Apple doubles down on the enterprise market

In order to help boost sales of its mobile device amongst enterprises, Apple has announced a partnership with the consulting firm Deloitte & Touche LLP. On Wednesday, the two companies said that they had formed a new service called Enterprise Next, which would entail 5,000 consultants from Deloitte advising clients in a range of enterprises as to how they could put Apple devices to the best use within their organization. Apple's CEO Tim Cook said in regard to its deal with Deloitte that "enterprises need trusted advisers". The company has made previous deals with IBM, Cisco Systems and SAP in… [Continue Reading]

EFF asks court to block US from prosecuting security researcher

This has been a controversy for quite some time. Companies don't like their flaws exposed, and for the most part researchers have honored this, at least to a reasonable degree. Generally, a period of time is given for the company in question to fix the problem, but if it fails then the issue is made public, somewhat akin to branding the company with a scarlet A. Now, one researcher is working on a book that will point out common system flaws and how to either fix them or avoid them to begin with. Matthew Green is working on a book… [Continue Reading]

Mozilla announces Project Mortar to bring Chrome plugins to Firefox

The browser wars continue as Chrome, Opera, Firefox and Edge all vie for attention. One of the biggest draws to any browser is plugin support, and the absence of a particular plugin can make the difference between a user switching allegiances or sticking with their tried-and-tested browser. With this in mind, Mozilla launches Project Mortar. Its aim is to make the development and maintenance of Firefox as cheap and easy as possible. To do this, it is investigating the possibility of borrowing plugin functionality from other browsers, including PDF and Flash support from Chrome. Rather than going to the hassle… [Continue Reading]

Spotify wants to buy SoundCloud

In an effort to better compete against Apple Music and other music streaming services, Spotify may be considering purchasing SoundCloud. Apparently the two companies are in "advanced talks", that could result in Spotify acquiring its rival that has been valued at $700 million. Recently, Spotify has faced a great deal of competition from other subscription-based music streaming services, including Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Prime and Deezer. In September, the company reached 40 million paying subscribers who shell out $10 a month for premium Spotify service. This upgraded version of the site allows users to play music offline and removes all… [Continue Reading]

Logitech C922 Pro Stream Webcam is perfect for Twitch gamers and YouTube vloggers

Most (if not all) laptops come with integrated webcams nowadays, and some desktops and all-in-ones have them above the display too. In other words, it is not uncommon to have a web camera built into your PC. With that said, even if you have a webcam, you still may want to buy a better one. Not all integrated webcams are good quality, and if you aren't happy with your current camera, it may be time to upgrade. Whether you are a Twitch gamer, YouTube vlogger, or just someone that desires high-quality video chat, Logitech's offerings have long been revered by the technology community. Its… [Continue Reading]

Record or stream games, videos, your desktop and more with OBS Studio

OBS Studio (formerly OBS Multiplatform) is a powerful open-source streaming and recording package, crammed with high-end features, yet also with something to offer almost every level of user. There’s support for a wide range of sources, including media files, audio input (microphone) and output (whatever’s playing through your speakers), application windows, your desktop, games, webcams and more. You could use this to create a video of desktop activity, or perhaps record streaming media which isn’t normally downloadable, but that’s just the start. Combine the sources and you might set up an application window and browser, each positioned and sized to… [Continue Reading]

Google creates a new virtual reality experience: "A Walk Through Dementia"

The experiences of others can be difficult to understand -- so you don't see green in the same way as me? But things are even harder -- and more important -- to grasp in the world of medicine. Just what is it like to have dementia, for example? It's much more than just memory loss and confusion. Understanding what the world is like for someone with the condition can help others to learn how they can help sufferers more effectively, and Google has created a new virtual reality experience with this precise aim in mind. "A Walk Through Dementia" is… [Continue Reading]

Lenovo ZUK Z2: Promising smartphone, with a few caveats [Review]

Lenovo is already a well-established brand in Western Europe thanks to its personal computer brand which counts the legendary ThinkPad range and German manufacturer, Medion, amongst its ranks. It also absorbed storage vendor Iomega, IBM’s Intel-based server business and NEC personal computer range. The company has acquired phone manufacturer Motorola, inheriting yet another iconic brand whose name still carries a lot of value for a mainstream audience. But the latest move of the Chinese company, which is also the biggest PC vendor in the world, has been surprising. It launched a division called Zuk, which is a Chinese-only brand, apparently aiming to… [Continue Reading]

