While Apple Inc may be gaining plaudits for the audio quality of its new HomePod speakers, some users with wooden furniture are finding themselves less than thrilled with their new purchase, due to a surprising issue that has cropped up.

Numerous reports have surfaced online from disgruntled Apple customers that the HomePod's silicone base is leaving pale rings when placed on wooden surfaces. Though tests by Bloomberg News failed to replicate the issue, nor does it seem to be replicable with other materials such as glass, several other websites have backed up the wood discolouration claims.

Although Apple did not originally respond to requests for comment on the issue, it later informed Wirecutter that the company believes the issue is temporary and removing the speaker from the surface should restore the wood colour "within several days". In the event the marks remain, Apple suggested customers “try cleaning the surface with the manufacturer’s suggested oiling method.”

This article first appeared on Technically Motivated

Alongside claims that the service now attracts 10m users per month, Microsoft has announced a number of familiar-sounding features it plans to introduce to Mixer – its streaming service and rival to Twitch.

In order to allow videogame streamers to monetise their channels, Microsoft has announced plans to add direct tipping, so that viewers can donate to their favourite streamers as they watch directly through Mixer, without the need of external services.

For streamers who are playing games that are available through the Microsoft Store (for Windows 10 or XBox One), viewers will soon also be able to quickly buy a digital download of the game, or any DLC being played, with Microsoft planning to introduce new “Direct purchase” options.

While Microsoft is no doubt playing catch-up with Twitch, the service is quickly gaining popularity – helped, no doubt, by Microsoft baking support for the platform into both Windows 10 and XBox One (where it can be found directly on the console’s Dashboard). Even though the upcoming new additions may strike as copycatting, making it easier for viewers to both start playing games they like and donate to their favourite streamers may prove to be an important move in growing that audience even further.

Britain’s main cyber security agency on Friday warned British government agencies to avoid using anti-virus software from Russian companies, the latest in a series of moves targeting Moscow-based security software maker Kaspersky Lab.

Box art courtesy Kaspersky’s website

Who are Kaspersky?

Kaspersky Labs is a multinational corporation that provides cybersecurity services worldwide. The company does a lot of work in identifying threats to computers, the internet and governments that could damage computers or lead to information getting out that shouldn't be made public; and helps to find solutions. As well as internet security, password management and many other security tools, one of the products Kaspersky is most well-known for developing and selling is its own Antivirus product, Kaspersky Anti-Virus (and also Kaspersky Internet Security), which is used by governments and individuals alike to help protect computers from being compromised or damaged by malicious attacks.

Kaspersky Labs is headquartered in Moscow, Russia – a country known to have strict laws over control of data in and out of its borders. Russia lately has been in a lot of hot water with the United States over longstanding allegations that the country attempted to rig the 2016 Presidential Election and has too close ties to current president Donald Trump; and may be secretly attempting to influence America.

What's going on?

The United States have expressed concerns that Kaspersky have "close ties to intelligence agencies in Moscow and that its software could be used to enable Russian spying". In response, Kaspersky has offered to share source code showing how parts of their software works, in order to supposedly prove that Kaspersky does not hand any data over to Russia. This hasn't alleviated the US Government's concerns, however, and Kaspersky’s anti-virus software was banned from US government networks earlier this year.

Now, the UK has decided to follow suit.

In the United Kingdom, the government organisation responsible for computer security is the UK National Cyber Security Centre. On Friday, its director, Ciaran Martin, penned a letter to departmental permanent secretaries asking them to stop using Kaspersky software, saying that Russian-made software should "not be used in systems containing information that would harm national security if it was accessed by the Russian government."

The wording of the letter makes clear that the UK agrees with the US that there are significant concerns that Kaspersky software could be leaking data to Russian governments that would be dangerous if it got out. Martin added that his agency is "in talks with Kaspersky Lab to develop a system for reviewing its products for use in Britain."

”We are in discussions with Kaspersky Lab … about whether we can develop a framework that we and others can independently verify,” Martin said in the letter, which was publicly released.

What is Kaspersky's reaction?

Kaspersky Labs allege their organisation has become a scapegoat in the midst of the rising tensions between America and Russia; and say that it looked forward to working with the NCSC on the issue in a statement released following the NCSC announcement.

Should I be worried?

At this point in time, there is no real proof that Kaspersky DOES send data that passes through its systems on to the Russian government; or what that data entails. However, the fact the company does dealings with government, corporate and military organisations worldwide, and is itself based in Moscow, makes the possibility impossible to ignore.

The NCSC's statement only refers to matters of "national security", saying that Kaspersky software should only be avoided if the possibility of Russians getting ahold of it "poses a significant risk". For most at-home users, therefore, there is nothing to worry about. However, if you are a user of Kaspersky Antivirus, Internet Security or any of their other products; and you find the revelations discomforting or are concerned for your privacy, it may well be worth looking into alternative products just for your own peace of mind.

This article first appeared on Technically Motivated

Atari raised a number of eyebrows earlier this year when it suddenly announced it was getting back into the hardware game and working on a brand new console, called the Steambox. Teaser trailers, a preview of the console’s planned appearance, and a statement from the company – emphasising that they were “taking things slowly” and revealing information gradually to ensure they get everything right – soon followed; but it’s fair to say that we still don’t know much about exactly WHAT the Ataribox is… that is, until today.

