Syncthing 1.0.0 released as open-source P2P sync tool, finally leaves beta
If you’re looking for an open, trustworthy and decentralized alternative to cloud sync platforms, then Syncthing is the tool for you. And today is a milestone -- after five long years in beta, Syncthing 1.0.0 (32-bit) and Syncthing 1.0.0 (64-bit) has been released for Windows, Mac, Linux and Android.
The new release has been given a new code name: Erbium Earthworm, continuing the tradition of alphabetic code names (the previous release was Dysprosium Dragonfly). It’s also been dubbed "Graduation Day" by lead developer Jakob Borg.
Dark mode is coming to Chrome in Windows 10 soon
An increasing number of apps and websites are gaining dark modes, often simply for the sake of aesthetics, but also because of power-saving considerations. Having added eye-saving dark modes to numerous Android apps, Google has confirmed that it is doing the same for the Windows 10 version of Chrome.
While there is no particular time frame in which we can expect to see Chrome's dark mode, a Chrome developer has confirmed that the feature is in progress.
Acer launches TravelMate X3410 Windows 10 business laptop
Windows 10 is hardly a perfect operating system, but it is undeniably the best option for business users -- especially when paired with the excellent Microsoft Office. True, some professional users can get by with a traditional Linux workstation and LibreOffice (or a Chromebook with web-based productivity apps), but if business success is your goal in 2019 -- computing ideology be damned -- you can't go wrong with Windows.
Acer has a new business laptop that is sure to delight professionals. The "TravelMate X3410," as it is called, is svelte and beautiful while having all the ports a pro will need, such as USB-A, USB-C, Ethernet, HDMI, and VGA. While home users may no longer need VGA, it is handy to have for business users -- many offices still utilize VGA-only projectors, for instance. Best of all, it offers incredible battery life while having an affordable starting price.
Updating from Windows 10 1803 to 1809 could disable the built-in administrator account
If you have enabled Windows 10's built-in administrator account, and upgrade from build 1803 to 1809 -- that is, the April 2018 Update to the October 2018 update -- you will find that a bug has been introduced that disables the account.
Microsoft says that it is aware of the problem, but the company does not plan on releasing a fix for it until the end of the month.
FCC will suspend many operations tomorrow if Trump's government shutdown continues
President Trump's partial shutdown of the US government is now well into its second week, with little sign of the impasse over funding for a wall on the southern border coming to an end. Large numbers of government employees are already feeling the pinch due to a lack of pay checks, and the impact is on the verge of spreading further.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced that it will suspend "most operations" at midday on Thursday, January 3 "in the event of a continued partial lapse in federal government funding".
My favorite tech products of 2018
As another year starts, I wanted to look back on my favorite products of the previous 12 months. I’m not talking just 2018 products here, as it has to be said, some things I use most aren’t that new.
In the past I’ve been called everything in the comments. My favorites have been a Microsoft fanboy and Microsoft hater. I haven’t figured out how I could be both. The reality of what I use may surprise the people who have said those things.
Windows 10 finally overtakes Windows 7
It’s been a long time coming. While other analyst firms, such as StatCounter, have shown Windows 10 overtaking Windows 7 sometime ago, NetMarketShare has consistently shown the new OS to be lagging way behind the aging fan favorite.
In December though, NetMarketShare finally has Windows 10 taking pole position.
Privacy International investigation finds a huge number of Android apps share data with Facebook -- whether you have an account or not
Facebook's track record with privacy is a rocky one, but the idea of giving up some personal data is seen by many users as an acceptable price to pay for using the social network. But an investigation by Privacy International has found that many Android apps are sharing data with Facebook about people regardless of whether they are logged into their Facebook account... or even have a Facebook account at all.
The findings of the investigation raise questions about Facebook's transparency when it comes to handling user (and non-user) data, and the privacy implications of profiling by the social networking behemoth -- particularly in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
Mozilla's 'experiment' with banner ads on new tabs angers users
Firefox users have expressed surprise, disgust and anger at the appearance of banner ads on new tabs in the browser. An advertisement appeared recently inviting users to make a booking via Booking.com.
The ad appears at the bottom of the new tab page, and makes use of Firefox's Snippet feature. Mozilla has explained that the "snippet was an experiment", insisting no user data has been shared with third parties. If you're concerned, however -- or just don't want to see even more ads -- you can disable them.
Windows 10 bug could allow files to be overwritten, researcher shows
A security researcher has released proof-of-concept code for a zero-day exploit in Windows 10. The bug was revealed by SandboxEscaper, a researcher who has exposed Windows vulnerabilities in the past.
The latest bug makes it possible to overwrite files with arbitrary data, and while there are numerous criteria that must be met in order for the vulnerability to be exploited, it is still potentially serious. SandboxEscaper warned Microsoft about the problem on Christmas day, before publishing the PoC a couple of days later.
Microsoft tries to put lipstick on a pig with Chinese 'Year of the Pig' Windows 10 theme
Tomorrow is New Year's Eve in America (and other countries that use the Gregorian calendar), meaning many people will be out partying with friends and family. Me? I like to stay in and watch Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on TV while eating some tasty snacks and drinking Perrier. True, the television broadcast is not as good since Mr. Clark died, and Ryan Seacrest is insufferable, but I am a creature of habit, I suppose.
In China and other parts of the world, the Lunar New Year is followed instead, with the holiday often happening in January or February. The Chinese assign an animal to represent the year, and on February 5 2019, it will officially start "The Year of the Pig." Microsoft has created a new Windows 10 theme to commemorate the upcoming occasion. In other words, the company is using a pig theme to try and put lipstick on the "oinker" that is its terrible operating system.
Europe to fund bug bounties for 15 open source programs, including VLC, Drupal and Notepad++
Starting in January, the European Commission is going to fund bug bounty programs for a number of open source projects that are used by members of the EU. The initiative is part of the third edition of the Free and Open Source Software Audit (FOSSA) project, which aims to ensure the integrity and reliability of the internet and other infrastructure.
In all, the Commission will fund 15 bug bounty programs, with rewards ranging from €17,000 ($19,400) to €90,000 ($103,000).
Major US newspapers hit by cyberattack, disrupting printing and distribution
A number of major US newspapers -- including the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal and New York Times -- have been hit by a cyberattack that is said to originate from another country.
Malware was first detected on Thursday by Tribune Publishing, the owner of some of the affected titles, but unsuccessful attempts at quarantining meant that there was disruption well into Saturday. The Department of Homeland Security is currently investigating the incident which is not thought to have exposed any personal customer details.
4 critical steps to building an IoT network
The biggest mistake often made in building an IoT network for the first time is in underestimating the complexity of IoT network design, operation and management -- and believing that legacy network technologies and engagement models will support the requirements of large-scale IoT deployments.
Building an IoT network is not as easy as it sounds and the process of building your own tends to break down when confronted with massive scale. What may seem to be an easy task of deploying gateways and managing device provisioning and connectivity quickly becomes challenging with respect to scaled site and network operations. Some may also find challenges with sourcing and qualifying end devices for their applications, device configuration and management, implementing encryption and security services, and ultimately generating contextualized data for their use cases. Taking the following four steps to develop your IoT network buildout is essential.
Kodi 18 'Leia' RC4 available to download now
If you were expecting the full and final release of Kodi 18 to arrive before the end of 2018, you’re going to be disappointed as it's now scheduled for very early 2019.
However, the Kodi Foundation has rolled out the fourth and final release candidate today which should tide you over nicely until then.
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