Author: Danielle

Users have been waiting for the first significant builds of the upcoming Windows 10 20H1 feature release to drop, and build 18963 is just that. It offers improvements to the Task Manager, Settings, Windows Search, and even your account picture. 

None of the new features should be considered barn-burners, but we haven’t seen this breadth of variety very often with the upcoming 20H1 release. (While the 20H1 release, due in the spring of 2020, is the “feature release,” Microsoft has said before that the 19H2 release due this fall will be built around optimizations and bug fixes.)

Here’s a list of what’s new, starting off with a feature designed for PC enthusiasts:

GPU temperature comes to Task Manager

While you may already monitor your GPU temps via some form of third-party utility, the capability is now being built right into Windows. Along with a number of other capabilities already built into Task Manager (monitoring your CPU utilization is a popular choice, along with tracking Wi-Fi and networking bandwidth) you’ll now see your GPU temperature, if your system supports it. You’ll find it in the Performance tab.

Microsoft

Unfortunately, Task Manager doesn’t seem to support your CPU temperature yet, but it’s likely that will be added down the road. You’ll need a graphics driver that supports version 2.4 (or higher) of WDDM. Unfortunately, temperatures are provided only in Celsius for now. 

Rename your virtual desktops

While many people don’t actually use Windows’ virtual desktops capability (leading Microsoft to repurpose it to Timeline), one feature has been long overdue: the ability to rename the desktops, so that you can at least mentally organize them into work and play, or at least different desktops for different tasks. Simply open Task View by pressing Win+Tab or by pressing the Task View key, then click the name of the desktop to change it.

The names will persist through a reboot cycle, Microsoft says.

Microsoft

Microsoft’s server-side Microsoft Search improves

Microsoft has also made several improvements to Microsoft Search. The improvements will work best when your PC is connected to the Internet, and it can filter your searches through to the cloud. Here’s a short summary:

Adidas has managed to straddle the worlds of sports and fashion masterfully, creating clothes and accessories that are on-trend and incredibly functional – precisely the qualities you want from the best college backpack.

Whether you’re after a bold Adidas logo on your next backpack, or a simpler, cleaner look with three stripes or a small crest, there are plenty of options available.

Compared to Nike alternatives, Adidas backpacks tend to include less padding on the inside, so might not be as good at keeping your tech safeguarded. That said, they are generally a bit more affordable, with the entry-level option costing less than £20/$25/AU$35, despite being as much a fashion statement as a means of transporting your stuff. 

Adidas also clearly places a focus on comfort, with padded shoulder straps, and the capacities inside are ample. The Creator backpack offers over 40 liters of space inside, with most Nike backpacks capping out at 25-35 liters.

As for the type of backpacks we’ve selected, for a back to school bag we’d recommend staying away from anything leather, and we’ve also kept the price below £70/$80 (around AU$120), as well as opting for plenty of compartments.

Additionally, if you suffer from sweaty-back-syndrome, as most people do, a bit of breathing space and padding on the back of the backpack should help and in its higher-end bags, that’s precisely what Adidas offers. 

We’ve ultimately picked five of the best Adidas backpacks for students across a range of prices, covering multiple styles, so there should be something suitable.

These are products that we haven’t had in our test labs, but based on our experts’ opinion and knowledge of the most reputable brands around, we think these are worth looking at.

Our selections, ranked from cheapest to most expensive, take into account online reviews, brand reputation, product capability, and unique features, to help you pick through the maze of choices available to you.

(Image credit: Adidas)

1. Adidas Linear Classic Daily

Dimensions: 16 x 28 x 46cm | Fabric: 51% recycled polyester, 49% polyester plain weave | Volume: 22.38 liters | Color: Numerous available | Weight: 207g | Max laptop size: No sleeve

If you’re looking for discounted Apple devices, then look no further than Best Buy’s Apple shopping event. You can find massive discounts on laptops, Apple Watches, AirPods, Phones, and more.

A standout deal is the 2017 MacBook Air that’s on sale for $749. That’s a $250 discount and the best price we’ve found for the powerful laptop. The 13.3-inch MacBook Air features a Dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and packs 128GB of storage. Perfect for students, the lightweight MacBook weighs just 2.96 pounds and includes an impressive all-day battery life of 12 hours.

