Tech news

As we get to the end of December, I typically pick my product of the year, but this is also the end of the decade, so I'll name my pick for this year, and then pick my product of the decade. 2010 was an easy choice as the iPad came out and scared the hell out of the entire PC market. Its release made the whole "PC is Dead" thing real and spurred Microsoft to create the Microsoft Surface response. The iPad was a powerful new offering at the time, and it was the last product Steve Jobs had a major influence on. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2Qx7lr1

When the U.S. president was impeached last week, it surfaced the fact that impeachment, and particularly the removal of a U.S. president, is a process that doesn't work. Throughout U.S. history, there have been 45 presidents, and given that no one trains for that job, you'd figure several would have been removed for cause. However, impeachment has been attempted three times without a removal. If a process that has been in place for more than 200 years has never been successful, it is a really bad process. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/375TEWC

Ubuntu Cinnamon Remix arrived just in time for the holidays. Its first stable version is based on Ubuntu 19.10 Eoan Ermine. It utilizes Linux Mint's Cinnamon desktop environment on top of Ubuntu Linux's codebase. Work on several release candidate and beta versions stretches back to 2013. The efforts stayed under the radar until the announcement of the new distro's debut stable release. As its name suggests, Cinnamon is the only desktop option. This release supplies a missing link in the current Ubuntu Linux desktop family. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2sPX80E

We've recently seen much breathless news coverage of the Nightingale Project, Google's half-secret partnership with Ascension, the second-largest healthcare system in the United States. The details of the project -- which involves sharing the healthcare data of tens of millions of unsuspecting patients -- have raised significant concerns. The concerns have centered around issues that by now are familiar: Many people are uncomfortable with Google knowing about their personal, sensitive and potentially embarrassing health complaints. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2sJ21ZF

The 300-plus mile trip between Cleveland and Chicago could take as little as 32 minutes by Hyperloop, according to a new feasibility study. Hyperloop is the only form of high-speed transportation that is profitable and makes economic sense in the U.S., found the study, a joint effort of Transportation Economics and Management Systems, the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. "Hyperloop is the first system to be shown as profitable from a financial standpoint," said TEMS President Alex Metcalf. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2EB1DyM

Google has stalled the rollout of its Chrome 79 Web browser for Android devices until it can find a way to neutralize a data-destroying bug. Affected users have been vilifying Google and app developers for failing to head off the problem. The latest Chrome version contains two highly anticipated new features: phishing protection, and the ability to reorder bookmarks. Google started rolling out Chrome 79 last Wednesday. App developers and users began reporting a problem with missing data in some of their Android apps by Friday morning. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2Eul9gk

Measuring Broadband America, a 10-year-old FCC program to ensure that Internet service providers deliver on their connection speed promises to consumers, has become unreliable. Companies including AT&T, Cox, Comcast and Verizon reportedly have been employing tactics to make their performance numbers look better than they actually are. For example, when the FCC informs a company which households will be tested, the company will prioritize service to those households to boost their speeds. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2EsGyGK

When Intel released its diversity report last week, it got pounded for the lack of diversity in its executive staff. Intel is one of the few companies being transparent about diversity. Given that lack of diversity is the problem we want to solve, the bashing is stupid. It is only going to make it harder to address the problem. In effect, Intel did the right thing and was punished for it. It strikes me that taking positive steps to make progress is a more prudent approach than beating up companies that are doing the right thing. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/35uilvD

Serving two masters, in theory, is nearly impossible. In practice, the Linux Lite distribution easily satisfies Linux newcomers and veteran penguin fans as well. This distro is very beginner-friendly -- in large part due to a fine-tuned Xfce desktop interface that gives former Windows and macOS users a familiar base. More established Linux users can tweak the Xfce settings to adjust its functionality beyond the already well-suited default settings. I have always considered the distro's name -- "Linux Lite" -- to be a distracting misnomer. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2Plui1g

China has issued an order that all foreign-made computer equipment and software be removed from government offices and public institutions within the next three years. China has estimated that upwards of 30 million pieces of hardware will need to be replaced. This is just the latest salvo in the ongoing trade war between the U.S. and China. It began last year when President Trump began to set tariffs and other trade barriers on China. The goal of the White House's policy was to address what the president has called "unfair trade practices." from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/38AniVA

Google has released an update to its Chrome browser with a slew of new features that are heavy on security. The new version offers improved password protection over earlier versions, real-time phishing protection, and predictive phishing tools. Fifty-one security fixes is high compared with past Chrome releases, and it shows that Google recognizes the issues and has taken steps to fix them, noted James McQuiggan, security awareness advocate at KnowBe4. Chrome 79 will roll out for Windows, Mac and Linux over the next few weeks. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2YEdKVc

