The Latest in Computer News

ASUS Chromebit review: Turn any display into a Chrome OS machine

http://www.engadget.com/2015/11/17/asus-chromebit-review/

If you've got some spare time, search for the words "Android dongle" on eBay -- your screen will be filled with little, Android-powered HDMI doodads that purport to make your dumb TV smart. But what about Chrome OS, Google's other operating system? For years, it lived most prominently on notebooks, but the new $85 Chromebit from ASUS is Google's attempt to give Chrome OS even more of a life beyond the laptop. Got a spare monitor with an HDMI-in port? Or an HDTV that could stand to be smarter? Just pop in the Chromebit and voilà: Your dumb display is now a Chrome OS computer. It's not that powerful, and it's far from perfect, but the Chromebit is just cheap and just good enough to find a home in classrooms and tinkerers' dens

Microsoft announces partnership with Hewlett Packard Enterprise

http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-announces-partnership-with-hp-enterprise

Microsoft has announced a collaboration with the recently formed Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), in a joint effort to provide cloud, productivity and mobility solutions to shared enterprise customers. With this new partnership, HPE will begin providing services to take advantage of Windows 10 and surrounding products.

From these recent changes, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Microsoft will be able to provide a range of services to companies, to improve upon productivity and their methods, using the capabilities of Microsoft’s product range. With this deal, they aim to help firms expand with little hassle and maximize their output. Microsoft states that the recent release of the Windows 10 'November Update'helps this cause.

Microsoft's Black Friday deals include $30 Lumia 640, $299 Xbox One, PC savings and more

http://www.neowin.net/news/microsof...30-lumia-640-299-xbox-one-pc-savings-and-more

The holiday season is almost upon us, and that's great news for tech fans on the hunt for some festive bargains. Next Thursday, of course, millions of Americans will be tucking into turkey as they celebrate Thanksgiving with family and friends - but for bargain hunters, the real day of celebration is Black Friday.

Microsoft has now revealed the deals it's got lined up for the big day, with some pretty juicy discounts available on a range of products.

Gartner: Windows 10 poised to become the most widely installed version of Windows ever

http://www.neowin.net/news/gartner-...most-widely-installed-version-of-windows-ever

Windows 10 was released to the world on July 29, and since then, it has enjoyed a fast rise of installations, exceeding 120 million in just over three months. With this in consideration, Gartner Inc., a company which measures technology records and insights, predicts that this latest OS by Microsoft is set to become the most widely installed version of Windows ever, following in Windows XP and 7's footsteps.

The company sees Microsoft's free upgrade offer to Windows 7 and 8.1 users as the core reason behind this projection. "In the consumer market, a free upgrade coupled with broad legacy device support and automatic over-the-air upgrades ensures that there will be tens of millions of users familiar with the operating system (OS) before the end of 2015," said Steve Kleynhans, vice president of research at Gartner. It should be noted, however, that the company also saw this upgrade offer as a reason for the continuous slump of PC shipments.

As for enterprises, the firm predicts that 50% of them will have started Windows 10 adoption by January 2017. "For enterprises, we expect that implementation will be significantly more rapid than that seen with Windows 7 six years ago," according to Kleynhans.

Moreover, the company sees other factors for migration to the latest OS. One of these is Windows 7's End of Support, which is due by January 2020. Another is high compatibility with Windows 7 programs and devices, and the repressed demand for tablets and 2-in-1 computers.

Gartner also predicts that by 2018, touchscreens will be shipped on one-third of all notebook computers, seeing this become a default feature for such devices, as costs for touch decreases.

Source: Gartner via Windows Central

Amazon resets passwords that might have been 'exposed'

http://www.engadget.com/2015/11/24/amazon-resets-passwords/

Did you recently get a notice that Amazon changed your password? You're not alone. Numerous readers tell ZDNet that Amazon reset their passwords after learning that the login might have been "improperly stored" or "transmitted" in a way that could expose it to others. The company is shy about what happened (is it a data breach? A security hole?), but doesn't believe that someone actually swiped your info -- it's just giving you a new password out of an "abundance of caution." Gee, thanks. We're glad to see Amazon taking a better-safe-than-sorry approach, but we've reached out to the internet giant to get a better sense of what happened... and whether or not you have reason to be nervous.



ZDNet

Hilton confirms malware attacks on payment system

http://www.neowin.net/news/hilton-confirms-malware-attacks-on-payment-system

Just under a week after Starwood Hotels revealed that its payment system had been compromised by malware, American hospitality conglomerate, Hilton Worldwide, has confirmed that its system was hit by a similar attack.

