Reading for today: Jesus Christ - your key to life

Madonna said, ‘When I was growing up... Jesus Christ was like a movie star, my favourite idol of all.’

Napoleon Bonaparte said, ‘I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man.’

Novelist H.G. Wells said, ‘I am an historian, I am not a believer. But this penniless preacher from Galilee is irresistibly the centre of history.’

Even people who would not describe themselves as followers of the ‘penniless preacher’ recognise that there is something extraordinary about Jesus.

No one, not even angels, can compare to Jesus (Hebrews 1:1–14). If you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. He said, ‘Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father’ (John 14:9). Everything you read and understand about God through the Bible needs to be read through the lens of Jesus. He is the ultimate revelation of God.

Your key to getting your life sorted out is Jesus. Your key to understanding the Bible is Jesus. Your key to understanding God’s character is Jesus. Your key to life is Jesus.

www.bibleinoneyear.org

Business cyber security: What simple mistakes leave you at risk?

As cyber threats intensify, small businesses must make sure that careless mistakes aren’t leaving them vulnerable.

Cyber crime is on the up. A survey by analyst Ovum found that 60% of companies saw an increase in cyber attacks in the past year. Meanwhile, Uncloak’s research suggests that the number of cyber attacks in 2017 was up an incredible 400% year on year.

The costs of cyber crime are high, both financially and in terms of the devastating reputational damage done to businesses that fall victim – yet 96% of businesses in Europe feel they cannot justify the cost of a cyber security expert. The reality is that the threat affects businesses of all sizes, yet cyber security is a poorly understood area for many businesses, and most simply wait to shut the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Of course, cyber security is a complex and ever-changing landscape, but there are simple things we could all do to reduce risks. Take a look at these common mistakes, and you might spot some straightforward things you can do to reduce your chance of being hit by a hacker – because prevention is always better than a cure

Click here to find out what you could do to protect your business:

www.businessadvice.co.uk

Yet another reason to despise Bitcoin: massive electricity use adding significantly to Global Warming

If Bitcoin is adopted at rates similar to other technologies, like credit cards, it could increase global temperatures by two degrees Celsius by 2033 according to a study published on Monday in Nature Climate Change. To put this in perspective, a recent climate change report from the United Nations found that a temperature increase of over 1.5 degrees Celsius would lead to irreversible, catastrophic climate effects.

Bitcoin requires massive amounts of energy to run the computers that secure the record of transactions that have occurred on the network, which are stored in a digital ledger called a blockchain. Each computer is simultaneously searching for the solution to a complex math problem—a process known as mining since the first computer to solve the problem is rewarded with newly-minted Bitcoin.

Bitcoin’s environmental footprint has been a serious point of criticism for years, mostly thanks to the work of the Dutch economist Alex de Vries. De Vries’ work has long lived on his blog Digiconomist, and more recently in Joule, a peer-reviewed academic journal. As Motherboard has previously reported, de Vries’ research has found that Bitcoin’s energy consumption likely roughly equivalent to the energy needs of Austria and may be more resource intensive than mining gold.

www.motherboard.vice.com

Motorcycle Live at The NEC, Birmingham from 17-25 November

There are now less than THREE weeks to go until Motorcycle Live 2018 opens its doors! You have less than three weeks left to book your tickets in advance and save £5.50* compared to the on-the-door price, or you could take advantage of our promotion to receive an Oxford HD Max Disc Lock worth £24.99 when you buy a £25.00 advanced ticket!

Motorcycle Live takes place at The NEC, Birmingham from 17-25 November. Advance tickets are on sale on now priced at just £19.50 per adult, £12 for Seniors, £1 for 11-16 year olds and FREE for children aged ten and under. 

To book or for more information, call 0844 581 2345 or visit www.motorcyclelive.co.uk

Opt-out organ donation plan wins Commons backing

Hundreds of lives could be saved each year under a new opt-out system for organ donation approved by MPs.

Under the plans, passed by the Commons, adults in England will be presumed to be donors unless they have specifically recorded their decision not to be.

A high-profile media campaign to change the law was inspired by the case of 10-year-old Max Johnson, who was saved by a heart transplant.

If passed by the Lords, the measures would come into effect in spring 2020.