Cybersecurity incident response teams have choices when it comes to communication tools: Microsoft Teams, Slack, Zoom and numerous others. Some require a subscription or commercial license -- others are free. Some are niche tools specifically designed for incident response. Some are generic business communication tools that IR teams have adapted for use during a cybersecurity incident. Professionals working in incident response know that sometimes, in a live event situation, normative communication channels unexpectedly may be unavailable. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/35eWXdA

Facebook has rejected a request from the U.S., the UK and Australia for a "backdoor" in its encrypted messenger apps to help law enforcement agencies combat crime and terrorism. "Cybersecurity experts have repeatedly proven that when you weaken any part of an encrypted system, you weaken it for everyone, everywhere," WhatsApp head Will Cathcart and Facebook Messenger head Stan Chudnovsky wrote in a letter to officials. "The 'backdoor' access you are demanding for law enforcement would be a gift to criminals, hackers and repressive regimes..." from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/35dUksD

Optimism about the future of open source is high among software developers worldwide. However, a growing number of devs worry that a lack of funding and corporate support threatens its sustainability. That is one of the key takeaways from DigitalOcean's second annual open source survey. The online survey provides a snapshot of the state of open source, as well as a gauge of the inclusivity and friendliness of contributors. More than 5,800 developers from around the world participated. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2PaUYBD

Researchers at Swedish university ETH Zurichat have unveiled a method for mixing genetically encoded digital data into common manufacturing materials. They carried out the project in collaboration with an Israeli scientist. The team succeeded in embedding artificial DNA in a small plastic 3D-printed plastic bunny, which would allow self-replication, according to a report published in Nature Biotechnology . The name of the new process -- "DNA of Things," or "DoT" -- alludes to the Internet of Things, or IoT. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/38sQ1LV

Both Intel and a bunch of professors connected to Apple and the FTC came out in support of the Judge Koh verdict against Qualcomm, even though it had been shown that the foundational evidence was manufactured contrary to the wishes of the DoJ, DoD and other agencies. That was well after Qualcomm was identified as a national treasure and a critical part of the U.S. defense against Huawei's dominance of 5G. It is my view that when tricked, a prosecutor should admit gullibility and then move to make sure a similar thing doesn't happen again. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2LzUP8A

Cybercriminals have discovered ways to compromise smart TVs, including hacking them, the Portland office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation recently warned. Smart TV owners should do their due diligence to secure the devices, the bureau urged. Smart TVs are just as accessible to unauthorized parties as computers or other Internet-connected devices. Because many TVs now feature microphones and cameras, predators could commit serious privacy intrusions, such as cyberstalking users in their own homes, the FBI pointed out. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2Lt7uds

Linux For All very well could be a unifying Linux distribution that provides a common computing platform. LFA comes in just one flavor, the LXDE environment. However, LXDE is an inviting option that eliminates confusion and complexity in favor of a powerful desktop that is lightweight enough to run on low-powered aging hardware. A major advantage for adopting this particular distro is better hardware support for Nvidia graphics. Another advantage is the inclusion of Refracta Snapshot tools. You can install LFA on a hard drive or on a USB drive. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/34RmsBO

Among the highlights of Amazon Web Services re:Invent are three announcements that strengthen its presence in the enterprise hybrid IT infrastructure market: AWS is teaming with Verizon to deliver 5G edge cloud computing; the first AWS Local Zone is located in Los Angeles; and AWS Outposts are generally available. These moves "close some huge competitive gaps they had with regard to hybrid cloud deployments where Amazon didn't have an offering, which was costing them a lot of business," observed tech analyst Rob Enderle. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2RkKnpf

Twitter has launched a new Privacy Center to give users more clarity on what it does to protect the information people share. The center will host everything relevant to Twitter's privacy and data protection work, including initiatives, announcements, new privacy products and communication about security incidents. Twitter also announced the relocation of accounts of users outside the U.S. and EU from its international base in Dublin to San Francisco, where they won't be covered by the EU's tough new data privacy law. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/386dqD2

The European Union has launched a probe into how Google and Facebook gather, process, use and monetize data for advertising purposes. The European Commission has begun distributing questionnaires as part of a preliminary investigation into Google's and Facebook's data practices. Facebook and Google join Amazon as targets of the EU's "digital czar," Margrethe Vestager, the member of the European Commission in charge of competition policy. Facebook, Google and Amazon are finding themselves in a "Catch 22 dilemma," said ITIF's Daniel Castro. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/33KxU0C

If you are like me, every Christmas you dread shopping because figuring out what everyone wants is a bit of a nightmare. You don't know what folks want in your price range. If you find out, there is no easy way to be sure they haven't bought it themselves, or that someone else didn't get it for them. Choosing sizes and colors adds to the nightmare. These problems aren't limited to Christmas, as the same gift-selection issues exist for other occasions. Maintaining multiple gift lists and keeping them current is just not something we do well. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2Y6xBvW