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WhatsApp Call rolling out to all Android users -- here's how you can get it

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 11:08pm CET par Manish Singh

A year after announcing its plan to add a voice calling feature to its instant messaging client, WhatsApp began to test the feature in late January. The feature -- as we noted last week -- was rolling out to users on an invite basis. But the company is finally easing up on that as now it is allowing anyone to get the call feature provided they have an Android phone with the v2.11.561 installed on it, and a friend with the feature willing for you to call them. BetaNews is able to report and confirm that the aforementioned trick is working worldwide.

WhatsApp isn’t the first messaging client to get the internet voice calling feature. Rival apps such as Viber, Hangouts (it charges for international calls), Skype, and even Facebook’s Messenger offer a similar feature. But what makes WhatsApp triumph over competing apps is the voluminous amount of users it has attracted since its launch in 2009. WhatsApp -- which Facebook acquired last year for a whopping sum of $19 billion -- has more than 700 million users as of earlier this year, and just this week, the messaging app become the second non-Google app (after Facebook) to be downloaded 1 billion times on the Google Play Store.

While the internet voice calling feature doesn't appear as enticing -- or at least new -- in developed nations, it is evidently a major hit in the developing world such as India, where it has entrenched itself as a front runner in the competition. Furthermore, internet voice calling also allows people in the emerging market to significantly reduce their mobile tariff. For an example, “Skype uses 6 to 20 kbps or around 150KB per minute for a voice call. The amount a user would have to pay for this much data is a lot less than a voice call tariff. In India, for instance, that much data usage with standard internet data plans of say $2-4 per GB will provide users with over 6,820 minutes, something which would otherwise cost a user Rs 6,820 (more than $100) over a typical voice call.”, I had inferred last month.

To summarize it again, users are required to download the v2.11.561 app on their Android smartphone or tablet (users can install it on a tablet by sideloading the installation file), and ask their friends -- who already have the feature -- to call them up. As soon as the call is over, users will observe visual changes in the user interface of the app as well as an improved call button. At the time of writing, the feature wasn't active on WhatsApp’s Windows Phone and iPhone apps.

Anonymous sets the record straight regarding its battle with ISIS

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 9:07pm CET par Wayne Williams

Anonymous declares war on Lizard Squad after DDoS attacks on game networks

Hacktivist network Anonymous has been taking down ISIS related sites and Twitter accounts in a bid to prevent the terrorist organization from spreading its message online. Anonymous has declared ISIS a virus, and itself the cure.

However, cyber blog Krypt31a has described Anonymous's recent actions as Whack-a-mole without a plan, spurring a representative of the hacktivist group to issue a video reply setting the record straight.

Anonymous states that #OpISIS isn’t in fact a continuation of the earlier #OpCharlieHebdo, as some have said, but has its roots in something entirely different and with a different motivation.

Although partway through the video things go off on a tangent and there’s rambling talk of Chinese proverbs and traditions, eventually the purpose of #OpISIS is revealed:

It is perhaps for this reason, and this reason alone, that it is important to set the record straight as to what exactly it was that sparked off #OpISIS, so that those who think, or claim that they are in the know -- when in fact they know nothing -- can perhaps be enlightened with regard to what makes Anonymous -- and certain moral factions in particular -- think.

As an Anonymous insider and a long-serving member of the small but capable strike team that hit a series of ISIS websites in the immediate aftermath of #OpCharlieHebdo as January 2015 began to draw to a close (an event that was initially reported only by the far from mainstream Counter Current news website), I am in a position to reveal that, like so much that Anonymous is involved with, one of the primary motivations behind the attack was to expose government lies about what the Cyber Caliphate had been getting up to, the fact that the US military in particular had been lying to its own people about what ISIS had been doing, in addition to keeping them misinformed about the extent of the Cyber Caliphate’s online capabilities, was one of many factors that was to determine the first stage initiation of #OpISIS by the Anonymous RedCult strike team.

Of the many other motivations subsequently broadcast across cyberspace through the creation and proliferation of the RedCult’s own unique series of videos, another primary motivation reminiscent of #OpChanology, the now legendary online campaign by Anonymous against the Church of Scientology, was -- and is -- the fact that Anonymous sees the internet as its own principle domain and that anything that infringes on the domain in an oppressive way is a fair and legitimate target for Anonymous.

In other words, Anonymous owns the internet, and if it doesn't agree with your actions, it will come for you.

Photo credit: Vincent Diamante

Windows 10 builds will be released faster to Windows Insiders

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 8:48pm CET par Mark Wilson

Windows 10 builds will be released faster to Windows Insiders

The chances of getting a new Windows 10 build this week are starting to look a little thin, but releases are going to be made available more frequently. Writing on Twitter, Gabe Aul said that "we've decided to try to increase pace of Fast", promising that more details would be forthcoming.

