Netrunner Desktop 17.03 'Cyclotron' Debian-based KDE Linux distro now available

When you choose a Linux-based operating system, you also choose a desktop environment. For many users, the DE sort of is the operating system. In other words, for some, they will really only interact with the user interface -- especially if they avoid the command line. A good operating system will get out of the user's way, allowing them to focus on the apps and tools they need. If you are moving from Windows to Linux, KDE can be a great desktop environment. It is very reminiscent of the traditional Windows 95 to Windows 7 experience. Unfortunately, KDE can be… [Continue Reading]

Managing BYOD: Best practices

BYOD is dying. It’s not that people no longer bring devices to work. It’s that everyone brings their devices to work. Whether you use BYOx (bring your own everything) to describe this phenomenon or some other term, there are important concerns to be addressed. For example, will you be providing devices to all employees, some employees (e.g., managers and executives) or no employees? How will user-owned devices connect to the network and how do you ensure personal and corporate data separation? What about company-owned devices and who owns, and thus has free access to, the data stored on them? And… [Continue Reading]

Welcome to the 'post-app era'

How often do you use apps? You probably open a handful on a daily or even hourly basis. You probably ignore the rest. You’re not alone. Gartner research shows that users from the US, UK and China used just six to 10 apps each month in 2016. This represents a six percent year-on-year decrease and has led Gartner to declare the "post-app era." The fast rise and even faster fall of traditional "apps" has been brutal. Facebook has a vice-like grip on users, with WhatsApp, Messenger and Facebook dominating the app ecosystem. Both Apple’s App Store and Google Play offered… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft releases cumulative update Build 15063.11 for Windows 10 Creators Update

Although Build 15063 is the RTM for the Windows 10 Creators Update, that doesn’t mean that Microsoft has downed tools and stopped working on the next iteration of its operating system. The Creators Update doesn’t begin its roll out until April 11 (unless you opt to get it on April 5), which means the software giant will be working hard until then to squash any last-minute bugs and problems. Today, Microsoft pushes out Cumulative Update Build 15063.11 (KB4016250) for PC to all rings, and this fixes a couple of issues. The announcement in the Feedback Hub explains: We need Windows… [Continue Reading]

Twitter is cracking eggs -- unveils new gender-neutral default profile photo

Twitter is a great social network, but it has many problems. Targeted harassment is rampant, causing much pain to some users. Many tweets are sexist, racist, and worse -- threats of harm. Sometimes it seems like the company doesn't listen to users either -- it feels like feedback is simply unheard. Just yesterday, the company changed the way replies work, leading to spam and confusion -- a really negative experience. Heck, the company's stock has been terrible too. Despite all of these concerns, Twitter is unveiling a new default profile photo today. This seemingly superficial change during other outrages is a little bit frustrating, as… [Continue Reading]

Top tips: How to protect your privacy against ISP snooping

We live in an age where privacy is valued incredibly highly, but at the same time there are more and more ways for our privacy to be encroached upon. One of the most recent concerns came after the US Senate voted last week to allow ISPs to sell customers' browsing histories without consent. Things were turned up a notch a couple of days ago when the House agreed and voted to repeal FCC-approved privacy rules. Since the result of the vote was known, there have been reports of a huge surge in interest in VPN tools, private search engines and… [Continue Reading]

Google, Microsoft and Apple will stick to their climate goals in spite of Trump's environmental views

Earlier this week, Donald Trump signed an executive order that effectively killed Obama-era environmental policies. Expressing his love of "clean coal" -- despite such a substance not actually existing --  Trump wiped out Obama orders that aimed to reduce carbon production and signalled an "end to the war on coal." The signing of the executive order was met with astonishment around the world, and many voices have spoken out against the wisdom of the move. Among those are technology companies, many of whom have said that they will stick to promises they have made to tackling climate change -- something… [Continue Reading]

Best Windows 10 apps this week

Two-hundred-and-twenty-five in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps, games and extensions released for Windows 10 on the Windows Store in the past seven days Microsoft revealed recently that the Windows 10 Creators Update will be released on April 11. Read Wayne's article on getting the update a week early. 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. Discounts this week The following list is a selection of the best… [Continue Reading]

Windows 10 Mobile needs to be put out of its misery

It's time for Microsoft to pull the plug. Windows 10 Mobile has been on life support for a long time, and the software giant is only making things worse by not giving it the mercy killing it deserves. It may sound harsh, but there's no future for Windows on smartphones in its current state. Microsoft wants to keep the door open to future developments but, let's face it, when it decided to sell Samsung's new Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ through its stores it basically sealed its own platform's fate. There is no turning back from this. We know it… [Continue Reading]

