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• 

  Windows 10 could disable pirated games and unauthorized hardware

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 11:15pm CEST par Mark Wilson

  

  Cries of "FUD!" ring out whenever potential issues and concerns with Windows 10 are pointed out, but there's no denying that the launch of this version of Windows has been more blighted than any other. The latest controversy finds Microsoft updating its EULA so that it is able to block pirated games and unauthorized peripherals.

  While on one hand this seems entirely reasonable -- few people would argue too strongly that they should be permitted to play pirated games -- on the other it is confusing and worrisome. It is yet another example of Microsoft causing trouble for itself by failing to properly communicate with its customers, being insufficiently transparent and clear in meaning. Just what is an 'unauthorized peripheral'?

  It is the lack of clarity that is likely to give the greatest cause for concern here. Without knowing how peripherals are authorized or not, it is impossible to know if any given device will be blocked from use or not. With Windows 10 hitting more devices than any previous version of Windows, the scope of this new EULA is far wider-reaching than ever before.

  As noted by Alphr, Section 7b of the Microsoft Services Agreement reads:

  Sometimes you'll need software updates to keep using the Services. We may automatically check your version of the software and download software updates or configuration changes, including those that prevent you from accessing the Services, playing counterfeit games, or using unauthorized hardware peripheral devices.

  The agreement covers Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows Phone, and all manner of other Microsoft services. While it is unlikely that Microsoft would suddenly take objection to the use of a particular keyboard or game controller, the EULA does indicate that the company could potentially block access to anything it decided not to authorize.

  Many people will object to the idea that Microsoft is able to scan a system to detect the hardware and software that is running, and then use the results of this scan to determine what hardware and software may be used. With so many concerns about privacy being thrown up by Windows 10, this is yet another which is causing rumbles of discontent.

  We've reached out to Microsoft for comment, and will update this article when we hear back.

  Photo credit: Anton Watman / Shutterstock

  
• 

  Confirmed: Apple is working on a self-driving car to rival Google

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 10:32pm CEST par Mark Wilson

  

  Apple's Project Titan is not only real, but the self-driving car is further developed than previously thought. Documents obtained by The Guardian show that the company is currently looking for secure locations in the San Francisco bay area that could be used to test the vehicle.

  The newspaper made a public records act request to unearth correspondence that revealed that the Special Project group from Apple met with representatives from the GoMentum Station. This former naval base is in the process of being transformed into test track for self-driving vehicles.

  The Apple Car, iCar, or whatever the vehicle ends up being called, appears to be further along the development track than previously believed. The company seems keen to get some alone time at the GoMentum Station, with Apple engineer Frank Fearon writing: "We would like to get an understanding of timing and availability for the space, and how we would need to coordinate around other parties who would be using [it]."

  It has long been rumored that Apple has been beavering away on a self-driving car, but confirmation that the company is actively looking for a testing ground shows that development is well underway -- Apple could be on the verge of testing its first viable prototypes. Rumors of Apple's work have been further fuelled by Tim Cook's meeting with Fiat-Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne, and Apple's hiring of engineers from automotive companies.

  Despite the appearance of correspondence between Apple and the GoMentum Station, the owners of the location remain tight-lipped:

  We had to sign a non-disclosure agreement with Apple. We can't tell you anything other than they've come in and they're interested.

  Photo credit: withGod / Shutterstock

  
• 

  Apple iPod touch 6th Generation: A fun and powerful work of art [Review]

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 8:47pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

  

  When Apple unveiled the first iPod, it was a game-changing moment. While not the first portable digital music player, it was the first to nail the interface and experience. Later models would feature the legendary click wheel and expand to photos and videos too.

  With the release of the iPhone, however, the death of the traditional iPod was guaranteed, but it hung around longer than most expected. It was the iPod touch that was the obvious successor, as it not only played music, but ran iPhone apps too. Apple recently released the new 6th Generation iPod touch, and I've been testing it out. Is it the best iPod touch yet?

  Notable Specs

  • Processor -- A8 chip with 64-bit architecture, M8 motion coprocessor
  • RAM: 1GB
  • Operating System: iOS 8.4
  • Retina display -- 4-inch (diagonal) widescreen display with Multi-Touch IPS technology, 1136-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi, 800:1 contrast ratio (typical), 500 cd/m² max brightness (typical), Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
  • Wireless -- 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi‑Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 wireless technology
  • Camera -- Rear: 8MP iSight camera, Front: 1.2MP

  Unboxing

  Impressions

  Upon taking the iPod touch out of the packaging, I was immediately surprised by how small it is. In a world where phablets are becoming the norm, a 4 inch screen looks very tiny. Your mind and eyes quickly adjust, however, and the display becomes a joy to use.

  The smaller size is appreciated, as it makes the iPod touch lighter and more compact -- perfect for exercising or putting in a shirt pocket when going for a walk. Gaming with it is a treat, as it fits comfortably in the hands. I prefer playing mobile games on the iPod touch as opposed to my monstrous Nexus 6.

  The iPod touch is designed with music and other multimedia in mind, however, and it really shines here. It is the perfect way to experience the wonderful Apple Music streaming service. Whether using the stock earbuds or my Beats headphones, my favorite songs sound wonderful.

  While you don't have to use Apple Music with the new iPod touch, Apple's streaming service is a phenomenal experience and I would suggest trying the service if you haven't already. The iPod touch and Apple Music are just meant to be together.

  Apple Music features intuitive human-curated playlists that makes relaxing with the iPod touch a dream. I went into my backyard, sat in a chair, started a playlist and mindlessly relaxed and enjoyed the music. Never would I need to skip a track.

  

  If you will be traveling somewhere without Wi-Fi, don't worry -- you can easily add songs from your iTunes library or other MP3s too. The model I am using has 128GB, meaning there is plenty of space for music, and videos and apps too. The iPod also comes in 16, 32 and 64GB sizes.