More than 5,000 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant and ministers estimate that the change in the law would save up to 700 lives each year.

www.bbc.co.uk

IBM to acquire Red Hat in deal valued at $34 billion

IBM is acquiring Red Hat, a major distributor of open-source software and technology, in a deal valued around $34 billion, the companies announced on Sunday.

According to a joint statement, IBM will pay cash to buy all shares in Red Hat at $190 each. Shares in Red Hat closed at $116.68 on Friday before the deal was announced.

The open source, enterprise software maker will become a unit of IBM’s Hybrid Cloud division, with Red Hat CEO Jim Whitehurst joining IBM’s senior management team and reporting to CEO Ginni Rometty. 

The acquisition is by far IBM’s largest deal ever, and the third-biggest in the history of U.S. tech. Excluding the AOL-Time Warner merger, the only larger deals were the $67 billion merger between Dell and EMC in 2016 and JDS Uniphase’s $41 billion acquisition of optical-component supplier SDL in 2000, just as the dot-com bubble was bursting.

www.cnbc.com

You know who has been you know where again!

Calli has been to see Pam again & has come back looking & smelling wonderful, & "puppy like" again. I wonder if Pam could offer this service for humans? I'd be 1st in the queue!

Also - more fab news: The Travellers Rest, Soberton is open once again!

Calli & I stopped in on the way back from Pam's & the new owners are doing a great job. Cheers!

www.k9-4pawsandthegroomingroom.co.uk

Microsoft Future Decoded is next week! Want to experience what this great yearly event is all about?

Microsoft’s biggest event in the UK: Future Decoded gets under way at ExCel London next week.

Digital transformation and AI are changing the world. So, how can businesses grow while managing disruption in these exciting times?

Join the companies and experts leading the way at ExCeL London, for an extraordinary two-day event that promises to deliver top-level keynotes, private learning, growth sessions and more. Starting on 31 October until 1 November 2018, this is your chance to meet the future. 

Want to find out what this great even is all about, but can't be there?

Experience the best of Future Decoded wherever you are with Future Decoded Live, new for 2018. 

Streamed live from the ExCeL London, you can join 12,000 attendees virtually and be inspired by industry leaders, experts and keynote speakers - on both days of the event, bringing you the very latest from Future Decoded from 9am – 5.30pm. 

www.futuredecoded.com/content/live

Samsung brand ambassador sued for $1.6 million for using iPhone X in public

Ksenia Sobchak was hired by Samsung to market its smartphones in the country, with the Russian TV presenter, journalist, and politician contracted to use the smartphones in public. Under the terms of similar agreements between companies and influential people, they are not typically allowed to be seen using competing products in public, a rule that Sobchak broke. 

According to The Mirror, Sobchak was spotted using an iPhone X during a television interview, with the personality attempting to hide the Apple smartphone under a piece of paper while the cameras were on. Sobchak is also said to have used the iPhone X during social events in Moscow and other TV appearances, again against the contract's rules. 

Formerly dubbed the "Russian Paris Hilton," Sobchak is also rumored to be the goddaughter to President Vladimir Putin, who she ran against in elections earlier in 2018. Anatoly Sobchak, her father, was the first elected mayor of St Petersburg, and thought to have been a mentor to the president. 

The numerous sightings has led to Samsung suing Sobchak for a reported 108 million rubles (approximately $1.6 million) for breach of contract. It is unknown how much Sobchak was originally paid by Samsung, but it is likely the suit's claimed damages are far higher in value, including penalties for breaking the agreement. 

www.appleinsider.com

Yahoo to pay $50M and other costs for massive security breach

Yahoo has agreed to pay $50 million in damages and provide two years of free credit-monitoring services to 200 million people whose email addresses and other personal information were stolen as part of the biggest security breach in history.

The restitution hinges on federal court approval of a settlement filed late Monday in a 2-year-old lawsuit seeking to hold Yahoo accountable for digital burglaries that occurred in 2013 and 2014, but weren't disclosed until 2016.

