As Twitter flounders, rivals Mastodon and Bluesky flourish, and Meta launches Threads on Thursday
The rocky journey for Twitter continues under Elon Musk, with this weekend seeing bizarre constraints introduced in an attempt to reduce unspecified "data scraping". Users of the service found themselves hit with rate limit warnings as Twitter placed restrictions on the number of tweets that can be viewed each day.
Rival Mastodon has already seen a steady influx of Twitter escapees, and this continued over the weekend with a 300,000 jump in the number of active users; Bluesky is also faring well, to the point that sign-ups have been paused to allow for tweaks and fixes to be implemented to accommodate the levels of interest. But now eyes are turning towards Meta, as the Facebook owner prepares for the launch this Thursday of its own Twitter alternative, Threads by Instagram.
Linux-based Fatdog64-814 debuts as the final release of the 800 series
Today, the folks behind the lightweight Fatdog64 Linux distribution announce the release of the final version in the 800 series, Fatdog64-814. The developers confirmed that no further releases are planned for this series. However, that's far from the end of the road for Fatdog64 -- the project will continue to innovate and evolve with a brand-new base, the 900 series.
Taking a closer look at the updates from the previous version, Fatdog64-814 incorporates Linux-5.19.17, known for its low-latency, 1000Hz, dynamic preemption. A testament to its commitment to keeping current, the team has included microcode updates as recent as those of October 2022.
Memory-based attacks increase as attackers dodge cloud defenses
A new report shows a 1,400 percent increase in fileless or memory-based attacks, which exploit existing software, applications, and protocols to perform malicious activities against cloud-based systems.
The research from Aqua Security's Nautilus research team collected honeypot data over a six-month period and shows that more than 50 percent of the attacks focused on defense evasion.
The pros and cons of outsourcing data analytics
Today, companies utilize data analytics not only to understand past performance but also to predict future trends and make strategic decisions. However, as the volume and complexity of data continue to grow, many companies find it challenging to manage their data analysis needs in-house. Outsourcing data analytics has emerged as a potential solution to this challenge, and it is expected to become an increasingly popular option.
According to a report by Allied Market Research, the data analytics outsourcing market is projected to see an impressive compound annual growth rate of 29.4 percent between 2017 and 2023. In this article, we will explore the pros and cons of outsourcing data analytics, thereby providing insights to assist businesses in making informed decisions regarding this critical aspect of their operations.
Securing supply chains: Navigating risks in the evolving threat landscape
Across the interconnected global economy, complex supply chains ensure the seamless flow of goods and services across every industry. However, as cyber threats continue to evolve, organizations throughout this ecosystem are, often unknowingly, being exposed to more and more security risks as a direct result of being part of the chain. This creates a range of critical challenges for organizations whose very existence is dependent on the reliability and integrity of their supply chains at all their various levels.
Understanding the various stages of contemporary supply chains -- from material sourcing to manufacturing, transportation, warehousing, and distribution -- is essential for identifying potential vulnerabilities, with each stage susceptible to different types of risks.
Hacking and why it can be good for cybersecurity [Q&A]
Hacking tends to have something of a bad name, but there are many hackers who do good work, identifying flaws before they can be exploited in cyberattacks.
However, many of these people operate in the shadows for fear of being prosecuted for violating legislation. We talked to Laurie Mercer, director of sales engineering at security platform HackerOne, to discuss whether ethical hackers need to be more open about their activities in order to bring about change and how ethical hacking is making organizations safer.
Debian 12 Bookworm-based Peppermint OS Linux distribution now available
In the ever-evolving landscape of Linux distributions, Peppermint OS, well-loved for its unique combination of speed, elegance, and simplicity, has unveiled a freshly minted update, introducing a refined look and a bunch of enhanced features. With a build date of July 1, 2023, this Debian-based operating system will surely cool down your summer with its delightful refinements.
The first striking change is the updated branding. Peppermint OS has received a facelift in terms of aesthetics with a new Plymouth design, demonstrating the development team's commitment to continual improvement and modernization. This uplift is a welcomed change, presenting users with a fresh and visually appealing boot-up experience.
Kodi 20.2 'Nexus' is available now -- here's what's new and why you should install it
Although The Kodi Foundation is hard at work developing the next version of its popular home theater software, Kodi 21 'Omega', it is ensuring that users of the current 'Nexus' generation don't get forgotten.
Today the team announces the release of Kodi 20.2 and although it doesn't come with any real new features, you'll still want to install it.
Understanding common internet-facing footholds exploited by bad actors
Ransomware remains a persistent threat with real-world consequences, with the ability to halt business operations, and cause significant reputational and financial damage.
Ransomware incidents have gained the attention of the general public with attacks like the Colonial Pipeline that led to fuel shortages, and WannaCry that led to British hospitals diverting patients. Despite an increased level of awareness at the board level, ransomware attacks continue to plague organizations.
Forget Windows Copilot, what you really want is the new AI-powered Clippy
Yesterday, Microsoft made the first preview version of Copilot available for Windows 11 Insiders in the Dev Channel. This AI-powered feature appears as a docked sidebar on the right and lets users ask questions and perform actions, such as take a screenshot or turn on do not disturb.
Copilot is unquestionably the future of Microsoft's operating system, and will likely be a major part of Windows 12, but there are other AI tools on offer, including a modern take on Microsoft's ancient Office assistant, Clippit (more commonly called Clippy).
Best Windows apps this week
Five-hundred-and-forty-nine in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.
A preview of the AI-powered Windows Copilot is now rolling out to the latest Windows 11 Dev build installations. It is designed to assist Windows 11 users, for instance by helping them make changes to the operating system or troubleshoot issues.
Ubuntu Linux-maker Canonical unveils a significant Snapcraft.io redesign
Today, Ubuntu-maker Canonical announces a comprehensive redesign of its Snapcraft.io platform. The online store, known for its collection of “snaps” -- software packages designed for Linux distributions -- has taken a major leap forward, moving away from its long-standing user interface and style.
The redesign project, which Snapcraft.io embarked upon after numerous years of maintaining a consistent aesthetic, has been executed with the aim of modernizing the overall look and feel of the platform. The initiative has involved a meticulous analysis of potential improvements, resulting in a two-stage rollout.
Preparing the workforce for AI [Q&A]
Artificial intelligence isn't all that new, but recently the availability of tools like ChatGPT has catapulted it into the public consciousness. When it comes to introducing AI in the workplace though it's inevitable that some people will perceive it as a threat.
We talked to Khadim Batti, Whatfix CEO and co-founder, to discover how enterprise leaders can prepare their workforces for AI and overcome the challenges that it presents.
Microsoft finally fixes Start menu, Windows Search and UWP app issues in Windows 10 and 11
Windows is no stranger to problems, and some issues linger rather longer than others. A good example is a longstanding bug that has blighted both Windows 10 and Windows 11 since the beginning of the year.
The issue means that the Start menu, Windows search and Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps behave strangely or fail to open. Or at least this was the case; Microsoft has now addressed the problems with a new update.
Microsoft is updating the Settings app in Windows 11... and injecting more ads
With the release of Windows 11 build 2349 Microsoft has introduced numerous changes and additions, not least of which is the arrival of the eagerly awaited AI-powered Copilot tool. But the latest update to Windows 11 also includes a new look for the Settings app.
Microsoft has given the homepage of Settings a revamp that sees the interface split into clear, easy-to-read sections, which the company is referring to as cards. The new look is clean and uncluttered, but there has been the controversial decision to use at least one of the cards to display ads.
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