Outlook.com to get Dark Mode for reading email at night
The Outlook.com feedback hub reveals that a dark mode is coming to Microsoft’s online email client. The company revealed a sneak peek in October 2017, but a representative says it was merely a prototype that needed lots of work to be worthy of mainstream use, hence current the delay.
EU decides to save Wikipedia and internet memes, for now
Members of European Parliament voted against a controversial copyright law that was designed to protect content owners and publishers, but could also make it difficult to share memes and internet news. If passed, the law could also shut down Wikipedia. Parliament will revisit the vote in September after more debate.
Intel 9th-generation CPUs are refreshes with slight clock speed bumps
Intel's upcoming ninth-generation CPUs have been detailed in some new leaked slides. They are refreshes of the previous generation with minor clock speed bumps almost across the board. What we don't know though, is what the Core i7 chips will be like and their absence from leaked documents suggest they may have eight cores.
The MacBook Pro may finally get updated with faster processors
There’s no doubt Apple plans to update its MacBook Pros with eighth-generation Intel CPUs, but now a new benchmark gives us a better view at the specific chips we’ll see in the upcoming devices. In the case of the next 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, one variant will rely on Intel's Core i7-8559U chip.
Nvidia’s GTX 11 Series may get people ready for the next generation of VR
Unnamed sources claim that Nvidia’s upcoming GeForce GTX 1180 add-in graphics card for desktops will likely include a proprietary connector for virtual reality headsets to support 120Hz refresh rates over a single cable. This port will likely be based on the current HDMI 2.1 specification.
Philips claims ‘world’s first’ with a new 4K HDR desktop display
The 43-inch Philips Momentum 436M6 Quantum Dot monitor revealed in April is now up for grabs on Amazon for a mere $999. At the time of its reveal, parent company Envision Peripherals deemed it as the world’s first DisplayHDR 1000 panel, residing at the top of VESA's new HDR certification system.
Microsoft’s Surface Tablet clears final hurdle before launch
Microsoft may be close to launching the Surface Tablet. The device, which is known by Model 1824, has just recently been cleared by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, indicating that a launch could be happening soon. The FCC filing suggests that Microsoft may rely on Intel chips to power its low-cost slate.
A free ‘Fortnite’ modification infected over 78,000 players with adware
Game streaming service Rainway recently detected adware that plagued over 78,000 "Fortnite" gamers. The Rainway client includes a tracker that records error reports for the engineering team. To their surprise, hundreds of thousands of reports began appearing on June 26, raising a red flag.
Chrome OS keeps improving, but it still doesn’t work for me
Chrome OS continues to improve, with Android app support, better tablet functionality, and a continuous stream of improvements that makes it increasingly capable. But whether or not it works for you comes down to how you use your PCs -- and for me, Chrome OS is too limited to fill my every need.
Intel’s next mainstream compact PCs won’t have discrete Radeon graphics
If you’re looking for a new super-compact NUC from Intel, the company is gearing up to launch five new “Bean Canyon” models with eighth-generation processors. Dates and prices are unknown for now, but they will be more “mainstream” than the skull-bearing Hades Canyon NUC.
Nvidia could debut GTX 11 Series graphics cards during Gamescom
Unnamed sources claim that third-party graphics card manufacturers will receive Nvidia's next-generation "Turing" chips by the end of August or early September. Actual ship dates are unknown for now as manufacturers could take weeks or several months after receiving their initial GPU shipments.
Despite promising to stop sharing your data, Facebook continues to do so
Facebook wasn't fully honest when it said that it would restrict its data sharing practice in 2015. In its letter to Congress, Facebook revealed that data sharing actually continued, and that 61 technology companies have had access to its users' friends data, including names, genders, and birth dates.
A look into Bitcoin’s troubled year
Last year, Bitcoin seemed nearly unstoppable, but things have changed and not for the better. The currency recently dropped to less than $6,000 which is a far cry from the lofty heights of last year or even earlier this year.
Microsoft relaunches the classic mouse that changed gaming forever
Fifteen years after its last iteration, Microsoft is relaunching the classic mouse that many gamers grew up with playing Age of Empires or Starcraft. A clever Rube Goldgerg video accompanies the announcement, The new Intellimouse maintains the ergonomic focus, quick responsiveness, and sparse simplicity of the original from 1996.
Data breach reveals some police departments aren’t prepared for active shooters
A massive data breach affecting active shooter training facility ALERRT could provide insights into how some police departments across the country are unprepared of handling active shooter situations. The leak also contained personal information about officers, which could be dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands.
A second massive Comcast outage leaves customers without service this month
Comcast is experiencing a second massive outage this month. The outage is taking out phone, internet, and video service for both residential and business customers across the country. Comcast blames a partner for accidentally cutting its fiber line, though an estimate was not provided for when service is expected to be restored.
Microsoft calls its foldable Andromeda device “disruptive”
Leaked internal documents reveal that Microsoft considers its highly anticipated dual-screen Andromeda a disruptive device that will usher in a new form factor. Considered a pocketable PC, Andromeda is expected to help Microsoft bridge the gap between phones and laptops, and it could launch later this year.
