Yahoo is not changing its name to Altaba in Verizon sale!
Things are all change at Yahoo. The sale of the company to Verizon appears to be going ahead -- despite a series of setbacks along the way, including a high-profile data breach -- for $4.83 billion, and when the deal does go through, Marissa Mayer will step down from the board.
While many news reports today state that Yahoo is now called (or will be) Altaba, this is not strictly true. Verizon is not buying Yahoo in its entirety; a 15 percent stake in Alibaba and a 35.5 percent stake in Yahoo Japan will live on as an investment company going under the new name of Altaba Inc. Details of the changes are revealed in an SEC filing.
HipChat-maker Atlassian snaps up Trello
The world of communication services is dog eat dog, and Australia's Atlassian has just gobbled up Trello.
The company behind HipChat -- which battles with Slack as the darling of collaborative work environments -- has today bought Trello for $425 million. The deal sees Atlassian handing over $360 million in cash, with the rest made up in stock.
IMDb ignores new law banning it from publishing actors' ages online, citing free speech violations
Back in September, the state of California passed a new law that banned sites that offer paid subscriptions, and allow people to post resumes, from publishing individuals' ages. It's a law that has the potential to affect many sites, but it is the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) that hit the headlines.
The Amazon-owned site is a handy source for anyone who wants to check the age of a particular actor, but the state of California introduced the new law as part of an anti-age-discrimination drive. IMDb was told to remove actors' ages from the site by 1 January, 2017, but the site has failed to take any action.
What's the best Linux distro for you?
When it comes to desktop operating systems, there are three main camps into which people fall: Windows, Mac and Linux. In the case of the latter camp things can be confusing because there are endless distros to choose from -- but which is best?
The beauty of Linux is that it can be tweaked and tailored in so many ways. This means that while the plethora of choice can seem overwhelming, it is also possible to find the perfect distro for just about any scenario. To help you make the right choice, here's a helpful list of the best distros to look out for in 2017.
How to install leaked Windows 10 Build 15002, and what's new
Microsoft may have said that there would be no new Insider builds released this week, but that did nothing to stop one from leaking out anyway. Windows 10 Build 15002 has been lifted directly from Microsoft's servers and you can grab yourself a copy if you fancy trying it out.
Don't expect an easy ride if you do decide to download the leaked version, however -- it is supplied in WIM format, meaning that you will have to tinker about with converting it as well as other steps. There are a few changes worth noting.
Hackers find a way to install new games on NES Classic Edition
When Nintendo launched the NES Classic Edition there was much rejoicing from gamers of certain ages. But while 30 and 40-somethings may have been looking forward to reliving their youth playing classic games, there was some bad news -- the bundled 30 games were all you could play.
Nintendo saying that there was no way to add new games to the console was seen by some as a challenge. Now hackers have found a way to upload new games to the NES Classic via USB... but it's not a super-simple process.
Google kills Hangouts API
Google is retiring the Hangouts API, meaning that apps relying on it will stop working. The announcement was made very quietly via email and an updated FAQ, and the change takes effect before the end of April.
The official cut-off date is 25 April, and after this date apps that use the API will cease to function -- most of them, at least. With immediate effect, it is no longer possible to create new apps that use the API. While Google does not say as much, the move is likely part of its push of Duo as a replacement for Google+ Hangouts.
Google makes Fastboot and ADB available as separate downloads for Windows, Mac and Linux
Answering the pleas of many Android users, Google has finally made ADB and Fastboot available as separate downloads.
Previously only available as part of the large and intimidating Android SDK or Android Studio, the change of heart means that it is now quicker and easier than ever to jump on the handset flashing and sideloading bandwagon.
Enable notifications to find out when there's a new Google Doodle
Google Doodles are fun little additions to Google search that highlight major events in history, important birthdays and so on. Unless you make a point of hitting Google every day, you could easily miss one of the many animations, images and games that are added throughout the year. Until now.
While there is more than one way to find out if there is a new Google Doodle -- as well as checking the Google homepage, you can also follow the Google Doodles Twitter account -- Google has only just got round to providing notifications. Here's how to receive a message on your phone when a new Doodle is posted.
Windows 10 to get a new look with Project NEON in Redstone 3
The look of Windows has evolved over the years -- some would say at a largely glacial pace -- and with an incremental update to follow Windows 10 Creators Update we're in line for the latest change. Known as Project NEON, this is not a major overhaul of the Metro or MDL2 (Microsoft Design Language 2) look, but it introduces some new ideas in the form of Acrylic.
Some of the features of NEON can already be seen in the latest builds of apps such as Groove Music, and Connected Animations. Acrylic brings blurring effects to apps not only to create a sense of depth, but also to help improve focus and reduce distractions. Leaked images give us a pretty good idea of how things are going to look.
Watch out for Amazon sellers with New Year phishing scams
This is one of the many times of year that retailers have sales, coinciding neatly with the time of year when many people are feeling the pinch after splashing out on food and presents. But if you're scouring Amazon for great deals, watch out for sellers who are actually using low prices to lure you into a phishing scam.
One seller going by the name of (among others) Sc-Elegance uses "used, like new" tech products as bait, ultimately directing buyers to a fraudulent site to make payments. Security experts are warning shoppers to be on their guard.
US Federal Trade Commission sues D-Link for having terrible security
D-Link is facing a lawsuit brought against it by the US Federal Trade Commission for the poor security of its routers and connected cameras. The FTC says the company failed to take reasonable steps to protect users from hackers.
The FTC is seeking to improve the security of all IoT (internet of things) devices in the wake of compromised devices being used to launch high-profile DDoS attacks such as Marai and Leet Botnet. D-Link argues that the charges brought against it are "unwarranted and baseless" and plans to "vigorously defend itself".
Vine is closing on 17 January -- download your Vines now!
Back in October Twitter announced that it was shuttering Vine, with the promise that more details of the closure would follow. A subsequent announcement narrowed it down to the first month of 2017, and now it has been pinned down to 17 January.
The move sees Twitter morphing the app into a new Vine Camera app, and killing off the Vine website as we know it. It will still exist, but only as an archive of Vines for you to browse. If you want to download your old Vines for posterity, you'll need to do so by the 17th.
WikiLeaks: 2017 will 'blow you away' and, no, Russia did not hack the US election
The hatred WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange feels towards Hillary Clinton is far from being a secret. During the election campaign, the non-profit organization leaked Clinton emails in the hope that it would destroy her presidential hopes -- and we all know the result of the election.
As we slide gently into 2017, the WikiLeaks Twitter account has turned on the ignition and is about to hit the accelerator. The tweet says: "If you thought 2016 was a big WikiLeaks year 2017 will blow you away". On top of this, Assange himself is due to appear in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, denying Russia's involvement in hacking DNC emails.
Your flight booking data is insecure and very easy to hack
The system used by millions of travelers each day to share data between travel agencies, airlines, passengers and websites is incredibly insecure. Security researchers have presented details that highlight just how easy it is to hack flight bookings.
German security firm SR Labs says that using nothing more than a traveler's surname and a six-digit Passenger Name Record (PNR), it is possible to not only gather personal information about people, but also make changes to bookings.
Sofia Elizabella's Bio
Sofia Wyciślik-Wilson is a queer, transgender journalist based in Poland. She has been writing about technology for more than two decades, and after years working for magazines, her writing moved online. She is fueled by literature, music, nature, and vegetables. You can find her on Bluesky and Mastodon. If you like what you read, you can Buy her a Coffee!
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