Earlier in the week, Aul responded to complaints that new builds were not appearing fast enough, joking that a new release ring called Ludicrous Speed was being considered. Now we've learned that "a good build candidate with some new features" is very close to release.

In his earlier blog post, Aul spoke about balancing speed of releases with the stability of these builds. He mentioned the possibility that slightly "riskier" builds could start to see the light of day if it was decided to increase the rate of output. Today, this ides seemed to come a step closer as he suggested that the more cautious Windows 10 user might want to switch to the slow release ring:

No new build today, but we will be posting an announcement in Insider Hub. suggesting people who want lower risk to move to Slow.

— Gabriel Aul (@GabeAul) March 12, 2015

He went on to say that Microsoft is "Still considering new rings, but for now we've decided to try to increase pace of Fast, and that means letting people know first". There's still an outside chance that the successor to Build 10031 will receive an official release this week, but this is not guaranteed.

What do we have to look forward to? Aul isn't giving much away, but he knows how to push the right buttons to keep people interested:

@GabeAul We have a good build candidate with some new features I think you'll like. Running through our internal rings now.

— Gabriel Aul (@GabeAul) March 12, 2015

So watch this space... you might be updating Windows 10 sooner than you think.

Apple Pay is the reason Apple Watch won't fail

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 7:57pm CET par Matt Trevathan

Apple Watch launches

If you watched the Apple keynote, then you got a great view of the Apple Watch. While I’m definitely not one of the few who will buy the $10,000 version of the watch, I do believe it will be a success, largely due to one feature: Apple Pay.

Samsung, Motorola, and Pebble already have watches with similar features to the Apple Watch. In fact, I thought it was funny to listen to Apple employees talk about how they can’t live without their Apple watch because of all the notifications the watch sends to their wrist.

Also, the idea of having a heart rate monitor on your wrist is old hat. The Apple Watch has a few innovative features that piqued my interest, such as the use of the crown for zooming and controlling the watch, but it isn’t enough innovation or wow factor to make me want to run out and buy one.

If you’re an Apple zealot, then I am sure you’ll flock to buy your fashion statement with interchangeable wrist bands and multiple entry tiers from the Timex to the Rolex, but fashion will only take you so far.

In the end, it’s all about Apple Pay. The fact that I can use a simple band on my wrist to make a payment without getting out my wallet or my phone sounds trivial, but I am pretty sure it will catch on as retailers adopt Apple Pay in their stores.

Part of the concept of having a smart watch on your wrist in the first place is convenience, and I think that adding payments to a feature-packed wrist device may be what makes it for Apple in the end.

People aren’t going to buy an Apple Watch for its battery life, or its baffling array of unique features. People will buy it because it’s Apple, and Apple knows how to create an experience from marketing to the end product.

It is not a coincidence that Apple rolled out Apple Pay earlier this year. Apple’s marketing minions will drive the Apple Pay hype, which creates a unique play for its watch.

If Apple Pay succeeds, Apple Watch will follow.

Matt Trevathan is Director of Product Management at Kony.

Time to migrate to GitHub as Google Code closes

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 7:26pm CET par Mark Wilson

Time to migrate to GitHub as Google Code closes

After nine years, Google Code is closing down. Starting today, it is no longer possible to create new projects, and over the course of the coming ten months, the service will be mothballed. Google Code was Google's attempt to help the open source community by offering somewhere to host projects, but the growth of the likes of GitHub and Bitbucket has taken its toll and Google Code has filled up with spam and abuse.

Competition in the world of project hosting has become fierce, and Google feels it's time to pass on the baton rather than fighting for attention. Google has itself moved many of its own open source projects to GitHub. Don't panic if you’re not quite ready to jump ship -- there's still a little time to play with.

While Google has put an end to the creation of new projects, those that are currently hosted on Google Code are safe for the time being. You’ll still be able to upload files and so on, but as of August 2, 2015, the site will switch to read-only mode. From this time you will still be able to access projects, but no editing will be possible. The ultimate deadline is January 25, 2016 when the service closes down. Projects will be available to download as a tarball until the end of the year.

Explaining the closure in a post on Google Open Source Blog, Chris DiBona, Director of Open Source, said:

As developers migrated away from Google Code, a growing share of the remaining projects were spam or abuse. Lately, the administrative load has consisted almost exclusively of abuse management. After profiling non-abusive activity on Google Code, it has become clear to us that the service simply isn’t needed anymore.