Actiance seeks to scoop up HP Autonomy customers

HP Enterprise's announcement earlier this month that it was spinning off its 'non-core' software business, including the Autonomy big data solution to Micro Focus, has left many customers worried about the future. Archiving, analytics and compliance specialist Actiance is hoping to attract these users with the launch of an Autonomy Safe Landing Program, letting users easily transition to its Alcatraz archiving product. Alcatraz is a web-scale cloud archive designed from the ground up to store email and social communications in context. With fast search, high-performance import and exports, and robust APIs it lets companies discover insights while ensuring supervisory and surveillance workflows,… [Continue Reading]

Fuze case adds a headphone jack to your iPhone 7

Much has been said about Apple's decision to drop the headphone jack in the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, but one thing is clear: there are many folks out there who would like to get it back. Some more than others, going as far as drilling a hole in their new smartphone -- and damaging it in the process -- to be able to plug their old headphones in. Apple has, of course, provided a dongle which lets you use standard headphones, but a new case offers a more elegant solution. It's called Fuze and it comes with a 3.5mm jack… [Continue Reading]

Spotify enters the market in Japan

Streaming services proliferate the music market these days, making CDs seem very much a thing of the past. One of the more popular options available to customers is Spotify, which sometimes seems to have pretty much taken over. The company would like to keep expanding its global footprint and is taking another step towards that. Now the company is launching its latest destination, Japan. Spotify announces that at the moment it is invitation-only however, it will be available across major platforms including mobile, tablet, desktop and PlayStation. "We’re incredibly excited to launch Spotify with a uniquely Japanese music experience", says… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft dismisses Saleforce's claims of an anticompetitive LinkedIn purchase

It has been a few months since Microsoft announced plans to buy LinkedIn for $26.2 billion, and it seems that losing bidder Saleforce is still nursing a bloody nose. Saleforce CEO Marc Benioff is complaining that there are antitrust concerns and is calling on regulators to block the purchase. Having lost a bidding war with Microsoft -- despite offering more money -- Salesforce now appears hell-bent on messing things up for the company. Salesforce's chief legal officer, Burke Norton, has also voiced concerns that Microsoft could block access to user data to rivals. Microsoft says that this is nonsense, stressing… [Continue Reading]

Compress and decompress EXE’s with Free UPX

UPX is a popular open source tool which can pack Windows EXE and other executable formats to reduce their size. The process typically compresses files more than zipping, but otherwise has no apparent effect on the file. Run a packed EXE and it quickly decompresses and launches the original image, with no sign that anything unusual has happened. Executable packers are used by many legitimate developers. If you’ve ever wondered why NirSoft’s programs are so small, for instance, that’s partly because many are compressed by UPX. Unfortunately, the technology also has a down side: packing an EXE obfuscates its contents,… [Continue Reading]

The iPhone 7 has worse battery life than HTC 10, Samsung Galaxy S7 and LG G5

Consumer group Which? has conducted a series of battery life tests on the latest smartphones, and the news is not good for the iPhone 7. Pitted against the Samsung Galaxy S7, HTC 10 and LG G5, Apple's latest handset came in last place... and by some distance. In terms of call time, the Samsung Galaxy S7 lasted for more than twice as long as the iPhone 7, while the HTC 10 had two and a half times the longevity. Things were not quite as bad for the iPhone 7 in internet usage tests... but it was still found bringing up… [Continue Reading]

Google Maps gains a bunch of voice commands for hands-free navigation

Google Maps on an Android phone is a great way to get from A to B without getting lost, but if you need to check details of your route or want to make a change to settings, you'll need to pull over to do so. Or at least that used to be the case. Google has just added a load of voice commands to the app. Of course, having to pull over is an inconvenience, and trying to fiddle with your phone while driving is dangerous. With this in mind, the addition of a series of voice commands triggered by… [Continue Reading]

Best Windows apps this week

Two-hundred in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on Windows Store in the past seven days. No app of the week this time but the new Microsoft Edge extension Turn off the Lights almost made it. As always, if I 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 instead. Check out last week's best of Windows apps post if you missed it. Discounts this week Some apps are… [Continue Reading]

UK IT contractor rates up nearly 10 percent

In the last 12 months, the average IT contractor day rates have jumped 9.11 percent, and have hit £431, according to a new report by Experis. The Tech Cities Job Watch Survey says the UK’s Gig economy is picking up pace, with an almost double year-on-year growth in permanent salaries, up by 4.61 percent. The "freelance dream", which includes higher pay and flexible hours is becoming a reality for a larger number of people, as now 15 percent of the UK workforce works solo. There is now more demand for solo workers, than there is for permanent workers -- 2.23… [Continue Reading]