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Microsoft suspends availability of Windows 10 builds

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If you haven't already downloaded Windows 10 build 10162 or 10166, you're now too late. Microsoft has suspended the availability of these two builds -- previously available on the Slow and Fast rings respectively -- in the run up to the big launch day in a couple of weeks' time.

As we edge closer and closer to the RTM build of Windows 10, Microsoft is now asking Windows Insiders to stick with the build they currently have installed for the time being. Anyone who hasn’t upgraded to these latest preview builds is out of luck. As well as disabling upgrading through Windows Update, Microsoft is also suspending ISOs and activation.

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Microsoft to make Surface range more widely available, but delays Surface Hub

Surface 3 + Surface Pro 3

It’s not been exactly difficult to get your hands on a Surface slate, but Microsoft is set to dramatically expand the number of partners selling its touch-screen devices in the coming months.

Timed, naturally, to coincide with the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft says it will go from "having a few hundred partners selling and servicing Surface to a few thousand globally".

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Migrating from Windows Server 2003: 9 things to consider

windows server 2003

It’s been a long time coming, but on July 14 this year the support for Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2003 R2 will end.

This may well prove to be a challenge for some IT professionals, but it certainly doesn’t have to be a problem. Here, Rory Higgins, product manager at Eaton, outlines nine points to help IT professionals prepare for life beyond Windows Server 2003 and even to discover that this unavoidable change is actually an opportunity.

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You can charge 60 USB devices with this mega charging station

60 usb charging station

Sometimes one USB power outlet isn’t enough. Sometimes you need two. Sometimes you need 60. When you need 60 USB outlets, you will want to take a look at this massive charging station.

From an unknown manufacturer comes a charging station that should bring back peace in your family. For the first time in the history of mankind, we now have a fancy-schmancy charging station that can beam power to all of the gadgets in your home at once.

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Microsoft launches Cortana Analytics Suite to leverage big data

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Today at its Worldwide Partner Conference, Microsoft unveiled Cortana Analytics Suite. This is a set of tools designed for business to harness big data and use it to perform relevant, automated tasks. The suite neatly ties together the cloud, big data, and the Internet of Things to create a system that can be put to countless uses.

There are two big clues in the name that help to explain why Microsoft is describing this as a tool that will help to bring about "intelligent enterprise". Automated analytics takes the legwork out of dealing with data from apps, devices, sensors, and more, while Cortana integration means that users can interact with data in a more natural way.

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Microsoft Project GigJam humanizes business collaboration, delegation, and tracking

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The future of business -- and for some, the present -- is a world without barriers. Gone is the anger-inducing commute and soul-sucking cubicles. Working from home, the coffee shop, or even the beach from the device of your choice is a real possibility.

The problem, however, is a lack of easy to use collaboration, delegation and tracking tools. Not to mention the overwhelming number of in-use programs -- and devices -- that do not communicate with each other. Simply sharing a screen with remote users and dialing into a conference line is a recipe for boredom and failure. There needs to be a better way. Microsoft is hoping its new solution Project GigJam -- announced today at the 2015 Worldwide Partner Conference -- is that way.

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RIP Nintendo's Satoru Iwata, the video game president who was actually a gamer

satoru iwata

The world of video games is mourning a huge loss this morning with 55-year-old Nintendo president Satoru Iwata having passed away as the result of a bile duct tumor. While the lasting impact and legacy of Iwata's influence on Nintendo will be thoroughly debated and analyzed, one thing that has no dispute is that Iwata was the rare senior executive in a powerful video game company who was actually a true gamer through and through.

The CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, the entity in charge of all things PlayStation, is Andrew House. While House has a storied history within Sony's video game division, his entire career has been spent in advertising and communications.

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77 percent of people are open to using password alternatives

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The username and password combination has been with us for a long time, but we're increasingly seeing its shortcomings for protecting sensitive data.

A new survey of 24,000 consumers across six continents by technology services and consulting company Accenture reveals that 60 percent of consumers find passwords cumbersome and more than three-quarters worldwide would be open to using alternatives.

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Colasoft Capsa Free is a comprehensive network analyzer

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Colasoft Capsa 8 Free is a powerful tool for monitoring and analyzing network traffic, the free version of an enterprise package normally costing from $695.

The program has a vast and lengthy list of features, yet it’s also accessible to regular users. Just choosing an adapter and clicking "Start" gets you an attractive dashboard, with graphs showing network utilization, traffic, and top traffic by protocol and domain (keep in mind that Wi-Fi devices can’t be monitored in the free edition).

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Android users know about vulnerabilities but aren't taking precautions

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Although the majority of consumers are well aware of potential malware attacks on the Android platform, and they overwhelmingly understand the importance of mobile security, they're still not taking the steps needed to safeguard their devices and they’re reluctant to pay for protection.

This is among the findings of a new survey of more than 100 Android users from Chinese company 360 Security. It shows that Android mobile users worry most about untrustworthy apps (27 percent), online payments (20 percent), and hackers (13 percent).

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Microsoft reveals its Windows 10 launch celebration plans

party dog

While there’s no guarantee you’ll get Windows 10 on July 29, that’s the official launch date for the new OS. To celebrate the rollout, Microsoft is planning "global fan celebrations, joint efforts with thousands of retailers, including Microsoft store locations, a new global advertising campaign, and a new year-long initiative to celebrate people and organizations making a difference around the world". What no cake?

"Windows 10 was built to empower people to do great things. We are thrilled to celebrate the launch of Windows 10 with our fans," says Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of Windows and Devices Marketing at Microsoft. "We’ll mark the launch of Windows 10 by celebrating the people and organizations that upgrade the world every day -- and by helping them do more in their communities".

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A VMI strategy is the optimum solution for BYOD adopters

Business mobile devices

In the BYOD era, enterprises are searching for the optimum mobile work environment -- one that will strike the right balance between security and user needs.

The enterprise’s goal is to achieve the highest level of security. Employees, on the other hand, want the simple, fun user experience they get as consumers. A Virtual Mobile Infrastructure (VMI) strategy can be the ideal solution.

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bstrings searches files for URLs, email addresses, more

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Bstrings is an open source console-based tool for Windows Vista and later which makes it easy to search files for important strings: URLs, email, IP or MAC addresses, UNC paths, GUIDs, credit card numbers, US phone numbers, zip codes and more.

Basic operations are much like many similar tools. Point the program at a file -- bstrings -f file.exe -- and it’ll list any ASCII and Unicode strings for you.

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How malware and gaming have grown up in parallel

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Since the advent of personal computing, games and malware have developed more or less side by side. Today the world of gaming has become intertwined with malware as cyber criminals have turned game theft into something much more lucrative.

The digital world, as we know it today, can be a dangerous place, to bring these issues to light anti-malware company Webroot has teamed up with the new movie PIXELS, released on July 24, to issue an infographic on the history of malware and gaming.

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How to change Windows 10's title bar color

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Windows 10 introduces a lot of changes. If you're upgrading from Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 (or even from XP or Vista), you're going to find a lot that's new. But in addition to new features, settings, and options, some things have also vanished.

One casualty of upgrading to Windows 10 is the ability to customize the color of title bars. This incredibly simple option has been around for as long as Windows itself, but now it has been sacrificed. That is, unless you are willing to jump through a few hoops. Here's how to change the color of title bars in Windows 10.

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