  The beauty of the 6th gen iPod touch, of course, is that it runs iOS and has the same A8 processor found on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (no Touch-ID, sadly). In other words, it has access to the best mobile apps and can run them like a champ. If you are already an iPhone or iPad user, you will be right at home.

  

  The question of course, is why buy an iPod touch if you already have an iPhone or Android phone? Great question. The answer, comes down to size, battery and apps.

  For iPhone and Android owners, having an iPod touch means you won't have to drain your phone's battery when listening to music. If you listen to a lot of music, you know that it can impact the battery. Streaming services, such as Apple Music and Spotify can drain it even quicker. The iPod touch will enable your iPhone battery to last longer.

  

  The size is a big issue, as the iPhone 6, 6 Plus and Android phablets are rather large, making them a poor choice for someone who wants to go for a run while listening to music. The iPod touch is pocket or armband nirvana, making it the perfect exercise companion.

  

  The app aspect is for Android or Windows Phone users, as they are missing out on some great iOS apps. For Windows Phone owners in particular, an iPod touch can sort of solve the app gap, as they can use the iPod for times when a needed app is not available, such as a bank's check deposit.

  For Android, there are plenty of great apps, but some great apps are still iOS-only. Often, the ones that are on both Android and iOS are superior on the latter. Even Google's own apps, like Hangouts and Google+ are typically superior on iOS.

  The iPod touch would be a great choice for those without smartphones too, such as an elderly parent or a child. Apple's device can be a great companion to a dependable flip phone. The Wi-Fi only nature makes it a smart way to prevent data overages from irresponsible kids too!

  

  Battery life is very good, but will vary based on your use. In my case, playing games, listening to music and checking social media, I average about 7 to 8 hours. Movies, of course, will take this average lower.

  Believe it or not, watching movies -- both films and YouTube -- on a 4 inch screen is surprisingly good. Kudos to Apple for including such a crisp and beautiful screen; colors really pop and I had no problem becoming immersed.

  

  The rear 8MP camera is surprisingly great. True, it is not as good as the shooter found on the newest iPhones, but it still wonderful nonetheless. The adage is, the best camera is the one you have available, and if that happens to be the one on the iPod touch 6th gen, you will not be disappointed.

  

  The front camera could be better, as the 1.2MP sensor produces grainy photos and video. With that said, it works absolutely fine with Facetime and other video communication solutions. Quite frankly, I don't care much about the quality when seeing my family's faces while traveling -- just seeing them at all is magic.

  

  Speaking of magic, it is a cliché, but Apple has once again used magic when creating the iPod touch 6th Generation. The build quality is exceptional, the screen is both sharp and beautiful and apps run very quickly with no lag.

  Overall, Apple's newest iPod touch is fun to use and very powerful. Its design is a technological work of art -- classic, yet modern. It is the best music player on the market -- the best iPod ever. Period. There is definitely a place for the new iPod touch in your life. Highly recommended.

  To buy your own 6th Generation iPod touch, you can get it here. Which color and storage capacity will you choose? Tell me in the comments.

  
• 

  Why tech companies need an in-house translator

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 8:20pm CEST par Blair Buick

  

  What makes a company successful? Success can be viewed in simple black and white terms -- profitability, number of users or customers, client satisfaction, etc. -- but let’s take "success" one level deeper. What is below the surface -- beyond today’s dollars and cents -- that makes a company truly thrive? I would contend that the ability to effectively communicate and ensure that everyone is focused on the same end-goal is paramount, while still taking into consideration each individual’s priorities, skillsets, and personalities. Seamless internal communication is always challenging and time consuming and yet it is critical to making the company’s objectives a tangible reality. In my experience, this relies heavily on having an individual or group of individuals within an organization play the role of an in-house translator. The translator role goes beyond the traditional project manager position. It relies on an experienced professional being positioned at the center of everything, armed with more than just a checklist and Gantt chart.

  To successfully operate within this multi-faceted work environment, each department must be able to communicate in clear and comprehensible terms what they are working on and what they need from other groups to complete the job successfully. A common barrier when creating anything technical is the vision, end-user requirements, and end product not lining up correctly because the terms and conditions have gotten lost in translation.

  In my experience, both in my past career in financial services and more recently at Metis, I have found that team members often become so focused on the task in front of them they may miss the mark when it comes to effectively delivering clear objectives and requirements to their counterparts in other groups. I once intervened to rectify a situation where our development team had created an amazing program to accept user applications, but unfortunately their design was so cutting-edge it missed key regulatory process hurdles and ended up being too savvy for our target user base. When dealing with individuals who are extremely specialized, they are hyper in-tune to what they know and how to makes things better, but it is sometimes difficult to pull them into thinking about "better" from a different perspective. This is where the role of the in-house translator comes in, my adopted role at Metis.

  The In-House Translator

  The in-house translator doesn’t need to be an expert veteran in all areas though. Think of it as learning a new language. He or she doesn’t need to be fluent in every department, she just needs to have passed at least Spanish 2 to know and understand enough to get by. For me, there is no single title that can address this role, it’s really about an individual’s previous experience and interests that make him or her the perfect fit within an organization. I came to Metis as more of the number-crunching type, but also with a background in marketing and management. Since joining I’ve became more involved in client relationships and acting as a team liaison, as well as a subject matter expert of how to map the commercial real estate deal process onto our own cloud platform. There is no one resume that fits this role, and it surely will take some creativity on a hiring manager’s part to find the right person with a diverse background that can fit a company’s culture and needs.

  Avoiding Internal Disconnect

  For many tech companies, the leadership team does not speak programming, and developers do not speak industry jargon or legalese. We have found that designating a liaison is crucial in not only keeping the team on the same page internally, but also to communicating and marketing the product to the end-user. If there is chaos and confusion on the inside, the product will reflect it and it will be very apparent externally. I have seen projects flounder or fail because departments were unable to get on the same page. Managers made promises to clients regarding features and delivery times that the developers could not deliver. And likewise, developers built products that they created in a departmental vacuum that did not meet the business requirements of the original concept.

