Thursday, May 31, 2018

GDPR compliance and Blockchain

There are concerns that the now-active General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and distributed ledger technology are incompatible, most likely stemming from the notion that, by virtue of a blockchain’s inherent public and transparent nature, it is far too accessible to be safe for enterprise use. 

This is not actually the case. While transactions can be seen occurring across the network, the data in and of itself is not stored on the blockchain – instead, a cryptographic hash is derived from the data and is then uploaded.

Blockchain-based platforms enable the storage and provenance of data to be conducted in an anonymous fashion – protocols can be built in such a way that allows for the destruction of certain data sets, in compliance with GDPR requirements. Contrary to popular belief, and given that blockchain solutions will use such a mechanism, GDPR will see increased adoption of blockchain tech.

If anything, GDPR has prompted a renewed understanding of the importance of secure data storage. It is doubtful that the legislation will interfere with existing or future blockchain systems (provided, of course, that these are truly distributed), which aim to put information back in the control of its owners.

First passed into law in April of 2016, the EU GDPR regulations came into effect on May 25th, 2018. As the EU’s response to an increasingly theft-prone personal data environment, these regulations aim to protect consumer data integrity and enforce enterprise security measures focused on such.

One of the defining features of the new regulations is that of “privacy by design”. Rather than building a system and “adding” privacy and security as a secondary concern, the EU stipulates, the system must be designed in such a way that minimizes extraneous data collection and guards that which is necessary for operations. 

Luckily, distributed ledger technology is designed to be both intensely private and equally secure.  

Firstly, the public and private key system allows participants to send and receive data with nearly perfect anonymity, depending on the application. The private key allows for access, while the public key is an address for inter-user transaction detached from any personally identifying elements. 

Additionally, by decentralizing transaction processing, distributed ledger systems remove the vulnerabilities commonly exploited in centralized data repositories. Rather than allowing for an identifiable single point of failure, a blockchain ledger makes single-breach failures a near impossibility. 

One of the other critical features of a GDPR-compatible blockchain service is immutability. In order to rely on evidence of GDPR compliance, all parties must be able to trust that it is complete, accurate and unchanged. This can only be achieved by using blockchain to record transactions. 

When digital records, such as data transactions, events, and documents, are delivered to the platform, it creates a unique signature for each. It then stores these signatures in an unchangeable ledger, called a proof chain.  

When new evidence seals are made, the evidence owner receives a receipt with a token to enable proof certificates based on those seals to be obtained whenever they are needed. These proof certificates can verify claims for all parties involved, providing clear evidence of an action or claim.

In the increasingly regulated world of data collection, storage, and security, blockchain provides the most reliable route towards compliance with new and upcoming international regulations. The decentralized and minimally invasive nature of the blockchain platform follows new GDPR principles of privacy by design, and the immutability and availability of a proof chain implementation ensures resistance to malicious (or negligent) data corruption. 

While future political steps may complicate the landscape further, blockchain currently presents the most viable option for companies looking to ensure total GDPR compliance. 

Adrian Clarke is founder of tech start-up Evident Proof and CEO of Berkshire Cloud



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Facebook Messenger Kids no longer requires parents to be friends

Messenger Kids, Facebook's chat app for pre-teens, no longer requires parents to be on speaking terms before their offspring can start a conversation. 

Children can only use Messenger Kids to chat with a list of contacts approved by their parents. Before now, if two kids want to message one another, their parents could only grant permission if they were friends themselves on Facebook.

It was a handy way to make sure your little ones only spoke to people you knew and trusted, but also meant their social circles were limited unless you befriended half the people you saw at the school gate. You might be nodding acquaintances, but do you really want to hear their political views and be inundated with their Farmville invitations?

Both parents still need Facebook accounts (Zuckerberg and company won't let you get away that easily), but you can now make and authorize requests without being forced to expand your own social circle. Just search for the other parent's name to send an invitation and wait for them to respond.

Messenger Kids is available for Kindle Fire, Android and iOS, exclusively for users in the US.



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5 unexpected consequences of GDPR

We're all breathing a sigh of relief that the recent flood of GDPR-related emails from panicked companies around the world has all but dried up. The EU's new data regulation is here, promising to put individuals back in control of their personal data and harmonize data protection and privacy laws across Europe. But as the dust settles, we anticipate a number of interesting consequences. 

Here are five examples (four good and one not so good) of surprising knock-on effects that the regulation may have on business, technology and society.

Stronger relationships - better data

A 10,000-person online poll conducted by Harris in April found only 20 percent of respondents "completely trust" companies to safeguard their data.

With restored trust in tech, individuals may even want to share more precise data with companies in order to benefit from more personalized products and services in line with their interests and needs. As the the world’s largest steward of enterprise data, IBM is calling on other companies not only to comply with regulation like GDPR, but to put in place deeper principles for data responsibility and trust.

AI within arm's reach

GDPR could be seen as a Marie Kondo for data centres. For many, big data has become a big mess. As a result, data scientists currently spend almost 60 percent of their time organizing and cleaning it before they do anything with it. 

With GDPR forcing companies to find, map and catalogue their data and delete what they don't need, they are effectively laying the foundations for machine learning and artificial intelligence — systems that can analyze data at lightning speed and learn as they go, throwing out the type of insight that they never even imagined possible. 

Reduced capacity to track cybercriminals?

Web domain registration information (including the name, address and contact details of registrants) help cybersecurity experts quickly link malicious domains to cybercriminals, in turn helping them to block million of spam messages from suspicious domains. 

There are reports that, under GDPR, domain registrars are no longer providing easy and rapid access to domain registration details in fear of non-compliance and subsequent fines. As a result, cybersecurity experts are becoming concerned about their ability to effectively track hackers and spammers in the the fight against cybercrime. Regulators and tech experts are working to hammer out a solution asap 

More advanced encryption technologies

GDPR is forcing companies to ensure the highest possible levels of protection and privacy - from hackers to data processors themselves. Fully homomorphic encryption - akin to sealing and analyzing data in an impenetrable bag - is seen as the Holy Grail of encryption technologies. It's been in development for years but still isn't quite fast enough to be viable; however, recent advances promise to accelerate its commercial availability. 

Companies are already using a new generation of pseudonymization technologies to strip out the most sensitive personal information from data, replacing it with something fake so it can be analyzed and shared while still respecting privacy. For example, the Dutch bank Rabobank is replacing the names of banking customers with the Latin names of flowers before sharing it with software developers for app testing. Necessity is the mother invention 

The rise of 'data trusts'

With data rapidly turning from a company's biggest asset to its biggest potential issue, some businesses may choose not to manage any of their own data. Instead they may 'offshore' it to an expert third-party who can store, process and eventually delete the data in a way consistent with new laws like GDPR. 

These fascinating new entities are called "data trusts" and IBM and MasterCard have set up the industry's first. 'Trūata' promises to manage, anonymize and analyze vast amounts of personal information held by companies such as travel agents and insurers. It's a bit like keeping money in a bank rather than keeping it at home in order to benefit from better security and other value added services - only in this case, the data that's put in the trust isn't pooled and mixed together. 

Overall, despite the effort involved, according to IBM research over 60% of business leaders see GDPR as a blessing in disguise: a way to drive digital transformation across the enterprise and innovate new data-centric business models. IBM's take is that sometimes intense pressure and constraint lead to great innovation and that business leaders should embrace the regulation - they may be surprised by some of the benefits. 

Richard Hogg is IBM's GDPR Evangelist.



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New file sharing site Smash has no ads, no file size limits, and a creative twist

File sharing can be a dull business – particularly if you're using a free service that's packed with ads. Smash takes a different approach. A new file transfer service designed with artists, designers and tech enthusiasts at heart, it has no file size limits and replaces ugly ads with fun creative projects.

There's no need to create an account – just drag and drop your files to get started. You can then create a unique download page with a custom background image and title, and select a creative project to display while the files download.

Free users can pick from a selection of projects from a list curated by Smash, while premium account holders can add their own videos from YouTube or Vimeo (plus a custom logo).

You can send files via a web link (with a custom URL in the format fromsmash.com/yourtitle), by email, or through Slack.

Safe and secure

Smash uses Amazon Web Services to provide secure cloud storage, and links expire after a set period of time (up to seven days in the free plan), eliminating the problem of sensitive data hanging around in the recipient's inbox indefinitely.

You can also remove file previews if you're sending something confidential, and use a password to secure your links (check out the full privacy policy). 

Premium accounts start at US$5 (about £4, AU$7) per month, and offer the ability to display your own projects during downloads, links that remain live for up to a year, priority transfers for files over 2GB, file transfer history, and reporting.



