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Total 61 articles, created at 2016-03-04 00:00 1 Apple Customer Support will now help you via Twitter A dedicated customer service account will try to assist you directly as well as offer tips and tricks on Apple products and services. 2016-03-03 22:59 1KB www.cnet.com (3.01/4)
2 The Pirate Bay reaches out to Kanye West Parley over Pablo problems 2016-03-03 22:59 3KB www.theinquirer.net
(2.00/4)
3 Apple's iOS 9.3 Provides Enterprises With More MDM Features iOS 9.3 will give enterprises more control over employees' devices; the attorney general explains why Apple should crack iPhone; Google for Work users gain data loss prevention features in Gmail; and there's more. 2016-03-03 23:07 7KB www.eweek.com 4 WhatsApp Messaging App Gains Document Sharing Features The messaging app continues to expand its capabilities for users, with other services expected to come in the future. 2016-03-03 23:06 3KB www.eweek.com 5 Why Facebook Is Running Afoul of International Business Regulators Facebook is popular and its global user base is growing, but there seems to be no love lost between the social network and regulators around the world. 2016-03-03 20:42 1KB www.eweek.com 6 SmartBear Eases API Building, Testing With New Tools SmartBear announced new technology to help developers build and test APIs. The company also released results of its 2016 API survey. 2016-03-03 21:37 3KB www.eweek.com 7 Microsoft Debuts Azure Basic Search Tier Slotting between the Azure Search Free and Standard plans, the new Basic tier is an economical alternative for customers seeking SLA-backed cloud search services. 2016-03-03 21:37 3KB www.eweek.com 8 Snoopers' Charter: Government presses ahead with 'minimally changed' IP Bill And the police will have even more powers to peruse your surfing habits 2016-03-03 22:59 5KB www.theinquirer.net 9 IBM researcher finds PDF library used by Microsoft Edge has serious exploits You're a bit young, you're a bit vulnerable, calm down 2016-03-03 22:59 2KB www.theinquirer.net 10 Jide delivers all-singing, all-dancing 32-bit dual booting Remix OS beta Our favourite Android variant just got serious 2016-03-03 22:59 2KB www.theinquirer.net 11 Google Updates: Pay for stuff with your voice and Google Maps helps fight Zika You can always tell there's a big announcement coming soon. It's gone quiet 2016-03-03 22:59 2KB www.theinquirer.net
12 Kingston details plans to place IronKey as its premium encryption brand None shall pass. (Without a password, obviously, or it's a bit pointless) 2016-03-03 22:59 2KB www.theinquirer.net 13 Samsung Galaxy TabPro S price, release date and specs We round up everything we know about Samsung's first Windows 10 convertible 2016-03-03 22:59 3KB www.theinquirer.net 14 John McAfee unlocks an iPhone and does not eat a shoe Shock development in case about privacy and civil liberty 2016-03-03 22:59 2KB www.theinquirer.net
15 Plusnet does INQ reader proud after imposing unexpected contract terms Eeee, I love t'happy endings 2016-03-03 22:59 3KB www.theinquirer.net 16 Microsoft is quick off the blocks with Windows 10 for the Raspberry Pi 3 Pi - in your FACE! 2016-03-03 22:59 2KB www.theinquirer.net 17 Hacker turns floppy disk drive into 128GB card reader Modding EXTREME! RAAAAH! 2016-03-03 22:59 2KB www.theinquirer.net
18 Relive astronaut Scott Kelly's trailblazing year in space (pictures) During a year in orbit, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly took up microgravity gardening, strolled in space and captured some eye-popping photos. Here are the moments that stood out. 2016-03-03 22:59 774Bytes www.cnet.com 19 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' home release will take more of your money (and time) starting April 1 The digital version hits April 1, with the Blu-Ray combo pack and DVD coming April 5. 2016-03-03 22:59 887Bytes www.cnet.com 20 You're not the boss of me: Cybersecurity pros fear government overreach in iPhone fight Just like Apple, the companies trying to stop hackers would say "no" to the federal government's demands for new software code. 2016-03-03 22:59 3KB www.cnet.com 21 The State of Application Delivery: 2016 Report Because we rely on them so heavily, applications must be available when we need them, able to respond within a split second 2016-03-03 22:56 1KB www.itworldcanada.com 22 The Manitoba Connection Manitoba Hydro Telecom (MHT) is a facilities-based carrier class telecom service provider, offering a suite of wholesale products to carriers, wireless operators, private and 2016-03-03 22:56 841Bytes www.itworldcanada.com 23 Fidget in this chair to charge your gadgets Put your restlessness to good use with an innovative chair that harnesses energy produced from your movements to power your gear. 2016-03-03 22:59 1KB www.cnet.com 24 Apple's iPhone 7S could sport battery-saving OLED screen Next year may see Apple switch its iPhone display from LCD to OLED, a move that would offer consumers several benefits, according to news site Nikkei. 2016-03-03 22:59 2KB www.cnet.com
25 Self-cleaning airplane bathroom makes flying less germy Boeing wants to assuage your fear of entering the dangerous realm of the airplane lavatory with a touchless, self-sanitizing restroom experience. 2016-03-03 22:59 1KB www.cnet.com 26 Here's everything we loved from Day 2 of the 2016 Geneva Motor Show From a hopped-up Ford Fiesta to a million-dollar Koenigsegg hybrid, there's something here for everybody. 2016-03-03 19:02 4KB www.cnet.com 27 For Apple, Samsung: Turn off the phone, the party's over? A maturing and more saturated smartphone market across the globe "has some grave consequences" for iPhones and high-end Android phones, says research firm IDC. 2016-03-03 22:59 2KB www.cnet.com 28 Tech Data Rides Apple Enterprise Boom To PC Growth A near-doubling of Tech Data's Apple business over the past two years has helped the distributor fend off currency headwinds and grow its desktop and notebook businesses. 2016-03-03 22:56 3KB www.crn.com 29 Paragon free DLC plans, early access release date revealed "The game will never be pay-to-win, meaning we will never sell gameplay-affecting items. " 2016-03-03 22:59 1KB www.gamespot.com 30 Google: Health Care Can Learn From Hospitality Solutions Google industry director Brian Cusack explains why collaboration among different industry verticals is critical to technology innovation. 2016-03-03 22:56 1KB www.crn.com 31 Uncovered images may show Mass Effect Andromeda's new Shepard Several renders, seemingly attributed to BioWare and supposedly showing the Pathfinder, have been discovered. 2016-03-03 22:59 1KB www.gamespot.com 32 Sources: Cisco Said To Have Offered $4B For Nutanix Last Year, Also Tried To Acquire SimpliVity Cisco this week launched its own hyper-converged offering based on a partnership and investment in Springpath, but sources said that's only after making unsuccessful bids for Nutanix and SimpliVity. 2016-03-03 22:56 2KB www.crn.com 33 Glitch bot turns watching news into an extreme sport Artist Eric Drass, aka Shardcore, provides the news in two seconds or less with his latest Twitter bot, Glitch News Network. Beware of headache-inducing montages. 2016-03-03 22:59 1KB www.cnet.com 34 No Division reviews until after release day Ubisoft says the best way to assess its game is in a live environment after launch. 2016-03-03 22:59 1KB www.gamespot.com 35 's Tech Today app: One tap, 10 top stories TLDR: We've built an incredible new iPhone app to help you keep on top of the ever- changing world of technology. It's called Tech Today, and you should download it right now. 2016-03-03 22:59 1KB www.cnet.com
36 'Absolutely not' true that Microsoft is backing away from console gaming, Xbox exec says "We are more committed to our console and the future of that console than we have ever been. " 2016-03-03 22:59 1KB www.gamespot.com 37 IDC: Android, iOS Smartphones Face Challenges In Market Slowdown The smartphone market will drop to single-digit year-over-year growth in 2016, according to a new report from market research firm IDC. 2016-03-03 22:56 2KB www.crn.com 38 Google throws its computing brains into tackling the Zika virus The tech giant hopes to help Unicef and other nonprofits ambush the virus by predicting where to focus resources. Oh, and it's throwing in a million bucks, too. 2016-03-03 22:59 2KB www.cnet.com 39 Latest Comcast Modem Takes Aim At Google Fiber -- And Partners See A Big Opportunity Comcast's latest modem offers gigabit speeds without a fiber network, and partners eager to sell it say it competes directly with Google Fiber. 2016-03-03 22:56 3KB www.crn.com 40 5 Things We Learned About The Apple-FBI Encryption Debate At This Week's Hearing Apple and the FBI were center stage this week in front of the House Judiciary Committee over lifting encryption on an iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in the San Bernardino attacks. Here's what we learned from the hearing. 2016-03-03 22:56 1KB www.crn.com 41 How Pokemon turned me into a nerd Commentary: As Pokemon celebrates its 20th anniversary, CNET's Luke Lancaster looks back on how the global phenomenon made him the game-loving nerd he is today. 2016-03-03 22:59 3KB www.cnet.com 42 HP's Envy Phoenix desktop is built to play well with HTC's Vive HP's Envy Phoenix desktop is a pre-built PC that I might actually want to buy. Sure, that might sound crazy from someone who's always built his own systems. Unlike some Godzilla-villain-alike systems available from other companies right now, though, the Phoenix offers a subdued exterior with just enough blinginess to... 2016-03-03 20:18 2KB techreport.com 43 Listen up: Amazon's Alexa is taking over our homes (The 3:59, Ep. 4) The online retailer comes out with two new smart-home devices, Roger flies a drone from miles away, and the new "Ghostbusters" movie trailer slimes us. 2016-03-03 22:59 768Bytes www.cnet.com 44 Oculus Rift will only come to Mac if Apple "ever releases a good computer" No Oculus Rift for you OS X users, not even if you have a Mac Pro. 2016-03-03 20:25 1KB www.zdnet.com 45 Gender Gap, Not Wage Gap, Persists in IT Sector The Dice study found that when comparing equal education levels, years of technical experience and job title, no gap between men and women exists. 2016-03-03 19:44 3KB www.eweek.com
46 Husband of San Bernardino survivor pens letter in Apple's favor Apple gains an unexpected ally in its fight against a court's order forcing it to unlock the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone -- a survivor's husband. Read the full letter. 2016-03-03 19:37 2KB www.zdnet.com 47 Apple's biggest competitors planning support in FBI case later today Google, Facebook and Microsoft readying action 2016-03-03 19:33 2KB www.techradar.com 48 RSA Conference 2016: Launch Pad for Security Products, Partnerships With such a large event, there is no lack of information and activities. We look at some of the companies and products making news at the conference. 2016-03-03 21:29 1KB www.eweek.com 49 Spyder PowerShadow battery case for Apple iPhone 6s Plus: 3500 mAh capacity, plus protection There is a need to use your phone for longer than a day and one common solution is an extended battery case. The new Spyder PowerShadow is my favorite option for the iPhone 6s Plus. 2016-03-03 19:15 882Bytes www.zdnet.com 50 PlayStation Vue review OK, maybe cable wasn't so bad after all... 2016-03-03 19:14 7KB www.techradar.com 51 No Man's Sky finally has a release date (and shiny toy ship!) We're going to space camp this summer 2016-03-03 19:13 2KB www.techradar.com 52 The new search engine for business is called, um, Plonked Technically Incorrect: Plonked claims there's a need for more advanced, business- specific search. It says there are far fewer than six degrees of separation between companies. But, oh, that name. 2016-03-03 16:58 3KB www.cnet.com 53 Defining the Security Operations Center of 2020 VIDEO: Samir Kapuria, senior vice president and GM, Symantec Cyber Security Services, gives a preview of his RSA keynote on how security will evolve. 2016-03-03 18:35 1KB www.eweek.com 54 Intel Reportedly Developing AR Headset Prototype The chip maker is extending its reach by producing an augmented-reality headset based on its RealSense technology, The Wall Street Journal reports. 2016-03-03 18:31 4KB www.eweek.com 55 Centrify Launches Multi-Factor Authentication Initiative A single turnkey platform provides options for authentication factors, for multi-factor authentication (MFA) across enterprise identities and assets. 2016-03-03 18:30 3KB www.eweek.com 56 Newegg Daily Deals: Corsair Gaming Strafe Mechanical Keyboard, Dell 27-Inch Monitor, and More! Do you or a loved one suffer from membrane keyboard syndrome? It's a horrible affliction, one that affects every person still using a membrane keyboard, but they don't have to suffer. 2016-03-03 18:27 800Bytes www.maximumpc.com 57 Why blaming IT can be bad for your business What happens when customer service managers make things up and blame IT for their incompetence? Here's an object lesson in what not to do. 2016-03-03 18:25 1KB www.zdnet.com
58 MIPS CPUs and Debian 8 power T-Platforms' Tavolga Terminal 2016 is the year of the Linux desktop. Well, maybe the year of the Russian-constructed Linux desktop powered by a MIPS processor. T-Platforms , a Russian company specializing in high-performance computing systems, has introduced the Tavolga Terminal TB-T22BT , a desktop or thin-client machine that's intriguing for its choice of... 2016-03-03 19:09 2KB techreport.com 59 Samsung to roll out Apple-esque upgrade program in Singapore The company's new concierge service will allow owners of its phones to upgrade their devices yearly, and access out-of-warranty repair services at a discount. 2016-03-03 16:58 2KB www.cnet.com 60 I flew a drone that was 1,400 miles away and it didn't go so well Ericsson offers a glimpse of the future with a cellular-connected drone in Stockholm, which I piloted while in Barcelona. 2016-03-03 16:58 4KB www.cnet.com 61 This App Wants To Digitize Your Entire Wallet The Mobile Cards offers a solution for iOS and Android mobile device users. 2016-03-03 13:09 1KB www.crn.com Articles
Total 61 articles, created at 2016-03-04 00:00
1 Apple Customer Support will now help you via Twitter (3.01/4) Have a problem with your iPhone or Mac? You can now hop onto Twitter to seek out a helping hand. Many companies, both tech and non-tech, have turned to Twitter as way of fielding questions and problems from customers. The option provides you with a quicker and more convenient way of contacting companies than phone calls or emails. Twitter also now lends itself to customer support accounts since people can send direct messages to companies that bypass the 140- character limit and include links and screenshots. You can send a standard tweet to the account if your question or problem is simple, or send a direct message if your question is more complicated or Apple needs a specific error message or other details. Apple offers you support in a variety of ways, from phone calls to online tutorials to the geniuses at your local Apple Store. The new Twitter account fills a gap for Apple product owners who are accustomed to operating in the Twittersphere and are looking for a more immediate response to a technical issue. zdnet.com pctechmag.com 2016-03-03 22:59 Lance Whitney www.cnet.com
