29 September 2017

4 Syskey Encryption Alternatives for Windows 10


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Windows encryption tool Syskey is being removed in the upcoming Windows 10 Fall Creators Update. The utility encrypts password information stored in system databases that are in turn stored in the Windows registry. Its original purpose was to prevent unauthorized, offline password cracking attempts. However, scammers realized they could use the integrated utility to lock users out of their systems, forcing them to pay a ransom (pre-ransomware, but still in use in telephone scams — there are thousands of YouTube videos). In other environments, Syskey provides pre-boot authentication, where the user is challenged for a password before the operating system...

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Facebook tests facial recognition for account recovery


 Facebook has its own version of Apple’s Face ID. If you get locked out of your Facebook account, the company is testing a way to regain access by using your face to verify your identity. That could be especially useful if you’re somewhere that you can’t receive two-factor authentication SMS, like on a plane or while traveling abroad, or if you lose access to your email… Read More
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7 of the Best Desktop Speakers to Buy Right Now


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Integrated speakers are common these days, in both laptops and computer monitors. But regardless of how expensive that laptop or monitor was, the internal speaker likely sounds tinny and unsatisfying — good enough in a pinch, but not something to use long-term. A set of desktop speakers is better because they aren’t confined by the space limitations of a laptop or monitor. This extra space allows them to include amplifier components, which are crucial for producing a high-quality sound. But good speakers aren’t cheap. In this article, you’ll find seven desktop speaker recommendations that will give you the most bang...

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Reactant is a new native framework for iOS apps


 Just when you thought it was safe to go back to Xcode, a small Czech team called Brightify has created Reactant, a framework that makes it easy to program iOS apps. The system is a Swift-based framework that offers live-reload of code, allowing you to add elements on the fly as you program. “The Reactant architecture dictates how to structure an iOS project from start to finish. It… Read More

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The 7 Best Mobile Document Scanner Apps


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Gone are the days of taking documents to the library to scan or spending a bunch of money on a scanner for your home. You can find many applications for Android, iOS, and Windows that put scanning at your fingertips no matter where you go. These seven awesome apps provide more than just scanning. They are smart enough to adjust and correct items for you, let you save them where you need to, and are perfect for both business and personal use. 1. Office Lens From Microsoft, Office Lens is a flexible, portable scanner with a nice set of features....

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Apple quietly acquired computer vision startup Regaind


 TechCrunch has learned that Apple has acquired a small French startup called Regaind, according to multiple sources. As always, Apple is very quiet when it comes to acquisitions, but it’s always interesting to learn more about Apple’s interests. We’ve reached out to Apple and the company sent us the following statement: “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time… Read More

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How to Set Up an Out-of-Office Email Reply on Your Mac


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Nobody likes managing email, especially when it’s time for a holiday. If you are going away, or just taking a staycation, you can use an automatic out-of-office (or vacation) reply to let people know that you won’t be reading or responding to emails during that time. Today we cover how to set up an out of office reply in five of the more popular email clients and web services. Apple Mail In Apple Mail, there is no dedicated setting for an out of office reply. Instead, you need to set up a rule. Fortunately this is very easy to do....

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8bitdo’s new wireless controllers are perfect for your new SNES Classic


 The SNES Classic Edition is out today, and is probably currently en route to those lucky enough to have scored a pre-order, and being picked up by bleary-eyed fans who set up early at game store locations around the world. Reviews have been almost universally positive for the small console, which is not surprising, so a lot of folks will probably also be in the market for accessories –… Read More

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Can Facebook Watch Rival YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime?


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It seems like everyone is getting into the video business. First it was Netflix and Amazon. Then Apple recently announced that it will be producing original content. And now even Facebook is entering the game. Facebook Watch is a new service that lets Facebook users watch original TV shows created exclusively for the social network. But how does Facebook Watch stack up against the established big hitters on the streaming scene? Read on to find out. You Can’t Beat Free As of right now, there’s no cost to watch any of Facebook’s videos. Which puts it at a significant advantage...

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How to Use Apple TV Apps to Fully Automate Your Home


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Apple TV isn’t just for watching films and television shows or playing games. It can also play an important role in your smart home. With Cupertino’s digital media player, you can now download and install apps to perform everyday home tasks such as checking your security cameras, monitoring your Wi-Fi network, and turning on your lights. To get started, all you need is a fourth- or fifth-generation Apple TV, a few dollars, and your imagination. In this article, you’ll learn about some of the most popular lifestyle and utility apps for Apple TV. Apple TV Apps for Lighting It shouldn’t...

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FAA outlaws drone use around 10 US monuments and dams


 The Federal Aviation Administration announced new rules for drone use around key US landmarks including monuments and dams. Under the new restrictions, drones are not to fly within 400 feet of the designated landmarks. The FAA says these rules were implemented at the request of the US security and law enforcement agencies. These locations are just the latest to the growing list of the… Read More

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With the Sphero Mini, you get a robotic ball for just $49.99


sphero mini It’s been a busy year for Sphero, with the release of products like R2-D2, Spider-Man and Lightning McQueen. But the robotic toy startup is still making non-licensed, non-tie in products too — including the Sphero Mini, its most affordable toy yet. “We wanted to make Sphero products accessible to everyone,” said co-founder and Chief Software Architect Adam Wilson. The… Read More

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New to DIY? Start With These No-Stress Easy Repairs for Beginners


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You want to get started with DIY, but you’re not sure where to begin. You see no point in paying for repairs when you could probably fix something yourself… you just don’t have the skills yet. But that doesn’t mean you never will. What you need to do is start getting your hands dirty now. Some simple DIY repairs you can do without worrying about breaking anything. Basically, you’re looking for something that will help you to develop the skills needed for DIY repairs and builds. Once you’ve mastered these five repairs, you should be ready to move onto more...