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Broadband and booze: Get a free case of wine with Virgin internet deals

Well this could get messy - Virgin Media is giving away a case of wine if you sign up for one of its selected broadband deals ending today. There are plenty of options to choose from with either 8 or 14 bottles of wine headed your way. Cheers!

Not a big wine drinker? Then not to worry, as Virgin broadband is also offering bill credit up to £100 as an alternative. So you can be teetotal and still get to benefit from Virgin Media's great internet promotion.

Head straight to the Virgin broadband website to see what options you can choose from. The long and short of it is that you have to get either a broadband and phone or broadband and TV package - broadband only deals aren't included.

So that means you could opt for the £29 per month Player TV Bundle for example, which comes with eight bottles or £50 bill credit along with average 54Mb internet speeds and 70+ channels. Or ramp things up to 108Mb speeds, 250+ channels (including BT Sport) and 14 bottles of vino or £100 bill credit with Virgin's Full House TV Bundle for £55 per month. That's to name but two.

Rather discuss your options over the phone? Then give 08000-492-102 a ring to speak to an adviser and order.

Is Virgin fibre broadband available in my area?

Around 60% of UK households are now able to receive super fast Virgin broadband. It's easy to discover whether you're one of the lucky 3-in-5 - head to our dedicated Virgin broadband deals page (or the price comparison chart at the bottom of this page), enter your postcode where indicated at the top of the page and if deals show as available then you're laughing.

If no results are returned, then head to our best broadband deals page instead and do exactly the same thing to see whether you can get superfast fibre broadband with another provider, such as BT Superfast.

Existing Virgin Media broadband customers

Sorry, the Virgin Media website confirms that the offer is for new customers only. If you're already with Virgin or have used the provider in your internet past, then you can forget the free wine and cry into your beer. Sorry.



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Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Best free Usenet trials 2018

Free Usenet servers have seen their numbers dwindle as demand for (and the sheer cost of) resources has continued to increase. They have become less reliable, more unstable, and far slower than paid options.

On top of that, they tend to have short binary retention periods (only a few months) and they do not usually provide an SSL certificate to improve security and maintain anonymity.

The solution? Well, you can always get free Usenet trials and just use them one after the other to download Terabytes worth of data for more than four months. We’ve picked out the safer options in this article: well-known brands that have been reviewed either by ourselves or our peers.



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Imgur will devour even more of your time with 30-second videos

Imgur has long been our favorite image hosting site and a key source of reaction GIFs, and now it's taken things a step further with support for video clips.

At the moment, Imgur only supports uploading of videos through the iOS app, but users on all platforms can see and share the fruits of iPhone owners' labor. 

You can visit the Unmuted channel to see what's been shared so far. Despite the name, sound is actually muted by default (otherwise the channel would be a cacophony of meowing), but you can play sound by choosing a video, then selecting the volume toggle at the bottom right.

Breaking the sound barrier

There's no danger of Imgur eating YouTube's lunch. It's referring to these snippets as 'GIFs with sound', and limiting them to a bite-sized 30 seconds in line with its usual shareable, memetic content. 

Instead, it seems like a move designed to help secure Imgur's future. Video opens up more opportunities for advertisers like Old Spice, which are currently limited to targeting the site's users through the medium of silent GIFs.

The move to video is useful to the community, too. No longer do you have to spend time hunting down the source of that meme of a man being hit in the face with a basketball – it's now right there on the site. What more could you want?

Via Engadget



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भास्कर ​पाठकों के लिए शिवराज सिंह चौहान से सवाल पूछने का मौका, बीते 15 सालों में उन्होंने क्या किया?

शिवराज सिंह चौहान की सरकार दिसंबर में अपना तीसरा कार्यकाल पूरा कर लेगी। विधानसभा चुनाव से ठीक पहले सरकार ही नहीं विपक्ष से भी प्रश्न पूछने का मौका है कि बीते 15 सालों में उन्होंने क्या किया? भास्कर अपने पाठकों के लिए एक श्रृंखला की शुरुआत कर रहा है – प्रश्न पूछिए @ भास्कर न्यूजरूम। इसके तहत हम सरकार और विपक्ष के प्रमुख नेताओं के लिए पाठकों से प्रश्न मंगवाएंगे। चुने हुए सवालों को पाठक दैनिक भास्कर भोपाल के न्यूजरूम में सीधे इन नेताओं से पूछेंगे। इस कड़ी में हम आज मुख्यमंत्री शिवराज सिंह चौहान के लिए सवाल आमंत्रित कर रहे हैं।

आज की ताज़ा ख़बरें पढ़ने के लिए दैनिक भास्कर ऍप डाउनलोड करें

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Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Monday, May 28, 2018

How to encourage consumers to part with their data now GDPR is here

The long wait is over. GDPR is here. And while many organisations may consider the new regulation to be a shotgun wedding — where one is forced into a serious long-term commitment or face a seriously expensive consequence for misbehaving — consumers are heralding the new dawn of fewer cold calls and a cleaner inbox without unwanted marketing emails.

Which is a huge problem for brands. Yes, GDPR is an opportunity to build a positive trusting relationship with customers, but it’s a headache. Getting consumers’ permission to keep in touch is one thing, what with the barrage of emails we saw in two weeks prior to the 25th May, but building trust with consumers is an entirely different kettle of fish. Especially when companies like Cambridge Analytica taint the whole notion of data collection thanks to (alleged) scheming to manipulate elections.

Now GDPR has kicked in, brands are in the most uncertain point in their digital history. Data is the lifeblood of marketing, yet consumers are threatening to take it away. Only a third of people trust the brands they buy from — and when you compare that with the proportion of the public that trust their doctor (78%), the police (59%), and even solicitors (44%), clearly brands have a lot of work to do to build up trust with consumers once again.

So, what can brands do to turn the tide back in their favour again? Here are five key pieces of advice:

Give consumers something tangible in return for their data

Everyone loves a freebie and research shows that people value offers and discounts enough to part with their personal data. Around two thirds (65%) of consumers are willing to give more data to brands in return for a freebie or a discount. If you market to younger generations, you’re in an even better position because a huge 91% of 16–24-year-olds would give you more data if you incentivise them to do so. The promise of a “personalised online experience” isn’t enough — consumers want something tangible. 

Prove you’re not “a git”

Demonstrating the fact that you’re responsible with sensitive data should be one of the easiest things to do. Are you being underhand in the way that you collect data? Are you controversial with what you’re doing with that data? If the answer is (hopefully) no to both of those, then all you need to do is simply demonstrate that publicly. Consider a page on your website dedicated to easing fears around data collection, outlining the benefits to consumers in a simple way and telling them what processes and procedures you have in place to ensure the safety of their data. One data protection officer, when talking about data collection and improper use at an ICO conference a few weeks ago, put it in simple terms — “just don’t be a git”. 

Communicate what data collection means for consumers

Organisations are really missing a trick here — 30% of consumers believe that they will become a target for unwanted marketing rubbish if they share their personal information online. Therefore, consumers either divulge as little information as possible, or just make it up. Either way, you’re not getting the data you really need to get an insight into your customers, so you end up making decisions based on inaccurate information. Clearly, brands need to communicate why they collect data and for what purposes. Openness and honesty with consumers is key to establishing an honest, communications-led relationship for the future. 

Be patient

Trust doesn’t happen overnight, so if you ask a new customer to divulge all their information at once they’re likely to view you with suspicion. Build up your data collection slowly over time, little by little, so customers don’t feel they’re giving everything away at once. Start with their name and then further down the line, encourage them to sign up to an online account with you, where you can capture information such as their date of birth and email address. Then offer up an incentive to encourage customers to fill out an online profile in full, including their gender and preferences for products and services.  

Give customers an easy way out

And not just because you have to. While GDPR forces you to delete whatever information you have on a particular customer should that customer ask you to, the act of deleting that information often isn’t as easy as clicking the “delete” button. Usually, different bits of customer data are stored in different systems, making it difficult to see what information you have on one particular person. But by unifying your customer data in one place, and handling permissions via a simple tool, you can put consumers in the position of power — and they can revoke their own permissions easily with a couple of clicks when they visit your website. 

Trust in the new GDPR era

Collecting consumer data has been going on for as long as companies have been trying to sell to consumers. In 1841, Dun & Bradstreet collected credit information on prospective credit seekers. In the 1970s, list brokers offered magnetic tapes with data on a strange variety of groups, including holders of fishing licences, magazine subscribers and people likely to inherit wealth.