According to the statement issued by Jim Holthouser, Executive Vice President of Global Brands, "unauthorized malware" was used to gain access to Hilton's point-of-sale systems resulting in the theft of payment card information of some of its guests. The attacks are said to have occurred between November 18 to December 5, 2014; and April 21 to July 27, 2015. Customers who used their cards at any of the Hilton Worldwide hotels - including its subsidiary brands, such as Waldorf Astoria, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Double Tree, Embassy Suites, and others - during these periods have been recommended to monitor unusual activity.

The company has acknowledged that attackers might have obtained information such as cardholder names, payment card numbers, security codes and expiration dates through the compromised system. In order to help affected users keep a track on their cards and protect their identity, the company is offering free one-year credit monitoring service.

Since Hilton hasn't yet mentioned any specific locations that were affected, customers who visited any of the company's hotels during the periods affected should keep a track on their accounts.

Source: Hilton via Engadget | Image via Hilton Worldwide

Please don't buy a crappy cheap tablet on Black Friday

http://www.androidcentral.com/please-dont-buy-crappy-cheap-tablet-black-friday

We've all been there, scrolling down the list of sales online or flipping through the heap of ads that arrive in the newspapers that week. A tablet that was "regularly priced at $299" is going to be available for $50, but only to the first 20 people in line who ask for them. That tablet never cost $299. The store probably didn't spend $299 to get those 20 units into the store to trick you into buying in the first place. If you go stand in line for that tablet, you will come home to find little more than sadness in the box.

Let's get this out of the way right here and now — there is no such thing as a good cheap tablet on Black Friday. They don't exist, and any company trying to sell you one knows you're going to get more use out of the box that tablet comes in than you will the hardware contained within.

If you are dead set on purchasing any kind of technology on Black Friday, here's what you need to know.

If it seems like too good a deal, it probably is
If there's one thing we can say for sure about this past year, it's that manufacturers have gotten very good at pricing Android phones at tablets low enough that they're appealing every day of the year and not just on special sales. The inherent downside to this is the decrease in likelihood the established brands will have extreme sales on proven hardware that was released this year, because these devices were already sold close to cost.

Windows 7 and XP are the biggest losers with Windows 10's rapid growth - US Government

Good that someone is trying to stay up to date..


http://www.neowin.net/news/windows-...with-windows-10s-rapid-growth---us-government

Since its launch into the public sphere earlier this year, Windows 10 has been gaining users in leaps and bounds. The data we've seen coming out from various sources, such as Net Applications, has been backed up by the US Government's Digital Analytics Program (DAP) which suggests that among Windows users, 12.4% of them are running Windows 10 - up from 8% in August.

The Digital Analytics Program is a custom version of Google Analytics that draws data from visitors accessing 3,800 websites run by the US Government. Interestingly, the DAP also shows which versions of Windows are being hardest hit by by Windows 10. The data shows that Windows 7 has lost 7% of its user share and Windows XP has lost 2.1% of its user share.

Other versions of Windows are on the decline too but they are all negligible drops, for instance Windows Vista lost only 1.6% bringing it down to just 2.3% of the total amount of Windows users visiting the U.S.' government sites. Windows 8.1 dropped to 15.7% in November, down 1.1% since Q1 2015. The data suggests that users who purposefully stuck with older - more popular releases - think that Windows 10 is a good upgrade and have started to jump ship.

Source: ZDNet via Softpedia

Microsoft to notify users of government spying after Chinese Hotmail hack goes public

Well at least they are warning people now when Big Bother trying to get in.

http://www.theverge.com/2015/12/31/10692924/microsoft-state-sponsored-hacking-notification-policy

Microsoft will now tell users of its email services when their accounts are being attacked by government hackers. The change in policy comes as Reuters reported that the company chose not to tell thousands of Hotmail users that their email accounts had been hacked by Chinese government officials.

Security experts for the company reportedly found evidence in 2011 of attacks on Hotmail accounts used by Japanese and African diplomats, human rights lawyers, and Tibetan and Uighur leaders, but rather than inform them of the covert activity, Microsoft elected to ask affected users simply to change their passwords.