Tools are available to help make the process of migration a little easier. Google's preferred option seems to be the Google Code to GitHub exporter tool, but there are also stand-alone tools for switching to GitHub and Bitbucket. DiBona also points out that SourceForge has a Google Code project importer service.

Photo credit: spaxiax / Shutterstock

Did Google taint 12-inch MacBook news coverage?

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 7:03pm CET par Joe Wilcox

nerd tablet geek surprise shock disbelief

Bias in the media is inevitable, and any news gatherer who denies this fact is a liar. Companies seek favor or to influence in countless ways. It's the nature of the beast, which cannot be tamed. So I wonder how Chromebook Pixel embargoes impacted reporting about Apple's newest laptop. If so, Google pulled off one hell of a marketing coup.

The search and information giant provided many tech blogs and news sites with the new Pixel about a week before the laptop launched yesterday and the first reviews posted—that was also days before Apple's well-publicized media event where a new MacBook was rumored. Both computers share something in common: USB Type-C, which is bleeding-edge tech. The connector received much media attention on Monday and Tuesday two ways: Buzz about it being the next great thing, and MacBook having but one port (Pixel has two, and others).

They say timing is everything, right? You have Pixels in newsrooms ahead of Apple's big event, followed by official launch on the other side after the larger cycle of news subsided. Coincidence it's not.

If you think someone at Google didn't know about the new MacBook's single USB-C port, or other features, you're living in lala land. Or even that the laptop would be one of this week's marque announcements. Ignore all the surreptitious ways the master of Internet search might gather information. Apple and Google share suppliers, and there are more than enough means to gather intelligence on a competitor's future products.

Companies like Apple and Google know: There is influence in what writers know. Agreeing to an embargo is one thing. Ignoring the knowledge is another. Think of the courtroom where the judge instructs the jury to ignore key evidence later thrown out on a technicality. How easily can it really be ignored?

In the Biblical allegory, Eve ate the apple, and once her eyes opened she couldn't close them. Or looked at differently: News gatherers' knowledge affected response to Apple. Embargoes typically apply to an entire media organization, and reporters and reviewers do talk. Even if the person reviewing Pixel isn't the same one reporting about Apple, knowledge will pass.

I was surprised to see so much attention given to both topics related to USB-C. The single-port controversy is overblown, but the media reaction makes more sense in context. Bloggers or journalists know something they can't formally write about: Chromebook Pixel. But they know there are two USB-C ports (and others) on the one computer and that both Apple and Google are committed to advancing the standard.

Google didn't contact BetaNews about the new Chromebook, or provide one for review, and we had no other advance knowledge about yesterday's launch. I puzzled about the tone of second-day news stories before Pixel's launch but lacked context for understanding it. Now I do.

I make no accusations, but ask a question in violation of Betteridge's Law of Headlines, which states: "Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no". I am convinced the answer is in many instances yes, and I know that bias—particularly anything that jacks up pageviews—is a topic readers like to comment and debate about.

If Google purposely timed Pixel embargoes and launch timing, the company likely succeeded in diminishing Apple's big news and took some control of the narrative. Brilliant! Good marketing is as much about commanding influence as promotion—as evidenced by Apple's longstanding practice of using a select group of favorably-minded reviewers. The other lesson: Trust nothing you read on the Internet, because bias is unavoidable and influence is everywhere.

Photo Credit: Ahturner/Shutterstock

Samsung Galaxy S6 has the best smartphone display ever

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 6:38pm CET par Darren Allan

Samsung-Galaxy-S6-Gold_Platinum-900x506

The Galaxy S6 is getting a strong reception from critics, and another tick in the box is the latest rating from DisplayMate, the screen testing experts.

Indeed, DisplayMate has just crowned the Galaxy S6’s display as the best in the smartphone world -- albeit tied with Samsung’s own Galaxy Note 4.

Dr Raymond Soneira observed: "The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy Note 4 are neck-and-neck record holders for display performance, effectively tied or alternating between first and second place in almost all categories except screen size for the much larger Galaxy Note 4, and the much higher pixels per inch for the Galaxy S6".

The conclusion of the S6’s test is: "The Galaxy S6 matches the Galaxy Note 4 in overall display excellence and record performance and joins it as the Best Performing Smartphone Display that we have ever tested".

The Galaxy S6 display, which offers a startling 577 ppi, matched or set new records in a large number of display categories, including most pixels per inch, highest absolute color accuracy and contrast ratio, highest peak brightness, contrast rating, and screen readability in ambient light.