But in the digital age, only 50% of the data that brands have on people is accurate, according to notable Forrester analyst Susan Bidel. It’s an indication that consumers really do not trust brands with their information. Scandals like Cambridge Analytica don’t help matters, but if GDPR forces organisations to open up and demonstrate a responsible approach to personal data, that can’t be a bad thing — and trust will slowly rebuild. 

Tim Haynes is co-founder, Databoxer 



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Why Alibaba could be the next big cloud success story

What sets Alibaba Cloud apart from the competition? Why should a business look to work with Alibaba Cloud?

Initially developed as an infrastructure platform to support the large-scale operations for the various business units within Alibaba Group’s ecosystem, Alibaba Cloud has grown to be so much more. 

Today, Alibaba Cloud is among the world’s top three IaaS providers and China’s largest provider of public cloud, with more than a million paying customers stretching across 43 availability zones and 18 economic centres.

Such growth can be attributed to the comprehensive suite of products and services we offer, ranging from networking, cloud computing and big data to AI, middleware and cloud security. Being part of the wider Alibaba Group gives us extensive sector insights and expertise, helping us to support the diverse businesses from across the world that work with Alibaba; including merchants doing business on our marketplaces, start-ups, corporations and government organisations. 

This all-inclusive approach to technology, and the significant sector knowledge and insights we have as part of the world’s largest e-commerce company, is a key differentiator for Alibaba Cloud.

Do you have any key case studies or examples of the work Alibaba Cloud does?

While Alibaba Cloud works with many of the world’s biggest brands. Perhaps the most famous is our partnership with the International Olympics Committee (IOC). 

Alibaba entered a long-term partnership with the IOC to become the official cloud and e-commerce platform services partner for the Olympic Games through to 2028. During the Peyongchang 2018 Winter Olympics, the group launched Alibaba Cloud ET Sports Brain, a suite of cloud-based and AI-powered solutions that will drive the digital transformation of future Olympic Games to benefit fans, spectators, athletes, venues and organisers.

Alibaba Cloud also played a crucial role supporting Alibaba’s record-breaking 2017 11.11 Global Shopping Festival. 

Our super computational engine, Apsara, ensured that all networks and systems were scaled to handle the unprecedented transaction volumes, matching buyers and sellers and facilitating a record record-breaking 325,000 orders per second during peak periods.

How is Alibaba Cloud technology helping spur on digital transformation for businesses?

At Alibaba Cloud we see ourselves as pioneers of digital transformation, having the best practice gained from our own experience in New Retail, smart manufacturing and smart city development. Right now, the organisation is at the forefront of the second wave of digital transformation. 

As more and more businesses get ready for digital transformations driven by AI and big data technology, our focus is to help them become more agile, innovative and customer focused by smoothly adopting our cloud infrastructure and advanced AI solutions. For example, German car manufacturer BMW is working with our Internet-of-Things (IoT) business unit to introduce digitalized experiences and its in-car infotainment system to Chinese consumers. 

Indeed, during this year’s Mobile World Congress we launched 8 new products ranging from AI and big data, infrastructure, security and private cloud solutions. This included Dataphin, an intelligent big data engine that helps users save time and cost in data analytics.  

How do you secure your platforms against the wide range of security threats facing businesses today?

Alibaba Cloud is the second largest hosting company in the world and as the security provider for almost half of China’s websites it is constantly working to ensure customer data is kept safe. 

From our free cloud-based security service, Anti-DDoS Basic, which protects data against Trojan attacks, to Web Application Firewall, a big data powered protection service, Alibaba Cloud has multiple security products and services to help our customers, including some of the world’s biggest brands, safely manage their data. 

Alibaba Cloud has also committed to several of the highest levels of data security compliance. This includes Germany's C5 standard and the EU’s GDPR legislation for data protection and privacy. Additionally, in 2016 the organisation achieved two new overseas certifications – the MTCS and PCI-DSS – to underline an obligation detailed in the Data Protection Pact it released in 2015.  

Do you have any plans to move into the UK market?

There is enormous potential in the UK for the adoption of cloud computing technologies. It is at the forefront of innovations in many areas, from retail to logistics, as well being home to some of the world’s most renowned research institutions and multinational corporations. 

As such, Alibaba Cloud is committed to investing into the UK, using its technology and expertise to assist local organisations by enabling them to scale-up internationally and transform their business digitally. 

Yeming Wang is General Manager of Alibaba Cloud, Europe.



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Sunday, May 27, 2018

Shared hosting vs WordPress hosting: Which plan should I choose?

There are various different types of web hosting and it is crucial that you choose the appropriate hosting package for your specific needs. Shared and WordPress hosting are two common types. How do you know which is best for you and your website? To help you figure this out, in this article, we are going to compare the two.

Overview

Shared hosting is most popular with smaller websites and blogs, and it’s one of the most common types of hosting because it is the most affordable and easy to set up. If your website does not require a large amount of resources or server customization, shared hosting can be the perfect solution for your needs.

WordPress hosting is designed to host websites which are using the WordPress content management system (CMS). Known for its speed, reliability, and increased security, WordPress hosting allows you to focus on your content while the host handles all of the technical server details.

What are the advantages of shared hosting?

Shared hosting has many advantages, not only in terms of cost, but also in features. With most hosting providers, shared hosting offers unlimited storage space, so no matter how large your website may be, shared hosting can store everything.

Unlike WordPress hosting which is restricted to the WordPress CMS, shared hosting allows you to use almost any CMS. Whether you use Drupal, Magento, or a tool like DreamWeaver, shared hosting will support almost all content management systems and web development software.

Shared hosting is known to be the least expensive hosting, making it the most common.

What are the advantages of WordPress hosting?

WordPress hosting brings a whole new level of performance to your website. As it only houses WordPress websites, the server can be optimized in such a way as to allow for advanced server caching. This enables your website to perform at the highest possible speed. This speed optimization can boost rankings on Google as well as improve SEO.

Keeping your online home up to date is an important part of managing and running a successful website. WordPress hosting provides auto-updates, ensuring better security as well as giving you more time to work on content.

If something happens to your website, WordPress hosting generally provides free automatic backups. This gives you peace of mind, knowing that at any time you can restore your website to what it was in the past. The ease and worry-free features make WordPress hosting stand out from other hosting packages.

What are the disadvantages of shared hosting?

Shared hosting can host several hundred websites on one server, which can negatively affect the overall resources and speed of your website. If your website goes viral and you receive a huge traffic spike, due to resources being shared, your website may experience long load times, leading to downtime.

Another aspect of shared hosting is security. Because your website is on a server with many other websites, there is no way to ensure that all maintenance and security updates have been run across all websites. This opens a potential security threat to your website because you cannot manage other website’s security or content management systems.

Shared hosting does not allow server customization due to the effect it can have on other customers’ websites, thereby requiring you to use the default server settings configured by your hosting company.

What are the disadvantages of WordPress hosting?

WordPress hosting is restricted to only hosting websites built with the WordPress content management system, meaning that any other CMS can’t be hosted on WordPress hosting.

Due to server configuration, WordPress hosting generally restricts the overall amount of disk space that you can use. It can also restrict the number of websites that you host on your account. This can be a disadvantage if you have a website which is large in size.

Similar to shared hosting, WordPress hosting also restricts server customization, as the server is highly optimized to allow for the ultimate in loading speeds.

And finally, WordPress hosting typically costs more than shared hosting.

Person reading on laptop

Which hosting type is the best for my website?

To answer this question let’s look at your needs and desires.

We recommend using shared hosting if:

  • You want to use a different CMS outside of WordPress. If you want to use Drupal, Magento, OpenCart, or any other CMS, shared hosting may be your best option. 
  • You have a modest or limited budget. Because shared hosting is the least expensive, it can be a perfect hosting package if you are working on a restricted budget.
  • You want to start small and grow over time. Starting small with shared hosting can be a perfect way to begin, as most hosting companies will allow you to upgrade as your website grows.

We recommend using WordPress hosting if:

  • You are using WordPress as your CMS. Unfortunately, you cannot use other types of CMS with WordPress hosting.
  • You want to manage a medium-sized website or online store. WordPress hosting offers impressive speed and uptime for medium to larger-sized websites. This is perfect for e-commerce, business, intranet, and community websites. 
  • You want to manage your website content, but not your website’s server security. Providing auto-updates, free automatic backups, as well as increased server security, WordPress hosting allows you to focus on your content and not the technical server details.

Conclusion

Many website owners start off using shared hosting. This gives you the ability to get your website live and available for visitors to view. As the most affordable hosting in the market, shared hosting is usually the best option for small websites.