EXPERTS TRACKED THE ATTACKS BACK TO CHINESE SPIES

Attempts to intercept communications from the email accounts in question began as early as June 2009, two former Microsoft employees allege, but the attacks weren't discovered until 2011. In May of that year, independent security firm Trend Micro spotted a program that could exploit a vulnerability in Microsoft's free email services, secretly sending incoming mail to a third party. Microsoft began its own investigation, in which it reportedly discovered a number of the attacks could be traced to a Chinese network known as AS4808, a cell which had been publicly implicated by the US government in other secret surveillance campaigns.

In a statement today, Microsoft justified its decision not to inform the thousands of users affected by the incursions, specifying that that the attacks "did not come from one single country" and that neither it nor the US government could pinpoint the source of the attack. But Reuters says the decision came after an internal debate involving Scott Charney, Microsoft's head of security, and Brad Smith, the company's current president. Two people reportedly familiar with the discussions said that company executives had not wanted to anger the Chinese government by publicly issuing warnings about the security breaches.

MICROSOFT SAYS SOME OF THE ATTACKS CAME FROM OTHER COUNTRIES

Where Google, Facebook, and Yahoo all regularly issue warnings about government-level hacking attempts, Microsoft had not followed suit — until now. Announcing its new policy, the company wrote "as the threat landscape has evolved our approach has too, and we'll now go beyond notification and guidance to specify if we reasonably believe the attacker is 'state-sponsored.'" The change could help stop government snooping in the future, but comes too late for people like Seyim Tumturk, vice-president of the World Uyghur Congress, who held one of the accounts targeted. Speaking to Reuters, Tumturk said companies like Microsoft "have an ethical and a moral responsibility to let the users know that they are being hacked."

Lenovo announces the ThinkCentre X1, an ultra-slim all-in-one Windows 10 PC

http://www.neowin.net/news/lenovo-a...tre-x1-an-ultra-slim-all-in-one-windows-10-pc

Lenovo has unveiled the ThinkCentre X1, calling it "one of the world's thinnest desktops". The new all-in-one PC runs Windows 10 and features "an ultra-thin 11mm frame", along with a CNC-milled aluminum chassis, which it says is "up to five times stronger than plastic".
It has a 23.8-inch display with "innovative anti-glare technology", along with the latest sixth-generation Intel Core i-series processors.

The ThinkCentre X1 is designed as a business-class PC, and a couple of features may well find favor among business buyers. The webcam is Skype for Business-certified, and incorporates dual-array microphones with noise-cancelling technology built-in. There's also a manual camera lock to prevent the webcam from being remotely activated.

Lenovo also says that the device has been extensively "tested in extreme dust and dirt environments that simulate 10 years of office dust", which it points out is "a common cause of hardware failure with desktop PCs".

The ThinkCentre X1 will go on sale in March, with prices starting from $1,029.

Lenovo also unveiled a range of new X1-series ultra-portable devices today.

Source: Lenovo

Lenovo introduces the Thinkpad X1 modular tablet with Windows 10 and LTE-A

http://www.neowin.net/news/lenovo-i...d-x1-modular-tablet-with-windows-10-and-lte-a

Lenovo has just unveiled a slew of updated products, as well as a couple of brand new ones, just ahead of the start of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

The company is introducing the Lenovo X1 Thinkpad tablet, which features the newest Intel Core m7 processor. But that’s not its only defining characteristic, as the X1 tablet is what Lenovo calls a ‘modular tablet’, with users being able to purchase additional modules based on their needs. For example, say you need your tablet to last longer than the rated 10 hours it normally does; well all you need to do is buy the “Productivity module” that adds an additional five hours of charge. Or you may want to opt for the “Presenter module” which comes with an HDMI port and a pico-projector.

The X1 tablet also features a detachable Surface-like keyboard, LTE-Advanced connectivity, and, perhaps quite uniquely for a tablet, a detachable rear panel “for serviceability and upgrades”. The ThinkPad X1 tablet will be available in February starting at $899, with the productivity module adding another $149 to your bill or $279 for the pico-projector.


Lenovo is also introducing the Thinkpad X1 Yoga, that’s a very thin and light convertible. The device comes in at just 0.66 inches thin and 2.8 pounds. The X1 Yoga also feature retractable keys on its keyboard while the device is in tablet mode and a pen that housed and charged inside the device so you don’t have to worry about losing it. Finally, the Thinkpad X1 Yoga also features an optional OLED display. The device will be available this month starting at $1449.