If you don’t require the latest and greatest Apple laptop, then the 2017 MacBook Air is a fantastic option at an excellent price. We don’t know how long Best Buy will have the MacBook on sale, so you should take advantage while you can.

You can see our roundup of the best laptops under $500: the best budget laptops around. We’ve taken a look at the other models of MacBook deals too.

You can also shop the best back to school accessories for your new MacBook and find out the 10 things you should know before you buy a MacBook for students.

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Contrary to rumors, Microsoft is not working on a streaming-only Xbox console. In an interview with Gamespot, Microsoft’s executive VP of Gaming Phil Spencer set the record straight: the company isn’t working on a streaming-only Xbox console at the moment.

After the Redmond company announced last year that it is working on a game streaming technology (known as xCloud), as well as new game consoles, Spencer said that Xbox fans may have taken that to mean that a streaming console is in the works. 

The May 2019 release of the disc-less Xbox One S All-Digital Edition only fueled those rumors further. However, while this new console doesn’t play physical disc, it does require for games to be downloaded before you can play them.

We’re not that close to full-time game streaming yet

The good news is that Microsoft’s gaming division is still hard at work in making that console-quality game streaming service a reality. It’s indeed full steam ahead for this game-streaming technology.

According to Spencer, “We are not working on a streaming-only console right now. We are looking at the phone in your pocket as the destination for you to stream, and the console that we have allows you to play the games locally.”

Dubbed Project xCloud, this technology is intended to complement Microsoft’s console hardware and give gamers the ability to utilize Xbox functionality through their other devices, perhaps with as little lag as possible. Currently in beta testing at the company, Project xCloud will be in public beta for select markets as early as September and to the rest of the gaming world by 2020.

As for whether or not a streaming-only Xbox console might still be in the stars, who knows? With the direction Microsoft is taking, a streaming-only console could still happen someday. Although, if this game streaming service proves to be a success, we probably won’t need one.

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A new survey of over 6,000 firmware images has found no improvement in firmware security over the last 15 years as well as lax security standards for the software running connected devices from Linksys, NETGEAR and other major hardware vendors.

The survey was carried out by chief scientist at the Cyber Independent Testing Lab (CITL), Sarah Zatcko who explained that firmware security is worse off than many thought, saying:

“We found no consistency in a vendor or product line doing better or showing improvement. There was no evidence that anybody is making a concerted effort to address the safety hygiene of their products.”

The CITL study surveyed firmware from 18 different vendors including ASUS, D-link, Linksys, NETGEAR, Ubiquiti and others. The team analyzed over 6,000 firmware versions created from 2003 to 2018 as part of the first logitudinal study of Internet of Things (IoT) safety.

Firmware security

Researchers at CITL studied publicly available firmware images to compile their study and evaluated them based on the inclusion of standard security features such as the use of non-executable stacks, Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) and stack guards which are used to prevent buffer overflow attacks.

CITL found that firmware from commonly used manufacturers failed to implement basic security features and this was also true when the researchers tested the most recent versions of the firmware.

There was some good news including the fact that almost all of Linksys and NETGEAR’s recent router firmware included non-executable stacks. However, other common security features like ASLR or stack guards were not implemented according to CITL’s data.

The researchers documented 299 positive changes in firmware security scores over the 15 years covered by the study but they also found 360 negative changes during the same period. Analyzing the entire data set actually showed that firmware security appeared to get worse over time. The poor scores these devices earned suggest that many companies making IoT devices have not adapted their practices to account for the increased risks that come with connected devices.

Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting connected devices because when compared to Microsoft’s Windows, Apple’s macOS and Google Chrome, they are easy prey.

Via The Security Ledger

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Ubisoft has officially announced Watch Dogs: Legion during its E3 2019 conference. Rumors suggested the latest installation to the Watch Dog series would take place in post-Brexit London and it turns out they were spot on. 

