Posts

Showing posts from August, 2019

Microsoft opens the exFAT file system. That it could work well on Linux

Image
Opening Microsoft technologies, chapter ... I don't know which one anymore. This time the company is giving the developer community its standard for removable storage. It's about exFAT. The basic file system used by Windows is NTFS, developed many years ago for Windows NT and developed to this day. Despite its undeniable advantages, it is not the best system for simple removable memory, in which NTFS is not needed, but rather simplicity and resistance to disconnecting memory from the computer. Originally, Microsoft recommended the use of the archaic FAT32 system for such media. He still remembers the times of the Windows 9x systems and was definitely a temporary solution. ExFAT debuted with Windows Vista, lifting some of the old man's limitations. exFAT, unlike FAT32, allows you to even save a file larger than 4 GB. It also allows you to change the cluster size to 32 MB, introduces indexing of empty memory space and removes the limit on the number of

Outlook with dark interface theme. The rest of the Office soon

Image
The dark interface theme has so far been available only in the Windows versions of the Office 365 application. This is just changing. Even today, a dark theme will appear in Outlook on iOS and Android. Soon also in other applications. Office 365 has until now been a big deal with a dark theme, recently extremely desired by users. Color themes have been part of Office for years, but only in applications for Windows 10 and they are in no way related to the dark theme of Windows itself - they were introduced a lot before the fashion for dark themes in systems. Even today, Outlook users on iOS and Android will receive a new version of the Outlook application introducing this dark theme. Microsoft writes that the update is now available, but neither my iPad nor Huaweia Android phone sees it. This dark theme can be turned on or off manually or set it to match the global system setting that is to appear in iOS 13 and Android 10. Outlook is just the beginning. Other app

Test of three sonic brushes ... and one "normal"

Image
The time has come to choose a new toothbrush. Nothing bad will happen with the old one, but sometimes you need to change, refresh, bring something new and better. I did solid research, after which it turned out that one of the most popular models of electric brushes are sonic brushes. So I decided to check some of the most popular models. That was the only way I could answer the question: which brush should I choose? Admission word For my test I decided to choose three sonic brushes from leading manufacturers and ... one brush that we would call traditional, i.e. with a round head. Of course, this is not entirely a standard brush, but more on that later. Why is that so? I do not know sonic technology, so I was not sure if this solution would suit me, and until now I used a brush, which we would simply call electric. Of course, a certain inaccuracy sneaks in here, which, as a reliable technology lover, I can't help but clarify, because both the sonic brush a

Microsoft xCloud in Poland? The mysterious tweet of the Xbox boss raises high hopes

Image
Microsoft has just announced the launch of more elements of the Azure global cloud infrastructure. However, this did not interest me, but a certain retweet of the head of the Xbox department. I clicked and ... well, I may have very good news for us. xCloud is a service similar to PlayStation Now or GeForce Now. It is a bit like the Netflix service. Watching movies and series on it, we do not download all the files that represent them, instead we use the so-called multimedia stream. xCloud is supposed to do the same, except for video games. This means that all calculations related to the game logic, graphics rendering and the like are processed in the Microsoft cloud. Our device receives only image and sound from servers and records our activities on a gamepad or other controller. As a result, even a technically advanced game requires a simple device - a netbook or a mobile phone. And a fast internet connection. However, this solution has its drawbacks. Due to th

Apple apologized for eavesdropping on conversations with Siri and abolished the listening program by subcontractors

Image
Apple recently disappointed with the information that our instructions given to Siri's assistant could be later interrogated by strangers. The company apologizes and assures that it will not make this mistake again. If we read the license agreements carefully, we probably would not be surprised by this. However, Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Apple seemed to be running a program for manually analyzing voice samples from commands issued to digital assistants. The purpose of this action is not even too ominous - technicians analyze commands to which assistants responded improperly, which leads to their improvement in terms of speech recognition. However, I doubt that anyone would feel comfortable with the knowledge that in fact they are being overheard by a stranger. One of the biggest disappointments was Apple. The creators of the iPhone have so far boasted - and not without reason - how much they guard the privacy of their users. A lot of effort in building t

