Here we go again! Microsoft throws more ads into Windows 10
With Windows 10, Microsoft faced criticism for its heavy promotion of the new operating system. Windows 7 and 8 users became more than a little annoyed by the presence of persistent nagging upgrade prompts, and others have been irritated by the addition of 'promoted apps' to the Start menu.
Now Microsoft is at it again. Apparently unhappy with the number of people using its Edge browser, the company is now trying to encourage people to switch from rivals by using popup ads to push Edge and Bing Rewards. Will the company never learn?
Telecomms companies blacklist Samsung Galaxy Note7s to prevent people using dangerous phones
The Samsung Galaxy Note7 was one of the -- if not the -- most disastrous phone launches of all time. After numerous reports of handsets catching fire or exploding, Samsung was forced to recall the device -- but some people have been reluctant to give theirs up.
The phone may have been banned from planes, and Samsung has even offered a financial incentive to hand over the Galaxy Note7, but despite the potential danger many users are hanging onto their phones. In a drastic move to prevent them from being used, some mobile providers -- incoordination with Samsung -- are disconnecting Galaxy Note7s, rendering them all but useless.
How to remove unused Android phones and tablets from your Google Play account
If you visit Google Play on your computer, you can install apps to any of the Android devices you own. All you need to do is click the Install button and you'll then be presented with a list of your phones and tablets to choose from.
Over the years, you've probably owed a number of Android devices, and it's possible that this list has become a bit unwieldy. Why should you be forced to make a selection when you only have one phone? Here's how to clear up the list and make your life a little easier.
Unified Update Platform (UUP) means much smaller updates in Windows 10 Creators Update
For anyone who is a Windows Insider, the release of a new insider build is something of a double-edged sword. There is -- of course -- the excitement of trying out the latest and greatest build of Windows, but there is also the prospect of a huge download; one that must be completed on every computer you use.
Microsoft has a plan to reduce the size of update downloads. The Unified Update Platform (UUP) sees the introduction of differential download packages meaning that users need only download the bits that have changed since the last release rather than having to download the whole build in its entirety. It's a feature that will be an important part of Windows 10 Creators Update next year, but -- of course -- Insiders get to try it out sooner.
Instapaper Premium is now free for everyone!
A couple of months after joining forces with Pinterest, Instapaper has announced that the premium version of its web bookmarking and syncing service is now completely free of charge.
Ditching the subscription fee does not mean that users will be inundated with ads, however. The company says that it is now far better financed, and can therefore afford to deliver an ad-free experience to everyone.
Adblock Plus gets its panties in a bunch over 'crazy accusations'
Online advertising is a divisive issue, and one that sees many people turning to ad blockers to improve their online experience. The biggest name in the business is Adblock Plus which has come under fire in recent months for its Acceptable Ads program that allows certain ads to be whitelisted.
The company behind Adblock Plus, Eyeo, today published an extraordinary blog post in which it attacks "crazy accusations" made about it and its program. Introduced in the format of an election-style fact checker, the post from Ben Williams drips with barely disguised fury at what are described as "slants, spins and downright lies".
Mozilla pulls Battery Status API from Firefox over privacy concerns
It was supposed to be a feature that allowed more efficient versions of websites to be delivered to people running out of battery power.
But the Battery Status API built into Firefox was also found to be problematic from a privacy point of view after it was discovered that visitors' battery levels could be used to track them online. In response to this the API is being pulled from Firefox.
Microsoft: Russian hackers are exploiting Windows flaw exposed by Google
Microsoft says that a vulnerability in Windows made public by Google has been exploited by a hacking group with links to Russia. The group -- known variously as Strontium, Fancy Bear, and APT 28 -- has executed several spear phishing attacks, the company says.
Google was criticized for publicizing the vulnerability before Microsoft has released a patch. A fix for the security hole is not due to be released until Tuesday, 8 November -- voting day in the US election.
Admiral Insurance to use algorithms to set insurance prices based on customers' Facebook posts
Facebook, it is said -- much like Big Brother -- is watching you. Privacy groups have long warned about the potential for information shared on the social network to be misused, and now an insurance company is planning to make use of the status updates customers post to determine the type of drivers they are.
The controversial move finds Admiral Insurance using an algorithm to analyze the posts of new drivers in a bid to determine the type of people they are. By linking 'likes', writing style and other factors, Admiral believes the system -- called firstcarquote -- can be used to accurately assess how safe a driver someone is.
Suck this! Razer cuts Apple with below-the-belt MacBook Pro attack
The latest addition to the MacBook Pro range has seen Apple heaped with praise -- for the most part. While the reception has been largely positive, there have been pockets of criticism.
One thing for which the late-2016 MacBook Pro has been mocked is its lack of an SD card reader. Some critics have said that the absence of such a port means the laptop is not worthy of its 'professional' tag. Razer, the company behind high-end gaming laptops, today took to Twitter to take a swipe at Apple with a taunt that raised eyebrows and caused a degree of offense.
How to re-enable the startup chime on a late-2016 MacBook Pro
For some, Apple's decision to drop the startup chime from the latest batch of MacBook Pros came as great news -- for others it was an absolute travesty.
The quest for a silent startup has led many Mac users over the years to seek out third party tools to kill the sound, but now that it has gone there are those who want it back. All is not lost! If you prefer a musical start to your computing sessions, you can re-enable the chime.
Tinder has spoken -- Hillary Clinton will beat Donald Trump
There's now just a week to go in the battle between Trump and Clinton. The race to the White House is nearly over and as revelation after revelation sways polls this way and that way, voters and pundits alike are asking: just who will win this election?
Dating app Tinder thinks it knows the answer. Working in conjunction with Rock the Vote, Tinder users were invited to Swipe the Vote to see not only who they would vote for, but also which candidate they most closely matched. Around the world -- with the exception of Russia -- Clinton came out on top.
Google discloses actively exploited Windows vulnerability before Microsoft patch is ready
Google has shared details of a 0-day vulnerability in Windows a mere 10 days after informing Microsoft of the problem. In Google's own words, "this vulnerability is particularly serious because we know it is being actively exploited", but the company is accused of putting users at risk.
Microsoft is yet to produce a patch for the security problem, and it's not clear when one will be released.
Watch Leonardo DiCaprio's new climate change film, Before The Flood, here for free
With the tagline "the science is clear, the future is not", the climate change documentary Before The Flood wears its heart on its sleeve. With Martin Scorsese as executive producer, and featuring none other than Leonardo DiCaprio, the film paints a bleak picture of man's effect on the environment.
Before The Flood was produced by the National Geographic Channel, and received a cinema release on October 21. But the documentary is seen as being so important, it is also being made available to stream for free to bring it to as wide an audience as possible.
Today's ghostly Google doodle is a Harry Potter-inspired Halloween game
It's that time of year again when the pumpkins are glowing, the kids are out trick or treating, and things start to go bump in the night. To celebrate Halloween 2016, Google has launched a new game as today's doodle.
You're invited to go ghostbusting. You must help your feline companion to defeat ghouls and ghost with a little spellcasting -- with a doodly twist, of course.
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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