The following post is by guest blogger and Cengage author Dr. Mark Ciampa. Over the past few days a malicious attack has shut down computers around the world. However, the quick actions by a security researcher prevented it from becoming a major catastrophe. This global attack distributed one of the fastest-growing types of malware known as ransomware. Ransomware prevents a user’s device from properly and fully functioning until a fee is paid. The ransomware embeds itself onto the computer in such a way that it cannot be bypassed, and even rebooting causes the ransomware to launch again. Rans ..read more

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella opened the company’s Education-focused event today by asking, “How can technology create opportunity for all?” Believing that technology should help, not hinder, a teacher’s work in the classroom, Microsoft is releasing Windows 10 s this Summer in time for the new school year. Microsoft said that the students entering school today is the first generation who speaks technology as their first language, and learns primarily by collaborating. An estimated 65% of students in school today, will have jobs that do not yet exist – STEM curriculum will set these students up ..read more

As of February 28, 2017, Office 365 subscribers can no longer download or install Office 2013 from the Office 365 My Account web portal, Microsoft released on their Support blog last week. Customer support and troubleshooting came to end, too, for the following products: Office 365 ProPlus (2013) Office 365 Small Business Premium (2013) Office 365 Business (2013) Project for Office 365 (2013) Visio Pro for Office 365 (2013) Looking for more information on Office 2016 before you upgrade? Check out our guide, and let us know if you find it helpful ..read more

Microsoft announced today that they are postponing their February 2017 security update for Windows and other products, which was slated to release today. The Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) posted the following to their blog this afternoon: Our top priority is to provide the best possible experience for customers in maintaining and protecting their systems. This month, we discovered a last minute issue that could impact some customers and was not resolved in time for our planned updates today. After considering all options, we made the decision to delay this month’s updates. We apolo ..read more

Microsoft is warning Windows 7 users that the platform contains security deficiencies and hardware restrictions that essentially make it more susceptible to cyber-attacks. “Today, [Windows 7] does not meet the requirements of modern technology, nor the high security requirements of IT departments,” says Markus Nitschke, Head of Windows at Microsoft Germany. Microsoft says that continuing use of Windows 7 will result in reliability and compatibility problems that will lead to “higher operating costs.” A lot of contributors to the tech blogosphere are calling this a “scaremongering” tactic by ..read more

It started two years ago. I stopped using my laptop or tablet at home, and only used my phone to Google, shop, scroll through Instagram, or check email as I’d wind down at night. Now, I still use my phone, but I mostly rely on Siri to do my Googling for me. Now, with Google Assistant, Cortana, and Alexa, the talk-to-tech trend is taking off – it’s easier and faster than finding your phone, unlocking it, opening an App, or tapping any keys. Now that Amazon allows programmers to connect existing services to Alexa, the cloud-based voice service that powers the Echo, every-day programmers can bu ..read more

Are computer labs necessary in today’s schools? According to Cengage author Mark Frydenberg, the answer is yes, but not in the traditional way. As BizEd Magazine reports, in 2017, “students have their own laptops, so they no longer need a place to connect to the internet or write papers. Instead they need spaces where they can experiment with new technologies. That’s why, in 2011, Frydenberg spearheaded the development of Bentley University’s Learning & Technology Sandbox, also known as “CIS Sandbox,” for the computer information systems department. He tells BizEd, “When I was asked to tak ..read more

If you’re using the Home edition of Windows 10, you know that you cannot defer the automatic system updates. However, according to leaked preview builds of Windows 10, Microsoft will soon release a new option to pause updates for up to 35 days. The Professional, Enterprise, and Education editions of Windows 10 already allow users to defer updates, delaying upgrades for 30 to 180 days, depending on whether it’s a feature update, or a quality update. Microsoft faced criticism over their handling of Windows 10 in 2016, with some accusing the company of “tricking” Windows 7 & 8 users to upgrad ..read more

Further preparing students to succeed in the high-demand field of computer and information technology (IT), Cengage and Practice Labs, a London-based edtech company, announced the integration of live virtual machine labs into MindTap last week! Employment in the computer and IT space is projected to grow 12 percent from 2014 to 2024 – faster than the average for all occupations. With Practice Labs integrated directly into MindTap, students are able to work with live servers and networking hardware from their web browser without leaving the MindTap platform, giving them the hands-on practice n ..read more

Microsoft announced today that they have received all necessary clearance for their acquisition of LinkedIn, and that the deal is set to close “in the coming days.” The European Commission was the last to approve the $26.2 billion buyout, after the US, Canada, Brazil and South Africa. Microsoft said they had the opportunity to review the acquisition with government officials and regulators in “considerable detail,” thus formalizing several commitments regarding Microsoft’s support for third-party professional social networking services. Why does Microsoft want LinkedIn? LinkedIn is a key t ..read more