The head of NASA flew away and restored Pluto to the status of a full planet

Image
Jim Bridenstine, head of the NASA space agency, who was appointed to this position by Donald Trump, has just stated that Pluto ... is a planet. This statement caused general cheerfulness in the scientific community. Bridenstine's arguments are not terribly convincing. Oh, the new head of NASA claims that they taught him this at school, so for him Pluto is a planet and he will not say otherwise. All in all a fairly harmless weirdo. It would be worse if the head of NASA were, for example, an ardent creationist, or questioned ... ok, that's enough, because I'm exaggerating. Let's return to the status of Pluto, because it is an interesting story. Is Pluto a planet? He was. By 2006, a new concept of the dwarf planet was introduced in astronomy, introduced by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). What are dwarf planets? According to the IAU definition, they are planets that have not "cleared the area" of their orbit, that is, they hav

The Dutch want to check that Windows 10 is not collecting more data than needed

Image
The Dutch data protection agency expresses further doubts about Windows 10 and protecting the privacy of its users. Even if her suspicions are wrong, it's Microsoft's fault. Windows 10 has made significant changes to the way Microsoft software is built and tested today. The creators of Windows have long used various telemetry mechanisms to test their software - anyone remember the times of Dr. Watson application? - but they have never been so ... accurate. Windows 10 currently has four development channels. The first three - Fast Ring, Slow Ring and Release Preview - are for members of the Windows Insider program. These are future, experimental versions of Windows, and Insiders are tasked to test them. These editions report to Microsoft about almost everything we do on the computer. The last, fourth, is the production version of the system, and therefore the one intended for ordinary users. Also this one is equipped with a rich set of telemetric sensors.

HaloGruszka? Here is one of the listeners. Former Play spokesman launched his podcast

Image
Probably the most recognizable spokesperson in the world of Polish technology-related enterprises debuts with his podcast. Not about the Play network, but the subjects are somewhat similar. An important part of you probably don't know who Marcin Gruszka is exactly. However, I have no doubt that enthusiasts of the telecommunications industry have a great idea about him. He gained his recognition as a spokesperson for the Play network. And although he is no longer employed there , he has gained the attention of many with his purple work style. Gruszka did not care much about conventions, he did not have a problem with criticism of competition. He also used human language instead of round corpom. His peculiar looseness and directness gained sympathy not only for media representatives, who were after all the main recipients of his messages, but also for ordinary Internet users. If the Play network is associated with a face , then its former spokesperson played

Huaweia P20 and P20 Pro owners have a problem after the upgrade. System without Google certification

Image
The latest Android update on Huawei P20 and P20 Pro smartphones can cause big problems. For some users, the system loses Google certification, which means that the phone stops working with Google Pay. Attention. The text has been updated. Huawei Poland's answer at the end of the material. We were informed about the case by the reader Łukasz, who updated his Huawei P20 to the latest version of the system marked with number 9.1.0.311 (C432E7R1P11). The upgrade was the same as any previous upgrade, but there was a serious problem after installation. Huawei P20 lost Google certification? After the update in the phone settings you can find information saying that Huawei P20 is not a certified device and does not have a Play Protect certificate. There are many disadvantages to this. Google has no Android compatibility test results without a Play Protect certificate. In addition, as reported by the Google Play help page , there are a number of drawbacks: Device

Huawei can have a big problem. P20 and P20 Pro updates without Google certification

Image
The latest Android update on Huawei P20 and P20 Pro smartphones can cause big problems. For some users, the system loses Google certification, which means that the phone stops working with Google Pay. We were informed about the case by the reader Łukasz, who updated his Huawei P20 to the latest version of the system marked with number 9.1.0.311 (C432E7R1P11). The upgrade was the same as any previous upgrade, but there was a serious problem after installation. Huawei P20 lost Google certification? After the update in the phone settings you can find information saying that Huawei P20 is not a certified device and does not have a Play Protect certificate. There are many disadvantages to this. Google has no Android compatibility test results without a Play Protect certificate. In addition, as reported by the Google Play help page , there are a number of drawbacks: Devices without a Play Protect certificate may not be secure, Devices without a Play Protect certifi

Pekao promotes payment terminals. The bank has prepared a promotion for entrepreneurs

