Google.com gets safer with HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS)

For any site you visit nowadays, HTTPS should be offered by default. I don't care about the content of the site -- there is no reason to go HTTP only in 2016. Security matters, folks. Google.com -- one of the world's most popular domain names -- is aiming to get even safer by implementing HSTS. The search giant has recently enabled this technology for the benefit of its users, and it should start paying security dividends immediately. "We've taken another step to strengthen how we use encryption for data in transit by implementing HTTP Strict Transport Security -- HSTS for short… [Continue Reading]

Free gifts for Windows 10 Insider testers -- and more in store for the future!

It's now a full year since Windows 10 was first, and to thank the Insiders who have been providing feedback to help shape the direction of the operating system, Microsoft has a couple of gifts and a little surprise. As well as handing out an exclusive-to-Insiders wallpaper package and a Ninja Cat animated GIF, Microsoft has also awarded Insiders with a surprise badge that appears next to their profile in the Feedback Hub. There is the promise of more badges to come, but the anniversary of Windows 10's launch gives Microsoft a good opportune time to reflect on the last… [Continue Reading]

Xbox Summer Update is rolling out bringing closer Windows 10 integration

It's another couple of days until Windows 10 Anniversary Update rolls out to user, but Xbox One users now have something very exciting to download -- the Xbox Summer Update. Previously available as a preview, the latest system update sees the arrival of Cortana, background music and much more. Major Nelson has announced that the rollout of the update starts this weekend, but there is no guarantee of when it will arrive on your Xbox One. If you're the impatient kind, you'll be pleased to hear that you can force the update to download and install it straight away! In… [Continue Reading]

Changes are coming to Microsoft's Privacy Statement and Services Agreement

On August 2, coinciding with the launch of Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Microsoft is updating its Privacy Statement. The company is a little light on the details of exactly what the changes are, but says that more will be revealed on the big day. The aim of the changes, as with previous updates is to "eliminate redundancies, improve usability and increase clarity and transparency". Microsoft makes clear that it is in the habit of sharing user data with others "in certain cases" and it also announces that the Services Agreement will be updated on September 15. You are advised that… [Continue Reading]

Amid election chaos Melania Trump's website quietly removed

With the general election campaign now in full swing, and appearing to have potential to get ugly, things are starting to happen quickly. Many of things go on behind the scenes and, in some cases, we never know about them. That isn't the case with this latest debacle. The Republican nominee, Donald Trump's, wife Melania has another problem with potential honesty issues. A report just out shows that her website redirects to the Trump site. That may sound logical, but it's the reason behind it that is the problem. It seems her biography on the site claims a college degree, obtained… [Continue Reading]

Forget the deadline, you'll still be able to get Windows 10 for free, and this is how

Today, July 29, is the last day for users of Windows 7 and 8.1 to upgrade free of charge to Windows 10. If you don’t take up the offer in time, and you decide you do want to upgrade after all, the only option will be to buy a copy of the OS. But hold on. That’s not entirely true. If you want Windows 10 after the deadline has expired, you’ll still be able to get it for free, and doing so couldn’t be easier. Three months ago, Microsoft announced that customers with accessibility needs who use assistive technologies would… [Continue Reading]

Famous American blogger strikes back against China

A few weeks ago I published a column here about online journalism. You may remember it from the picture of Jerry Seinfeld which I am using again here. While I have many readers in China, my work isn’t normally distributed there so I was surprised when a reader told me that column had been translated almost in its entirety and republished on a Chinese web site. How should I feel about this? I might be flattered or I might be angry. Certainly the translation was not authorized by me and I received no payment for it. It goes far beyond… [Continue Reading]

Security pros find it hard to measure ROI on spending

The majority of IT security experts actually struggle to measure the return on investment in security measures, Tenable Network Security says. Based on a survey of 250 IT security professionals, conducted during the Infosecurity Europe 2016 summit, it says that the majority can only measure the return on less than 25 percent of their security spend. What’s more, just 17 percent were confident their investments were being distributed properly. "It’s undisputed that security is one of the top priorities for organizations across the globe", says Gavin Millard, EMEA technical director, Tenable Network Security. "However, our research revealed that many organizations… [Continue Reading]

Is anyone at Yahoo paying attention? Probably not

So Verizon is buying the heart of old Yahoo! I include the exclamation point because it was always there in the Yahoo! we knew back when the Internet was young. $4.83 billion in cash is a lot of cash, but for Verizon it’s a way of buying into the future while buying what to many of us seems to be the past. So let’s get the business part out of the way: Verizon can see Yahoo! as a bargain because Yahoo! has nearly always been more profitable on a gross margin basis than Verizon, a phone company. Even Yahoo! in… [Continue Reading]

