Logitech kills the Harmony Express -- but that's not such a bad thing
A little over a year ago, we told you about Logitech's Harmony Express -- a really cool remote control that utilized the power of Alexa. At the time, it looked like a revolutionary product, but apparently, it has not been popular with consumers. You see, Logitech has decided to kill the remote. No, I don't mean it is just being discontinued -- it will stop functioning entirely later this year! Yep, on September 30, it will become essentially worthless. Logitech says this is because "our expectations were not met for this kind of Harmony remote."
Yikes! That sounds like catastrophic news for the people that spent $250 on the Harmony Express -- they will soon be stuck with a pricey paperweight, right? Actually, no. Logitech -- being a classy company -- is making it right. Believe it or not, owners of the remote will be offered a full refund regardless of when they bought it (as long as they have proof of the purchase). Crazy, right? Even better, rather than opt for money, consumers can instead choose to swap their Harmony Express for a Harmony Elite, which typically sells for more than $300!
The importance of customer-centric digitalization in the next normal
Addressing the challenges brought about by COVID-19 should not be the only concern of businesses. It is equally important to look forward to the next normal or the situation after the pandemic. Nobody knows when the virus outbreak will end, but just like many other global health problems in history, it will eventually reach a conclusion.
The end of the pandemic does not automatically mean that all businesses will return to profitability. There will be improvements, but success is never guaranteed without the companies doing anything to secure it. Normalcy during and after the pandemic is unlikely to be the same as what people think it is. There’s the concept of the new normal. Then, there’s the next normal. Some are also floating the idea of never normal.
Force Windows 10 to always use YOUR choice of browser and search engine
Windows 10 has a number of things that users find annoying about it, not least that it forces you to use other Microsoft products. Type a web query into the Windows search box, or ask Cortana something, and the results you receive will come from Bing.
Microsoft has recently replaced its old Edge browser with a Chromium version, and while this is a big improvement, the software giant has forced it onto users and made it hard (but thankfully not impossible) to remove.
Imperva launches new cloud data security solution to help digital transformation
As companies accelerate their digital transformation programs, many move data into the cloud without all the security controls necessary to protect both their organization and customers’ data. This leaves them vulnerable to cyberattacks and without evidence of compliance with data protection regulations
Cybersecurity specialist Imperva is launching a new SaaS Cloud Data Security product that gives businesses visibility and compliance oversight for data hosted in a database-as-a-service (DbaaS).
Security staff suffering alert fatigue as report volumes increase
According to a new study, 70 percent of security teams have seen more than double the volume of security alerts in the past five years. These high volumes of reports cause problems for IT security teams with 83 percent saying their security staff experience 'alert fatigue'.
The survey conducted by Dimensional Research on behalf of continuous intelligence specialist Sumo Logic also shows that while automation is helpful it isn't a complete solution.
Remote working exposes organizations to more security risks
A new survey released today by security software firm NetMotion reveals that 47 percent of organizations believe remote work has exposed their organization to high or extreme security risk.
Of these 62 percent are most concerned that workers will visit malicious URLs that could compromise networks and devices, while 45 percent are worried about workers accessing inappropriate content.
New solution helps enterprises understand application relationships and risk
Modern businesses rely on a variety of applications, but failing to understand the relationships between them can lead to increased risks.
To address this vArmour is launching a new version of its Application Controller solution, enabling enterprises to take control of operational risk by discovering and understanding application relationships across their IT environment and help maximize the value of their existing investments.
How my startup was born out of frustration
About seven years ago, as the COO of a financial services firm, I got pissed off. My company had a very simple service level agreement (SLA) with its clients: we would complete all of their financial transactions within three seconds. Period. And to ramp up our operations, we decided to move our infrastructure from on-site physical servers into the cloud.
