The best Australian Chromecast deals in August 2017

The Google Chromecast is not only one of the most useful and innovative gadgets of the last few years, it's also dazzlingly cheap. And if you're looking to pick one up for the cheapest possible price, you've come to the right place!

Chromecast is a Wi-Fi HDMI dongle that you plug directly into your TV. From there you can use your smartphone or tablet to 'throw' video at your TV over Wi-Fi – whether it be Netflix movies, live football matches from the major broadcasters or simply just a funny YouTube video. On this page we'll find you the best prices for the Chromecast Ultra, Chromecast 2 (or just Chromecast now) and Chromecast Audio and explain how they differ.

What is a good Chromecast deal?

This one's easy. The standard price for a Chromecast 2 is about $58. You should never, ever pay more than that because you can always find one for that price.

Chromecast 2 deals

The Chromecast 2, or 'new Chromecast' as it's also known, is very similar to the now almost-extinct 2013 Chromecast. Sure, it looks a little different. And it's got slightly faster network performance and a few other tweaks such as coming with a dangly cable instead of as a rigid stick. But, essentially, it's the same product in a different shape – that's why the prices were basically the same. If you can find one for the same price, get this new one.

Chromecast Audio deals

While it doesn't offer true multi-room streaming at the moment (fingers crossed that comes soon), this easy-to-use and affordable device modernises any trusty set of wired speakers you already own with wireless capabilities. In doing so, it also opens them up to features that will grow and get even better over time. Got an old set of speakers or an ancient iPod dock? Turn it into a wireless speaker with Chromecast Audio!

Chromecast Ultra deals

The 4K Chromecast Ultra is the newest member of the Chromecast family. If you have a 4K TV or are planning on getting one, it's certainly worth picking one of these up. This micro streamer cheap, effective and makes the jump from 1080p to 4K HDR seamlessly.

Chromecast Ultra deals are usually around $95, so anything cheaper is an added bonus.

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The best Australian Amazon Kindle deals in August 2017

This is TechRadar's dedicated page for Amazon Kindle deals in Australia. Here you'll find the cheapest Kindle deals for all of Amazon's e-readers. We crosscheck every model of Kindle with every retailer every day to pull in the best deals so that this page is always up to date with the cheapest prices.

You'll find the latest prices from a wide range of retailers for the latest Kindle e-readers. We've found the best prices on the basic yet impressive regular Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite and you'll also find the best deals on the more luxurious models of the Kindle Voyage and Kindle Oasis.

Want more functionality from your slate? Then take a look at our best iPad deals.

What makes a good Kindle deal?

If this is your first Kindle, you'll want to know how to tell a good Kindle deal when you see one. Luckily, there are so many good ones out there it's pretty easy!

The early Kindle e-readers don't have LCD screens or powerful internal components which means they're usually a lot cheaper than tablets and phones. The lack of a glass screen is fantastic for glare-free reading though and an immediate improvement over using the Kindle app on your phone or tablet.

The Kindle Voyage normally has a price of about $299, so if you can get it for cheaper than that, you're onto a winner. After that, there isn't a huge difference in features, so it all depends how much you want to spend. If you can find the Kindle Paperwhite for under $169, you're getting a good price. With the new Kindle Oasis model arriving recently, we may see the older models' prices drop soon.

For the tablets, the best thing to do is just work out how much you want to spend and pick up the model that sits closest to your budget. 

Here are the best Kindle deals currently available...

Kindle Oasis deals

The luxury e-reader you've been waiting for?

The new Kindle Oasis is out now and costs $449 for the basic Wi-Fi version. There's no avoiding the obvious, that's a lot of money for an e-reader. However, dedicated e-reader fans will appreciate the extra lightness and improved screen lighting. The considerably cheaper Voyage and Paperwhite models are excellent alternatives though and feature the same screen resolution. The page turn buttons are given a wider bezel on the side, making it easier to hold one-handed – the screen will flip over to accommodate left-handed readers too.  Oh, and the battery, it lasts for months instead of weeks. Months!

Have a look at our Kindle Oasis verdict for more information on why this is the future of Amazon's Kindle range.

Kindle Paperwhite deals

The best standard Kindle ever is a value-for-money winner

The 6th-generation Kindle Paperwhite is the best standard Kindle yet, it's the most cost effective e-reader on the market and it easily beats the Kobo Aura on performance and design. Unlike the cheaper model, this one comes with screen lighting. Amazon has managed to create a fast e-ink tablet with inventive reading apps. You can lookup words in the dictionary without leaving your page, or even flick through any relevant Wikipedia entries for most words or terms. As far as value for money goes, this is the one to beat.

