Windows 10 May 2019 Update gets fixes for some long-standing bugs

Update: It's emerged that some people are having issues with the new Windows 10 KB4512941 update, with reports that the update causes very high CPU usages in some PCs

Original story follows...

Windows 10 May 2019 Update has been having a pretty smooth – and speedy – rollout thus far, with only relatively minor niggles, although there have been some more persistent issues remaining unsolved. But the good news is Microsoft has finally cured some of these with a new cumulative update.

The main thorny problems which have been hanging around include an error that has been preventing Windows Sandbox from running in certain cases (Microsoft’s solution that lets Windows 10 Pro users run suspicious apps in a sandbox away from the rest of the system). This has been fixed with cumulative update KB4512941.

And another sigh of relief can be breathed by those who were affected by compatibility issues caused by certain Intel Rapid Storage Technology drivers and the May 2019 Update. This issue appeared over a month ago now, but Microsoft says it’s resolved with KB4512941 (although the safeguarding block won’t be removed until early September – so presumably next week).

The cumulative update also deals with an issue whereby a black screen is displayed when using Remote Desktop to connect to a machine running Windows 10 May 2019 Update.

Mixed Reality improvements

Microsoft further promises that the latest cumulative update improves the “user experience and app compatibility so that more Win32 apps will work with Windows Mixed Reality”, which is good news for those who have invested in one of those headsets.

There are a raft of other fixes which Microsoft has detailed in a long list here, but they also include resolving an issue preventing certain games from using Spatial Audio capabilities, and a problem where no cursor appears when selecting text input on a touchscreen.

As we mentioned at the outset, the May 2019 Update rollout appears to have accelerated to a very speedy pace, with the upgrade now on 33% of Windows 10 machines according to one set of stats – that figure having tripled since the previous month, showing Microsoft has definitely opened up the floodgates.

Most of the folks upgrading are doing so from the April 2018 Update, with prodding from Microsoft because the end-of-service date for that particular update isn’t that far off now (November 12).

Via Wccftech

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If your Apple Watch display is cracking, Apple might replace the screen for free

Apple says it has identified a problem that "under very rare circumstances" can lead to cracking around the edge of the screen on aluminum Series 2 and Series 3 versions of the Apple Watch – and if you're affected, you can have a free replacement.

"Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider will replace the screen on eligible Apple Watch units that exhibit this type of crack, free of charge," Apple says on the official support page for the issue.

What we don't know is what's causing this cracking, but it's possible that some sort of manufacturing defect is to blame. That the issue only happens under "very rare circumstances" is encouraging for Series 2 and Series 3 owners.

"The crack may begin on one side and then may continue around the screen as shown in the images below," Apple says.

Apple Watch repair

If you have noticed this sort of cracking on the display of your Apple Watch, first head to the support page on Apple's website and check that your model matches one of the case size, color, and date sold combinations listed.

You can then take it into an Apple Store or an approved repair shop, or post it off to Apple, to get the screen replaced free of charge. According to Apple you'll be without your wearable for about five business days.

These official repair programs are now reasonably common for Apple, though usually only a few devices are affected. The Apple Watch cracking certainly doesn't seem to be on the scale of the MacBook Pro keyboard breaking.

In the meantime we're waiting for the Apple Watch Series 5 to make an appearance: we're expecting it to be unveiled on September 10, alongside some new iPhones, with some new casing options in tow.

Via TechCrunch

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Horn vs Zerafa live stream: how to watch tonight’s boxing from anywhere

Its a big night for Australian fight fans as compatriots Jeff Horn and Michael Zerafa go to toe-to-toe in Victoria. Former WBO welterweight title holder Horn will be putting his WBA Oceania Middleweight belt on the line for tonight's fight, and will be facing a fellow Aussie that's far from the journeyman usually placed in front of a fighter with an eye on a world title fight.

You can watch all of the action from the comfort of your own sofa from anywhere in the world with our Horn vs Zerafa live stream guide below.

Horn, a domestic boxing hero, is probably best know worldwide for his controversial points win over Manny Pacquiao back in 2017 which saw him unseat the then WBO welterweight champ. Having lost his title to Terence Crawford a year later, Horn has since moved to middleweight, and will have his eye on a late December title fight with WBA middleweight champion Ryoto Murata in Japan that has been agreed in principle.