That’s a pretty big win, in other words. Samsung is expecting the Galaxy S6 to recover from the downturn in sales experienced from the S4 to the S5, and indeed the company has already upped its production target for the number of S6 units it’ll produce in April by a million. Samsung is starting to get its smartphone confidence back, it would seem…

GCHQ does not engage in indiscriminate blanket surveillance

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 6:38pm CET par Mark Wilson

GCHQ does not engage in indiscriminate blanket surveillance

When Edward Snowden blew the whistle on the activities of the NSA, it sparked a global interest in how internet traffic is monitored. The UK's Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament today published a report into online surveillance carried out by GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 after an 18-month inquiry.

Among the findings is the conclusion that surveillance is legal, but an overhaul is needed to increase transparency. The suggestion that GCHQ's interception of emails "does not equate to blanket surveillance, nor does it equate to indiscriminate surveillance" is likely to be met with skepticism. But what's likely to raise more eyebrows is the revelation that the agency has apparently managed to crack encryption.

While the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament found that surveillance was entirely legal, countering allegations that UK laws had been circumvented, the report recognizes that there is a need for change. There is the admission that the "legal framework is unnecessarily complicated and lacks transparency", the suggestion being that the current lack of transparency leads people to be suspicious of all monitoring activities. Bulk surveillance was singled out for particular attention by the inquiry.

It was found that there are three stages of selecting data for viewing: targeting, filtering and selection. The report suggests that this process means that only a very small proportion of collected data is actually read -- something that the NSA said of its dragnet data collection. "Only a very tiny percentage of those collected are ever seen by human eyes". There is also the statement that:

"GCHQ is not collecting or reading everyone's emails: they do not have the legal authority, the resources, or the technical capability to do so".

Despite this, data about entirely innocent people has been collected. It's no good thinking that your private data is safe if you've opted to use encryption, because GCHQ is actively engaged in cracking it:

c) Reading Encrypted Communications

179. Terrorists, criminals and hostile states increasingly use encryption to protect their communications. The ability to decrypt these communications is core to GCHQ’s work, and therefore they have designed a programme of work -- *** -- to enable them to read encrypted communications. There are three main strands to this work:

i) ***;

ii) developing decryption capabilities ***;185 and

iii) ***.186

As this section shows, the report is heavily redacted, and this can make it difficult to fully get a sense of what activities have been taking place. While the report looks to the historic activities of UK intelligence agencies, it looks to the future more than it does to the past.

The main recommendation for moving forward is that the piecemeal collection of acts and laws that govern surveillance should be replaced by a single law. It is suggested that this would help to eliminate ambiguities. Statutory oversight of the use of bulk datasets should also be introduced as the agencies attempt to battle public suspicion.

Photo credit: Gil C / Shutterstock

LG: Apple has it right -- smartwatches should be a fashion item first, gadget second

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 6:30pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

LG-Urbane-smartwatch

During the Wearable Technology Show in London, LG’s head of business development Justin Jungsup Lee spoke about smartwatches, early adopters and sales.

Speaking in front of a packed out room in the LG keynote, Lee said that smartwatches should be more of a fashion item, and less of a gadget. And least of all, a smartphone accessory.

"It’s a mindset change, making the watch a fashion item, rather than a gadget", Lee explained. "The challenge is to align the smart devices with the watch world. When you switch from a functional device to a fashion device, it becomes very different. When you position the smartwatch as fashion, the marketing message becomes very easy".

He continued, commending Apple’s new device and hinting that LG will use a similar marketing strategy for their upcoming LG Watch Urbane.

"Apple’s on the right path on with its marketing, using Vogue and making it a fashion item", he said, "which is in line with our own strategy".

He also said that new developers will face flat sales and lots of problems in the first few years.

"Not that many wearable devices have been sold. 20 million devices -- that’s just 0.04 percent penetration, and just 1 percent of the innovator segment. Crossing the chasm is the next step", said Lee. "There are lots of technical barriers. Battery life is still close to smartphones, and the screen size is too small. Input is near impossible other than the voice, and it’s still seen as an accessory to the smartphone," Lee added.

Acer Aspire V Nitro Black Edition notebooks now have NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M option

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 6:22pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Aspire V Nitro_3D-cam_04

Not all laptops are created equal. Case in point, the new Chromebook Pixel and MacBook. Both are unique and beautiful, but under-powered too, albeit in different ways. The MacBook is a bit anemic in its hardware, while the Pixel is limited by its operating system. With that said, they will meet the needs of some users.

For those looking for raw power and function instead of thinness and portability, Windows-based gaming laptops are the route to go. Even if you do not game, these models are usually very powerful overall. Today, Acer announces a refresh of its existing powerful Aspire V Nitro Black Edition laptops, by offering NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M discrete graphics as an option. Yeehaw!

