IT professionals are being forced to adopt Microsoft's operating systems — even if they tell their PC supplier they want a system free of Microsoft software, ZDNet UK's research has revealed. ZDNet's reporters posed as undercover buyers to identify the policy of the top-five PC vendors in terms of supplying systems without an operating system, known as naked PCs. A naked … [Read more...] about Top five PC manufacturers fail naked PC test
Undercover box cover
ZDNet’s Ultimate Black Friday 2009: Deals, steals & specials guide
Black Friday is almost here. Yes, it's that time of the year again -- the time when retailers across the U.S. mark down products to bargain levels to kick off the holiday shopping season, move goods off the shelves and move the year's profit needle from red to black. And, you know, force Americans to wake up at ungodly hours after the previous day's Thanksgiving meal to make … [Read more...] about ZDNet’s Ultimate Black Friday 2009: Deals, steals & specials guide
Nokia’s Conspiracy for Good: How to play the augmented reality game
How mobile technology blurs the real world and fiction "Hey buddy, it's been a while." We're approached by a guy we've never seen before. We don't know him but he seems to know us. Or at least, he's pretending he does. He shakes my partner's hand. I'm now sure I don't know this man. He leans in to us and hisses sotto voce, "Cover up your bag." We're deep under cover, … [Read more...] about Nokia’s Conspiracy for Good: How to play the augmented reality game
A DEF CON postscript: Said the FBI agent to the taxi driver
Suit and tie corporate security conference Black Hat blends into the t-shirts and tactical pants hackers of DEF CON with a lot of overlap. It's common for hackers to attend both Las Vegas conferences, though at Black Hat USA, they're called security researchers. The conferences now occur back-to-back; Black Hat ends and DEF CON begins the next day. This year DEF CON was twice … [Read more...] about A DEF CON postscript: Said the FBI agent to the taxi driver
Box office hits and misses: ‘Pets’ wins, but ‘Finding Dory’ is the biggest movie of 2016
Pixar’s animated sequel Finding Dory finally got knocked out of the top spot after three blockbuster weeks, but the success of new box-office champion The Secret Life of Pets wasn’t enough to keep the wildly popular fish story from breaking even more records.With another $20.3 million in U.S. theaters, Finding Dory is now the highest-grossing film of … [Read more...] about Box office hits and misses: ‘Pets’ wins, but ‘Finding Dory’ is the biggest movie of 2016
10 games we’d like to see turned into movies (and how we’d make them)
Ok, Hollywood, you’ve had your chance. Again and again you wonder where your next big cash cow will be, and again and again you overlook the most obvious source sitting right under your collective noses. The comic book teat will run dry eventually, and where will you go for your billion dollar adaptions then? Books? Please. Save those adaptations for the art houses.So, … [Read more...] about 10 games we’d like to see turned into movies (and how we’d make them)
Last Minute Gift Ideas
Between jetting off to the in-laws, preparing for the kids’ winter break, reconnecting with friends and relatives, plus, you know, actually keeping the lights on and all, something had to give: Namely, any free time you’d scheduled for holiday shopping. But relax – it’s not too late to still surprise that special someone in your life who adores … [Read more...] about Last Minute Gift Ideas
Contrary to info on game’s box, ‘Lego City Undercover’ requires no extra download
The Nintendo Switch’s use of proprietary physical game cartridges in place of optical discs means that the console’s 32GB of on-board memory is mostly kept open when playing a game like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Early copies of Lego City Undercover have been released into the wild, and the game’s box made it appear that it would be the … [Read more...] about Contrary to info on game’s box, ‘Lego City Undercover’ requires no extra download
The Hacker, the Con Man, the ATM — and You
Last month, the FBI arrested a 19-year-old grocery store employee for trying to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from ATMs . He planned to use default passwords he found online to reprogram the ATMs , convincing them they held $1 bills instead of $20 bills. Slideshow: Quiz: Separate Cyber Security Fact From FictionMoral of the story:Change your default passwords.Wait -- … [Read more...] about The Hacker, the Con Man, the ATM — and You
Covert Investigations: Cameras
Is covert surveillance a necessary part of your investigation? Lux levels, nanny cams and other camera considerationsThe elusive suspect had countered the manufacturing site security's reactive measures for the last 3 months. Dogging the well placed but ineffective overt closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras, the unknown suspect gained access to the administration's offices … [Read more...] about Covert Investigations: Cameras