Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » décembre 9, 2014

BetaNews.Com (16 non lus)

The Pirate Bay is offline following Swedish police raid

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 10:00pm CET par Mark Wilson

The Pirate Bay has hit turbulent seas once again. Earlier today torrent users noticed that the site appeared to be offline. This in itself was nothing particularly unusual -- all sites have occasional downtime -- but it soon transpired that the site was down around the world. The Pirate Bay has already been blocked by many ISPs around the world, but it was clear that this was something different.

Now it seems that the reason for the disappearance of the Pirate Bay is a raid by Swedish Police. And it is not just the main site that's gone -- the same fate became the site's forum (Suprbay.org) and associated sites Bayimg.com and Pastebay.net.

News of the Pirate Bay's initial problem were reported by TorrentFreak, and the site quickly updated its story to include details of the police raid. The site quotes Paul Pintér, a member of the Swedish police involved in IP enforcement. He said: "There has been a crackdown on a server room in Greater Stockholm. This is in connection with violations of copyright law."

TorrentFreak also reports that other torrent sites including EZTV, Zoink and Torrage are down, as is the Istole tracker. These incidents may not be related, but coming at the same time as a raid on the Pirate Bay would suggest that there is a coordinated effort underway at the moment. There have been a number of arrests over a period of months as authorities attempt to clamp down on piracy, including the November arrest of one of the site's founders.

This is far from being the first time the Pirate Bay has attracted the interest of police, and it is not the first time a raid has been carried out. The site has played a long and drawn out game of cat and mouse with authorities around the world, with mirrors and new domains popping up as one is closed down -- there are already mirrors springing up this time around, but it's not clear how long they will last.

Photo credit: Gil C / Shutterstock
Amazon Instant Video goes 4K Ultra HD for Prime members but there is a catch

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 7:08pm CET par Brian Fagioli

4K video is a runaway train at this point -- it is no longer a fad. It is looking like it will definitely become the next widely-adopted standard. While many people say 1080p is "good enough", that type of mindset stops progress. In the technology world, nothing is ever good enough; we must always push for more.

Unfortunately, 4K content is a bit rare at the moment, but growing every day. Today, Amazon announces that Prime members can watch 4K content for free. While this is very exciting news, there is a catch.

"Available at no additional cost to their membership, Amazon Prime members can now binge watch Amazon Original Series including the sophomore season of fan-favorite Alpha House, the critically-acclaimed Writers Guild of America nominated series Transparent, and children’s series Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street in high-quality 4K picture resolution exclusively on Amazon Prime Instant Video. In addition, Prime Instant Video is the exclusive online-only subscription home for streaming the hit BBC AMERICA conspiracy thriller Orphan Black, which is now available in Ultra HD", says Amazon.

The online retailer further explains, "all Amazon customers will also have access to purchase a selection of movies, with some starting at $19.99 , in the high-quality 4K picture resolution of Ultra HD from Sony Pictures Entertainment on Amazon Instant Video including After Earth, American Hustle, Captain Phillips , Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Elysium, Godzilla, Hancock, Moneyball, The Mask of Zorro, The Monuments Men, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, The Da Vinci Code, The Patriot, Think Like a Man Too, This Is the End, and many more".

Sadly, there is a big catch here; 4K Amazon Instant Video content is only available on compatible 4K televisions from Sony, LG and Samsung with the embedded app. In other words, you cannot watch 4K on your PC or using a streaming dongle.

This is likely by design, as an attempt to thwart the copying of 4K streams. While that is arguably understandable, it alienates many consumers -- especially the ones that bought no-name "dumb" 4K TVs on Black Friday.

If you have a compatible TV, please give the app a go, and tell me how well it works in the comments.

Photo Credit: Thomas Pajot / Shutterstock
Secunia reveals some of 2014's top software vulnerabilities

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 5:13pm CET par Ian Barker

Whilst high profile vulnerabilities in popular products tend to make the headlines, they’re often not the ones that most of us face on a regular basis.

