Microsoft forcibly downloads Windows 10 whether you want it or not
Microsoft has started to download Windows 10 to the computers of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users regardless of whether they reserved a copy of the operating system upgrade. Eagle-eyed Windows users have noticed the sudden appearance of a folder called $Windows.~BT, occupying up to 6GB of space.
For anyone who reserved Windows 10, this would make sense, as this is the folder used as a temporary storage location during installation. But it seems Microsoft is trying to foist the operating system on everyone, regardless of whether they have expressed interest in it. On one hand it's a pre-emptive move that could be seen as speeding things up for someone if they should later decide to upgrade, but on the other it is slightly more sinister.
Oh, yeah, San Diego, we may get Google Fiber
Please take my money, Google. Tap the vein right here if blood is the currency you need. I am ready, willing, and over-excited. If you disappoint, I understand, though. My city is a brick wall when it comes to new commerce. It's regulation central. So good luck to you.
This afternoon I received email from the Google Fiber team that stopped my heart: "We wanted you to be among the first to hear the news. Today we announced we're exploring bringing Fiber to San Diego". Hell, yeah, baby. Sign me up. Which up-for-reelection-politician needs me and other native and transplanted San Diegans to be thorns in the butt? Give us more speed than we possibly need for prices we probably can't afford.
iPad Pro isn't the laptop-killing magic bullet
With the hype surrounding the iPad Pro debut subsiding, now is a good time to take stock of what Apple really announced and also poke some holes in a few of the more hysterical predictions coming out of the financial industry.
First off, what the iPad isn’t: A laptop killer. Yes, Apple is providing a very Surface-esque keyboard accessory (though one that’s infinitely less adjustable). And yes, they’ve finally figured out how to do split-screen task switching (calling it “multitasking” is being too generous to iOS). But the net result is still just a bigger iPad which, in turn, is really just a blown up iPod Touch.
John McAfee is running for president
John McAfee was once a fugitive. He has now said that he will be running for the US presidency in 2016. He tweeted that he will be making an official announcement at 6pm ET on September 10.
According to NBCNews, McAfee will be running for presidency as a third-party candidate under a newly created party called the Cyber Party, mainly because of the fact that McAfee has been recently providing valuable insights into many different global hacking scandals and internet surveillance.
Android Pay is here
Paper money sucks. When you spend it, you cannot easily track it by category, and unlike credit cards, you do not get protection, points, or cash-back. Unless you are doing illegal activity, you are better served to use plastic -- as long as you pay your balance in full each month, that is. Paying interest is for suckers.
With all of that said, carrying slabs of plastic feels rather archaic in 2015, so I gladly welcome the transition to smartphones for making payments. Apple Pay is cool, but it is not available on Android, and it would stink to have one company dominate this method of payment. Today, Google announces the official launch of its smartphone payment service, the unimaginatively named, Android Pay. Will you use it?
Adblock Browser arrives on Android, iOS
After some time in the beta stage, Adblock web browser for iOS and Android is as of today officially available in version 1.0.
"Adblock Browser for Android was in an open beta for a while now, and thanks to the amazing feedback we received there, we were able to evolve it into something we’re proud to release", it says in the official news post following the release.
Microsoft confirms rollout of Office 2016 starts on September 22
Preview versions of Office 2016 have been available since March but Microsoft confirmed today the news leaked a couple of weeks ago that the official rollout of the product will begin later this month.
Writing on the Office blog Julia White, general manager of Office 365 Technical Product Management says, "You may have heard the rumors, but today I'm happy to confirm that Office 2016 will be broadly available starting on September 22nd. If you have a volume licensing agreement in place, you can download Office 2016 from the Volume Licensing Service Center starting October 1st".
Apple iPhone 6s Plus vs Samsung Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge Plus
Now that Apple has taken the wraps off its latest iPhones, phablet fans will want to know how the new iPhone 6s Plus compares to its obvious rivals from Samsung, the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 edge Plus flagships. So, to see which one is best, let's take a look at their main features and find where the biggest differences are.
This will be a close comparison, more so than the iPhone 6s vs Galaxy S6 head to head, as Apple has significantly beefed up its new iPhone 6s Plus over last year's model, while Samsung has come up with two very strong competitors in this segment.
IBM acquisition strengthens its place in the API economy
The growth of mobile, web applications and the Internet of things has meant more use of APIs which is changing the way businesses operate and communicate. IBM forecasts that APIs will represent a $2.2 trillion opportunity by 2018.
One of the fastest growing development frameworks to support this new 'API economy' is Node.js and to help unite this developer community with enterprise clients, IBM has announced today the acquisition of StrongLoop, a leading provider of enterprise Node.js capabilities.
Extend Paint.NET with 5 free Photoshop filters
Paint.NET is a great freeware image editor, easy to use and with a stack of essential features.
The program isn’t updated as often as we’d like, but if you need more functionality then it’s easy to extend the latest 64-bit edition with free Photoshop filters.
How sales teams are being let down by their data
Modern sales teams are more than ever reliant on data to help them identify opportunities and analyze performance. But can they really be confident in the accuracy of their data and are they using it effectively?
Business management platform Domo has conducted a survey of more than 400 sales leaders to find out how data impacts them in the real world.
Home automation gets another boost as MivaTek launches solutions to secure your home
The Internet of Things is everywhere these days, and has become almost unavoidable. Reaction can be a bit mixed, ranking from calling it SkyNet to embracing the technology. It doesn't always work as planned -- I'm reasonably certain that one of my colleagues here could turn off my lights (don't get any ideas guys).
Now MivaTek aims to fix those problems with new solutions for both home and business. Included are security cameras, water leak sensors and monitoring for disruptions to the alarm system. More importantly, it can keep track of health and send help if needed.
Apple iPhone 6s vs Samsung Galaxy S6: Which is best?
Now that Apple has unveiled the new iPhone 6s, you may be wondering how it stacks up against its main rival, Samsung's Galaxy S6. The major under-the-hood improvements that Apple has packed into its latest flagship smartphone, coupled with the refinement added by Samsung for its own top-of-the-line offering, make this a very interesting comparison.
Choosing between iPhone 6s and Galaxy S6 is very difficult, as both feature attractive designs and high-end internals, which is why we will highlight and explain the major differences between the two smartphones.
Should you buy an iPad Pro or a Surface Pro 3?
This might seem like an easy question to answer. On the face of it, if you like Apple, opt for the iPad Pro. If you fall into the Microsoft camp, buy yourself a Surface Pro 3. But perhaps it's not quite that simple. Apple touts the iPad Pro as being the tool to increase your productivity, while Microsoft pitches the Surface Pro as blending the best of a tablet with the power of a desktop. But which is better?
'Better' is very subjective, but let's try to look at things as objectively as possible. Price is going to be a key concern for many people, and both devices start at $799 and while this is obviously a similarity, it also highlights a key difference. Part with $799 and you can buy either a 32GB iPad Pro, or a 64GB Surface Pro 3. Neither comes with a cover or keyboard as standard, but the Surface includes a pen while the Apple Pencil will set you back a further $99. Of course, the comparison is about much more than just price.
Persistent bugs delay new Windows 10 Insider Mobile Preview builds
If you feel like it has been a while since Microsoft released a new preview build of Windows 10 Mobile, you are not alone. In becoming the (very) public face of the Insider program, Gabe Aul has made something of a rod for his own back and is constantly pestered on Twitter for news about when a new build will emerge.
With the long-ish wait since the last build, the troops are starting to get restless. In an attempt to calm things down, Aul has reiterated how the development process works -- because, really, we've already had the concept of internal testing rings explained to us at least a couple of times -- adding that the team is working hard to get a new build ready for this week.
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