  So, if you’re a founder or senior executive realizing there is an internal disconnect within your organization, consider seeking out an in-house translator. He or she needn’t be able to do everything, but she must have an appropriate level of respect for all roles involved and be able to pitch in to fill gaps. Within tech, this type of position or responsibility can sometimes be overlooked because the focus is on recruiting technical and specialized talent. But sometimes, as Albert Einstein once said, "If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough". Effective communication is of central importance to getting your company on the road to success.

  Photo credit: Pressmaster / Shutterstock

  Blair Buick is the Senior Vice President of Decision Making Metrics at Metis, focusing on statistical analysis of real estate transactions and the impact of various socio-economic factors on pricing cycles. She is also involved in the firm’s marketing and compliance efforts. Prior to joining Metis, she served as Vice President, Director of Product Marketing at Altegris Investments where she played an instrumental role in developing alternative investment educational and marketing materials.
  

  
• 

  Google teases with Android M name video

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 7:22pm CEST par Mark Wilson

  

  You might still be waiting for Lollipop to limp onto your handset, but just around the corner is Android M. We already know quite a bit about what to expect from the next version of Android -- you can even try out the Android M Developer Preview if you want -- but there's one thing that's far from clear: what is it going to be called.

  There have been all sort of guesses since the codename was revealed by Google and now the company (Google, Alphabet... call it what you will...) is starting to tease us with name suggestions. There's also a video that offers a 'musical hint' at the name.

  The video, freshly posted to YouTube, is entitled What’s M Gonna Be? and features the hashtag #NatAndLo. We're treated to a history of Android, skipping through the various versions as Google kicks the hype machine into action. Then the suggestions are thrown at the screen: M&M, Mud Pie, Marshmallow... place your bets.

  The official Android Twitter feed kicked things off, inviting fans to guess what the name is going to be:

  What’s #Android M gonna be? We all have our guesses… [t.co] #natandlo pic.twitter.com/um6zpIdiw4

  — Android (@Android) August 14, 2015

  But it is the video that could well contain the information needed to discover the name ahead of time... you might just need to spend a little time decoding what you see and hear:

  With Android M drawing ever-closer on the horizon, there's really not long to wait until we find out for sure, but do you have any ideas about what the M could stand for?

  
• 

  Hello, walking billboards -- wearable displays are coming

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 7:21pm CEST par Sead Fadilpašić

  

  Researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have created a fiber-like LED that can be directly woven to create wearable fabric.

  In plain terms, Korean scientists have created bendable wearable displays.

  "Our research will become a core technology in developing light emitting diodes on fibres, which are fundamental elements of fabrics,” said Professor Choi, head of the research team at the School of Electrical Engineering at KAIST. “We hope we can lower the barrier of wearable displays entering the market".

  The process of making this fabric involves a lot of dipping and drying and is, as researchers claim, a much more efficient way of applying LED materials to small cylindrical structures than any heat-treating method.

  Gizmag has the details: "The scientists start with a fiber of polyethylene terephthalate, which they then dip several times into a solution of PEDOT:PSS (poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate) and then dry at 130° C (266° F) for 30 minutes to ready it for layering with organic materials. Once dried, the dipped fiber is then re-dipped in a bath of super-yellow (poly-(p-phenylenevinylene) polymer organic LED (OLED)) solution, dried again in an oven, and finally coated with a Lithium Fluoride/Aluminum (LiF/Al) compound".

  The researchers believe this will speed up the process of creating wearable displays as this process is simple, cheap and effective. LED fibers could be mass-produced as easily as nylon or polyethylene fiber is produced today.

  "This technology will eventually allow the production of wearable displays to be as easy as making clothes", said Seon-Il Kwon, a member of the KAIST Electrical Engineering team.

  Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.

  
• 

  Does diversity in tech actually matter?

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 6:42pm CEST par Mark Wilson

  

  Diversity has become something of a buzzword in tech, and it's one that companies are only too keen to bandy about at every opportunity. The likes of Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon are eager to demonstrate how diverse a workforce they have built up -- but the fact of the matter is that they have all failed abysmally.

  This much we know. We've seen that Facebook's workface is far from diverse, Amazon is about as white and male as it gets, and that Apple wants people to believe it's doing everything it can to foster greater diversity. Its latest report shows that the number of female, black, and Hispanic employees has increased but Tim Cook wants to do more. But the big question is: does diversity matter?

  The answer, of course, is yes; but there are some caveats. Diversity is quite a subjective idea and it is -- as with so many concepts -- something that is hard to bring about in a way that satisfies everyone. What does diversity mean? Should a company's workforce comprise precisely the same racial, sexual, gender, religious, etc breakdown as the country as a whole? Or the entire globe? Do the percentage of workers from different backgrounds need to be the same at all levels of the company, or just work out as an average?

  Few people would argue that there are certain sections of society that appear to be under-represented in the workplace. This is true in many industries, but it is the tech world that has found itself on the receiving end of criticism most recently. Apple is, as ever, eager to avoid being tarred with any brush of negativity, so in introducing Apple's latest diversity report Tim Cook reveals:

  In the past year we hired over 11,000 women globally, which is 65 percent more than in the previous year. In the United States, we hired more than 2,200 Black employees -- a 50 percent increase over last year -- and 2,700 Hispanic employees, a 66 percent increase. In total, this represents the largest group of employees we’ve ever hired from underrepresented groups in a single year. Additionally, in the first 6 months of this year, nearly 50 percent of the people we’ve hired in the United States are women, Black, Hispanic, or Native American.

  This is when things start to get interesting. Too many technology firms have demonstrated that they are dominated by white, middle-class men, and this is clearly an imbalance that needs to be addressed. But what is the best way to go about it? It would be unfair to go out and actively seek, for example, black employees for a particular position, just as it would be unfair to specify that applicants needed to be white.