Zerafa, an Olympic gold medal winner at London 2012, has a strong pedigree, having only lost to top draw opposition (e.g. Peter Quillin, Kell Brook, Arif Magomedov) and will be hoping for complacency from his opponent.

To ensure you can see the whole thing in real time so you don't miss any of the action, we've put together this guide to help you watch a Horn vs Zerafa live stream. As with most boxing, it's not always available in every country so you may find a VPN is the best way to stream the fight, which you'll find out all about below.

How to watch Horn vs Zerafa in Australia

How to live stream Horn vs Zerafa from outside your country 

But if you're abroad this weekend then you'll need another way to watch and avoid possible geo-blocking. That's where using a VPN comes in, as it's a legitimate way to watch the coverage without having to resort to some dodgy illegal stream you found on Reddit that may leave your laptop or mobile unsafe.

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Pocketnow Daily: OnePlus 7T Pro LEAKED: Minor Upgrade? (video)

On today's Pocketnow Daily, we talk about the new CAD renders of the OnePlus 7T Pro, Apple's security problems in iPhones and more

The post Pocketnow Daily: OnePlus 7T Pro LEAKED: Minor Upgrade? (video) appeared first on Pocketnow.

UFC live stream: how to watch Andrade vs Weili at Fight Night China online from anywhere

How would you like a side of MMA with your breakfast? UFC returns with Fight Night 157 in the early hours of Saturday morning beaming all the way from China.

The event will be held in Shenzen for the very first time as UFC continues its quest for global ultimate fighting dominance. That means this one kicks off earlier for MMA fans in the US with the main card starting at 6am ET, 3am PT on ESPN+. We’ll explain how much it costs and how it works below so that you're completely clued up on how to live stream UFC 157.

There are five matches on the main Fight Night 157 card (following six in the prelims) with plenty of local interest across the men's and women's divisions. China meets Brazil as welterweights Li Jingliang and Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos go head-to-head in the Octagon, while Jamahal 'Sweet Dreams' Hill represents American interests with a light-heavyweight match-up against Da Un Jung.

But undeniably the main attraction is the match in the main event spot - a Women's Strawweight Championship bout where the awesome Jessica Andrade puts her belt on the line against the Chinese Weili Zhang. If you know anything about Andrade then you know just how dangerous she can be, and she is looking like a mighty champion after winning the belt from Rose Namajunas back in May. But Zhang is currently on a 19 fight win streak and shouldn't be underestimated as a challenger.

UFC Fight Night China is set to be a real stunner and you can watch it in its entirety. All the fights can be watched in the US exclusively online via the ESPN+ subscription service. So keep reading to see your viewing options to get a UFC live stream, whether or not you're in the US this weekend.

How to live stream UFC online in the US

Live stream UFC from outside your country

Worry not if you're a huge UFC fan but aren't in the US to watch that ESPN+ coverage this weekend. If you've got your subscription sorted but then find the coverage is geo-blocked, you can try using a VPN to change your IP address to a US server and watch as if you were back at home.

Live stream UFC Fight Night 153 in the UK 

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G Suite vs Office 365: which is better for students?

Before deciding on using G Suite or Office 365, first look if you already have free access to one of them as a student through your school. Most school districts or schools have an education partnership with either Google or Microsoft and extend some of the services to students. It would be smart to install the school's chosen program to your device to be compatible with the same apps and services.

However, if you'd like an account separate from the school's, or if your school doesn't offer free access to its students, then we recommend using Office 365 Education because you can still get a account as a student even if your school doesn't have a contract with them. All you need is a valid school email address. Office 365 Education gives you access to all Office programs and Teams — its collaboration tool — and comes with plenty of cloud storage.

Comparing the two

Office 365 StudentG Suite for Education
Yearly subscription$0$0
School license requiredNY
Included programsWord, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, Teams, OneDrive Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Jamboard, Hangouts, Drive
Email appOutlookGmail
Phone support24/724/7

What you need to know about Office 365 Education

With an Office 365 Education subscription you get access to eight Office programs, including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. You also have access to 12 Microsoft services, like OneDrive, Skype, SharePoint, and Forms. Office 365 lives in the cloud, so it doesn't take up valuable space on your computer and allows you to access all its programs and saved projects from anywhere and from any device. Simply log into your online portal and you have access to everything from Publisher to OneNote.