2 The Pirate Bay reaches out to Kanye West (2.00/4) BUCCANEERING WEBSITE The Pirate Bay has offered tantrum-prone rapper Kanye West some advice on using its pages. West is, of course, wrestling with The Pirate Bay at the moment. On the one hand he wants to take the site to court, on the other he appears to want to use it to access illegal downloads. The Pirate Bay thinks that West may need some help - technical, we hasten to add - and one of its members told TorrentFreak that it is always there when the rapper needs it. "If he runs into difficulty he should try the forum for technical help and support," said staff member 'Spud17'. "Makes me wonder just how skint he claims to be. Perhaps he's ‘slumming it' to try and regain some credibility. " We aren't down with the kids, so we do not know what this has done for West's credibility. We can say that he doesn't appear to be on a friend-making mission in the music industry having put a lot of effort into blasting Deadmau5, who had accused him of being a cheap "dick", but probably couldn't hear him over his helmet anyway. We find ourselves at the feet of the great West again because he has been caught fiddling with The Pirate Bay, a website that we thought he loathed. Not so, apparently, as he actually uses the thing as a visitor and as a downloader. West does a lot to raise eyebrows, but we struggle to disentangle ours from our fringe on this one. What's he done now, you ask? Well, he posted a photograph of his Mac screen online and people who follow him on Twitter noticed that his web browser was showing a couple of Pirate Bay tabs, which suggests that he's been Googling himself, or is prepping for his one-man legal fight against the download site, or that he uses it. Day 3 pic.twitter.com/zPw0eFEFGF — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) March 2, 2016 The internet has taken the third option, and so have we. It appears that the rapping, fur-wearing shoe designer has been looking to save money and get the magnet version of a high-quality synthesiser. What the fuck @kanyewest ... Can't afford serum? Dick. pic.twitter.com/8B2aiyORZs — deadmau5 (@deadmau5) March 2, 2016 Serum by Xfer Records seems to be the victim here. The wavetable synthesiser (no, us neither) seems to cost under $200. We and Mark Zuckerberg know that West is low on money, but he ought to at least stick to his own standards. Other artists, including the face-shy Deadmau5, who helped set up Xfer Records, are low on sympathy and have suggested that people crowdfund an official copy. We suspect that, given Deadmau5's personal involvement, he is taking the mickey. Let's start a Kickstarter to help @kanyewest afford a copy of Serum. — dead mow cinco (@deadmau5) March 2, 2016 Kanye West has reacted as only Kanye West can. He has railed against Deadmau5 in a series of twitter messages. @Deadmau5 … is this person’s name pronounced dead-mow-five? — KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) March 2, 2016 It seems like it was only five minutes ago that West railed against The Pirate Bay for serving up his life of Pablo album , not to mention holding his hand out for Silicon Valley donations. What's next for West? Our money is on something involving drones. µ. cnet.com 2016-03-03 22:59 www.theinquirer.net
3 Apple's iOS 9.3 Provides Enterprises With More MDM Features DAILY VIDEO: iOS 9.3 will give enterprises more control over employees' devices; the attorney general explains why Apple should crack iPhone; Google for Work users gain data loss prevention features in Gmail; and there's more. Latest Videos Sponsored Videos NSA Chief Exhorts Tech Industry to Join Effort to Bolster Security DAILY VIDEO: NSA director makes plea to tech industry to partner on security; DROWN vulnerability... Apple Moves iPhone 5se, 9.7-Inch iPad Pro Debuts to March 21: Reports DAILY VIDEO: Apple iPhone 5se, 9.7-inch iPad Pro debuts moved to March 21: rumors; 2015 IRS breach... RSA Conference Covering the Best and Worst in Security DAILY VIDEO: RSA Conference: From celebrity speakers to latest security news; Apple's smaller... Wireless Mice, Keyboards Offer Cyber-Attack Route for Laptops, PCs DAILY VIDEO: Laptops, PCs open to cyber-attack through wireless mice, keyboards; Illusive Networks to... Security Researchers Collaborate to Uncover Sony Pictures Hackers DAILY VIDEO: Security firms join forces to help unmask Sony hackers; Microsoft is buying Xamarin to... Cisco, Ericsson, Intel Working Toghether on 5G Cellular Router DAILY VIDEO: Cisco, Ericsson, Intel partnering on 5G networking router; MasterCard to launch selfie,... Hackers Infiltrate Linux Mint OS, Compromise User Forum DAILY VIDEO: Hackers breach Linux Mint distribution, forums; Facebook, Intel, Nokia partner to open... HP's Elite x3 Smartphone Designed With PC-Like Features DAILY VIDEO: HP's Elite x3 is a Smartphone that could be your next PC: Apple apologizes for 'Error... Google CEO's Twitter Post Back's Apple's Resistance to Court Order DAILY VIDEO: Google CEO comments on Apple FBI case; Toshiba launches new 1TB solid- state drive for... Tim Cook Says Apple Won't Create Court-Orderd iPhone Backdoor DAILY VIDEO: Apple's CEO rejects a court order to create an iPhone backdoor; Dell says financing for... Intel Processors, Storage Enhancements Set New Dell Servers Apart Dell’s latest Intel-based PowerEdge servers bring new levels of operational efficiency and... Dell PowerEdge R630: Incredible Density Across a Range of Resources The Dell PowerEdge R630 is a mainstream 2S/1U rack server that delivers incredible density across a... Save on Operating Costs for Scale-Out Workloads With the introduction of the Dell PowerEdge FM 120x4, Dell and Intel are bringing to market a server... Dell PowerEdge R730xd: Storage Density for Clouds, Big Data and More The Dell PowerEdge R730xd, also based on Intel Xeon processors, is one of the world's densest... Dell PowerEdge T630: Versatility for ROBO Environments and More The Dell PowerEdge T630 is a mainstream 2S/5U rack-mount tower server with a versatile mix of... Introduction to the 13th Generation Dell PowerEdge Servers video Dell's latest generation of Intel-based PowerEdge servers has the power and flexibility to solve all... Meet Some of the 13th Generation Dell PowerEdge Servers video Dell’s latest Intel-based PowerEdge servers bring new levels of operational efficiency and... Management Features of the 13th Generation Dell PowerEdge Servers video Today's businesses need to innovate to compete. If your IT talent is spending too much time... Innovative Features in the 13th Generation Dell PowerEdge Servers video Dell PowerEdge servers powered by Intel processors include a number of innovative features designed... Virtualization, Convergence and Cloud with Dell PowerEdge Servers video Agility is a competitive edge that Dell's PowerEdge servers can deliver thanks to dense, storage... Read more about the stories in today's news: iOS 9.3 to Give Enterprises More Control Over Employees' Devices Attorney General Explains Why Apple Should Crack iPhone Google for Work Users Gain Data Loss Prevention Features in Gmail AT&T and DirecTV Will Let Users Dump the Dish and Stream TV Content Today's topics include a discovery that iOS 9.3 will give enterprises more control over employees' devices, the attorney general's explanation as to why Apple should crack the iPhone, the data loss prevention features that Google Apps for Work users gain in Gmail, and how AT&T and DirecTV will let users dump the dish and stream TV content. Apple's upcoming iOS 9.3 mobile operating system will provide enterprises with more control over mobile devices issued to employees, including the ability to control home screen layouts, to blacklist or whitelist apps, and to maintain notification settings. The new mobile device management features were uncovered in Apple's latest Configuration Profile Reference materials for developers. U. S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch says she's surprised that Apple has put up a legal firewall against the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the San Bernardino iPhone backdoor case, because it has cooperated with federal law enforcement in the past. Lynch addressed a packed house March 1 at the RSA Conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, at which a record 35,000 security professionals are gathered for most of this week. Since Apple has previously cooperated with the government, "I think this is a case of 'Will you do what you've always done?' which is what every American citizen and company should do: Comply with the law," Lynch said. Google has updated the data loss prevention capabilities in Gmail for customers of the premium business version of Google Apps for Work. The new functions, announced Feb. 29, include those that enable scanning of images in email attachments, enhanced detection of personally identifiable content in email messages and better control over data loss prevention policies. The enhancements build on the DLP capabilities for Gmail that Google introduced last December for customers of its Google Apps Unlimited service. AT&T and DirecTV customers will be able to dump their satellite dishes and receive a wide range of video content via wired or wireless Internet streaming on any device under new services that are expected to launch by the end of 2016. The mobile carrier and its satellite TV unit unveiled the coming offerings in a March 1 announcement. Customers will have three service options that will provide access to a multitude of DirecTV Now packages that deliver various assortments of content similar to DirecTV content today, DirecTV Mobile packages that they can view anywhere or DirecTV Preview packages with ad-supported free content, according to the companies.
2016-03-03 23:07 eWEEK Staff www.eweek.com
4 WhatsApp Messaging App Gains Document Sharing Features The messaging app continues to expand its capabilities for users, with other services expected to come in the future. WhatsApp users can now share documents with others thanks to a selection of new features. To start, only PDF documents will be sharable, but other document types are expected to be unveiled soon. Although WhatsApp has not announced the changes to its messaging app, it is rolling them out to users immediately, according to a March 2 story by AndroidPolice. The document sharing feature does not appear to be in a new version of the app but instead is being added to existing versions as updates through a server-side trigger, the story reported. WhatsApp users can now send a document by tapping the attachment icon in a chat and choosing the blue document icon on the display. A file preview shown to users gives the file size, number of pages and file type details. The ability to share documents through WhatsApp has been anticipated by users for quite a while as a way to make the app even more useful. WhatsApp recently turned 7 years old and announced that it had logged its 1 billionth user. In February, the company announced that it will end support for the BlackBerry, Nokia S40, Nokia Symbian S60, Android 2.2 and 2.1, and Windows Phone 7.1 mobile operating systems by the end of 2016 as the user bases for the platforms have continued to shrink. That move comes as consumers have flocked instead to Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems on the majority of mobile devices in the marketplace, according to a recent eWEEK story. When WhatsApp began in 2009, about 70 percent of smartphones sold at the time had operating systems offered by BlackBerry and Nokia, while mobile operating systems offered by Google, Apple and Microsoft—which account for 99.5 percent of sales today—were on less than 25 percent of mobile devices sold back then. Now the company is making adjustments to its offerings to reflect those changes and to continue to improve its app for the majority of its users while dropping its support for older, less popular mobile platforms. The company recommends that WhatsApp users who want to continue to use the app make the switch to a mobile device that runs on an operating system that will be supported by the company. WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook in February 2014 for about $4 billion in cash and $12 billion in stock, according to an earlier eWEEK report. WhatsApp Messenger is a cross- platform mobile messaging app that allows users to exchange messages without having to pay separately for SMS. Santa Clara, Calif.-based WhatsApp launched in 2009. A security flaw in WhatsApp was patched in August 2015 that could have exposed a substantial number of its users to risk, according to an earlier eWEEK story. The flaw, which was discovered by security vendor Check Point, could have allowed an attacker to send a WhatsApp Web user a vCard that included malicious code. A vCard is an industry-standard format for business card information. According to Check Point, the unpatched WhatsApp Web interface enabled the malicious vCard to open on the user's device as an executable, which could have included malware.
2016-03-03 23:06 Todd R. www.eweek.com
5 Why Facebook Is Running Afoul of International Business Regulators The biggest U. S. technology firms have repeatedly run afoul of regulators in various nations. They face stringent antitrust and data privacy laws as well as government officials who are unhappy that U. S. tech companies dominate such fields as search, online commerce, social media and cloud computing. Thus, they have come down hard at various times on the likes of Microsoft, Google and Facebook. Most recently, Facebook and some of its subsidiaries have become a top target for regulators around the world. On March 1, Facebook's vice president of Latin America was detained over the company's encryption policies. On March 2, Germany joined a growing number of countries investigating Facebook's competitive practices. Facebook is forced to deal with data privacy concerns around the world, a Chinese government that doesn't want it doing business the world's most populous country and a booming India that declared that Facebook's Free Basics Internet service violates the principles of network neutrality. Facebook may be popular and its user base is growing internationally, but there appears to be no love lost between the social network and business regulators around the world. Here's why.
2016-03-03 20:42 Don Reisinger www.eweek.com
6 SmartBear Eases API Building, Testing With New Tools SmartBear announced new technology to help developers build and test APIs. The company also released results of its 2016 API survey. SmartBear Software , a provider of software quality tools for developers, this week announced new API testing and building solutions that enable developers to find bugs faster and to simplify API design. SmartBear’s new Ready! API TestServer is an automated API testing solution aimed at Agile and DevOps teams that are tasked with turning out new software faster. The emergence and growth of the API economy, where businesses are using and sharing APIs to put together applications more quickly, calls for new solutions. Despite the faster pace of development, enterprises cannot skimp on quality. “APIs have become a fundamental building block to many new technologies -- web, mobile, Internet of Things, enterprise integration, big data and more,” Paul Bruce, API product marketing manager at SmartBear, told eWEEK. “It is critical that they are designed and built quickly and as defect-free as possible, which is why we provide SwaggerHub and Ready! API to an increasingly mixed audience of developers and professional testing engineers.” SmartBear’s Ready! API TestServer enables developers to build and execute tests to validate APIs. And they can use tools they are comfortable with to create test “recipes” that can be used for testing after each build, Bruce said. With the new tool, SmartBear has made it easy and intuitive to write test recipes, either from Java or straight JSON, soon extending out to other languages as well, he said. The recipe represents basic semantics over how to interact with your API, and since everyone's APIs are different, the detailed semantics change too. There are also tools to help automate the writing of recipes if developers start with a machine-readable format like Swagger, Bruce added. Swagger is an open-source API framework that SmartBear has taken a leadership position on. “We provide a rich set of tools for engineers to create reusable tests,” Bruce said. “Those tests can be run by other team members or as part of a continuous integration or automated deployment strategy. We provide a few different ways to create these tests, suiting the preferences of both developers who love to code via Ready! API TestServer or via our graphical Ready! API desktop tools. These tests go beyond the basic unit tests that developers use to test their code after the build process.” The product also automates both unit and functional testing with real data. “Real data in functional and unit tests often exercises different logical paths in your API code,” Bruce said. “Using a realistic set of data for testing often exposing impacting other data caching mechanisms and hardware resources, particularly in databases and proxies, that wouldn't otherwise be exposed by static, one-off testing. Data is part of every modern system, so testing without it is like only asking half a question and expecting a proper answer.”
