The Surface Book hinge is not a good look
The newly-announced Surface Book feels like it's something I should love. I'm a big Surface Pro fan and I still use my first gen Pro as my daily driver. But there's just something about the Surface Book that grates. The price is not in any way attractive, but there's something else that's rather ugly: the hinge.
The Surface Book's hinge is something that Microsoft seems quite pleased with. Proud of, even. Microsoft calls it a 'dynamic fulcrum hinge', but it looks like a cross between a caterpillar track and a rubberized bendy drinking straw. For what is described as a 'meticulously crafted' device and 'the ultimate laptop', it's not a good look -- and it could be a serious problem.
Microsoft's insane Surface Book price means it will be left on the shelf
At today's event in New York, Microsoft put on an impressive show. We were -- ironically -- expecting some surprises, and the announcement of the Surface Book meant we weren't disappointed; this is, after all, "the ultimate laptop". The looks are striking. The specs are impressive. The price tag is... eye-watering.
In a way, we should have expected some expensive hardware to be revealed today. With its Surface Pro range, Microsoft showed that it is not afraid to push up the price, but the Surface Book takes things a step further. $1,499 is the starting price. Make a few tweaks to the specs and you could find yourself relieved of a buttock-clenching $2,699. Is there any way to justify this price?
Twitter launches Moments to help bring tweets to the masses
If you're a Twitter user, you undoubtedly love it. If you're not, you probably either hate it, or find it confusing. Today Twitter launches Moments in a bid to make itself more appealing to beginners by helping to provide a gentle step up into the crazy world of tweets, and by bringing context to timelines.
Times they are a-changing at Twitter with Jack Dorsey now the fulltime CEO, and the prospect of curated content from reputable sources could be what is needed to take things to the next level. Part of the problem with Twitter is the sheer volume of content that is out there -- and it is generated very quickly; for newbies, it can be completely overwhelming. Moments is an attempt to cut through the crap and present news and stories in a meaningful and accessible way.
Microsoft is back!
That grinding against wood and dirt you hear is the sound of Steve Jobs rolling over in his grave. Microsoft is back! And badass! Today's Surface event in New York City outclasses Apple by every measure that matters: Aspiration, innovation, presentation, and promotional marketing. Microsoft proves that it can build end-to-end solutions—hardware, software, and services—as good as, and better than, the company cofounded by Jobs. Even more importantly: Present the new wares well. Today's event was exceptional.
But there is a shadow looming in the brightness that will matter to some Microsoft customers and not to others: Cost. Surface Book, for all its seeming greatness, is a budget-busting laptop for the majority of potential buyers. The low-cost config, at $1,499, comes with 6th-gen Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and 128GB storage. To get the discreet graphics demoed today, with i7 chip, 8GB memory, and 256 SSD, you will spend $2,099. Doubling RAM and storage raises the price to $2,699.
YouTube for iOS unveils major redesign, new in-app editing tools
Google has rolled out YouTube for iOS 10.38 for iPhone and iPad. Despite the minor version number revision, the new app sports a major facelift, plus new in-app editing controls.
The new look sports a minimalist interface with just three major navigation buttons: Home, Subscriptions, and Account. Users can tap or swipe to move between the various sections.
The new Microsoft Band is (much) better-looking and has two-day battery life
Microsoft appears to have learned from its mistakes. Its first wearable, the Microsoft Band was a cheap and cheerful affair -- although there wasn’t really all that much to be cheerful about in all honesty. Today the company unveiled the second edition of the Band, and the look is in line with the leaked images from a couple of weeks ago.
With the latest version of the Band, Microsoft has gone back to the drawing board and come up with a design that is sleek and stylish, and features a curved screen. The health and fitness tracker is nicely rounded, and the curved display is strengthened with Gorilla Glass 3. There are now no fewer than 11 built in sensors, including a new barometer for measuring altitude.
DDoS attacks increase in frequency, use less bandwidth
The recently released mid-year report by Corero Network Security has identified some worrying trends in the cyberthreat landscape.
In particular, the research revealed that attackers are changing the way that they use DDoS attacks in an attempt to make them more effective.