  When you start to pursue the idea of workforce diversity, you start to encounter a few issues. While it is easy to tell whether someone is black or white, the same is not true when it comes to sexuality or religion. A CEO might want to ensure that his workforce includes a decent number of LGBT employees but in many cases this would involve asking questions that really should not be asked. If employment equality is to be achieved, a job application form that asks for -- or, worse, takes into consideration -- race, sexuality, gender, and so on is counterproductive and counterintuitive. Positive discrimination is still discrimination.

  So does diversity matter? Of course it does, but probably not in the way that many companies think it does. It's a delicate line to walk. Do nothing and it is the white, middleclass male who will dominate and probably bubble to the top -- it's the same in just about every industry. But set up program, initiatives, and incentives to pull in 'minorities' and push them up through the ranks and you run the risk of simply flipping the switch and just discriminating against different sections of society.

  You can't do right for doing wrong.

  Photo credit: Alta Oosthuizen / Shutterstock

  
• 

  Best Windows apps this week

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 4:24pm CEST par Martin Brinkmann

  One-hundred and forty-one in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows in the past seven days.

  Hot Windows 10 topics of the week deal with privacy issues, Windows Update issues, and yet another Lenovo faux-pas.

  This week saw the release of several high quality apps and games including March of Empires, a new empire building game, and MouseCraft, a game inspired by Lemmings and Tetris.

  As always, if I missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email instead.

  Discounts This Week

  Red Stripe Deals are back. Microsoft added them to the new Windows 10 Store. You find them listed under Collections when you open the store.

  1. Monster Island, toss bombs at enemies in more than 250 levels for $0.99
  2. Gardens Inc. - from Rakes to Riches (Full),  a simulation game for $1.99
  3. Monkey Labour, a classic LCD game for $0.99
  4. Drawboard PDF, to annotate, read and mark up PDF documents for $4.99
  5. Drift Mania: Street Outlaws, a racing game that is all about drifting for for $0.99
  6. Dwelp, a puzzle game for $0.99

  Best app of the week

  March of Empires

  

  March of Empires is an empire building strategy game that plays similar to other games of the genre.

  You start weak, need to construct and upgrade buildings, do research, and raise troops to defend your empire, plunder nearby villages and defeat other players.

  Each upgrade improves a building's capabilities but takes longer to complete. You will either have to wait for that to happen or use premium in-game currency to speed things up.

  Battles use a rock-paper-scissor approach and play out in the background. The only choice you have is to set up your troops before each battle, and to scout the enemy before you start it.

  Other features of interest include champions that you level up, a talent tree for champions to strengthen troops, and research to improve your economy or army.

  March of Empires is a massive game and if you don't mind waiting or paying, you will certainly enjoy it as it brings a lot to the table.

  Other apps

  Stick Robot

  

  Stick Robot is a puzzle game in which you need to help a robot cross gaps by building bridges.

  You do that with a click on the mouse button and holding it down as the bridge grows this way.

  The main challenge of the game is to create a bridge that is long enough for the robot to pass the gap safely but not too long.

  You may click while the robot is moving to walk over or under the bridge which you do to collect coins in the level.

  CTV Go

  

  The app provides live streaming of CTV and CTV Two's television feed. The app restricts access of the actual feed to Canada and will throw up an error message when you try to access it from another region.

  Apart from Live TV, you may also watch on-demand content instead, such as shows that you missed.

  MouseCraft ($4.99, no free trial)

  

  The developers describe this as a mix of the classic games Lemmings and Tetris. It is a puzzle game at its core in which you manipulate the environment using Tetris-like blocks to guide mice from the start to the exit.

  Your mice encounter dangers along the way and if you don't help them,by covering pools of water with blocks for instance, you will notice that they behave just like Lemmings and don't learn from the mistakes that other mice make.

  You have an arsenal of powers at your disposal that help you out, such as bombs that clear paths, or jelly bricks that soften falls.

  Call of Mini: Infinity

  

  Call of Mini: Infinity is an action game in which you play with and against other human players in popular game modes like Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill or Duel.

  The game features multiple weapons, upgrades and a talent system that you use to customize how you fight.

  It is playable with mouse and keyboard, but not as well as regular shooters such as Team Fortress 2.

  Important updates

  • The official Dropbox application has a new design for Windows 10. Other improvements include better UI for small resolution tablets, and options to select text in the text viewer.
  • Fitbit relaunched its application for Windows 10, adding challenges and direct syncing with Windows Phone devices among other things.
  • Google has updated its search application for Windows 10. It brings Google Search (including voice search), image search, and access to Google apps like Gmail to Windows 10.
  • Perfect Tube's update makes it an universal Windows app. The popular YouTube viewer supports gestures, lots of settings and lets you sign in to your account to access features that require an account.
  • VLC for Windows 8 has a new design that matches the styling of Windows 10.

  
• 

  Solving the enterprise storage management problem [Q&A]

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 3:37pm CEST par Ian Barker

  

  Many companies would like to use the cloud as a new approach to storage management, but it isn't without problems. High latency, unpredictable performance of internet transport and fear of data breaches may make the public cloud services unsuitable for many production applications.

  We spoke to Ellen Rubin, CEO and founder of enterprise storage startup ClearSky Data to find out how enterprises can address these issues and get their cloud storage projects moving.

  BN: What proportion of enterprises are using cloud storage solutions, and how will changes in enterprise needs drive storage-as-a-service?

  ER: There is a chronic, incredibly expensive problem in the enterprise data center. It stems in part from the longevity of data. Enterprises have data buried in files, databases, emails and other places where it sits -- basically -- forever. That data is used in varying degrees depending on its timeliness and value to the enterprise, but no one ever wants to throw anything away, so the data center footprint keeps growing.

  As enterprises struggle with that scenario, we hear a variety of numbers suggesting IT's approach to managing growing data stores. At the end of 2014, 451 Research said 32 percent of enterprises were using the public cloud and 39 percent had hybrid infrastructure in place. Enterprises like the idea of extending their data centers out to the cloud. Even more attractive is the potential for managed cloud -- being able to tap into an enterprise-class storage-as-a-service offering that takes the weight off their data centers and infrastructure teams. They want all the things that are great about the cloud, but they need the hybrid storage management aspect to protect them from security concerns as well as performance and latency issues. There is the potential in the market now to challenge the long-standing enterprise storage status quo, and the service aspect will be key to that disruption.