2016-03-03 21:37 Darryl K. www.eweek.com
7 Microsoft Debuts Azure Basic Search Tier Slotting between the Azure Search Free and Standard plans, the new Basic tier is an economical alternative for customers seeking SLA-backed cloud search services. Microsoft has added a Basic tier to Azure Search, bringing the total number of available plans to four. Launched nearly a year ago and influenced by the software giant's Bing public search engine, the "search-as-a-service" offering enables Web and mobile developers to build custom, natural- language search experiences for their applications. Costing $75 per month—half off during the preview period—a Basic Azure Search plan can index up to 1 million documents. For comparison's sake, the Free plan tops out at 10,000 documents and 50 megabytes of storage, while Standard S1 subscriptions (approximately $250 per month) top out at 180 million documents and 300GB of storage. A Standard S2 plan is also available, offering even more capacity. The new Basic tier is Microsoft's response to customer demand for a more modest alternative to the Standard plans, said Liam Cavanagh, principal program manager of Microsoft Azure Search, in a March 2 announcement. "Basic is great for cases where you need the production- class characteristics of Standard but have lower capacity requirements," he stated. Those production-class capabilities include dedicated partitions and service workloads (replicas), along with resource isolation and service-level agreement (SLA) guarantees, which are not offered in the Free tier. Hence, Microsoft discourages the use of Free plans for workloads meant to power Web and mobile app search experiences in production. In terms of performance, Microsoft was able to index roughly 15,000 documents per minute when organized into batches of 1,000 documents each, revealed Cavanagh. Queries will slow down if pushed to those extremes, he cautioned, but customers should be able to index a million documents in just over an hour. In its tests, Microsoft used documents of around 1KB in size and a nine-field index with a mix of facetable (used in Azure Search's faceted navigation feature), filterable and searchable fields, he noted. Cavanagh's group was able to complete five queries per second with latencies of approximately 200 milliseconds for searches that returned hundreds of documents. Searches that generate tens of thousands of results will experience a drop in query-per-second performance and latencies that hover around the 300- to 400-millisecond range. To maintain brisk performance with a Basic Azure Search plan, Cavanagh recommends reusing HTTP clients to avoid extra latency caused by re-establishing connections and avoiding queries that result in a large number of document matches. Targeting a greater diversity of workloads and clinging tight to its cloud-first approach to enterprise software and services, Microsoft has steadily been expanding its cloud's search capabilities. Last month, the company turned its attention to unstructured data with a beta version of its search indexer for Azure Blob Storage. The indexer can extract text and metadata from Office file formats (DOCX/DOC, XLSX/XLS, PPTX/PPT and MSG) along with EML, HTML, XML, ZIP and plain text files.
2016-03-03 21:37 Pedro Hernandez www.eweek.com
8 Snoopers' Charter: Government presses ahead with 'minimally changed' IP Bill THE UK GOVERNMENT has published the latest version of the Snoopers' Charter and faced further criticism for making only cosmetic changes to the draft that one Parliamentary committee suggested needed to be completely rewritten. One of the main measures in the bill, the demand that ISPs retain records of people's web browsing habits for at least 12 months, remains unchanged. Indeed, the new bill will expand the power of the police to tap the database. The cost of implementing all the measures in the bill has been estimated at £247m by the government, a cost that some smaller ISPs fear will put them out of business if they are not given help in footing the bill. The government wants police and other security agencies to have the power to tap this database in order to investigate terrorism and other serious crimes. But rather than watering down police powers to tap these web browsing databases, home secretary Theresa May has proposed expanding them to enable police to access all browsing records in specific crime investigations. The original bill had specified only illegal websites and communications services. These powers will not be subject to the 'double-lock' ministerial authorisation outlined in the original bill. May also rejected Parliamentary committees' recommendations not to extend state internet surveillance powers for the "economic well-being" of the UK. May proposes to expand police computer hacking powers, allowing the National Crime Agency and major forces such as the Metropolitan Police to hack even in cases where it is claimed there is potential "damage to somebody's mental health". There are also passages authorising "property interference" in relation to these hacking powers, suggesting that the security services want the power to break in to people's homes to plant malware on their computers. Stronger passwords and your own surveillance cameras may be in order. The bill also proposes making it lawful for the security services to engage in bulk interception of internet traffic, and will provide a framework in which they can legally collect this traffic, which may include personal details, such as emails, bank and medical records. The bill will formally legalise many practices that the security services are known to have engaged in for a decade or more following the Edward Snowden disclosures. However, privacy safeguards have been slightly tightened up in response to a trio of critical Parliamentary reports published over the past couple of months. Furthermore, the government has denied claims that it was seeking to rush the bill through Parliament, a move intended to keep shadow home secretary Andy Burnham onside, which would assure the bill's passage through Parliament. There have also been changes made to the proposed surveillance law on encryption in a bid to address widespread technology industry concerns that it would undermine the UK's tech sector. However, the changes will have done little to assuage the concerns of privacy activists and it remains to be seen how the communications and technology industries will react to the bill . Not surprisingly, privacy campaigners have voiced their anger at the lack of any meaningful changes to the bill. "The Intelligence and Security Committee called for a new chapter consolidating and strengthening privacy in the bill; the Home Office has responded by adding one word in the title of Part 1. It would be shameful to even consider this change cosmetic," said Dr Gus Hosein, executive director of Privacy International. "The bill published today continues to adhere to the structure and the underlying rationale that underpinned the draft IP bill, despite the criticism and lengthy list of recommendations from three Parliamentary committees. " He was also highly critical of the bulk interception powers and equipment interference measures in the bill. "The continued inclusion of powers for bulk interception and bulk equipment interference - hacking by any other name - leaves the right to privacy dangerously undermined and the security of our infrastructure at risk. Despite this, the Home Office stands by its claim that the bill represents 'world-leading' legislation. It is truly world-leading, for all the wrong reasons," he said. The Open Rights Group was equally forthright in its condemnation, warning that it would make the UK one of the most spied-on countries in the world. "On first reading, the revised bill barely pays lip service to the concerns raised by the committees that scrutinised the draft," said executive director Jim Killock. "If passed, it would mean that the UK has one of the most draconian surveillance laws of any democracy with mass surveillance powers to monitor every citizen's browsing history. "
2016-03-03 22:59 www.theinquirer.net
9 IBM researcher finds PDF library used by Microsoft Edge has serious exploits MICROSOFT'S NEW Edge browser is, by the company's own admission, still a work in progress, with no indication of when we're likely to see extensions and other such bounty that users of other browsers take for granted. But it has now been discovered that the WinRT PDF reader, the default in Windows 10, has managed to create the same threats that have plagued Flash , Java and probably any product that we've earmarked as a security risk in previous articles. The WinRT library is used in a number of Windows Modern/Universal/Metro/Yawn apps where PDFs can, nay must, be read, and that includes Windows Edge. IBM researcher Mark Vincent Yason, working with the X-Force Advanced Research team, has found that WinPDF can be used in drive-by attacks simply by putting malicious code in a hidden frame in a PDF document. These types of attack can cause all kinds of mayhem, including stealing personal details and injecting computers with all kinds of nasties. Fortunately, there are plenty of safeguards in place to prevent an attack, so a hacker would have to work pretty damned hard to do anything. As such, there's nothing in the wild so far. Yason explained: "For now, exploiting WinRT PDF via Edge is expensive because of the combined exploit mitigations in place. Interest in WinRT PDF and the development of new exploitation techniques will determine when an Edge drive-by exploit leveraging a WinRT PDF vulnerability will be seen in the wild. " So the message here is not to panic, but don't ignore it either. Sharing common libraries can make app building easier for developers and provide enhanced compatibility for the end user, but with it comes great responsibility because one vulnerability can set off a chain reaction in hundreds of apps. It's also a reminder that Edge is a fledgling browser and there's still some way to go. µ To hear more about security challenges, the threats they pose and how to combat them, sign up for The INQUIRER sister site Computing's Enterprise Security and Risk Management conference , taking place on 24 November.
2016-03-03 22:59 www.theinquirer.net
10 Jide delivers all-singing, all-dancing 32-bit dual booting Remix OS beta JIDE HAS released a beta of the latest version of its Android-based Remix OS , bringing new features that make it a realistic primary operating system. The new version was trailed last month and offers 32- bit support for the first time, plus the ability to dual boot to a hard drive. Previous versions were limited to 64-bit UEFI drives or memory sticks. Remix OS is currently based on Android 5.0 Lollipop, adding mouse and keyboard control and the familiar task bar and start menu for a more desktop-like experience along with the Holy Grail of multi-windows. Plans are afoot to roll out a version featuring Android 6.0 Marshmallow in the coming months. Jide co-founder David Ko explained in an interview with Tthe INQUIRER : "We've been amazed by the response, not just from the US and UK where we expected, but all over the world. "We're working with a number of partners to bring customised productivity applications to Remix OS and bring the next version of our tablet to market. " The reference design for the next tablet, shown off at CES and MWC, includes a 4K screen and USB C connection. Remix OS is available as a download and in the Kickstarter-funded Remix Mini (which is being used to write this article) and Remix Ultratablet. Users who don't have access to a private computer can run Remix OS from a memory stick which will store all their data. This allows them to treat any public computer as their own just by rebooting, a huge boon for developing markets. The new version is completely stable, but Ko said that it will stay in beta for some time. "There are so many machines to support, and so many that we want to support, that we don't want to declare the product 'finished' until we are certain that we are available to as many people as possible," he explained. Users can download Remix OS from the Jide website complete with a handy installer that doesn't even require you to partition the drive first. The full version of this interview, along with a guide to the world of Remix OS, is coming soon. µ
2016-03-03 22:59 www.theinquirer.net
11 Google Updates: Pay for stuff with your voice and Google Maps helps fight Zika GATHER ROUND , for we have something very cool to tell you about this week. Not only are UK users finally getting their hands on Google Pay at the end of the month, but you might not even need to get your phone out to use it. The company is experimenting with a hot phrase, 'I'll pay with Google', which will trigger Google Pay to work without you even having to tap. Brilliant if all you're wearing is a Moto 360s and a pair of Speedos. Elsewhere, the company is helping in the fight against the Zika virus in South and Central America by enhancing its mapping data and increasing its online library of information. The company has partnered with Unicef to create an open source platform that will help map existing Zika outbreaks and use weather and predictive data to pinpoint where future ones are likely to occur. El Goog will also donate $1m to the fight against the mosquito-borne virus. Of course, we would be remiss not to mention the arrival of a fully functioning dual-boot edition of Jide's fabulous Remix OS , which turns your computer into a fully functioning Android desktop. It also boasts 32-bit support for the first time, making it even more accessible where upgrading hardware is not an option. We've got a Week in Google special guide to Remix OS coming soon. Yes, that's how much we like it. Boston Dynamics, the scary robot part of the Google Alphabet, met its nemesis this week after the self-righting Spot robot was set upon by godfather of Android, Andy Rubin. Or more precisely his dog. His real, four-legged, non-robotic dog. And the multi-million dollar robot didn't come out on top. And that's about it for what has been a ridiculously quiet week, which usually means that Google is up to something. But just to say: pop along to the Google Play store, if you haven't already, where you can download all the performances from this year's Brit Awards, gratis, for a limited time. µ
2016-03-03 22:59 www.theinquirer.net
12 Kingston details plans to place IronKey as its premium encryption brand FLASH PROVIDER Kingston has detailed its plans for product integration after the purchase of encrypted memory provider IronKey last month. The Kingston IronKey range will become the company's "top of line" product which the firm claimed is the most secure flash USB drive. It features FIPS 140-2 Level 3 certification, the same level required by the US military and a guideline standard for the financial and healthcare industries. The standard includes, by default, a tamper-evident physical seal and rigorous testing approved by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Kingston DataTraveler will continue as a separate product line for those requiring security and encryption of data but not at the extreme, and therefore premium priced, FIPS 140-2 Level 3. Software partner DataLocker will continue to manage SafeConsole and enterprise management services software platforms for Kingston and Kingston IronKey drives. “The encrypted USB market continues to be viable as there is always the need for government agencies and organisations of all levels to protect mobile data,” said Nate Steffens, vice president of commodity flash at Kingston. “Many IronKey products today support legacy NAND technology. Kingston will leverage our long- standing relationships with flash memory semiconductors, controller partners and other component makers as well as our strong channel presence to bring IronKey products into the future and to new customers.” The acquisition of IronKey was completed alongside the sale of Kingston's encrypted HDD business to DataLocker. This has allowed both companies to focus portfolios on their specialist areas, as DataLocker already holds a number of businesses which better complement the HDD offering. Kingston has already promised that existing IronKey customers will have the smoothest possible transition to the new management, working alongside existing sales and technical support teams while offering access to the wider Kingston ecosystem. Kingston's most recent new addition to the DataTraveler range comes with a physical 0-9 keyboard for PIN entry. µ
2016-03-03 22:59 www.theinquirer.net
13 Samsung Galaxy TabPro S price, release date and specs SAMSUNG TOOK the wraps off the Galaxy TabPro S 2-in-1 at this year's CES, representing the firm's first Windows 10 device that looks to fill the gap left by its exit from the UK laptop market. The launch of the hybrid tablet/laptop device sees Samsung gearing up to challenge the likes of Microsoft's Surface Pro 4, offering a similar set- up with a foldable keyboard cover add-on and support for stylus input that aims to appeal to consumers and professionals. We've rounded up everything we know so far about the device's availability, and will update this article as soon as we hear more. Until then, you can also check out our Samsung Galaxy TabPro S hands-on review. Price Samsung has started taking pre-orders for the Galaxy TabPro S , which will set you back £849.99. We assume this will bag you the 128GB model as opposed to the higher-spec 256GB version, but Samsung has yet to specify. Given the price of the smaller Galaxy Tab S 10.5 sibling, expect it to cost more than £400 given its bigger 12in display and bundled keyboard. A Bluetooth Pen will be sold separately, but Samsung has yet to say how much this will cost. Release date At the launch of the device, Samsung said that the Galaxy TabPro S would see a global release in February. However, Samsung's pre-order page states that the device will start shipping in the UK on 16 March. Specs The Galaxy TabPro S is Samsung's first Windows 10-powered 2-in-1, and the first Windows hybrid to come with an AMOLED screen. This display measures an iPad Pro -rivalling 12in, and has a 2160x1440 resolution. Intel's fanless Core M processor provides the power, and comes with 4GB RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage. There's also a 5,200mAh battery which Samsung claims will offer 10.5 hours of life and can be charged to full in 2.5 hours. Despite these high-end specs, the Galaxy TabPro S is one of the skinniest Windows 10 devices. The tablet measures 290x199x6.3mm and weighs 693g, while the bundled keyboard add-on measures an additional 290x199x4.9mm. This Bluetooth keyboard also adds Surface Pro-style functionality to the device, attaching to the tablet's aluminium-clad rear to create a makeshift stand that can be used at two angles. Like Apple's 12in MacBook, the Samsung Galaxy TabPro S has just one USB Type-C connection, but will be offered with a separate multi-port adaptor complete with HDMI and USB A and C output. The Galaxy TabPro S has a dual 5MP camera set-up, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1 and a choice of Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro. Samsung has left the software largely untouched, but has added functionality that will let you unlock the device with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone by waving it over an NFC chip in the keyboard. Samsung’s Galaxy TabPro S will be available in WiFi-only and LTE versions, and is the first Windows-powered 2-in-1 to offer support for Cat 6 LTE speeds. µ