Acer's H7 is the world's first USB Type-C display

http://www.engadget.com/2016/01/04/acer-h7-usb-type-c-display/

You probably don't know Acer for its smartphones, but the company has nonetheless been pushing out handsets for years. Its latest is the Liquid Jade Primo, a Windows Phone teased a few months back, which arrives with a couple of tricks up its sleeve. Internally, it's virtually identical to Microsoft's own Lumia 950 and 950 XL, with a 5.5-inch 1080p AMOLED display, Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, 21-megapixel rear and 8-megapixel front-facing camera. So far, so Windows Phone. Like the Lumias, it can connect to a monitor and turn into a "PC." But Acer's announcing a second product today that makes that transition much smoother.


The Acer H7 series is described as "the world's first" to support USB Type-C, the new smaller standard that's already started showing up in smartphones and Apple's MacBook. When connected to a compatible device -- like the Liquid Jade Primo -- the H7 acts not only as a display, but also as a charger and a USB hub of sorts. Its two additional, regular-sized USB ports let you connect a keyboard, mouse, or any other supported peripheral. It'll arrive in 25-inch and 27-inch sizes, both with the same 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, and additional slots for HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort devices.

Samsung's new portable SSD puts 2TB in your pocket

http://www.engadget.com/2016/01/04/samsung-portable-ssd-t3/

amsung ushered in last year by launching its first portable SSD, so it's only fitting the company should kick 2016 off by announcing a bigger, better successor. The new Portable SSD T3 is similar to the older T1 in more ways than one. It uses Samsung's reliable vertical NAND (V-NAND) memory, is capable of read/write speeds of up to 450 MB/s and though it's ever-so-slightly larger and heavier than the T1, the T3 is still tiny enough to get lost in a deep pocket. Arguably the most significant development is the jump in capacity, as the T3 will be available with either 250GB, 500GB, 1TB or a massive 2TB of storage.

Meet Ransom32, the first Javascript ransomware for Windows, Mac, and Linux

http://www.neowin.net/news/meet-ransom32-the-first-javascript-ransomware-for-windows-mac-and-linux

Ransomware, as known by a lot of people, are nasty pieces of software that encrypt files on a Windows system, and then threaten users that their data will be lost forever, unless they pay up, usually in Bitcoins. Many have surfaced in the past year, like a program that scrambles your computer's file names, and another that even offers a 'referral program,' turning victims into perpetrators. And more recently, such programs have evolved, now targeting a wider range of computers.

Enter Ransom32, one of the newest ransomware for the New Year. The program is written in Javascript, running on the NW.js platform, and can infect systems running on Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux. It is also dubbed as a "ransomware-as-a-service," a play from SaaS or "Software as a Service."

Initially analyzed by security expert Fabian Wosar from Emsisoft, Ransom32 functions quite differently compared to the usual ransomware programs. This program can actually be utilized by anyone who knows how to access hidden servers in the Tor network, and a simple Bitcoin address can be used to be able to sign up and make their own version of the ransom program.

Ransom32 Control Center
Operators of the program are given a control center where they can see statistics, like how many people have paid up, and how much money has been sent so far. They can also configure their own variant of the program, setting the ransom amount they want, set custom messages and set how they want their victims' computer to operate once the software has been launched.

The program will then be distributed via the usual method: spam emails. Packaged as a RAR file, the archive will extract all by itself, utilizing WinRAR's scripting language in order to make the malicious program always launch at startup, and execute the files inside it, successfully locking up a victim's computer using a 128-bit AES encryption.

It will encrypt data on a computer with file extensions such as .jpeg, .mp3, .mov, .mp4, .docx, .csv, .xlsx, .xml, .dat, and .pptx, among many others.

Aside from the usual threatening message displayed on a victim's computer, the program also has the ability to raise the cost of the payment needed in order to unlock a user's files.

As of the moment, only Windows variants of the ransomware have been seen in the wild, but with the software running on a NW.js framework, it can also run on the two other operating systems.

As per usual, it helps if a user has a backup of his/her computer files, as using programs to remove this software after it has encrypted the files can result in their permanent damage. It is also very advisable to keep antivirus software up-to-date. And most of all, be wary in opening email attachments that look too suspicious.

Source and Images via Emsisoft

HP's new business laptop is stylish enough even for regular folks

http://www.engadget.com/2016/01/05/hp-elitebook-folio-1040-g3-800-series/

For the most part, HP showed up to this year's CES with -- you guessed it -- consumer-tech products. In addition, though, it also snuck in a few business-class devices. Wait, wait: Where you guys going? Before you run for the hills, know that we chose to feature the EliteBook Folio, the company's new 12.5-inch enterprise laptop, because the design actually looks pretty sick. HP squeezed a 4K, nearly bezel-less screen into the notebook's slim frame, translating to a sharp 352 pixels per inch. The colors should also be vibrant: The display recognizes 95 percent of Adobe's RGB gamut, as opposed to 72 percent or so on more mainstream systems. At the same time, the machined-aluminum chassis is notably svelte, at 12.4mm (0.49 inches) thick and weighing less than 1kg (2.2 pounds). It's especially obvious when you push the screen flat at a 180-degree angle.

