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PowerPoint for iPad is one of the Office apps where Microsoft will now let users create and edit documents for free. In a significant change for its flagship software applications, and a potentially risky move for its business, Microsoft will let users create and edit documents without a paid subscription in its Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps on iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets. The change, announced this morning, makes Microsoft more competitive by eliminating one of the biggest criticisms of the Office apps for iPad — the requirement to pay for an annual Office 365 subscription of...

A destructive “Trojan Horse” malware program has penetrated the software that runs much of the nation’s critical infrastructure and is poised to cause an economic catastrophe, according to the Department of Homeland Security. National Security sources told ABC News there is evidence that the malware was inserted by hackers believed to be sponsored by the Russian government, and is a very serious threat. The hacked software is used to control complex industrial operations like oil and gas pipelines, power transmission grids, water distribution and filtration systems, wind turbines and even some nuclear plants. Shutting down or damaging any of these...

With Windows 10, Microsoft is trying to address many of the annoyances in Windows 8, so the new operating system will not only bring back traditional and very popular features, but will also try to better tackle user needs with the help of feedback platforms. With this in mind, it appears that Microsoft is heading in the right direction, Dell says, explaining that company customers have already expressed their interest in the new operating system. In a statement for ComputerWorld, Neil Hand, vice president of tablets at Dell, explained that features implemented in Windows 10 that would allow users...

The days of indecision and miscommunication in the drive-through lane of a fast-food restaurant could be long gone. Taco Bell recently launched an app that enables customer to order and pay for it straight from a smartphone. “It gives customers control. They don’t want to talk to people all the time,” Taco Bell chief marketing officer Chris Brandt tells Fast Company. And the app allows for more creativity in what to order. “The app offers unlimited menu customization options,” reports Eater. “Users can, for the first time, build their own unique creations using dozens of ingredients.” …

SEVILLE, Spain, It was a bridge too far for Polish nursing student Sylwia Rajchel, 23, who suffered fatal injuries when she fell from Spain's Puente de Triana span in Seville as she attempted to take a selfie while vacationing there. Rajchel tumbled 15 feet to the bridge's concrete footing. Medics managed to revive her at the scene after she went into cardiac arrest, but she died soon after arriving at a local hospital. A town official called the fall "tragic" and said investigators are considering ways to improve the safety of the 19th century bridge, one of the most photographed...

My icons at the bottom of the screen have quite working. They just blink and don't bring up the site. (They've also moved to the top, and want them at the bottom of the screen.) My 'favorites' 'button' has disappeared. I cannot send out email. I get a message, 'put in an address before you click send'. I DO put in an email address before I click 'send' of course. I have used 'Cleaner', 'Malwarebytes' and Avast. Nothing works. They all say after I run them, 'everythings in good shape'- but it's not. Same problems. Can anyone help?

A strong brand name is an incredibly valuable asset. Consumer companies in particular devote huge chunks of time and resources to solidify and expand their brands. “A valuable brand delivers a return for the company on two dimensions,” says David Reibstein, professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “Either it allows the company to charge a premium price or it adds more volume or market share.” When it comes to charging a premium price and moving product, no one does it better than Apple AAPL +0.24%. There are other phones and tablets that are functionally comparable or...

When modern tablet computers first arrived to market, many people thought they would be primarily used to consume, rather than create, content. And who could argue? Without a keyboard or mouse, and only a stubby finger to flick, creation seemed like it would be troublesome at best. My, how things change. My Apple iPad has quickly become an indispensable tool for work. For the last two years I’ve worked from an iPad on a daily basis. I often tout it as my favorite computer even when I’m asked to compare it to my iMac, a full-fledged desktop, or MacBook Air,...

In the last of a three-part series on getting a base ready on the moon or an asteroid, Metzger talks about the steps to get robots ready for the work and what barriers are standing in the way of accomplishing this. UT: A table in your 2012 paper talks about the steps of lunar industry, starting with tele-operation and an “insect-like” robotic intelligence and then progressing through a few steps to “closely supervised autonomy” (mouse-like) and eventually “nearly full autonomy” (monkey-like) and “autonomous robotics” (human-like). What sorts of developments and how much time/resources would it take to progress through these...

