YouTube TV loses Tennis Channel

YouTube TV is the best streaming TV service, but it is not perfect. For instance, over the years, prices have gone up significantly. While Google has added some great channels, the search giant has lost some too -- including some regional sports channels. As a Knicks fan, I am still waiting for MSG to be added, but since the team is so bad, I am OK missing those basketball games. While I am not a fan of tennis, I know many people are. Sadly, I received an email from YouTube TV tonight that is sure to anger fans of that… [Continue Reading]

Nintendo Switch Fortnite Wildcat Bundle now available for Cyber Monday -- act fast!

Today is Cyber Monday! Woo hoo! It is one of the best shopping days of the year. There are deals to be had on many tech products, and like every year, video game consoles are in high demand. In 2020, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 are all the rage, but there is one big problem with those game systems -- they don't have Mario, Luigi, or other Nintendo mascots! If you are a Nintendo fan like me, it doesn't matter that the Switch is less powerful than the newest Xbox or PlayStation consoles, as it has game titles you… [Continue Reading]

Users underestimate level of attacks on home networks

Internet users in the US vastly underestimate how often their home networks are targeted by cyber threats according to a new report from Comcast. The first Xfinity Cyber Health Report combines data from a new consumer survey with threat data collected by the xFi Advanced Security platform and finds 95 percent of survey respondents underestimate the volume of attacks they face each month. Respondents think they're subject to 12 attacks per month on average. In reality, however, xFi Advanced Security blocks nine times that amount or an average of 104 security threats per month per household. The top five most… [Continue Reading]

Give your Raspberry Pi 4 a performance boost with the new $5 Case Fan

Some Raspberry Pi owners are more than happy to leave their devices uncased, but others prefer to add an enclosure just so it looks smarter. If you’re a case owner and are concerned about heat building up inside, then the Raspberry Pi Foundation has you covered with a new, official Case Fan designed to keep things cool and help you squeeze more performance out of a Raspberry Pi 4. SEE ALSO: The Raspberry Pi 400 is a brand new $70 desktop PC you can buy right now The new fan draws in air over the USB and Ethernet connectors, passes… [Continue Reading]

Project Latte could see Android app support coming to Windows 10

Having already embraced Linux with WSL 2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux), Microsoft looks set to do the same with Android. The company is said to be working on a project which will make it possible to run Android apps in Windows 10. The arrival of a new subsystem in Windows 10 is something that will be welcomed by Android fans looking to enjoy mobile apps on the desktop. While Microsoft is yet to confirm its plans, Project Latte could see the light of day as soon as late 2021. See also: Microsoft 365's 'Productivity Score' raises serious privacy concerns If… [Continue Reading]

ASRock Mars 4000U Series mini PC is world's thinnest AMD desktop

As we start to approach the end of 2020, and we reflect on the year, AMD stands out as one of the biggest success stories. The company's desktop and laptop processors absolutely destroyed Intel, disrupting the CPU market entirely. It was once thought that Intel was unbeatable, but if 2020 taught us anything, it's that nothing (good or bad) is impossible. For those of you that love both AMD processors and mini desktop computers, I have some very exciting news. You see, ASRock has launched a mini PC that it claims is the world's thinnest AMD desktop. Called "Mars 4000U… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft 365's 'Productivity Score' raises serious privacy concerns

Microsoft has attracted the attention of privacy campaigners over the Productivity Score feature of Microsoft 365. The tool uses telemetry to enable employers to track the activities and performance of workers. The analytics tool has been criticized for being a serious invasion of privacy, as it gives employers the ability to closely monitor individuals. One data privacy researcher describes it as "turn[ing] Microsoft 365 into a full-fledged workplace surveillance tool". Productivity Score assigns a score out of 800 to employees, and reports details such as how much time has been spent using different tools such as Word, Microsoft Teams or… [Continue Reading]

Best Windows 10 apps this week

Four-hundred-and-fourteen 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. As always, if I've missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email. Discounts this week The following list is a selection of the best deals. Make sure you check out the Store for all offers. Some apps are discounted for more than one week. Only new apps and games are listed… [Continue Reading]

Zero trust access, VPN, both? The changing face of remote network access [Q&A]

Virtual private network (VPN), software defined perimeter (SDP), zero trust network access (ZTNA), there are plenty of technologies around for protecting remote access to enterprise networks. This is an area that's been thrown into sharper focus this year, but what's the best option for keeping remote access secure? We spoke to Scott Gordon, CISSP for Pulse Secure to discuss the value of the different options available. BN: What's changed over the last one or two years to reinvigorate the remote access market? SG: One of the biggest changes over time has been remote and branch offices, which previously accessed resources… [Continue Reading]