  BN: What is the biggest concern for enterprises wary of straying from the traditional approach to storage?

  ER: We see the answer to that question in every industry survey. The main hesitations about cloud storage adoption are control and security. Companies want the scalability, agility and economics of the cloud, but they worry about losing the control they feel with local enterprise storage. Because of that, enterprises are making their way to the cloud with Web apps or test and development workloads. If they could mitigate concerns around control and security issues, enterprises could shrink the expense and complexity in their data centers while improving performance.

  BN: Data security is a major concern for enterprises that use cloud storage, how can that issue be addressed?

  ER: The major cloud providers have made significant strides in meeting enterprise security concerns over the past few years, but there are still several issues to address. The most critical ones are around data encryption and key management – these are table stakes for putting data in the cloud. A managed service provider (MSP) can address these issues upfront for enterprises, as well as provide many other requirements, such as third-party audits, operational controls, background checks and more.

  BN: Is there a cost benefit to having storage in the cloud? How does that vary based on the amount of data a company creates?

  ER: There is a huge cost benefit to putting archival, backup and cold data in the cloud and leaving it there. That kind of storage is dirt cheap. But -- and this is a big but -- it's not cheap to pull that data out of the cloud and use it in a production-ready way. Plus, there is unpredictable performance and a level of latency that is unacceptable for most production applications. The amount of data enterprises create isn't the point. The cloud is endlessly scalable -- if they want to put a ton of petabytes in the cloud, they can go ahead. However, the speed and performance required for enterprise apps needs to be addressed.

  BN: What are the biggest misconceptions surrounding enterprise storage?

  ER: Enterprise IT teams believe they have no choice but to invest and reinvest in data center infrastructure every few years as their data stores grow and technology changes. They are stuck on a commodity storage treadmill.

  Secondly IT teams often view new platforms as cure-alls for storage headaches, but if enterprises are going to become more agile, they'll have to focus on something different: managing their data more effectively as it cycles through the hot, warm and cold lifecycle stages.

  Also some label the public cloud as a panacea for storage management, but enterprises have security and control questions about the cloud, and performance and latency are also barriers. There are unavoidable latency issues around moving data between clouds and across complex networks that span hundreds or thousands of miles. Fixing this will require the help of service providers with regional resources and the ability to help enterprises maintain the performance levels their users demand.

  MSPs and enterprises need to partner with companies that are focused on helping them overcome these market challenges.

  Photo Credit: fbmadeira/Shutterstock

  
• 

  10 things you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 5

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 3:25pm CEST par Mark Wilson

  

  Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 5 in NYC yesterday and there has already been a great deal of coverage of the handset. It is hard to beat getting hands-on with a phone but there are important factors that could sway you one way or the other when it comes to making a purchase.

  Samsung has already produced an infographic pulling out what the company thinks are its highlights. To help you decide if the Galaxy Note 5 should be on your shopping list, here are ten things you need to know.

  It'll almost certainly get Android M

  We might not know whether the M stands for Marshmallow, Mars bar, Milky Way, or Marzipan, but we do know that Android M is only just around the corner. A lot of people may still be waiting for Lollipop to arrive on their handsets, but the Galaxy Note 5 is a flagship device that's virtually guaranteed to be among the first in line for Android M.

  The next version of Google's mobile operating system is pencilled for release in October, and it would be extremely surprising if an update did not follow fairly quickly for the latest addition to Samsung's Note range.

  There actually is a 128GB version

  While Samsung only talked about 32 and 64GB models at the unveiling, it seems that anyone who was hoping for a larger capacity could be in luck. After the hype of the main unveiling, Samsung later added 128GB Note 5 to its website. There's no word on pricing yet, but this will almost certainly follow in the coming days --- launch isn't all that far away, after all.

  You can't expand the storage

  It's just as well the 128GB Note 5 did make an appearance as Samsung took the decision not to include a microSD slot. In terms of data there has been a slow and steady move to cloud storage, but when it comes to apps, photos, and files that need to be accessed offline, the ability to expand storage space is something that a lot of people still look out for. Just like Apple, Samsung is now forcing customers to think very carefully before making a purchase -- spend a little to make a saving and run the risk of running out of space, or splash the cash in the hope that it will future-proof your handset? The choice is yours.

  It has the same processor at the Galaxy S6 Edge+

  The eight-core Exynos 7420 processor is quite a powerhouse. With half the cores running at 1.5GHz and the other half at 2.1GHz, this is a processor that will handle just about anything you might throw at it.

  There is no removable battery

  Like the lack of removable storage, the ability to switch out the battery is an option that's missing from the Galaxy Note 5. It's something that users care passionately about, or could not care less about -- there is usually no middle ground. If you want to be able to take a spare battery on the road with you, this is not the phone for you. If you're less demanding in the power department, or can make do with an external battery pack, the 3,000 mAh battery should see you through -- and it's a fast-charging, wireless power pack to boot.

  That display

  It's hard not to be impressed by the Galaxy Note 5's display. At 5.7 inches, it's venturing into phablet territory, but it's not just about size. It's a QHD Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels, equating to 518 ppi and the shrunken bezel means that more of the front of the phone is take up by the display.

  Samsung Pay support

  Paying for shopping with a phone is not new by any means, but Samsung Pay -- supported by both the Galaxy S6 Edge+ and the Galaxy Note 5 -- could improve its appeal. By supporting not only NFC but also MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission used by credit card readers) you should be able to pay with your Note 5 in more places than you are able to use other phones.

  All metal and glass design

  With the Note 5, Samsung has taken build quality up a notch, eschewing plastic in favor of metal and glass. The company has long been accused of borrowing ideas from Apple for its handsets, but few people would complain about the effect this has had on build quality.

