Latest Technology News

Chinese tech CEO compares Apple to the Nazi Party

China is not known for its subtle language, as recently displayed by Chinese CEO and billionaire Jia Yueting, who compared Apple to the Nazi Party through a cartoon-style image.

In a weibo post, Yueting compares the attributes of the Android and iOS ecosystems as "Crowdsourced, freedom vs arrogance, tyranny", painting Apple as the villain.

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Why moving to the cloud doesn't remove the need for backups [Q&A]

cloud link

More and more businesses are moving their data to the cloud and adopting SaaS delivery models for software. In making this switch many assume that they're shifting the responsibility for looking after their data to someone else.

But companies still need to take charge of looking after their information. We spoke to Rob May, senior vice president of business development for Datto to find out more about how enterprises can protect themselves.

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Apple Watch will benefit traditional watch companies

It’s been six months since Apple officially announced its Apple Watch, which is currently one of the most anticipated releases of the year.

Apple will be joining tech giants Samsung and LG in the smartwatch market, but those aren’t the only companies they will be competing with. Last week at the Baselworld 2015 jewelry trade show in Switzerland, several traditional watch companies revealed smartwatches of their own.

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Microsoft reveals Halo 5: Guardians Xbox One release date with two new commercials

Nintendo has a stable of popular mascots and characters. The most obvious is Mario and Luigi, but don't forget Link, Kirby and a slew of Pokemon, such as Pikachu. That is just a small sampling; there are tons more. For Microsoft, however, there is only one such character that is associated with Xbox by the masses -- Master Chief from the Halo franchise.

Tonight, during the season finale of Walking Dead (which was awesome), the release date for the next title in the franchise, Halo 5: Guardians, was revealed. How? With two spectacular live-action TV commercials.

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Snowden's leaks served only to strengthen the NSA's resolve

Snowden's leaks served only to strengthen the NSA's resolve

Edward Snowden is heralded as both a hero and villain. A privacy vigilante and a traitor. It just depends who you ask. The revelations he made about the NSA's surveillance programs have completely changed the face of online security, and changed the way everyone looks at the internet and privacy.

But just before the whistle was blown, it seems that the NSA was considering bringing its telephone data collection program to an end. Intelligence officials were, behind the scenes, questioning whether the benefits of gathering counter-terrorism information justified the colossal costs involved. Then Snowden went public and essentially forced the agency's hand.

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First look: Process Lasso 8

Whether you’re working on your PC or not, there are always plenty of processes running in the background: system services, program updaters, security tools, scheduled tasks and so on.

Windows uses a range of techniques to decide how your system resources are shared out, but you may still find some processes grab more than you’d like, drastically cutting the performance of everything else.

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Amazon Fire TV -- how to check version number and update

This week Amazon rolled out its latest update for Fire TV. The package contains all sort of enhancements for the platform, including expandable storage via USB, better Wi-Fi connectivity for those in a hotel or dorm room, music playlists through Prime, and a whole lot more.

So, how do you know what version you're set-top box is currently running and how do you check to see if the update is yet available to you? The process is pretty simple and the steps are listed below, so let's walk through it.

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Highlight key text on web pages with Super Simple Highlighter for Chrome

You're working on some web research project, part way through a lengthy page, when it's time to go and do something else. Annoying, because while you can bookmark the site, when you next return you’ll still have to find all the most important quotes and paragraphs all over again.

Super Simple Highlighter is a Chrome extension which makes it easy to highlight one or more sections of a page, restoring them when you return (usually) so you can carry on where you left off.

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The FBI wants your computer and mobile to be insecure

The FBI wants your computer and mobile to be insecure

You'd think that governments would be encouraging people to keep their computers and personal data safe. Until relatively recently, this has been exactly what the FBI has been pushing -- suggesting that phone users should enable encryption on their handsets. But it seems that there has been something of a change of heart. It's probably Snowden's fault.

