South Korea looking to scrap ActiveX payment requirement -- bad news for Internet Explorer

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In 1999, South Korea pushed a law that forced online vendors to adopt Microsoft ActiveX, in order to utilize the SEED cipher developed by the Korea Information Security Agency (KISA) for online transactions.

Even though at the time it seemed like a good decision, the government is now looking to scrap the system and create new online encryption that works with all browsers and supports SSL.

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FileSeek is a fast and flexible search tool

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FileSeek is a portable free-for-personal-use search tool for Windows XP-10, a fast and flexible way to locate the files you need.

The program's familiar interface means you’ll be using it right away. Select a path to search and an "Include" pattern – like *.txt – to find files of a particular type, say, and optionally enter text to locate within those files.

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Windows 'could' go open-source, but is that a good idea? [Update]

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Today, a Wired article proposes that Microsoft could open-source Windows, quoting Azure chief technology officer Mark Russinovich who says "it's definitely possible". Well sure, anything is possible, I suppose. But it's certainly not probable.

A Microsoft spokesperson tells me the company has "not made any open-source policy or business model changes for Windows". Still, if nothing else, it does provoke thought. The ultimate question, for me, and hopefully you, is does it make sense? Is an open-source Windows a good idea?

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Microsoft will no longer enable Do Not Track by default

Microsoft will no longer enable Do Not Track by default

Do Not Track will not be enabled by default in future versions of Microsoft web browsers, the company says. The decision comes in response to the latest draft of the World Wide Web Consortium's DNT standard which states "in the absence of user choice, there is no tracking preference expressed".

Microsoft is concerned that if the setting is enabled by default in Internet Explorer or Project Spartan, sites would have a loophole permitting them to ignore a DNT signal. In the future users will need to manually enable the feature, and Microsoft says that clear information will be provided about how to do this.

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Samsung Galaxy S6 edge buyers complain of screen defects

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Samsung Galaxy S6 edge customers are complaining that their handsets are being received with scratched displays and dead pixels.

Although the flagship device is not supposed to launch officially until 10 April, T-Mobile has begun shipping the smartphones in advance.

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WikiLeaks leaker Chelsea Manning joins Twitter from prison

Wikileaks leaker Chelsea Manning joins Twitter from prison

Despite being incarcerated for leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks, Chelsea Manning has joined Twitter. The solider formerly known as Bradley Manning has been approved to receive gender-reassignment hormone therapy, but is not permitted access to the internet.

To get around this restriction, supporters of Manning have set up the @xychelsea account on her behalf. Tweeting is due to start today, and Manning will dictate messages over the phone so "her own candid thoughts and comments" can be shared with Twitter users.

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Samsung Galaxy S6 edge bends as easily as Apple iPhone 6 Plus

Samsung Galaxy S6 edge Apple iPhone 6 Plus HTC One M9 bend test

Every new high-profile smartphone is subjected to a bend test nowadays. It's become a tradition following the launch of iPhone 6 Plus, which has been found to easily bend under pressure. So, naturally, when it came time to test Samsung's new Galaxy S6 edge and HTC's new One M9, SquareTrade chose Apple's phablet to serve as the basis for comparison.

Galaxy S6 edge appears to be more fragile compared to Galaxy S6, due to the rounded screen which minimizes the level of protection offered by the surrounding metal frame. Meanwhile, HTC's One M9 has a more traditional form factor, similar to last year's One (M8), which should help it fare better. So how easily do they bend?

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TrueCrypt doesn't contain NSA backdoors

Data encryption

A security audit of TrueCrypt has determined that the disk encryption software does not contain any backdoors that could be used by the NSA or other surveillance agencies. A report prepared by the NCC Group for Open Crypto Audit Project found that the encryption tool is not vulnerable to being compromised.

However, the software was found to contain a few other security vulnerabilities, including one relating to the use of the Windows API to generate random numbers for master encryption key material. Despite this, TrueCrypt was given a relatively clean bill of health with none of the detected vulnerabilities considered severe enough to lead "to a complete bypass of confidentiality in common usage scenarios".

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Best Windows apps this week

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One-hundred and twenty fifth in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows in the past seven days.

Microsoft rebranded the two core apps Music and Videos this week and released them as previews for Windows 10 dropping the Xbox branding in the process.