Amazon Kindle (2016) deals

The new 2016 Kindle (which some retailers are calling the ‘Kindle Touch 2016’) is the updated version of the entry-level Kindle last released in 2014. If you want the cheapest option, this is the one you should go for as the 2014 version has been discontinued and any deals you see are probably for preowned or refurbished units. With prices starting around $109, you're getting a bargain. The 2016 model is also available in white (the 2014 was black only), it's lighter, thinner, has double the RAM speed and double the storage capacity at 4GB. The lack of a lit screen is the only thing holding it back really.

Kindle Voyage deals

A worthy runner up to the Oasis

The Voyage used to be the most expensive Kindle around before the Oasis arrived, but at least we're seeing the price drop now. Amazon's Voyage is one of the best ebook readers available. It's more compact than most other Kindles and the screen is sharper than the standard Kindle. It's more compact than other Kindles and the screen is sharper than the cheaper models. 

Although, the latest version of the far cheaper Paperwhite now comes with the same 300ppi screen, leaving this model looking a tad overpriced by comparison. Modest improvements on the Voyage include a flush display making the device easier to keep clean, adaptive screen lighting for easier lighting adjustments and additional page turning buttons. And it even comes with an ace origami-style case (at additional cost).

We check our Kindle deals every day to make sure they're always up to date and available!

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Snap joins rivals Facebook and YouTube to fight terrorism

 Snap Inc has joined the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, which sees consumer internet companies cooperating to stop the spread of terrorism and extremism online. Facebook, Google and YouTube, Microsoft, and Twitter formed the GIFCT last month, and tomorrow it will host its first workshop with fellow tech companies plus government and non-governmental organizations. The GIFCT started… Read More

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Game of Thrones episode info leaks online after HBO hacked

Lost My Name, the tech-driven kids book publisher, raises $8.5M and partners with Roald Dahl Estate

 Lost My Name, the London-based startup that uses tech to create and publish personalised story books for children, has raised $8.5 million in Series B funding. It is also revealing an upcoming tie-in with the Roald Dahl Estate, owners of IP such as Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Read More http://ift.tt/2vma6U5

Balkan startups offer free housing service after football price-gouging row

 Football (or soccer) fans wanting to attend UEFA Super Cup 2017 in Skopje last week found that many of their hotel rooms were cancelled and rebooked at astronomical rates – sometimes 500 to 900 GBP for a hotel room that was originally a fraction of that. In order to fight back against a tarnished global image (and because they are cool people), a group in Skopje, WeTalkIT, created a… Read More http://ift.tt/2tRmVRP

Bitrise raises $3.2M A led by OpenOcean to attack the complexity of building apps

 There’s a problem out there in Developer Land in that developers of apps in iOS, Android and other platforms have to manually set up every step for their application. It means they can easily customize things, but that then creates more maintenance costs. The ideal solution would be the automation of all the mobile building, testing and deployment, allowing developers the ability to… Read More http://ift.tt/2vfPnQZ

Niantic postpones its Pokémon Go events in Europe after its Chicago festival ended in disaster

 Following the disastrous outcome of the first-ever Pokémon Go Fest in Chicago this month, Niantic has decided to delay its upcoming European events, previously scheduled for August. These events were meant to further stoke interest in the still popular mobile game, which encourages people to venture out in the real world to catch Pokémon, and compete in battles and raids. But the Chicago… Read More http://ift.tt/2vblFNe

Minecraft’s cross-platform “Better Together” update arrives in beta

 Minecraft’s “Better Together Update” is rolling out now in beta, for players on Windows 10 PCs and Android devices. That means players on either platform with the beta installed will be able to participate in games from either type of device, together in cross-platform play. This update was originally revealed at E3 back in June, and includes other feature additions like… Read More http://ift.tt/2vfid3M

Sick of SoundCloud? Anchor offers podcast transfer with free hosting

 SoundCloud is on shaky financial footing, saying it only has enough money to last a few more months unless someone buys or invests in it. That’s sure to cause anxiety in content creators with their life’s work stored on SoundCloud. Now some new startups are nipping at SoundCloud’s heels by focusing on podcasting in ways the music streaming service never did. Anchor is a… Read More

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With 200M daily users, Giphy will soon test sponsored GIFs

 And it’s about time. Giphy, the four-year-old search engine for GIFs, is going to finally start testing monetization. According to a source close to the company, Giphy will begin testing sponsored GIFs within messaging experiences. This means that users who search for GIFs may be served a sponsored GIF within the messaging tab. There are some obvious use-cases here: A search for… Read More

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Yet another Kodi add-on's domains have ended up in the hands of lawyers

In a pattern that should now be familiar to anyone who's been following Kodi's recent developments, another of its third-party add-ons, Navi-X, has found its domains in the hands of lawyers. 