Yes, there's malware that infects your router to keep you safe
Well, this is a new one -- a piece of malware has been discovered which infects routers, but bolsters their protection against other viruses and nastiness, rather than doing anything bad.
Linux.Wifatch apparently improves the security of routers, many of which are poorly configured and are increasingly targets for malware authors.
Microsoft unveils Surface Pro 4, but will you want it?
Today, at Microsoft's New York City event, the software giant announced the Surface Pro 4. It features Skylake processors, a slightly larger screen, plus options for 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. It’s a great follow up to Surface Pro 3, and offers everything you could possibly want, including Windows 10 Pro, naturally.
The new device is just 8.4 mm thin, and features an impressive looking 12.3-inch PixelSense display. It’s powered by 6th Generation Intel Core m, Core i5, and Core i7 processors. There’s better battery life and more powerful graphics processing. It should finally be able to output 4K at 60 Hz. But… don’t get too excited. There’s one very, very good reason why you probably won’t want to buy it.
With Surface Book, Microsoft reinvents the PC -- again
The Surface computer line has revolutionized portable computing -- it reinvented the PC. Want proof? Both Apple and Google have arguably copied Microsoft's now-iconic hybrid PC with the iPad Pro and Pixel-C, respectively. This mimicry, plus solid sales of the Surface Pro 3, solidifies Panos Panay's vision as both worthwhile and successful.
Today, Microsoft unveils the newest member of its hybrid family, the Surface Book. While competitors thought they were catching up, Microsoft has suddenly left them in the dust. Yes, the company has reinvented the PC once again, but this time, with a laptop -- you can finally use a Surface on your lap. It is twice as fast as the MacBook Pro!
iPhone 6s not selling well in Japan
Recent sales figures are suggesting that the iPhone 6s launch is not the unqualified success that many thought it would be.
Although global sales of 13 million units across the first weekend of availability are likely to temper any disappointments at Apple HQ, it seems not every country was overly keen to get their hands on the new smartphone.
Windows 10 now on 110 million devices
Microsoft has been releasing regular updates concerning Windows 10 adoption. At the end of August, Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President of Marketing for Windows and Devices, shared the news on Twitter that Windows 10 was on 75 million devices. At the end of last month, Microsoft By The Numbers said that number had increased to over 100 million.
Today, at its new Microsoft devices event in New York City, Terry Myerson, Microsoft's EVP of Windows and Devices Group, provided the newest update, announcing that the new OS is now on over 110 million devices.
Transforming how enterprises handle unstructured IoT data
The Internet of Things is growing fast and as more and more enterprise applications collect IoT data, specifically time series data from sensors, they need fast, reliable and scalable read and write performance.
To best accomplish this, the data must be stored, queried and analyzed together. To enable this Basho Technologies is launching Riak TS, a distributed NoSQL database designed to aggregate and analyze massive amounts of sequenced, unstructured data generated from the IoT and other time series data sources.
Microsoft reveals new Windows 10 Mobile flagships: Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL
Microsoft's new Windows 10 Mobile flagships are not the best-kept secrets in the world, as the software giant itself has accidentally revealed the official presentation photos and some of the more-important specifications on its UK online store before the big launch. Today we get to see the big picture, however, as Microsoft officially announces Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL.
Lumia 950 is Microsoft's answer to popular flagships like Apple iPhone 6s and Samsung Galaxy S6, while Lumia 950 XL serves as the company's flagship phablet, taking the fight to Apple's iPhone 6s Plus, LG's G4 and Samsung's Galaxy S6 edge Plus and Galaxy Note 5, just to name a few of the most-important players in this segment. Here is what you need to know about the new Windows 10 Mobile ambassadors.
LookingGlass helps to close the DNS security gap
One of the biggest areas of vulnerability for corporate networks is DNS, with companies having to contend with DDoS attacks and attempts to steal data.
In an effort to help customers close the gap in DNS security, threat intelligence specialist LookingGlass Cyber Solutions has developed an intelligence-driven network security solution that identifies and stops DNS-based cyber threats.
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