Latest Technology News

Android 9 is... Android Pie! Seriously, Google?

Android 9.0 Pie

Google has revealed what the P in Android P -- otherwise known as Android 9 -- stands for. Despite previous suggestions that it was going to be Pistachio, it is in fact Android Pie.

Just let that half-assed name sink in for a moment. Pie. Not even a specific pie to evoke some sort of imagery. Just a bog standard, run of the mill, common or garden... pie. The name is something of a damp squib and now the game of wait-and-see-if-I-actually-get-the-update begins. Google has already made the source code available on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), and Pie is rolling out to Pixel owners now. Everyone else will just have to wait to see when -- or if -- they get it. So what's new?

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AMD's 2nd Generation Ryzen Threadripper processors now available for pre-order

When it comes to processors, AMD has always been seen as the "underdog." Early on, many in-the-know system builders chose AMD chips for their computers as they offered comparable performance to Intel at a more affordable price. As time progressed, AMD retained its affordability, but Intel definitely pulled away from a performance standpoint.

With the Ryzen line, AMD has been on Intel's heels. With the Threadripper line in particular, AMD has been eating Intel's lunch, offering an unrivaled multicore experience. Today, AMD announces that its 2nd generation of Ryzen Threadripper is available immediately for pre-order. This is very exciting, as the top-model, the 2990WX, features an insane 32 cores and 64 threads. This drool-worthy chip has even set a Cinebench world record.

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Uncovering the secret life of Twitter bots

Twitter logo over cryptocurrency coins

How do you know if you're reading tweets from a real person or a bot? As bot technology becomes more sophisticated it's increasingly hard to tell.

Researchers at Duo Security have collected and analyzed data from 88 million public Twitter accounts using machine learning to spot the tactics used by malicious bots to appear legitimate and avoid detection.

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How to lock down Windows 10, block telemetry and kill unwanted features like Cortana and Bing-integration

Business security

Windows 10 has got over its early teething problems, and is now shaping up to be an excellent operating system. It might have taken a long while to get there, but the fact it’s about to overtake Windows 7 shows how far the new OS has come.

However, you only have to read one of our lively comments sections to realize there are plenty of people who still prefer Windows 7 and have no desire to switch to Windows 10.  Those people typically aren’t fans of Microsoft’s telemetry gathering, forced adverts, and unwanted features, and I get that. However, there is a way you can quickly lock down the new OS and make it -- dare I say -- more like an updated version of Windows 7.

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HyperX launches 'Cloud for PS4' gaming headset with PlayStation branding

HyperX's cloud headsets are very popular with gamers and it's not hard to see why. The gaming headsets are comfortable, well-built, and offer solid audio performance. Not to mention, they are reasonably priced.

Today, HyperX launches the "Cloud for PS4" gaming headset. Essentially, it is just the existing Cloud headset with a blue paint job and PlayStation logo. That's OK though -- if you are a PlayStation fan in need of a headset, it's a great way to show off your fandom.

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Apple kicks Alex Jones and Infowars podcasts from iTunes

Alex Jones with a megaphone

Alex Jones -- conspiracy theorist extraordinaire and founder of right-wing media platform Infowars -- has fallen foul of a number of companies' policies recently, and Apple is the latest to take exception to his output.

YouTube started things off recently by removing some of his videos, and he was then suspended from Facebook for a month. Spotify decided that Jones' podcasts were "hate content" and removed several from its platform. Now Apple has done much the same, removing Jones' own podcasts from iTunes as well as those of Infowars.

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Netrunner Rolling 2018.08 Manjaro/Arch Linux-based KDE distro is here with 'seamless GTK apps'

I'm a GNOME fan, but I appreciate other desktop environments too. KDE isn't my favorite, but when implemented properly, I can definitely see the allure. My favorite KDE-focused Linux distribution is Netrunner Rolling. It is based on the rock-solid Manjaro and Arch, but more importantly, it has a very polished user interface. Since it is follows a rolling release, the packages are always up to date too. An overall excellent distro for both Linux beginners and experts alike.

As a rolling release, it isn't necessary to upgrade the operating system at milestones, as with, say, Ubuntu or Fedora. But still, periodically, the ISOs are refreshed to roll up the latest updates and fixes. This way, there is less updating needed after a fresh install. Today, Netrunner Rolling 2018.08 sees release, meaning for those of you that are anal about maintaining up-to-date install media, it is time to burn a DVD or update a flash drive.

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Major virus infection shuts down factories of iPhone chip-maker TSMC

Apple store sign

A major virus infection forced the closure of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) factories just before the weekend; some remain closed or only partly-operational. TMSC is the largest semiconductor manufacturer in the world and is responsible for producing iPhone processors for Apple.