In a newsletter to subscribers, Atari has finally let loose some information on exactly what the Ataribox is planned to be. The console will be based on PC hardware and offer “a full PC experience for the TV, bringing you streaming, applications, social, browsing, music, and more”, as well as the games. The system will run a customised, lightweight Linux distribution “with a customized, easy-to-use user interface”, not unlike a Steambox. Atari explained the decision to use Linux with the following statement:

Most TV devices have closed systems and content stores. Linux lets us be more open; you can access & customise the OS, & you can access games you’ve bought from other content platforms (if compatible with the OS and HW).

On the topic of games, Atari have confirmed that the console will come preloaded both with classic Atari titles, and with current-generation titles “from a range of studios”. The company hopes to reveal information on the titles in the coming weeks.

Atari’s announcement also put heavy emphasis on the company’s desire to have the Atari community “be part of this launch. We want you to have early access, grab special editions (& pricing) and to have you as active partners in the rollout of Ataribox.” To this extent, the company has announced that the console will undergo an IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign, planned to launch “very soon”. Atari claim that the Ataribox is currently planned to retail for an expected price range of $249-$299, depending on “specific editions and memory configurations”. Fans fawning over the previously-announced Atari 2600-homaging wood-based design will also be pleased to hear that this edition of the console will be made with “real wood”.

The Ataribox is planned to ship in late Spring 2018. We’ll have more news as it gets revealed.

Microsoft has begun the global rollout of what it is calling the “Windows 10 Creators Update”. Arguably the first major feature expansion of the operating system since the one year anniversary patch, the Creators Update has a wide set of new tools. We’ll break down the new features in just a moment, but if you want to get your hands on the update there are two ways.

1. Get the update automatically via the phased rollout. This will involve making some choices related to your privacy settings (more on that later)
2. Manually via the Software Download Site.

Now then, lets move on to the new creativity tools and features  of the Windows 10 Creators update

3D In Windows 10

Microsoft has added a new app called Paint 3D that allows users to create and modify 3D objects, easily change their color or texture and even turn 2D images into 3D ones. This also ties into an online creative community at Remix3D.com that will allow creators to connect and get access to a library of 3D objects for use within Paint 3D.

This seems to be part of a philosophy present through the update that everyone is a creator and Microsoft is putting the tools to communicate and express ourselves into our hands with this update.

Windows 10 Gaming Features

We’ve actually covered some of these separately, but it’s worth going over them again. The Creators Update includes built in game streaming to Beam, a service similar to Twitch that was acquired by Microsoft last year. Beam touts the ability to interact with streamers in near real time, and was interesting enough to that several staff here at Sanitarium.FM tested it out. With the Creators Update, gamers will be able to press Windows key + G while playing a game to bring up the game bar, then click the icon to launch Beam.

In addition, a new section has been added to the Windows Systems Settings: Gaming. This section will allow access to the standard Game bare, GameDVR and broadcasting options, but will also allow access to the new Game Mode. Game Mode is, in theory, a way to dedicate more system resources to your games. It will work with both Win32 games (most Steam games) and UWP games from Microsoft’s own store. While this certainly seems to carry forward with Microsoft’s  promise to better support gaming, early tests with Game Mode showed none to almost no performance increases when it was active.

Microsoft Edge Upgrades

Edge, Microsoft’s proprietary browser is receiving a lot of attention in the Creators Update as well. The updated version is being touted as faster than Chrome, with Microsoft saying it will stream video up to 3 hours longer than Chrome and 5 hours longer than Firefox while unplugged. This would be a welcome feature for all the laptop users out there that are binge watching The Walking Dead while on the go.

A new Tab preview bar is also being added that will allow you to glance at a visual preview of every open tab without leaving the page via touch, mousewheel or a touchpad. To go along with this are two new buttons that let you set tabs aside, moving them out of your way with the option to restore them later.

Windows Store and Cortana

The built in app marketplace for Windows is getting some attention as well, with digital books becoming available. Readers will be able to find New York Time’s Bestsellers and offerings from  Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins Publishers, Hachette Book Group, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Ingram Content Group to bring a wide range of authors and genres to the store. Much like the Amazon Kindle app, books purchased through the store front will be available on all Windows 10 devices.

Cortana has received some tweaks in the Creators Update, allowing you to control music playback, helping you work easily across multiple PCs by accessing the cloud and can even turn your locked PC into a fullscreen voice activated experience.

Wrapping It All Up

Theres a lot in the Creators Update, but there are still a few things to touch on.  There are numerous minor visual and security tweaks present in the Creators Update, many of which would take far to long to go over in detail. Then there are the ads. You may have noticed Microsoft slipping ads in all over Windows 10 in the form of app suggestions.  These can be disabled easily enough, but they require accessing a variety of menus to disable specific options, depending on which applications you are using. Fortunately, our friends over at PC Gamer have put together a handy little walkthrough.

So. Will you be grabbing the Creators Update right away, or will you wait for the rollout to get to your PC? Which features are you most interested in. Let us know in the comments!