Apple buys Dark Sky, and that’s terrible news for Android users

When a huge tech corporation like Apple or Microsoft buys a company, it can either go very well or terribly wrong for consumers. Microsoft’s purchase of Wunderlist in 2015 was bad, as the Windows-maker ended up killing it. Apple’s purchase of SoundJam MP in 2000, however, turned into iTunes and revolutionized the music industry. As you can see, it can go either way. Today, Apple buys popular weather app Dark Sky and it seems to be terrible news. No, the iPhone-maker isn’t killing it entirely — it will still be available on iOS for the time being. Unfortunately, Apple is… [Continue Reading]

Linux Mint 20 is 64-bit only, based on Ubuntu 20.04, and named 'Ulyana'

Linux Mint is great operating system. It is based on the excellent Ubuntu and features three great desktop environment options -- Cinnamon, MATE and Xfce. While it is a smart choice for Linux beginners, it is also good for experts too. Today, we learn some new details about the upcoming Linux Mint 20. While most of the newly revealed information is positive, there is one thing that is sure to upset many Linux Mint users. First things first, Linux Mint 20 will be based on the upcoming Ubuntu 20.04. This shouldn't come as a surprise, as Mint only uses Long Term Support… [Continue Reading]

CIOs in the next ten years: Politics and personality assessments become must-have CIO tools

Over the next decade, the CIO's job will dissolve into the business and take on many of the tasks typically performed by CEOs, CFOs, and even sales departments. This will not be so much of a  technology sprawl, as more of a responsibility sprawl that can be attributed to the pervasive spread of digital transformations into every aspect of a company. No longer will the CIO be only concerned with data backups or IP phone systems -- more and more these will become expected utilities in the same manner as the lights are expected to click on or water is… [Continue Reading]

So, what are Microservices?

Part 1: You may have heard the term Microservices before, but every time you do, you ask yourself -- What exactly is a microservice? Let’s break down exactly what this technology is, why it’s so great for organizations to leverage and challenges they should prepare for. The origin of Microservices Microservices are a concept that comes out of service-oriented architecture (SOA). It’s a software development technique in which an application or service offering is a collection of loosely coupled independent services that are designed to do one thing very well but only one thing. Microservices tend to be self-contained pieces… [Continue Reading]

SiriusXM is free through May 15 to help with Coronavirus isolation boredom

We are weeks into people self-isolating in their homes due to the Coronavirus (COVID 19), and apparently, many are getting bored. As someone who is staying indoors to help "flatten the curve" and prevent the spread of the virus, I have to wonder if these bored people are nuts. I mean, look, we live in a world where the internet exists, and you can stream thousands upon thousands of films right in your living room. Not to mention video games, books, television, radio, board games, puzzles, and more. In 2020, I don't know how anyone can be bored, but OK,… [Continue Reading]

Marriott International reveals details of another data breach

Towards the end of 2018, Marriott International suffered a data breach of its Starwood Hotel reservation database. Now the hotel chain has revealed that it suffered a second data breach earlier this year. The company says that at the end of February it noticed that an "unexpected amount of guest information" could have been accessed using the login credentials of two employees. It is thought that this access started in the middle of January, and up to 5.2 million customers have been affected. See also: Microsoft releases out-of-band update to fix VPN bug Coronavirus has led to a 775 percent increase… [Continue Reading]

2019's top cyberattack techniques

Recorded Future has been logging sandbox submissions from its platform as mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK framework over 2019 and has released a list of the most frequently referenced tactics and techniques. The most common tactic in the results is Defense Evasion and the most common technique Security Software Discovery. Defense Evasion involves avoiding detection by, among other things, hiding in trusted processes, obfuscating malicious scripts, and disabling security software. The next most common tactic, Discovery, involves knowledge and understanding of a victim network or host. The researchers suggest Defense Evasion's dominance on this list indicates one of three things:… [Continue Reading]

Shutterstock makes over 17 million videos available on Android and iOS

If you need access to video footage while on the go, then you’ll be interested in today’s announcement from Shutterstock which sees the company make over 17 million videos available to license on both Android and iOS. The footage is offered in SD, HD, and 4K quality and you can search, save and license whatever footage you require. "As consumers spend more and more time on their devices, marketers are adapting their strategies to reach them there. As a result, we’ve seen many customers transition to mobile-only campaign creation and execution," says Jamie Elden, Chief Revenue Officer at Shutterstock. "This… [Continue Reading]

