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Windows Media Player May Be Replaced By Microsoft App
A Reddit user named “Noam_ha” recently posted a screenshot displaying a popup message when users open the venerable Windows Media Player (WMP), asking users if they would instead like to open the video file with the company’s more modern Movies and TV app. The popup message touts the Movie and TV app’s advantages, which includes […]
New And Potentially More Dangerous Intel Vulnerability Discovered
The “Spectre” vulnerability that impacts literally every Intel chip made over the last decade keeps finding new ways to make the news. In this instance, researchers at Ohio State University have discovered a new variant of the vulnerability that they have dubbed “SGX Spectre.” To understand how it’s different, a bit of explanation is in […]
Netflix To Release More Parental Controls To Help Parents
If you have a Netflix account and children living at home, there’s a reason to cheer about the company’s most recent announcement. They’re rolling out some robust new parental control features that will allow you to exert much more control over what your children are watching. You can now set content-specific PINs to lock movies […]
Microsoft To Help Intel With Security Issues
By now, you’ve almost certainly heard of the “Spectre” and “Meltdown” security flaws that affect every Intel chip produced in the last decade. Users have been waiting for a fix for both of these since January, when the issues were first discovered. From the beginning, Microsoft agreed to include the fix for Spectre in its […]
Trustico CEO Leaks HTTPS Certificate Keys Through Email
The CEO of Trustico, a TLS certificate reseller based in the United Kingdom, finds himself at the center of a controversy that raises a number of disturbing questions about browser-trusted security certificates. The email in question was sent to Jeremy Rowley, an executive Vice President at DigiCert. The catalyst that prompted the fateful email was […]
Another 2.4 Million Users Hacked In Equifax Breach
It looks like it’s going to be another bad month for Equifax. The company just can’t seem to get out of its own way. In 2017, the company announced a massive data breach that (it initially claimed) impacted some 140 million users. Several months after the official announcement, the company was forced to revise the […]
New Android OS To Improve Lower End Phones
Google has another new product out. A slimmed down, streamlined version of the Android OS called “Go.” Unfortunately, it’s release didn’t gather as much press as you’d expect when a new OS is released. The reason for that is simple. The new, slimmer, sleeker Android Go was designed for low-end phones with limited storage capacity, […]
Mi-Cam Baby Monitor Video Feeds Vulnerable To Hacking
Do you have a Mi-Cam in your home? Even if you don’t have kids, you may have one. They’re a highly popular, inexpensive means of keeping tabs on the comings and goings inside your home when you’re not around. As with so many such devices these days, users have the option of installing either an […]
Intel Releases New Patch For Spectre Chip Issue
By now, you’ve probably heard more than you ever wanted to hear about the critical Intel security flaw known as “Spectre.” The flaw is massive in scope and scale, impacting every chip that Intel has released over the past decade, and if exploited, would allow a hacker to take complete control over the vulnerable system. […]
High Speed Wireless Coming To Laptops Next Year
If you’re in the market for a new laptop but can milk a little more life out of the one you’ve got, 2019 will be the year to buy. The reason? 5G. AT&T is slated to become the first carrier to offer 5G network connectivity to small segments of its customer base this year (starting […]
A Visionary Approach to Your Security
The purpose of an IT partner isn’t just to fix something when it is broken, it is to keep your people working and your data secure. Astral moves beyond traditional managed services by addressing all the key areas of cybersecurity in today’s complex landscape.