Image
Bank Pekao has prepared an action for business customers to promote payment terminals. In exchange for instructing other entrepreneurs to use the terminals, you can collect purchase e-codes in the Biedronka network. Pekao customers who want to take part in the campaign should register at www.Ticketujzpekao.pl . The promotion is addressed to natural persons conducting sole proprietorship. In the registration form, provide first name, last name, telephone number, email address and tax identification number. After completing it, we will receive an e-mail with a special code. The code should be given to customers who intend to sign a contract with Pekao for the payment terminal. For the new contract concluded as a result of the order, the recommender will receive an electronic code for purchases in Biedronka stores at PLN 50. You can receive up to three such codes - in total PLN 150. Customers who follow the instructions and sign a new contract for the terminal can

Canon s mirrorless cameras have their "holy trinity". Here are the new 15-35 mm and 24-70 mm f / 2.8 lenses

Image
Canon shoots new products like a cannon (intentional pun) - we barely saw two new cameras , and now two very important lenses for full-frame mirrorless cameras are added to the company's equipment portfolio. When Canon EOS R and EOS RP appeared on the market, along with them excellent, but quite ... niche slides entered the store shelves. Let's take a 28-70 mm f / 2.0 - it costs over 12 thousand PLN, weighs about half a ton, and although the picture comes out wonderful, the dimensions themselves have the right to deter. In the portfolio of Canon RF lenses, there was a lot lacking in the reporter's "holy trinity" - f / 2.8 constant light zooms covering the focal range from wide angle to telephoto. It is changing now. These are the Canon RF 15-35 mm f / 2.8 and Canon RF 24-70 mm f / 2.8 Or rather RF 15-35 f / 2.8L IS USM and RF 24-70 f / 2.8L IS USM, because that is the full name of the new Canon reporter glasses that are just coming to the

Here is the basic Sony A6100 and flagship A6600. Sony with a strong offensive in the APS-C segment

Image
Two new Sony mirrorless cameras are to be released today: the basic A6100 and the flagship A6600. We already know everything about them. According to the well-informed Sony Alpha Rumors website, Sony will present today two new camera models: A6100 and A6600 . The information about them has not been confirmed (the Polish branch of Sony does not comment on the case), but the leak includes product brochures with the full specifications of both cameras . So we know everything about them. Sony A6100 and A6600, or which camera for whom? Non-intuitive naming is Sony's hallmark, and so it is in this case. After the A6000, A6300, A6500 and A6400 (in that order they were presented), the time has come for two new models: A6100 and A6600. What's worse, they all look almost the same, so I suspect customers will be very confused. The brochure shows that Sony intends to replace the old generation with new cameras. The A6000, A6300 and A6500 are likely to give way to

A piece by bicycle, a piece by Uber. Google Maps with a new feature

Image
One application to connect all means of transport. Google Maps will create mixed routes, i.e. connecting public transport with bicycles and Uber. The place we want to reach is not always close to the stop. Sometimes the routes suggested by Google end up with an invitation to a 40-minute journey. I like occasional walks and I value this way of spending time, but I also appreciate every alternative that will prevent me from being locked up in one small room with a person who has just walked half an hour in over 30 degrees of heat. Buses and trams Ubery In the urban, suburban and small-town jungle, you often have to connect with each other and mix the means of transport to comfortably and quickly get from point A to point B. However, it is not easy if you do not know the area very well. The new in Google announced by Google is to solve this problem. Soon, when we check on Google Maps how to get to the housewarming on the other side of the city, we will see more

The new armored BMW X5 was created to withstand the rifle and drone attacks

Image
New times require a new approach to old-world issues. The armored BMW X5 can withstand not only AK-47 fire but also drone attack. BMW presented the factory-armored version of its new SUV, the X5 Protection VR6 . As if my colleague Tymon Grabowski wrote, it is the strengthened one . And although the armored versions of the cars are nothing new, the BMW X5 Protection VR6 surprises with its drone resistance. Drone falling on the car window will not be a problem here. Like ... a drone with an explosive charge. Recently, I wrote about crash tests of drones with a human head . Tests were conducted on mannequins used, among others in NCAP crash tests. I wrote then that a drone falling from the sky can do great damage if it falls on the windshield of a moving car. On the new BMW X5 Protection VR6, this scenario is not very impressive, because 28 mm bullet-proof glass can withstand even the AK-74 rifle fire, which officially confirms the VR6 safety level. The door