It adds to the financial fallout from a security lapse that provided a mortifying end to Yahoo's existence as an independent company and former CEO Marissa Mayer's six-year reign.

www.abcnews.go.com

Windows Server 2019 delayed due to continuing Windows 10 (v1809) issues

Microsoft is recommending that those who have downloaded Windows Server 2019 should not install it until the company has resolved an isolated issue with Windows 10, which runs on the same code base.

Soon after Microsoft announced the general availability of Windows Server 2019, it pulled back the release for further testing to make sure the issue with Windows 10 didn’t also affect Windows Server 2019.

www.networkworld.com

Please Vote for Waterlooville Events Team in the Aviva Community Fund

Voting for the Aviva Community fund is now open. 

The Waterlooville Events team have applied for a £1000 grant. 

If successful we will use this to provide free Children's activities at next year's Waterlooville Summer Fete. Voting is free and will only cost you a couple of minutes of your time.

PLEASE log on to Aviva.co.uk/community-fund 

Register then search for Waterloville Events Team and cast your votes. 

You have 10 votes so please use them all.

Grants are getting harder to get so we really need your support

The Waterlooville Events team is a group of local volunteers who aim to encourage a 'Spirit of community' and pride in Waterlooville. They do this by organising a number of free or low costs events to bring the community together and provide fun affordable events for the whole family. One of the main events is the Waterlooville Summer Fete. Entry is free and as well as the usual funfair, stalls and food we aim to provide 4 hours of quality entertainment showcasing local talent and as many FREE activities as we can get funding for to make the day affordable as well as fun.

Please, please support us this year.

Thanks from the volunteers of The Waterlooville Events team

www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk

Elspeth Beard - Solo Adventurer Rider: 3rd November at The Phoenix Theatre & Arts Centre, Bordon, Hants

ELSPETH BEARD, AWARD WINNING ARCHITECT AND THE FIRST BRITISH WOMAN TO RIDE A MOTORCYCLE AROUND THE WORLD.

In 1982 at the age of 23 Elspeth set off on a solo trip to ride her 1974 R60/6 BMW motorcycle around the world. The journey took two and a half years covering 55,000 kilometres riding through North America, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and Europe. All in the age before email, the internet, mobile phones, satnavs, medevacs, and, in some parts of the world, reliable maps.

Elspeth rode through post-revolutionary Iran during the war with Iraq; survived life-threatening illnesses, and numerous accidents. She witnessed civil uprisings that forced her to fake documents, and she fended off physical threats, sexual attacks, biker gangs, and corrupt police who were convinced that she was trafficking drugs. She fell in and out of love three times.

Lone Rider: The First British Woman to Motorcycle Around the World

3rd November 2018 - 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

The Phoenix Theatre & Arts Centre, Bordon, Hants

Click here for tickets:

www.phoenixarts.co.uk

A device that can pull drinking water from the air (mimicking clouds) just won the latest XPrize

A new device that sits inside a shipping container can use clean energy to almost instantly bring clean drinking water anywhere–the rooftop of an apartment building in Nairobi, a disaster zone after a hurricane in Manila, a rural village in Zimbabwe–by pulling water from the air.

The design, from the Skysource/Skywater Alliance, just won $1.5 million in the Water Abundance XPrize. The competition, which launched in 2016, asked designers to build a device that could extract at least 2,000 liters of water a day from the atmosphere (enough for the daily needs of around 100 people), use clean energy, and cost no more than 2¢ a liter.

The new system, called WEDEW (“wood-to-energy deployed water”) was created by combining two existing systems. One is a device called Skywater, a large box that mimics the way clouds are formed: It takes in warm air, which hits cold air and forms droplets of condensation that can be used as pure drinking water. The water is stored in a tank inside the shipping container, which can then be connected to a bottle refill station or a tap.

www.fastcompany.com

Critical bug in older versions of VLC Media Player (and MPlayer). Update NOW!

The IT security researcher at Cisco Talos Intelligence Group has discovered a critical remote code execution vulnerability in the LIVE555 media streaming library used by popular media players such as VLC and MPlayer.

These findings (CVE-2018-4013) have left millions of users of media players vulnerable to cyber attacks, according to Lilith Wyatt, a researcher at the Cisco Talos Intelligence Group. 