What your smartphone knows about you

Currently, many people unlock their phones by pressing their thumbs onto fingerprint sensor panels or using their fingers to draw patterns on the screens. Those authentication methods are certainly high-tech, but, before long, you’ll likely be unlocking a phone that knows more about you than you’d ever imagine. Check out some of the smartphone security methods being tested and what they might mean for future users. Measurement tactics occur even when your phone’s in your pocket Most smartphones have numerous sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes. Tech experts say those advanced models use information from location-based sensors to indicate what… [Continue Reading]

OpenShot 2.3 ships with real-time video transforms

Open source video editor OpenShot has just hit version 2.3 in what the developer calls "one of the biggest updates ever." Highlights start with a new Transform tool which enables moving and resizing video with the mouse, and gives you instant real-time previews. Razor mode quickly cuts clips or transitions with a click, and has keyboard modifiers to optionally keep either the left or the right side. Zooming in and out of the timeline is easier and more intuitive. Hold Ctrl, spin the mouse wheel and it automatically zooms in and out centered on your mouse position, just like an… [Continue Reading]

Get 'Practical Windows Forensics' ebook ($31 Value) FREE for a limited time

Over the past few years, the wave of the cybercrime has risen rapidly. Nowadays, your personal information, bank account details, and your corporate database are some of the many targets for digital criminals. So, how can we investigate these crimes? Using digital forensics. The Practical Windows Forensics ebook from Packt Publishing will tell you everything you need to know to get started. It will provide you with the knowledge needed to assemble different types of evidence properly, and walk you through the various stages of the analysis process. The title usually retails for $31 but for a limited time you… [Continue Reading]

WikiLeaks releases Marble source code, used by the CIA to hide the source of malware it deployed

Today, WikiLeaks publishes the third installment of its Vault 7 CIA leaks. We've already had the Year Zero files which revealed a number of exploits for popular hardware and software, and the Dark Matter batch which focused on Mac and iPhone exploits. Now we have Marble to look at. A collection of 676 source code files, the Marble cache reveals details of the CIA's Marble Framework tool, used to hide the true source of CIA malware, and sometimes going as far as appearing to originate from countries other than the US. The source code for Marble Framework is tiny --… [Continue Reading]

How a tech startup masters Disaster Recovery

The technology news has recently seen a few Disaster Recovery (DR) stories that remind us, as both consumers and professionals, of the need to be secure in the knowledge of the service that we provide to you. The expectations for digital products have never been higher -- we all want intuitive insights and functions that are always on, matched with vast data sources, alongside high performance, across multiple devices. For any technology company there needs to be a laser focus on the service and the data within that service. I regularly ask myself: Is the service stable, and operating within… [Continue Reading]

CloudBerry offers free licenses to celebrate World Backup Day

Backups aren't something that you should be doing only once a year, even so like most things these days backup has its own day and has had since 2011. World Backup Day is designed to raise awareness among consumers and businesses of the importance of keeping an up to date backup of your data. Cloud backup specialist CloudBerry Lab is doing its bit by offering free licenses for its Windows, Linux, and macOS products for a limited period. The company has also released the results of a survey of more than 700 internet users aimed at finding out what steps… [Continue Reading]

Tame Microsoft's snooping with Windows Privacy Tweaker

Windows Privacy Tweaker is an easy-to-use portable application for viewing and controlling more than 50 Windows telemetry and privacy settings. Unlike many similar programs, this isn’t just for Windows 10. You’ll be able to see and toggle some settings on anything from Windows Vista up. The program starts with an offer to create a System Restore Point when it loads. Accept this and you should easily be able to undo your changes later Windows Privacy Tweaker organizes its settings into three categories. "Services" lists Windows services, including Remote Registry and Remote Desktop; "Scheduler" lists Windows scheduled tasks relating to Microsoft’s… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft, Google, Twitter and Facebook to work with UK government to tackle extremist content

Following UK home secretary Amber Rudd's suggestion that encrypted messaging service WhatsApp was 'a secret place to hide' for terrorists, four major technology companies met with the minister to discuss the removal of extremist material from websites and social media. Microsoft, Google, Twitter and Facebook met with Rudd amid calls from civil liberties groups for greater transparency. Following the meeting, senior executives from each company signed a statement indicating that they are ready to work with the government to tackle the problem. The matter of backdoors into encrypted apps and services, however, remained off the table. In the joint statement,… [Continue Reading]