2016-03-03 22:59 www.theinquirer.net
14 John McAfee unlocks an iPhone and does not eat a shoe SHOE CONSERVATIONISTS should be glad that colourful security character John McAfee has lived up to his word and managed to unlock an iPhone. Such people will be interested because McAfee mentioned shoes when discussing the Apple privacy and security case. At least one shoe was due to be eaten by McAfee should he and some fans of hair dye and reggae fail to crack the passcode. Yeah, Dan Brown this ain't. But it makes for a good distraction. McAfee, a not-camera shy man, took to the telly to show off the exploit and let off the espadrille. This is a win for McAfee, mono- phobic shoes and TV, but perhaps not for privacy, people and Apple. John McAfee reveals to FBI, on national TV, how to crack the iPhone https://t.co/uk7uMFTXMw — John McAfee (@officialmcafee) March 1, 2016 The presidential candidate and FBI-taunting antivirus pioneer reckons that any hacker or software and hardware engineer could pull off the same trick. He used a disassembler and looked for evidence of the log-in, and claimed that it took only 30 mins. McAfee told the television programme's host that he allowed himself three weeks in case he got ill, and that he really did not want to eat his shoe. He added that the hack was "trivial" and was repeated often. He said that he has not been approached by the FBI but would gladly walk them through the procedure. We are pretty confident that the agency is well aware of McAfee and his work in this area. McAfee suggested in a later television interview that former FBI officer Steve Rogers and his peers were clueless about technology, and that unlocking the iPhone would not aid the American people. Rogers countered that the US is "at war". It all got quite impassioned and the host took to ringing a bell at one point. Apple CEO Tim Cook is unlikely to budge from his civil liberties line, and has until Friday to answer to the authorities and their demands. µ
2016-03-03 22:59 www.theinquirer.net
15 Plusnet does INQ reader proud after imposing unexpected contract terms BT SUBSIDIARY Plusnet has apologised after a customer of its fledgling YouView-based Plusnet TV offering contacted the INQUIRER to say that they had been given a get out clause that led to a new 24-month contract. The problem came about when it was announced last month that Fox UK is to stop offering its channel to BT customers, including those of Plusnet. Fox is currently one of the few original content, general entertainment channels on the platform and was one of the most viewed. The loss of Fox is significant, especially given that, unlike other YouView platforms, Plusnet has no deal to supply Sky channels. The firm has therefore offered customers the choice of a free six-month subscription as compensation or a penalty-free cancellation of the TV element of the contract. However, both are on an opt-in basis, requiring the customer to call the sales team on receipt of a letter. A reader who called the Plusnet team told us that, rather than do him proud, it attempted to charge a cancellation fee. After arguing against this, the TV service was removed, but the customer was, unbeknownst to Plusnet, signed up for a new 24-month contract for the broadband and phone services. However, it now appears that Plusnet are going to make good on their promises, a statement to the INQUIRER said, "Plusnet has a process in place to assist customers who contact us regarding the loss of the Fox TV channel, unfortunately when [the reader] called through this process was not followed. We have been in contact with [him] since to apologise for the confusion caused and he's happy to continue his services with Plusnet" Fox, which boasts shows including first UK runs of The Walking Dead and American Dad , is also being dropped from parent company BT's TV offering, but will stay on TalkTalk. BT and YouView have said that the move has been forced because "Fox has changed the way it offers its TV channels to TV providers". This smells like a contract dispute over carriage of the channel and is nothing new. Sky and Virgin engaged in a spat over money in 2008 in which Sky-branded channels were removed from the cable platform. An agreement was reached in the end, so there's hope, but not in time for fans of The Walking Dead who will be cut off mid-season. It sounds like Plusnet are going to 'love you back' as they claim and we feel a bit sorry for the losing such a key channel this early in the service. Another offering, Home, has now joined Freeview, so in fact two channels from the IPTV service have gone. In case this happens again, Plusnet's policy is clear. You are entitled to leave without penalty if you feel that the loss of Fox has made it not worth your while subscribing. This should not obligate you to restart your contract. However, legally, there's not an early exit opportunity on broadband and phone contracts as these are treated separately. µ
2016-03-03 22:59 www.theinquirer.net
16 Microsoft is quick off the blocks with Windows 10 for the Raspberry Pi 3 MICROSOFT IS not resting on its laurels when it comes to the Raspberry Pi 3 and has released a preview image of Windows 10 for the new Pi on the block. Windows 10 IoT Core is optimised for connected IoT devices and machines with small or no displays. Despite this it offers Windows Update (yeah, our favourite) and access to APIs for the Universal Windows Platform. There was some criticism of Windows 10 IoT core when it first arrived , but Billy Anders, director of programme management for Windows IoT, said in a blog post today: "Since we first announced Windows 10 support for Raspberry Pi last year your feedback has been driving how we continue improving our platform enabling more and more Raspberry Pi capabilities on Windows 10 IoT Core. " There's WiFi support for the first time, in accordance with the arrival of an official WiFi dongle for the Pi 3. Additionally, tinkerers can use full support for the TC/RX pins for easy access to UART by calling GetDeviceSelector UART0. Microsoft has confirmed that it is working with Element 14 to introduce an option to add Windows 10 as part of the Raspberry Pi Customisation Service. Additionally, use of the Microsoft Azure IoT suite will make it even easier to create devices perfect for the Raspberry Pi using Windows 10. One commenter pointed out: "One big miss of Windows 10 IoT Core on Raspberry Pi is that it doesn’t use Pi’s graphics accelerator, and we have to rely on the very slow software rendering driver. It's a big shame it's not possible to use such a big and valuable chunk of hardware we pay for! " The new version is currently available to Windows Insiders and will be added to in the coming weeks. It's available through an image download from Microsoft, or from the NOOBS Raspberry Pi installer. µ The INQUIRER 's sister site Computing will be holding an Internet of Things Business Summit in London on May 12. Attendance is free to qualifying end users and places are already going fast. Visit the event page to see the agenda and to sign up. µ
2016-03-03 22:59 www.theinquirer.net
17 Hacker turns floppy disk drive into 128GB card reader AN ENTERPRISING HACKER has revived a 1990s floppy disk drive and turned it into an all-singing, all- dancing 128GB flash drive. Stand back: this one comes under 'fun but pointless'. Original 3.5in floppies had magnetic digital disks capable of providing just 1.44MB, but the revived drive is in fact a doctored SD card reader and drive. A YouTube modder known as Dr Moddnstine managed the feat as part of a full update of a mid-90s IBM Aptiva. By a twist of fate, the ribbon cable from the disk drive happened to line up with the notches on an SD card, so with a bit of cajoling he was able to solder together the floppy drive and a cheap USB SD card reader. The disks are once again a perfect fit in terms of thickness (that's what she said) and line up with the connections, but are essentially an SD card inside a floppy housing. The result? Lights that light, drives that are recognised and no more questions like 'Mummy, what's an A drive?' OK, so it's pointless, but for hipster points alone it's worth a mention. And if you want to get nerdy about it, here's some stats. The 128GB diskette is the equivalent of 188,574 regular disks in terms of capacity. If you laid all those disks on top of each other, they'd reach a height of 622.29 metres. That's equivalent to 142 double decker buses. The one flaw we've noticed, though, is that the resulting drive could still have an old-fashioned IDE connection to the motherboard. If that turns out to be the case, the performance of the drive isn't going to be all that. Other mods in the project included an Asus Maximus VIII mainboard, a Core i7 processor with Corsair water cooler, 16GB of RAM and a Radeon R9 390 graphics card. µ
2016-03-03 22:59 www.theinquirer.net
18 Relive astronaut Scott Kelly's trailblazing year in space (pictures) $16,000 used SUVs Whether you like your SUVs cute or capable, or some blend of the two, we've got a wide variety of choices in Roadshow's first collection of Editors' Used Picks.
2016-03-03 22:59 Eric Mack www.cnet.com
19 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' home release will take more of your money (and time) starting April 1 Target will offer: Walmart will have exclusive: Lastly there's Best Buy, which will feature an exclusive SteelBook packaging. No word on price yet, but considering "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" killed at the box office (it's currently the No. 3 film of all time, worldwide), I highly doubt the price would matter.
2016-03-03 22:59 Xiomara Blanco www.cnet.com
20 You're not the boss of me: Cybersecurity pros fear government overreach in iPhone fight The US government isn't winning any fans in the cybersecurity community in its fight with Apple over a phone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters. The support for Apple is no surprise, considering that cybersecurity companies are in the business of keeping your data safe. Experts worry that weakening one iPhone could eventually make other phones vulnerable too. Many cybersecurity companies attending this week's RSA cybersecurity conference in San Francisco say they would give the US government the same answer as Apple: You can't make me. "How can a government tell a company, 'Go create something that doesn't exist'? " Mikko Hypponen, CEO of Finnish privacy company F- secure, said Tuesday at a luncheon a block from the RSA conference. Apple declined to comment for this story, but its lawyer, Ted Olson, made a similar point on Bloomberg News on Wednesday morning. "You cannot conscript a private company such as Apple to do something to change its products," he told Bloomberg. The stakes in the Apple-FBI battle are high, touching on hot-button matters of both national security and personal privacy. The standoff, which started in mid-February, has turned up the heat on already-simmering tensions between Washington and Silicon Valley over encryption, the technology that scrambles information to prevent unauthorized readers from seeing it. The US Department of Justice did not respond to a request for comment for this story. At RSA on Tuesday, US Attorney General Loretta Lynch argued that the federal government can and should be able to access the data. "The law has a wonderful elastic quality to cover the issues that develop," she said during a question-and-answer session. "Having the inability to actually obtain evidence that would save lives is a real risk. " Cybersecurity experts and civil libertarians worry that creating this new software could potentially make vast numbers of iPhones vulnerable. The very existence of such software would be dangerous, they argue, because it could be abused by governments, as well as criminals, if it got leaked. Apple and its supporters say that's true even if the government has a warrant for an important criminal investigation. "The worst way to make the country more secure is loosening security," said Miller Newton, chief executive of encryption company PKware. But as they hurry to protect your encrypted phone, cybersecurity experts also balk at the idea of being pulled by the ear to write code for the government. "You can't compel us to do something we weren't already doing," said Harvey Anderson, chief legal officer of AVG, an antivirus company. It's a matter of control. When it comes to how strong to make their products against hackers and government investigators alike, cybersecurity experts want companies to make that call themselves, without any changes after the fact mandated by the government. Not every cybersecurity or privacy expert at RSA voiced this opinion. Craig Spiezle, executive director of privacy-oriented nonprofit Online Trust Association, said there needs to be a discussion about when companies should give up control of user data. If there's a threshold that should be considered, "it's the seriousness of the crimes," Fowler said. At a conference dedicated to making data as unhackable and untraceable as possible, this doesn't seem to be the majority opinion.
2016-03-03 22:59 Laura Hautala www.cnet.com
21 21 The State of Application Delivery: 2016 Report Because we rely on them so heavily, applications must be available when we need them, able to respond within a split second to meet our demands, and secure enough to protect our confidential information. To do that, applications need services. Without them, they are like cars without fuel, banks without vaults, and passports without pictures. Services do things like improve availability and performance to ensure that applications are always accessible and performing as users expect. They also help you protect your network, systems, users, devices, and confidential information, and give you the control you need to decide which applications users can access. Download this report to learn the number and types of applications and services being used by F5 customers, what their greatest challenges are in delivering them, which services they need more of, and which ones they plan to deploy in the future.
2016-03-03 22:56 www.itworldcanada.com
22 The Manitoba Connection Manitoba Hydro Telecom (MHT) is a facilities-based carrier class telecom service provider, offering a suite of wholesale products to carriers, wireless operators, private and public corporations, and education and healthcare organizations. Download this white paper to learn how wireless internet providers and enterprise customers can take advantage of tower colocation services and wide area network solutions through fibre- optics.
2016-03-03 22:56 www.itworldcanada.com
23 Fidget in this chair to charge your gadgets If you're the type of person who simply can't sit still, this imaginative chair may be perfect for you. The crystals produce a charge when compressed, which means the more you move around on the seat, the more energy you can produce. There's a USB port built into the chair's armrest where you can plug in your gadget. The chair also has a battery pack to store the energy you create by moving around. "I created a chair where I cannot sit still and where moving is a must," the Dutch designer continued. "This is a chair for people who have the habit of tapping their feet on the ground the whole time, or simply moving on the chair constantly. " Unfortunately, the Moov chair is just a prototype and not for sale. Fingers crossed that the chair will be on the market one day so we can all put our restless natures to good use.
2016-03-03 22:59 Bonnie Burton www.cnet.com
24 Apple's iPhone 7S could sport battery-saving OLED screen Apple could adopt an OLED screen for its 2017 iPhone, the Japan-based Nikkei news site reported Wednesday. OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays offer several advantages over the LCD (liquid crystal display) screens currently used in iPhones. OLED displays are thinner, lighter and more flexible than LCDs. They're more power efficient, giving you more bang out of a single battery charge. Colors are more vivid, especially noticeable with blacker blacks. An OLED screen could put iPhones on a more equal footing with smartphones made by rival Samsung, which already use that display technology. But it may not matter much in the grander scheme of things, given the "phone fatigue" that's settled over consumers -- a lack of excitement over incremental design changes for new models and a sense that the phone you already have is good enough. That's led to flatter sales even for powerhouses like Apple and Samsung. OLED screens do pose some disadvantages. They're more expensive to manufacture than LCD screens. They can also show their age more quickly, resulting in a decline in the quality of certain colors. But Apple already uses OLED displays for its smartwatch. The latest rumors about the switch OLED screens should be taken with a grain of salt. Apple typically waits for a major new release of its iPhone to introduce such a significant new feature. The 2017 iPhone will likely be the 7s, which will probably receive minor updates from the iPhone 7 slated for release this fall.