  There's a physical keyboard if you want it

  We thought the days of physical buttons on phones were all but dead, but there is still demand for BlackBerry-style keyboard from some quarters. There's nothing to stop you from pairing up any old Bluetooth keyboard to the Note 5 to speed up your typing, but Samsung has a better option. Its keyboard cover snaps into place over the display to make lengthy typing sessions a breeze -- assuming you haven’t become reliant on the likes of Swype, that is.

  S-Pen improvements

  The S-Pen has always been one of the Note's key selling points, and in the Note 5 Samsung has taken the time to make a few refinements. Perhaps the most notable change is the click mechanism that locks the pen in place when it's not in use, and eliminating the need to scrabble with a fingernail to pull it out to make a quick note. The on-pen button has also been re-designed to make accidental presses less likely. The physical improvements are bolstered by improvements to the S-Pen software, opening up new ways of interacting with your Note 5 including annotating PDF, and scrolling screen capture.

  
• 

  In BYOD companies trust -- or should they?

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 1:09pm CEST par Pat Clawson

  

  Running a business in today’s digitally-driven world means that most, if not all, of your employees will be using their own personal mobile devices to send and receive work emails, logging into the company’s intranet, posting messages on the corporate Yammer account, sending instant messages to one another and sharing files between computers and the cloud. This BYOD tendency is just a part of corporate life today and there’s no point in trying to fight it.

  But just as there are pluses to having a BYOD workforce, there are also minuses. On the one hand, your employees are more productive and efficient -- they can stay on top of urgent business matters without having to physically be in the office. But on the other side of the coin are some serious risks that are often exacerbated by the fact that businesses just don’t know enough about mobile security, lack comprehensive BYOD security policies and aren’t always as diligent about monitoring employee use of devices inside and outside of work.

  One thing that businesses often forget is that the devices issued to employees aren’t brand new. They were previously used by other employees -- oftentimes dozens -- before they’re handed to the next employee. Because I’m a firm believer in education and awareness, I thought I’d share a few truths that every business should know about BYOD and mobile security.

  Mobile device management does not equal mobile security.

  Nothing puts a business into a false sense of security faster than putting these concepts in the same category. Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions make it easy, convenient and cost-effective for companies to manage device data remotely. This includes being able to erase data remotely should a device get lost or stolen. Unfortunately, this can also create a false sense of security among businesses. To illustrate this, Cambridge University researchers recently discovered that 500 to 630 million Android devices do not completely wipe data from their internal disks and SD cards during remote erasures -- in turn, rendering data recoverable. Frightening still, is that this process is equivalent to the factory reset option. The only way to entirely destroy data is with a USB connection to a computer that overwrites the data and prevents it from ever resurfacing again.

  ‘Containerization’ widens margin of human error.

  The reality is that corporate data and personal data don’t sit in distinct silos. They overlap quite a bit and have to coexist with each other. So while OEMs have built specific platforms to accommodate their coexistence, it still doesn’t account for human error. The fact of the matter is that employees tend to switch back and forth between corporate and personal data throughout the day. And because there is no perfect technology out there to help businesses manage this behavior, it leaves a lot of corporate data vulnerable to exposure. And this has the potential to leave even more sensitive information on the device when it’s "wiped".

  SD cards are not so secure after all.

  We all use SD cards at some point or another during our workday. Maybe you need to transfer files from your work laptop to an SD card. Or perhaps you have photos from a company event on your personal smartphone that you store onto the SD card to upload and share on the company’s intranet and social channels. Whatever the case, external SD cards make it easy to transfer data, but they also make it just as easy to accidentally leak sensitive information. When you think about the information that is being stored on an SD card (emails, contacts, photos, videos, files, etc.), you’d be a fool if you didn’t realize there is a lot to lose in one easily transferable place. In order to securely erase an external SD card, you need to physically remove the card and insert it into a computer. The computer can actually run the software to securely erase your data.

  Don’t forget about the cloud.

  Everyone is excited about the cloud and all the flexibility and scalability it brings. But pre-installed data wiping software won’t stop hackers from accessing information that’s been stored on the cloud. The big companies like Apple, Google, Motorola, Microsoft and Samsung have all recently signed pledges that ensure pre-installed data wiping software will be included in all their latest devices. However, this doesn’t affect information that has already been backed up and stored to the cloud. Think about the thousands of photos and videos people take from their smartphones and tablets. If I could tell businesses one thing, it’s this -- Cloud security is far from where it needs to be. Lest we all forget the huge celebrity scandal that ensued when their Cloud accounts were hacked and nude photos were leaked.

  What’s that you sync?

  As you sync, your devices might be automatically transferring files without your knowledge. Do you charge your phone on your work computer? Or maybe you charge your work phone on your personal computer. Either way, once you are connected, most devices will automatically sync without hesitating. The trick here is to be aware what files may have accidentally been transferred and keep them separated so they cannot be later hacked or extracted.

  For better or worse, personal data is often shared unknowingly.

  Factory resets -- we’ve all heard this term. It’s what your mobile carrier often tells you to do before you trade in your old device for a new one. But it’s just not that simple. Factory resets don’t completely erase all of the data from your devices. With a quick search online and less than $100, anyone could recover your information. Employers need to keep in mind device malfunctions. When devices go haywire -- be it a battery meltdown, frozen/crashed apps or something else -- employees will take them into their mobile carriers or the device manufacturers to get checked up and repaired, and in the meantime, use a loaner phone. When turned in, loaner phones will undergo a factory reset, however as it does not completely erase, it is completely possible for companies to expose their data this way.

  Photo credit: baranq/Shutterstock

  Pat Clawson was named Chief Executive Officer Blancco Technology Group in January 2015, bringing more than 20 years of experience in technology and IT security. Most recently, he served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lumension Security, Inc., where he successfully grew the business to strong revenue growth and profitability. In addition to successfully launching new technologies into the marketplace and guiding four businesses through acquisitions, Clawson has also established himself as an IT security pundit within the media. His insights have been featured in many of the world’s most influential news publications, including WSJ, CNN, CNET, Washington Post, USA Today, Forbes, CIO and Infosecurity Magazine, just to name a few.

