Sofia Elizabella Wyciślik-Wilson

iOS 9 may be just out of the gates, but it is already causing problems. Some people who have made the upgrade are complaining that the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system is laggier than the previous version, but some people have found they are not even able to complete the installation.

Upset users have taken to forums to complain that their iPhones have bricked by iOS 9. Many people found that their phone became stuck on the Slide to Upgrade screen with no obvious way past the roadblock. Apple refers to the symptom as "the Slide to Upgrade screen won't go away after you update to iOS 9", and there is a solution.

Continue reading →

Malware writers may feel as though they've hit the jackpot after a slip-up by D-Link. The networking company released open source firmware that revealed the private keys used to sign D-Link software.

It was discovered that the firmware for a D-Link DCS-5020L security camera included D-Link's private keys as well as the passphrases needed to sign software. Windows users could have been at risk as malicious software could have been signed allowing for the installation without alerting security software.

Continue reading →

AVG has thrown down the gauntlet to other technology companies, challenging the rest of the industry to produce open, truthful privacy policies. AVG has done just that, and you might not like what you read.

The antivirus company has published its own brutally honest privacy policy that clearly sets out how it tracks users' activity, gathers data, and shares that information with others. Unsurprisingly, despite the fact that nothing has changed but merely been brought out in to the open, people are not happy. Is honesty about a disagreeable policy better than living in blissful ignorance?

Continue reading →

Windows 10 has been with us for quite some time now, particularly for anyone who has been trying out the Insider builds since the beginning. Many people, myself included, have been disappointed with Microsoft's latest operating system but perhaps it's time to re-evaluate.

Have I got used to the things I didn’t like? In some cases, yes. But there are still a number of areas in which Windows 10 falls short of the mark. So here are seven things that piss me off about Windows 10; one for every day of the week!

Continue reading →

Just last week Microsoft managed to piss off a lot of people by secretly downloading the Windows 10 installation files to their computers without permission. The comments from BetaNews readers were plentiful, but divided. Some didn't see the problem, while others thought it to be invasive and presumptive.

But there was one question that popped up again and again -- just what the hell was Microsoft thinking? I decided to try to find out but found that the company was somewhat cagey with what it wanted to say on the matter. This is not on. People are more than a little annoyed, and they are demanding answers. They deserve them.

Continue reading →

Apple has released its first ever Android app. No, there's not an Android version of Safari or anything like that, but a tool designed to simplify the process of switching to iOS. The predictably named Move to iOS will appeal to anyone who was persuaded to switch allegiances by the release of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, or indeed iOS 9.

The app can be used to move contacts, messages, photos and more to a new iPhone or iPad, and is compatible with phones and tablets running Android 4.0 and newer. It works slightly differently to what you may have expected. Rather than uploading data to the cloud, it instead creates a private Wi-Fi network between an Android and iOS device and securely transfers it.

Continue reading →

A lengthy password is a good thing, right? For some Android users running Lollipop, however, it may be possible to bypass the lockscreen simply by entering a password that is incredibly long. Copy and paste a lengthy string into the password field, and it is possible to crash the lockscreen and gain access to the phone or tablet.

While the vulnerability is worrying, it is not something that can be exploited remotely -- it is necessary to have physical access to the phone. The bug was discovered by security researchers at Texas University and while a patch has been issued for Nexus devices, other handsets remain vulnerable.

Continue reading →

A vulnerability has been discovered in iOS and OS X that could be used to install apps without permission, using AirDrop. The feature exists to provide a way for people to quickly send files from one device to another, but security researcher Mark Dowd has been able to exploit the vulnerability to push apps to iOS even if the user does not accept the file that is AirDropped.

Dowd has reported the vulnerability to Apple, but the company has failed to patch the problem so it still exists in iOS 9. Using a combination of techniques, it is possible to bypass the security screen that asks if an app is to be trusted or not, meaning that a malicious app can be installed without permission or notification.

Continue reading →

The Apple Watch has been with us for a few months now and while there were initial concerns about the battery life, it seems that these fears were unfounded. The ways in which people have ended up using their Apple Watches means that a single charge is enough to get through the day in most cases.

A survey of 1,200 Watch wearers by Wristly found that the overwhelming majority of users reported that their battery lasted a full day. A startling percentage of people (44 percent) said that they did not check battery level at all during the day, and most have fallen into the habit of simply recharging overnight. But what is the biggest battery killer?

Continue reading →

The return of the Start menu to Windows 10 was one of the things that Microsoft managed to get right with the latest version of its operating system. While the company has promised to bring Windows 10 to as many devices as possible, it ruled out doing the same for Windows RT devices.

That said, we were told that some key features of Windows 10 would make their way to Windows 8.1 RT. That day has finally rolled around and thanks to the arrival of Windows RT 8.1 Update 3, the Start menu is now available in Windows RT.

Continue reading →

Buy buttons are not exactly new to Twitter, but until now they have only been available to a limited number of users. Now, thanks to San Francisco-based Stripe, anyone is able to use a tweet to sell a product.

Stripe has launched a new service called Relay. It is a set of tools that can be used to sell through any app that makes use of Stripe -- and that includes Twitter. Relay can be used to allow for instant purchases, and address what Stripe perceives to be a problem with mobile e-commerce sites.

Continue reading →

Wzor has come up with the goods once again. After leaked screenshots of Windows 10 build 10537 earlier today, we've been treated to a follow-up of release notes and ISOs. This build has not been officially released by Microsoft so you won’t be able to download it through Windows Update, but we're sure that you'll be able to track down a copy if you're particularly keen to try it out.

We've already mentioned some of the changes that are to be found in this latest build (MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.10.CLIENTPRO-CORE.TH2.10537.X64.OEMRET.ENGLISH.DVD) but the official release notes go into more detail. Dating back to 2 September, the release notes detail not only the new features and changes, but also the bug fixes. But, perhaps more importantly, it shows that progress has slowed over at Microsoft.

Continue reading →

Privacy International has created a platform through which individuals and organizations can file complaints with GCHQ about surveillance of phone calls and internet usage. The charity has long concerned itself with government surveillance, particularly the sharing of data between the NSA and GCHQ.

The legality of mass surveillance has been questioned by many, and it has already been determined that human rights organization Amnesty International was illegally spied on. Edward Snowden's NSA revelations have led to a huge increase in awareness of privacy issues, and now Privacy International is making it easier to find out if you were spied on, and to lodge an official complaint.

Continue reading →

Google has teamed up with RailTel Corporation of India to bring free Wi-Fi hotspots to more than 400 train stations. The state-run company already has a fiber network in place across the country, and the new venture -- which goes under the name of Project Nilgiri -- is set to roll out over the next four months.

TelecomTalk reports that hotspots will enable travellers to get online with a high-speed connection free of charge for half an hour, and then speeds will be reduced. SMS verification will be used to provide web users with the necessary passwords, and screenshots of the portal that will be used to get online have also leaked.

Continue reading →

After the official release of Windows 10, the stream of Insider builds has slowed to a trickle. It is a few weeks since build 10532 was released to preview testers, and it seems that a follow up could be just around the corner. There's no official word from Microsoft yet, but build 10537 has now leaked online.

Renowned leaker Wzor posted screenshots of the newer build -- specifically 10537.th2_release.150829-0745_CLIENTPRO-CORE_OEMRET -- to Twitter, with the promise of ISOs to follow. Of course it didn’t take long for the build to make its way online, and it shows that Microsoft has listened to feedback about context menus in the previous build. There are also a couple of other visual changes to enjoy.

Continue reading →