John Lister

Microsoft claims Windows 10 performance is improving while glitches are less common. It appears one explanation may be a slowdown in the update rollout process. The claims come in a blog post comparing the two most recent 'major update' versions of ... Windows 10, the twice-yearly updates that bring new features rather than just fixing performance and security bugs. It cites figures collected in telemetry reports, in which it tracks the activity on computers, something that Microsoft says helps improve the system, but raises privacy concerns among some critics. Boot Time And Log-In Speedier ... (view more)

T-Mobile is reportedly to let users on "Unlimited" data plans use 50GB of data a month before getting any slowdowns. That will be more than double the soft limit of rivals, though still won't satisfy some linguistic purists. At one point it was ... almost impossible to find an unlimited data deal on mobile devices, but a combination of competition and growing consumer demand as both tablet computers and streaming video become more popular has led the major companies to all offer an unlimited deal. However, there's still a limit of sorts, often called a "fair use policy." With each ... (view more)

Users of the popular CCleaner optimization software have been urged to immediately update the program. The software was recently compromised by hackers for almost a month, though it does not yet appear they did any damage. The warning to update is ... particularly important because CCleaner doesn't automatically update - though it does tell users when a new version is ready. The compromised versions were the 32-bit editions of CCleaner v5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud v1.07.3191 . User who currently have these versions should uninstall them immediately, then get the latest copy from the website of ... (view more)

Microsoft is to give Windows 10 users more details about exactly what an app is able to do on their computer. It's a similar security measure to that available on some mobile device apps. Until now, apps only usually have to get a Windows user's ... permission when they want to access location data, for example in a mapping tool. That's changing with the 2017 Fall Creators Update, the next major twice-yearly feature update for Windows 10. Microphone and Webcam Access Need Permission The change means apps will need the user's permission to access key hardware components on the computer such as a ... (view more)

The majority of Bluetooth devices could be vulnerable to a malware attack. The attack, dubbed BlueBorne, can reportedly spread to devices without needing any action from the victim. The attack takes advantage of a bug in the Bluetooth technology ... itself rather than a specific operating system. At one point this summer an estimated 5.3 billion devices were at risk, running Windows, Android or Linux, as well as Apple devices running systems before the current iOS 10. Fixing the problem will require patches for specific devices and operating systems. Microsoft has patched the issue already, ... (view more)

Microsoft has promised it won't download new Windows software to users without permission again. The promise staves off legal action in Germany, though is somewhat outdated with the changes to the way Windows is developed. The legal case followed ... the discovery in 2015 that Microsoft had automatically downloaded Windows 10 installation files to users regardless of whether they had shown any interest in upgrading to the new system. The idea was to make it quicker for people get up and running if they did upgrade, as well as spreading out the load of Windows download servers to avoid the ... (view more)

The Boston Red Sox are accused of cheating by using an Apple Watch as part of a scheme to relay signals to a batsman. It's a rule-breaking use of technology for an otherwise legitimate tactic. The Red Sox, like most teams, were trying to find a way ... to give batters an advantage by knowing what type of pitch is coming. Normally a catcher - sometimes with the advice of a coach - will signal a suggested pitch to the pitcher via hand gestures. The player placements mean the batter can't see this signal. In principle it's legitimate for the batting team to spot these signals and make the batter ... (view more)

A European court says an employee shouldn't have been fired for sending private messages while at work. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) overturned a lower court decision and said the employee's right to privacy had been violated. However, ... the court said the verdict was largely about the specifics of the case and that it didn't constitute an absolute ban on monitoring staff computer use, or create a right to private Internet access while at work. The case involves Bogan Mihai Barbalescu, a Romanian man fired in 2007 after using Yahoo Messenger at work to send personal and intimate ... (view more)

Around 465,000 pacemakers have been 'recalled' over hacking fears. However, the St Jude Medical brand devices will be patched with a software update rather than removed and replaced. The pacemakers are radio controlled to allow doctors to alter the ... specific rhythm they aim for when regulating a heart beat. This radio control means doctors can adjust to the patients changing needs without the need to remove the pacemaker for alterations. That's important as the surgery for such a removal is inherently risky. No Signs Of Hack Attacks While the precise details haven't been revealed for obvious ... (view more)

More than 700 million email addresses and passwords have been leaked online. While many are bogus, enough appear to be genuine that security experts have advised users to change their email passwords. The collection of account details does not ... appear to have been used for identity theft or other fraud. Instead, the collection has been marketed as a way to send spam messages. The idea is that spammers can login to the compromised accounts in order to send their unsolicited emails. This effectively flies under the spam radar, as most spam comes from IP addresses without any reputation. In this ... (view more)