Spam be gone, making money making GoPro videos, update Windows now, Spotify sends playlists, FIFA 16 covers female players, and a genius Star Wars/Mad Max mashup.

Spammers Give Up & Go Home

Email spam is on the decrease, with the percentage of emails considered junk dropping below 50 percent for the first time since 2003. This is according to security firm Symantec, whose Intelligence Report for June 2015 shows just how far the rate of spam has dropped recently.

The report, which uses Symantec clients to track changes in various trends, suggests that 49.7 percent of the emails sent in June 2015 were spammy in nature. According to VentureBeat, this compares rather favorably to the figure of 90 percent spam sent in June 2009, at the peak of the spam epidemic.

It should be noted that the number of emails being sent has dropped massively in that time, with 6.3 trillion sent in June 2009 compared to "just" 704 billion sent in June 2015. Perhaps that's why spammers are no longer wasting time and money sending junk mail to Internet users in the hopes of finding the one sucker willing to help a Nigerian prince recover his fortune.

Earn Money Shooting GoPro Videos

Action camera manufacturer GoPro has launched a content licensing portal designed to pair creators with advertisers. The biggest and best GoPro videos will be featured on GoPro Licensing, with brands and marketers able to purchase the footage for use in advertising campaigns.

For content creators, GoPro Licensing means an opportunity to make serious money from shooting video, with prices starting at $1,000 per clip. For marketers, GoPro Licensing means an opportunity to use ready-made footage likely to attract serious attention, and without the need to pay for production.

GoPro has already struck deals with multiple amateur and professional videographers, meaning there are 600 videos available at launch. According to AdWeek, the number of clips will continuously expand, with GoPro hoping to be to video "what Getty Images and Shutterstock are to still images".

Update Windows as Soon as Possible

If you own a Windows PC then you should update it as soon as possible. This is due to Microsoft issuing an emergency fix for a critical vulnerability too important to be delayed until the next scheduled update. Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows RT are all affected.

According to Microsoft, the vulnerability impacts OpenType, a format for computer fonts. Opening an affected document or compromised webpage would allow hackers to take "complete control of the affected system," and "then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights".

Spotify Makes a Mixtape Just for You

Spotify has made a mixtape especially for you, and it will make a new mixtape for you every week from now on. This is a new effort called Discover Weekly, a feature designed to help you discover new music similar to the music you have been listening to recently.

Every Monday, Spotify will update your unique playlist with songs its algorithms believe you'll appreciate. Spend a week exploring different genres and your Discover Weekly playlist will evolve to reflect the change in your listening habits.

Gustav Söderström, VP of Product at Spotify, said, “High Fidelity’s Rob Gordon had it right – the making of a mixtape is a very subtle art. That’s why we created Discover Weekly. There’s never been a simpler, more personalized way to discover music, with every playlist tuned just to you every single week”.

FIFA 16 Puts Females on the Cover

Female players will feature on the cover of FIFA 16 in several countries, with EA taking a progressive stance on the issue. EA previously announced international women's teams would be included for the first time in the series' history, and the company has now confirmed the cover stars for each country.

Lionel Messi will grace the cover of all versions of FIFA 16, but the second player featured will vary from country to country. In the U.S. it's Alex Morgan, in Canada it's Christine Sinclair, and in Australia it's Stephanie Catley. Which makes perfect sense, as women's soccer in huge in these three countries.

Road Wars Mashes Mad Max & Star Wars

And finally, we get to see what would happen if Mad Max met Star Wars in a movie we actually now want to see happen for reals. Expertly crafted by YouTuber Krishna Shenoi, this video suggests the worlds of Mad Max and Star Wars would collide rather successfully.

Most of the footage is taken from the latest Mad Max movie (which we awarded five stars in our Mad Max: Fury Road review), but there are snippets taken from most of the previous Star Wars films, as well as the trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. [H/T SlashFilm]

Your Views on Today’s Tech News

Have you noticed a slowdown in spam recently? Do you lead an exciting enough life to justify owning a GoPro? Do you want Spotify suggesting music to you? How do you feel about EA putting female players on the cover of FIFA 16?

Let us know your thoughts on the Tech News of the day by posting to the comments section below. Because a healthy discussion is always welcome.

Image Credits: Jeremy Noble via Flickr