It was the same story with TVAddons. After shutting down back in June, last week the news emerged that its domains are now in the hands of a Canadian law firm. 

Similarly, Navi-X shut down back in May. Although its team claimed that it was ending the service voluntarily, it's unlikely to be a coincidence that its domains are now in the hands of that same law firm. 

Privacy concerns over piracy add-ons

Having a law firm in charge of domains that are used to stream pirate content is obviously not a good thing for anyone looking to use the service. Controlling the domain means being able to view the traffic coming into it, potentially opening the door for legal action down the line. 

However, it's been noted that there are still no guidelines on whether using Kodi to watch pirate content is itself illegal. Selling fully loaded boxes definitely is though, and it's punishable by up to ten years in prison in the UK. 

• If you want to give the streaming software a go for yourself, then these are the best Kodi boxes. Be sure to check out our guide to the best Kodi add-ons for the best legitimate uses of the software. 

Via Gizmodo UK

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20 of the best free Windows 7 apps

It might be eight years old, but almost half of the world's desktop devices are still running Windows 7 – and for good reason. It's an excellent operating system that's still supported by Microsoft and receives regular security updates (unlike Windows Vista), doesn't pester you with popups like Windows 10, is much more open than macOS, and is easier for beginners to master than Linux.

Here, we've picked 20 of the best programs you can download free to give your Windows 7 PC a new lease of life.

Windows 7's version of Microsoft Paint is a big step up from the edition provided with Windows Vista, but it's still not much use for editing photos or creating your own graphics from scratch.

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a brilliant open source photo editor that's amazingly powerful, and is available to download and use completely free. It's not quite as feature-packed as Adobe Photoshop, but it has everything hobbyist photographers need to make their shots look amazing before printing them or sharing them online.

You can even add more tools and filters by installing plugins – including ones designed for use with Photoshop.

Review and where to download: GIMP

If you're still using Windows Media Center to play music in Windows 7, you're doing your tunes a disservice. MusicBee is designed to organize songs and podcasts in a logical way, add accurate metadata, and give you the best sound quality your PC can provide – whether you have a high-end soundcard or not.

MusicBee supports every music file format you can name without the need to download additional codecs, as well as streaming services and online radio.

Review and where to download: MusicBee

MusicBee is the best free music player for Windows 7, but for video you need VLC Media Player. Again, it supports a huge range of file formats (far more than Windows Media Center), and can be expanded with user-created plugins and skins.

VLC Media Player is also an excellent way to enjoy DVDs and Blu-rays on your PC (provided you have the necessary optical drive), and you can optimize playback to suit your system.

Review and where to download: VLC Media Player

If you poke around in the Accessories section of Windows 7's Start Menu, you'll find the Sound Recorder. 'Basic' hardly describes it - all it does is take input from a microphone and save it in WAV format.

If you want to make your own podcasts, record music, or edit existing sound files, you need something far more powerful. That something is Audacity.

This open source audio editor lets you record in stereo, remove noise, apply various effects, edit channels individually, cut and combine files, remove vocals from songs and much more. Like GIMP and VLC Media Player, Audacity also supports plugins so you can tailor it to suit your exact needs.

Review and where to download: Audacity

Windows Movie Maker was a great video editor when it was first released, but its inelegant interface and cheesy effects now look very dated. After many long years of service, it's time for Windows 7 users to wave goodbye and upgrade to Shotcut instead.

Shotcut isn't the most powerful free video editor around (that would be Lightworks), but it strikes a perfect balance between features and usability. You don't need to study a manual to start making a great-looking video, and there's a a huge set of tools and filters to experiment with.

Review and where to download: Shotcut

You might be happy sticking with Internet Explorer in Windows 7, but Microsoft has moved its attention to Edge – a new browser that's exclusive to Windows 10.

If you haven't experimented with many other browsers before, Google Chrome is a great place to start. It's hugely customizable via plugins, fast, and integrates with your Google account so you can sync bookmarks and preferences between different devices – including phones and tablets.

Review and where to download: Google Chrome

If you don't like the idea of Google getting its roots into all your online activity, or you just want an alternative for occasions when privacy is particularly important, take a look at Tor Browser.