Apps can be pinned to Android smartphones and tablets for quick access on the go, and you can download each Office program to your laptop or computer to work offline. However, you will need to log into your online account often enough to keep your subscription active.

Microsoft Teams is a live chat program that comes with your Office 365 Education subscription that lets you talk with people in your study group, teachers, or other students in real-time. Anyone can create channels that reflect a specific class or projects, or you can keep it more confidential with person-to-person chat — like Slack. From within Teams you can call other collaborators or hold a video conference with up to 50 people at once. You can also share documents and give direct access to them so everyone in your group can add, edit and work on the project at the same time from the Teams Hub viewing window. As the files are changed, all copies, including those saved in your OneDrive, are automatically updated, too.

One important note about Office 365 Education: If you're given access through your school, it's possible for administrators, collaborators, teachers, and others to see some personal information and saved files. Since Admins set the rules for OneDrive, they could restrict files being deleted and see data being saved there. Even if you create an Education account on your own, Microsoft will automatically connect your account to your school's if one ever becomes available. Because of this we recommend not using this program for personal use. You can, however, purchase an Office 365 Personal account to use separately from your school account to keep personal files and documents private. This subscription will cost you about $70 per year.

All about G Suite for Education

G Suite for Education comes with an impressive amount of collaboration tools with Hangouts, Groups, Jamboard, and Classroom. Each one allows real-time communication and project creation with multiple people in a way that is easy to use and see. You can chat or hold video conferences using Hangouts to help everyone get on the same page. Other collaboration tools available for G Suite users include Jamboard — a cloud-based whiteboard — and Classroom.

Classroom is managed by individual teachers to create a place for assigning homework, sending reminders, gathering and grading finished projects and pass along virtual handouts and other study materials. Educators can also assign group projects and create study groups within Classroom to help foster collaboration.

G Suite lets you share files, save in Drive with others, and allow them to see and edit them in real-time. This is done by creating a link and sharing it. You can see when others are in the same files along with you and watch as edits are being made. However, it's a bit clunky, and we notice there is a slight delay, so it's possible multiple edits could mesh together and cause some confusion. G Suite keeps track of changes, though, and won't make them permanent without your consent.

G Suite's office programs, like Docs and Sheets, work similarly to Microsoft Office programs with most features and tools located in the same places, and it uses some of the same in-program shortcuts. You can also open and view Office documents, spreadsheets, and slideshows in G Suite, though you do need to convert them into a Google format to edit them. This may change some of the fonts and formatting of the projects and require a little more fix-it work on your end. Also, we noticed that some tools and functions don't work the same, or aren't available at all in G Suite. For example, some of the macro functions in Excel aren't available in Google Sheets, so it's harder to produce the same results.

The biggest catch to using G Suite for Education is students can't have an account unless their school has a subscription. Even teachers can't sign up or use any of the tools until the school has created a partnership with Google.

Google has two G Suite education programs with one being offered to schools and its teachers and students for free. With this program integrated at school, teachers can set up individual Classrooms, give access to G Suite to their students using a school email address, and create an environment for effective collaboration and learning. Students are welcome to have a personal Google One account to access Google Drive and office programs, although personal accounts cannot be used to access G Suite for Education.

Compatibility of Office 365 and G Suite

Because both Office 365 and G Suite are cloud-based, you can access them from just about any device, including Macs. Simply logging into your account through a web browser gives you access to all your programs, files, and apps. Both Office 365 and G Suite have apps you can download to your cellphone to access and edit specific files, though you need an individual app for each program. However, installing the Google Drive or OneDrive app does let you tap into any saved file created with its compatible programs with some basic editing and sharing capabilities.

If you, or your school, have a Chromebook, you will see easy access to G Suite and other Google cloud programs already installed on the homescreen. However, if you are a 365 user you can still log into your online account and use its programs from a Chromebook using an internet browser, just like you do from a laptop or computer.

Both G Suite and Office 365 have ways to access programs offline. For G Suite users, simply indicate from within G Suite that you'd like a specific file available offline. Once the device you're using connects to the internet, the file changes will be updated within the cloud program.

To use Office 365 offline, you need to download the Office programs to a compatible laptop or computer running Windows. You are given the option of installing Office programs locally when you first being your subscription but can download them any time during your active subscription. You do need to log into the cloud-based program at least every 30 days for your online Office 365 subscription to remain active and to sync changes made offline. Microsoft will prompt you to do this, so you don't have to remember on your own.

