the Wall Street Journal’s Geoffrey A. Fowler, call on Microsoft to "reboot office" -- ostensibly to make it easier to use in a particular workflow context (e.g. collaboration) -- they demonstrate a fundamental misunderstanding of just what Office is and how difficult it would be to make any wholesale changes to the product.
Will my phone get Android 6.0 Marshmallow?
With the release of Marshmallow (Android 6.0) the usual question rears its head. It's the eternal question that Android users ask themselves every time Google releases a new version of its mobile operating system: will my phone get the upgrade? If you have a Nexus device, you are probably in luck -- unless it's really old, of course -- but what about everyone else?
Unlike Apple's iPhone, which has a very long support lifecycle when it comes to iOS upgrades, Android is famous for its fragmentation. Marshmallow may have been released, but it's down to individual handset manufacturers and carriers to push out the updates. So... is your handset in line for the upgrade? Here's what we know so far.
Malwarebytes: There's no WinRAR vulnerability, we're sorry!
Security firm Malwarebytes recently unveiled a vulnerability in WinRAR, the popular compression program which, according to the firm, has put millions of its users at risk.
The program’s developers, RARLab, shrugged it off saying it’s not really a vulnerability. It turns out they were right, and Malwarebytes has apologized for its mistake.
Linksys unveils Linux-powered WRT1900ACS router -- open source, faster CPU, more RAM
When it comes to home networking, nothing is more iconic than the classic blue Linksys router. When I worked at CompUSA, I sold a ton of them, and for good reason -- they worked well. Over the years, some of the models proved popular for open-source firmware replacements, making them attractive to tinkerers.
Fast forward to today, and Linksys announces a new open source-friendly router, which builds upon the existing WRT1900AC. With a faster processor and double the RAM, the new model gets an "S" moniker -- reminiscent of Apple's iPhone naming -- as WRT1900ACS. Are you excited for this Linux-powered home router?
The HP Star Wars Special Edition Notebook is powered by The Force -- and Intel
Star Wars is unstoppable phenomenon. Want proof? The last three films released -- the prequels -- were downright horrible, yet fans still want more. While I feared Disney buying the franchise would be its demise, the opposite seems to be happening -- it is gaining new life.
If you go to almost any store you will spot tons of Star Wars products for sale -- shirts, mugs, candles and more. Today, HP announces what could be the coolest such product ever -- the Star Wars Special Edition Notebook. Be still my heart.
Malware targeting Microsoft Outlook Web App is after your password
A newly discovered malware targets Microsoft’s Outlook Web App, the company’s web-based email client. The news was unveiled by security firm Cybereason, which said the advanced persistent threat (APT) can enable patient attackers to steal an organization’s email passwords over time.
By using this approach, the hackers managed to collect and retain ownership over a large set of credentials, allowing them to maintain persistent control over the organization’s environment, Cybereason says.
Beats Pill+ is an elegant Bluetooth speaker with Apple Lightning connector
As someone who just bought an iPhone, I find myself investing in Lightning cables. I needed one for my car, one for my backpack, one for my office and one for bedside charging. Apple's cables are well-designed, so I don't mind it, but many accessories, such as mobile keyboards and speakers, charge with micro USB. it would be nice if more things used Apple's connector.
Today, Beats by Dr. Dre, an Apple-owned company, announces the Beats Pill+. This Bluetooth speaker looks elegant, and should offer wonderful sound. The really cool aspect, however, is that it charges using a Lightning cable.
Sony to spin off semi-conductor business
In an aim to grow its image sensors business, Sony Corp has said that it will be splitting off its semiconductors operations, the strongest business unit for the electronics maker.
In its announcement, Sony said it will be establishing Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corp and will begin operations in April 2016, a move that was part of the company’s undertaking to give autonomy to its business units in picking up speed in its decision-making and making it more accountable for its profitability.
Pandora buys Ticketfly, plans to bring artists to the fans
Regardless of what genre of music you like, concerts are a fun way of enjoying the sound first hand. Studio albums are great, but there's something to be said for the live experience. Pandora seems to agree and wants to begin making this connection between fans and artists.
The streaming service has announced the acquisition of Ticketfly, which is one of the leading ticket sellers online. It claims to have booked "over 16 million tickets to more than 90,000 events".
Google will crank the mobile web up to warp speed with Accelerated Mobile Pages
Google today announced a project which has the aim of speeding up the web for mobile users -- Accelerated Mobile Pages, or AMP. While there are clearly benefits for users in speeding up the web, Google is pushing the benefits that advertisers could reap: if a page takes too long to load, visitors may give up and not see any ads at all.
The AMP project is an open source initiative that gives publishers the ability to optimize their site code for mobiles so it will "load instantly everywhere". The aim is to be as platform independent as possible, allowing for optimize-once workflow. The result of a collaboration between Google, Twitter, WordPress, LinkedIn and others, a new open framework called AMP HTML has been put together from existing web technologies.
Qualys launches customizable security assessment questionnaires
With ever increasing regulatory requirements, guidelines and standards it's hard for businesses to ensure that they're following everything correctly. Add in the need to ensure compliance from third-party vendors too and it can become a major headache.
Cloud based security specialist Qualys is about to help streamline things by announcing the general availability of customizable questionnaires as a new addition to its suite of integrated services.
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