Children are annoying, so Frozen 2 will hit Disney+ three months early
As of now, I don't have any children of my own, but from what some parents have told me, children can be wildly annoying. People keep on reproducing, however, so there must be some unseen benefit to having them. All kidding aside, I am sure most parents love and enjoy their kids, but let's be honest, it can be tedious for an adult to have to spend an extended amount of time with a child. That's why many parents love the ability to drop the kids off at school -- it gives them a break. There's nothing wrong with wanting some adult time either.
Unfortunately, due to the damn COVID-19 coronavirus, many schools are closed and parents are being asked to work from home. This is the perfect storm for parents to be annoyed by their bored children. Thankfully, traditional television, DVDs, and streaming services can keep the little ones quiet. OK, fine, to a lesser extent, I suppose reading books can help too. Knowing the pain of these parents, The Walt Disney Company is doing something extraordinary -- releasing Frozen 2 to the Disney+ streaming service three months early.
Tim Cook quotes Abe Lincoln as he closes Apple Stores to fight COVID-19 coronavirus
Have you ever been to an Apple retail store? They are very hip and fun -- a great way to get a hands-on experience with a product before buying it. Unfortunately, Apple retail stores are also wildly disgusting. Look, it is in my experience that most people in these stores aren't actually buying anything, or planning to make a purchase, but instead, they are killing time by playing with things. Germs can have a field day at the Apple Store!
In particular, Apple stores inside of shopping malls are often places parents drop their kids to play while they shop. Apple doesn't ban food either, so it is not uncommon to see people eating Auntie Anne's Pretzels with their hands and then touching iPhone screens. The spread of germs in an Apple retail store is a legitimate concern.
End of an era as Bill Gates steps down from the Microsoft board
For many people, Bill Gates is synonymous with Microsoft, even though for years now he has had very little to do with the company he co-founded.
These days, Gates’ focus is mostly on philanthropic activities, like global health and development, education and climate change. He stepped down from the day to day running of Microsoft in 2008, but remained on the board. Today he announces that is no longer the case.
CISOs motivated by being guardians of their businesses
What gets CISOs out of bed in the morning is knowing that they are keeping their organizations safe, according to a new study from privileged access management company Thycotic.
The study of more than 550 IT security decision-makers globally finds being the 'business bodyguard' and the knowledge that they are keeping their organization safe is the top motivator (29 percent), closely followed by being the upholder of ethics (25 percent).
Zoho makes coronavirus-beating work from home software free until July
With employees being encouraged to work from home, smaller businesses can face a problem due to the cost of additional licenses needed to make this happen.
Cloud business suite Zoho has stepped up to the plate by making its Remotely suite available free of charge until July 1st.
Best Windows 10 apps this week
Three-hundred-and-seventy-seven 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.
Check out Wayne's guide on downloading Windows and Office ISO images legally.
The Dark Web turns 20 this month
While we're all being encouraged to sing 'Happy Birthday' as we wash our hands to ward off the COVID-19 virus, you might like to know that you can sing it to the Dark Web, which turns 20 this month.
To mark the occasion digital risk management company Groupsense hasn't baked a cake but it has produced an infographic of the Dark Web's timeline.
Microsoft releases emergency patch for critical SMB vulnerability in Windows 10 and Windows Server
Earlier this week, Microsoft inadvertently released details of a critical vulnerability in the SMBv3 protocol in Windows 10 and Windows Server. While there was no fix available at the time, the company did provide suggestions about how to mitigate against attacks.
With the information out in the wild, Microsoft was under pressure to get a patch released to customers -- and now it has managed to produce such a fix. KB4551762 is an emergency patch for the CVE-2020-0796 vulnerability, and users are advised to install it as soon as possible.
Microsoft releases Windows 10 Insider Build 19582
Microsoft, like many other tech firms, is encouraging its employees to work from home as the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread across the world. It’s still business as usual for the Windows team though, as they roll out a new Windows 10 build for those Insiders on the Fast ring.
Build 19582 mostly focuses on fixes and improvements, although it also comes with a major update to the Eye Control settings.
Open source vulnerabilities increase almost 50 percent in 2019
Open source components are the building bricks of many of today's software applications, but this puts them under increased scrutiny with regard to security.
Open source management specialist WhiteSource has released a new report which shows that disclosed open source software vulnerabilities in 2019 skyrocketed to over 6000, up almost 50 percent.
How to legally download any version of Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Microsoft Office
If you want to download an ISO file of the latest version of Windows 10, the process is very straightforward -- just use Microsoft’s Media Creation Tool to generate the image file for you.
But what if you want an older version of Windows 10, or one of the many Windows Insider builds? Or what if you want a copy of Windows 7 or 8.1, or a copy of Microsoft Office? We have the answer.
New tools help businesses understand consumers while protecting their privacy
We reported earlier today on consumer worries over who holds their data but for companies needing to collect data on their customers there's a tricky balancing act too.
Identity as a service company FullContact is enhancing its platform with new tools to better identify and reach customers in real and engaging ways while continuing to provide those customers control over their personal information.
You shouldn't buy Amazon's Ring Video Doorbell 3
Video doorbells are some of the best examples of how the "connected home" can be truly beneficial. These doorbells can alert you to both visitors and intruders -- plus package deliveries and package thieves. Best of all, many models allow you to interact remotely, giving someone at your door the illusion you are home. Ultimately, they are ideal for both convenience and security.
Unfortunately, not all models are created equally. Amazon's "Ring" brand is undeniably the most popular video doorbell on the market, but sadly, it is also the most untrustworthy. You see, it has been found that not only does Ring have terrible security and privacy practices, but Amazon also has many deals with law enforcement. By purchasing a Ring, you are essentially helping turn your neighborhood into a police state.
Consumers worry their data is being held by brands they don't know
The average person's data is held by 350 brands and they probably don't remember 83 percent of them according to a new study.
The research from identity management platform Mine also finds 32 percent of data in people's 'digital footprint' didn’t even require users to open an account to store their information.
World is at permanent cyber war say security professionals
Just in case you weren't worried enough by the coronavirus, a new survey of almost 500 security professionals released today by Venafi reveals that 88 percent of them believe the world is in a permanent state of cyber war.
In addition 90 percent are concerned that the most significant damage will be inflicted on digital infrastructure with the most vulnerable industries being those that are undergoing rapid digital transformation and are essential to daily life.
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