An update has already been issued to address the vulnerability. Therefore, if you are using any of the vulnerable media players make sure they are updated to the latest version.

www.hackread.com

Reading for today: niceness in not enough

‘Niceness’—wholesome, integrated personality—is an excellent thing. We must try by every medical, educational, economic, and political means in our power to produce a world where as many people as possible grow up ‘nice’; just as we must try to produce a world where all have plenty to eat. But we must not suppose that even if we succeeded in making everyone nice we should have saved their souls. A world of nice people, content in their own niceness, looking no further, turned away from God, would be just as desperately in need of salvation as a miserable world—and might even be more difficult to save.

For mere improvement is not redemption, though redemption always improves people even here and now and will, in the end, improve them to a degree we cannot yet imagine. God became man to turn creatures into sons: not simply to produce better men of the old kind but to produce a new kind of man. It is not like teaching a horse to jump better and better but like turning a horse into a winged creature. Of course, once it has got its wings, it will soar over fences which could never have been jumped and thus beat the natural horse at its own game. But there may be a period, while the wings are just beginning to grow, when it cannot do so: and at that stage the lumps on the shoulders—no one could tell by looking at them that they are going to be wings—may even give it an awkward appearance.

By C. S. Lewis

From Mere Christianity

Compiled in A Year with C.S. Lewis

Name checks to begin on bank payments - at last!

The name of someone receiving a payment will be as important as their banking details for the first time from next summer, in an attempt to combat fraud.

At present, anyone wanting to transfer money enters the intended recipient's name, account number and sort code. However, the name is not checked.

Under plans from the UK's payments operator, the sender will be alerted if the name does not match the account.

Banks have been accused of dragging their heels in introducing the system.

It is designed to combat cases when fraudsters mimic a genuine business and attempt to trick people into sending money to an account controlled by the con-artist.

Details of how the "confirmation of payee" system will work have been revealed by Pay.UK - the operator which oversees the UK's major payments systems.

Stop & Think: Take Five To Stop Fraud.

www.bbc.co.uk

Chancellor urged to deliver £3,000 Brexit voucher for every small business

Businesses should be given Brexit planning vouchers worth up to £3,000 to pay for legal and professional advice ahead of the UK’s split from the EU, according to the Institute of Directors.

The Institute of Directors (IoD) called on the chancellor, Philip Hammond, to announce the scheme in his upcoming Budget as a new survey revealed directors’ confidence in the economy has fallen steadily over the past six months hit by Brexit fears.

The IoD said the UK’s uncertain trading status with the EU had become the leading concern for the first time in 2018 and that directors were now requesting help to prepare for leaving the EU.

Under the IoD’s proposed scheme, small and medium-sized businesses could submit online applications for immediately redeemable vouchers to purchase legal and professional advice in order to be as prepared as possible for Brexit, whatever the outcome of negotiations. The scheme would be in place for the duration of any transition or adjustment period.

Dunno that Donline would need £3k to spend on Brexit planning. 

Wonder if I could spend it on a second hand CB1000R instead?

www.businessadvice.co.uk

What's new in Google Chrome v70?

Google have launched Chrome 70 for Windows, Mac, and Linux. 

The release includes an option to disable linking Google site and Chrome sign-ins, Progressive Web Apps on Windows, the ability for users to restrict extensions’ access to a custom list of sites, an AV1 decoder, and plenty more. You can update to the latest version now using Chrome’s built-in updater or download it directly from google.com/chrome.

With over 1 billion users, Chrome is both a browser and a major platform that web developers must consider. In fact, with Chrome’s regular additions and changes, developers often must make an effort to stay on top of everything available — as well as what has been deprecated or removed.

www.venturebeat.com

Windows 10 on your PC been a bit glitchy of late? Might be the return of the 1809 update bug

Microsoft has not had an easy time with its Windows 10 October Update. After having pulled the Windows 10 October update after users reported it was deleting some of their files, it re-released the update back to Insiders for further testing.

However, since then, Microsoft has found itself tackling new issues left, right and centre. Now users are reporting issues with Windows Task Manager, incompatibility issues with Intel drivers, apps being barred from connecting to the internet, audio drivers no longer working and even the dreaded blue screen of death rearing its head.

www.alphr.com

Facebook hack victims will not get ID theft protection. Check to see if your account has been affected

Facebook has said it will not provide identity fraud protection for the victims of its latest data breach.