"The Acer Aspire V Nitro V 15 VN7-591G-729V featuring a 15.6-inch 4K Ultra High Definition display and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M GPU is the ideal platform for any gamer or graphics professional looking for a portable powerhouse. With a resolution of 3840 x 2160, the 4K display delivers brilliant imagery with stunning clarity and crystal clear details. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M GPU also features high-resolution display support, and is able to drive displays up to 4K resolution", says Acer.

Aspire V Nitro_3D-cam_01

The computer manufacturer further explains, "The Acer Aspire V Nitro V 17 VN7-791G-79RV combines the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960M GPU with a 17.3-inch full high def display (1920x1080), 3D camera and 8X DVD drive to create a top of the line home entertainment system for gaming and watching the latest movies. The GeForce GTX 960M features Dynamic Super Resolution (DSR) technology that delivers up to 4K fidelity on 1080p displays for exceptional detail and image quality. All V 17 notebook models also include Acer DustDefender, a unique dust removal system that uses a high-speed fan with thin metal blades to remove dust build-up, improve heat dissipation and minimize noise".

The starting price for the GTX 960M equipped variants is $1,099.99, so expect to pay more as you up the specifications, such as additional RAM and larger solid state drives. Luckily, you won't have to wait long, as they will be available later this month at Newegg, Microsoft Stores and Micro Center.

Would you rather have one of these Acer laptops or the new MacBook? Tell me in the comments.

Alfred turns unused smartphones into surveillance cams

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 6:19pm CET par Mike Williams

alfred

Do you have an unused Android smartphone? It might be yesterday’s model, but Alfred can give it new life, turning the device into your very own home surveillance camera.

Setup starts by running Alfred on the phone you’ll be using as a monitor. Configure it as the camera, and log in with your Google account.

Now run Alfred on another Android phone, set it as a viewer, log in with the same Google account, and you’re done.

At a minimum you can watch the feed, switch between the front and rear cameras, maybe take snapshots.

The app supports multiple cameras and viewers, enabling several people to monitor the same location.

Alfred provides two-way audio, too. You can hear what’s going on, and join in, anything from singing to your baby to shouting at intruders.

No time to monitor the feed? No problem, Alfred’s simple motion detection system will send you a notification whenever something happens.

Alfred’s ads can be annoying, and there are some reports of the connection being lost for no apparent reason. But the system is still being actively developed, and in our experience Alfred is a fun app with a good feature set which mostly works very well.

Nest looking to make a move into home audio

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 6:16pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

Works-With-Nest

Nest, the home automation company that designs and manufactures sensor-driven, Wi-Fi-enabled, self-learning, programmable thermostats and smoke detectors, is making a move into home audio.

A recruitment add appeared on the Nest website, seeking a "highly technical Head of Audio to lead the development of Nest Audio across hardware and software, present and future".

Whoever gets the job, will have to "lead the Nest Audio team, including acoustics, audio electronics, audio software, audio test and validation for all Nest Products, build a world class audio team through hiring and mentoring and develop an audio roadmap for Nest products, including hardware and software, that can support delightful user experiences and innovative features".

The founder and CEO of Nest is Tony Fadell -- a man very familiar with the music industry. He is the former Apple executive behind the iPod (he was also nicknamed "The father of the iPod").

The media speculate on what the software part of the work will include. While some believe it might mean the development of a brand new streaming service, others think it will more likely mean the creation of a music controlling app, considering that Google has two: Google Play All Access and YouTube Music Key.

Nest was bought by Google for $3.2 billion back in January 2014.

The Guardian says Sonos will most likely to be the main rival to Nest: "That company is expected to record $1 billion in sales of its connected audio hardware in 2015, and recently raised $130 million of funding to continue growing. Google’s deep pockets could make Nest a formidable competitor".

No sex please, I'm checking my emails (and then updating Facebook)

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 5:41pm CET par Wayne Williams

couple in bed with phones

According to a new survey from Durex and Durham University’s Center for Sex, Gender and Sexualities, a large portion of us are more likely to be seduced by the lure of our smartphones than our partners.

40 percent of couples admitted to delaying sex because of smartphones or tablets, while others said they’d raced through the act in order to respond to messages. One third of respondents admitted to interrupting sex in order to answer the phone (because, you never know, it might be the spouse calling to find out where you are).

Earlier in the week Durex teased a smartphone technology that could improve our sex lives, and it turns out to be the off button.

Ukonwa Ojo, Head of Global Brand Equity at Durex said "With technology playing such a pivotal role in our personal lives and relationships, we asked if it could utilized in a positive way to enhance our sex lives, but in doing so we discovered the most effective answer can be the simplest. After consulting countless experts, academic research and qualitative interviews, the solution turned out to be a straightforward one -- we should disconnect to reconnect".