  
• 

  Troubleshoot your hard drives with DHE Drive Info

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 11:32am CEST par Mike Williams

  

  Modern hard drives are generally very reliable, and may survive the entire lifetime of your PC without any problems at all. There are no guarantees, though, so it’s wise to have one or two diagnostic programs to hand, and DHE Drive Info makes a feature-packed first choice.

  The program is portable, just unzip and run, and a list of drives and partitions covers all the basics: drive model, type, temperature, health score, capacity, free space, read/ write indicators and more.

  The "Information" pane provides more low-level details than you’d get from many specialist system information tools, including manufacturer, product ID, features supported, SMART summary and information on the drive controller.

  If these first reports suggest health problems then you’re able to view the drive’s SMART indicators, error counts which might point to hardware issues. The CONTROL screen has options to run various drive self-tests which might tell you more.

  DHE Drive Info isn’t just about your hardware. There’s also plenty of useful partition information to explore -- type, file system, mountpoint, size, boot record details -- and you can browse the MBR, VBR, MFT or the entire hard drive at the sector level.

  Still can’t figure out the issue? Clicking Tools > Search Disk Online opens a browser window with the results of a web search for your drive model.

  There are also bonus tools to raise alerts if you drive temperature increases, to regularly save SMART details for review later, to back up your MBR or enable/ disable various drive features (SMART, APM, AAM, more).

  It’s not all good news. The interface is awkward, and DHE Drive Info doesn’t even try to work with anything else. It would be useful to have some double or right-click actions to open Explorer, Disk Management, maybe the Performance Monitor, for example, but no – there’s nothing like that here.

  Still, DHE Drive Info does provide a wealth of features and functionality -- even on Windows 10, thanks to the latest update -- and on balance it’s well worth a place in your troubleshooting toolkit. Give it a try.

  
• 

  Ingress and Field Trip developer Niantic Labs is Alphabet's first independent spin-off

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 11:18am CEST par David Curry

  

  In the post announcing Alphabet, CEO Larry Page said Google would be "slimmed down" to focus on the goal of collecting all the world’s information. The first spin-off from Google to independent company will be Niantic Labs, the developers of Ingress and Field Trip.

  The augmented reality gaming startup launched Ingress a few years ago, an augmented reality discovery game built on top of Google Maps. It is free and has over 12 million players, who try to track down gems around the city. On top of the two apps, Niantic Labs is also working on a TV show inspired by Ingress.

  The future of Niantic Labs could be based on building apps for Google Glass or working on interface design for the augmented reality device. With Microsoft HoloLens and Magic Leap both coming in the next two years, Niantic might also be able to move cross-platform.

  It is not a massive spin-off, considering Niantic doesn’t make any revenue on its two apps. Google will continue to help fund the startup, but we suspect some type of monetization will occur in the next year or two to keep Ingress running.

  Android and YouTube are the two big departments we could potentially see split off from Google. YouTube already has its own CEO, Susan Wojcicki and has been separate from the ambitions of Google for over a year now. Google+ sign-up was disabled a few months ago on YouTube.

  Having Android out of the Google bubble would also be a strong move to avoid European Union investigation. Russia is also investigating Google on anti-monopoly charges, pushed by Russian search engine Yandex—they claim Google is using Android to push Yandex out of the mobile market.

  We still don’t know about Google’s robotics division or DeepMind Technologies either, whether they will be a separate company or inside Google. Alphabet will most likely update us on the status of these divisions in the next financial report.

  Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.

  
• 

  Advanced Persistent Threats still go unnoticed by website owners

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 9:35am CEST par Ilia Kolochenko

  

  The term "Advanced Persistence Threat" fills news pages on a regular basis. According to ISACA APT Awareness Study, 93.6 percent of respondents consider APTs to be a "very serious threat" for their companies.

  However, many "APT" attacks, do not really fall under the 'advanced' category in terms of the attackers’ sophistication. A very recent exploit, combined with phishing or newly registered domains are rather "low-cost APTs", for which we should probably introduce the new term "LCAPT" or just "LAPT" to distinguish these from genuine APTs.

  Genuine APTs usually involves exclusive zero-day exploits, custom-made malware, complicated techniques of data exfiltration to bypass corporate IDS/DLP, and a preliminary compromise of several trusted third-parties of the victim. These attacks are extremely difficult or even impossible to detect. Cyber-mercenaries behind these attacks are not [only] Chinese army officers or Russian teenagers as many tend to think. They have legal, financial and banking industry experts, psychologists, and even ex-law enforcement officers amongst them. Business knowledge combined with advanced technical skills and the ability to fool law enforcement agencies by knowing their methodologies of work, make APT a very serious and costly problem.

  Taking a closer look at the APT lifecycle will help to understand how APTs usually start. The very first step is to select the right approach to appropriate victims in the targeted company. Hackers perform very thorough due-diligence on their victims, carefully selecting those who have a necessary level of access to the data that they are looking for. APTs are different from other less sophisticated attacks by very well prepared attack scenarios that will work in 9 out of 10 cases.

  Unfortunately, human psychology cannot be altered solely through security training and awareness; our basic instincts will always dominate our acquired skills. We were recently assisting a medium-size insurance company that decided to outsource cybersecurity management to a third-party provider, cutting the majority of internal security jobs. Security people received a very well prepared [fake] email from the management about their future placement and dismissal compensations. Everyone, including senior security experts who have been in the industry for dozen of years, clicked on the included link.

  Once the victims are properly selected and the attack scenario is ready, it’s time to deliver a zero-day exploit to execute arbitrary code on victim’s machine, install a backdoor and start invisible expansion to other machines in the local network. Different to all existing Bug Bounties, zero-day exploits can earn researchers potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars . Usually, zero-days are outsourced to hacking teams specialized in exploit development. The most traded zero-days target vulnerabilities in client-side applications, such as browsers, Adobe Flash and Reader, or MS office.

