Microsoft revamps Skype for Outlook.com
It's not long since Microsoft started the rollout of a redesigned version of Outlook.com, and today the company gives Skype for Outlook.com a revamp. The update brings tighter integration between Outlook.com and the messaging tool.
In beta for the time being, the updated version of Skype for Outlook.com aims to make it easier to use the two tools together. It’s the same update that was rolled out on a preview basis to a limit number of users last month, but now it’s being made available to everyone.
Security firm Tiversa refutes allegations of hacking and extorting potential clients
Last month we reported that Tiversa, a security firm, was being accused of fraud by one of its former employees, Richard Wallace. In his testament, Wallace claims that the company was hacking potential clients to force them to buy its services. The firm has reached out to us to share its side of the story and shed more light on the matter.
The testimony, provided by Wallace in front of a Washington DC courtroom, also accuses Bob Boback, the CEO of Tiversa, of making his employees look for IP addresses of known identity thieves utilizing the company's ties to law enforcement agencies. The firm would then present these addresses to potential clients to scare them.
Autodesk's John Walker explained HP and IBM in 1991
One reader of this column in particular has been urging me to abandon for a moment my obsession with IBM and look, instead, at his employer -- Hewlett Packard. HP, he tells me, suffers from all the same problems as IBM while lacking IBM’s depth and resources. And he’s correct: HP is a shadow of its former self and probably doomed if it continues to follow its current course. I’ve explained some of this before in an earlier column, and another, and another you might want to re-read. More of HP’s problems are covered in a very fine presentation you can read here. Were I to follow a familiar path at this point I’d be laying out a long list of HP mistakes. And while I may well do exactly that later in the week, right here and now I am inspired to do what they call in the movies "cutting to the chase", which in this case means pushing through bad tactics to find a good strategy. I want to lay out in a structural sense what’s really happening at both HP and IBM (and at a lot of other companies, too) so we can understand how to fix them, if indeed they can be fixed at all.
So I’ll turn to the works of Autodesk founder John Walker, specifically his Final Days of Autodesk memo, also called Information Letter 14, written in 1991. You can find this 30-page memo and a whole lot more at Walker’s web site. He has for most of this century lived in Switzerland where the server resides in a fortress today. We may even hear from Walker, himself, if word gets back that I’ve too brazenly stolen his ideas. Having never met the man, I’d like that.
Logitech announces MX Anywhere 2 Wireless Mobile Mouse
As hard as I try, I can never truly love a touch pad. I grew up with keyboards and mice -- nothing can compare to the accuracy of a good mouse. Unfortunately, I cannot use my desktop everywhere; I use a laptop when on the go. To save my sanity, I usually pack a small mouse in my bag.
Sadly, a good mobile mouse can be hard to find. No worries though, as long as you look to Logitech, you can be guaranteed a great product. The company's mice are legendary. Today, it announces the MX Anywhere 2 Wireless Mobile Mouse. This diminutive pointing device looks like another winner.
Bromium launches smoother endpoint protection for enterprises
Enterprise security teams are under increasing pressure to respond to threats from breaches as well as more traditional security threats.
To ease their workload threat isolation specialist Bromium is launching a new platform designed to speed deployment time and give security teams better management capabilities.
Apple values customer safety over money -- voluntarily recalls Beats Pill XL over fire risk
About 10 years ago, I was relaxing in my apartment watching TV. All of a sudden, I noticed smoke beginning to come from the walls. In a panic, I looked out my door to see that the auto parts store below me was on fire. Rather than put on shoes or grab any belongings, I ran onto the busy road and asked a motorist to call 911. Long story short, I lost all of my belongings.
Living through a fire is a traumatic experience, and anything that can prevent such a tragedy is worthwhile. That is why today I applaud Apple for voluntarily recalling the potentially dangerous Beats Pill XL. Yes, this popular speaker can carry the risk of fire.
Doing business overseas: The hidden risks
Startups are a lot easier than stay ups. Within the first 18 months, 50 to 70 percent of new, small businesses crash and burn. Only a fraction of that number ever make it to the ten year mark. That is what happens to US businesses started by US citizens. They know the language, the geography, understand the money and finances, are familiar with the weather patterns, and are fully assimilated into society. With all those advantages, they still fail at an alarming rate.