Wrapping it up: Our final thoughts

When it comes to choosing between G Suite for Education or Office 365 Education, start with finding out which one your school uses. This is as easy as asking a teacher or speaking with someone from student services. Using the same program will ensure you are on the same page as your teachers and have access to the same collaboration tools they use.

If you don't need to use a certain program to collaborate with your teacher or classmates, it then tends to come down to personal preference. You can use one over the other, or even mix and match programs from each package. Since both G Suite and Office 365 are cloud-based, you can easily toggle between them without having to worry about hard drive space.

The only reason Office 365 Education gets an extra boost from us — and we love using Google and its programs — is because you can download this program for free as long as you, or you child, is a student with an active and verifiable school email address. Even if your school doesn't have a contract with Microsoft to use its educator programs, students are still able to use the program at no cost to them.

G Suite, on the other hand, is only available if your school has contracted with Google to use its education program. If your school doesn't use G Suite, you can still access a free, individual Google One account for finishing homework assignments. You just won't have access to the collaboration tools available through G Suite for Education.

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Phone grips are the best tech accessory you can get your kid as they head back to school

Phone grips might seem like an unnecessary add-on — "How could you possibly need help holding onto a phone?" — but I just have a few questions for you. How often does your child drop their phone? How often do you see them hunched over their phone to watch a video instead of propping the phone up and watching at a more natural angle? How often do you see them stretching their fingers out after a long night of texting their friends and sending weird meme selfies? If the answer to any of these questions was "a lot", then do yourself, your child, and your wallet a favor.

Buy them a phone grip. You can even buy them a cool one for less money than pizza night!

A penny of prevention is worth a pound of broken touchscreen

They can make shock-resistant, drop-tested smartphone cases all the livelong day — and they do a great job of it — but nothing beats preventing the phone from falling out of your hands in the first place. That's the first and foremost reason to buy you kid a grip: so that they don't break their phone and make you shell out for repairs or replacements.

I'll take a $10 grip over a multi-hundred dollar repair bill any day of the week, which is why every phone that crosses my desk gets a PopSocket, Style Ring, or some other grip on it the second I'm done reviewing the first case. Whether it's a petit Pixel or gargantuan Galaxy, I have an easier and more reliable time hold onto the grip than I do to a flat-backed case alone.

Phone grips are healthy, even when your child's phone habits aren't

'm something of an introvert, but when out and about in the world, it's hard not to notice the tech — and tech habits — of those around me, especially when they're bad habits I'm still actively fighting myself. I'll find whole families hunched over their phones, teens overextending their thumbs trying to one-hand a text message and propping their phone on their pinky while taking selfies and scrolling Instagram.

This is bad. Don't be like me.

I'm not a posture queen by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm painfully aware of the extra strain hunching over your phone or laptop can cause over time. Make all the jokes you want about Blackberry thumb and texting neck but an RSI is a painful and often irreversible thing, something I know firsthand: even years after swapping to phone grips, my left pinky yells at me every day I skip my GrabTab to review a case.

Now, a phone grip isn't going to magically cure your kid's poor posture hunching over the phone, but it can significantly help their hands by giving them something easier and more comfortable to grip. The ability of most grips to double as kickstands can also help improve their poster by allowing them to prop up their phone at an angle rather than hunching over it flat on a desk.

Kick bad habits and poor productivity with phone grip kickstands

Phone stands are awesome, but they're only useful when you have them on you. Since most phone grips double as at least landscape kickstands, adding one to your kid's phone can help make their phone and their homework time more productive since they then have a kickstand with them they can use on any flat surface.

I often reference notes on my phone while writing on my Chromebook, and this is especially helpful when I use phone grips like the Spigen Style Ring POP and Scooch Winback that keep my phone vertical rather than landscape. Kickstands can make looking at a phone easier on your child's neck by lessening their need to hunch over, too, compounding the grip's in-hand benefits.

Phone grips are cool

When your kid sees a phone grip with Darth Vader or Stitch on them, they just see a cool character that they want on all the things. This gives PopSockets a very unique advantage in trying to get your kids to want to use a phone grip, especially now that Swappable PopSockets will allow your kid to swap Darth Vader for the Dark Knight depending on which of their five favorite shirts they're wearing.