Ubisoft officially announced the game alongside lengthy gameplay footage that sees you playing as Ian (a character straight out of a Guy Ritchie film) navigating the streets of futuristic London including Camden Market and Piccadilly Circus.

Here’s all we know about the third Watch Dogs game, coming in 2020.

[Update: Watch Dogs Legion is one of the games heading to Gamescom 2019 with Ubisoft. Find out in what capacity it’ll be there below.]

Cut to the chase

• What is it? The next game in the Watch Dogs series set in post-Brexit London
• What can I play it on? PS4, Xbox One and PC. Still waiting on Xbox Project Scarlett release information
• When can I play it? March 6, 2020

Watch Dogs Legion trailers

Ubisoft revealed the first trailer for Watch Dogs 3 – officially titled Watch Dogs Legion – at E3 2019. 

Watch Dogs: Legion seems to see you taking on an organization called Albion who have distributed riot drones all over London to keep people in line. You’re a member of the resistance: DeadSec.

What’s interesting about Legion is that you play as more than one character (a whole host actually), with permadeath wiping out the one you’re playing if you happen to end up on the wrong end of an electric bullet. You can apparently play as anyone – with every Londoner being recruitable and fully simulated.

Check out the trailer below:

Watch Dogs Legion news and rumors

Gamescom 2019

Ubisoft has confirmed that it will be one of the many publishers attending Gamescom 2019 and its plans for the show have been finalised. Do they involve Watch Dogs Legion? Unsurprisingly, yes they do. 

Ubisoft will be part of the Gamescom: Opening Night livestream so it’s quite possible (but not certain) that we’ll see some new Watch Dogs announcements. What is certain, though, is that there’ll be a live theatre gameplay demo of Watch Dogs Legion shown at the Ubisoft booth stage. 

E3 2019

From what we saw during E3, Legion seems to be much more combat-heavy than the previous entries we’ve seen in the Watchdogs series and offer a much more developed open-world. But what’s really caught our eye is the realistic interpretation of London – even if it’s a Bladerunner, neon feverdream.

Watch Dogs: Legion is due for release on March 6, 2020.

• TechRadar will be attending Gamescom 2019. Keep checking back for the latest news and announcements. 

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Cybercriminals are increasingly hijacking online forms such as login pages and shopping carts as they hunt for personal financial information (PFI) according to new research from F5 Labs.

The firm’s Application Report 2019 examined 760 breach reports to discover that formjacking, which collects data from a user’s web browser and then moves it to an attacker-controlled location, remains one of the most common attack tactics on the web.

According to F5 Labs data, this attack method was responsible for 71 percent of all analyzed web-related data breaches throughout 2018.

Senior Threat Eveangelist at F5 Networks, David Warburton explained how outsourcing parts of web application code led to formjacking’s rise in popularity among cybercriminals, saying:

“Formjacking has exploded in popularity over the last two years. Web applications are increasingly outsourcing critical components of their code, such as shopping carts and card payment systems, to third parties. Web developers are making use of imported code libraries or, in some cases, linking their app directly to third party scripts hosted on the web.  As a result, businesses find themselves in a vulnerable position as their code is compiled from dozens of different sources – almost all of which are beyond the boundary of normal enterprise security controls. Since many web sites make use of the same third-party resources, attackers know that they just need to compromise a single component to skim data from a huge pool of potential victims.”

Formjacking

By examining breach data, F5 Labs found that 83 incidents in 2019 were attributed to formjacking attacks on web payment forms which impacted close to 1.4m payment cards.

The firm also found that 49 percent of successful attacks occurred in the retail industry, 14 percent were related to business services and 11 percent were focused on manufacturing. 

However, the transport industry was the biggest victim of formjacking attacks that targeted personal financial information and during F5’s window of analysis, 60 percent of all credit card related thefts happened in this sector.

Injection vulnerabilities have been around for some time but F5 Labs believes that they remain a growing and evolving problem as shifting industry trends have led to new risks and the widening of attack surfaces.

To prevent falling victim to formjacking, F5 Labs recommends that businesses create an inventory of web applications, patch their environment, scan for vulnerabilities, monitor for code changes, enable multifactor authentication and monitor for newly registered domains and certificates.

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