On the other hand, WordPress hosting has advantages. Whether you are a business owner trying to get started or you are an experienced website developer, WordPress hosting should definitely be given consideration when choosing web hosting. Its superfast speeds, as well as enhanced security features, allow WordPress hosting to stand above shared hosting in many areas.

You might also want to check out our many hosting guides:



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Saturday, May 26, 2018

Reboot your router now to flush out malware, says the FBI

As it continues to investigate the VPNFilter malware that's gripped hundreds of thousands of routers worldwide, the FBI has advised consumers and office managers in the US to reset their network boxes to try and flush out at least part of the malicious code.

"The FBI recommends any owner of small office and home office routers power cycle (reboot) the devices," the Bureau said in a statement. "VPNFilter is able to render small office and home office routers inoperable. The malware can potentially also collect information passing through the router."

In other words, the malware can spy on your internet activities or shut down your router entirely. It's still unclear exactly what the overall purpose of VPNFilter is, or who might be behind it, but the FBI says it's making progress in shutting its network down.

Are you infected?

There's still plenty we don't know about the VPNFilter malware, outside of the obvious fact that it's a huge problem. Cisco's security team Talos has said more than 500,000 routers have been hit in over 54 countries worldwide, with a particular focus on the Ukraine.

The devices already identified as under threat include:

  • Linksys E1200
  • Linksys E2500
  • Linksys WRVS4400N
  • Netgear DGN2200
  • Netgear R6400
  • Netgear R7000
  • Netgear R8000
  • Netgear WNR1000
  • Netgear WNR2000
  • QNAP TS251
  • QNAP TS439 Pro
  • TP-Link R600VPN

It's not immediately clear how many of those devices might be in the US, the UK, Australia or anywhere else, but the FBI statement recommends that anyone with a router at home or in the office performs a reboot cycle. It's actually good security advice at any time under any circumstances – so probably worth a few minutes out of your day.

The FBI also recommends updating your router with the latest firmware patches issues by the manufacturer, and changing the device passwords from the default ones – again, that's wise security advance whether or not your router has been infected. If you're unsure how to do this, check your router's documentation or look up the details online.



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Friday, May 25, 2018

Google teams up with PayPal, making it easier to splash out on apps

Google has teamed up with PayPal, making it easier to splash your cash on premium apps and services (like the new YouTube Music, for example).

It's been possible to flex your credit cards through Android Pay for a while now, but the PayPal collaboration means this will now be offered as a payment option as well.

You can't buy hardware with your Google-connected PayPal account, so you'll have to use a more traditional method to buy that Google Home speaker you've had your eye on, but everything else is fair game.

How to connect PayPal to Google

To connect your PayPal account, open the Google Play Store and find a premium app, then tap the small menu arrow and select 'Payment options'. At the bottom of the list, which includes any credit cards and mobile billing options you've added, you'll find the option to add a PayPal account. Enter your PayPal email address and password, and you're ready to start spending.

The two apps are connected directly, so whenever you log into Google, PayPal is only a tap away. With Google expanding its paid-for products – particularly music and movies – it makes sense that it's offering more ways to separate you from your hard-earned cash.

Via Engadget



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Thursday, May 24, 2018

Shared hosting vs VPS hosting: Which package should I choose?

To build and launch a live website, one of the first things you will need is a domain name and web hosting. A domain name allows people to find you on the internet. The web hosting provides the storage and processes to load your actual website.

When looking at web hosting packages, there are many options. Each hosting package has different specifics and a variety of pricing. With all of these options, which hosting package should you choose? Today we will look at the differences between shared hosting and Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting. 

Overview 

Shared hosting is a hosting service which can house thousands of websites on a single server. It is known to be the most affordable hosting option on the market. Shared hosting is similar to living in an apartment. Most apartments have amenities which are shared with everyone. When signing an apartment contract, you agree to share the parking lot, swimming pool, playground, and courtyard.

This is the same for shared hosting. All users share the available resources with each ‘neighbor.’ The amenities in shared hosting would be CPU usage, memory, and disk space. 

VPS hosting is a hosting service which houses websites in dedicated sections on the server. It is very similar to owning a condo. There are still several amenities which are shared, but you are responsible for the property maintenance and repairs.

With owning and living in a condo, there are generally fewer people. This allows more breathing room. VPS hosting is very similar as there are fewer people on each server. It allows you to customize your dedicated section of the server to your website requirements. You still share some of the amenities with other neighbors, but you are not as restricted. This allows you to have more power and flexibility. 

What are the advantages of shared hosting? 

Shared hosting is one of the most popular types of hosting as it is the most affordable. One advantage of shared hosting is the ability to have unlimited disk space. No matter how large your website may grow in file size, shared hosting can store everything.   

Shared hosting is perfect for websites which do not require a large amount of resources and have minimal traffic. As resources are shared across all websites, this allows smaller websites that aren’t as resource-demanding to run efficiently. 

All of the maintenance and updates for your server are completed automatically by your hosting company. This gives you more time to focus on your website content.

Getting started with shared hosting is a simple process and allows you to get your website live as quickly as possible.   

What are the advantages of VPS hosting?

Similar to shared hosting, VPS hosting has its own advantages. Since your website is on its own dedicated section of the server, you can control resources, install software and truly configure your VPS to comply with your website requirements.

Another advantage of VPS hosting is having root access. This allows for greater configuration as well as increased ease of VPS management and updates. Having the ability to fully customize your VPS will also allow for increased server security. You will be able to manage all security features for your VPS.

For websites that are growing, VPS hosting brings a whole new level of power and resources to the hosting world. This means when your website gets hit with a large increase in traffic, it won’t experience downtime, allowing you to focus on your visitors. 

One major advantage of VPS hosting is higher performance with increased bandwidth and resources. This allows your website to load at superfast speeds and for your viewers to experience optimal performance. 

Web hosting

What are the disadvantages of shared hosting? 

One of the disadvantages of shared hosting is the limitations of overall resources. Most shared hosting servers can host thousands of websites on one server. This negatively affects the overall speed of your website. If you receive a huge traffic spike or your website goes viral, your website may encounter sluggishness or downtime.

Security is a concern with shared hosting. Since your website is on a server with possibly thousands of other websites, there is no way to confirm that all security updates and maintenance tasks have been completed across each individual website. This can lead to a security risk as it is not possible to manage the CMS's or security of websites on the same server. 

Unfortunately, it is not possible to perform server customization on shared hosting due to the ramifications that it could have on other customer websites. Due to this, you are required to use the standard server configuration.   

What are the disadvantages of VPS hosting? 

One disadvantage of VPS hosting is the limitation on bandwidth and disk space. VPS hosting does not come with unlimited disk space. If you reach your maximum disk space, you will need to either remove old website files or look at upgrading your VPS account.     

Getting your website set up on VPS hosting can require some technical ability. Resource management and overall maintenance can be a bit complex throughout setup. 

As with most paid services, the higher the quality, the more expensive it gets. The same is true with VPS hosting. The overall VPS hosting price is higher than the cost of shared hosting.   

Which hosting type should I choose? 

The answer to this vital question is based on your website's needs and goals. 

We recommend using shared hosting if:

  • You want to launch your website quickly. If you want to focus on getting your website live without worrying about server configuration, shared hosting is the best option. 
  • You have a limited or restricted budget. As shared hosting is known to be the least expensive, it can be a great hosting package for getting started. 
  • You want to grow over time. Starting with shared hosting can be a wise approach. When your website starts to grow, you can reach out to your hosting company to upgrade your account. 

We recommend using VPS hosting if:

  • Your website has large amounts of traffic. Providing high performance through increased resources and customization, VPS hosting can handle high traffic. 
  • You want greater freedom, performance, and speed. Bringing power and resources to your website, VPS hosting gives you the freedom to develop and build your website the way you prefer.   
  • You want to install custom software and have full root access. VPS hosting allows you to fully customize your VPS exactly how you like it. With full root access, you can install any custom software. 

Conclusion 

Shared hosting is usually the best option for small websites to get started. It’s also the most affordable.

Whether you are an experienced website developer or a local business startup, VPS hosting should absolutely be considered. When choosing a hosting package for a larger website, VPS hosting is excellent in providing reliability, speed, as well as customization.   

The main deciding factors between shared hosting and VPS hosting are the website’s requirements, your technical understanding, and your budget.   

You might also want to check out our many hosting guides: 



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Twitch is going on a 500-episode Doctor Who streaming binge

The latest Doctor's assistant is mega streaming service Twitch, which has announced that it will be doing a 500-episode showcase of Doctor Who starting 29 May. 