IT security specialist Secunia has released a new quarterly Vulnerability Update revealing the day-to-day threat landscape. It lists the number of vulnerabilities disclosed for software products over a three month period.

Secunia looked at 50,000 products and ranked the top 20 with the most disclosed vulnerabilities for each month. Google Chrome topped the tree in August with 64 vulnerabilities and in October with 162, however, Apple OS X took over the top slot in September with 59.

Other interesting entries include Oracle Solaris, taking the number two slot in August with 58 vulnerabilities, and Apple iOS which took the eighth slot in September with 20. Several IBM products make the top 20 list for each month, this is largely due to the fact that IBM likes to bundle products with third-party software, often things like Java and OpenSSL.

That these programs are bundled within the individual IBM product means that every time a vulnerability is discovered and a patch released the corresponding IBM products need patching too.

Also interesting is that August saw nine OpenSSL vulnerabilities. Not terribly exciting you might think, but what Secunia calls 'OpenSSL Take 3' shows that in the wake of earlier OpenSSL vulnerabilities like Heartbleed and Shellshock if a problem doesn't have a catchy name and a dose of publicity it’s less likely to be disclosed and patched.

More information on Secunia's vulnerability reviews is available on the company's website.

Photo Credit: Sergey Nivens/Shutterstock
HERE online gets new features, Windows Phone apps receive update

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 4:53pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

What is Nokia doing after ditching phone-making? The Finnish company is focusing its efforts on more lucrative endeavors, like HERE. Even though nowadays the brand is mostly associated with Windows Phone, Nokia also brought its well-known mapping software to Android and ramped up its efforts to make the web version more attractive as well.

The result of the company's work to improve the online version of HERE is said to be "a better, faster and stronger here.com", which packs some interesting, value-adding new features. However, there is also something in store (no pun intended) for Windows Phone users, in the form of an update which is available for HERE apps on the platform.

Here.com can now give you traffic information for you regular route, so you are better informed of traffic conditions in your area before you, for instance, leave work to get back home. Traffic is rated between free flowing and stopped (blue and red on the map); this feature is called Jam Factor. You have to create said route, and there has to be traffic information in your area for this feature to work. In my neck of the woods, the latter is, sadly, not yet offered.

The site now also allows you to easily "explore" nearby points of interest, which are shown in a Places tab on the site. You can also search for places which interest you, from the same tab. Every POI is displayed as a card, with a photo for those that have one.

The third big change that Nokia announced today is enhanced imagery for more locations across the globe, leveraging data from new services like Expedia and Foursquare. The company adds that the street-level coverage of HERE should improve as it adds more and more high-resolution images. The last bit is a weak point of HERE, at least in comparison to Google; the search giant has this bit nailed.

In contrast, the update for the HERE apps on Windows Phone is rather minor for most users, with the most easily-noticeable change being the transition from Nokia to HERE accounts in the app. If you already have a Nokia or HERE account, you are good to go (those with Nokia accounts can migrate their data). If not, you can create an account to save personal information, like favorite places and so on. The other general changes are performance and stability tweaks.

For some users, however, the update unlocks an important feature -- voice-guided navigation -- which is now also available in Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Iraq, Libya, Mauritania, Mauritius, Nepal, Paraguay, Saint Helena, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

This raises the tally of countries in which HERE voice-guided navigation is offered to 118. However -- and this is the only caveat to report -- Nokia says that not all roads in Angola, Bangladesh, Nepal, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Zambia and Zimbabwe are fully mapped at this point.
Don't want to pay too much? Amazon now lets you haggle over some prices

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 4:38pm CET par Alan Buckingham

If you've traveled to certain locations then you likely know that bargaining over a price is an acceptable practice. It is, however, something that went out of style long ago in the US, save for car dealers. Now Amazon aims to bring it back into fashion.

The new system is called, quite simply, 'Make an offer'. It enables customers to haggle a price with third party sellers who operate on the retailer's platform.