But once we were on the cloud, we found that we were actually getting poorer transaction times -- way beyond our three-second SLA. We were not sure why, so we used a stack of off-the-shelf software to monitor the cloud’s operation. And when that didn’t give us the visibility we needed; we tried more applications. Even the cloud’s operators pitched in with their own professional service people. But again, no luck, no visibility, and worse, we started seeing a falloff in our business. Beyond that, we were spending twice as much on monitoring as we did on the cloud hosting itself. But to no avail, it didn’t offer us any help in troubleshooting our issue.
Building a data-driven culture with a data analysis framework
Creating a data-centric culture in your business requires a shift in mindset that won’t happen overnight. However, it is a goal that becomes more attainable the more it is driven by your people working towards it with passion and enthusiasm -- as opposed to something dictated to them from the top.
There are a mix of factors that can cause barriers that hamper the successful development of a data-driven culture. At the base level, the technology and infrastructure choices a company makes, and what it provides its employees to work with, can be majorly prohibitive to a healthy data culture if that technology doesn’t support people in how they do their job.
Searching for business ideas: Three effective approaches for robotics
Startups are the new gold rush. It’s trendy to be smart, it’s trendy to have your own business, and it’s trendy to invent. If the stories of your mother's best friends' twenty-something year old children being Silicon residents make you a bit snarky, don’t miss a moment. The year 2020 is all about opportunities. Especially for robo-geeks.
Read our three pieces of advice for finding free niches for your project, and pick up ideas that are just in front of you!
Intel unveils Thunderbolt 4
Thunderbolt 3 has been a game-changer for many consumers, allowing them to connect very powerful docking stations and fast external SSDs to their laptops. While the third-gen of Thunderbolt has been more popular than previous generations, it still hasn't gained huge adoption by computer makers. Sure, Apple and some Windows laptop manufacturers have embraced it, but good ol' USB-A still reigns supreme. It doesn't help that most AMD-powered computers don't have TB3. This will likely change when Thunderbolt 3 is folded into the upcoming USB 4.0 standard.
Intel isn't satisfied to rest on its laurels, however, as it is continuing to push boundaries. Technology must be moved forward, and today, Intel officially announces Thunderbolt 4! And yes, it uses the same USB-C connector. If you are concerned about all of your existing Thunderbolt 3 devices becoming obsolete -- don't be. Intel promises all TB3 and USB-C devices will be compatible with TB4. Best of all, TB4 will add protections to help prevent the kind of vulnerabilities found in TB3.
KeePassXC 2.6.0 released with completely overhauled interface and Have I Been Pwned checks
KeePass has long made life easier when it comes to managing an ever-growing list of passwords for websites, online accounts and so on. Now with the release of KeePassXC 2.6.0, users are being treated not only to a redesign -- including a dark mode option -- but also new features including offline database password health checks.
The program now features comprehensive reports about passwords stored in its database, including checking with security service Have I Been Pwned to see if any have been involved in password breaches. But there's more.
Fake content drives online fraud
Based on a study of 34,000 sites and apps, as well as a survey of over 1,000 consumers conducted in June 2020, new research details how content abuse is a critical part of the fraud supply chain, the interconnected ecosystem of fraud.
The research, carried out by digital trust and safety firm Sift, also uncovered a fraud ring based in Russia where fraudsters executed a card-testing scheme through fake listings on an e-commerce marketplace.
Microsoft pushes out another update to PowerToys for Windows 10
Ah, PowerToys… how much we love thee! After reviving the much-loved utilities for Windows 10, Microsoft has wasted no time in releasing update after update, adding more and more tools and refining this incredible software.
It's only a week since the release of PowerToys v0.19.0, but the development team already has a new version for you to try out.
Security not keeping pace with moving to BYOD
With a shift to remote working many more businesses are embracing BYOD, but a new report from Bitglass suggests that security arrangements are failing to keep pace.
In the study, 69 percent of respondents say that employees at their companies are allowed to use personal devices to perform their work, while 26 percent also enable BYOD for contractors, 21 percent for partners, and some even for customers, and suppliers.
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