Tor (the Onion Router) works by encrypting your data and redirecting it through a series of remote servers around the world, making it all but impossible to trace.

Be careful if your Windows 7 PC is on a work or college network though – some organizations take a dim view of Tor because it's often used for nefarious purposes like pirating movies and music.

Review and where to download: Tor Browser

Another way to protect your privacy online is to use a VPN (virtual private network) service, which disguises your identity and location using remote servers. Take care, though – there are lots of dodgy free VPNs around that are actually malware in disguise.

WindScribe is the real deal – a free VPN with a very generous data allowance of 10GB per month. That's not enough for streaming movies (for that, you'll need to upgrade to the premium version), but it's ideal for online shopping and banking.

Review and where to download: WindScribe

Windows 7 can open PDFs without any trouble, but it doesn't let you annotate them, make text changes, or perform security checks.

That's why you need Foxit Reader – a free PDF reader that's full of useful extra tools you didn't realise you needed, but can't live without. The scan-to-PDF tool is particularly handy if you have a paper worksheet or handout to convert, and the Microsoft Office Plugins are a brilliant touch.

Review and where to download: Foxit Reader

That said, Microsoft Office isn't your only option when you're using Windows 7 at work. LibreOffice is a totally free suite of programs that almost perfectly replicate all the features of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and more.

Like many of the programs in this list, LibreOffice is open source, which means anyone with the skills and time is free to develop their own plugins for fellow users. It also has a huge team of dedicated volunteers who keep it updated with new features and squish bugs as soon as they're identified.

Review and where to download: LibreOffice

LibreOffice is excellent, but if you just need to get your head down and do some serious writing, FocusWriter is the tool for you. It's far superior to Windows 7's Notepad tool, with a full-screen mode that completely blocks out all distractions, including the clock, Start menu and notification area.

You can set yourself writing goals and configure alerts for specific times to keep you on track. There's also an excellent Focus feature that highlights the paragraph or sentence you're currently working on, while everything else fades into the background. No more procrastinating.

Review and where to download: FocusWriter

If you cast your mind back (keep going... further... there), you might remember once tracking your finances using a program called Microsoft Money. It was discontinued a long time ago, but Money Manager Ex does essentially the same job, making it easy to monitor your accounts and credit cards, record spending, schedule payments, and make sure you're sticking to your budget.

It can't link directly to your online banking service, but this might be a good thing as far as security's concerned and entering the figures manually isn't too time-consuming.

Review and where to download: Money Manager Ex

FileZilla is an FTP (file transfer protocol) client – a handy tool designed for moving files between PCs or remote servers. It's not as flashy as a cloud storage service like Dropbox or OneDrive, but it means you're in total control and aren't trusting your data to a third party.

FileZilla can store login data for up to 10 remote servers, letting you connect and start shifting your data with just a couple of clicks.

Review and where to download: FileZilla

Torrents have a bad reputation thanks to their popularity with copyright-infringing pirates, but they have lots of legitimate uses too. They're simply a way of sharing particularly large files, and many artists and producers are now choosing to release material this way. They're also handy for downloading copyright-free media, games and other content.

To use torrent files, you need a dedicated client software, and qBittorrent is the best for Windows 7. It's not cluttered with ads, has a clear interface, and is easy to get to grips with.

Review and where to download: qBittorrent

If you're unlucky, you might know the horror of emptying your Windows 7 Recycle Bin, then realising too late that it contained a file you accidentally needed. Or you might have been unfortunate enough to lose data due to physical damage to a drive, or corruption.

There's no guarantee that free file recovery tool Recuva will be able to bring your documents and photos back, but it can be an absolute lifesaver in an emergency. Install it now and be prepared.

Review and where to download: Piriform Recuva

Piriform – the delightfully-named developer of Recuva – also makes an excellent PC optimization tool called CCleaner. It performs much the same job as the various system-sweeping tools you'll find under Accessories in Windows 7's Start Menu, but is much faster and easier to use.

CCleaner can also clear our your web browser's cookies and stored passwords for added security. Just make sure you read the description of each item carefully before erasing it, so you don't accidentally purge anything useful.

Review and where to download: Piriform CCleaner

When it comes to gaming, Minesweeper and Solitaire just won't cut it. If you want something more entertaining than watching paint dry, you need Steam – Valve's huge PC gaming platform and store, where you can find almost every title you could wish for, often with deep discounts.

Download here: Steam

If games aren't your thing, you might be more interested in Any Video Converter Free – a video downloading and converting tool that can grab clips from all the biggest sites and save them in any format you like. You can even rip the audio from videos and save it for listening later.