On Friday it revealed 14 million users had highly personal information stolen by hackers. It included search history, location data and information about relationships, religion and more.

However, unlike other major hacks involving big companies, Facebook said it had no plans to provide protection services for concerned users. One analyst told the BBC the decision was "unconscionable".

"This kind of information could help thieves create social engineering-based theft programmes, preying on the Facebook hack victims," said Patrick Moorhead, from Moor Insights and Strategy.

Users can visit this link to find out if they have been directly affected.

www.bbc.co.uk

Atlas the robot does Parkour!

Atlas does parkour.  

The control software uses the whole body including legs, arms and torso, to marshal the energy and strength for jumping over the log and leaping up the steps without breaking its pace (Step height 40 cm).

Atlas uses computer vision to locate itself with respect to visible markers on the approach to hit the terrain accurately.  

For more information visit www.BostonDynamics.com

25 Bible verses about faith to help you in tough times

Faith quotes to encourage you: it can be tough to hold onto faith in God when life gets difficult. 

That’s why we’ve collected together these Bible verses about faith to give you reassurance and comfort. The Bible is full of incredible truths that remind us that we can put our faith in God and trust Him.

Wondering what the Bible says about faith? Meditate on these faith scriptures and let them change your perspective. Remind yourself that your faith is in God, our Heavenly Father who will never leave us or forsake us. Remember that we have been restored into relationship with God by faith and not by works.

We invite you to share these verses about faith in the Bible with friends who need encouragement today.

www.compassionuk.org

Indian FTR: 1200, 750 & Street Tracker prototype!

Wouldn’t it be awesome if someone actually built a badass street tracker? 

Not just a quasi-cool ride like the old Honda Ascot or Harley Davidson XR1200, but a proper high-performance daily rider with a huge dose of flat-track style? 

Well, Indian has done it, or at least they seem poised to. The FTR1200 street tracker takes the engine of the Scout and slots it into what is essentially an FTR750 chassis. 

It’s a beast of a bike, and we got the opportunity to ride it.

www.motorcyclistonline.com

Ride with Sena / Schuberth comms? Time for a firmware update!

The update you've been waiting for is here!

The 30K, along with most 10 series Sena headsets (Bluetooth® 4.0 and above), will now feature audio multitasking while using Bluetooth intercom. Click below for a breakdown of the new update to learn more about this feature. Previously, 30K users were only able to use the audio multitasking feature while in Mesh Intercom mode, users will now be able to use it in both Bluetooth and Mesh Intercom mode. Most 10 Series Sena users will also be able to update their headset and start using audio multitasking as well.

Product updates available now: 30K, 20S, 20S EVO, SRL, Momentum, Momentum INC, 10S, & 10R. Updates available soon: Momentum Lite, Cavalry, Savage, 10C Pro, 10U, & 10Upad.

Download your software & firmware from here:

Sena / Schuberth

Reading for today: on wisdom

Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise.

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

Read all of Proverbs 19 at Bible Gateway

Mercedes-Benz Vs Harley-Davidson. In a double barrel punch up, who would win? Only one way to find out: Fight!

How a FXDR first ride turned into a scene from Greece’s own Road Wars! This is a David and Goliath epic, the story of how a 300kg Harley-Davidson took on a 1.5-ton Mercedes-Benz and won.

A bit of back story might help. We were returning to the hotel in convoy at the end of a long day’s riding around Thessaloniki on the Harley-Davidson FXDR launch, when we came across an unfinished toll booth. Unfamiliar with the road layout and ever-cautious of the crazy Greek drivers we slowed down to around 60kph (some say this deceleration may have saved me from worse injury, but I reckon the car would have missed me had I been going faster)...

Read more at: www.visordown.com

Apple Releases iOS 12.0.1 with Fixes for Wi-Fi 2.4GHz Bug, Lightning Charging Issue

Apple has now released (8th Oct 2018)  iOS 12.0.1, the first official update to the iOS 12 operating system. iOS 12.0.1 comes three weeks after Apple released iOS 12. 

iOS 12 users should be able to download iOS 12.0.1. The update will be available on all eligible devices over-the-air in the Settings app. To access the update, go to Settings --> General --> Software Update. 