As part of its new #Connect campaign, Durex has released a short film which shows how several couples have become seduced by the lure of technology.

The survey that was conducted was far from comprehensive -- just 30 Brits aged 18-55 were interviewed (all of whom were heterosexual and had been in a relationship for at least a year) -- but I suspect had more couples been quizzed, the results would have been broadly similar.

Photo Credit: Shumilina Maria/Shutterstock

Cyber attacks rise as confidence in avoiding them falls

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 5:36pm CET par Ian Barker

cyber attack

According to a new survey by the CyberEdge Group although IT security spending is increasing, confidence is falling, with the majority of respondents expecting to be breached in the next 12 months.

The survey of more than 800 security decision makers and practitioners finds that more than 70 percent of respondents' networks had been breached in 2014, which is a 62 percent increase from the previous year.

In 2014, 71 percent of respondents' networks were breached with 22 percent of them having been attacked six or more times. A majority of respondents (52 percent) now believe a successful cyber attack is likely in the coming year -- up from 39 percent in last year's report.

These fears are driving a shift away from traditional security solutions. 67 percent of respondents indicated their intent to evaluate alternative endpoint anti-malware solutions to either augment (34 percent) or replace (33 percent) their existing products.

Half of those surveyed are also now relying on continuous monitoring technologies for discovering network assets, achieving policy compliance, and mitigating vulnerabilities and security misconfigurations.

"Cyberthreats hit an all time high in 2014, in terms of not only the number of breaches but their impact on all aspects of business. Who would have thought that we would see a time when a simple movie would spur attacks that forced an entire industry to publicly address the way it thinks about privacy, piracy, and geopolitical implications of the product it produces," says Steve Piper, CEO of CyberEdge Group. "For the first time in our research, a majority of participants predict their networks will become compromised in 2015. These are indeed dangerous times, but there is still cause for optimism as organizations take active steps to prepare for the unexpected. Welcome to the new reality".

The full report is available to download from the CyberEdge website.

Photo credit: Tashatuvango/Shutterstock

According to Nielsen SVOD is the choice of couch potatoes everywhere

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 5:21pm CET par Alan Buckingham

svod-device-ownership

Nielsen has been tracking the TV viewing habits of Americans practically since the invention of the tube. In recent years the polling company has had to adapt its operations to fit with newer technology that is increasingly being used by customers to satisfy their video needs.

That now seems to be leaning dramatically towards subscription-video-on-demand (SVOD). A new report states that this form of entertainment is winning across the board, and the numbers aren't even particularly close in this poll.

"As a result, consumers' time and attention around media is in flux. Increased video viewing on digital platforms to both native digital content and TV-produced content, as well as the rise of subscription-based video on-demand (SVOD) across all platforms, are changing the way we look at the consumption of traditional media", the report reads.

Nielsen reports that more than 40 percent of US homes have access to SVOD (as of November 2014). 13 percent were using multiple forms of the technology. "Homes with subscription streaming services have both a penchant for TV-connected technology and, perhaps more importantly, display the greatest usage of these devices—nearly 50 minutes more than a typical TV home", the analysts state.

Those with this capability are more likely to own a smart TV, DVR, game console, tablet and multiple PCs. None of this is very surprising, given where the market seems to be headed.

Image Credit: Minerva Studio / Shutterstock

Bidding farewell to Google's Nexus 5

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 2:36pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

Google Nexus 5 Android action figure 2

When looking for an affordable high-end smartphone the other day Google's Nexus 5 was an obvious option. Even one and a half years after its launch, its hardware is still more than capable of running all the latest apps and games, while the camera can still be considered a decent shooter. The downside of going with Nexus 5 -- as with previous Nexus smartphones -- is battery life, which falls short of the competition. So I ended up getting something else.

It turned out to be a smart move, as Google just pulled Nexus 5 from its online store, after five months of coexisting with its latest flagship smartphone, Nexus 6. If you still want to get one then you will have to look at retailers and some carriers, which are likely to carry Nexus 5 for at least a few more months (until LG stops production and/or existing stock is depleted.)

In December of last year, Google revealed that it -- and "select retailers" -- would continue to sell Nexus 5 this quarter. At the time it seemed to make sense, as Nexus 6 is not exactly a natural successor. Nexus 5's 5-inch screen is dwarfed by Nexus 6's 6-inch display, after all, making the latter feel as if it is addressed to a totally different market.

But it also seemed like a strange thing to do, as Google never kept two generations of a product line on sale at the same time (although that cannot be said about some retailers; I recall seeing Nexus 4 alongside Nexus 5 on sale for quite a long period of time.)