2016-03-03 22:59 Lance Whitney www.cnet.com
25 Self-cleaning airplane bathroom makes flying less germy Ah, flying. There's nothing quite so enjoyable as squeezing into a metal canister with wings, snuggling up close to a stranger in a cramped seat and sharing a bathroom with a couple hundred other passengers. You might not get any help with your seating arrangements, but at least airplane manufacturer Boeing wants to make your restroom experience more enjoyable. Boeing announced a self-cleaning lavatory for planes on Thursday. It has touchless features, including a hands-free faucet, trash can, toilet lid, soap dispenser and hand dryer. The real star of the show is ultraviolet light. According to Boeing, bathing the bathroom in FAR UV light kills 99.99 percent of germs. "FAR ultraviolet" describes a wavelength that's different than UVA or UVB, the kind of UV light you get from tanning beds. Even though Boeing states that the light is not harmful, you don't have to worry about getting a face full of UV. The cleaning only kicks in when the restroom is unoccupied and takes about three seconds to disinfect the area. Boeing built a prototype in which the light is designed to flood the toilet seat, sink and countertops. Don't expect to book a flight tomorrow and step into the beauty of a UV-sanitized restroom right away. Boeing is the midst of "further study" before offering the futuristic bathroom as an option to airlines. 2016-03-03 22:59 Amanda Kooser www.cnet.com
26 Here's everything we loved from Day 2 of the 2016 Geneva Motor Show If variety is the spice of life, then walking down the halls of the Palexpo convention center in Geneva, Switzerland is like charging headfirst through a Bedouin bazaar. No matter what interests you -- affordable hatchbacks, luxury cars, mega-hyper hybrids -- Geneva's got it in spades. The second day of the 2016 Geneva International Motor Show is a less extreme affair than the first day, but the sheer quantity of releases means our fingers were flying around the clock. Let's recap our second day of coverage in alphabetical order. Fiat's littlest -- er, rather, its only -- roadster receives a hopping-up by way of the brand's in-house performance brand. Gone is the Fiat name, and in its place is " Abarth. " Thanks to a slight retune and a sportier exhaust, horsepower is up 10 to a total of 170. Even with new bells and whistles, and a new suspension system with revised dampers and stiffer sway bars, Abarth managed to bring the Fiata's weight down to 2,336 pounds, some 60- ish pounds lighter than the standard model. As you can tell, it also looks the business. On the other side of the horsepower spectrum, we have the 986-horsepower Apollo Arrow. The company formerly known as Gumpert returned to Geneva with a bang, not a whimper, with this bright orange supercar that has more interesting angles than a deep political conversation. Its eight-cylinder engine will hustle this sub-3,000-pound aerodynamic beast to 62 mph in under three seconds, and the pulling won't stop until you're well past the 200-mph tick on the speedo. DIY enthusiasts will be delighted to know that the suspension system features manually adjustable height. While super-high-end automakers are typically the subjects of derision for their utilization of (or, more often, the lack thereof) the latest and greatest tech, the GTC4 Lusso sports a 10-inch, high- definition touchscreen infotainment system, configurable gauges and a second display for the passenger. That's a win in our book. Bolstering the performance tweaks are updates to the suspension, steering and braking systems, making this more than just a FiST with a little extra hustle. The party is certainly bumpin', but this is one hell of an afterparty. Much like the aforementioned Ford, Jaguar's F-Type sports coupe is an absolute riot. It stands to reason, then, that the forthcoming F-Type SVR will be some sort of defibrillator shock to the heart. Rocking 575 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, the SVR will shuffle its way up to 200 mph. That makes it the fastest production Jaguar to date -- sort of. Give our video a watch to see what we mean. Sweet sassy molassy, Koenigsegg's put together one beastly hybrid. Mating three electric motors to a twin-turbocharged, eight-cylinder engine, the Koenigsegg Regera pounds asphalt into submission with more than 1,500 horsepower and more than 1,475 pound-feet of torque. No, we're not making these numbers up, this is a hybrid making more than 1,000 horsepower. Unlike some of the pie-in-the-sky concepts around the Geneva show floor, this bad boy is very much real and very much capable of ending up in your driveway -- provided you can afford the seven-figure price tag. Don't expect megapower here -- the GT is toting just a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine. But it's not about the size of the boat, it's about the motion of the ocean, and the GT's sleek styling leaves us listing about in a daze, waiting for the day that GM builds this Miata-fighting coupe. With the rise of Formula E, the continual tightening of Formula 1 regulations, and the fact that diesels and hybrids are winning Le Mans, it's clear that motorsport is moving toward a future with a lower reliance on gasoline engines, and the H2 Speed is merely an extension of what's currently coming up through the ranks.
2016-03-03 19:02 Andrew Krok www.cnet.com
27 For Apple, Samsung: Turn off the phone, the party's over? The smartphone industry may have seen its last year of double-digit growth in 2015, and that could spell challenges for Apple and makers of high-end Android phones. Mature markets, such as the US, China and Western Europe, were already mired in single- digit growth for smartphone shipments last year. High-growth markets, such as India, Indonesia, the Middle East and Africa, managed to prove stronger. The smartphone industry has been hit by a malady known as "phone fatigue. " Consumers in mature markets have been turned off by a lack of exciting features in new phones, causing more of them to stick with their current smartphones. At the same time, mobile carriers are doing away with subsidized plans, causing more customers to buy their phones at the full retail price, putting a damper on sales of expensive models. There were some brights spots in IDC's forecast. "By entering this space, Apple can more tightly control the trade-in offerings, as well as monitor the demand for where these perfectly functioning 1-year old iPhones end up," Reith said. "The latter is just as important as the trade-in location as it will give Apple a strong pulse on areas of high demand but perhaps less disposable income. " Consumers also will continue to crave big-screened smartphones. Such phones, aka phablets, accounted for 20 percent of all smartphone shipments last year, according to Anthony Scarsella, research manager with IDC's Mobile Phones team. By 2020, that number is expected to increase to 32 percent, from 20 percent last year, for Android phablets and to 31 percent, from 26 percent in 2015, for big-screened iPhones. Android makers can find greater opportunities to sell lower-cost phones. In 2015, only 14 percent of Android phones cost $400 or higher. Sales margins are also thin on cheaper phones. Still, Android's slice of the smartphone market is expected to grow to 85 percent in 2020 from 81 percent last year. Overall smartphone shipments are expected to increase from 1.44 billion last year to 1.5 billion next year and 1.9 billion in 2020, IDC projected.
2016-03-03 22:59 Lance Whitney www.cnet.com
28 Tech Data Rides Apple Enterprise Boom To PC Growth A near-doubling of Tech Data’s Apple business over the past two years has helped the distributor fend off currency headwinds and grow its desktop and notebook businesses. The Clearwater, Fla.-based distributor saw net income climb 8 percent for the quarter ended Jan. 31, from $74.9 million last year to $80.9 million this year, or $2.29 per share on a non- GAAP basis. This was an all-time, fourth-quarter earnings-per-share high, beating Seeking Alpha expectations of $2.09 per share. Sales climbed 2 percent, from $7.34 billion in last year’s fourth quarter to $7.48 billion in this year’s quarter, beating Seeking Alpha’s estimate of $7.11 billion. [RELATED: Tech Data Stock Dives As Weak Enterprise Demand Drags Sales Down ] “Clearly, the Apple product line is finding its way to the enterprise through routes to market like Tech Data,” Bob Dutkowsky, Tech Data’s CEO, said during an earnings call Thursday. “The Apple product line has gotten much broader than it was a few years ago.” Earnings were released before the market opened Thursday. Wall Street was pleased with the results, sending Tech Data’s stock price up 1.4 percent to $73.95 per share. Tech Data’s relationship with Apple has dramatically deepened as the Cupertino, Calif.-based vendor has moved beyond the iPhone into notebooks, desktops, iPads and television, Dutkowsky said. Apple is Tech Data’s largest vendor partner for the second consecutive quarter and accounts for 24 percent of its overall business today, up from just 13 percent two years ago. Tech Data’s low-cost logistics network and expanded product offering has enabled the distributor to win in the marketplace and bring more Apple products to business ecosystems, Dutkowsky said. Specifically, non-Windows PCs such as the Chromebook and Apple devices allowed Tech Data to deliver strong results in its North American desktop sales and European notebook business despite overall PC softness. HP Inc. was Tech Data’s only other major vendor partner, with the printing and PC giant accounting for 10 percent of the distributor’s overall sales in the most recent quarter. Pre-split Hewlett-Packard accounted for 20 percent of Tech Data’s overall sales in the quarter ended Oct. 30, while Cisco – which made up 10 percent of Tech Data’s sales in the quarter ended Oct. 30 – has fallen below 10 percent. Dutkowsky said it’s way too early to pass judgment on how Tianjin Tianhai’s proposed acquisition of Ingram Micro would affect the distribution landscape and whether Tech Data would be able to gain market share as a result of its largest competitor being owned by a Chinese conglomerate. “Competitors come, they go, they change profiles, they diversify, all of those change,” Dutkowsky said. “We respect them [Ingram Micro] as a competitor. We’ve performed very well in our markets against them.”
2016-03-03 22:56 Michael Novinson www.crn.com
29 Paragon free DLC plans, early access release date revealed You can get into the Paragon Early Access by purchasing a $20 Founder's Pack that goes on sale on March 14. Epic also mentioned that progress earned in the Early Access version of Paragon will carry forward when the full, finished game launches. If you don't buy the Founder's Pack, you still have a shot at playing before launch, as Epic will hold beta weekend events when anyone can play for free. The other piece of big Paragon news shared today was that all of the game's heroes can be unlocked without spending a penny. Additionally, Superville stressed that Epic wants to avoid a "pay-to-win" scenario, and as such, it will never sell items that can affect gameplay. "Paragon is designed so that all players can compete and win without ever having to spend money," he said. "All heroes are free, and cards can only be earned by playing the game. The game will never be pay-to-win, meaning we will never sell gameplay-affecting items. We will sell cosmetic items (skins, emotes), boosts and other convenience items, along with Paid Early Access. We're taking this approach because we believe that competitive games need to be fair for all players. " Finally, Epic also has confirmed that players can also purchase a Challenger Pack ($60) and Master Pack ($100) that comes with a "huge number of skins, unlockable items, boosts, a unique skin, and a Founder's Pack to give to a friend. " Full details on the contents of these premium packs will be shared later.
2016-03-03 22:59 GameSpot Staff www.gamespot.com
30 Google: Health Care Can Learn From Hospitality Solutions What could health-care professionals learn about IT solutions from the hospitality industry? A lot, according to Google. Google industry director Brian Cusack advocated for increased collaboration among different business verticals at the Massachusetts State House, and he spoke from his experience dealing with professionals in different specializations. “What I’ve been trying to do a lot in my job recently is create ecosystems of cross-industry collaboration so that people who have faced similar business challenges in completely different industries can learn from each other,” Cusack said. “For instance,” Cusack said, “a lot of the problems that have had to be solved at the health provider space are ones that hospitality is also dealing with. I mean, there are very similar goals involved here. It’s going to sound incredibly oversimplistic, but in many cases, at least historically, both of those industries have been trying to find ways get people to come into their facilities and stay there for a while and leave having had a good experience.” “There are things people in health industry can learn from the hospitality industry,” he added.
2016-03-03 22:56 Meghan Ottolini www.crn.com
31 Uncovered images may show Mass Effect Andromeda's new Shepard Is this the new Shepard? It certainly appears to look like the protagonist that was featured in the game's past E3 2015 trailer. But who is this character exactly? Take a look at the images below. It appears these renders were first shown at ZBrush Summit 2015, a community event where members of the website get together and discuss their work. The Mass Effect Andromeda renders that were displayed at the event are attributed to Herbert Lowis, who is the lead character artist at BioWare Montreal. The person who published the image, going by online handle 'Fo0D', claims to be a member of the development team. On one key image he writes: "And our Pathfinder character model at BioWare Montreal ... for Mass Effect: Andromeda. " Though they may appear legitimate, it's worth noting that the ZBrush community is formed of talented artists who could have feasibly drawn these themselves. GameSpot has contacted EA for comment.
2016-03-03 22:59 GameSpot Staff www.gamespot.com
32 Sources: Cisco Said To Have Offered $4B For Nutanix Last Year, Also Tried To Acquire SimpliVity Cisco Systems says it has been a fan of Springpath, the hyper-convergence startup it's partnering with on its new HyperFlex offering, since the startup's early days in 2012. Yet during the first half of 2015, Cisco unsuccessfully tried to acquire both Nutanix and SimpliVity, the No. 1 and No. 2 startups in the hyper-convergence market, multiple sources with knowledge of the matter told CRN recently. Now, Cisco is competing with them with HyperFlex Systems, a new product line it launched this week that marries its Unified Computing System (UCS) servers with Springpath's software- defined storage technology. Cisco has invested in Springpath and also has the option of acquiring it based on revenue results, according to CRN's sources. [Related: Startup Nutanix To Cisco: Welcome To Hyper-Convergence Market, Good Luck Catching Up With Us ] The sources said Cisco mounted an especially dogged pursuit of Nutanix, which has raised more than $312 million and has a valuation north of $2 billion, making two separate bids to acquire the San Jose, Calif.-based startup. Cisco's best offer was around $4 billion, but Nutanix's asking price was between $6 billion and $7 billion, according to the sources, who didn't want to be named. After Nutanix declined the offer, Cisco cut off related talks about doing an OEM agreement with the startup, the sources said. Cisco, which formed a UCS partnership with SimpliVity in 2014, also made an acquisition offer to SimpliVity sometime around the time of the startup's $175 million Series D funding round in March 2015, sources said. It's not clear how much Cisco offered for the startup, which is based in Westborough, Mass. Spokespeople from Cisco, Nutanix and SimpliVity all declined comment. Springpath didn't respond to a request for comment. Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins, in a Q&A with press Tuesday during the vendor's Partner Summit in San Diego, said Cisco "actually looked at all our options" in the hyper-convergence space before deciding to invest in Springpath. Robbins also described Springpath's technology as "next-generation thinking" and said when the vendor shared early builds of HyperFlex with a select group of partners, "the feedback I got was, 'Wow, you guys are on to something.' "
2016-03-03 22:56 Kevin McLaughlin www.crn.com
33 Glitch bot turns watching news into an extreme sport Watching and processing a constant stream of news can feel like a 24-hour job when you consider how much information is relayed on TV and the Web these days. "If we objectively examine our behavior, the vast majority of our actions are being carried out 'subconsciously,' and hence they tend to remain 'invisible' to us, and therefore seemingly of no concern," Shardcore continued. "Subliminal messages play on this disconnect between subconscious and conscious recognition. That's how advertising works. " The super-short video mashups from Glitch News Network already shared on Twitter show quick glimpses of political debates, the Academy Awards, soccer matches and even a fox's face. The only way you can see the images clearly is if you pause the video itself at random intervals. It's definitely an intriguing look at all the visuals we're subjected to throughout the day. "The Glitch News Network perhaps offers a glimpse of the future, where we further disengage from our conscious central executor and merely stream blipverts at our subconscious," Shardcore concludes on his blog.
2016-03-03 22:59 Bonnie Burton www.cnet.com
34 No Division reviews until after release day The corporation said it would be more beneficial for reporters and reviewers to assess the MMO in a live environment, as opposed to a simulated one. It has told fans to not expect reviews of the game until after release date, which is March 8. "Since it's impossible for us to populate the servers in a way that would adequately replicate playing The Division on launch day, reviewers will start playing the game along with everyone else when it's released on March 8--after the servers go live officially and globally at 00:01 A. M. Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT). "
2016-03-03 22:59 GameSpot Staff www.gamespot.com
35 's Tech Today app: One tap, 10 top stories Let's face it, news happens -- lots of it. And that's awesome. But it can be overwhelming to try to stay on top of that density of tech-related news. In fact, here at CNET our editorial staff writes upward of 80 articles per day, and we're pretty selective about what we cover. And we know many of you just don't have time to read everything we put out (sad face). That's exactly why we built Tech Today -- the simplest and fastest (and free-est?) way to get a daily dose of CNET's tech news, without any complications or stories about the Kardashians (well, unless it's about their apps...). Tech Today provides the big picture in tech, by delivering a selection of best stories based on the most popular topics of the day. It's perfect for your commute (not while driving!) or while in line at your favorite coffee shop. Check it out live in the App Store, and get your tech fix now!