"If agreed upon, customers can then purchase the items at a savings from the listed price. To start, more than 150,000 items from sellers on Amazon are enabled with the ‘Make an Offer’ experience across Sports and Entertainment Collectibles, Collectible Coins and Fine Art", the company announces.

That sounds like a lot, but expansion is planned in 2015, with a promise of hundreds of thousands more items added to this list.

In order to use the feature, customers will need to locate an item that features the 'Make an offer' button. They can then enter any price they choose.

Amazon considers this a big deal, and it arrives in time for the holidays. "The new 'Make an Offer' experience is a game-changer for Amazon customers looking for great prices on one-of-a-kind items, and for sellers looking to communicate and negotiate directly with customers in an online marketplace environment just like they do normally in their own physical store or gallery", says Peter Faricy, VP of Amazon Marketplace.

This isn't an auction, so don't expect an eBay experience. This is simply a one-on-one negotiation, much like you find on the streets of someplace like Mexico. The new system is available now.

Image Credit: Andy Dean Photography / Shutterstock
Tamper resistant licensing protects applications from theft

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 4:17pm CET par Ian Barker

Theft by hackers is a constant problem for software companies, so solutions that can prevent license abuse can help protect revenue.

In the past these have often been quite clunky, involving hardware dongles and such. The cloud era means that more sophistication is needed and Flexera Software has created a secure licensing technology with leading tamper resistance and detection.

"The amount of revenue illegally being siphoned away from producers due to unauthorized software use is staggering," says Mathieu Baissac, Vice President of Product Management at Flexera Software. "Today's hackers are extremely sophisticated and relentless, leaving vulnerable the application producers that fail to implement the latest security measures. FlexNet Licensing offers best-in-class, multifaceted, patent-pending tamper resistance to ward off hackers, allowing producers to better guard their intellectual property, protect revenues, and focus on their core competencies".

FlexNet establishes a virtual 'moat' around software making illegal access by hackers significantly more difficult. It prevents the debugging and application signature spoofing techniques hackers use to reverse engineer applications and gain illegal entry.

Code obfuscation makes it harder to find an entry point, FlexNet Licensing hides strings, variables and functions that control the flow of software and application data which may contain sensitive information. Built-in alarms can also alert the developer to tampering attempts.

There's better support for the cloud too, a new Microsoft Virtual Machine Generation ID helps producers detect cloning and ensure that their customers stay compliant in virtual environments. Developers can choose to prevent cloning or to monetize it should it occur.

FlexNet Licensing works in Microsoft Azure too, so developers can keep track of customers shifting their priorities to cloud-based solutions. It also gives them the ability to adjust their revenue model based on usage.

More information on FlexNet Licensing is available on the Flexera website.

Photo Credit: mkabakov/Shutterstock
Fedora 21 is here -- Linux fans get an early Christmas gift

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 3:59pm CET par Brian Fagioli
There are so many Linux distributions nowadays -- arguably too many -- that it often feels like resources are being spread thin. After all, many Linux contributors don't get paid for their work -- they do it for love. With that said, it is a bit silly that this free labor is not being maximized to its potential. It is reminiscent of Android ROMs, where much of the work is duplicated, and everyone wants to offer their own for Internet fame. The Linux community has become like a vomit-bucket, where developers puke up distros that come and go; a trip to Distrowatch can make you dizzy.

Luckily, not all Linux distributions are fly-by-night operating systems; quite the contrary actually. There are still dependable distros like Ubuntu and Fedora, with the latter being my personal favorite (Linus Torvalds' favorite too). Today, Fedora 21 reaches final release. Yes, the wait has been long, but good things come to those that do so.

"The Fedora Project, a Red Hat, Inc., sponsored and community-driven open source collaboration, today announced the general availability of Fedora 21. This is the first Fedora release influenced by the Fedora.next initiative, which emphasizes increased modularity and flexibility from the Fedora operating system. As part of this effort, Fedora 21 offers three variants: Fedora 21 Cloud, Fedora 21 Server, and Fedora 21 Workstation", says the Fedora Project Team.