Chew on this: Ubuntu Core Linux comes to the uCRobotics Bubblegum-96 board

Linux and other open source software have been in the news quite a bit lately. As more and more people are seeing, closed source is not the only way to make money. A company like Red Hat, for instance, is able to be profitable while focusing its business on open source. Ubuntu is one of the most popular Linux-based operating systems, and it is not hard to see why. Not only is it easy to use and adaptable to much hardware (such as SoC boards), but there is a ton of free support online from the Ubuntu user community too. Today,… [Continue Reading]

Bitdefender Total Security 2017 beta now available

Bitdefender has announced the first public beta of Bitdefender Total Security 2017 for Windows, OS X and Android. The major addition this time is Wi-Fi protection. Every time you connect to a new network, Bitdefender analyses it and warns of any vulnerabilities. Bitdefender’s Startup Optimizer can now be used remotely, allowing you to check a device and disable unwanted applications from anywhere in the world. Enhanced Windows 10 support means Total Security can use native desktop notifications and the Action Center to keep you up-to-date with product events. The product also works on Windows 10’s Anniversary Update, and is fully… [Continue Reading]

Russia becomes main target for DDoS attacks

There has been a huge increase in the number of DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks in the second quarter of this year, a new research report by security experts Nexusguard says. According to Nexusguard’s Q2 2016 Threat Report, there has been more than 182,900 attacks in Q2 this year, with the majority falling onto Russia. Yes, Russa has become the number one target country for DDoS attacks, with its Starlink internet provider soaking up more than 40 percent of the DDoS attacks measured over a two-day period. The average length of such attacks has gone from minutes to hours.… [Continue Reading]

The SwiftKey keyboard app is busy leaking email addresses and phone numbers to strangers

Who doesn't love a good AI-driven keyboard, eh? Well, people who have discovered that the keyboard is sending their email address and phone number to strangers, for starters. And that seem to be precisely what's happening with SwiftKey. The Microsoft-owned company has disabled the syncing of data between devices after users complained not only about the appearance of unknown email addresses and phone numbers in suggestions, but also suggestions in unknown foreign languages. The problem became apparent when users who saw the random email address suggestions contacted the owner of the address. The problem has been going on for a… [Continue Reading]

It's official: Windows 10 Mobile is irrelevant

If you still think that Windows 10 Mobile has a future then you must not have yet seen just how many Lumia smartphones were sold last quarter. We have known for quite some time that the operating system has no place in today's landscape, and now Microsoft is officially confirming it. Microsoft has not provided a sales figure for the Lumia line when it announced its earnings results earlier this month, like it has done previously, but the software giant has revealed how many units it moved during the whole fiscal year 2016, giving us just what we need to complete the… [Continue Reading]

Dropbox launches AdminX dashboard for business users

Dropbox has just announced AdminX, a new dashboard aimed at helping IT admins better manage Dropbox Business users. AdminX, which has been in development since last year, will have a couple of new features, including new versions of folders for both individuals and groups. With a more tier-style permission system across the board, it will tighten up security, and the permissions will be managed from AdminX. Enhanced file sync controls are also coming, which will allow admins to choose which files to sync locally, and which not to. That basically means files will be modified depending on the device they’re being… [Continue Reading]

Check internet speed and web page download times with Speedtest for Chrome

Speedtest is a free Chrome extension which allows testing your internet connection speeds and web page download time. It gives you access to the core of the Speedtest.net website in a click or two, wherever you are on the web. Click Speedtest’s icon at any time and a panel appears. By default this displays the name of the currently displayed page, and the time it took to load. If you’re more interested in your internet connection speed, hit the large "Go" button and Speedtest carries out the same test you’d see on its site: it locates your nearest server, goes… [Continue Reading]

Reminder: You now have mere hours to upgrade to Windows 10 for free

Today is the big day -- July 29, the last day when you can upgrade to Windows 10 free of charge. Actually, the cut-off point really depends on where you are in the world, but you have until 11:59 pm UTC-10. Timeanddate.com has a handy conversion to work out what this means for you. It would not be fair to say that there has not been plenty of warning about the impending deadline, but there are still people who are putting things off. But really there is no reason not to upgrade; even if you decided you don’t want Windows 10,… [Continue Reading]