Just make sure you have permission from the copyright holder before you start downloading videos from YouTube and Vimeo.

Review and where to download: Any Video Converter Free

Continuing the theme of entertainment, let's move to ebooks.

We've tried lots of e-readers for Windows 7, but Amazon's official Kindle app is easily the best. It makes organizing your ebooks a breeze, with an excellent search tool, and reading is a thoroughly pleasant experience thanks to the carefully designed pages and customizable colors and fonts.

There are links to the Kindle store, naturally, but they're surprisingly unobtrusive and you won't be harassed by prompts to buy more books.

Download here: Kindle for PC

Hopefully you now have a good idea of which programs you need to get the most from your Windows 7 PC, but there's just one more we recommend.

Windows 7 comes with a tool for extracting compressed file archives, but there are dozens, if not hundreds of different types around and it only supports a small handful. 7-Zip is far more capable, and integrates into Windows Explorer and the context menu so it's there whenever you need it.

Review and where to download: 7-Zip

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The best free anti-ransomware software 2017

Over the last week, WannaCry has shown just how rapidly ransomware can spread leaving individuals and businesses reeling – so what can you do to if your files have been encrypted?

Ransomware creators usually include lots of intimidating threats and warnings to scare you into panicking and paying them, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll release your data if you do, and sending them money helps fund crime.

It’s best to stay calm and look for an alternative solution. Many of the big names in PC security provides tools that will release your PC from ransomware, and don’t charge for the privilege. There are also dedicated tools to prevent programs that behaves like known ransomware from running on your PC at all.

Before you get started, it's useful to recognize that there are two main types of ransomware: the kind that encrypts your files and threatens to delete them unless you pay a fee (like WannaCry), and the kind that locks you out completely by preventing you reaching your desktop. Thankfully, there are free tools to combat both types. Here are our recommendations.

 1. Avast Free Ransomware Decryption Tools

Specialized solutions designed to defeat different strains of ransomware

Not all ransomware encrypts data in the same way, so security software providers have to create specific solutions as new threats emerge. At the time of writing, the security experts at Avast have developed Free Ransomware Decryption Tools to tackle 16 different strains of file-locking ransomware.

To help you work out which one you need, Avast has provided a detailed description of how each form of ransomware works, what extension you’ll see on the encrypted files, and an example of the type of message the virus creators have prepared for their victims. 

Once you’ve downloaded the appropriate tool, it will guide you through the process of wiping out the ransomware without paying the criminals. You’ll need to provide two versions of the same file – an encrypted one, and the original. This will be easiest if you made a backup before the infection, but Avast also suggests locations where you might be able to find unaffected original files. The decryption tool will then compare the two and use the results to determine the password.

Download here: Avast Free Ransomware Decryption Tools

 2. Trend Micro Ransomware File Decryptor Tool

A single download that can defeat 26 different breeds of ransomware

Trend Micro Ransomware File Decryptor Tool is updated regularly with new ransomware definitions, and at the time of writing it can release files locked by 26 different types of ransomware and their variants.

Unlike Avast, Trend Micro bundles all its decryption tools into one bundle, but you still need to tell it what form of ransomware it’s dealing with. Trend Micro’s site provides information to help you identify your particular infection, plus contact details for its technical support department if you’re not sure.

Once that’s done, provide a sample file for the Decryptor to analyze, and it will get to work. Decryption can take anything from a couple of minutes to several hours, depending on the type of encryption used. 

The File Decryptor Tool isn’t perfect – some forms of ransomware are particularly tricky, and can only be partially decrypted – but the company is constantly working to improve it, and it’s an excellent tool for use in an emergency.  

Download here: Trend Micro Ransomware File Decryptor Tool

3. Trend Micro Screen Unlocker Tools

Emergency tools to release a locked PC, even if you can't access Safe Mode

There are two versions of Trend Micro Ransomware Screen Unlocker Tool – one for PCs that are locked so you can’t log into Normal Mode, but you can access Safe Mode with Networking via the BIOS menu, and another for situations where both mode are blocked.

The first of these can be downloaded directly on the affected PC in Safe Mode with Networking. Once it’s installed, reboot the PC into Normal Mode (with the locked screen) and tap [Ctrl]+[Alt]+[T]+[I] to scan for ransomware and remove it, 

The other version of the tool has to be downloaded using an uninfected computer and saved to a USB stick. You can then use to boot the locked machine. Once initiated, the unlocker will perform a scan, then remove any ransomware it detects, releasing your PC.

