Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from April, 2014

Future Windows 8.1 update will finally bring back the Start menu

The new  Windows 8.1 update  coming out next week introduces some features friendly to mouse and keyboard users, but  another  future update is bringing back the one thing that people have complained about most when it comes to Windows 8: it will introduce a new version of the classic Windows Start menu that combines features from the pre-Windows 8 menu with new Windows 8 concepts like Live Tiles. We aren't sure exactly when this update will be available, but it's just the latest step back that Microsoft has taken from the original user interface it introduced in Windows 8. Each subsequent update has attempted to retain the Start screen for use on tablets while sneaking in concepts from older versions of Windows to win over an audience very important to Microsoft: businesses with desktop and laptop workstations. These customers typically want new Windows versions to change as little as possible in order to cut down on user education and testing of internal applications.

Google Wireless: Google Fiber cities could get mobile service, but to what end?

Google is already an Internet service provider through its Google Fiber service, piping Gigabit Internet to homes and businesses in a handful of cities across the US. According to a report from  The Information (paywall)  the company has been considering supplementing Google Fiber's home Internet access with a wireless cellular service. Google's plan isn't to build towers, but rather to become a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO)—basically a middle man who buys service from one of the "big four" carriers at wholesale prices and resells it to consumers under its own brand. According to the report, Google spoke to Sprint and then Verizon about reselling their networks to customers, with the Verizon talks happening earlier this year. The service would be available to users in Google Fiber cities, and it would be supplemented with free Wi-Fi hotspots. What would Google hope to  accomplish  with a move like this?  Google built Google Fiber from the ground up by

Heartbleed – What Can You Do To Stay Safe?

The Heartbleed SSL vulnerability is making headlines around the world – and misreporting in the press and online is causing confusion. How can you stay safe and ensue your personal details aren’t leaked? What Is Heartbleed? Well, It’s Not A Virus Ignore The Hype & Don’t Panic The Phishing Risk So, Should You Change Your Passwords? Check Which Websites Have Been Patched Conclusion: It’s a Waiting Game You’ve probably heard Heartbleed described as a virus. This isn’t the case: in fact, it is a weakness, a vulnerability in servers running OpenSSL. This is the open source implementation of SSL and TLS, the protocols used for secure connections – those that begin  https://  rather than the usual  http:// . This vulnerability – more commonly referred to as a bug – essentially creates a hole through which hackers can circumvent the encryption. Confirmed on April 7 th  2014, it occurs in all versions of OpenSSL except 1.0.1g. The threat is limited to sites running