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]