Like Trend Micro’s File Decryptor, the two versions of Screen Unlocker benefit from regular updates to combat new forms of ransomware.

Download here: Trend Micro Ransomware Screen Unlocker Tools

4. BitDefender Anti-Ransomware

An anti-malware vaccination that runs alongside your antivirus software

There are lots of superb free antivirus programs around, but not all offer dedicated protection against ransomware. If your you’re concerned about the risk, Bitdefender Anti-Ransomware is a handy supplemental security tool that runs alongside your usual security software to protect against some of the most common forms of ransomware and their offshoots.

Bitdefender Anti-Ransomware currently protects against VTB-Locker, Locky, Petya and TeslaCrypt, and starts defending your PC from these threats immediately. However, it’s only a preventative measure; if your computer has already been infected with one of these malicious programs, you’ll need to use one of the tools mentioned above instead.

If you currently use Bitdefender Antivirus, the Anti-Ransomware module is already installed.

Download here: Bitdefender Anti-Ransomware

 5. Kaspersky Anti-Ransomware Tool

Avoid disaster with free ransomware protection for your small business

Ransomware on your home computer is bad enough, but an infection that locks you out of your business PCs could be an absolute disaster. Your accounts, customer data, client information and work could all be encrypted – and it could affect multiple machines on the same network. 

Kaspersky Anti-Ransomware Tool for Business is designed to help small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) protect their data from such a catastrophe. Like Bitdefender Anti-Ransomware, it’s a preventative tool designed to prevent infection in the first place rather than decrypt files or unlock your desktop.

Kaspersky Anti-Ransomware TOol runs happily alongside your regular security suite, monitoring network activity for anything that matches known ransomware behavior. Its threat database is stored on Kaspersky’s cloud servers, so updates are pushed out to all users immediately 

Download here: Kaspersky Anti-Ransomware Tool for Business

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Even your deleted secret web history isn't safe, say researchers

Think your deleted web browsing history is safe? Think again. A team of German researchers has presented new findings at the Def Con hacking conference in Las Vegas, showing how even data thought to be anonymised can be rummaged through.

Security experts Svea Eckert and Andreas Dewes were able to gather the browsing habits of three million German citizens, including that of prominent public figures such as judges and politicians, by intercepting 'clickstream' data.

Clickstreams retain every click and web visit a user makes when browsing the internet, and are used to target advertising to specific users based on their browsing habits. This should be anonymised, but the pair found that circumventing this security step was "trivial", revealing sensitive details about specific users.

Annihilating anonymity

The data was mined from just 10 popular browser extensions, providing the team with a custom identifier for each 'anonymised' individual. By cross referencing web visits noted in the clickstreams against public posts by individuals (say, a shared YouTube clip or shared Twitter picture), they could easily then identify who the anonymised identifier belonged to.

It was even easier in some cases where the user had visited their own social log-in admin pages, directly revealing their identities.

Great damage could be caused to individuals in this way if they believe their browsing habits have been carefully wiped, but secretly harvested elsewhere. In the case of the judge and politician identified in the study, the researchers were able to discover their pornography and drug preferences respectively – ideal blackmail fodder if in the right hands.

The researchers state that the way marketing firms use clickstreams is illegal, which also raises implications for how governments gather such data for security purposes.

• A VPN can help protect this data – check out this week's best VPN deals

Via BBC

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Ding’s ‘smart enough’ doorbell raises $345k+ on Seedrs

 Ding, a London-based hardware startup, has raised more than £263,000 (~$345k) via the Seedrs equity crowdfunding platform as it works to get its first product — a wi-fi connected doorbell — to market this year. Read More http://ift.tt/2uQ4K0h

Have I been wrong about voice recognition?

Has voice control finally come of age? While I’ve been barking voice commands at my Amazon Echo for a while now, and using voice-activated assistants such as Siri on my smartphone for even longer, I hadn’t really considered how far voice recognition has come in recent years.

What really got me thinking about this was talking to one of our regular writers, who mentioned that they use voice recognition software to write all of their articles.  

What astonished me about this revelation was that when reading their work I had no idea – as it was as accurate (both in spelling and grammar) as work written traditionally using a keyboard – sometimes more so.

As I chatted to the writer about this, I asked them how fast writing using voice recognition was, and if it was as fast as typing. While it’s not quite as fast as typing (the writer is a very fast typer, after all), they insisted it was still very quick indeed.

This was certainly not my experience of writing using voice recognition many years ago, so I was intrigued. Perhaps I’d been ignoring voice recognition software for too long. So I decided to give it a go.