HP's high-end Spectre x360 laptop now offered with a 4K screen

http://www.engadget.com/2016/01/05/hp-spectre-x360-15-inch-4k-oled-pavilion-x2-12-inch/

HP's Spectre x360 convertible was one of our favorite laptops of 2015, and now the company is making some upgrades in the hopes that it'll keep its top spot in the new year. For starters, whereas the machine was previously available with a 13.3-inch screen only, HP is planning to also sell a 15.6-inch version with a 4K (3,820 x 2,160) screen option. To help light up those 8-million-plus pixels, the company beefed up the specs, with Intel's almost-discrete-caliber Iris graphics and up to 16GB of RAM. Also, while all the Spectre x360s make use of Bang & Olufsen's audio tech, the 15-inch version in particular steps up to a four-speaker setup.

ASUS offers yet another curved monitor plus a 4K display

http://www.engadget.com/2016/01/05/asus-designo-mx-monitors-ces-2016/

It's CES, so of course ASUS is going to show off a bunch of brand spanking new screens. In addition to the world's first USB Type-C portable monitor, the Taiwanese giant is also launching two stylish Designo MX Series IPS displays. On the left we have the 27-inch MX27UQ, which is basically a 4K refresh of the earlier MX27AQ and shares the same set of features: 100 percent sRGB wide color gamut, TÜV Rheinland certification for low blue light emission plus no flicker, and two 3W speakers powered by Bang & Olufsen's ICEpower. Luckily for us, there is one new feature here: You can stream Bluetooth audio to this monitor's speakers, which is a nice little bit of extra versatility. And for those who care, this model comes in an "Icicle Gold" finish as well.
If you're looking for something totally wacky, though, then check out ASUS' yet-to-be-named 34-inch curved IPS monitor with UWQHD (3440 x 1440) resolution, which should make certain games a whole lot more fun. In fact, speaking of which, we wouldn't be surprised if this is the same panel as the one on ASUS' ROG Swift PG348Q gaming monitor announced at the most recent IFA. While the Designo version may lack certain game-centric features (namely NVIDIA G-SYNC), it does come with a Qi wireless charging pad in its base, and the ICEpower-enhanced stereo speakers are rated at a generous 8W each.

It's obviously still early days for both monitors, so you'll have to stay tuned for the detailed specs, prices and dates.

Samsung working on Windows-powered Galaxy TabPRO S: a Surface Pro 4 competitor?

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Sams...y-TabPRO-S-a-Surface-Pro-4-competitor_id77159

So far, Samsung's Galaxy line of devices (both phones and tablets) has been reserved for its Android-powered stuff, with the ATIV line being where all the Windows action takes place. That may change very soon, as underground mobile star Evan Blass (@evleaks) just posted a new tweet with images of a Windows-powered tablet he claims will be called "Galaxy TabPRO S". A tablet matching the description was spotted in the news just a few days ago, when a Samsung SM-W700 appeared in the Bluetooth SIG and Wi-Fi Alliance databases. The tablet in question was rumored to have a display diagonal of 12 inches.

The images @evleaks has now shared reveal a more or less standard Samsung design in black and white, with a thin profile and all physical buttons situated around the sides, as with previous Samsung tablets. The standout feature here appears to be a keyboard dock with a touchpad – something users are going to appreciate when working with Windows 10. Besides the 12" display of high resolution, it's also speculated that a Core M processor will be used to power the tablet.
One way we can see this Galaxy-branded Windows tablet happening is if it offers Windows and Android as dual-boot options, but we'll see about that. With Samsung's CES 2016 keynote beginning in a few hours from now, we wouldn't be surprised if the Galaxy TabPRO S gets announced there. If that happens to be the case, stay tuned for our first impressions of the new 'pro'-level tablet, which Samsung will probably use to compete against both the mighty Surface Pro 4 (starts at $899), and the iPad Pro (starts at $799). Having in mind the prices of these two, we'd presume the TabPRO S' starting price won't be much lower than $799, if at all.