Best Windows apps this week
Six-hundred-twenty-three in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 and Windows 11 on the Microsoft Store and elsewhere in the past seven days.
Microsoft confirmed several issues this week that affect Windows 11, version 24H2. One plagues Ubisoft gamers in particular.
Australia passes social media ban for under 16s
After a period of intense public and political debate, Australia has approved laws that will ban anyone under the age of 16 from using social media.
While the laws were passed yesterday, it may well be a year until they come into effect -- and they will be the strictest in the world. Once in force, tech companies such as Meta could be hit with fines of up to AUS$50 million (US $32.5 million) for failing to comply.
The crucial role of data pipelines in building strong GenAI apps [Q&A]
For GenAI to live up to its promise reliable flow of data is key. AI models are only as good as the data pipeline connections bringing in quality data.
Outdated connections mean more hallucinations and untrustworthy results with data engineers hopelessly trying to manually integrate hundreds of AI data feeds. We spoke to Rivery co-founder and CEO Itamar Ben Hemo to discuss why good data pipelines are key to success.
Proving Linux is not a safe sanctuary, ESET finds first Linux-targeting UEFI bootkit malware
Linux-based operating systems have long been heralded as being inherently more secure than Windows. Whether or not this is true is open to debate, as is the impact of user numbers on making an OS a target for malware writers.
A key security concern in recent times has been UEFI bootkits, and it has been something affecting only Windows-based systems. Now, however, security firm ESET has revealed details of Bootkitty, the first UEFI bootkit designed for Linux systems.
Firefox for Linux switches to .tar.xz packaging for smaller downloads and faster installation
Mozilla has updated its packaging format for Firefox on Linux, moving from .tar.bz2 to .tar.xz. The switch, which uses the LZMA compression algorithm, results in smaller download sizes -- up to 25 percent smaller -- and faster decompression times, improving installation efficiency.
The .tar.xz format is widely supported across modern Linux distributions, ensuring compatibility while saving bandwidth. Current users won’t need to take any action, as Firefox will continue updating as usual. However, the new format is now available for Firefox Nightly and will roll out to Beta and Release channels in the coming weeks.
Get 'Hack the Cybersecurity Interview' for FREE and save $35.99!
Hack the Cybersecurity Interview, Second Edition, is the essential guide for anyone aiming to navigate this changing landscape. This edition, updated and expanded, addresses how to find cybersecurity jobs in tough job markets and expands upon the original cybersecurity career paths.
It offers invaluable insights into various cybersecurity roles, such as cybersecurity engineer, penetration tester, cybersecurity product manager, and cybersecurity project manager, focusing on succeeding in interviews.
Stunning limited-edition Kodi-themed Raspberry Pi 5 case now available, with Black Friday savings
Team Flirc and Team Kodi have announced the release of the Flirc Raspberry Pi 5 Case, Kodi Edition. The newly designed case is the result of a collaborative process that invited the Kodi community to participate in its creation, making it a unique offering for fans of the popular home theater platform.
The design process began with a crowdsourcing poll on the Kodi forums, where community members were presented with six potential designs and given the opportunity to vote and provide feedback. The final design reflects the input of Kodi users, aligning with the open and community-driven nature of the platform.
Over half of businesses have suffered regret over a software purchase
A new study from Capterra shows that 59 percent of global businesses regret at least one software purchase they've made in the last 18 months.
Despite this though, the survey of over 3,500 businesses finds 75 percent of organizations are planning to increase their software spending in 2025, with a significant focus on IT systems and artificial intelligence (AI).
Why USB cyberattacks are still a persistent threat
Although the cyber threat landscape rarely stands still, some age-old attack vectors will continue to be revisited by cyber criminals. For example, the cyber security risks of removable media -- which have persisted for years -- are presenting fresh challenges for security teams.
This is because, thanks to its convenience and cost, removable media remains a cornerstone of the operations of critical national infrastructure (CNI) sectors. Devices such as USB drives are used by CNI operators and their third-party service partners to handle sensitive data, perform physical data transfer, and carry out vital operational tasks such as firmware updates in air-gapped networks.