Of course, some users will be upset that three variants are being offered. With that said, it is not a secret; the Fedora Project has been transparent about this strategy. If you are panicked, don't be; the team explains, "all are built from a common base set of packages that includes the same Linux kernel, RPM, yum, systemd, and Anaconda. This small, stable set of components allows for a solid foundation upon which to base the Fedora 21 variants".

Matthew Miller, Fedora Project Leader shares, "there is no place for monolithic technology in today's computing world -- end users are seeking tailored yet flexible platforms to build their own custom solutions, be it a network server environment, a scale-out application, or a comfortable desktop environment serving as an interface to more complex systems. The Fedora community needed to keep pace with these demands while still delivering the cutting-edge Linux innovation for which we are known. With Fedora 21, we are able to address specific use cases across the desktop, the server room and the cloud, bringing to light new developer tools, enabling specific server roles, and providing a powerful, lightweight host for containerized applications".

Most home users will only care about the workstation variant. While it has many new features, the Fedora Project highlights three major ones:
- Streamlined Software Installation -- The Software installer, a cornerstone component to Fedora 21 Workstation, allows users to quickly and easily locate their applications. It provides a responsive and fast user experience, going hand-in-hand with a greatly improved number of featured Fedora applications included with Fedora 21 Workstation.
- Wayland Support (Experimental) -- Wayland, a powerful next-generation display server technology, is included in Fedora 21 Workstation as an experimental build, allowing developers to test and integrate their applications with Wayland’s new capabilities.
- DevAssistant -- A developer "helper", DevAssistant automates the setup process for a large number of language runtimes and integrated development environments (IDEs); DevAssistant also integrates with Fedora Software Collections, offering access to multiple versions of different languages without worrying about system software conflicts.
As crazy as it sounds, Fedora 20, the previous version, was released on December 17, 2013. For all intents and purposes, fans of the operating system have waited a year between releases. While users of Windows won't think a year is long, it is an eternity for the Linux community.

It is particularly frustrating, as desktop environments are only officially updated with each release of the distro. What does this mean? Fedora users are often on "outdated" versions of GNOME and KDE, while Ubuntu users easily update to the latest and greatest.

Personally, I have a desktop earmarked for the operating system and I cannot wait to download and test it. While some people will ask Santa for Xbox One, a bicycle or a Kuerig 2.0, I am happy with the totally free Fedora 21. The jolly fat man can skip my house this year. This is truly, an open source Christmas miracle!

You can download Fedora 21 here.

Are you excited for the newest version of Fedora? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: Armin Rose / Shutterstock
Jitterbit updates its cloud platform for greater integration

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 3:22pm CET par Ian Barker

One of the problems that larger businesses face is pulling together information from different sources in order to get an overview of the whole.

Integration specialist Jitterbit has upgraded its Harmony cloud platform to allow it to bring together digital processes spanning multiple applications, departments and partners in real time.

The new release includes Salesforce connectors that allow any application or endpoint system to connect to Salesforece in a matter of minutes. To design the new integration solutions Jitterbit partnered with Salesforce to get direct access to the platform and engineering teams behind the latest products. The resulting connectors deliver fast, reliable integration capabilities that business users can quickly and easily configure to meet their needs.

Jitterbit Analytics Connect can unlock the power of the new Salesforce Analytics Cloud and external data, helping business users to instantly analyze on-premise, cloud, internet of things, mobile and social enterprise data from any device. Salesforce1 Lightning Connect integrates the CRM system's data with back office applications including SAP.

"We're excited to offer true real-time cloud integration with our Winter release to give businesses connectivity between their enterprise applications at the speed of the cloud," says Jitterbit's Vice President of Alliances and Marketing Andrew Leigh. "With the addition of our real-time and analytics connectors, companies can not only amplify the value of their on-premise, cloud, and mobile solutions but also harness this explosion of data for better intelligence within their analytics tools".

