Category: Software & Applications

March 19, 2019

Microsoft has some exciting news to share from GDC 2019 that will improve gaming performance. In DirectX 12, Microsoft is introducing Variable Rate Shading. The new API allows for more effective use of GPU resources so that high detail areas […]

March 5, 2019

There’s a dilemma facing anyone wanting to build a map app on a Microsoft platform: The company currently has two mapping APIs, one that uses Bing, and one that’s built on Azure. They’re very similar, and while Bing Maps has […]

March 5, 2019

AI security camera company Lighthouse may have shut down, but its patents will live on: Apple reportedly bought the patent portfolio of the now-defunct company at the end of 2018, according to IAM. As Patently Apple notes, the patents Apple […]

March 5, 2019

After fixes were introduced for several variants of the Spectre speculative execution exploit, performance took a nose dive. Microsoft and many other industry giants have been working to patch security flaws for over a year now, but most fixes have […]

February 28, 2019

While Bitcoin has its ups and downs, decentralized apps or “dapps” remain a hot topic in software development circles. “Smart contracts” tend to be part of the same conversations, implying that you need to learn new programming languages, development practices, […]

February 12, 2019

Adobe has announced an update to its Lightroom CC, Lightroom Classic and Camera Raw applications, the highlight being a new feature, powered by its Sensei AI, called Enhance Details. Adobe claims the new feature harnesses the power of machine learning […]

February 6, 2019

At the Free and Open Source Developers European Meeting, VLC has shared a look into what its next major revision will look like. Beginning with a new user interface, VLC is working towards adding a media library browser, VR support, […]

January 30, 2019

Most large companies recognize the value these hackers offer to the tech industry, and have set up lucrative “bug bounty” programs to reward them for their efforts depending on the severity of any disclosed bugs. Traditionally, the process of bug-hunting […]

January 25, 2019

One of the principles underlying this newsletter is that email is good. Email is based on an open standard, letting many interested parties build on top of it. It’s an asynchronous form of communication, letting you ignore messages until you’re […]

January 24, 2019

Proposed changes to Google Chrome’s extension APIs may be about to ruin dozens of plugins if they are implemented. Removal of a blocking mode from web requests will prevent ad blockers from functioning in their intended manner. Security add-ons such […]