Teaming up with BBC Studios, Twitch will be streaming a barrage of classic episodes, starting with the debut 1963 episode An Unearthly Child (AKA 100,000 BC). After that, it's just a simple case of showing 26 seasons back to back which will take into account the first seven Doctors. 

Twitch understands that you might not be able to tune in for 24 hours' worth of Doctor Who action (a person's got to eat, and we don't ever recommend using a poop sock) so it is making things a little more palatable by airing new episodes every day for eight hours starting at 11AM PDT, followed immediately by two eight-hour repeat blocks - this also means that it hits all the time zones so nobody misses out.

Doctor, I've got a Twitch

The Doctor Who episodes will be shown on /twitchpresents and to get you in the mood there will be Doctor Who emotes and a Tardis Cheermote to use at your pleasure. 

For fans, there will also be a brand-new Yogcast that comprises seven episodes and features a whole host of Doctor Who experts and screenwriters who will talk you through key arcs. 

Speaking about the link-up, Nick Coulter, Director of Digital Sales and Business Development at BBC Studios says: “We are constantly looking at ways to reach new audiences and make it easier for fans to engage with our most popular shows. Doctor Who, in particular, has a great tradition of pioneering new technologies, from early VHS all the way through to the new digital services of today. Twitch is another great example of this, as a brilliant service with over 15 million active daily users, we are thrilled to be able to offer them the chance to indulge in the Classic Doctor Who series and celebrate its amazing 54 year legacy of excitement and innovation.”

Twitch said: "You may need a Tardis to watch it all…"



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Windows 10 April 2018 Update and Edge makes your laptop battery last longer

Microsoft has once again claimed that using its Edge web browser will make your laptop’s battery last longer than if you were using Google Chrome or Firefox.

The company has made the claim after releasing the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, which includes an updated version of Edge.

Microsoft has released a video showing the test, which you can view below. It did something similar last year where, once again, its Edge browser beat the competition.

Test results

The test that was run by Microsoft uses three Surface Book devices streaming HD video on a loop, with Microsoft Edge lasting 98% longer than Firefox, and 14% longer than Google Chrome.

This suggests that if you stream a lot of movies while on the go, Edge is the web browser to use. However, the test does not replicate any other use case scenarios, such as browsing websites.

Of course, with a battery test that’s run by Microsoft on Microsoft hardware, and where Microsoft’s own browser wins, you’d be forgiven for being a little sceptical.

These results at least show how much Edge has improved in the battery guzzling department, as the previous test, which was run under similar circumstances but on an earlier version of Windows 10 and Edge, showed that Edge lasted 77% longer than Firefox, and 35% longer than Chrome. These results also hint that Chrome has become less hungry when it comes to battery life.

Microsoft has been working hard on making Edge more tempting for users in a bid to make them switch browsers, and making it less battery-intensive is a welcome effort.

Via MSPoweruser



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GDPR and website operators – the final checklist

The introduction of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in a few days is a once-in-a-generation update to our existing and somewhat outdated data protection laws from 1998. 

GDPR is a complex framework of requirements. At its heart is the principle of “data privacy by design and default”, which requires that any risks to personal data are mitigated before processing activities can commence. 

GDPR brings with it greater rights for data subjects, allowing each citizen more visibility and control over how their personal data is processed. And as the reporters keep telling us, there are significant financial penalties available if GDPR’s requirements are not strictly complied with, or a breach of personal data takes place. 

With fines as high as £17m/€20m, this should be a sufficient deterrent for organisations to take GDPR seriously and ensure that their personal data processing activities are secure and compliant.

Website operators, in the vast majority of cases, provide their services to other organisations. As such they are providing a service that is unique to each customer, and which collects, processes and stores website data in accordance with their requirements. 

GDPR updates the two roles of “data controller”, meaning the organisation legally responsible for the security and protection of the personal data being processed, and “data processor”, meaning an organisation who undertakes processing on behalf of the data controller in accordance with their written instructions. This places an increased responsibility on website operators when acting as data processors, to ensure that they fully understand and deliver the services mandated by their customer. 

Conversely, data controllers are required by GDPR to use only data processors who can provide sufficient guarantees that GDPR’s requirements will be met, using a combination of technical and organisational measures. This means that customers will be asking more detailed questions about the provision of website services before signing a contract, and website operators are encouraged to formulate their responses to assist their potential customers. What might be asked?

  • Technical security of the website environment – which services and software underpin the website, and how are these securely designed and managed (licensing, patching testing etc)?
  • Access controls and privilege management – which staff (and IT systems) are permitted to access the backend of the website, and for what purposes?
  • How is the web hosting environment monitored? Can it detect unauthorised access or data breaches, such that an established data breach notification procedure can be triggered?
  • How much personal data is collected and processed? Is it the minimum needed for the processing task? How long is it retained for and how is it securely disposed of?
  • Where are the website and related services hosted and managed from? If outside the EU/EEA, does the country concerned provide an adequate data protection framework?
  • Are there any sub-processors engaged by the website operator?
  • How can the website operator assist the customer with data subject rights requests?

Whilst it’s clear that GDPR is requiring significant focus and effort from all businesses, it is entirely appropriate for the level of personal data processing in today’s world. And let’s not forget that each one of us is a data subject, and we should all have a reasonable expectation that our personal data is being kept securely, processed only for purposes we understand, and promptly deleted when no longer needed. That’s not too much to ask, is it?

Andrew Beverley is CTO of InfoSaaS, a leading provider of cloud-based solutions which are helping organisations to be fully compliant with GDPR.

Want to know more about GDOR? Check out our guide here!



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GDPR and its impact on e-commerce providers

What is the impact of GDPR on those using B2B e-commerce solutions?

As companies collect more and more data about individuals, and the processing of that data becomes ever more sophisticated, GDPR aims to give data subjects control back over their personal information and ensure their privacy is being respected. 

Whilst a considerable amount data processing is done online, companies need to think about GDPR as more than just an IT issue. It presents a much wider challenge to companies than just the digital data they hold. Consideration must be given to how they’re using that data; and whether information they hold about individuals working for a company could be used to make commercial decisions.

What information will be affected by GDPR?

In the past company details were not considered to be personal but under GDPR this will change. It all depends on whether the information allows you to potentially identify an individual (and use these details to make business decisions). For example, basic company information is widely available and therefore not considered to be personal data, so delivery addresses and basic info@company email addresses are not considered personal data. On the other hand however, an email address that follows a format similar to firstname.lastname@company is, as it allows you to identify the full name of the individual as well as their place of work. 

Most efforts so far in ensuring GDPR compliance have focused on structured data - an online database containing two million email addresses, for example. This information does present a big risk to an organisation’s compliance. But businesses also need to focus GDPR efforts on ‘unstructured data’. This is typically more difficult to control and is estimated to be as much as 20% of data held. Unstructured data is often created through incidental processing, such as written correspondence, business cards or even resumes that are sitting on your desk. In most cases companies don’t have processes or procedures for managing this data. 

For B2B organisations looking to improve the customer experience, GDPR regulation should not limit the ability to monitor buying preferences and customer behaviours, as this insight can be obtained without extracting any personal data. This kind of feedback is considered as ‘legitimate interest’ and considered compliant as long as you don’t keep more details than necessary, or for longer than required. In the case of legitimate interest, you must also ensure you’re not invading somebody’s privacy to a greater extent than is necessary. You can look at how customers are using the store to improve user direction, but you cannot record specific interactions without obtaining permission.

Will GDPR put restrictions in place regarding the amount of information an e-commerce solution will be allowed to hold?

GDPR will put restrictions in place but this is not so much about the type of data companies hold, but the way they’re using it. In order to obtain and process a subject’s personal data, there must be permission, a legitimate interest or it must be considered necessary to do so in order to comply with a pre-existing agreement between the two parties. If you run a B2B e-commerce store for example, you’re providing customers with a service and giving them access to the platform. You need to be able to collect and process their personal details to carry out the agreement, for example, to bill them and deliver the product when a purchase is made. Sending customers new proposals, whether it be a newsletter or a personalised message based on their shopping behaviours as a company, is still allowed.

However users of B2B e-commerce solutions need to be very careful if they wish to target specific buyers within a company. GDPR concerns personal data, so should a customer wish to exercise their right to be forgotten, you must remove their personal data from the details you hold. Although you can retain their basic company details. You must make it known in each instance why you are holding data, how you’re holding it, what you’re using it for and how long you plan to retain it. If you have collected data for one purpose, it can only be used for that purpose. 

Does GDPR have an impact on the details held in the organisation’s ERP platform versus e-commerce platform?

