Tensions between the US and Iran expected to lead to a Bitcoin surge
When news broke that the Iranian general Qassem Suleimani had been killed in a drone strike ordered by Donald Trump, the value of Bitcoin jumped by 5 percent.
With tensions between Iran and the US now at an all-time high, the price surge is expected to continue. This is the belief of Nigel Green, the CEO and founder of deVere Group, one of the world’s largest independent financial services and advisory organizations, who says that the cryptocurrency is increasingly seen as being as safe as gold.
Dell announces XPS 13 (2020) Developer Edition with Ubuntu Linux and 32GB RAM
Dell's XPS 13 is a legendary laptop, not just with Windows users, but hardcore Linux fans too. You see, through the company's Project Sputnik program, Dell has long provided special "Developer Edition" variants of its laptops that come pre-loaded with Ubuntu. Operating system aside, the XPS 13 has been highly lauded for its build quality, attention to detail, and top specifications. Ultimately, you buy an XPS 13 and always know you are getting a quality laptop.
Today, Dell announces the newest XPS 13 Developer Edition and it looks incredible. This 10th generation computer (which is being dubbed "2020") is thinner and smaller while offering even better specifications, such as an improved 13.4-inch display (with 16:10 aspect ratio) and the ability to be configured with up to 32GB -- double the previous generation's maximum memory. There are no USB-A ports, sadly, but it does have two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a micro SD card reader. You get thinner bezels and a larger trackpad too. Believe it or not, Dell is even promising proper fingerprint reader support in a future software update, meaning you can finally secure Ubuntu with biometrics!
Microsoft could be about to use the Windows Feature Experience Pack app to deliver non-core updates to Windows 10
Microsoft seems to have big things in store for Windows 10 in 2020, but it's not exactly clear what at the moment. A few people have recently noticed that after updating to Windows 10 version 19536 that there is a reference to something called Windows Feature Experience Pack under in the About section of System Settings.
But things get more intriguing. A dummy app from Microsoft called Windows Feature Experience Pack has been spotted in the Microsoft Store, leading to speculation that the company could start to deliver some Windows 10 updates via an app, keeping them separate from more major updates to the operating system.
ADATA releases XPG Hunter DDR4 RAM for desktops and laptops
There is no shortage of great memory modules these days, with many manufacturers catering to both gamers and enthusiasts. Prices are quite reasonable too, meaning it is possible to build a budget machine with 16GB or 32GB of RAM -- 8GB no longer needs to be the baseline for low-cost gaming machines.
ADATA is definitely a trusted company when it comes to RAM, and its XPG brand is well respected by in-the-know system builders. That manufacturer is giving consumers yet another option when shopping for memory -- its all-new XPG Hunter line of DDR4 RAM modules. Not only capacities ranging from 8GB to 32GB, but there are both U-DIMM and SO-DIMM options, so both desktop and laptop users can get in on the action. Not to mention, they are quite classy-looking too -- the design is attractive without being over-the-top.
7 AI trends you can expect in 2020
It's hard to believe that artificial intelligence is in its earliest stages. But for however many Alexas and self-driving cars we have now, experts say we have only scratched the surface of what AI can achieve.
In 2020, we'll see even more new applications of it -- here's what to expect.
Unencrypted SMS database found online, exposing millions of US text messages
A huge database of text messages and user data has been discovered online, completely unprotected and free for anyone to browse.
Found by researchers from vpnMentor, the database belongs to US communications company, TrueDialog. Among the exposed data are not only tens of millions of SMS messages, but also private information including usernames and passwords.
Windows 10 November 2019 Update is breaking File Explorer
Microsoft has had a pretty bad run of things recently with numerous problematic updates for Windows 10. With the November 2019 Update the spate of issues continues.
Despite the diminutive size of the Windows 10 November 2019 Update, it is still wreaking havoc for some users. The update is breaking one of the fundamental components of Windows 10, freezing File Explorer when the search box is used.
OnePlus suffers data breach, exposing personal details of online store customers
OnePlus has issued a security notice to customers that have used its online store, informing them that their order information has been accessed by an unnamed third party in a security breach.
The company is giving away very little in the way of details about the incident. It is not clear when the data breach happened, who may be responsible, or how many customers are affected. OnePlus says that information such as names, phone numbers, email addresses and shipping addresses have been exposed.
Third-party access management leaves organizations exposed
A survey of more than 1,000 IT security professionals exposes shortcomings in organizations' approach to managing third-party user identity and access that could leave them vulnerable to compromise.
The study by Dimensional Research for One Identity finds that while 94 percent of organizations grant third-party users access to their network, 61 percent admit they are unsure if those users attempted to or successfully accessed files or data they are not authorized to see.
Database containing details of nearly half a million gamers exposed in security lapse
Wizards of the Coast -- publisher of, among other titles, Magic: The Gathering -- has confirmed a security incident that exposed information relating to 452,634 players.
The company left a backup database containing gamer information in a public Amazon Web Services storage bucket where it was accessible from early September. Specifically, the database was used to house data relating to the game's online portal, Magic: The Gathering Arena.
How, what, where, when, and why of experimentation
Every new feature starts as an idea. Not all ideas are good ideas. Therefore, not every new feature is a good idea. So how do you know which feature is a good idea and which one isn’t? You experiment.
The idea of experimenting on users or in production may sound scary and complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. The questions below shed some light on common questions surrounding experimentation and can help you determine if experimentation is right for you.
Apple is fixing a macOS flaw that exposes snippets of 'encrypted' emails
Apple is working to fix an issue that makes it possible to read portions of encrypted email in macOS after an IT specialist discovered a flaw in the way Mail's messages are handled by Siri. The problem affects macOS versions from Sierra to Catalina.
It is important to note that there are a number of criteria that have to be met for the issue to rear its head, but the fact that it is possible at all is still a concern. For a company that has just been shouting about its privacy policies, the timing is less than ideal -- particularly as Apple has been aware of the problem since July.
Firefox users are being targeted by malicious sites that exploit a known bug to lock up the browser
Users of the Mac and Windows versions of Firefox are being targeted by malicious sites that display a fake warning message and then completely lock up the browser.
Hackers are taking advantage of a bug in Mozilla's web browser to tamper with the software and render it unusable without the need for user interaction. At the moment there is no fix, and the problem is wreaking havoc and causing distress.
Chromium-based Microsoft Edge has a new logo. Is it enough to distance it from the horrors of Internet Explorer?
Microsoft Edge is getting a new logo. Having embraced the Chromium engine, Microsoft has decided that it is time to ditch the familiar "e" icon -- which undeniably similar to the Internet Explorer icon -- and opt for a swirly redesign.
Actually, even with the new icon, the "e" has not been completely dropped, rather it has been stylized into a green and blue wave that could still be interpreted as the same letter. Microsoft revealed the icon as an Easter egg after leading fans on a labyrinthine quest, following clues posted online by company employees.
Google pushes out urgent Chrome update to patch actively exploited zero-day vulnerabilities
Users of Chrome are being urged to update their browsers as Google is rolling out a patch for two serious zero-day vulnerabilities, one of which is already being actively exploited.
The Chrome security team says that both vulnerabilities are use-after-free security issues which can be used to exploit arbitrary code. One vulnerability exists in an audio component of the browser, while the other can be found in the PDFium library. The Windows, macOS and Linux versions of Chrome are all affected.
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