Google admits that, while there still is Nexus 5 inventory with its retail and carrier partners, it wants to focus on Nexus 6 going forward, a move which is clearer more than ever now. Its all new online store, called Google Store, places the focus on its most-recent products, like the new Chromebook Pixel, Nexus 9 and, of course, Nexus 6. Nexus 5 is just a memory originating from 2013.

We all knew that this would happen at some point, but it's hard not to feel as if Nexus 5 could have had a longer shelf life. It's still a perfectly good -- dare I say high-end -- smartphone that costs as much or less than today's mid-rangers, which I'm sure will handle everything you could throw at it for at least a year to come. Hopefully Google will keep it up-to-date past Android 5.1 Lollipop.

Photo Credit: Brian Fagioli

BBC Micro Bit is a free Raspberry Pi alternative for kids

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 2:22pm CET par Wayne Williams

624

It’s no secret that the Raspberry Pi has its roots in the microcomputers of the 1980s. And one device in particular inspired the creation of the massively popular barebones system -- the BBC Micro. Auntie Beeb’s computer was available in two models -- A, and B -- as is the Raspberry Pi.

Interestingly, while the BBC Micro inspired the Raspberry Pi, the Raspberry Pi has now inspired a new BBC Micro -- the Micro Bit.

Developed in a pioneering partnership with over 25 organizations, including ARM, element14, Microsoft, Samsung, and Cisco, the BBC will be giving one of these new mini computers free to every child in year 7 across the UK from September. That’s around 1 million devices being given away for free in a bid to encourage children to learn to program.

The Micro Bit isn’t a straight rival to the Raspberry Pi, in fact it’s rather different. According to the BBC, it will be a small wearable device with an LED display that children can program in a number of ways. It will be ready to use and code on immediately. The image above is merely the prototype and the look, and indeed maybe even the name, will change the closer to production it gets.

According to the BBC, the Micro Bit "is designed to be a starting point to get younger children interesting in coding so they can move onto other, more complex devices in future. And the Micro Bit can even connect and communicate with these other devices, including Arduino, Galileo, Kano and Raspberry Pi, as well as other Micro Bits. This helps a child’s natural learning progression and gives them even more ways of expressing their creativity".

BetterCloud provides added security for Google Apps

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 1:28pm CET par Ian Barker

password cloud

There's no doubt that cloud office platforms offer gains in productivity and easier collaboration, but they also present challenges for information security teams who need to limit content sharing.

For organizations that must comply with industry regulations like HIPAA this can lead to significant legal risk which, until now, was extremely difficult to mitigate.

With the launch of BetterCloud Enterprise for Google Apps they now have a real-time auditing, compliance, and data loss prevention (DLP) solution for the popular cloud service. It offers Drive Compliance to allow administrators to continuously audit the contents of their organization's entire Google Drive in real-time. Using custom regular expressions, they can scan for social security numbers, payment information, or any other type of number or phrase, in an effort to certify compliance with industry regulations.

"At many organizations, millions of documents are created, edited, deleted, and shared daily, with little oversight," says David Politis, BetterCloud’s CEO. "An enterprise IT or information security team’s responsibility to meet privacy and compliance regulations requires a tool like Drive Compliance. BetterCloud Enterprise for Google Apps is the only product that makes real-time DLP available to all Google Apps customers, and the only solution that combines DLP functionality with the rest of the toolset that enterprises need when deploying Google Apps across their organization".

bettercloud-drivecompliance

BetterCloud uses new APIs made available by Google to allow it to connect securely with data at its source, providing maximum control with minimal setup and no impact on network performance. This allows it to alert admins to security risks and policy violations through a dashboard, prompting administrators to take action. They can notify the document owner, correct the violation, or automate future occurrences by building context aware compliance policies.

BetterCloud Enterprise for Google Apps is available to try for free for 30 days and costs $2 per user per month following the trial period.

Image Credit: Nata-Lia/ Shutterstock

Reporters Without Borders unblocks access to censored websites

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 1:26pm CET par Mark Wilson

Reporters Without Borders unblocks access to censored websites

Online censorship is rife. In many countries, notably China, citizens are prevented from accessing certain websites at the behest of their government. To help provide access to information and unbiased news, freedom of information organization Reporters Without Borders has set up mirrors to nine censored websites so they can be accessed from 11 countries that blocked them.

As part of Operation Collateral Freedom, Reporters Without Borders is mirroring the likes of The Tibet Post International which is blocked in China, and Gooya News which is blocked in Iran. Mirrored sites are hosted on Amazon, Microsoft and Google servers which are unlikely to be blocked by a censoring country.

While it would still be possible to block access to the mirrored sites, the fact that they are hosted on such popular servers means that there would be massive knock-on effects for other much-used services. Encryption is also in use to help prevent the risk of blocking by keyword.