Microsoft’s foldable Andromeda PC could transform into five distinct modes
Microsoft's highly anticipated Andromeda computing device may be the ultimate convertible, as it can transform into one of five modes. Microsoft may also be planning different usage experiences based on the orientation of the screens. In comparison, today's convertible laptops can only switch between three modes.
Microsoft wants artificial intelligence to catch cheaters on Xbox Live
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a patent application from Microsoft that describes a method of cheat detection for games on a platform level using machine learning. The idea is to bring cheat detection outside the game given platforms can't detect cheats within the game itself.
Razer crams lasers into its new ‘Huntsman’ keyboards for blazing-fast speed
Razer introduced a new line of mechanical keyboards called Huntsman. The first two models out the gate is the "premium" $199 Razer Huntsman Elite version and the cheaper, "performance-focused" $149 Razer Huntsman model. Both rely on new mechanical switches that use an infrared light beam.
Exactis left the records of 340M people, businesses wide open for anyone to grab
Marketing and data aggregation firm Exactis kept a database of around 340 million individual records on a publicly accessible server. The data dump measured around two terabytes (2TB) and contained the personal information of around 230 million adults in the U.S. along with 110 million businesses.
These fake Android apps steal your money when you aren’t looking
The McAfee Mobile Research team discovered a new campaign where at least 15 apps on Google Play were "re-packaged" to secretly sign up for premium paid services in the background and charge directly to your mobile carrier. The list includes Qrcode Scanner, Cut Ringtones 2018, and Despacito Ringtone.
Microsoft pulls its ‘Sets’ feature in the latest Windows Insider build
The latest preview build for Windows Insiders is out and with it sees the removal of Sets. Originally slated to be a part of the next major feature update, Sets intended to group your favorite apps together for a more productive workflow. But Microsoft decided to remove Sets based on feedback.
Facebook changes its cryptocurrency rules by easing its ad blocking policy
Facebook changed its mind about banning cryptocurrency-related ads from the social network. Starting June 26, the updated policy will allow advertisements that promote cryptocurrency and related content, but only from pre-approved advertisers. Ads for ICOs and binary options are still banned.
Intel may debut a Core i9 desktop CPU for the general market in 2018
Intel is gearing up to release high-end desktop processors for the mainstream market. These chips will essentially be part of Intel's fourth wave of eighth-generation processors released during the third quarter of 2018. At the forefront will be an eight-core chip listed as the Core i9-9900K.
Learn about the roots of the modern computing with the BBC’s free archive
The BBC has expanded its Computer Literacy Archive with hundreds of documentary episodes from the 1980s and 1990s to showcase just how far we've come in computing in the last few decades and look back on classic hardware like the BBC Micro. The archive also includes 160+ classic programs that can be run in modern web browsers.
Nvidia prototype graphics card sports 12GB of GDDR6 memory
A leaked image of a prototype Nvidia graphics card appears to sport 12GB of GDDR6 memory, suggesting that the next-generation will enjoy far greater memory bandwidth than the one that came before. Although missing a GPU core, the new card hints at a powerful new-range of graphics cards coming down the pipeline.
Huawei’s MateBook D could be the new king of powerful budget laptops
The Huawei MateBook D refresh packs the compact laptop with a 1080p display, 8GB of RAM, and a Ryzen with Vega 2500U APU. For just $600 at its discounted launch price, the little laptop offers decent performance for general computing and gaming and its fast-recharge battery will keep you working and playing for longer.
AOL’s instant messenger rises from the ashes, but your buddies didn’t survive
America Online's instant messenger, AIM, now rises from the ashes as AIM Phoenix. It's not an official service but is instead run by Wildman Productions. AIM Phoenix essentially uses discontinued software to send messages through a private server and doesn't actually connect to America Online.
Windows 10 Mail will let you handwrite your email with a stylus
Now, you don't even have to send a thank you note through the post office. Microsoft is updating its Mail and Calendar clients on Windows 10 to support handwriting, allowing you to jot down your appointments or pen that personal note with your stylus. The update is rolling out members of the Windows Insider program.
Mac owners can now test MacOS Mojave with Apple’s new public beta
You can now be among the first to test out Apple's newest MacOS Mojave operating system and experience the new dark mode. Apple is now opening up the MacOS Mojave public beta, and it's inviting users to test out the OS to provide feedback ahead of the software's release this fall, but be sure to backup your data!
A cheaper MacBook Air could still arrive in late 2018
The venerable MacBook Air might be getting a new entry-level model that will sell for less than its current base price. It's just a rumor, but it's definitely within the realm of possibility. We heard these rumors earlier this year, but analyst Ming-Chi Kuo remains confident. Here's why.
Firefox’s new Monitor service will let you know if you’ve been hacked
Firefox will alert its users if they've been hacked. By integrating popular web service Have I Been Pwned with Firefox Monitor, users can check to see if their email address is part of a larger data dump on the dark web. If it is, you'll get a notification in your inbox and tips on how to secure your accounts.
Google’s Tilt Brush gets new brushes, ‘Beginner Mode,’ sound effects, and more
Google has updated the highly popular Tilt Brush app with a slew of new features, including a set of new brushes that should help make creating realistic landscapes a whole lot easier. On top of that, the app is getting new sound effects, and a Beginner Mode that makes getting used to the app easier.