Tag Archives: Branding

Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Windows 10 Will Get New Update Feature

A small but significant update is coming in the next version of Windows 10, which should have the company’s massive user base breathing a sigh of relief.

The company is experimenting with a new feature that it can use to trigger automatic uninstalls of buggy updates. This happens in the background, so there’s nothing the user must do.

This is significant, given the recent trouble Microsoft has been having with its updates.  Unfortunately, the company made some radical changes to its testing procedures last year. Since that time, they’ve released several updates that have been problematic.  Most recently, a Windows 10 update wound up deleting user files for a small but vocal percentage of the company’s user base.

The company is working hard to improve their process. However, the fact that they’re even considering a feature like this (much less actively experimenting with it) is a clear signal that they’re not confident in their ability to release a clean, relatively problem-free update.

It should be noted that at present, the new experimental feature is only visible to Windows Insiders users and it is unclear when it will be released to the general public.  Odds are excellent, however, that it will happen soon.

Given the problems we outlined above, industry insiders generally regard this as a positive development.  Of course, the hope is that Microsoft will be able to avoid releasing a buggy update, but given the company’s recent track record, the inclusion of this feature is an excellent fallback position.

In any case, if you’re a member of the Windows Insider program, you may be able to see it in action now and in the weeks ahead.  If not, you’ll have to wait a while.

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Some HP Laptops Being Recalled For Battery Fire Risk

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC) has recently issued a statement concerning HP’s recall of more than 78,000 laptop batteries.  This is being issued in addition to the 50,000 laptop batteries the company recalled in January 2018 for the same issue. According to the company, the batteries in question are prone to overheating and pose fire and burn hazards.

The USCPSC’s statement comes on the heels of eight new reports of overheating battery packs.  Note that the actual recall announcement occurred back in January of this year.  The reason it’s only now getting press is because of the recent government shutdown.

If you personally own HP equipment, or if you’ve purchased some for company use, be sure to head to HP’s website for a full listing of the models that have been impacted by the recall.

In terms of scope and scale, this is hardly the biggest equipment recall we’ve seen in recent times.  Last year, Panasonic’s entire “Toughbook” product line had to be recalled, just to cite one example.

This isn’t the first time HP has had hardware problems in the recent past and it certainly won’t be the last. However, from what we can tell, this incident isn’t the leading edge of some type of systemic issue for the company.  It’s unfortunate, yes, but on its own we don’t see any reason to consider switching to some other hardware vendor.  After all, just about every major PC manufacturer has suffered similar issues at some point.

Even so, make sure the people in your employ who are using HP laptops are aware of the potential problem. Again, be sure to head to the company’s website to see if your equipment is at risk or not.

 

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Hackers Continue To Attack POS Transactions And Systems

Have you heard of DMSniff?  If you’re in the restaurant, entertainment, or retail business and you haven’t heard of it, this article is likely to dismay you. It’s the latest threat being deployed against those industries.

Researchers from the cybersecurity company Flashpoint now believe that DNSniff malware has been lurking in the wild since at least 2016.

It has proved to be notoriously hard to detect, which explains why we’re just now hearing about it. Even worse, the hackers behind the software have been specifically targeting small to medium-sized companies that rely heavily on credit card transactions to survive, These companies don’t typically have the resources to deploy state of the art security measures.

One of the key features of this malware strain is that it uses a DGA (Domain Generation Algorithm) to create command and control domains on the fly, which makes it incredibly resistant to blocking mechanisms and takedowns.  For instance, if law enforcement officials raid a site, confiscate servers, and shut down a domain, DNSniff keeps doing its thing.  It will simply spawn a new command and control domain and continue to transmit stolen data.

Although DGA’s are employed by other forms of malware, finding it built into the core functionality of code designed to be injected and run on POS machines is a new twist the researchers hadn’t seen coming.

In addition to that, DNSniff also utilizes a string-encoding routine, which enables it to hide even when actively searched for. This makes it more difficult for security personnel to uncover the inner workings of the code.

The goal for the hackers, of course, is to siphon off as many credit card numbers and as much other payment information as they can. They then bundle the stolen data and resell it on the Dark Web.  The group behind DNSniff has been wildly successful.  If you’re in any of the businesses we mentioned at the start, make sure your staff is aware of this latest threat, and stay on your guard.

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Pixel Phones Have The Update For Newest Android OS

The latest version of the Android OS is now available in beta form.  The catch is, you’ve got to own a Google Pixel phone to use it at this point. The rest of Google’s massive user base will get to see Android Q later this year. In an unusual move, the company limited access to their latest work in progress to Pixel owners, including those still using the Pixel 1 (which is technically no longer supported by the company).

The latest version of the OS introduces a variety of advancements.

Here are a few you’ll be impressed with:

  • Better split-screen support – Note that this also specifically improves enhanced support for foldable screens, which appear to figure heavily in Google’s long-term plans. That’s good news for some phone manufacturers.  If you own a Galaxy Fold, for example, when Q is released for your device, the change will have a big impact.
  • Improved Privacy and Permission Features – Any time you see a popup driven by an app seeking permission to access a portion of your data (location data, for example), you’ll see three options:
    • Allow All The Time
    • Allow Only While The App Is In Use
    • Deny
  • Improved Security – On the privacy front, Android Q does not allow apps to launch any activity while in the background, which means that malicious apps can’t do anything nefarious without user input.
  • Big Improvements To The Share Menu – One of the most persistent user complaints about previous versions of Android has been the OS’s sub-par share menu. It’s getting a major overhaul that makes it more intuitive and includes an option for developers to publish “Sharing Shortcuts” which should make the menu even more useful.

Do you own a Pixel?  If so, check out the new features and start playing around with them today!

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Posted on Author Atlantic Computer Services Categories Blog

Iconic Software Adobe Shockwave Unavailable After April

It’s the end of an era.  Way back in 1995, a company called Macromedia released the iconic Shockwave player, which quickly became a mainstay on Windows-based machines.

A decade later, Adobe purchased Macromedia, taking ownership of the Shockwave player and the company’s other  products (like Flash), both of which continued under the Adobe brand.

Time has not been kind to the technology.  Not only has the company struggled to keep them secure, but the web itself has moved on.  While Flash and Shockwave were once instrumental to cutting edge web development, today’s developers have migrated to WebGL and HTML5, leaving these products with a withering market share.

Although there’s not much current demand for the products, there are a surprising number of legacy websites that still rely on the aging tech.  That’s why Adobe’s recent end of life announcement for Shockwave is sending ripples of panic through the internet.

Adobe has begun sending out emails to their customers bearing the subject line “Adobe Shockwave Product Announcement” in a bid to give webmasters whose sites are built around the tech time to shift gears. The Shockwave Player will officially be retired as of April 8th, 2019, about a year before another iconic Adobe product called Flash Player is slated to retire.

According to the official announcement, business owners with existing Shockwave Enterprise licenses will continue to receive product support until the end of their current contract.  There will be no renewals.

All that to say, the clock is ticking.  If redesigning your company’s website to migrate away from Shockwave and Flash is something you’ve had on the backburner for a while, it’s time to move it to the front of the queue.  Be sure your IT and web development staff are aware, and plan accordingly.  The end is nigh.

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