One of Windows 10’s new features is its optimized update delivery system. If Microsoft’s servers are busy, Windows 10 can grab updates for the operating system and for Windows Store apps from other computers — either on your local network or over the Internet. On one hand, this “Delivery Optimization” feature can be useful if …
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May, 2016
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26 May
Google might start shaming companies that take too long to update their Android phones
Sick of waiting for your phone to get the latest version of Android? So is Google, apparently. To help speed the process, the tech giant may start shaming companies that take too long to bring fresh versions of Android to their devices. Google already has a list that ranks manufacturers by how up-to-date their handsets are, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday. …
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26 May
PayPal to Microsoft, BlackBerry, Amazon Kindle Fire: Buh
PayPal is unloading a little baggage. The online payments company said Wednesday in a blog post that it is ditching its apps made for Microsoft Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Amazon Kindle Fire. The news comes as PayPal is requiring its users to upgrade to the latest version of its app for Apple iPhone and Google Android. June 30 will be …
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26 May
Gawker CEO Nick Denton challenges Peter Thiel to a public debate
Gawker’s founder and CEO wants to publicly debate the Silicon Valley billionaire who secretly spent millions of dollars on a lawsuit against him. Gawker Media’s Nick Denton issued his challenge to PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel in an open letter on Thursday, a day after Thiel admitted he was the bucks behind a defamation lawsuit that Terry Bollea — better known …
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26 May
Snapchat snags over $1.8B in funding
Proving it has value beyond teens sending risqué images to each other, Snapchat has just secured $1.81 billion in funding. While Snapchat hasn’t officially disclosed its overall valuation, TechCrunch reports that the additional funds could put the value of the company at around $20 billion. Snapchat’s giant boost in funding comes amid worries that this new era of “unicorns,” or …
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26 May
Windows 10 Settings menu: The Time & language tab
The Time & language tab in the new Windows 10 Settings menu is pretty straightforward. This is where you go to change the time and date, add languages (read: keyboards) to your PC, and adjust the speech settings. Windows 8 users will recognize this section from the Windows 8 PC settings menu (Charms bar > Settings > Change PC settings …
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26 May
This giant roach trap is so sticky it can catch a sumo wrestler
A scientist, a runner and a sumo wrestler walk into a roach motel. It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it’s actually the subject of a video showing what happens if you super-size a sticky cockroach trap and turn test subjects loose on its grippy surface. Earth Chemical, a Japanese pest control company, built the massive trap. Related …
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26 May
Google wins Java lawsuit. Oracle sees future fight
Software can continue talking to software the way it always has. That’s because a jury found Thursday that Google’s Android mobile operating system doesn’t violate copyrights owned by Oracle. Rather, it’s covered by fair use. The case, brought by Oracle, involved application programming interfaces, which govern how code communicates with other bits of code. The APIs were part of Java, …
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26 May
Google honors legendary swing dancer in doodle
Yes, I know it’s not 1996, but the folks at Google still think that swing dancing is cool. That’s why Google is honoring the 102nd birthday of one of the great innovators in swing dancing, Frankie Manning. Today, Google has made its doodle, created by Nate Swinehart, one that celebrates Mannings’ acrobatic style, showing dance partners jumping and spinning around …
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26 May
5 Mac apps for coffee
As a freelance writer, I split my time between my home office, my kitchen table and coffee shops. When I’m working in a coffee shop, I need help staying focused and productive. I also want to keep my MacBook safe and its contents private during the occasional bathroom break or trip to the counter for a refill. With that preamble …
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