E-commerce solutions that integrate with ERP platforms, such as Sana’s, already support data structuring and processing. This integration reduces the risk of data fragmentation and the amount of unstructured data organisations are handling since it’s not duplicating data elsewhere. It also makes it easier to control and search for data, instead of importing and exporting excel files from your e-commerce system into your ERP. With greater control of data comes greater security. 

ERP platforms tend to be very secure and organisations should ensure that the connection between its e-commerce solution and ERP system is also secure using SSL to encrypt data to reduce the likelihood of breaches. 

How can businesses best approach their GDPR compliance?

Businesses need to perform a comprehensive data audit to identify all the ways in which they process and hold personal data.  It’s worth following a tried and tested route. Microsoft for example, take a practical four-step approach; identify what personal data is held and where (taking in account the 80/20 structured/unstructured data rule), how it’s used and accessed, determine security measures for vulnerabilities and breaches and lastly create appropriate documentation and reports to fulfil data requests.

It is mandatory for companies in certain situations to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO) in a dedicated and independent role, whether this be an existing employee or appointed externally. 

How does GDPR apply when selling to organisations who are based in and outside of the EU?

GDPR will apply if you deal with any EU member state, so it’s important for most international businesses to become acquainted with the regulation whether they’re part of the European Union or not. Even post-Brexit, it’s likely that UK will maintain similar regulation to ensure consistency with trade agreements. 

Retention periods for personal data are dictated by law in some individual countries, and companies will need to take regulation from relevant governing bodies into account too. Businesses in the Netherlands, for example, are legally required to keep and maintain financial records for seven years even where someone employs their rights to be forgotten. 

Robert Pennings is customer success manager and data protection officer at Sana Commerce. 



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Wednesday, May 23, 2018

You can now download everything you've ever uploaded to Instagram

Instagram has launched a new tool that lets you download all your photos, videos, comments, likes and contacts. The tool has arrived just as the EU’s new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) law comes into force. One of the GDPR’s key principles is that data subjects (in this case, Instagram users) should be able to request a copy of all their personal data.

Instagram is an American company owned by Facebook, but the fact that it operates in the EU means it must comply with the GDPR or face a fine of up to €20 million (US$24.5 millon, £17.5 million, AU$32 million) or 2% of its annual global turnover – whichever is higher.

Instagram will send you a file containing all your photos, comments, profile information, and any other data it holds on you. The site warns that it can only work on one request from your account at a time, and it could take up to 48 hours for your request to be processed.

Once you've received your link, the archived data is available to download for four days. Make sure you keep it safe, as it contains your private information.

How to download your Instagram data

  1. Visit your Instagram profile on the desktop.
  2. Click the cog icon beside the ‘Edit profile’ button.
  3. Select ‘Privacy and security’.
  4. Scroll down to ‘Data download’ and click ‘Request download’.
  5. Check that your email address is correct and click ‘Next’.
  6. Enter your Instagram password and select ‘Request download’.
  7. Click the link in the email from Instagram.
  8. Log into your account.
  9. Click 'Download data'.


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The big YouTube Music rollout begins: have you got access yet?

YouTube Music, the big Spotify rival that lumps millions of music tracks together with music videos, playlists and other such audio goodness, is now available in some countries. 

It’s available as a standalone service, or if you currently subscribe to Google Play Music or YouTube Red you will get it as part of your package.

For those unfamiliar with YouTube Red, it’s the premium YouTube service that is offered to some countries outside of Europe, including the US, that offers ad-free video watching, downloads and premium content. 

But don’t get too comfortable with that name, as YouTube Premium is the new moniker for YouTube Red... but it is is still called YouTube Red for now. Confused? Yep, so are we - as are some users who have taken to Twitter to ask YouTube just what is going on. 

What you need to know

Luckily for you, we have compiled an all you need to know to help you understand just what is going on. 

When YouTube Red does eventually become YouTube Premium, current users will continue to pay what they currently do, $9.99. But new users will have to pay a few dollars extra at $11.99 a month. 

For this you get ad-free music, the ability to listen in the background and access to YouTube's growing slate of premium programming.

For now, Google Play Music and YouTube Music will sit together nicely but it feels like the new singing, all dancing YouTube Music will eventually usurp Google Play Music - but YouTube is keeping a little tight-lipped for now. 

To find out if you are eligible to early access to YouTube Music, head here.



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Tuesday, May 22, 2018

How to make a website GDPR compliant

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into effect on 25th May 2018. Whilst many are considering this the “doomsday” of marketing, it is in fact a straightforward process provided that you understand how to make your website GDPR compliant.

The motive behind the EU regulation is to protect consumers and customers against the rising data breaches, which is costing the UK economy billions of pounds a year. Several large firms have fallen victim to breaches including eBay, Linkedin, Bupa and Zomato.

The two key factors of the GDPR regulation are simple: keep customer data secure and make marketing communications as clear as possible. Failing to uphold these standards many result in a hefty fine which is has been lifted from 500,000 euros, to 20 million euros or 4% of annual turnover. Below we explain how to incorporate these themes and make your website GDPR compliant.

Online Contact Forms

Pretty much all websites have a contact form, whether you are a local doctor’s surgery, an insurance company or restaurant – this is the simplest way for visitors to contact you directly.

To make your contact form GDPR compliant, it can help if you justify why you are asking for any details. For instance, when the user is adding their phone number or email address, it helps for information to pop up saying “This is how we will contact you” or similar. 

Something compulsory to add to your contact form is having a tick box for users to confirm that they accept the terms of using your website and how they agree to be contacted. 

A further tick box must be added if you wish to send further marketing communications to the customer. This tick box must be unticked when they start and you will need a specific box for each type of communication whether it is email, text message or post.

Email marketing

A key feature of the GDPR regulation is to ensure that customers or emails users do not receive unsolicited emails, whether it is companies they know or do not know. Prior to 25th May, organisations have been encouraged to email their entire list of subscribers and ask them to opt-in again to receive future email newsletters, updates and promotions.

If customers choose to ignore these emails, they will be automatically unsubscribed which has been welcomed by many who are looking to reduce their intake of promotional emails.

Moving forward, website owners must only send out email marketing material to those individual who have officially opted-in and make it easy for people to unsubscribe. Should they disobey and this is reported, they may be prosecuted by the ICO.

Privacy policy

Whilst a privacy policy has always been a key feature of any website’s footer, this is now compulsory for any active website and should include key information about how the website uses the customer’s data. Does your website send enquiries to other companies or partners? This is something you should mention clearly and include the names of partners too. The ICO have provided a sample privacy notice framework here.

Handling data

Customers now have a ‘right to be forgotten’ so that they can have their details removed from a website and the database if they request it. Webmasters should therefore have a process in place that caters for this and also facilitate a way that users can request this, whether it mentioning it clearly in their privacy policy or elsewhere on the website.

To emphasize the security of customer data, website owners are required to keep all data secured in an encrypted environment. By adding an https protocol to your website, you are helping encrypt the data that customers fill on your site.

GDPR rules highlight that all data must be stored in the EU. Whilst this can be tricky using operations and software based in the US and overseas, it is important to check that these companies are GDPR compliant whether you are working with GoDaddy, Wordpress, Google, Zoho or Mongodb. 

When you are making changes for your website, just remember: am I making it clear for the customer and taking their data into consideration? If so, you will be one step closer to being a GDPR champion.

Daniel Tannenbaum is the Head of Tudor Lodge Consultants, a digital marketing firm that is currently consulting on GDPR strategies for organisations and their websites. 



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Adobe boosts Experience Cloud with Magento commerce purchase

Adobe is to boost its Experience Cloud marketing platform with new e-commerce features thanks to the $1.7 billion takeover of Magento Commerce.

The Adobe Experience Cloud comprises the firm’s clouds for advertising, analytics and marketing, and works together with both the Adobe Creative Cloud and the Adobe Document Cloud to allow for seamless workflows.

Magento’s e-commerce platform will be fully integrated into the Experience Cloud, adding another set of tools for marketers. This includes Magento’s commerce management, predictive intelligence and order orchestration capabilities for both physical and digital goods.

Adobe buys Magento

For Adobe, the move will help it better compete with other marketing and customer management platforms like Salesforce.

The deal will also give Adobe customers access to Magento’s 300,000-strong development community which has created thousands of pre-built extensions for tasks like payment, shipping, tax and logistics. Magento’s customers include the likes of Canon and Rosetta Stone, while joint customers include Coca-Cola and the Warner Music Group.