The new release also includes an updated messaging system that delivers improved performance and increased throughput whilst using fewer resources. The new messaging bus provides guaranteed delivery, ensuring that companies never miss a transaction even if an outage occurs during the integration process.

Current Jitterbit Harmony users will receive a seamless upgrade to the latest release. For new customers prices start at $1,000 a month and there's a free trial available via the company's website.

Photo Credit: EDHAR/Shutterstock
2015 to be the year of biometrics, wearables, cryptocurrency and streaming

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 3:13pm CET par Mark Wilson

Coming to the end of 2014, it's time to start looking to what the year ahead may have to offer. After gazing into its crystal ball, Juniper Research has compiled a list of what it expects to be the biggest technology trends of 2015. Topping the list is a focus on security. Juniper Research predicts that there will be greater interest in encryption and tokenization, as cloud storage providers battle to regain customer trust.

The launch of Apple Pay will help to drive an increased interest in biometrics to help with security, but 2015 is also predicted to be the year that wearables really take off. Now that Apple has entered the arena, there should be a greater focus on aesthetics and smaller players will increase in popularity. Tied in with both security and wearables is a predicted jump in the use of NFC -- for payments, authentication, health and more.

Juniper Research's white paper suggests that 2015 will see a marked shift to the consumption of media through streaming services. This is thanks in part to mobile data bundles, and it is predicted that the digital download market "will begin its collapse". There has already been something of a movement towards streaming rather than downloading, so this prediction is not entirely surprising. The same is true of the suggestion that cryptocurrency payments -- such as Bitcoin -- will increase in popularity, again tied to wearables, security and NFC. Perhaps what 2015 is really going to be about is the interoperability of devices and services.

The much-talked about drone is likely to continue to hit the headlines. More than just a system of surveillance, these devices are likely to be widely adopted as delivery systems and used more in filming thanks to a huge drop in prices.

A prediction that will please many is one that suggests that budget smartphones, tablets and phablets will really take off in 2015. We've seen the battle at the top end of the market, and now attention turns to the other end of the scale. This is going to develop into a buyers' market, so we should see some great development in the realm of the budget device. Rounding off Juniper Research's visions for next year are predictions that indoor location awareness will increase in importance, as will web integration and deep-linking of apps.

Photo credit: Vjom / Shutterstock
Predictive intelligence boosts social and mobile marketing campaigns

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 3:03pm CET par Ian Barker

Bombarding customers with irrelevant communications is not an effective way of getting across a marketing message and generating new sales.

The key is to understand the consumer and deliver the right message at the right time. Cloud marketing specialist AgilOne is making this easier for retailers with a new 'predictive intelligence' product.

It can be used to personalize Facebook advertising campaigns and understand user behavior on Apple iOS-native apps. This allows marketers to create personalized, relevant campaigns. The AgilOne cloud integrates easily with Facebook to create custom audiences. AgilOne's Facebook API integration allows marketers to translate their insights to Facebook advertising campaigns almost effortlessly. Retailers can use AgilOne to find specific segments or "clusters" in their existing customer base, such as those who tend to favor specific types of products or brands, or those who have unsubscribed from their mailing list, they can then use Facebook custom audiences advertising to reach those customers.

AgilOne has also released new capabilities for native Apple iOS ecommerce apps. This feature allows marketers to integrate user behavior data from Apple iOS apps with customer data, which includes days since the first and last visit to the app and visit frequency. This makes it possible to identify mobile users as a specific audience and contact them directly. It can also spot things like when items have been placed in a cart but not purchased, allowing the seller to send reminders about those products later.

"Consumers are inundated constantly with less-than-relevant communications from brands, and Facebook has become a new, very busy and cluttered touch-point," says AgilOne CEO Omer Artun. "People react to content that is relevant and courteous. With our predictive marketing cloud, marketers can create relevant conversations with their consumers".

More information on AgilOne's predictive marketing is available on the company's website.