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7 Spotify App Integrations Actually Worth Setting Up


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Spotify continues to impress and frustrate in equal measure. For every Discover Weekly, there’s a much-loved feature stripped out of the streaming music app. Often, it’s difficult to get those features back. One of the feature removals which has garnered most ire was the company’s decision to kill third-party apps in 2014. At a stroke, users lost the ability to get curated recommendations from record labels and magazines, find nearby concerts, give guests “party access” to accounts, and a whole lot more. Spotify has never truly managed to replace the lost apps, even though some third-party web apps can still...

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Angry Birds maker Rovio sees a small pop of 6% to €12.20 in its trading debut


 Rovio, maker of the Angry Birds gaming franchise, saw a small pop of 6 percent in its first day of trading as a public company. After pricing its IPO at €11.50 per share — the top of its range — yesterday, today the stock opened on the Nasdaq Nordic exchange at €12.20, and at the current price of €12.23, the company has a market cap of  $1.1 billion (€952 million).… Read More
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How to Grant Gmail Access to Someone Without Sharing Your Password


Sharing your email password with someone is a big test of trust. And if you’re one of those people who uses the same password for everything, even though you know you shouldn’t, well it’s just an impossibility. With Gmail’s delegates feature, you can grant someone access to your account without revealing your password. You can add up to 10 delegates with a regular account and up to 25 with a school or work account. Delegates can read, send, and delete messages in your Gmail account. When an email is sent by a delegate, their email address will appear in the message as well. They...

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What’s the Difference Between AppData and ProgramData?


We recently examined the difference between the Roaming and Local AppData folders in Windows. One commenter wondered further what the difference between the AppData and ProgramData folders is. Let’s take a look at these two folders and find out how their roles differ. As we discussed before, AppData is a folder inside your user directory. It contains data that is specific to your account. Usually, this includes configuration settings that are particular to your instance of an installed program. The ProgramData folder is located at the root of your C: drive. Like AppData, it’s hidden by default so you won’t see...

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How to do Reverse Image Search on your Mobile Phone

7 Ways to Turn Off Windows 10 Laptop Screen


For better or for worse, we no longer live in 1999. As such, most of our monitors don’t have their own power buttons anymore. In fact, I’ve never seen a laptop screen with its own power button! But don’t worry, it is still possible to turn off your laptop screen. Perhaps more astonishingly, there are multiple ways to achieve this — seven ways, in fact. Keep reading to see how easy they are. 1. Close the Lid You can adjust your machine’s power settings so that when you close the lid, only your screen is turned off and nothing else....

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Google’s parental control software, Family Link, launches to public


 Family Link, Google’s parental control software for Android devices, is now exiting its beta testing period and is now generally available to anyone in the U.S. without the need for an invitation. The software, which lets parents manage apps, set screen time limits and device bedtimes, can be used from either an iOS or Android device, but is designed specifically to manage a… Read More
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This edible sensor could help keep food fresh


 Making sure fresh food is kept at the right temperature during transit is a harder problem than one might think — but the Swiss are on the job. Not only did they create robo-fruit to mix in with the real ones, but another research team has created a biodegradable temperature sensor that sticks to food all the way from its starting point to the inside of your mouth. Read More

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Google is building a smart screen competitor to Amazon’s Echo Show


 Multiple sources tell TechCrunch that Google is building a tabletop smart screen for video calling and more that will compete with Amazon’s Echo Show. The device could help Google keep up in the race for the smart home market after Amazon just revealed a slew of new Echos and as Facebook continues to work on its codename “Aloha” video calling screen. Two sources confirm to… Read More
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Google is building a smart screen competitor to Amazon’s Echo Show


 Multiple sources tell TechCrunch that Google is building a tabletop smart screen for video calling and more that will compete with Amazon’s Echo Show. The device could help Google keep up in the race for the smart home market after Amazon just revealed a slew of new Echos and as Facebook continues to work on its codename “Aloha” video calling screen. Two sources confirm to… Read More

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Giphy Stickers Let You Deface Your Favorite Websites


Giphy wants you to plaster your favorite websites with stickers. Why? Because why not? Most websites are rather dull, dry places devoid of much razzmatazz. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Giphy is on hand to help, with Giphy Sticker Embed letting visitors post stickers all over the shop. Given that Giphy specializes in GIFs, the company obviously thinks the future is one filled with moving images. After all, static images and paragraphs of text are just so boring by comparison. However, standard GIFs may not be the answer. Because GIF stickers are Giphy’s latest innovation. Giphy Stickers...

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Following AWS, Google Compute Engine also moves to per-second billing


 A week ago, AWS announced that it would soon move to per-second billing for users of its EC2 service. It doesn’t come as a huge surprise, then, that Google today announced a very similar move. Google Compute Engine, Container Engine, Cloud Dataproc and App Engine’s flexible environment virtual machines will now feature per-second billing. Read More
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