“Adobe is the only company with leadership in content creation, marketing, advertising, analytics and now commerce – enabling real-time experiences across the entire customer journey,” said Brad Rencher, head of Adobe’s Digital Experience team.. “Embedding commerce into the Adobe Experience Cloud with Magento enables Adobe to make every moment personal and every experience shoppable.”

“Adobe and Magento share a vision for the future of digital experiences that brings together Adobe’s strength in content and data with Magento’s open commerce innovation,” added Magento CEO Mark Lavelle. “We’re excited to join Adobe and believe this will be a great opportunity for our customers, partners and developer community.”

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter, subject to regulatory approval, after which Lavelle will continue to lead the Magento team and report to Rencher.



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Share the love with Google Photos' new Favorites feature

Google Photos makes it easy to share and search photos, back them up, and cast them to a big screen, but it's always been lacking a few features. One particular omission was the ability to flag up your favorite pictures and make them all easily accessible – until now.

Google has started rolling out a new Favorites feature that lets you add stars to the best snaps in your gallery. Marked photos will appear in a new Favorites folder on your phone automatically.

The Favorites option will appear beside the options menu when you view a picture. If you can't see it yet, don't worry – it'll be there soon.

AI on the way

You'll soon be able to 'Like' shared photos too. A little heart icon will appear on friends' shared pictures, which you can click to spread a little Instagram-style love. It's worth noting that these two features are separate; photos you Like won't be added to your Favorites folder unless you do it yourself.

That might not sound too groundbreaking, but there are more impressive features on the horizon. At the 2018 I/O conference, Google announced that it's also adding AI-powered picture enhancements to Photos, including the ability to make certain colors 'pop', and recolor old photos. Keep an eye out for these arriving on your Android phone very soon.

Google has also released a new software toolkit for app developers, enabling them to build apps that work directly with Photos. Early adopters include HP, Nixplay and Timehop, so we're expecting to see some impressive new apps in the coming months.

Via The Verge



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Comcast’s Wi-Fi ‘Pods’ extend your coverage with the tap of an app

Comcast has released a range of Wi-Fi extenders for its Xfinity xFi home internet service customers. Called ‘xFi Pods’, these mesh extenders plug into power outlets in order to help those with homes where Wi-Fi coverage is patchy.

If you’re an Xfinity customer, you can pick up a pack of three pods for $119, or six pods for $199 from the official website.

It’s worth noting that you’ll need to have an Xfinity Gateway router. Comcast has apparently confirmed that 15 million out of the total 26 million Xfinity customers are on this router type, so while that’s a comfortable majority, that still means over 10 million customers that aren't. 

Looking a lot like Plume

If you currently suffer from patchy Wi-Fi then there’s a possibility that the new pods are going to look familiar to you. If you’ve ever researched Plume Wi-Fi extenders, these are basically the same device thanks to a partnership between Comcast and Plume.

The pods look to be very simple in terms of their design, with a port for an ethernet cable if you want to run a wired connection, plugs for attaching to a power socket, and not much else. 

The thinking is that you’ll have a pod for each room, and each one will be identifiable, with data being transmitted through multiple channels at once. This should mean your devices are always connected to the right Pod, giving you the best connection.

Via Engadget



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Amazon Prime set to save blockbuster sci-fi show The Expanse from obscurity

The Expanse has been around for three seasons now and was Syfy’s big push into creating a blockbuster science-fiction TV show. 

Big money did mean, however, that the show would have to attract some big viewing figures. Unfortunately for The Expanse fans, a 25% drop in season two and a further 5% in season three meant that Syfy had no option but to cancel. 

There's no such thing as ‘cancellation’ in the age of Netflix and Amazon Prime, though, services that have become the home of second chances. 

Although nothing has been signed, it is thought that The Expanse will continue its fourth season on Amazon Prime - a place where money is seemingly no problem, especially when the boss of the company, Jeff Bezos, is a fan of the James SA Corey's best-selling books on which The Expanse is based. 

The show is no stranger to streaming platforms - its previous seasons are currently streaming on Amazon Prime in the US and on Netflix in the UK, and has made it into TechRadar’s best shows on Netflix list.

Prime time

If The Expanse does come to Amazon Prime, it will join a roster of big budget shows in production. 

These include a Lord Of The Rings TV series, which will follow the exploits of a young Aragon, Utopia (a remake of the superb UK show), a TV version of the movie Hanna and Jonathan Nolan and Tina Joy’s latest drama The Peripheral.

It will also see Amazon Prime wade into similar sci-fi territory as Netflix, which has been creating a number of movies and shows in sci-fi genre.

 Just last month, it was revealed that Netflix’s big push for this year and beyond is scripted sci-fi and fantasy drama

Via Hollywood Reporter



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The 20 best online games you should play today

In the real world, the best PC games can cost a lot of money. In some cases, they can do so without even keeping you engaged for a notable amount of time. Sometimes, a lot of games you pay for can lead to boredom – instead of solving it. Luckily, the best online games can do the trick.

Traditionally known as Flash or HTML games, these titles are made to keep you occupied while you’re working, or at home unemployed because you spent too much time playing the best online games. They’re essentially time killers. However, because they don’t really serve a purpose other than distracting you from the mundanity of everyday life, you won’t find any games that will change the way you look at the world.

That said, bearing in mind that the point of gaming is to be fun, the best online games do succeed in that regard. They range from mindless entertainment – such as Slither.io and Robot Unicorn Attack to grind fests like Runescape. No matter what it is you’re looking for, you’ll find something down your alley somewhere along the next 19 pages.

Gabe Carey also contributed to this article

Linux, Windows or Mac - which one is best for you? Watch our guide video below!

Not everyone is a fan of golf as a real-life event, but we think we can safely assume there's a spot in everybody's heart for golf if it’s a bit on the crazy side. 

Wonderputt is a game that'll take you to the kind of mini golf courses you have only imagined with mini ski slopes, UFOs, lily pads and herds of sheep that eat the grass to uncover a new green for you to play on. 

The game has a bit of a puzzle box design, so, even if you can see the whole course from the outset of the game, after you beat each hole it evolves and changes to become somewhat different and unmask new sections. It inspires a sense of awe, taking a game that's already fun in real life and adding a unique twist you'll only find in a game world.

If Frank Zappa developed video games, they would look something like Frog Fractions.

Created by Berkeley developer Jim Crawford, this game is an ode to the surrealist comedy of Jeff Minter and Ron Gilbert. 

We don't want to get too deep into what Frog Fractions actually is because it's at its strongest when you go in with no clue of what's about to go down. It’s fair to say that, on the surface level, it appears to be a dumb and nondescript game. But, when you delve deeper, it has so much more to offer in the most crazy and hilarious ways possible. 

Make sure you have the volume cranked to get the whole story.

Frog Fractions actually ended up being so successful that it spawned a sequel, though it released in the most Frog Fractions way possible: inside of another game. You can buy Glittermitten Grove on Steam today, wherein Frog Fractions 2 will live forever.

Bomberman on the original PlayStation was one of the best crafted and most addictive multiplayer games ever to be created. Game of Bombs seeks to emulate this virtual drug. And, as an added bonus, to get the multiplayer experience you'll no longer need to fish around a drawer of knotted cables for a MultiTap – just go to the website and play a gigantic version of Bomberman online with players from around the globe. Oh, the joys of the digital world!

This text-based online multiplayer zombie game is filled with little in-jokes. Upon starting the game you're greeted with the cheerful message "Be positive! You're going to die. Every time." 

In the top right is actual server time and, when that hits 23:00, the zombies will come out to play. During the daylight hours, you and the other players must work together to build defenses for the following night reminiscent of Fortnite. This game is surprisingly involving and you'll constantly have to remind yourself that it's not really impacting your life but you'll definitely become invested in the online community.

If you haven't played any of Czech developer Amanita Design's games, then you are missing out on some of the quirkiest, funny and elaborate point-and-click puzzlers of recent memory. 

The third game in this space-aged series is was released back on March 24 on Steam, but you can play the one that started it all back in 2003 for completely free. Chapter One of Samorost 2 is also online. And, be sure to check out their other games, Machinarium, Shy Dwarf and Botanicula.

Get ready to invest a lot of time into this one.This isn't your average top-down tower defence game; this is more like if you took Zelda and crossed it with Crash Bandicoot. Collect supplies, build bases and explore dungeons, you get the idea. It can be installed as an app from the Chrome Web Store or played online in any browser using HTML5.

Described by the developers as 'The Ultimate Tribute To The NES' most of the jokes will probably only ring true if you are above a certain age. But, that's not to say that younger people won’t find something to love here – if you appreciate a good toilet joke, you have a place here.