2016-03-03 22:59 Jeremy Toeman www.cnet.com
36 'Absolutely not' true that Microsoft is backing away from console gaming, Xbox exec says Asked if Microsoft expected there to be blowback around Quantum Break's PC announcement, Spencer said, "Expected is too high of a word, but I know there is a lot of passion around Xbox. " "From our CEO down at Microsoft, there's tons of commitment and enthusiasm for our [console] business [and] we're having tremendous success," Greenberg added, noting that Xbox One exclusive game sales were strong in holiday 2015 and that overall, "business is good. "
2016-03-03 22:59 GameSpot Staff www.gamespot.com
37 IDC: Android, iOS Smartphones Face Challenges In Market Slowdown The smartphone market will begin to slow to single-digit year-over-year growth in 2016, according to a new report released Thursday by market research firm IDC. Solution providers touting mobility services say that manufacturers like Apple and Samsung will need to step up their mobile innovation to increase smartphone trade-ins. Jay Gordon, vice president of sales at Plano, Texas-based Enterprise Mobile, said the smartphone market has reached its "market peak" -- a consequence of the initial rush by consumers to snap them up when these products debut. [Related: Head-To-Head: Surface Pro 4 vs. iPad Pro ] "The slower rate of innovation on new smartphones is not driving consumers to always upgrade to the latest and greatest as they once did," said Gordon. "There are many people still walking around with iPhone 5s devices, for example, despite the release of the iPhone 6 and 6s. " According to IDC's projections, in 2016, shipments will grow 5.7 percent over the previous year's -- a major slowdown compared with 2015's 10.4 percent smartphone shipment growth from 2014. Part of the reason behind this projection, Gordon said, is that once smartphone manufacturers gain share, they limit growth prospects as the life cycle of a mobile device lengthens. Meanwhile, as wireless carriers back off from providing hardware subsidies toward a device payment plan, consumers are "locked in" to their devices over the payback period, typically 24 to 36 months, he said. "During this period, consumers are typically not shopping for new phone technology, as they cannot justify the added expense of upgrading out of pocket," Gordon said. "On the enterprise side, the device upgrade path is more often shorter, ranging from 18 to 24 months, which does present shorter opportunity for smartphone manufacturers. " IOS and Windows Phone smartphone devices will face declining shipments in 2016 , according to IDC's projections -- iOS devices are expected to decline by 0.1 percent in 2016, while Windows Phone is projected to drop 18.5 percent. Android smartphones will grow 7.6 percent in 2016, according to the report. Ryan Reith, program director at IDC, said the slowdown may be dire for premium smartphone manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung.
2016-03-03 22:56 Lindsey www.crn.com
38 Google throws its computing brains into tackling the Zika virus Much about the virus remains a mystery, and not just to the non-medical folk of the world. Zika is tricky to identify, to map and to contain. It doesn't help that four in five people with the virus don't show any symptoms. In an attempt to map the virus and anticipate its next moves, the Mountain View, California, company is using its data crunching abilities to analyzing the vast amounts of Zika-related information at scale and at speed. Epidemics rapidly spread across the globe in today's interconnected world. At the same time, new technology also is profoundly changing how we understand and fight them. It is exactly this kind of technology that Google is hoping to provide now that we are faced with Zika. Engineers will gather data about weather and travel patterns to create visualizations about where the disease might go next. The information will be passed to Unicef, governments and other nonprofit organizations that can use it to decide where to focus time and resources. The aim is ultimately to get ahead of the virus to try and stop it in its tracks. As with other tech tools that emerge from disaster responses such as Google's Person Finder and Facebook's Safety Check feature, Google is hoping the tools it creates to combat Zika will also be used in future emergencies. Since Zika landed in Latin America last November, Google said it has seen a 3,000 percent increase in global search interest about the disease. The company therefore added what Google.org Director Jacqueline Fuller describes as "robust information" about the virus in 16 languages directly into search results. "We hope these efforts are helpful in fighting this new public health emergency, and we will continue to do our part to help combat this outbreak," Fuller said. 2016-03-03 22:59 Katie Collins www.cnet.com
39 Latest Comcast Modem Takes Aim At Google Fiber -- And Partners See A Big Opportunity Telecommunications behemoth Comcast stands to change the rules of high- speed Internet with the unveiling of a new modem that it says allows users to hit fiber-like speeds with no costly infrastructure. Comcast partners looking forward to getting their hands on the new modems say that the offering competes directly with Google's high-speed Internet service, Google Fiber. "Comcast is really serious about building up to higher speeds to compete with anyone offering gigabit speeds," said Luis Alvarez, president and CEO of Salinas, Calif.-based IT services provider and Comcast partner Alvarez Technology Group Inc. [Related: Comcast's Strong Q4 2015 Earnings Fortified By Big Gains In Business Services Division ] The latest modem could be a great option for small business customers, and Comcast will need the channel's help selling the offering, Alvarez said. Google Fiber touts connection speeds of 1 Gbps, about 80 times faster than the average U. S. Internet speed. Comcast's latest Docsis 3.1 modem is also capable of supporting 1 Gbps download speeds and maxes out at a 10 Gbps, according to the carrier. But unlike Google Fiber, which requires fiber infrastructure, Comcast's modem can achieve these speeds using its existing cable network, Comcast said. "If that really turns out to be the case, where you can take existing infrastructure and slap a new modem on it to go from 200 megabits to a gigabit, that's going to be huge," Alvarez said. "They are going to need the channel to promote this because the reality is that most businesses don't know, don't understand the variances in speed. " Comcast hasn't announced pricing for the Docsis 3.1 modem yet, and hasn't said when the product will be made available to the channel. But partners are already champing at the bit. "We'll definitely be pushing this when it's available to us to resell, because our customers need the bandwidth," said Jeffrey Lee, vice president and chief technology officer for Carceron, an Atlanta-based IT managed services provider that partners with both Comcast and Google. Carceron sells Comcast through its relationship with MicroCorp, an Atlanta-based master agent. Carceron usually sets restrictions on its customers' firewalls to limit specific traffic -- like Facebook and YouTube -- because of bandwidth limitations. But with an offering like the new modem, Carceron will be able to relax those limitations because significantly more bandwidth will be available, Lee said. Providing high-capacity, fairly priced connectivity solutions will help partners support their customers using the Internet in new and innovative ways, like for Internet of Things (IoT) applications, said Darryl Senese, vice president of carrier services for Atrion Networking, a Warwick, R. I.-based IT solution provider and Comcast partner.
2016-03-03 22:56 Gina Narcisi www.crn.com
40 5 Things We Learned About The Apple-FBI Encryption Debate At This Week's Hearing The FBI And Apple Battle Continues Apple and the FBI took center stage Tuesday in front of the House Judiciary Committee to discuss the government's efforts to unlock the iPhone belonging to one of the shooters involved in the San Bernardino attacks. The hearing before the House Judiciary Committee is aimed at enabling U. S. lawmakers to better understand both sides of the encryption debate and comes after a California judge last month ordered Apple to unlock the iPhone. Apple, Cupertino, Calif., does not have access to the data on its phones, so the FBI requested it create a new version of its operating system, eliminating some security features, to install on the iPhone in question. Following are five things we learned about the Apple and FBI encryption debate at Tuesday's hearing.
2016-03-03 22:56 Lindsey www.crn.com
41 How Pokemon turned me into a nerd Once upon a time, I had a shiny Charizard. The day I left that Pokemon card in my pocket and it went through the washing machine was the greatest tragedy of my young life. I haven't collected any Pokemon cards since then. Even 18 years on, the loss still stings a bit. Without those first games on Nintendo's brick of a Game Boy, I never would have picked up those cards to begin with. I might never have started an 18-year affair with videogames and tabletop games. Sure, I liked games well enough before then, but Pokemon Red was the first time I was eager and hungry, dedicated to a game, a setting, a fandom. I had to know more, play better, share my love of a thing with my peers. Pokemon taught me how to be a nerd. Pokemon is 20 years old this week. The first generation of Pokemon games (Red, Blue and Green) was released in Japan in 1996, two years before western audiences got an English version of Red and Blue. To celebrate the anniversary, Nintendo made Pokemon Red and Blue available as digital downloads. I was talking to a co-worker about the rerelease, and she didn't care. Not only that, she didn't like Pokemon at all. I was affronted. Mostly because I have sincere difficulty in trying to picture my childhood without it. My friends and I grew up collecting the cards, watching the anime, talking obsessively about it all, and, of course, playing the games. It was inescapable, saturating my generation like Beatlemania. The games themselves all build on the same basic RPG formula. Catch 'em all, be the very best. You get yourself a team of up to 6 Pokemon (from the 151 different kinds available) and trawl through the wilderness to get catch dozens more inside Pokeballs. These creatures level up through elaborate scissors-paper-rock-style battles, learning new moves and evolving into new forms. There were (initially) 15 different elemental types, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The manual came with a helpful chart, showing the matchups. Nobody I knew needed the chart after about a week. It was ingrained, indelibly, in our memories. You'd also need to trade your in-game creatures with friends, since catching all 151 Pokemon was impossible without both versions of the game. I speak from experience when I say the original cable used to link two Game Boys was, kindly put, temperamental. But I was young. I didn't know the more colorful words I'd use now. In the five generations released since then, always in matched pairs, the roster of Pokemon has expanded to over 700. The games have only become more complex, introducing things like more elemental types, moves, day/night cycles and breeding. But the core never changes. I still remember the precise steps in Red and Blue's complicated item duplication glitch that we, despite being pre-Internet citizens, still all heard about. We just knew. But as a kid of 9 years old, that's not what it meant to me. Here's the numbers I cared about. 3: The number of times a Pokeball wiggles before you can exhale, having definitely captured a new creature for your digital menagerie. 16: The level when Squirtle, my very first Pokemon, evolved into Wartortle. 151: The total number of Pokemon in Generation I.
2016-03-03 22:59 Luke Lancaster www.cnet.com
42 HP's Envy Phoenix desktop is built to play well with HTC's Vive HP's Envy Phoenix desktop is a pre-built PC that I might actually want to buy. Sure, that might sound crazy from someone who's always built his own systems. Unlike some Godzilla-villain-alike systems available from other companies right now, though, the Phoenix offers a subdued exterior with just enough blinginess to suggest powerful components under the hood. HP says it worked with HTC to make this system ready for the Vive VR headset when those goggles become available, too. For the most part, the base specs of the Phoenix (at least those of the 860-170VR model that we're concerned with) don't betray its sinister-yet-stealthy shell. CPU options are limited to a liquid-cooled Intel Core i7-6700K right now. HP says owners can overclock the unlocked Skylake chip. A Radeon R9 390X is the only choice available on the graphics-card front, but HP indicates that a GeForce GTX 980 Ti will become an option in the future. 8GB of DDR4 memory and a 1TB mechanical hard drive are a little disappointing for this machine's $1299 base price, but buyers appear to be able to add an M.2 SSD or 2.5" SATA drive of their own after purchase. HP offers a 256GB M.2 SSD as an option for $175, and there appear to be provisions for up to three 3.5" mechanical drives inside. For its part, HP says the Phoenix is easily upgradeable. The Envy Phoenix also comes with a pair of customizable light bars on its front panel for extra gamer cred, some vague Bang and Olufsen audio mojo, DVD or optional Blu-ray drives, and a built-in card reader.
2016-03-03 20:18 by Jeff techreport.com
43 Listen up: Amazon's Alexa is taking over our homes (The 3:59, Ep. 4) Amazon's Echo smart speaker had twins. The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories of the day, brought to you by CNET Executive Editor Roger Cheng and CNET Senior Writer Ben Fox Rubin. cnet.com 2016-03-03 22:59 Ben Fox www.cnet.com
44 Oculus Rift will only come to Mac if Apple "ever releases a good computer"
Oculus Rift support will only come to the Mac platform is Apple "ever releases a good computer," Oculus co-founder Palmer Luckey told Shacknews. The problem, according to Luckey, is that Macs just don't have the GPU horsepower required to run the virtual reality headset. "It just boils down to the fact that Apple doesn't prioritize high-end GPUs," said Luckey. "You can buy a $6,000 Mac Pro with the top of the line AMD FirePro D700, and it still doesn't match our recommended specs. So if they prioritize higher-end GPUs like they used to for a while back in the day, we'd love to support Mac. But right now, there's just not a single machine out there that supports it. " Even if Apple put some serious GPU hardware inside a Mac, Luckey doesn't think there's much of a Mac audience for Oculus Rift. "So if they prioritize higher-end GPUs like they used to for a while back in the day, we'd love to support Mac. But right now, there's just not a single machine out there that supports it," Luckey said. "Even if we can support on the software side, there's just no audience that could run the vast majority of software on it. " The recommended specs for Oculus Rift on a Windows PC is as follows: If you're a Mac users wanting to get in on some VR action, then your going to need to get yourself a SteamVR headset, a Mac Pro running Windows, and an upgraded graphics card.