Speak to me

Having not kept up with voice recognition software, there was only really one choice I knew of: Nuance and its Dragon NaturallySpeaking software. I used an earlier version many years ago, and while I had seen the potential, I had been frustrated that it couldn’t quite understand what I was saying (maybe my accent), and spent more time correcting errors than actually writing.

So, I was keen to give it another shot, so I got Dragon Professional Version 15, as I was keen to try out some of its more advanced features.

Of course, if you are not using it in a professional capacity, there is also Dragon NaturallySpeaking Home.

The key to a successful voice recognition application is training it to understand your voice, and so the more you use it, the better it becomes. Patiently correcting mistakes, rather than throwing down your headset and dismissing it, like I had done all those years ago, is the key. 

Now that I am older (and slightly wiser), I’ve been working with the software to understand my voice – though I was actually pleasantly surprised how well it understood me out of the box.

Voice assistants such as Siri and Amazon Alexa have huge user bases, which they learn from – and the more people who use them, the smarter they get. This is a brilliant – and exciting – example of how software can learn through use.

As I continue to use Dragon Professional, I’ve been increasingly impressed – in fact, I wrote most of this article using just my voice. My next task will be to see if I can use my voice to control my PC as easily as with mouse and keyboard.

With Windows 10’s built-in Cortana voice assistant, that should hopefully prove to be pretty easy. Microsoft also has an excellent history of including powerful and useful accessibility tools in its software for people who are unable to use mouse and keyboard.

Transcription

One of the most tiresome aspects of being a journalist is transcribing interviews – especially if, like me, you can’t stand the sound of your own voice. A nifty feature of Dragon Professional is the ability to drag and drop audio files into a folder, and it will automatically transcribe them.

It’s not flawless, and it’s prone to more errors than the voice diction part of the software, though that seems to be more down to the fact that there are multiple voices, as well as more ambient noise that’s picked up by my Dictaphone. Still, it does take the sting out of such a tedious process, and one that I’m eternally grateful for.

While I won’t be packing up my keyboard and mouse just yet, I’ve certainly been impressed with how far voice recognition has come, from Nuance’s software to my Amazon Echo, which works so well I sometimes take it for granted.

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BT steps forward to guarantee 10Mbps broadband coverage by 2020

BT has said that rather than the government having to implement a universal service obligation (USO) to enable consumers to demand usable broadband speeds, the company itself will roll out broadband infrastructure to 99% of the UK guaranteeing a speed of at least 10Mbps by 2020.

The idea of the USO was for the government to give folks in more troubled or remote broadband areas which don’t receive a speed of at least 10Mbps the ability to request a line capable of this minimum level of performance, and now BT is essentially saying ‘don’t worry about this, we’ll do it off our own bat starting now’.

BT’s proposal is to invest some £600 million in expanding broadband infrastructure to 99% of the UK as mentioned, with the idea to make the 10Mbps speed universal across the entire country by 2022.

That’s obviously welcome news for those struggling with pitiful download speeds, which still blight a number of areas in the UK as we’ve seen recently (a consumer watchdog report from last month highlighted the fact that there are 11 regions across the UK which fall short of an average broadband speed of 10Mbps).

Of course, there are those who argue that the minimum target should be more than 10Mbps, and that this won’t be sufficient particularly when it comes to the next decade. But that’s a whole other story…

The next step for the government is to consider BT’s offer and whether it can simply dump the idea of a USO as unnecessary.

Warm welcome

As the BBC reports, Karen Bradley, Culture Secretary, commented: "We warmly welcome BT's offer and now will look at whether this or a regulatory approach works better for homes and businesses. Whichever of the two approaches we go with in the end, the driving force behind our decision-making will be making sure we get the best deal for consumers."

BT reckons that 99% of the UK will have their 10Mbps broadband delivered (largely by Openreach) via fibre or fixed wireless solutions, although a small number – less than 1% – of truly out-in-the-sticks customers would get broadband via satellite. These are presumably the areas where it’s just economically unfeasible to run fixed broadband infrastructure.

In a press statement, the government noted: “The BT proposal would mean many premises will receive substantially more than 10Mbps – homes and businesses are also expected receive connections more quickly than could be delivered under a regulatory approach [i.e. USO].”

So it sounds likely that this will be the chosen route, although nothing’s for certain at this point. BT and the government will be discussing the proposal over the coming months, and if accepted, it will be a legally binding affair for the telecoms giant to meet these targets.