Image Credit: Sarawut Aiemsinsuk / Shutterstock
Xbox Video for Windows 8.1 can now play MKV files

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 12:53pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

If you are running Windows 8.1 and have a collection of videos in the MKV format, then you are most likely using desktop software like VLC, or a third-party Store app to watch them. You are forced to, because Xbox Video, the Modern UI video player that Microsoft bundles with the operating system, doesn't support MKVs. Well, that just changed.

Microsoft has updated Xbox Video for Windows 8.1 to introduce support for MKV video playback. The latest version of the app -- 2.6.0432.0 -- also packs a couple of fixes that improve the functionality of certain features.

The MKV format support is still, however, the biggest change added by the latest update. That said, Microsoft suggests that some MKVs may still not play, after applying the update. "The update supports playback of most MKV files as long as they contain streams that use codecs supported by the app", says the software giant.

MKV support on Windows 8.1 is implemented like on Xbox One, with one exception -- only the latter supports V_MPEG2. The list of codecs supported by Xbox One can be seen on this site.

So what else is new? Well, Microsoft says that it has also fixed four bugs in the latest Xbox Video update. The first bug fix tackles the Spotlight section (it should now be "more robust"), the second resolves a problem with the Rent button (it should no longer appear when viewing TV shows and series), the third corrects an issue with file metadata appearing in the collection video title, and the fourth squashes some problems with deep linking to content within the app from other apps.

Xbox Video is available to download from Windows Store.
Iran planning to end Internet anonymity

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 12:41pm CET par Barclay Ballard

The Iranian government is reportedly working on a new system to block Internet anonymity.

The Middle Eastern nation, which has a long history with online censorship, will be able to identify any individual who goes online in the country according to the AFP.

The country’s minister of telecommunications Mahmoud Vaezi confirmed the development in an interview with the Iranian Students’ News Agency.

"Because of our efforts, in future when people want to use the Internet they will be identified, and there will be no web surfer whose identity we do not know", he said.

Iran already blocks a number of websites on political or religious grounds including Google, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, alongside communication apps such as WhatsApp, Viber and Tango. It is believed that by preventing anonymous browsing, it hopes to deter individuals from posting contentious content.

There are also plans to implement a smart filtering system over the next 10 months that will identify and block parts of websites that the Iranian government deems to be criminal.

The Iranian authorities have also been suspected of Internet censorship attempts in previous years.

In 2012, the government had to deny reports that it was about to implement a service that would require user identification to gain online access in public areas, such as Internet cafes, a method used by nearly half of the Iranian population to get online.

In the past, Iran has also had to refute allegations that it hosts and aids hackers attacking infrastructure and services believed to be supporting the US and Israel.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Google Cloud Platform updated to run Windows applications in the cloud

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 11:05am CET par Mark Wilson

Google has opened up its arms to Microsoft License Mobility for Google Cloud Platform. Product manager Martin Buhr said that customers had been asking for improved support for Windows-based workloads, and now these wishes are being met. There are several key improvements to Google Compute Engine that help to make Windows on Google a reality.

Microsoft License Mobility is the big news, meaning that Google now supports SQL Server, SharePoint and Exchange Server without the need for extra licenses. The second announcement is the availability of a beta version of Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter Edition on Google Compute Engine which opens up the opportunity to run Windows applications in the cloud.

The third and final announcement is that a Google Cloud Platform-optimized version of Fusion Labs Chrome RDP has been released. What this means is that it is now possible to create remote desktop sessions from Chrome to allow for use of Windows in Google Compute Engine. In a blog post, Buhr said:

Because Google Developers Console stores and passes the login for the Windows credentials to the RDP app, customers are able to leave the complexity of managing unique user IDs and passwords for each Windows instance to Google.

This is not the end of the story. Google is also working on adding support for Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2, but why should you pick Google Cloud Platform over Azure? Bhur says:

With awesome features like Local SSD (which also supports live migration), and multiple ways to connect your datacenter to the cloud, Google Cloud Platform is the best place to run your Windows workloads.
5 essential wearable tech security tips

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 9:36am CET par David Upton

A report recently issued by PWC suggested that wearables adoption will mirror the phenomenal rise of tablets in the enterprise. Apparently a fifth of adults in the US already own a wearable tech device and additional sales could top 130 million units in 2018. Enterprise vendors are watching these predictions carefully and starting to anticipate their arrival into the workplace with dedicated platforms, such as Salesforce1.