2016-03-03 20:25 Adrian www.zdnet.com
45 Gender Gap, Not Wage Gap, Persists in IT Sector Women make up 31 percent of the tech workforce and have for some time. Gender plays no role in compensation for technology professionals, but what does still exist is a position gap, according to Dice’s annual salary survey data of more than 16,000 tech professionals. The study found that when comparing equal education levels, years of technical experience and job title, no gap exists. However, when it comes to bonuses, compensation satisfaction, primary motivators and career concerns, all of which greatly impact overall job satisfaction and career growth, there are clear differences by gender. Some 38 percent of men received a bonus in 2015, compared to 34 percent for women. The average bonus for men was $10,420; for women, it was $8,899. "Tech companies have been actively pursuing diversity programs for a while and this is really a sign it might be paying off," Bob Melk, president of Dice, told eWEEK. "Tech has been the place to work, relative to other industries and professions and companies recognize they can’t attract the best talent if they’re only fishing from half of the population. That message has had time to sink in, and the industry appears to be attracting and hiring a more diverse workforce. There is nothing inherently that exists in tech careers that should hold women back. " Almost 54 percent of men expressed satisfaction with compensation in their current position, while 51 percent of women were satisfied with their salaries. "Business decision-making is enriched by diverse views," Melk said. "Companies implementing diversity programs, which attract qualified women, ensure all employees benefit from that diversity and the benefits inherent within. Men like transparency, benefits and perks just as much as women--everyone wins. " Melk explained that according to government data, women make up 31 percent of the tech workforce and have for some time. "Having strong role models and women leaders is one way young professionals can see the type of career they too could have in tech," he said. "I also think there are a lot more programs today encouraging young women to pursue a career in STEM such as Girls Who Code. Beyond that, we have more work to do to expand opportunities for women within leadership and management. " He noted that beyond providing competitive compensation, employers must look at other key drivers such as challenging assignments and flexibility with work hours and location. "I believe there is much more attention to attracting women to tech. I see this trend continuing as companies have a dialogue with women – and really all—employees about what drives them to continue a career in technology," Melk said. "The effort really must start early in schools to show young women the benefits and advantages to working in tech. As more schools and colleges do this, collectively with the tech community, I anticipate a more diverse, inclusive tech workforce in the future. "
2016-03-03 19:44 Nathan Eddy www.eweek.com
46 Husband of San Bernardino survivor pens letter in Apple's favor Salihin Kondoker is the husband of Anies Kondoker, who was shot three times but survived the deadly attack that occurred in early-December. Salihin Kondoker wrote a letter on Apple's behalf, and it was submitted in the case on Thursday. The letter was subsequently published by Apple. "In my opinion it is unlikely there is any valuable information on this phone," Salihin Kondoker wrote in the letter, which was first posted by BuzzFeed and is embedded below. "This was a work phone. My wife also had an iPhone issued by the County and she did not use it for any personal communication," Salihin continued. "San Bernardino is one of the largest counties in the country. "They can track the phone on GPS in case they needed to determine where people were. Second, both the iCloud account and carrier account were controlled by the county so they could track any communications. This was common knowledge among my wife and other employees. " In the letter, Kondoker says he's an IT consultant for Pacific Gas & Electric in California. His letter argues that privacy is important and Apple should say strong in their refusal. "I support Apple and the decision they have made. I don't believe Tim Cook or any Apple employee believes in supporting terrorism any more than I do. I think the vicious attacks I've read in the media against one of America's greatest companies are terrible," Salihin continued. In an NPR interview published earlier this week, San Bernardino Police Chief Jarrod Burguan doubted there is nothing valuable on the iPhone the FBI is seeking access to. "I'll be honest with you, I think that there is a reasonably good chance that there is nothing of any value on the phone. What we are hoping might be on the phone would be potential contacts that we would obviously want to talk to," he said. Letter From Salihin Kondoker
2016-03-03 19:37 Jake Smith www.zdnet.com
47 Apple's biggest competitors planning support in FBI case later today Several major tech firms are planning to file a joint legal brief siding with Apple in its ongoing feud with the US government later today. Google, Facebook and Microsoft, along with around 12 other internet companies, will team up on an amicus brief, Reuters reports. They'll ask a federal judge to back Apple in its effort to have a court order that would compel it to help the FBI unlock an iPhone by building a special software thrown out, sources familiar with the plans said. In the brief, the companies will lay out why they support the Cupertino-based company. Apple is resisting creating the software because it views it as a backdoor into the iPhone that could put hundreds of millions of users at risk. It's also concerned about setting a precedent the government could use in future requests to Apple, as well as other companies. The FBI is demanding the software be built so it can unlock the iPhone 5C used by one of the San Bernardino terrorists. It's seeking to get as much information off the phone as possible, though it is not sure what information is on the phone or if it would be of value to the investigation. Not mentioned in Reuters' report is Twitter. A company spokesperson told techradar last week, when news of the amicus briefs first appeared, that it expected to be on one supporting Apple. Microsoft Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith told members of a February 25 Congressional hearing that the company "wholeheartedly" supports the Mac maker and planned to file an amicus brief to that effect. At the time, it sounded like Microsoft would file on its own, though it wasn't explicitly stated. Soon after, the names of other tech firms began to pop up. Google was said to be planning its own filing, and Facebook and Twitter were also mentioned as preparing to join Apple's side. A source close to the matter told techradar: "The industry is aligned and working on a joint submission to the court. " On Wednesday, several advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, filed briefs in support of Apple. Article continues below
2016-03-03 19:33 By Michelle www.techradar.com
48 RSA Conference 2016: Launch Pad for Security Products, Partnerships The annual RSA Conference in San Francisco fills both the North, South and West buildings of the Moscone Center from Feb. 29 to March 4. While keynotes and sessions are a large part of the event, the RSA Conference has long been the place where security vendors announce new products, services and partnerships. The RSA Conference is celebrating its 25th year, and more than 30,000 attendees will wander the exhibit halls to see more than 500 vendors. Among the companies making news at this year's show is RSA Security, the namesake vendor for the conference, which is using the event to unveil the addition of its DetectX Engine capability to RSA Security Analytics, providing improved real- time behavior analytics capabilities for security operations. On the first day of the conference, IBM announced its acquisition of Resilient Systems, which launched a new version of its Incident Response Platform. With such a large event, there is no shortage of news and activities. In this slide show, eWEEK takes a look at some of the companies and products making news at the conference.
2016-03-03 21:29 Sean M. www.eweek.com
49 Spyder PowerShadow battery case for Apple iPhone 6s Plus: 3500 mAh capacity, plus protection Hardware MWC in pictures: The top smartphones, wearables, and tablets Mobility Top gadgets and apps to protect your mobile devices Hardware High capacity power banks to keep your devices fully charged 2016-03-03 19:15 www.zdnet.com
50 PlayStation Vue review Update: PlayStation Vue is slowly shaping up to be the cable killer Sony promised it would be. Today the company announced that it would lower the price of its plans by $10 and add ABC, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform (formerly ABC Family), ESPN and ESPN 2 to every package. Original review follows... Sony's had a mixed year of PlayStation software launches. From the outlandishly-priced PlayStation Now to the much-improved PlayStation Music that replaced Music Unlimited in March, it seems like new releases are either falling flat on their face or hitting it out of the park, with only a product or two landing in between. PlayStation Vue, the new live TV streaming service that intends to compete with Sling TV and the (assumed) upcoming Apple TV service, had all the makings of a home run. It has loads of content (over 80 channels if you shell out for the "elite" package), is able to record an unlimited amount of live TV for up to 28 days and uses something 20 million people already own, the PS4. So what happened? For better and worse, PlayStation Vue copied some of cable's foibles and faux-pas, and yet succeeds in some ways the big services simply cannot. Vue introduces new headaches, like dealing with download speeds; while alleviating some of the problems that plagued cable, like service fees and inescapable contracts. Vue gets content recommendation on a level that few services seem to understand, while at the same time failing to completely give you everything you want in one affordable package. Before we dig deep into the pros and cons of Sony's wannabe cable killer, let's spend a minute on what PlayStation Vue is and how it works. PlayStation Vue is a US-only cable service that takes both traditional cable channels and over- the-air content from sources like NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX and combines them into a single app for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 , Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick and iPad. Sony also has plans to enable Chromecast support for the iOS app, too, sometime down the road. So far Sony only sells three types of packages that vary in price and amount of channels, starting at $49 a month and goes up to $69 for the all-inclusive pass. It's worth noting that, because the service depends on local cable stations for content from NBC, CBS and FOX, Sony needs to individually negotiate with each station before bringing the service to a new location. So far, Sony has made deals in Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami and Dallas, Texas. Here are the packages in full detail: Access package – $39 a month – CBS, COZI TV, myTV, NBCm Telemundo, AMC, Animal Planet, BET, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CMT, CNBC, CNN, Comedy Central, Destination America, Discovery, Discovery Family, DiY, E!, Esquire, Food Network, Fox Business, Fox News, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, FX, FXX, HGTV, HLN, Investigation Discovery, MSNBC, MTV, MTV2, National Geographic, NBC Sports Network, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, OWN, Oxygen, Science, Spike, SyFy, TBS, TLC, TNT, Travel, truTV, TVLand, USA, VH1, WeTV, plus ABC, Disney Channel, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Freeform (formerly ABC Family), ESPN and ESPN 2 Core package – $45 a month – Everything from the Access package, plus BTN, BTN Alternative, Golf, IFC, Sundance, TCM, YES, ESPNU, ESPNews and SEC Network. Elite package – $55 a month – Everything from the Core package, plus AHC, BET Gospel, Boomerang, Centric, Chiller, Cloo, CMT Pure Country, CNBC World, Cooking, Discovery Life, Fox College Sports Atlantic, Central, Pacific, FXM, LOGO, MTV Hits, MTV Jams, MTVU, NatGeo Wild, Palladia, Sprout, Teen Nick, Universal, Velocity, VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul and Disney Fusion. Sony has also told us that it will add a channel for PlayStation originals – like Powers – once it ramps up production in the coming year, as well as Showtime's new standalone streaming service once it goes live in early July. Like Sling TV, PlayStation Vue requires that your device be connected to the internet while watching and speeds of at least 10Mbps to get a full-resolution, uninterrupted picture. PlayStation Vue is available on PS3 and PS4, as well as iPad. (The latter requires a PlayStation 4 to sign up, however.) To download it, you need to live in one of the seven markets – Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas or Miami – and have a valid credit card on file with Sony. If you own any of Sony's other devices like the PlayStation Vita or PlayStation TV , however, you're out of luck. Sony has told other outlets that while there's a chance Vue will end up on these platforms eventually, it probably won't happen anytime soon. PlayStation Vue's interface is exactly what you'd expect from a Sony-made app. There's menus for live TV, recommended content, your favorite shows, as well as a traditional TV guide. Everything on the menu with the exception of the guide is arranged in tiles on a grid, creating a sense that Sony's placing more about the show than its source. The interface, while not the most intuitive in the world, is serviceable. Trying to browse for shows through the guide takes a bit longer than I would've liked, as Vue only shows four or five channels' worth of content at a time, but eventually you'll get where you want to go. PlayStation Vue, like Sling TV, Plex , Netflix and every other streaming service, can only do so much to create a seamless experience. The rest really falls upon your home network. If you have a slow internet connection – let's say, 5Mbps or less – you can probably expect a lot of hiccups, stuttering and low-resolution video. Stepping up to around 10Mbps will net you a solid connection and will almost guarantee a solid connection, but a lower-than-average resolution. It's not until you get to the 15-20Mbps range through a wired connection to your router that things really start to look good on PlayStation Vue. If you already have that level of internet service coming into your home, great. Just make sure your PS4 is either in range of the router or you have the ability to hardwire your system. Once you've got your home network up to par, PlayStation Vue is an actually fun – if not always practical – way to watch TV. Using cloud DVR to record shows for up to 28 days means you won't have to fight with your significant other for space on the TiVo while the recommendations will continually push new and exciting content in front of your face. But ultimately, because packages start at $49 for 45 channels you may or may not want to watch, you might end up overpaying for content. Also, keep in mind that at least four or five of those channels are available over-the-air for free with a digital tuner and antenna. If you already own a PS4 or PS3 and a relatively fast internet package, and plan to use the iPad functionality when it becomes available, then PlayStation Vue could be one solution for you to cut down on the cable bill. If you aren't in that situation or are just trying a cable alternative for the first time, PlayStation Vue is merely a lively alternative to the better, prime time-ready options out there. 2016-03-03 19:14 By Nick www.techradar.com
51 No Man's Sky finally has a release date (and shiny toy ship!) Hello Games has finally announced a release date for No Man's Sky, confirming that the intergalactic space exploration simulator will hit PC and PlayStation 4 on June 21. Also announced today was some sweet, sweet iam8bit merchandise for eager fans to preorder, including a replica spaceship to explore the far reaches of your office desk. Part of a limited run of 10,000 units, No Man's Sky's " Explorer Edition " commands a price tag of $149 (about £105, AU$202). Each Explorer Edition not only comes with a PC download of the game, but a hand-painted model ship complete with decal stickers. The Explorer Edition also includes a special pin, a diorama display for your model ship and - as iam8bit, describes it - a "rad box. " Finally, iam8bit teases a "mystery item" to be included with all the other goodies, which will be announced in June during the game's launch. PS4 owners wanting a special collector's edition of their own are in luck, as listings for a Limited Edition of No Man's Sky have appeared on GameStop's website, which includes a steelbook case, comic, artbook, and special downloadable content - sadly, no toy ships. No Man's Sky has been as eagerly-anticipated for many as it has been enigmatic. The game features a procedurally-generated universe that players can explore at will, naming each planet they discover as they mine resources and survive in uncharted space. iam8bit is also offering several other products in its No Man's Sky line such as t-shirts, posters, pins and a vinyl printing of the game's soundtrack. Custom video game vinyls have become a specialty of the LA-based company, such as with the technicolor special edition set for Hotline Miami 2 or a translucent blue record set for XCOM 2. Article continues below
2016-03-03 19:13 By Parker www.techradar.com
52 The new search engine for business is called, um, Plonked Technically Incorrect offers a slightly twisted take on the tech that's taken over our lives. You know that tech is an incestuous business, don't you? Everyone knows everyone or at least seems, in some distant way, to be connected to everyone. Where they talk about humans having six degrees of separation from everyone else on the planet, it seems far fewer with companies. In fact, it's less than four degrees of separation. You might be suspicious of my confidence. I wouldn't blame you. However, I am quoting the alleged expertise of a new search engine that claims it's designed just for businesspeople. And, in its first iteration, mainly for tech businesspeople. Instead, here's Plonked founder and CEO Ankur Varma's view of the true closeness among companies, even in tech. "The average degree of separation for most tech companies is 3.5," he told me. "In other words, even the most obscure small businesses are in fact connected to the other 24 million businesses in the United States in just three to four hops. " Plonked therefore wants to give searchers whose interest might be mergers and acquisitions, employment, or lead generation a much fuller picture of the interconnections between entities. It's like your average Polish wedding -- disclosure: I'm Polish -- when you look around and realize you have 143 cousins. (By the end of the evening, a couple are often removed.) How is it different from simple Googling? Varma says that you can conduct a generic search on Google. But Plonked is more like an extra tab that would sit next to the ones that say "YouTube" and "Images. " This one is marked "business. " "We believe that just searching for companies often isn't sufficient," Varma told me. "Users want to see more color behind the search. Is a company growing? How is its brand perceived? Are they hiring? How large is their ecosystem of partners and customers? " He said that Plonked -- which is currently a free service -- has created a metric that shows how much buzz one company is getting when compared with another. The founders are, naturally, big data types whose experience encompasses Prism Skylabs, Concurrent, Topsy Labs, Twitter and Silver Spring Networks. I can't delay this any longer. The name Plonked. It doesn't feel entirely businesslike, somehow. There's almost a childishness about it. Yes, I know you'll tell me that Yahoo, Google and the rest were also straight out of kindergarten. But Plonked has a certain onomatopoeia that suggests the noise of a cell phone disappearing into a toilet bowl. The Plonkeders were, understandably perhaps, unaware of this. They told me the name "Plonked" comes from a story the founders were told by a salesman who was tired of having to "plonk" down substantial sums of money for lead generation that led nowhere. But if people who work at Google are called Googlers, what are people at Plonked called? Varma told me he'd prefer it if they were called "Plonks. " Sadly, there's another British phrase. It means dope, idiot, moron, etc.