• These are the best broadband deals currently available

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Download of the day – Microsoft Worldwide Telescope

WorldWide Telescope is a virtual observatory, and thanks to smooth animations and tools for tinkering with time and space, it's great fun.

It was created by Microsoft Research using images and info gathered by telescopes, probes and satellites, which are combined to create an interactive view of space that you can explore from your desktop.

Natural and man-made objects are visible, rendered in full 3D. You can hop to any celestial object with a couple of clicks, and you can move forward or backwards through time to track an eclipse, see comets passing the Earth and much more.

There's a browser-based version of Worldwide Telescope, but you'll get the best experience with the desktop running in full screen mode.

Download here: WorldWide Telescope

Download of the Day is our pick of the best free software around – whether it's useful, fun, or just plain silly. If you have any recommendations, please send them to downloads@techradar.com.

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The best TalkTalk broadband deals in July 2017

Download of the day – Worldwide Telescope

WorldWide Telescope is a virtual observatory, and thanks to smooth animations and tools for tinkering with time and space, it's great fun.

It was created by Microsoft Research using images and info gathered by telescopes, probes and satellites, which are combined to create an interactive view of space that you can explore from your desktop.

Natural and man-made objects are visible, rendered in full 3D. You can hop to any celestial object with a couple of clicks, and you can move forward or backwards through time to track an eclipse, see comets passing the Earth and much more.

There's a browser-based version of Worldwide Telescope, but you'll get the best experience with the desktop running in full screen mode.

Download here: WorldWide Telescope

Download of the Day is our pick of the best free software around – whether it's useful, fun, or just plain silly. If you have any recommendations, please send them to downloads@techradar.com.

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SimplyCook, a recipe kit with flavour ingredients instead of fresh food, raises further £2M

 SimplyCook, the recipe kit with a flavoursome difference, has raised £2 million in further funding. Investors in the round are Maxfield Capital, Episode 1 Ventures, 500 Startups, and a handful of unnamed U.K. angels. Read More http://ift.tt/2tWeLM3

Snap’s lockup expiration could pose bad news for the stock

 After months of watching Snap’s volatile ride on the stock market from the sidelines, some insiders will be allowed to sell their shares Monday. Known as the “lockup period,” employees and early investors of companies are generally restricted from selling their shares during the initial months following an IPO. The duration of this period varies and in Snap’s case, 150… Read More

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NBN chief blames ISPs for customer dissatisfaction

Australia has been ranked 50th in the world in terms of global internet speeds since 2016, and while hopes that the spread of NBN use would see us gain a notch or two, those have already been shattered.

Half the country might be able to connect to the NBN broadband service now, with over 2.2 million paying customers, but it seems that the more customers that sign up, the more complaints roll in.

Although NBN Co boss Bill Morrow has admitted that 15 per cent of customers are unhappy with their NBN broadband speeds, he’s blaming Australia’s internet service providers (ISPs) for all the broadband unhappiness going around.

In a position paper published on the NBN website, Morrow has blamed a “price war” between ISPs as the main cause for customer dissatisfaction. 

Morrow has called it a “land grab”, where ISPs have rushed to sign up as many customers as they can without considering how they’ll deliver promised speeds.

Morrow claims that studies have proven that customers are willing to pay more for better service, but he says that ISPs are “cutting corners” to keep prices low and haven’t been buying enough bandwidth from the wholesaler to overcome network congestion.

And despite being under pressure to review NBN Co’s CVC pricing (the amount of money ISPs pay for bandwidth) – even though the latest revision was in June this year – Morrow says the infrastructure company will focus on it going forward.

In a bid to improve service, the Australian consumer watchdog has finally threatened legal action against ISPs if they don’t supply customers the advertised speeds.

• Find out what NBN technology you could be hooked up to once the NBN reaches your neck of the woods.

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N26 partners with Auxmoney to offer credit to more customers

 Fintech startup N26 is trying to build the bank of the future. It is slowly but surely adding features to provide everything you’d expect from a bank. N26 already offers consumer credit loans in Germany if you’re a creditworthy employee. And starting today, N26 users who are self-employed, freelancers, students and more can also request a loan thanks to Auxmoney. If you’re… Read More http://ift.tt/2ubB37P

A history of video game console failures

 The history of console gaming is littered with high-profile flops, middling also-rans and vaporware never-weres. In fact, the stories of console failures are perhaps even more compelling than the tales of those companies that crossed the finish line. So join us as we celebrate some of the most colorful and fascinating console failures of the last three decades. Read More http://ift.tt/2wcjsOI