Written by the team behind the comedy website I-Mockery, it stars Abobo who is actually a standard recurring mid-boss in classic ‘80s beat-em-up Double Dragon. His son is kidnapped and he must battle his way through various NES-themed levels to rescue him. It's all done with warm affection to Mario, Zelda, Contra and Mega Man.

Do you like tanks? What about a good ol’ deathmatch? Well, if you answered ‘yes’ to either of those questions, Tanki might be the best online game for you. It looks a bit like an updated Quake – with tanks, of course – with several Deathmatch arenas, some covered in snow, others with various greenery. The goal is very similar to Quake as well: destroy all the tanks. There is a wide range of turret upgrades; leave enemies cold with the freeze gun or pound them repeatedly with the dual shot and rail gun.

Maneuvering the tank is a little wonky, but ultimately rewarding. The turret rotates separately from the base so it's possible to move one way while shooting in a completely different direction, much like a real tank. There are several game variants including Team Deathmatch and Capture The Flag. It looks great, too, kind of like a high-res PS2 or Dreamcast title.

A lot of popular Steam games and console titles owe their popularity to sites like Miniclip and Newgrounds, hosts to countless free-to-play titles from small studios with marginal publishing budgets. 

Few of these success stories ring as true as Superhot, a first-person shooter developed in Unity where time comes to a standstill when you do, giving you plenty of time to form coherent strategies. In a sense, Superhot blends elements of both popular FPS games with turn-based strategy mechanics for a genuinely unique and fun browser-based experience.

It’s eat or be eaten in Slither.io, the HTML5 game where your cursor controls a reptilian long boy (also known as a snake) to eat dots in order to become an even longer boy. It’s much like Pac-Man, in that the goal is to eat as many dots as possible with the ultimate goal of winding up on a leaderboard. The challenge lies in the way of avoiding other snakes. Because if you touch one, you will die.

Your score is measured by the length of your snake, the longest of which, at the time writing, is about 20,000 points. If your snake makes its way into the top 10, it will then be featured prominently on the leaderboard. There isn’t much nuance beyond that, aside from the fact that you can change the skin outfitting your snake to one of several different colors and styles. It’s a simple game, but one that’s perfect for the workplace due to the lack of clicking required.

Just like Superhot earlier, Spelunky has humble origins. Developed originally by Derek Yu as freeware, then ported to the Xbox 360 in July 2012, the game was then ported to HTML 5 by Darius Kazemi (and made available as a chrome app). Spelunky may not be visually impressive, it was created in GameMaker after all, but its randomly generated levels and brutal permadeath mechanics make it a modern classic. 

The goal of the 2D platformer is to collect as much loot as possible in a series of underground tunnels. Sounds easy, right? Wrong. Populated by obstacles like traps and enemies of various species, Spelunky's world is as challenging as it is addictive. 

Luckily, by default, you're equipped with a whip and your own two feet with which you can besiege enemies. And, if that's not enough, you can always be resourceful and use surrounding objects as weapons. Good luck.

Runescape is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game, and it may not seem that important on the surface, but it's actually a huge deal. Documented by the Guinness World Records, Runescape is known as the world's most popular free MMORPG, with over 200 million registered players, as well as the most frequently-updated game.

Like many MMOs, the latest version of Runescape – namely Runescape 3 – takes place in a medieval setting, filled with queens, goblins and, perhaps most importantly, dragons (and we can’t forget to mention the chickens). It's not exactly an example of fine art in terms of its visuals, but for a game that's been around for over 15 years how could it be?

As long as you're equipped with some recent edition of Java, you should be set to start fighting, trading and even playing mini-games with other players in the world of Gielinor. Be careful, though, as Runescape is infamous for being highly addictive.

If you recently played Doom, or are excited for the upcoming Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, you may be wondering how developer id Software got its start. Well, look no further than Wolfenstein 3D. Though it wasn't the first title to come from superstar duo John Carmack and John Romero, Wolfenstein 3D was essentially the basis of the entire first-person shooter (FPS) genre.

Although it's a far cry from, well, Far Cry, Wolfenstein 3D is often considered the first true FPS by purists. Kill Nazis and see how gaming has improved since 1994 in this important snippet of history. Experience Wolfenstein 3D for yourself completely free of charge, courtesy of the Internet Archive.

There are few games as close to their source material as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Created by the writer of the original novel, Douglas Adams, in conjunction with Infocom's Steve Meretsky, the game is more of a historical relic than a piece of software which stands the test of time. 

A text-based adventure, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was originally released in 1984 for Apple II, MS-DOS and Commodore 64, among other platforms. Since it's only vaguely based on parts of the book, you're sure to have a unique experience that Douglas Adams so lovingly tailored to us so many years ago.

On the surface, Spaceplan is yet another repetitive clicking game designed as a means to distract you from the tasks at large. But dust off that geometrical cover and you'll realize there's something really special about this game.

If you're not one for games that take themselves too seriously, Spaceplan is for you. In fact, you spend most of your time fixing a ship using an interface called the "Thing Maker," which, as the name suggests, lets you build things to repair your ship and navigate through space. Once you get a few "things" up and running, the core game mechanic works on its own.

You'll spend most of your time waiting as you do other stuff (like your job, for example) as you accumulate watts used to power your things. It's the perfect game to keep open in another tab to poke at for a few seconds when your boss is looking the other way. The witty dialog is merely a bonus.

Our Instagram feeds may be filled with unicorn bagels, unicorn ice cream, and unicorn hair but the only thing we care about is unicorn robots. 

Robot Unicorn Attack is a simple endless-runner that will hold your attention for hours. It's been popular online for a while and there's good reason for that. It's simultaneously stylish and silly but it's utterly addictive. Something that's helped by the inclusion of Erasure's 'Always' endlessly looping in the background. It should be grating but somehow it only improves the game. 

You'll always want to be with it, and make believe with it, and live in harmony, harmony, and love. 

You'll find it free to play right here. 

If you’re a fan of indie music, then you’ve probably heard of Japanese Breakfast. This rising star of the indie scene, in promotion of her sophomore album, released this retro-styled turn-based RPG. 

Not only does Japanese Breakquest have great music, as you would expect from a game ostensibly made by a musician, but it also has a ton of cool indie references scattered around that will delight anyone who is a fan of that kind of music.

The game basically expands on the story for Japanese Breakfast’s “Machinist” music video, wherein she is stuck on a spaceship, where she tries to build a mechanical body for her AI lover. It’s a little bizarre, but it’s lighthearted and fun throughout, and even has midi versions of all of the songs off of her 2017 album “Soft Sounds From Another Planet”

While the game’s target audience might be indie fans, there’s still plenty of charm that will affect anybody who plays it.

What do you get when you take a classic arcade game and make it controllable entirely through keyboarding skills? That’s right, you get ZType. 

This deceptively brilliant browser game takes the simplistic formula of Asteroids, and replaces the joystick with your keyboard, spitting ships down at you that you can only take out by quickly typing the words attached to them. 

It might sound easy but as the waves get higher and higher, the game only gets more difficult. This means that you’ll need to type quickly (and accurately) in order to make it to the higher levels. Eventually you’ll start getting extremely long words that’ll fire one-letter missiles at you that you have to take out in order to proceed. 

Plus, I mean, you can legitimately use the excuse “it’s educational”. What’s not to love?

There aren’t a lot of story-driven browser games to choose from, so when one suddenly pops up, our interest is naturally piqued. A Dark Room is an homage to classic text-based adventure games, so its interface is primitive, but intentionally so. 

Initially, the story takes you to a cold room where all you can do is light a fire and keep it going. Meanwhile, the text on the left side of the screen explains everything that’s going on around you, and eventually A Dark Room opens up more ways to interact with its heavy survival-based narrative. 

Along the way, you’ll have to make choices that impact the events that take place in A Dark Room. Likewise, you’ll have to decide whether to keep playing or get back to work.

These days, its utility is limited to history classrooms for the most part, but The Oregon Trail still has a special place in our hearts. Originally released in 1971, The Oregon Trail was intended as an educational tool for students learning about the very real 19th century pioneers who famously surmounted the non-fictitious Oregon Trail. 

Because it came bundled with the Apple II during the height of its success, The Oregon Trail is primitive in its graphics and gameplay, though it fundamentally operates much like a modern day survival game. You have to collect resources by hunting animals found throughout your journey, which extends from the Kansas River all the way to Willamette Valley.

In the end, the goal is to avoid subjecting yourself to the measles, snakebite, exhaustion, typhoid, cholera or – even worse – dysentery



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