Meta has a new way for you to waste money -- buying virtual designer clothes in Avatars Store for Facebook, Instagram and Messenger
For people with less sense than money, there are NFTs to waste hard-earned cash on. But Meta is introducing a new way to part fools from their money -- Avatars Store.
These will be available for Facebook, Instagram and Messenger, and will give users the opportunity to buy digital clothes with which to adorn their avatar. Attempting to justify the selling of more digital fluff, Mark Zuckerberg insists that "digital goods will be an important way to express yourself in the metaverse and a big driver of the creative economy".
Microsoft is bringing an amazing new Privacy Auditing feature to Windows 11
Microsoft has long been accused of using Windows 11 -- and, for that matter, earlier versions of the operating system -- to spy on users by gathering telemetry. Accusations of invading privacy could also be levelled at many apps too, and Microsoft is introducing a new feature that places users in control.
Having apps secretly spying on users, or making use of cameras and microphones, is something that tends to be thought of in relation to mobile apps, but it can also be a problem on the desktop. With this in mind, Microsoft is testing a new Privacy Auditing feature that will make it possible to see which apps have been accessing such devices.
Manjaro Linux 21.3 'Ruah' is here with GNOME, Xfce, and KDE Plasma
Manjaro is one of the most popular Linux-based desktop operating systems these days, and it's not hard to see why. The distribution is based on the rock-solid Arch, but unlike that distro, Manjaro is very easy to install and use thanks to the excellent Calamares installer. In other words, it has all the benefits of Arch, but without the hassles and headaches. This makes it a great choice for both Linux experts and beginners alike.
And now, during LGBT Pride Month, Manjaro 21.3 "Ruah" becomes available for download with Linux kernel 5.15 and Calamares 3.2. There are a trio of desktop environment options -- Xfce (4.16), GNOME (42), and KDE Plasma (5.24). While all three DEs are great, the Xfce Edition is the primary focus with this particular operating system.
Exploring the value of data mobility for modern enterprises
The phrase "information is the new oil" is tossed about with relative abandon these days. Data is undoubtedly one of the most critical elements in a successful 21st century business, but its utility only becomes apparent after it has been subjected to some kind of thoughtful analysis.
For many businesses, this is where the struggle begins; how can we extract meaningful insights from data quickly, efficiently and effectively? How do we shorten the lag between the moment a new data point is generated and the time that data becomes available to business analytics tools or a real-time machine learning (ML) model?
Microsoft acknowledges that a Windows 11 update is causing serious connection issues
June's Patch Tuesday update releases for Windows 11 have once gain proved to be problematic. Microsoft has acknowledged a new known issue with the operating system following the installation of the KB5014697 update.
The KB5014697 update was supposed to address a number of security flaws in Windows 11, but it also introduced connectivity issues for some users, Microsoft is currently investigating the problem which affects Windows 11's Wi-Fi hotspot feature.
Examining the barriers to infrastructure-as-code
IT management has never been easy and the complexities multiply as we seek to adopt the latest technologies and push the bounds of innovation. For instance, as we enable more digital capabilities, by nature, we must increase the number of applications used within our IT environments. However, provisioning the infrastructure resources required to build and manage applications can often be an unpredictable process, causing bottlenecks and performance issues across the entire environment but especially so in one key area, data storage.
Rather than succumbing to the complex, highly manual and time-consuming nature of IT management, new solutions and management frameworks can help to create more simplicity and ease. Modern infrastructure that emulates a cloud operating model is capable of prioritizing flexibility, agility and speed in addition to enabling reliability and performance. What initially began with the prolific adoption of infrastructure as-a-service has now paved the way for infrastructure-as-code.
Partial automation: The key to easing fears and pushing digital transformation
Many enterprises trying to reach the highest levels of digital transformation are facing a problem: they aren’t adopting autonomous operations and artificial intelligence for IT operations (AIOps). While more than half (59 percent) of organizations consider themselves digital transformation adopters or even leaders, a mere 15 percent are implementing automated processes at the same level.
This gap is problematic for enterprises striving to be digital leaders. After all, part of digital transformation’s promise is using data to increase agility, maximize emerging opportunities, provide personalized experiences and, importantly, guarantee a business’s apps and digital services are continuously available.
Our water supply is of existential importance and needs the best possible protection against cyber attacks
Water is -- said without pathos -- our elixir of life. After the air we breathe, we depend on nothing more to survive. We are made up of about 70 percent water and can survive only a few days without its replenishment. So it's fair to say that few other areas of critical infrastructure are as important to us as the supply of pure drinking water. But in the face of rising global tensions, there is growing concern that water supplies, which are as important as they are vulnerable, could become the target of cyberattacks.
Earlier this year, on January 11, 2022, the Joint Research Center of the European Reference Network for Critical Infrastructure Protection (ERNCIP) published its Water Security Plan in the form of a handbook. This addresses the implementation of security measures to protect the physical and digital integrity of water supply systems. The plan is intended to enable drinking water supply operators to lay the groundwork for implementing specific measures to improve water system security against threats and attacks.
New UK data laws set to make annoying cookie pop-ups crumble
Website pop-ups asking you to consent to cookies have become a regular -- if irritating -- feature for European internet users since the introduction of GDPR in 2018.
As part of a post Brexit shake up of data law the UK government has announced that its Data Reform Bill will cut down on the number of times these 'user consent' boxes will be shown.
Get 'The Art of Writing Efficient Programs' ($31.99 value) FREE for a limited time
The great free lunch of "performance taking care of itself" is over.
Until recently, programs got faster by themselves as CPUs were upgraded, but that doesn't happen anymore. The clock frequency of new processors has almost peaked, and while new architectures provide small improvements to existing programs, this only helps slightly. To write efficient software, you now have to know how to program by making good use of the available computing resources, and this book will teach you how to do that.
How can business leaders improve digital experiences in the workplace?
Implementing digital transformation into your business is essential for success. But with technological advancements dominating the business world, it’s important to assess the digital additions within your company to discover if they are making the expected improvements.
As a business leader, you may wonder where to start. Here, we explore five ways to improve digital experiences in the workplace.
The rise of double extortion ransomware
We've become familiar with the widespread use of ransomware, but researchers at Rapid7 have been examining the rise of a newer phenomenon, 'double extortion'.
Pioneered by the Maze ransomware group, double extortion involves cybercriminals collecting files before encrypting them. Then if the target organization refuses to pay they threaten to release sensitive information.
Best Windows apps this week
Four-hundred-ninety-five 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.
Microsoft released security updates for all supported versions of the Windows operating system this week. Check out Sofia's coverage of KB5014697 for Windows 11.
Why and how organizations are modernizing their container deployments at the edge [Q&A]
Edge computing is aimed at bringing computing power closer to the source of data, such as IoT devices. It's increasingly being seen as an alternative to traditional data center and cloud models.
Stewart McGrath is the CEO at Section, a global Edge as a Service (EaaS) provider that helps organizations improve availability of their containerized application workloads in the cloud. We spoke to him to find out how and why companies are moving applications out to the edge.
Microsoft Defender for individuals now available for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android
Microsoft has been working on a new security tool for a while now to help protect you and your family’s data and devices against online threats, such as malware and phishing attacks.
Three months ago it made a preview build of Microsoft Defender available for Windows Insiders to try out, and today it announces the tool's official availability for Microsoft 365 Personal and Family subscribers.
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