Although many applications being developed are for medical workers and white-collar users, it is not difficult to see why wearables also offer great potential for the same-day delivery industries. They provide a significant opportunity for achieving service improvements through more seamless interaction with customers. Added to this, proof of delivery is more secure and evidence to refute claims of lost or damaged consignments can be captured automatically, potentially without the customer even realizing it. Customer service benefits aside, wearables also support hands-free working, which means productivity and efficiency levels can be further improved on existing rates achieved from using 'traditional' mobile devices.

But while the benefits of enterprise wearables are well documented, privacy and security remain the chief apprehensions among consumers. In PWC’s survey, 82 percent of respondents said they feared "wearable technology would invade their privacy" and 86 percent said they thought wearables would make them more vulnerable to security breaches. Privacy and security are serious threats that IT departments need to control carefully if wearables are to make the impact analysts are predicting in the enterprise space.

Below are five key threats to be aware of when considering how wearables might impact a sameday delivery business:

Security

Top of the list of risks is security, which is as much an issue for the service provider as it is for the end customer. This is because devices like Google Glass are able to record and transmit images of anything in the wearer’s field of vision. Implementing and enforcing a robust security and privacy policy will be essential for an organization to protect itself adequately from threats and avoid the prospect of litigation. This should be relatively straightforward to implement for most forward thinking organizations and an extension of their existing social media and BYOD policies.

Data theft

A big part of the attractiveness of wearable devices comes from the ability to process and exchange data in real-time. Herein lies the security risk, because if they are stolen or intercepted, personal data could be compromised. The US National Security Agency highlighted this potential problem at a recent conference. Using enterprise-grade encryption to both protect data from eavesdropping and verify the identity of any connected device would be good first steps to prevent wireless attacks. Features like an automatic wipe will also help and reduce the attractiveness of stolen devices.

One of the other issues with wearables is that it is relatively straightforward for someone to 'password surf', seeing a PIN or password on screen and then use the information to hack into the device once it is stolen. It’s not a new problem but one that needs to be overcome if companies want to protect their workers’ digital identities and not risk security breaches due to stolen customer information. Biometric passwords could provide the answer to protecting a user’s identity, by ensuring a device is rendered useless if stolen.

Wearable device management

Mobile device management is already an essential part of managing the technology used by a mobile workforce and the same will be true of wearables. These will add an additional layer of complexity to what is already a very complicated aspect of IT security management. Already many MDM software vendors are re-naming their applications "Enterprise Mobility Management" to signify their ability to cope with the greater complexity. Clear policies need to be established and enforced to define expectations around what employees can and can’t do using wearable devices, balancing the need for flexibility with confidentiality and privacy requirements.

The viability of BYOD

Linked to the previous point, organizations introducing wearables need to consider very carefully whether extending a BYOD policy to include these devices is actually commercially viable. From experience, managing the complexity created by having a multitude of different devices in use within an organization will be a serious future challenge and one the IT department needs to prepare for to manage the potential resourcing implications and inevitable disruption created. Including wearables into a BYOD policy adds a whole new dimension to the level of device management required and presents a huge step change away from having a standard, company issue wearable in circulation and involves developing an understanding of, for example, support requirements for each device, plus an awareness of the individual operating platforms.

Employee privacy

Since wearables are able to continuously monitor employee behaviors and track their activity levels and whereabouts at all times, this creates an obvious employee privacy issue. Clearly, there are pros and cons to this issue. On the one hand, being able to monitor productivity levels is useful for KPI management and not too far removed from what companies are already using -- for example; tracking on mobiles to monitor delivery drop speeds of individual drivers. Employees are accustomed to this practice and the data is only ever used internally.