Reporters Without Borders is waging war on the "Enemies of the Internet" which includes Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, Cuba, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The full list of sites that make up Operation Collateral Freedom are:

Grani.ru, blocked in Russia

Fergananews.com blocked in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan

The Tibet Post, blocked in China

Dan Lam Bao, blocked in Vietnam

Mingjing News, blocked in China

Hablemos Press, blocked in Cuba

Gooya News, blocked in Iran

Gulf Centre for Human Rights, blocked in United Arab Emirates

Bahrain Mirror, blocked in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia

Explaining how access has been opened up, Reporters Without Borders says:

To prevent this blocking, Operation Collateral Freedom is using techniques similar to those developed by GreatFire, an NGO that has carried out several operations of this kind designed to circumvent Chinese censorship.

Access to blocked sites can be restored by using a "website copier" (which copies the content of the censored site to an uncensored server and then keeps updating this "mirror") or by using a proxy.

In Operation Collateral Freedom, we are using both methods, with the mirror site being placed on a strategic server run by a major service provider such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google. The censoring country would be unlikely to block one of these servers because the collateral disruption and damage would outweigh the benefits to be gained from restoring censorship.

The organization is currently renting bandwidth to host the mirrored sites, and is calling for people to spread the word through social media using the hashtag #CollateralFreedom. Donations are being sought to keep the operation running for as long as possible.

Photo credit: alexskopje / Shutterstock

New online tool simplifies project management for smaller enterprises

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 12:42pm CET par Ian Barker

Project management

Project management can be daunting, especially for smaller organizations with limited resources or lack of expertise to use complex tools.

Dallas-based project and professional services automation specialist Vorex is launching an updated version of its cloud-based platform which offers new and enhanced features that aim to help SMBs better manage and grow their businesses, while increasing profitability.

It's aimed particularly at businesses such as IT service providers and professional services firms. By streamlining day-to-day tasks, Vorex frees up business owners' and managers' time so they can focus on strategy and growing their businesses, rather than on logistics and operations. Key features of the new release include the ability to transfer billable time into Quickbooks, creating invoices that map to tracked time.

It also offers enhanced native CRM features to track accounts, service desk tickets, contacts and new revenue opportunities. This can happen within Vorex's native CRM system, or integrate directly with leading CRM systems. There's Outlook Calendar integration too so users can directly and easily schedule projects, tasks, to-dos and appointments, as well as allocate resources according to existing schedules.

Vorex can keep track of the team's individual skills, skill categories and education levels to better match the talents of employees to upcoming and existing projects. An online dashboard offers improved project insight through graphics, statistics and charts in a single location.

"Vorex is taking our business management solution to the next level by adding features that our customers and channel partners need to run business more efficiently, effectively and profitably," says Vorex CEO and Founder Mike Salem. "We are on a mission to create the perfect software that allows companies and IT service providers to run their businesses smarter".

For more information on how Vorex can help streamline project management you can visit the company's website.

Photo credit: Tashatuvango/Shutterstock

Xiaomi Mi Pad launches in India for Rs 12,999 ($200), offers better specs than iPad mini 3

Publié: mars 12, 2015, 11:27am CET par Manish Singh

Xiaomi Mi Pad

In addition to the Redmi 2 smartphone, Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi also launched its Android tablet Mi Pad in India today. The highlight of the Mi Pad is its top-of-the-line specifications that includes an iPad mini Retina Display-alike screen, and Nvidia Tegra K1 processor (same as used in the Nexus 9) at the enticing Rs 12,999 ($200) price tag.

As for the specifications, the Mi Pad sports a 7.9-inch display with 2048×1536 screen resolution, flaunting 326PPI and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection over it. Inside the device sits a 2.2GHz Nvidia Tegra K1 processor and 192-core Kepler GPU paired with 2GB of RAM, and 16GB internal storage with support for microSD that can add up to 128 gigs storage to the device.

Other features of the Mi Pad include an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel sensor on the front. It packs in a 6,700mAh non-removable battery, which as Xiaomi says can churn out 8 hours of video playback on a single charge. On the software front, the tablet runs on Android KitKat 4.4 with MIUI 6 skin on top of that. The company assures that it will be rolling out the Lollipop update soon.

On the connectivity front, the Mi Pad variant launched in India only supports Wi-Fi. The tablet will become available for sale on Flipkart from March 24. Unlike the Redmi 2, the Mi Pad doesn’t require users to register for the product and participate in flash sales. Here's a quick comparison between the Mi Pad, iPad mini 3, and Nexus 9. Decide for yourself.

Mi Pad vs iPad mini 3 vs Nexus 9