Today's update fixes several high profile bugs that have been plaguing iOS 12 users. It resolves an issue that could cause some iPhone XS devices not to charge when connected to a Lightning cable, an issue that was discovered shortly after iOS 12 was released. 

www.macrumors.com

Google+ shutting down after users' data is exposed

Google is shutting down much of its social network, Google+, after user data was left exposed.

It said a bug in its software meant information that people believed was private had been accessible by third parties. Google said up to 500,000 users had been affected.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, the company knew about the issue in March but did not disclose it. The WSJ quoted an internal Google memo that said doing so would draw "immediate regulatory interest".

I'm a big fan of most things Google, but sometimes the company doesn't do itself any favours. It's time to go back to the old corporate motto Google & truly mean it...

www.bbc.co.uk

Microsoft pauses Windows 10 update after files disappear

Microsoft has paused the October update of its Windows 10 operating system after reports that some users found their documents disappeared once it was installed.

On its support page, the firm asks affected customers to use their device as little as possible and to phone their local helpline.

It is also asking people who have downloaded the update manually not to install it. The firm said the cases were isolated.

"Microsoft has paused the roll-out of the update while we continue to investigate reports from some customers," the firm said in a statement.

I have so far done two 1809 builds & no major issues. NB: when upgrading an operating system (and indeed always!), a backup is the right place to start...

www.bbc.co.uk

‘Got Another Friend Request from You’ Facebook Warning - time waster!

In October 2018, Facebook users began receiving and sharing a message stating that the sender had received “another” friend request from them, and urging recipients to “check your account” and send the same message on to other Facebook friends.

While a warning of this nature could be legitimate, the fact that this exact same message has been spread to untold thousands of Facebook users indicates that it is at worst a scam or hoax, and at best a once well-intentioned warning rendered useless by being uncritically reposted all over Facebook.

Clearly, there would be no utility to forwarding this warning to any of your Facebook friends unless you had actually received a second friend request from one of them. Moreover, even if this warning were possibly real, the optimal approach would not be for the recipient to forward it willy-nilly to every single contact on their friends list.

www.snopes.com

Wi-Fi Alliance introduces a new naming system. Goodbye: b/g/n/ac/etc!

Wi-Fi Alliance® introduces Wi-Fi 6 as the industry designation for products and networks that support the next generation of Wi-Fi®, based on 802.11ax technology. Wi-Fi 6 is part of a new naming approach by Wi-Fi Alliance that provides users with an easy-to-understand designation for both the Wi-Fi technology supported by their device and used in a connection the device makes with a Wi-Fi network.

The new naming system identifies Wi-Fi generations by a numerical sequence which correspond to major advancements in Wi-Fi. The generation names can be used by product vendors to identify the latest Wi-Fi technology a device supports, by OS vendors to identify the generation of Wi-Fi connection between a device and network, and by service providers to identify the capabilities of a Wi-Fi network to their customers. The generational terminology may also be used to designate previous Wi-Fi generations, such as 802.11n or 802.11ac. The numerical sequence includes:

Wi-Fi 6 to identify devices that support 802.11ax technology

Wi-Fi 5 to identify devices that support 802.11ac technology

Wi-Fi 4 to identify devices that support 802.11n technology

Each generation of Wi-Fi offers new features – faster speeds, increased throughput, and better experiences. Industry adoption of the new terminology will help users better understand the experience they can expect. Wi-Fi 6 will deliver an improved experience to address device and application needs in a range of consumer and enterprise environments. The generational terminology is expected to be widely adopted by the Wi-Fi ecosystem.

www.wi-fi.org

Windows 10: October 2018 Update now available. WinVer 1809

I’m happy to announce that Windows 10, version 1809 is now available for download. This new feature update will begin rolling out globally via Windows Update in the coming weeks to ensure the best possible update experience for our customers. 

We recommend that you begin rolling out Windows 10, version 1809 today, in phases across your organisation, to validate that your apps, devices, and infrastructure work well with this new release before broad deployment. Additionally, if you aren’t yet using Windows Analytics to monitor your rollout of this feature update, we encourage you to do so.

www.microsoft.com