The company issued a statement indicating that it was not carried out by a hacker. The impact on Apple's iPhone production schedule is also not known, although TSMC expects the incident "to cause shipment delays and additional costs".

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Avast pulls the latest version of CCleaner following privacy controversy

Man shrugging shoulders

Piriform rolled out updates for CCleaner on a monthly basis, and this is something that has continued since Avast took over. The latest update, CCleaner 5.45, wasn’t at all well received due to a number of changes affecting privacy, and the company’s response to the matter proved to be unsatisfactory -- to say the least.

Now it seems that Avast has seen the light, and pulled the latest update. The current version available is 5.44. On its forums the company had this to say:

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If you're looking for love, Facebook Dating is on the way

Love and like

Think of dating apps, and the likes of Tinder, Grindr and Match.com spring to mind, and now Facebook is looking to take itself a slice of the action. We first heard about Facebook Dating at the social network's F8 conference back in May, and now more details are coming out.

Currently undergoing internal testing with employees, Facebook Dating is looking to be a feature of Facebook rather than a standalone app. Leaked images now give us an idea of what to expect from it -- but there'll be no swiping right.

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Confirmed: Fortnite for Android will risk players' security by sidestepping Google Play

Fortnite logo

Fortnite for Android is one of the most eagerly-anticipated game launches of recent times, but the impending release could turn out to be something of a security nightmare. Following on from recent rumors, Epic Games has confirmed that Fortnite will not be made available through the Google Play Store.

Instead users will have to download the game directly from Fortnite.com -- something which means they will have to lower the security settings for their phone by allowing the installation of apps from unknown sources. Despite the security risks involved in this, Epic is eager to avoid paying a 30 percent cut to Google for Play Store distribution; but how long before the plan backfires?

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LibreELEC 9.0 Alpha Kodi 18 Leia-focused Linux distro for Raspberry Pi and PC is here

Kodi is great software for consuming media, but the best way to experience it is with a Linux distribution that focuses on it. If you aren't familiar, LibreELEC is one such distro -- it allows the user to focus exclusively on Kodi without any distractions. Best of all, it doesn't just run on traditional PC hardware, but the Raspberry Pi too. Yes, by leveraging an inexpensive Pi device, you can create a powerful media box for your television.

Today, the first Alpha of LibreELEC 9.0 becomes available for download. This follows the recent release of Kodi 18 Leia preview, and yes, LibreELEC 9.0 is based on Leia.

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Microsoft Surface Go is a repairability nightmare, and that's OK

Microsoft Surface Go

The Microsoft Surface Go launched this week, and unsurprisingly, it seems to be quite polarizing. Some reviewers give it high marks, while others disliked its anemic performance. While I have yet to try the device myself, I totally expected that -- people have different needs and expectations, and that includes reviewers. In other words, if you have meager needs, it will probably be a dream, but you obviously shouldn't expect too much from a computer that starts at $399.

Today, popular site iFixit did its typical "teardown" of the Surface Go, and the results are exactly what they should be -- it is a repairability nightmare with a lowly score of 1/10. You know what? While Microsoft haters will use that to take shots at the Surface Go, it really isn't a computer that is intended to be repaired. Starting at $399, it isn't exactly disposable, but if you do break it, it really wouldn't make sense to fix it. Right or wrong, just like Android tablets and the iPad, Surface Go isn't meant to be opened up.

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Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17730 with new Your Phone app for Android and iOS

Microsoft rolled out Windows 10 Redstone 5 Build 17728 to Insiders on the Fast ring three days ago, and at the same it teased its new Your Phone app.

This app allows iOS and Android users to sync content from their phones to a Windows 10 PC. Today, the software giant rolls out another new Insider build, and announces that Your Phone is now live.

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Handshake.org donates $400,000 to GNOME Foundation, with 25 percent going to GIMP

The GNOME Foundation does a lot of important work, such as developing the best overall Linux desktop environment (GNOME 3) and countless useful apps. Quite frankly, without GNOME, the state of desktop Linux would probably be woeful. As a non-profit, the foundation depends on donations from both organizations and individuals. For example, back in May, we learned a mystery donor pledged a staggering $1 million to the GNOME Foundation. To this day, we still do not know the donor's identity. What we do know, however, is how some of the money will be used -- the hiring of four new employees.

There is yet another sizeable donation being announced by the GNOME Foundation, but this time, the donor is not a secret. Handshake.org, which describes itself as "a decentralized, permissionless naming protocol," has pledged $400,000, with $100,000 of it being earmarked for GIMP -- the essential image editor and manipulator. As a reminder, GIMP -- which stands for "GNU Image Manipulation Program" -- recently started to be hosted by GNOME on GitLab. Handshake will be donating to other open source projects too.

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