Blender 2.91 rings in the changes with an avalanche of new features and improvements

"Fourth time's also a charm", says The Blender Foundation as it releases Blender 2.91, the fourth major release of the open-source 3D graphics tool in 2020. The latest release promises further improvements to the user experience along with a range of new features including new Booleans, collision support for cloth sculpting and volume objects modifiers. There’s also the promise of improved animation tools. Sculpting gets lots of attention in this new release. In addition to adding support for collisions in the cloth sculpting tool, users gain the ability to speed up sculpting in general thanks to the introduction of quick… [Continue Reading]

LibreOffice 7.1 Beta 1 for Linux, Windows, and Mac is here -- get the FREE open-source Microsoft Office alternative now

Is LibreOffice better than Microsoft Office? No, and it's not even close. Say what you want about Microsoft, but Office is in a league of its own -- the best productivity software on the market. Why would anyone not use Microsoft Office? Well, for one, it costs money -- potentially hundreds of dollars. Secondly, it is not available on all operating systems. Linux users, for instance, simply can't use Microsoft Office (except the web version). Not to mention, Microsoft Office is closed-source software, and some folks only want to use open source options. So yeah, that's why people use LibreOffice… [Continue Reading]

This beautiful Android 12 design could lure me away from the iPhone

I’ve switched between owning an iPhone and various Android handsets over the years, but for me iOS remains easily the best mobile operating system (and iPhone 12 Pro the best smartphone). It would take something very special to tempt me back to Android. Something like this stylish vision of Android 12. Each update to Google’s mobile OS tends to fairly minor, but maybe next year with Android 12 Google should step things up. SEE ALSO: This Windows 10/macOS combination is the perfect desktop operating system Redesigned Windows 10 with blur effects looks incredible! Windows 7 returns with the stunning 2020… [Continue Reading]

Employees' home networks could lead to SMEs failing security assessments

With the pandemic forcing more people to work from home, businesses in the UK -- particularly smaller ones -- may not have considered the fact that their employees' home networks now fall under the scope of regulatory and certification requirements. According to a report from support solutions company A&O IT Group, if an individual works from home more than half of their time, their network must be compliant with current regulations. The only exception would be if they have an always on VPN which all traffic passes through, which is highly unlikely, especially for SMEs. Previously, UK organizations could undergo… [Continue Reading]

How the banking sector is adapting to security and regulatory requirements [Q&A]

Banks and other financial services institutions have been moving more and more towards digital in order to streamline processes and improve customer service. The pandemic has accelerated this process but has also brought a rise in cyberattacks. Regulators have also begun to take more notice of security practices surrounding accounts. We spoke to Michael Magrath, director of global standards and regulations at authentication and fraud prevention specialist OneSpan, to discover more. BN: Has the 'dash for digital' and increased remote access been moving ahead of systems security? MM: Certainly on the mobile app side I would say yes, and that's… [Continue Reading]

If you're still using Windows 7, you need to install this important, free 0-day patch

Windows 7 may be rather long in the tooth, but there are still millions of people using it globally. And just because the operating system has been around for years, that does not mean all of the bugs and security issues have been ironed out; far from it, in fact. Earlier this month a security researcher discovered a local privilege escalation vulnerability in both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2. There's no indication that Microsoft will issue a patch even for organizations the paid for extended support, but the vast majority of Windows 7 users will be left vulnerable.… [Continue Reading]

Pirated data risks: Remote teams need to become a first line of defense

The increasing number of news headlines that mention data piracy, theft and database hacking makes it clear that businesses need to treat data as a valuable asset. This is especially true of businesses with teams that work remotely, as these set-ups usually have fewer security protocols. Most remote workers are working from their homes, and unless those team members are conscious of cybersecurity, they’re not likely to have intrusion detection systems and firewalls on their personal networks. That doesn’t mean it’s a hopeless situation, though. Through understanding the risks of data piracy and measures that can be taken to protect… [Continue Reading]

How to get a new tech job during a pandemic

Earlier this month, we took a look at how COVID-19 is impacting the technology job market, with a focus on precarious tech positions. In this piece, we want to explore a related question: if you are a tech worker who has recently been laid off or lost your job, which steps can you take right now to stay competitive in a tight job market? Here are three tips for tech workers seeking jobs who want to set themselves apart from the pack. Be willing to take all-remote jobs (and get comfortable with video interviews) Finding a solid tech job might… [Continue Reading]