There are plenty of people out there who wish Microsoft would call off their plan to end support for Windows XP next month. You can count Avast COO Ondřej Vlček among the people in that crowd. Avast is known for developing a suite of security programs, including anti virus and Internet security programs for homes and businesses.
Vlček states on the official Avast! blog that severing support for XP will not only make the outdated OS unsafe for its user base, but will compromise the security of everyone who interacts with a system tied to a PC running XP.
Vlček goes beyond warning consumers, essentially condemning Microsoft for weakening digital security across multiple platforms whose impact will affect countless users who aren’t in a position to defend themselves. Despite years of warning, a large percentage of Windows PCs still use XP, including the systems of large institutions like international banks, medical facilities and the U.S. government agencies. With 95 percent of ATMs reportedly still running XP, Vlcek invokes last year’s Target hack as an example of the digital attacks that could become much more frequent once support for it ends next month.
Some institutions,including many banks, are negotiating extended support deals to continue receiving Windows XP support from Microsoft. It’ll be interesting to see what the security landscape looks like once support for XP concludes after the April 8 support cutoff passes.
What do you think? Sound off in the comments below.
Mozilla is giving Firefox’s Smart Window two new tricks. If you haven’t tried it yet, Smart Window is an optional AI mode in Firefox with a built-in chat that helps you get things done while you browse. With this update, it can fill out online forms using details from your tabs and keep an eye on websites for you.
Tired of typing the same details into every form?
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.