Showing 1 - 10 of 18
Bill has ways of forcing updates
Life, James Hein, Published on 22/05/2024
» If you are a Microsoft user, private or business, there is a site you should keep an eye on. Search "Microsoft end of life dates" and then select the result with the heading "Overview – Product End of Support and Retirements", associated with learn.microsoft.com. On the left-hand side there are years. Click on 2025, for example, and you will see that Office 2016 and 2019 products will no longer be supported after Oct 14 of that year. On that same date, Windows 10 will be retired. For both of these there will be no new security updates. For some, this will not be an issue, but organisations will need to take note as it means their security will be potentially compromised after a while. Even with Windows 10 still outselling Windows 11, Microsoft will be pushing people to upgrade over the next 18 months and for many, this will no longer be free. People and organisations tend to stick with what works and Microsoft doesn't like that, so it stops supporting older products. The site will tell you when you will start to be at risk and after that you can decide what to do.
Asian trade subdued as economic outlook weakens
Business, Published on 13/05/2023
» RECAP: Most Asian share markets were subdued on Friday and the dollar held onto its gains from safe-haven flows, after soft economic data from the US and China fuelled concerns about a global slowdown.
The Note reincarnated
Life, Komsan John Jandamit, Published on 16/03/2022
» In 2021, the best versatile phone for photography and video was the Samsung S21 Ultra. The S22 Ultra builds on that foundation and gives near identical performance, and provides a variety of photo and video taking modes while adding much better low-light photo capabilities while also making photos brighter and sharper than what your eyes can physically see.
Beware of TikTok snooping on your phone's data
Life, James Hein, Published on 02/03/2022
» If you didn't already know, TikTok is potentially dangerous. The app bypasses both Apple and Google protections and is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. According to reports, the app passes all your data back to servers in China, including unposted information and the contents of your phone. The app also has many security vulnerabilities allowing hackers to take over your phone. This is in addition to the expansion of your digital footprint across the planet. In China, people are rewarded for posting serious videos like those showing them using a chemistry set. Those outside China are rewarded for the dumbest presentations. I'll let the readers work this last one out for themselves.
Connecting in Covid times
Business, Published on 06/05/2020
» In 2003 when Linden Lab launched the virtual world Second Life, it was a novelty and a huge success, with a community of over a million at its peak. A quaint convergence of unfettered imagination and dollar-powered real life -- through avatars, business, product sales, music, movies, and even news reporting and politics -- its ever-changing and expanding virtual world took off.
Human override here to stay
Life, James Hein, Published on 10/04/2019
» Computers are useful tools and they will emotionlessly churn through thousands of operations in the blink of an eye to produce whatever results they were programmed to do. Most of the time the results are welcomed. When it comes to malware the results generate a different reaction, and then there are those spaces in the middle. The situation surrounding the Boeing 737 Max MCAS aircraft and the recent crash is an excellent example. The latest analysis would seem to indicate that the computer engineers made some choices that have had unintended consequences. In this case overriding the wishes of the pilots by assuming the plane was crashing, when it wasn't, and not allowing the human pilots to correct the computer's decisions.
Do you have a fear of spying?
Life, James Hein, Published on 11/10/2017
» So how safe do you feel in your home security-wise? I'm not thinking of malware but the ability for someone to snoop on you visually or through audio. There have been some concerns about devices like the Amazon Echo and similar being used to tap into what you are saying with everything recorded on servers that authorities could get from say Amazon.
The Internet of Things: Yesterday, today and tomorrow
Business, Published on 28/09/2017
» The notion of smart manufacturing or Industry 4.0 became a popular topic after the international CeBIT fair of 2011, a mere six years ago but a lifetime in terms of technology maturation.
Even writers need to think before tweeting
Life, James Hein, Published on 16/08/2017
» Without the internet, there would only ever be part of a story. Consider the recent example of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling. She watched an edited video and then took to the internet using her fame to decry the treatment of a small child by a prominent leader. Her concerns were quickly and widely spread but the unedited footage showed the opposite. Even the mother of the child finally got involved and asked the internet to please tell J.K. Rowling that she was wrong. At the time of writing Rowling had apologised to the mother but not the leader she smeared. In the current fast pace and instant Twitter-response world it is important to take a step back and do some personal investigation before reacting, often incorrectly, to a flash tweet or news story. If you see a clip try and find the full or unedited version, that extra time can save you from future embarrassment, though some personalities seem to be immune to it.
Microsoft's ultimate split laptop
Business, Komsan John Jandamit, Published on 03/12/2016
» Speed, versatility and mobility are still strong selling points when it comes to Surface. If you're looking for a full-fledged computer that you can easily carry around and use comfortably on any surface, look no further than the Surface Pro 4.