Computer & Technology News

[nikkai]

Latest post of the previous page:

I was very happy when the wife said she was getting an ipad
though now I'm not so sure I want one as I really do not have the need (as yet) but she did say I "would need it soon though" but for the life of me did not understand her (but then I probably never will)
It arrived today

[Trigger]

[Trigger]

Apple removes malicious programs after first major attack on app store

Apple is cleaning up its app store to remove malicious iPhone and iPad programs after the first large-scale attack on the popular mobile software outlet.
The company disclosed the effort on Sunday night after several cyber security firms reported finding a malicious program dubbed XcodeGhost that was embedded in hundreds of legitimate apps.
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2 ... -app-store

[boatbuilder]

BBC iPlayer moves away from Flash and towards HTML5

The BBC's iPlayer has been made available using the HTML5 web language, at the expense of Adobe's Flash player.
The broadcaster's media service was one of the most prominent online platforms to use Flash.
Adobe's plug-in has been criticised by some security experts, who said it was a weak point of many sites.
Flash use has been decreasing and the move will provide a further blow, but it will not kill off Adobe's product, said one security expert.
The BBC announced the decision to move towards HTML5 on Tuesday. In a blogpost, it said it was "now confident [it could] achieve the playback quality you'd expect from the BBC without using a third-party plug-in" such as Flash player.
Users have been invited to visit a BBC site where they can set a cookie in their browsers that will allow them to access the HTML5 player when they visit iPlayer in future. However, the Flash version will remain available.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34399754

[boatbuilder]

Sharp Robohon smartphone thinks it is a robot

Sharp has unveiled a smartphone that doubles up as a robot.
The 19.5cm (7.7in) droid can take calls, dance, respond to its owner's voice and beam videos out of its face.
The device is set to go on sale in 2016, but may be more cute than it is practical.

Video

[boatbuilder]

Netgear router exploit detected

A security researcher in the US has said his Netgear router was hacked after attackers exploited a flaw in the machine.
Joe Giron told the BBC that he discovered altered admin settings on his personal router on 28 September.
The compromised router was hacked to send web browsing data to a malicious internet address.
Netgear says the vulnerability is "serious" but affects fewer than 5,000 devices.
Mr Giron found that the Domain Name System (DNS) settings on his router had been changed to a suspicious IP address.
"Normally I set mine to Google's [IP address] and it wasn't that, it was something else," he said.
"For two or three days all my DNS traffic was being sent over to them."
This means that the attacker could have tracked what websites Mr Giron was visiting, or even redirected him to malicious sites had they chosen to do so.
He has decided to turn off the router and not use it for the time being.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34491583

[boatbuilder]

JPeg lockdown: Restriction options sought by committee

JPeg pictures could soon have built-in restrictions making them harder to copy, if recommendations by the body overseeing the format are implemented.
The Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPeg) committee has called for controls over how image data in .jpg files is accessed.
It is thought this would protect copyright and safeguard the privacy of people in images.
However, rights groups have said the features might harm creativity.
In an online summary of the proposals, the JPeg committee said photographs were often redistributed without relevant rights information attached, so they could easily be copied or published again without permission.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34538705

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UK's first 'smart Wi-Fi pavement' to be installed in Chesham

The UK's first "smart Wi-Fi pavement" is to be installed in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, providing over 21,000 residents, businesses and visitors with free superfast public Wi-Fi from under their feet. The smart pavement will cover Chesham’s high street and parts of Lowndes Park, according to Virgin Media, which is installing the network, and will provide download speeds of up to 166Mbps – seven times the average UK broadband speed.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/b ... esham.html

[Trigger]

Your lamp or baby monitor is responsible for slow broadband, Ofcom says

One in five households is suffering from poor Internet connection because their router is placed too close to a lamp, phone, stereo or baby monitor, the telecoms watchdog warns.
Sharon White, chief executive of Ofcom, says many homes receive a fast broadband connection through their phone line, only for the signal to be hit by "interference" on its way to a computer or tablet.
The Government is preparing to give every home the legal right to demand "fast" broadband speeds of at least 10 Mbps. David Cameron believes high-quality broadband should but just as much of a "right" as water, electricity and other basic services. However, Ms White says often those suffering from slow Internet are simply storing their wireless broadband router in the wrong place.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/shoppin ... -says.html

[Meryl]

For some reason the font size at the top of a web page has become very small. The rest is OK. Does anyone know how that can be adjusted , I have had several tries. Thanks.

[kerch]

Mine changes by it's self all the time,don't take alot of notice anymore.My E-Mail site does the samething.

[boatbuilder]

Although I don't use IE very often I have compared my address bar with yours Meryl and it's the same size. Always has been with this latest version of IE 11, but can't remember what the earlier ones were like. Have you, by any chance, changed your screen resolution? Mine is set to 1366 x 768 on this computer - the recommended one for it.

[Meryl]

Thank you BB. I have solved my problem with system restore.

[boatbuilder]

Yahoo stops some users accessing emails in ad-blockers row

Yahoo has confirmed that it is preventing some people from accessing their email if they are using ad-blocking software in their browser.
Some users in the US reported that Yahoo Mail was displaying a message asking them to disable their ad-blocker before they could access their inbox.
Yahoo said it was testing a "new product experience" in the US.
Members of one ad-blocking forum said they had already managed to circumvent the restriction.
In 2014, Yahoo admitted adverts on its homepage had been infected with malware for four days.
But the company currently relies on advertising to earn money from its Yahoo Mail service which is available to use for free.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34899575

Of course the simplest way to avoid these ads altogether is to not use the web mail but download your emails into Windows Live mail.

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Dell admits security flaw was built in to computers

A security hole that could allow attackers to access users' personal data was inadvertently placed on Dell computers, the company has admitted.
The hole represented a "profound security flaw" that could allow access to bank details and other personal data, experts said. Dell has issued guidance on removing the software that produced it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34910649

[Trigger]

'Li-fi 100 times faster than wi-fi'

A new method of delivering data, which uses the visible spectrum rather than radio waves, has been tested in a working office.
Li-fi can deliver internet access 100 times faster than traditional wi-fi, offering speeds of up to 1Gbps (gigabit per second). It requires a light source, such as a standard LED bulb, an internet connection and a photo detector. It was tested this week by Estonian start-up Velmenni, in Tallinn.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34942685