2016-03-03 16:58 Chris Matyszczyk www.cnet.com
53 Defining the Security Operations Center of 2020 VIDEO: Samir Kapuria, senior vice president and GM, Symantec Cyber Security Services, gives a preview of his RSA keynote on how security will evolve. SAN FRANCISCO—Among the many topics of discussion at this year's RSA Conference here is how the security business is changing in the face of evolving threats. In a keynote presentation set for 2:30 p.m. PT today, Mike Brown, president and CEO of Symantec, is delivering a keynote address on the security operations center (SOC) of 2020, along with Samir Kapuria, senior vice president and general manager, Symantec Cyber Security Services. In a sneak peek preview with eWEEK , Kapuria sat down for a video interview to discuss where his company sees security operations headed in the next four years and how Symantec is positioning itself for the shift. "The key for the SOC of 2020 is knowing how to maximize the output from a dearth of talent out there," Kapuria said. "Our priority focus is looking at what can be automated, what can be put into big data analytics and what can be predicted so our people resources will be focused on interpreting, rather than collecting. " Watch the full video with Samir Kapuria below: Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eWEEK and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.
2016-03-03 18:35 Sean Michael www.eweek.com
54 Intel Reportedly Developing AR Headset Prototype The chip maker is extending its reach by producing an augmented-reality headset based on its RealSense technology, The Wall Street Journal reports. Intel reportedly is developing a headset similar to Microsoft's HoloLens that would leverage the chip maker's RealSense 3D camera technology to offer augmented reality capabilities. The Wall Street Journal , citing unnamed people briefed on the company's plans, reported that Intel's AR headset would rival those being developed not only by Microsoft but also by such companies as Apple, Google and IBM, as well as smaller startups. Whether the AR headset is something Intel would try to bring to market or to use it as a sort of reference design that other companies could use as a foundation for building their own products is unclear. The anonymous sources told the Wall Street Journal that Intel most likely will provide the headset design to other companies to use. Achin Bhowmik, vice president and general manager of Intel's Perceptual Computing Group, seemed to back that up. Bhowmik told the newspaper that he wouldn't discuss any unannounced development projects. However, he did note that Intel's past efforts in creating prototypes of products—such as PCs and mobile devices—with the aim of convincing other system makers to use the prototypes (and thus Intel technologies) in building their own products. Since taking over as CEO in 2013, Brian Krzanich has pushed to expand Intel's reach in a broad range of growth markets, from the Internet of things (IoT) and wearables to drones, virtual reality (VR) and AR. Intel is still heavily dependent on the struggling PC market, and Krzanich is trying to diversify its product portfolio. At the same time, the chip maker was stung by being late to the mobile market as smartphones and tablets took off, and the CEO has wanted to ensure that Intel does not miss out on other fast growing opportunities. In addition, with such trends as the IoT, Intel officials see an opportunity to get the company's products into all parts of the market, from the billions of devices themselves that make up the IoT to foundational technologies and systems in the data center and the cloud that enable the necessary connectivity and collect, process and analyze the massive amounts of data that these devices are generating. AR is another market that holds a lot of promise for Intel. Augmented reality is used to merge the physical and virtual worlds to supplement and improve a person's experience of his or her environment. Computer-generated elements are used to augment what the person sees, displayed on screens through smartphones and tablets or through wearable devices like smart glasses and goggles. By comparison, in a virtual reality world, everything the user sees is computer-generated. The focus of much of the AR world to this point has been on consumer products, from games to devices like Google Glass. However, AR in the enterprise could grow quickly. Analysts with Juniper Research expect that projects that use AR applications in the enterprise will grow from a $247 million in 2014 to $2.4 billion in 2019. Software maker PTC, in an event in Boston in January, demonstrated how AR can be used in business and introduced new technologies to accelerate the adoption. Frank Gillett, vice president and principal analyst for IoT and emerging technology at Forrester Research, told eWEEK at the PTC event that while the market for enterprise AR is still new, the potential is broad. Intel has been developing the RealSense technology for several years and has shown its potential in an array of areas, including its use in drones to help the devices avoid collisions and navigate their environments. Officials in January also said that the company is working with a vendor called IonVR to development an AR headset that uses a RealSense camera. Intel also has bought some companies and invested in others to drive its AR and VR ambitions. The company last year bought Recon Instruments two years after initially investing in the company, which makes smart eyewear, and in November partnered with China's Letv Cloud Computing to develop and commercialize new types of visual technology, such as 360-degree panorama, augmented reality and virtual reality.
2016-03-03 18:31 Jeffrey Burt www.eweek.com
55 Centrify Launches Multi-Factor Authentication Initiative A single turnkey platform provides options for authentication factors, for multi-factor authentication (MFA) across enterprise identities and assets. Security specialist Centrify announced MFA Everywhere, an initiative aimed at securing enterprise identities against one of the most prevalent source of cyber attacks, compromised credentials. A single turnkey platform provides options for authentication factors, for adaptive multi-factor authentication (MFA) across enterprise identities and assets. "Password-based security has failed. In 2014, billions of passwords were compromised. In 2015, millions more were added to that total," Chris Webber, security strategist for Centrify, told eWEEK. "It’s safe to say that the attackers have all of our passwords. We need something more between them and our sensitive data. " Webber explained that by requiring multiple factors for access Centrify makes it much harder for attackers. "Today, attackers have no problem compromising passwords – whether by social engineering tactics that trick folks into giving the password up, or by brute-force password cracking with powerful computers," he said. "With MFA in place, those passwords are no longer enough for attackers to gain access. " The Centrify Identity Platform supports a range of enterprise resources, including thousands of software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications, on-premises applications, server operating systems as well as virtual private networks (VPNs) and network devices. Additionally, it supports MFA for privileged command execution and secure shell (SSH) access to servers deployed both on-premises and in an infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) environment. "MFA is not new, and businesses are well aware of the advantages it can provide for security," Webber said. "But since MFA was typically an all-or-nothing proposition that was cumbersome for end users, businesses have typically only deployed small islands of MFA, for their most secure applications, or the most privileged users. " He explained that with adaptive MFA, and context-based policy – companies can now eliminate the user hassle typically associated with MFA, noting that with a platform that spans cloud, on- premises an mobile, Centrify can finally deploy MFA across their resources, and their users. Centrify can bolster security with additional factors including push notification, voice call, text message, soft token OTP, mobile biometric and OATH-compliant tokens. "As users become ever-more mobile, and applications and infrastructure continue to move to the cloud, traditional perimeter security will become less effective," Webber said. "As we move outside the legacy security perimeter, we need to rely on a new kind of policy – one based on identity – to assure the right folks have the right access. MFA is critical to that new policy, as it makes it much harder for attackers to gain access by posing as legitimate users. "
2016-03-03 18:30 Nathan Eddy www.eweek.com
56 Newegg Daily Deals: Corsair Gaming Strafe Mechanical Keyboard, Dell 27-Inch Monitor, and More! We talk with Jason Rubin of Oculus Studio, and Eric Nofsinger of High Voltage Studios I'm only an amateur photographer (at best), but that doesn't stop me from technolusting after (much!) better gear We test a five-bay NAS from Thecus
2016-03-03 18:27 Maximum PC www.maximumpc.com
57 Why blaming IT can be bad for your business How To Make IT More Agile Business executives are increasingly moving to an IT environment that is no longer focused on big, long projects but shorter, more sustainable efforts to drive change and innovation. Here are the pros and cons, and how to make it happen. The Evolution of Enterprise Storage How to plan, manage, and optimize enterprise storage to keep up with the data deluge. Innovation: How to be a World-Changer The best business leaders use tech as one of their most important levers to drive innovation and change. Here's the wisdom to make it happen. 2016-03-03 18:25 David Gewirtz www.zdnet.com
58 MIPS CPUs and Debian 8 power T-Platforms' Tavolga Terminal 2016 is the year of the Linux
desktop. Well, maybe the year of the Russian- constructed Linux desktop powered by a MIPS processor. T-Platforms , a Russian company specializing in high-performance computing systems, has introduced the Tavolga Terminal TB- T22BT , a desktop or thin-client machine that's intriguing for its choice of processor and operating system. The Tavolga Terminal uses T-Platforms' own Baikal- T1 chip under the hood, a processor that integrates two 1GHz MIPS P5600 CPUs from Imagination Technologies. The MIPS architecture dates back to a research program at Stanford in the 1980s that resulted in one of the first RISC processors. These P5600 cores, which debuted back in 2013, are targeted at mobile and embedded devices. Imagination says this chip offers the highest performance-per-MHz results for 32-bit CPUs in the CoreMark benchmark. T-Platforms envisions the Tavolga Terminal as a thin-client terminal or a workstation. The PC debuting today has a FHD 21.5" IPS display, but the company also plans to release a thin-client version without the display. The system can be had with up to 8GB of RAM and 64GB of flash storage, and it runs Debian 8 out of the box. You may not spot one of these systems at the local Best Buy, but Imagination says the Tavolga Terminal is available for pre-order now. It's expected to ship in the second quarter of 2016.
2016-03-03 19:09 by Eric techreport.com
59 Samsung to roll out Apple-esque upgrade program in Singapore Apple's iPhone upgrade programs appear to have piqued the interest of Samsung, which is now trialing a similar service in Singapore. Concierge was developed "specifically to address the needs of Singapore consumers," said Samsung Electronics Singapore's Vice President of IT and Mobile Eugene Goh. It's possible the plan will make it to other countries though, with a Samsung spokesperson adding that the company is "continually assessing and exploring solutions that offer the best experience for consumers in other markets. " Samsung Concierge is timed to go live in the island nation alongside the release of the newly revealed Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones. As well as free upgrades, if you're enrolled in the program you'll also get a one-time 50 percent discount on out-of-warranty repairs made to the phone in the first 12 months. Compare this to Trade Up With Installments, which is only available in the US, where you pay off a new iPhone in 24 monthly installments and can get a free upgrade to a new model after 12 months. The Cupertino, California-based company also allows customers to trade in older iPhones to get a discounted monthly repayment rate. The plan, in addition to matching Apple, could be a reaction by Samsung to facing increased competition in international markets from Chinese brands. Companies such as Xiaomi and Oppo sell tens of millions of "good enough" smartphones each year at prices well below Samsung's premium-priced Galaxy S range.
2016-03-03 16:58 Rahil Bhagat www.cnet.com
60 I flew a drone that was 1,400 miles away and it didn't go so well Cellular connection or not, I am not a good drone pilot. That's what I learned from my brief time at telecom-gear maker Ericsson's booth at the Mobile World Congress trade show last week in Barcelona. I had a chance to pilot a drone more than 1,400 miles away in Stockholm with the help of an Oculus Rift virtual-reality headset and a 4G cellular network. The uber-long-distance flight was awkward. Small delays between my hands moving the controls and the response of the quadcopter made for a sluggish experience. The video feed was laggy as it streamed footage of the drone into my headset via 4G. Adding cellular connectivity to drones also opens the door to new possibilities. Such a connection lets a drone send and receive data, including the positions of nearby objects, allowing it to fly around buildings, natural obstructions and even other connected drones. Companies are largely interested in the business implications of a connected drone, such as sending one up to repair an out-of-reach cellular tower. The drone demonstration was all about showing off the haptic feedback capabilities of the custom controller, which looked like a miniature, flexible construction crane. You grip one end and manipulate it to steer the quadcopter. The haptic feedback is similar in principle to the vibration you feel when tapping your iPhone's 3D Touch, but far more forceful. If the quadcopter, which is small enough to fit in your hand, flies close to a predetermined virtual border, the controller will actually resist your motion to continue moving in that direction. Technicians with Sweden-based Ericsson had set up a glowing, see-through cube in Stockholm. The point of the demo was to fly the drone above the cube and enter from the top. Flying toward the sides would only trigger the virtual wall, causing the controller to push back. I never actually got the drone into the cube because it was difficult for me to assess the depth of the space. It didn't help that feedback came a little slow. That's a limitation of 4G, which lacks real-time responsiveness. With a next-generation 5G network, the delay between when you send a signal and when you get a response, known as latency, drops significantly. Industry executives often give the example of a surgeon in one city performing an operation with robotic hands in another city, with 5G powering a real-time response. To prove this point, Ericsson had quadcopters connected to a "simulated" 5G network, which is limited and only designed to show off the reduction in latency. The drones, which were inches in front of me, responded perfectly as they flew near a miniature wind turbine. As the drones got closer to the turbine, the haptic feedback kicked in and prevented me from forcing them to go farther. While drones are hot ticket items for consumers, lots of questions remain about where they should be flown and how they should be used. On one hand, extending the range of these aerial vehicles can greatly help businesses with equipment maintenance or security monitoring. On the other hand, camera-equipped drones that can be operated from anywhere open the door for potential abuse and the violation of personal privacy. No one has figured out just the right balance, not even the Federal Aviation Administration, which is still working out the rules for long-distance travel. But the technology is coming. AT&T said it's working with Intel now in the hope that more regulatory direction will be coming down the line. A connected drone could be smart enough to know to avoid certain areas. For example, Penrose said, you could write a program to direct drones away from cellular dead zones. It wouldn't be much of a stretch to include airports or private residences. Add the haptic feedback, and you have one method of preventing nefarious actions. "Flying things over a mobile network allows for several ways to restrict where a quadcopter can fly or what it can film," Norlin said. Here's hoping I get a virtual wall erected around my home before long-distance drones take to the skies.
2016-03-03 16:58 Roger Cheng www.cnet.com
61 This App Wants To Digitize Your Entire Wallet Decades after Seinfeld immortalized the exploding wallet issue faced by people with loads of credit cards and gift cards, one iOS and Android developer has finally created a digitized solution: The Mobile Cards. According to The Mobile Cards, one-third of US consumers now use mobile wallets, like Apple Pay and Android Pay. “But the problem is that they created the ecosystem, they created the platform, but they don’t create actual cards,” said The Mobile Cards’ Andrii Demko. The Philadelphia-based software company links companies’ POS, CRM, and loyalty programs with consumers’ phones. It also works with event tickets, transit tickets, and business and membership cards. Right now, The Mobile Cards offers digitized versions of cards and tickets from various companies, including but not limited to: American Express, Apple, Target, Ticketmaster, W Hotels, and Fandango. The company has built partnerships with several airlines, including American Airlines and AirFrance. 2016-03-03 13:09 Meghan Ottolini www.crn.com
Total 61 articles. Created at 2016-03-04 00:00