Google buying Fitbit
Well, folks, the rumors were true -- Google will be buying Fitbit. The search giant will be spending more than $2 billion on the acquisition -- a substantial amount of money even for a company as big as Google. The deal should be finalized next year. The question, of course, is why does Google want to buy Fitbit? I mean, look, Fitbit wearables are cool, but they are very basic. For some, the simplicity is a benefit, as more full-featured smartwatches can be too complicated to use. With that said, Google can easily create a basic wearable on its own -- it does not need Fitbit designers for that.
This is purely speculation, but I am guessing Google wanted to keep Fitbit from being acquired by one of its own competitors, such as Microsoft or Apple. There is value in Fitbit's name too, so I can foresee Wear OS devices being touted as "powered by Fitbit" when it comes to the fitness aspect of Google's watch-based OS. There are likely patents owned by Fitbit that Google is happy to add to its portfolio too.
CrystalDiskMark 7 benchmarking tool unveils new tests, revamped UI
Crystal Dew World has released CrystalDiskMark 7.0 and CrystalDiskMark Portable 7.0, major new versions of its hard drive benchmarking tool for Windows.
Version 7 debuts a rebuilt user interface using GDI rather than HTML, plus adds a new performance profile and mixed test while tweaking two existing tests. Support for ARM64 processors has also been added.
Insecure file transfers leave organizations at risk
According to a new survey, 78 percent of respondents are still using unencrypted protocols to transfer some of their files, and only 44 percent are using two-factor authentication when connecting to their file transfer server.
The study for VanDyke Software, conducted by Amplitude Research, interviewed 450 professionals involved in data protection and file transfers and finds that 48 percent of companies are transferring files at least multiple times per day and sometimes 'continuously'.
Microsoft Q&A launches to replace TechNet and MSDN forums
Microsoft launched a preview of Microsoft Q&A, a "global, community-driven platform for timely, high-quality technical answers" this week.
Microsoft Q&A will replace the MDSN and TechNet forums which IT professionals and developers used in the past to ask and answer questions.
One in five IT workers doesn't know what a cyberattack is
A survey of over 1,000 IT workers, carried out by technology services provider Probrand reveals that more than one in five (21 percent) don't actually know what constitutes a 'cyberattack'.
Used as a catch-all term, cyberattack can cover everything from a simple phishing email, right across to a large-scale server attack, however, many IT workers have never seen, or don't understand, what the real detail of an attack actually looks like.
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.
Over half of Windows 10 PCs now running the May 2019 Update
Microsoft rolls out two feature updates a year for Windows 10, although this year the second of the updates -- the November 2019 Update -- is actually more of a service pack.
The trouble with this twice-yearly update schedule is most people don’t upgrade to the new version right away. In fact, due to compatibility issues, most people don’t even get offered it for months after its initial rollout. As a result, the majority end up running an older version of Windows 10.
Leak reveals images of upcoming foldable Motorola razr
Trusted leaker Evan Blass has shared images of the yet-to-be-released folding Motorola razr.
It is a few years since the pre-smartphone era Motorola RAZR (note the different capitalization) earned itself iconic status, and now the clamshell is due to make a comeback. The new version of the phone looks remarkably similar to the original, but there's a key difference: this time around it seems that it will feature a folding screen.
How automation can contribute to cloud security [Q&A]
Attacks on cloud systems often take advantage of misconfigurations, something which can easily go undetected.
Can today's security operations teams use automation and leverage advanced analytics to adapt to the current, cloud-based threat landscape and maintain organizational safety?
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Three-hundred-and-fifty-nine in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Microsoft Store in the past seven days.
Information about the new version of Windows 10, Windows 10X leaked this week. Check out Mark's overview here on BetaNews if you are interested in finding out more.
Mozilla is dropping support for sideloaded extensions in Firefox
Mozilla is clamping down on browser add-ons in Firefox, and has announced that it is discontinuing sideloaded extensions in the browser.
The reason given for dropping support is that Mozilla believes that sideloaded extensions cause problems for users, and also that they do not offer users enough control. The company has set out details of the timetable for introducing the new policy.
Linux Mint 19.3 'Tricia' is coming -- here's what we know
The upcoming version of Linux Mint will be named Tricia. Why is this? Well, the developers always name the releases after women. For major version-number updates, such as going from 18 to 19, they even change the first letter of the woman's name. For instance, version 18 had "S" names, such as Sonya and Sylvia, while 19 has had "T" names, such as Tara, Tessa, and Tina. And now, we have Tricia.
Beyond the name, there is not a ton to know, but the Linux Mint developers have shared a bit. For instance, there will be three available desktop environments -- Cinnamon, Mate, and Xfce. This is not surprising, as that trio of DEs is typical for Mint. What is fairly shocking, however, is that Linux Mint is sticking with 32-bit. As other Linux distributions kick the outdated 32-bit to the curb and go all-in on 64-bit, Mint keeps supporting those obsolete chips.
Hackers breach security at Web.com, Network Solutions and Register.com, accessing private customer info
Domain name registrar Web.com has revealed that it fell victim to a data breach earlier in the year. Two of the company's subsidiaries, Network Solutions and Register.com were also attacked by the hackers at the same time.
The incidents took place back in late August, but were only discovered a couple of weeks ago. The attackers were able to access personal details of customers, but Web.com does not say how many people are affected -- although it is likely to run into the millions.
Automated solution helps speed up response to phishing emails
As cybercriminals become more sophisticated, spotting phishing emails is increasingly difficult. Even if a user reports something suspicious to the IT security team it can take time to analyze it before others can be warned.
Security automation specialist LogicHub is launching its Autonomous Phishing Triage, which automatically and accurately analyzes and classifies emails with 97 percent accuracy, reducing the number of alerts requiring human analysis by 75 percent or more.
Urban Armor Gear (UAG) launches rugged Monarch and Plasma cases for Google Pixel 4 and 4 XL
Google's latest smartphone, the Pixel 4, is an excellent device. As per my review (found here), I absolutely recommend it to Android users.
While the $799 starting price for the Pixel 4 series of smartphones isn’t as high as some other flagships, let’s be honest -- it is still a lot of money. It is for this reason that you should definitely put it in a protective case. Urban Armor Gear has two such rugged options for you -- the Monarch and Plasma. Not only will they keep your Pixel 4 or 4XL safe, but they look very attractive too.
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