As the American Marines deploy to Seoul, the bright lights of the city obscure their vision. Fire, smoke and ash mask the skyline. The jarheads push through the streets, a tank crawling over trenches to provide covering fire. “We’re tracking a drone swarm coming your way,” a voice squawks over the radio. The ’bots appear on the horizon, a hundred of them buzzing in an eerie, synchronized swarm. It’s the mid-21st century, and America is fighting yet another war on foreign soil. This is the opening mission of the newest installment in Activision’s multi-billion-dollar video game franchise Call of Duty....

A new analysis of third-quarter handset industry operating profits estimates that Apple accounted for a massive 86 percent share, blowing away the competition as rivals such as Samsung saw their profit levels dip. Analyst Michael Walkley of Canaccord Genuity issued a note to investors on Tuesday, a copy of which was provided to AppleInsider, in which he revealed his latest research, based on company reports and estimates. Walkely said that Apple's estimated 86 percent share of industry profits was simply "remarkable." Apple's gains came at the cost of competitors, most notably Samsung, which was estimated to have accounted for just...

A relatively long-standing vulnerability in OS X has been uncovered by a Swedish hacker, Emil Kvarnhammar, who has dubbed it “rootpipe” by the so-far undisclosed method in which it can be used to take control of your Mac. In this vulnerability, a flaw allows a hacker to gain administrative access of a system without supplying a password, and then be able to interact with your Mac as an administrator. In an interview with MacWorld, Kvarnhammar describes this bug as having been present in OS X 10.8.5, but he was not able to replicate it in 10.9; however, Apple has shuffled...

Windows 8.1 showed strong growth in October, and an easy upgrade path to Windows 10 could hold the key. As Gregg Keizer at Computerworld reports, Web usage numbers from NetMarketShare state that usage of Windows 8 and 8.1 went from 12.3 percent of the market in September to 16.8 percent, up 4.5 percent, in October -- a huge jump, by any metric. At the same time, Windows XP usage fell off a cliff, from 23.9 to 17.2 percent, down 6.7 percent. While industry pundits offer several reasons for the tectonic shift, several points seem to have fallen through the cracks,...

no battery anymore (well...dying now)....any suggestions....tech guy says (after soldering once) that it is unrepairable.....trying to save files right now....help

Everyone is well-aware by now that Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 have not seen the impressive adoption rate of their predecessor. Yet the duo had a particularly good run last month, finally passing 15 percent market share together, according to the latest figures from Net Applications.More specifically, Windows 8 gained 0.29 percentage points to 5.88 percent while Windows 8.1 gained 4.25 percentage points to 10.92 percent. Together, they owned 16.80 percent of the market at the end of October, up from 12.26 percent at the end of September. It’s certainly a big jump, and Windows 8.1 is finally in...

Summary After MCX was hacked, management appeared out of touch with reality. Apple is producing a product that has several benefits over conventional payment. CurrentC, by MCX, represents a dramatic step backwards from existing credit cards. Apple needs the mobile payment market to take off because sales growth has been weak. Retailers cannot afford to refuse payment by credit. Too many customers don’t have the savings necessary to make purchases. Apple Pay by Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) may have received a huge boost in public perception over the last couple days. One of the largest competitors to Apple Pay is MCX, short...

Virginia police can now force you to unlock your smartphone with your fingerprint Summary: A circuit judge likened police forcing smartphone owners to unlock their device with a fingerprint akin to providing a DNA sample or an actual key. Is nothing sacred anymore? A Virginia circuit court judge ruled this week that smartphone users can be compelled to give up their fingerprint, but not their passcodes, allowing police to search their devices. First reported by local Virginia news, the decision-making case in question surrounded a man charged with attempting to strangle his girlfriend. A video purporting to show the incident...

Microsoft has made its entire global advertising sales team redundant, sources have told Business Insider. The layoffs — within the Microsoft Advertising division — are expected to affect around 100 staff across the US, UK and other global offices, charged with selling advertising space across Microsoft's MSN, Bing, Xbox, Outlook, Skype and Windows 8 properties. Sources have told Business Insider it was announced Wednesday. Microsoft was making its Microsoft Advertising global sales team redundant as part of the largest ever sweep of job cuts in Microsoft's history announced this summer, which is understood to affect up to 18,000 roles across...

When it rains, it pours… and today it’s definitely pouring. After sharing eight great paid iPhone and iPad apps on Tuesday that were all available as free downloads for a limited time (some are still free!), we’re back on Wednesday with a fresh new batch of apps. Today’s list includes nine nifty apps that would regularly cost you a total of $26 to download, but for a limited time they’re all completely free.

Just some Halloween pics from the net. Enjoy! Album 1 Album 2 About 200 more....