More contentious is the ability to collect data, which other organizations can use. For instance, health insurance providers trying to understand how healthy an employee’s behavior is when setting the cost of monthly premiums. In the case of the sameday delivery market, monitoring at this level could be regarded as an invasion of privacy as it’s not relevant in the context of the industry.

The best way forward

Given current adoption rates, wearables will inevitably make a big impact on the way delivery companies work. Experts are already giving their arrival a new moniker and coining the issue "BYOD 2.0". Even more so than with the original BYOD, it will be essential to have clear usage policies in place and an excellent understanding of responsibilities and expectations at both the employee and customer level. Provided this is in place and appropriate restrictions relating to security, privacy and the types of devices that can be supported are implemented, there is no reason why delivery service providers cannot benefit from the improved productivity and efficiency that wearables can bring into a business. The advice is to proceed with caution.

By David Upton, Managing Director at DA Systems

Image Credit: JMicic/Shutterstock

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Ashampoo Burning Studio 15 debuts M-DISC support

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 8:48am CET par Mike Williams

German multimedia developer Ashampoo has unveiled the latest edition of its flagship disc mastering suite, Ashampoo Burning Studio 15.

The headline addition is new support for M-DISC, an optical media type which, in theory, can remain readable for 1,000 years.

Audio improvements start with support for recording from Windows audio devices, for example to add a narration to a slideshow.

The suite can now work with OPUS audio files, and perhaps less usefully, there are optional sound effects for videos and slideshows.

An Autosave option automatically saves your projects at regular intervals, protecting you from disaster. Not by default, unfortunately, as it’s disabled, but clicking Settings > General Options > Enable Autosave will turn the feature on.

The major practical improvement is 10-15 percent faster video encoding, but the suite does also offer some extra content with new skins, styles and templates.

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Dubai is the first city in an Arab country to get Google Maps Street View

Publié: décembre 9, 2014, 4:36am CET par Brian Fagioli

I consider myself to be a bit of a world traveler, having been to Canada, Europe, Mexico and more. Sadly, I have not yet visited the Middle East. While I can't currently afford a trip there, I also don't go due to my own trepidation. Whether misguided or not, the US Government does issue travel warnings, so it is understandable to be hesitant to travel there.

With that said, some of the area has a good reputation; Dubai for example, besides being beautiful, is supposedly safer than other cities. Still, the US Government does warn about travelling there too. Luckily, if you are fearful of going there, or just can't afford it, Google is bringing the city to you. Yes, Dubai is the first city in an Arab country to get Google Maps Street View.

"Dubai is home to the world’s tallest tower, largest mall and the planet's only seven-star hotel. With all these modern wonders, it's no surprise that Dubai hosted 10 million global visitors last year -- and aims to hit a record-breaking 20 million visitors in 2020. Starting today, it can add virtual visitors to that list, as Dubai becomes the first city in an Arab country to be added to Street View in Google Maps", says Mohamad Mourad, Regional Director for Google, Middle East and North Africa.

Mourad further explains, "it's hard to believe that a city not much larger than 4,000 square kilometers has become such a hub of modern culture with more than 200 nationalities mingling daily, as well as a center for trade and tourism in just four short decades. We hope that you’ll be inspired to explore its wonders in person, but until then, they're just a click away".

It is quite surprising that Google has taken so long to represent an Arab country's city. Hopefully the United Arab Emirates is only the first stop on Google's Arab travels, as I would love to see more.

While the virtual tours are great, hopefully I get to see it in person one day too. Of course, given the below language from the US Government, I am not yet comfortable to do so:

"U.S. citizens in the United Arab Emirates should exercise a high level of security awareness, even though law enforcement units have effectively demonstrated the capacity to detect, deter, and prevent acts of terrorism in the UAE. The Department of State remains concerned about the global threat of terrorism, including the possibility of terrorist attacks against U.S. citizens and interests in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Peninsula".

Have you ever traveled to the Middle East? Tell me about it in the comments.

Photo Credit: Laborant / Shutterstock