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The technology that could have prevented the Germanwings Flight 4U 9525 tragedy

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In the wake of Germanwings Flight 4U 9525’s tragic crash, there has been much talk about how this will affect the aviation industry going forwards. Will all airlines adopt the "rule of two" cockpit procedure? Should there be more intense scrutiny of pilots’ mental health?

The debate over what can be done to limit a repeat of the catastrophe will rage on and on, but away from the human causes and aftermath, there is an existing technological solution that could potentially have saved the lives of all 150 on board.

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System76 unveils all-new Broadwell-powered Lemur -- an affordable Ubuntu Linux laptop

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While many computer manufacturers are in a race to the bottom -- both in price and quality -- some makers continue to produce reliable high-quality machines. One of these manufacturers is System76. If you aren't familiar, it manufactures and sells desktops and laptops running the Ubuntu operating system. In other words, Linux fans can buy one of these machines and have it running the Linux distro out of the box -- no need to format the drive to remove Windows.

Today, the company announces the all-new Lemur -- a laptop with a Broadwell processor. The 14.1 inch laptop not only has solid specs, but an affordable price tag too. If you are a Linux fan in the market for a new laptop, you need to take a look.

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Rise of copycats in China: Samsung Galaxy S6 clone at $169 now available for sale

Samsung Galaxy S6 Clone_thumb

Samsung finally seems to have got things right in its flagship smartphone. After receiving flak for years for using stale design language and cheap plastic material in its Galaxy smartphones, the South Korean technology conglomerate took to the stage last month to announce the metal clad Samsung Galaxy S6 with glass panel at both front and back ends. But if the $679 off-contract retail price seemed exorbitant to you, there is a clone of the S6 out there costing just $169 from a shady Chinese smartphone company.

Called the Goophone S6, the handset resembles the Galaxy S6 and comes in four color options -- golden, white, black, and blue. From the chassis to the design, to the logo, the resemblance is uncanny. As for the hardware, the smartphone comes with a dual-core MTK6572 processor clocked at 1.0GHz or a quad-core MTK6582 clocked at 1.3GHz (if you're happy to shell out an extra $40), and 512MB and 1GB RAM options. The phone runs on Android 5.0 and comes with enticing air gesture control, and heart rate monitor features. Needless to mention that the Goophone S6’s offering is nowhere close to the powerhouse Samsung has launched.

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BBC officially releases Doctor Who episodes on BitTorrent

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Although BitTorrent’s reputation is as a means to download music and movies illegally, the company is trying to change that by offering original, and legal content via paid "bundles". It scored a success in 2014 when it released Radiohead’s Thom Yorke's new album in this way, and later in the year it will be debuting its first original television series, Children of the Machine.

But today BitTorrent announces a really impressive coup -- the BBC has agreed to put out an official digital Doctor Who box-set via the file sharing network.

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Google will continue to dominate search ad market in 2015

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Google is looking at another dominant year in the search ad market, with estimated spending to reach $81.59 billion in 2015 according to research firm eMarketer.

Holding a solid 54.7 percent of the search ad market in 2014, Google will drop 0.2 percent of the total search ad revenue. This does not mean a decrease in revenue though, going from $38.42 billion to $44.46 billion in one year.

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What is Tidal lossless 'HiFi' music worth? [first-impressions review]

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Fraking fantastic is my reaction to Tidal's high-definition audio. I spent much of April Fools' Day testing, and quite enjoying, the music service, although I am skeptical that most streaming subsctibers will care—not for $19.95 per month. Still, I see hope for the 10-buck standard quality other option if Tidal delivers enough artist exclusives and superior curation. The iTunes hegemony, and Apple's rapidly evolving Beats Music acquisition, is all about content, much of it available nowhere else, better presented, and more easily discovered. With musicians' support, and unique content with it, maybe, just maybe, a Tidal wave approaches.

The service essentially relaunched on March 31, 2015, with a gala event hosted by Jay-Z and other music superstars. He acquired Tidal, for $56 million two months earlier, but the lossless streaming service launched in October 2014. Architecture, audio quality, two-tier pricing, and streaming are essentially unchanged. New owners' commitment, that of other artists, big marketing push, and 30-day trial distinguish Tidal today.

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