Both PopSockets and Speck GrabTabs have Pride collections, too, meaning if your middle or high school has a cause they're behind, they can show it off on their most visible accessory: their phone grip. PopSockets' Poptivism grips even give money to partner charities like March for Our Lives, Girls Inc and The Trevor Project.

So let your kid pick out a phone grip that speaks to their style. Call it a Back To School gift, even though it's healthier for them and extra phone insurance for you.

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Best phone grips for students in 2019

School is a dangerous environment for most tools and tech, but none more so that phones. Phones are essential items in a phone, always in arm's reach but often bumped, dropped, or banged in the hustle and bustle of changing classrooms or running to meet up with friends at lunch. Phone grips have been a lifesaver for me and my slim fingers, and considering how affordable these ones are, they're well worth the investment.

Why PopSockets win the popularity contest

Now that PopSockets come in a swappable style that allow you to easily swap between styles to match your kid's wardrobe — and can come off for wireless charging, should that be a thing your kid actually uses — the reasons not to use one are becoming few and far between. They're affordable, they're recognizable, and with the Pop Culture collection finally updated to swappable PopTops, they're cool, too.

PopSockets are also as much a toy as they are a tool, and I often pop one of my spares up and down when I get bored during staff meetings, and I'm sure there are some easily distracted kids (like me) out there who could use a fidget toy to help them avoid drifting into a daydream during a lecture.

Kickstands are cool, but you know what's really cool? Vertical kickstands

There's more to a phone grip that in-hand use, though. While most non-fabric phone grips double as landscape kickstands, the number of phone grips that allow you to set your phone upright next to your computer or lunch so you can scroll through Twitter or reference notes while rushing through some last-minute homework are fewer in number and usually larger in size.

The Spigen Style Ring POP and the original Spigen Style Ring are something of the standard-bearer when it comes to phone grip kickstands, but I also adore the Scooch Wingback for its springy metal coil, which works great as a vertical kickstand for most phones and has a satisfying sound when you click it in and out.

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Basketball World Cup 2019 live stream: how to watch FIBA final online from anywhere

The 18th edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup was blown wide open after the USA were defeated by France in the round of eight. But that now feels like a distant memory as Spain and Argentina prepare to battle it out for the trophy and the title. And you're in the right place to discover how to get a Basketball World Cup live stream from your corner of the Earth.

The 2019 edition is taking place in China across eight different venues. While usually held every four years, there's been a bit of a longer wait for Basketball fans this time out, with the tournament delayed by a year, meaning it now falls out of sync with the FIFA World Cup for the first time. There's also a new expanded format, with 32 teams now taking part, up from the previous 24.

Two-time defending champions USA went into the tournament as clear favorites, but they suffered a shock (yet comprehensive) defeat at the hands of France. Having qualified for the 2010 Olympics, they'll be expecting much more success there with the likes of Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Kyrie Irving, Paul George and Anthony Davis all likely to throw their hats into the ring.

And to be fair, the chasing pack this time out has looked stronger than ever. Spain were tipped by many at the start to be genuine contenders and have safely made it through to final. While Argentina took out France in the other semi-final on Friday.

Beyond the tournament itself there's more at stake - the  FIBA World Cup will this year act as qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, with seven of the twelve spots up for grabs (the top two finishers from both Europe and the Americas, along with the top one from each of Africa, Asia and Oceania).

If you want to know where you'll be able to watch all the action - it's ESPN+ if you're in the US - we'll tell you exactly where you can catch it online with our 2019 Basketball World Cup live stream guide below.

How to watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 from outside your country

Below we have a full rundown of your viewing options for the 2019 Basketball World Cup in different countries - check out how to watch in the US (where ESPN+ will be streaming the tournament in its entirety), the UK, Canada and Australia.

The problems start when you try to watch your domestic coverage online while out of the country. Give it a go and you'll quickly find your stream in geo-blocked.

That's super annoying, but not unavoidable. We've found that using a Virtual Private Network - or VPN - to be a handy solution. You select a server in your home country and then watch as if you were sat back at home on your couch.

FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 fixtures

Semi-finals

Spain vs Australia - Friday, September 13 - Times TBD

Argentina vs France - Friday, September 13 - Times TBD

Final

SF1 vs SF2 - Sunday, September 13 - 8pm local time (8am ET, 5am PT, 10pm AEST)

How to watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019: US live stream 

- Discover our pick of all the US's best sports streaming sites

How to live stream the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in Australia 

How to watch FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in Canada for free

How to stream the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 live in the UK 

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19 school supplies to brighten a student’s day in 2019

Ahh, school days. The time when students are busy cramming for tests and studying for essays. Students often don't have the time to take care of their everyday needs, whether that be grocery shopping, replacing daily items, or buying something fun for themselves. We've rounded up some awesome supplies that would make any high school or college student happy to receive. See which items remind you of your student.

Class is in session

High school and college students can have pretty stressful lives depending on the amount of classes they're taking and the upcoming events in their lives. You can help them out by providing everyday necessities or fun items that they wouldn't be able to get for themselves. Just keep in mind that many college students don't have a lot of space. You'll want to send them things that will be useful without cluttering up their dorms or apartments.

I highly recommend sending an Amazon Pantry food care package like this Variety Fun Care Package. It provides a mix of cookies and crackers to satisfy both a savory and sweet craving and there are 50 snacks in all. High school students will enjoy the treats and college students will find this a welcome surprise as they usually aren't able to buy a lot of snacks for themselves.

Know any coffee fiends? Give them the caffeine boost they crave with Death Wish Coffee, the world's strongest coffee. These grounds have been enjoyed by thousands of coffee lovers, have a bold flavor, and are USDA certified organic. If you're looking to supply them with a different type of energy, consider this Anker PowerCore 10000 PD. It's a super practical, portable battery charger that they can use to recharge their smartphone, tablet, headphones, or a number of other electronics when rushing from one classroom to another.

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AMD Ryzen Processors are seeing wider adoption among PC enthusiasts

It's no secret that AMD has been on top of the world with its Ryzen 3rd Generation processors and Navi graphics cards, but we're starting to see some indication that hardcore PC enthusiasts are starting to side with Team Red. 

The folks over at KitGuru spotted some statistics from PassMark, a popular CPU benchmarking tool, which suggest that AMD has gained some market share over Intel. More specifically, in Q3 2019, AMD jumped to 31.9% market share, up from 23.1% in Q2 2019. Similarly, Intel dropped to 68.10% in Q3 2019 from 76.9% in the prior quarter. 

It's important to note that this isn't counting the amount of processors sold – right now it looks like AMD is way ahead in that regard. It's only considering the amount of processors that are being benchmarked through PassMark. There are plenty of – heck, probably the majority of – never benchmark their hardware through these kind of tools. 

What this means, however, is that the type of people who do benchmark their hardware (PC enthusiasts) are adopting AMD hardware at a higher rate. That's probably because the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X is more powerful than the Intel Core i9 9900K – even if Intel disagrees

According to these results, AMD and Intel are closer than they've been since Q4 2007. And, with AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3rd Generation likely coming later this year, we could see that gap close even more.  

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Rebuilding trust in a data-driven world

Trust: a firm belief in the reliability, strength, truth, or capability of someone – or something. By this definition, trust in business has perhaps been waning of late, particularly when it comes to the integrity of financial data

In fact, in the UK, a series of high-profile corporate collapses caused by poor commercial management, followed by a trio of major reviews into the audit industry, means that financial services is now the country’s least-trusted sector.

It is therefore no surprise that rebuilding trust has become a top priority for CFOs, and a good place to start is by improving trust internally. How do you achieve this? With finance’s number one driving force: data.

Financial data holds the key

Since businesses rely on financial data to inform many important decisions, confidence in the numbers is the first step toward rebuilding trust. A recent BlackLine survey revealed that nearly 70% of global business leaders and finance professionals believe their organisation has made a significant business decision based on inaccurate financial data; while over half are not completely confident they can identify financial errors before reporting results.

Not only can tapping into poor data put you at risk of becoming the next front-page scandal and damage your reputation, it can seriously set your organisation back in its efforts to transform longer-term.

As awareness of the risks associated with inaccurate reporting grows, finance professionals are ready to see more accountability in the industry. So, how can they be confident that the decisions being made based on their data are the right ones?

Building confidence in the numbers

To build real confidence in data, the crucial first step is to ensure the reliability and accuracy of financial information. Over a quarter (26%) of finance executives report they are concerned about financial errors they know must exist, but over which they have no visibility. With trust hanging in the balance, efforts must be focused on resolving these blind spots and unseen errors that undermine confidence in the numbers.

