Ray Tomlinson, who developed what we now know as email, has died at the age of 74. As well as the technology itself, he created the use of the @ sign in addresses. Tomlinson worked at tech firm Bolt, Beranek and Newman and developed some key technologies for ARPANET, the military network that lay the […]
Just a quick post to let you geeks know about Kindle Unlimited, a new service by Amazon which offers you access to over one million ebooks! The first 30 days are free, and after this, the service costs $9.99 per month, but if you’re not interested, you can cancel right when the free trial ends! […]
Today’s free eBook is for all you geeks who want to learn more about the web, start a website, and more! Getting Started with the Web Want to build your own website—one that represents you, your cause, or your organization—without outside help? With this free guide, Shelley Powers quickly teaches you the basics: you’ll learn […]
The head of Wikimedia’s parent organization has resigned over plans to create a search engine. Contributors were upset about both the move itself and a lack of transparancy over the plans. Lila Tretikov announced her departure as executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organization that oversees a range of websites, most notably Wikipedia. […]
Google is offering to protect news sites large and small from DDos attacks. It’s extending Project Shield, which was originally only for selected websites. The free service launched a few years ago for around 100 sites which had limited tech resources but were at particular risk of such attacks, including those highlighting human rights and […]
Google is to start warning users when a “download” button on a website might be a malware trick. Let’s hope it means less work for those of us who act as IT support, for work, friends or family. Bogus download buttons will be particularly familiar to anyone who has searched for software download sites, often […]
Tinder has added an app link that lets users locate the nearest STD clinic. It follows criticism from an HIV testing and prevention agency. The app won’t carry out the search itself, even though by definition it know the user’s location. Instead Tinder is simply adding a link in the FAQ section of the app. […]
A website that searches the “Internet of Things” has added a search facility for unsecured webcams. The operators say its designed to highlight security risks rather than enable voyeurs or would-be criminals. Shodan is designed for searching for details of devices, both computers and other devices from smart TVs to power plants, that are connected […]
The annual list of the “worst passwords” has again failed to tell us anything useful about security, thought perhaps provided a little (predictable) detail about popular culture. As always happens this time of year, a publicity-seeking company behind a password manager application has put together a list of the 25 worst passwords by simply counting […]
Who are Internet Trolls and what do they look like scientifically? Find out in ASAP Science’s new video. [ASAPScience]