Employees reluctant to adopt data-driven working methods

New research commissioned by analytics database Exasol finds that 63 percent of UK data decision makers experience resistance from employees in adopting data-driven methods. Key drivers of this resistance are anxiety over job redundancy if all decisions are based on data (39 percent), a lack of understanding (39 percent), and a lack of education on the positive impact data can have (36 percent). Based on a global survey of 2,000 data decision makers, the research also discovers that part of the problem of data acceptance lies in 40 percent of respondents admitting that data strategy is not being driven by… [Continue Reading]

Now it's easier to see just what data Facebook and Instagram are collecting about you

It's no secret that Facebook gathers staggering amounts of information about its users across its various products. This is something that many people just accept, but there is a slight discomfort in not knowing quite what is being collected. To add a little balm to this aching fear, Facebook has announced updates to its Download Your Information tool on Facebook and Download Your Data tool on Instagram. The updates mean that while you can do little to stop Facebook from tracking you, you can at least download and see what data it is collecting about you. See also: Zoom apologizes… [Continue Reading]

Not just the end of IT, the end of IT contractors

Yesterday, I predicted the demise of conventional IT caused by the wide adoption of SD-WAN and SASE, accelerated by the emergency demands of everyone working from home. Now that Congress has passed a $2.2 trillion COVID-19 bail-out, let’s throw-in the implications of that legislation to see what effect it is all likely to have on what used to be IT. The short version is to expect an even bigger bloodbath as IT employees at all levels are let go forever. Please understand that some version of this bloodbath was going to happen anyway. What matters right now is how we… [Continue Reading]

Excel vulnerability aids delivery of malware

Microsoft office files have long been used as a means of delivering malware payloads and researchers at Mimecast have discovered a rise in LimeRAT malware delivered using an Excel default password. Excel files are designed to be easily encrypted, which helps attackers evade detection by common malware detection systems when a file is emailed. When you lock an Excel file with a password, you are encrypting the entire file using the password as the encryption/decryption key. But there's a catch. To decrypt a given encrypted spreadsheet, Excel first tries to use an embedded, default password, 'VelvetSweatshop,' to decrypt and open… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft releases out-of-band update to fix VPN bug

After installing February's KB4535996 update, some Windows 10 users started to experience VPN problems. Microsoft promised to release an off-schedule update for the issue which was causing connectivity issues. Now the company has made good on that promise. In all, there are four different updates available. You need to install the correct one according to the version of Windows 10 you are running. See also: Until Apple patches this security flaw your VPN traffic might not be secure Microsoft will release off-schedule patch for VPN connectivity problems caused by buggy update me quintuples its data limit for users of its free… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft is bringing vertical tabs to Edge so you can make better use of your widescreen monitor

Websites are, on the whole, vertical experiences, whereas laptop screens and desktop monitors are, in most cases, horizontal ones. Despite the relatively limited amount of vertical space available, browsers tend to further reduce this by placing tabs, menus, toolbars and more at the top of the screen. But Microsoft is ready to try something different. The company has announced a number of new features that are coming to the new Chromium-based version of Microsoft Edge. Among these features are vertical tabs which make more efficient use of screen space. See also: Microsoft Edge finally gains extension synchronization Microsoft says new… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft clarifies a slightly misleading claim about a leap in cloud service usage during coronavirus pandemic

Over the weekend, Microsoft post an article on its Azure blog announcing that there had been an astronomical 775 percent surge in the use of its cloud services. Despite the massive increase in traffic, the company added, uptime was good. But the blog post wasn't entirely correct. Since we published a story about the claims, Microsoft has contacted us to say that it had not been "was not as clear as they intended to be with the previous statement". The company has provided updated stats explaining what it meant to say -- and it's rather different. See also: Coronavirus has… [Continue Reading]

BenQ launches TH685 HDR 1080P console gaming projector for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and more

If you are a console gamer, you probably have your gaming system hooked up to a TV. After all, this is what most people will connect their PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, or Microsoft Xbox One up to. And for the most part, that make sense. But what if you want a really big screen without breaking the bank? When I say "big," I mean bigger than can be realistically achieved with a TV -- like, say, 150 inches. Well then, a projector is what you will need. Unfortunately, projectors aren't typically designed for gaming, so there is a good chance… [Continue Reading]

Office 365 becomes Microsoft 365 -- a 'subscription service for your life'

Microsoft has done a spot of rebranding today, replacing Office 365 with Microsoft 365, and introducing personal and family subscriptions. This builds on the foundation of Office 365, but improves on it and adds some useful consumer focused apps and features. Announcing the changes, and what it refers to as a 'subscription for your life', Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President, Modern Life, Search & Devices, Microsoft says: Today, we are delighted to announce that on April 21st, Office 365 will become Microsoft 365, the subscription for your life to help you make the most of your time, connect, and protect… [Continue Reading]