We've already seen that conventional cars can be vulnerable to attacks by hackers. But it seems that self-driving vehicles may be equally vulnerable.

It's possible to trick a self-driving Google car into stopping or taking evasive action using around $60 worth of hardware according to a leading security researcher.

Continue reading →

Network data is an increasingly important resource for IT teams, particularly when it comes to analyzing and resolving security threats. But unlocking the potential of that data can be difficult.

Dublin-based analytics specialist Corvil is launching a new platform that unlocks the power of network data, with an intuitive and customizable user interface and a new data automation engine that dramatically reduces the time, expense, and complexity of working with network data.

Continue reading →

Technology is making us forget things, and now we’ve got a Kaspersky Lab research to prove it.

According to a study by security firm Kaspersky Lab, when asked a question, 57 percent will try to remember the answer themselves, but 36 percent won’t even think about it -- they’ll just pull up their phone and head for Google.

Continue reading →

We've come to expect public Wi-Fi pretty much everywhere we go these days. But using these networks can leave you open to a whole range of security risks.

There's now a way to use public networks safely as network specialist Xirrus is launching Xirrus EasyPass Personal Wi-Fi. This is a key feature now available in all Xirrus cloud managed networks that safeguards users and their data when accessing public Wi-Fi, guest networks and hotspot environments.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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?

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →