Canonical releases Ubuntu Linux 19.10 Eoan Ermine with GNOME 3.34, light theme, and Raspberry Pi 4 support
Thank God for Linux. No, seriously, regardless of your beliefs, you should be thankful that we have the Linux kernel to provide us with a free alternative to Windows 10. Lately, Microsoft's operating system has been plagued by buggy updates, causing some Windows users to lose faith in it. Hell, even Dona Sarkar -- the now-former leader of the Windows Insider program -- has been relieved of her duties and transitioned to a new role within the company (read into that what you will).
While these are indeed dark times for Windows, Linux remains that shining beacon of light. When Windows becomes unbearable, you can simply use Chrome OS, Android, Fedora, Manjaro, or some other Linux distribution. Today, following the beta period, one of the best and most popular Linux-based desktop operating systems reaches a major milestone -- you can now download Ubuntu 19.10! Code-named "Eoan Ermine" (yes, I know, it's a terrible name), the distro is better and faster then ever.
Microsoft launches two new open source projects for developers -- OAM and Dapr
Continuing its embracing of open source, Microsoft has today announced two new open source projects. The first is Open Application Model (OAM), a new standard for developing and operating applications on Kubernetes and other platforms
The second project is Dapr (Distributed Application Runtime), designed to make it easier to build microservice applications. Microsoft says that both OAM and Dapr "help developers remove barriers when building applications for cloud and edge".
UK government scraps controversial plans for adult site age checks
The UK government's plans for age verification checks on porn site users, which were delayed in June of this year, have now been scrapped, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport announced today.
The checks would have required users to register a credit card or buy a 'porn pass' in order to access adult material online.
AI powered automation platform streamlines IT support tasks
Artificial intelligence is making its presence felt in many areas, not least maintaining and controlling IT infrastructure.
Intelligent automation company Ayehu is releasing its next generation (NG) IT Automation and Orchestration Platform aiming to offer more control and flexibility, ultimately driving increased productivity.
New platform aims to cut shadow IT use and cloud waste
Shadow IT is a problem for enterprises as it leaves them open to attack but also to waste from idle cloud resources.
Aiming to cut both shadow IT and unguarded cloud sprawl, CloudBolt is launching a new platform for the provisioning and management of computing and Kubernetes resources.
Internet Archive lets you play 2,500 more classic DOS games in your browser, including The Secret of Monkey Island and Microsoft Flight Simulator
Five years ago, the Internet Archive added 2,400 playable DOS games to its site, including 90s classics like Duke Nukem 3D, Prince of Persia, Championship Manager, The Incredible Machine, Eye of the Beholder (and its sequels), Hexen, Sim City, and Wolfenstein 3D.
Over the years, a number of additional games have been added to the collection, but the Internet Archive has made what it says is its biggest update yet, introducing another 2,500 MS-DOS titles.
The secret to mobile security: Isolation
As if avoiding phishing, fake phone calls, and questionable emails wasn’t already a daily challenge to protecting personal data, "trustworthy" websites are now effective vehicles for launching malware, and no device is safe. In today’s digital world, the security of the internet has become a tricky task, especially considering nearly half of the world’s most popular websites are risky places to visit.
Consider this: the web browser serves as one of the primary conduits for delivering malware, so how can organizations protect their assets and users? Taking extreme measures, some enterprises have entertained the idea of using tablets or iPads to keep high-risk users safe from malware. But given the recent iPhone and iOS hacks, mobile devices have proven to be just as susceptible to attacks. For instance, Google's Project Zero security team recently revealed that iOS security was breached after websites in the wild had found a number of vulnerabilities. Not only were they able to break through layers of security, hackers were able to take full control of the device.
Adobe issues patches to fix scores of bugs in Adobe Acrobat and Reader, plus other software
There has been a lot of scrutiny on patches issued by Microsoft recently, but now Adobe is vying for attention by releasing patches for a slew of programs, fixing literally dozens of bugs.
Adobe Acrobat and Reader have received patches for no fewer than 45 critical vulnerabilities, as well as an additional 21 less serious issues. There are also patches for Adobe Experience Manager, Adobe Experience Manager Forms and Adobe Download Manager.
The second generation of Google Assistant is faster and smarter than ever
Yesterday's Made By Google event was primarily about the launch of the Pixel 4, the Pixelbook Go, and a range of Nest devices -- but there were a few extra bits and pieces to get excited about.
At the New York event, Google spoke about the second generation of Google Assistant, promising greater speed and more functionality than before. There's also a new look to the digital assistant.
Delta Lake to be hosted by the Linux Foundation
All organizations want to get more value from their data, but can be hampered by the lack of reliable information within data lakes.
The Delta Lake project addresses data reliability challenges by making transactions ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) compliant enabling concurrent reads and writes. It also helps to ensure that the data lake is free of corrupt and not-conformant data.
Logitech unveils 'Made for Google' K580 wireless keyboard and M355 mouse for Chrome OS
Earlier today, Google officially announced its latest Chromebook -- the affordable Pixelbook Go. While it is designed for portability, it can double as a makeshift desktop by connecting a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Since the Pixelbook Go only has USB-C ports, and one of them will be needed for video out and the other for power, this means you will pretty much need a wireless keyboard and mouse for a proper desktop experience.
Today, Logitech launches its first-ever "Made for Google" accessories -- the K580 wireless keyboard and M355 wireless mouse. Both of these products are designed for Chrome OS, but they should work with other operating systems too, such as Windows 10 and macOS. The K580 keyboard also has a cradle at the top to hold a smartphone -- you can then switch between Chrome OS and your phone by pressing a button.
Google Pixel 4 is officially here
Happy Google Day, dear BetaNews readers! Yes, today in New York City, the search giant unveiled a bunch of new devices at its Made by Google event. Yours truly is in attendance, getting up close and personal with all the new stuff. True, much of the information leaked to the web beforehand, but it is still exciting nonetheless. There's a new Chromebook Go laptop, Nest Mini, and even a new Nest Wifi mesh system. Let's be honest, though -- the star of the show is the newest Pixel Android phone.
As expected, Google announced the Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL. The phones are largely the same except for differences in OLED screen size -- 5.7-inch vs 6.3-inch. The smaller phones gets a 2800 mAh battery, while the XL variant has a 3700 mAh battery. They both are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor and 6GB of RAM. Sadly, Wi-Fi is limited to 802.11ac and not the faster 802.11ax. There is no next-generation 5G cellular modem either.
Pixelbook Go is a smart, competitively-priced Chromebook
Google's original Pixelbook launched back in 2017, and two years on the company is launching a new lighter, thinner version called the Pixelbook Go.
Weighing around two pounds and only 13mm thick, the Go offers up to 12 hours battery life, backlit keyboard and a 13.3-inch 1080p touchscreen. Top end models will feature a 4K display.
Nest Mini comes with an upgraded Google Assistant
Amazon has been putting its voice assistant Alexa into as many devices as it can dream up, leaving Google trailing in its wake. Two years ago, the search giant announced its Amazon Echo Dot competitor, called the Home Mini, and today at its Made by Google ’19 event it debuted that device’s successor.
Nest Mini -- Google is rebranding its home hardware with the Nest name -- comes with an upgraded Google Assistant, and twice the bass. That’s not all though.
Google's Nest Wifi mesh router and extender comes with Google Assistant built-in
I live in a house with very thick walls and floors, so as a result, my Wi-Fi coverage always used to be extremely patchy. I tried various solutions over the years, including a number of range extenders, but eventually I cracked the issue by switching to Google Wifi, a smart networking system that creates a whole home wireless network.
Today, at its Made By Google ’19 event, the search giant unveils the successor to its mesh solution -- Nest Wifi.