At the centre of these efforts lies real-time, cloud-based process automation. By automating manual, time-intensive processes, such as transaction matching or journal entries, data not only becomes more reliable, but people can also spend more time on consultative, analytical tasks; in turn adding more value to the business.

Continuous accounting, for example, a model that combines modern finance strategies and cloud technology, can put an end to high margins of error and deliver faster analysis and increased operational efficiency. With real-time updates, consistent reports, and numerous controls to enforce accountability – departments are beginning to reap benefits of better data integrity and a bolstered culture of trust. 

Transparency: the key to accountability

As technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and robotic process automation (RPA) contribute more toward the decision making process, transparency becomes fundamental. Not only is full transparency critical for effective decision making, but it will also be a significant factor in achieving ‘ethical’ and ‘explainable’ AI.

While finance professionals have always expected to be held accountable for certifying the books, they are increasingly putting their name against decisions made by machine learning algorithms. As a result, it’s never been more important to understand why recommendations are made, or how decisions are reached. Otherwise, how can you ever be confident in the validity of the outcome you are held accountable for? 

The need for transparency is only going to grow as technology becomes more imbedded in finance decisions. For example, if an algorithm denies a loan request based on factors such as postcode, it may be inadvertently replicating the bias we see in human decision making. Understanding how the decision is reached, however, would allow a person to review or challenge it, helping to determine the correct, but also ethical, course of action. 

Future-proofing finance

While truly intelligent technology like AI is not a reality for finance right now, it will certainly start to penetrate more tasks and roles within the industry as it advances in future. For now, automation in finance ensures that wider business decisions are made based on the most accurate and up to date information available. 

Not only does this help to build a culture of trust within the finance department, but the shift towards internal integrity will play a pivotal role in boosting trust in the business more generally – be that with its customers, shareholders or the public. 

Ultimately, using automation to enhance the accuracy and reliability of your company’s data will pay dividends further down the line. After all, what use will intelligent AI be if it learns from flawed and inaccurate data sets? And more importantly, who would put their name to the decisions or recommendations it makes? The bottom line is that data-driven businesses simply won’t succeed without first laying the foundations of integrity and trust. 

 

Andy Botrill is the VP EMEA for BlackLine.

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Google ups Play Store bug bounties

Google is making it easier for security researchers to get paid for finding bugs on the Play Store by increasing the scope of its Google Play Security Reward Program (GPSRP) to all apps on its store with 100 million or more installs.

The search giant has also launched a new program in collaboration with HackerOne called the Developer Data Protection Reward Program (DDPRP) aimed at finding data abuses in Android apps, OAuth projects and Chrome extensions.

Since the launch of its bug bounty program in 2010, Google has already paid security researchers over $15m and GPSRP has already paid out over $256k in bounties so far. By adding popular Android apps to the program, the company is making them eligible for rewards regardless of whether the app's developers have their own vulnerability disclosure or bug bounty program.

In exchange for paying out a bug bounty, Google will use the vulnerability data collected by security researchers to help create automated checks that scan all of the apps in the Play Store for similar vulnerabilities. Developers whose apps contain bugs are notified via the Play Console and the App Security Improvement (ASI) program will provide them with information on the vulnerability and how to fix it. Back in February, Google revealed that ASI has already helped more than 300k developers fix over 1m apps on Google Play.

Developer Data Protection Reward Program

In addition to expanding its current Android bug bounty program, Google also launched DDPRP to identify and mitigate data abuse issues in Android apps, OAuth projects and Chrome extensions. Instead of finding vulnerabilities, this program will reward security researchers that find and report apps which have violated Google Play, Google API or Chrome Web Store Extensions program policies.

Those that can find evidence of data abuse that can be verified could get paid. On the DDPRP page on HackerOne's website, Google highlights apps that access a user's contacts and doesn't treat this data as personal or sensitive data as well as apps that violate its permission policy by using contact data without a user's permission for another service unrelated to the original app.

The company did not provide a maximum reward amount but depending on its impact, a single report could earn a security researcher a $50k bounty.

Android apps and Chrome extensions that abuse user's data will be removed from their respective stores and if developer is also found abusing access to Gmail restricted scopes their API access will be removed.

Via VentureBeat

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