Microsoft Outlook - a bit like Coke!

Baffled by the plethora of Outlook options out there? You aren't alone. Microsoft veteran Scott Hanselman posted a list of some more variants that could be used to do the same thing.

It's a problem common to several Microsoft products. A file needs to be opened, but which app should be used? Should it be Outlook New, or Outlook (New)? With tongue firmly in cheek, Hanselman listed some more options: Outlook (Zero Sugar), Outlook (Caffeine Free), and so on.

Hanselman, Developer Community veep at Microsoft, also included Outlook '95, although to our mind the peak came with the version of Outlook in Office 97. A happier, more trusting time when security was less important.

While users can create multiple Outlook profiles to store email account details and data locations, Hanselman's post on Bluesky highlights an issue facing many users of Microsoft's software: which incarnation of the application to use.

Teams users often find themselves presented with a variety of applications – Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Teams (Personal), for example, can often appear side by side in the system tray.

As for Outlook, users are likely to have multiple versions installed. Microsoft forced the new version onto devices as part of a Windows update and renamed the previous version to Outlook (Classic) so the pair could run side by side. While support for the Classic version of Outlook will persist until at least 2029, Microsoft would like users to move to the new version despite it lacking many of its predecessor's functions.

According to Microsoft: "The new Outlook for Windows, built upon modern service architecture, is inspired by the Outlook web experience." It also does not support the COM add-ins used by many enterprises to glue corporate workflows together. READ MORE...

www.theregister.com

Go back to the Grid in TRON: Ares trailer

It's difficult to underestimate the massive influence that Disney's 1982 cult science fiction film, TRON, had on both the film industry—thanks to combining live action with what were then ground-breaking visual effects, rife with computer-generated imagery—and on nerd culture at large. Over the ensuing decades there has been one sequel, an animated TV series, a comic book miniseries, video games, and theme park attractions, all modelled on director Steve Lisberg's original fictional world.

Now we're getting a third instalment in the film franchise: TRON: Ares, directed by Joachim Rønning (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), that serves as a standalone sequel to 2010's TRON: Legacy. Disney just released the first trailer and poster art, and while the footage is short on plot, it's got the show-stopping visuals we've come to expect from all things TRON.

www.arstechnica.com

Five VPN apps in the App Store had links to Chinese military

 

At least five VPN apps in the App Store were found to have links to the Chinese military, according to a new report today. Three of them have racked up more than a million downloads.

A subsidiary of one of the Chinese companies behind the apps is currently hiring for a role in “monitoring and analysing platform data,” with a familiarity with American culture listed as a job requirement …

Virtual Private Network (VPN) apps are designed to protect the privacy of internet usage, protecting against man-in-the-middle attacks using fake public Wi-Fi hotspots, as well as ensuring your ISP or mobile carrier can’t track the websites you visit.

Additionally, VPNs can be used to circumvent geoblocks on anything from streaming video services to content banned by a country’s government.

However, VPNs are only as trustworthy as the companies behind them. A fake VPN can expose all your browsing data to its developer.

www.9to5mac.com

You learn something new every day: Kristen DiMercurio - the voice of a thousand products!

“OK, so you have to say it with a smile, no matter what you’re saying, because the shape of your mouth makes a difference.” Kristen DiMercurio is teaching me how to sound like my Bluetooth speaker.

“The resonance is in your chest and throat, it’s very deep, very low. You have to enunciate every consonant. I do a slight amount of airiness. I’m practically singing it, it’s very melodic. And there’s a certain rhythm: It usually goes up and then down at the end. You get that unnatural, clipped sound. I’ve never really broken it down like this … Bluetooth connected.”

And there it is. Something you’ve probably heard hundreds or thousands of times, and maybe never thought about once. DiMercurio, a voice-over actor, onscreen actor, singer, and podcaster, first went viral on TikTok last September when she revealed that she is the voice of many, many, many Bluetooth speakers, gadgets, and smart-home devices. Suddenly, she had 17 million views on one post, more than 700,000 followers, and her mentions were full of comments like “OMG did you do the Duolingo Premium voice?” and “Low battery, please recharge.” READ MORE...

www.wired.com

31st March = World Backup Day! If you don't already backup your data - now is the time to start!

 

WHAT IS BACKUP? 

A backup is a second copy of all your important files — for example, your family photos, home videos, documents and emails. Instead of storing it all in one place (like your computer), you keep another copy of everything somewhere safe.

ALRIGHT, I GET IT, BUT WHY SHOULD I BACKUP?

Losing your files is way more common than you’d think. Ever lost your phone, camera or tablet? That counts. Your stuff could have been saved with a backup. One small accident or failure could destroy all the important stuff you care about.

30% of people have never backed up

113 phones lost or stolen every minute

29% of disasters are caused by accident

1 in 10 computers infected with viruses each month

SO HOW DO I BACKUP?

Most people backup their files in one of two ways: to an external drive, or somewhere on the Internet (Backblaze).

Do you need a hand with getting backup sorted for your important data? Contact Donline. Do not wait till it's too late to backup!

www.worldbackupday.com

Bible sales surge by 87% as Generation Z rediscovers faith

Bible sales in the UK have risen sharply, increasing by 87 per cent from £2.69 million in 2019 to £5.02 million in 2024, according to new data from SPCK Group and Nielsen Book Data.

Publishers and researchers attribute this growth to Generation Z’s renewed interest in spirituality, marking a striking cultural shift.

While overall non-fiction book sales declined by 6% between 2023 and 2024, religious books have defied the trend. The broader category of "Bibles and liturgy" grew from £7 million in 2019 to £8.1 million in 2024, continuing a longer-term rise from £5 million in 2008. Spending on religious books as a whole reached £25.2 million last year, reflecting a 3% year-on-year increase.

This is literally GOOD NEWS! Want some more good news? If you'd like a Bible at no cost - contact me. I'm a member of Good News For Everyone, and we distribute God's holy word to anyone who would like a copy. God Bless you x

www.christiantoday.com

Scam Alert: FBI ‘Increasingly Seeing’ Malware Distributed In Document Converters

Threat actors may attempt to distribute malware, including ransomware, by offering free document converters, according to a March 7 report from the FBI’s Denver office. “Agents are increasingly seeing” this type of scam. The scheme has been deployed globally, the FBI warned.

Threat actors behind the document converter scam disguise malicious software as a legitimate tool for file conversion. The software may claim to convert .doc files to .pdf files, merge multiple .jpg files into a single .pdf file, or download MP3 or MP4 audio files. In most cases, the downloaded software performs the advertised conversion. However, it also grants the attacker access to the victim’s computer.

Once installed, the malware allows threat actors to download additional malicious software or access files submitted for conversion. If these files contain identifying information —  such as dates of birth, social security numbers, or phone numbers — the threat actor may exploit them for identity theft. The attacker could scrape the submitted files for banking information, seed phrases and other information associated with cryptocurrency wallets, email addresses, and passwords.

www.techrepublic.com