Avoiding cyber complacency as a small business
As a small business owner reading endless news stories about cyberattacks against well-known enterprise names, it can be easy to think it won’t happen to you. In reality, hackers don’t discriminate: businesses of all sizes can, and do, find themselves on the receiving end of data breaches, and the financial and reputational consequences that often accompany them.
According to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024, half of all UK businesses, including many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), reported experiencing a cyberattack within the last year. Despite these high attack rates, only 22 percent of businesses have a formal incident response plan in place, leaving many SMBs vulnerable to serious financial, operational, and reputational damage. This cyber complacency can have serious repercussions if not urgently addressed.
DeepMind dominates European AI research: What does this mean for researchers?
AI’s steady impact on the academic and research community is measurable through citation metrics, essentially showing how many times a study has directly influenced subsequent research. A recent analysis of AI-related citations showed beyond doubt the impact of AI. It also revealed another noteworthy statistic: Google’s DeepMind made up just under half of all AI-related citations from 2020-2024.
The company’s dominance is undoubtedly a testament to the importance of its work -- but it also serves as a starting point from which to probe further into the research landscape in Europe and how it’s been impacted by AI. Concentrated influences in academia and research can have long-lasting effects on funding distributions, channels of collaboration, and ultimately the potential for innovation. Add to this the powerful and relatively new tool of AI, and suddenly the future trajectory of scientific research on the continent looks a lot less clear.
The phishing threat landscape evolves
Phishing is on the rise. Egress' latest Phishing Threat Trends Report shows a 28 percent surge in attacks in the second quarter of 2024 alone. But what’s behind the increase? There are a few factors in play. Like any other form of threat, phishing is becoming more sophisticated with hackers now having access to a variety of new AI-powered tools to generate email messages, payloads, and even deepfakes.
Further, these technologies and the cyberattacks they can create are now easier to access than ever. Especially as more hackers tap into the professional services on offer from a mature and diverse Crime as a Service (CaaS) ecosystem of providers selling everything from the mechanisms to create attacks to pre-packaged phishing toolkits that promise to evade native defenses and secure email gateways (SEGs).
All social media platforms can learn from Instagram’s option to reset content recommendations
A huge proportion of what you encounter on social media platforms is selected by algorithms (this should be news to very few people), and algorithms are problematic.
The content that is pushed to you is supposed to be based on your past interactions, the people you are connected to, the things you like, and so on, but it is easily polluted and corrupted. And this is why Instagram’s current test that gives users a way to reset their recommendations and start afresh is so welcome.
FTC antitrust investigation into Microsoft could boost Linux and reshape AI landscape
Microsoft is in the FTC’s crosshairs again as the federal agency launches a new antitrust investigation into the tech giant’s sprawling business practices. According to a source familiar with the matter, the FTC has issued a demand for Microsoft to hand over key documents, signaling concerns over the company’s rapid growth, particularly in artificial intelligence. Both Microsoft and the FTC have declined to comment on the investigation, initially reported by Bloomberg.
The probe comes at a pivotal moment for the tech industry and could be a turning point for the Linux community. With Microsoft dominating cloud computing, enterprise software, and gaming, as well as surging ahead in AI with investments in OpenAI and its Copilot platform, the company has left little room for competitors to thrive. But a regulatory shakeup could shift the balance of power, creating a golden opportunity for Linux-based solutions to gain traction.
Mozilla Firefox celebrates 20 years with red panda awareness campaign
Firefox, the web browser that once disrupted Microsoft’s dominance, has turned 20. Officially launched on November 9, 2004, Mozilla’s browser quickly gained attention for introducing features like tabbed browsing and extensions, offering a fresh alternative in an era dominated by Internet Explorer. Over the years, Firefox has remained a go-to choice for users prioritizing privacy and open web standards.
The origin of Firefox’s name is as unique as the browser itself. Mozilla wanted a name that was memorable and tied to nature. The team landed on “fire” and “fox,” later discovering that the term “firefox” is another name for the red panda. This connection has been central to Firefox’s branding ever since.
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