The risk of failure is even higher when setting out to do business overseas, in a land that is completely foreign. The language is Wookie-speak. And the currency might just as well be monopoly money. Then, there are the politics and laws. It is hard enough to keep up with ours own here in the US. What about taboos and social mores? It is all too easy to cross lines you don’t know are there. While a risk is nothing more than a challenge, to some, consider these challenges before setting up "shoppe" abroad.
Hacker groups aiding ISIS in takedown of news media sites
For a while now we've witnessed the brutality of Islamic State, but less in the news is the cyber terrorism carried out by it. However that's a big part of the arsenal for this group and media outlets have been a primary target in the war. Recently the site and social media of a French TV station was taken down and defaced with messages from the group.
Following the attack on TV5Monde, media groups within France held an emergency meeting. This came after all of the network went black for more than three hours in April.
Firefox gains Reader View, adds screen sharing capabilities to Hello chat tool
Mozilla has unveiled Firefox 38.0.5 FINAL for desktop and Firefox 38.0.5 for Android, the second time the browser has released a major interim update since switching to a rapid-release cycle back in 2013.
The new desktop build contains three major items of interest: a new Reader View, integration with the Pocket offline reading service, and improvements to Firefox’s Hello chat tool.
Datameer launches regulatory tools for Hadoop
The popularity of big data has boosted demand for Hadoop systems. Yet data handling and analytic capabilities are often seen as the key features while governance and security get relegated to a support role.
In corporate environments though the governance side of things is important which is why big data specialist Datameer is launching new tools for maintaining data validity and manageability in the Hadoop ecosystem.
Microsoft reveals some impressive numbers at Computex 2015
As well as showing off a load of new Windows 10 compatible hardware during its keynote at Computex 2015, Microsoft also revealed some interesting numbers relating to the new OS, and the PC market in general.
While PC shipments and sales have definitely fallen a lot over the past few years, it’s far from game over for Windows powered devices, and things have started looking up.
How to unlock your LG G4's bootloader
LG's Android handsets are not the best choices for enthusiasts. Bootloaders are tightly locked, so loading a different kernel or installing another distribution is next to impossible. And there is no official tool that lifts the restrictions, even if that would mean having the warranty voided. Without getting a Nexus 4 or Nexus 5, you are out of luck. Heck, even iPhones are friendlier to the modders.
Fortunately, LG is well aware of the enthusiasts' interest in its devices, so it has finally taken the first step towards embracing the community's ways by allowing G4 users to unlock the bootloader. Here is how it can be done.
Google+ is slowly being killed
After three years of hard pushing, Google has accepted the failure of Google+ and is starting to dismantle the overbearing social network.
Google’s service no longer directly links to users' Google+ profile, instead the forename and surname takes over as a placeholder, although it is unclickable. Google has not said what it plans to add in Google+' place.
Innerexile Glacier: Self-healing case for your iPhone 6, 6 Plus [Review]
There are lots of nice cases available for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. I prefer Apple's Leather Case as it looks great, feels fantastic, fits the device as it's supposed to and, last but not least, offers some much-needed grip. It is a bit expensive but, in my opinion, it is worth it.
However, Apple's Leather Case, much like other iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus cases, needs to be handled with a bit of care, to avoid scratching and damaging the material. Accessory maker Innerexile claims that it has developed a self-healing case for the latest iPhones, which can "[heal] itself from light scratches". Offered the opportunity to try out the premium-looking Glacier (there is also a similar Hydra model), I quickly started to put these claims to the test.
Microsoft reveals new Windows 10 devices
Windows 10 is now less than two months away, and today at Computex 2015 Microsoft unveiled the latest range of devices designed with the operating system in mind. Taking to the stage in Taipai, Microsoft's Nick Parker revealed a collection of desktops, laptops, and tablets that will run Windows 10.
The latest version of Microsoft's operating system aims to be all things to all people, and this is something that is reflected in the diversity of devices on show today. In addition to traditional PCs, the 2-in-1 convertible range continues to grow, and there are tablets from a number of Microsoft partners. There's hardware from lots of familiar names, but also from lesser-known companies.
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