Now, as part of an "ongoing website redesign", advice about using encryption and protective PINs has vanished from the FBI website. Forget the security-focused devices such as the Blackphone 2, it appears that the bureau wants your data, and you, to be insecure.

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Microsoft schedules more Lumias to receive Windows 10 Technical Preview for phones

Windows Phone users are a special bunch. They have chosen to invest in the last-place mobile ecosystem. The reason they chose this route can be many things, such as Microsoft loyalty or having an underdog personality. The most sensible reason for choosing Windows Phone, however, is the potential low cost of ownership coupled with the well-designed user interface. It is a solid experience.

Of course, these users are very anxious to try the next version of the mobile operating system, Windows 10 for phones. When Microsoft released the Technical Preview of the OS last month, the list of compatible devices was so small, that many users of the non-compatible devices felt a bit jilted, and rightfully so. Today, Microsoft releases a list of devices scheduled to get the next version of Windows 10 Technical Preview for phones. To the delight of Windows Phone users, the list is much more extensive, but only includes Lumia devices.

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Google responds to Wall Street Journal's FTC-report hatchet

Today, Rachel Whetstone, Google's senior vice president of communications and policy, asks what has been on my mind since a stunning scoop set the Wall Street Journal against the Federal Trade Commission and the search and information giant. As I explained in an analysis of the news reporting, the story is flush with insinuation and veiled accusation, bereft of context.

Among my more serious concerns: Journal-parent News Corp's ongoing tug-a-war with Google's business model and its impact on paid content. Both entities likely would benefit by any means that trustbusters could crimp Google. The scoop's timing and tone look like they intend to influence European Union public policy. Ms. Whetstone's response is brilliant, because it gets to the point: Conflict of interest taints the Journal's credibility and impartiality. She rightly observes: "We understand you have a new found love of the regulatory process, especially in Europe".

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Go to summer school with Microsoft -- get $5,000 and a free laptop!

When people think of "summer school", they often think of underachieving students attending classes in the summer due to deficiencies in their grades during the normal school year. This can be very true; I often had to do this to make up for my failing grades as a young man. Summer school is not only for slackers, however, as I often took college courses during that season as a way to speed up my path to graduation.

Today, Microsoft announces the Research Data Science Summer School in New York. If you are interested in applying, you should act fast.

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Slack is tardy to the two-factor authentication party

Slack is tardy to the two-factor authentication party

Following a four-day long security breach back in February, chat and collaboration tool Slack is finally getting two-factor authentication. Last month, the encrypted central user database was accessed by hackers although there is no indication that hashed passwords were decrypted.

Slack insists that no payment information was seen by hackers, and while the breach is far from good news, there is a silver lining: it has forced the company to look harder at security. Starting today, two-factor authentication is available which locks down accounts via the Android, iOS and Windows Phone apps.

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How custom software streamlines business processes, and three common problems

When you think about streamlining your organization's business processes, your thoughts may turn quickly to automation. With all of the buzz around business automation -- and the benefits that are supposed to go along with it -- that makes sense. But as is so often the case, the real story behind streamlined processes isn't as simple as automating every possible task.

In fact, one of the keys to building better processes through custom software is to understand that some tasks are better suited to human beings, while others are ideal for computers. A human can react quickly to new and unexpected contexts and make complicated decisions on the fly. Software, on the other hand, excels at sophisticated number crunching and repetitive tasks governed by consistent rules.

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Exclusive: Widespread security flaw affects hundreds of UK news sites

Cyber attack

A security flaw has been discovered in a number of UK news websites, potentially placing 24.5 million users at risk. The problem was found in websites run by Johnston Press, a UK media group that is responsible for scores of regional news websites.

Just a few days ago we reported about the findings of security researcher Brute Logic. He discovered an XSS vulnerability on Amazon that risked exposing user data and could be used to compromise accounts. Now the same researcher has discovered another cross-site scripting security flaw that could be used to redirect visitors to malicious websites -- and it's worryingly simple to exploit.

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