  One of the most important points is how to deliver the exploit and compromise the victim in such a way that both the victim and corporate security solutions won’t notice anything. Sometimes hackers start loud DDoS attacks or simple large-scale phishing attacks with known attack signatures that will flood corporate SIEM with messages and attract all of the attention. Therefore, if you are observing how well you have just blocked a large-scale intrusion to your network, be sure to check that it’s not a smoke screen to hide an APT.

  Usually, the exploit is delivered as an attachment to an email or as a link to website. Email attachments are used less and less in APTs, hackers would rather send a legitimate URL which the victim will blindly and unquestionably trust, such as to your corporate website.

  These days, companies have a great choice of advanced cybersecurity solutions to prevent, monitor and block network intrusions. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers The Global State of Information Security® Survey 2015, 49 percent of respondents spend money on specialized solutions to prevent and block APTs. However, often once a C-level manager is blocked and prevented from his daily work with a false-positive intrusion alert, all of these solutions are set into silent monitoring mode. Current business needs are much more important for the majority of top-level managers than potential security risks that they may theoretically face in the future.

  Web traffic inspection is usually based on the monitoring of anomalies, known attacks and payloads patterns, reputation and history, and many other drive-by-download detection techniques. However, there are almost always a couple of websites and web applications that are whitelisted for business reasons. One of these is usually a corporate website, as people don’t expect their corporate portal to deliver malware and therefore, in order to reduce number of logs and work, just remove it from the monitoring scope. This is a great gift for hackers, as even a tiny stored XSS on your website enables attackers to deliver the exploit, compromise and backdoor the victim, and then go further into your network. All these factors make your corporate website a perfect vector to host the exploit.

  Sometimes attackers won’t deliver their payload at the first click, they would rather reconfirm that the victim is using the "right" browser and OS version first, and then deliver the exploit with the second email and link.

  We recently saw a more exciting case where no client-side exploits or malware were used at all. The victim company had a centralized access management of their corporate resources via a web system that grouped email, CRM, HRM and other business-critical applications. The company was recently acquired by a bigger competitor, and many employees were scared to lose their jobs. Hackers managed to compromise one of the subdomains of the corporate website that was hosted on a separate server and didn’t contain any sensitive information.

  Then they sent emails from the compromised web server asking employees to login into the website using their corporate credentials, and follow a step-by-step questionnaire that was supposed to define whose jobs were likely to be cut. Moreover, the website worked perfectly: employees were asked to answer a dozen credible questions (e.g. work experience, desire to stay, family status, etc), making people believe that it was a perfectly legitimate system. At the end of the questionnaire, every employee received a message that he or she would keep their job. Overflowing with positive emotions, nobody even thought that their password had just been stored in plaintext for further usage by the cybercriminals to access all their corporate data.

  A tiny vulnerability in your corporate website or its subdomain may ruin all the efforts you take to protect your company from APTs. Therefore, when planning your annual cybersecurity budget, don’t forget about regular website security audits, otherwise all other spending may suddenly become useless.

  Ilia Kolochenko is High-Tech Bridge’s CEO and Chief Architect of web application security service ImmuniWeb.

  
• 

  Vodafone Connect now live nationwide across the UK

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 8:56am CEST par David Curry

  

  Vodafone is launching its home broadband service nationwide, after a soft launch in Manchester, Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire in June. Vodafone Connect will be available with options up to 76Mbps, utilizing the BT Openreach infrastructure.

  Vodafone is using Cable & Wireless, which it acquired in 2012, alongside partnering with BT for full nationwide coverage. It seems unlikely Vodafone will acquire Virgin Media, as was rumored a few months ago.

  "We started our broadband journey with an exclusive offer available only to a few Vodafone customers", said Cindy Rose, Consumer Director at Vodafone UK. "We have now extended this to all of our millions of customers as our way of saying thank you for their loyalty. We know our customers depend on us to stay connected, and now we can satisfy their needs both at home and on the go".

  Vodafone Connect will be able to prioritize one device using a Boost feature, alongside sending a stronger signal through Beam.

  It is one of the first mobile and broadband deals, initiating the "quad-play" deals for customers. Landline and TV can also be provided through BT, although right now Vodafone is focused on broadband and mobile.

  BT is trying to reach quad-play as well, with the £12.5 billion acquisition of EE earlier this year. That deal is still going through Ofcom investigation. Meanwhile, Sky and O2 are working on a partnership to offer quad-play services, although that deal may have been shut down with Three UK’s £10 billion acquisition of O2 from Telefonica.

  Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.

  
• 

  Panda Security releases 2016 range

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 8:47am CEST par Mike Williams

  

  Panda Security has unveiled its 2016 consumer range, including Panda Free Antivirus 2016, Panda Antivirus Pro 2016 ($43.99),Panda Internet Security 2016 ($54.99), Panda Global Protection 2016 ($76.99) and Panda Gold Security 2016 ($98.99)

  All editions come with a new engine and make better use of Panda’s Collective Intelligence, which the company says now provides greater protection with less impact on performance.

  Antivirus Pro 2016 and higher editions offer more wi-fi protection, including audits to uncover potential vulnerabilities, and tools to detect and block intruders.

  The suites have a Data Shield to prevent confidential information leaving your system; Panda Global and Gold Protection can protect files to ensure no-one else gets access to them, and all editions are packaged in a mildly revamped interface.

  If you’re looking to change antivirus, Panda is definitely worth considering. The company is loved by the independent testing labs, and is top-ranked in AV-Comparative’s latest Real-World Protection Test.

  You don’t need to spend any money to get that protection, of course -- AV-Comparatives tests the free edition -- but Internet Security 2016, in particular, offers plenty of extra functionality for a reasonable price.

  Panda Free Antivirus 2016, Panda Antivirus Pro 2016, Panda Internet Security 2016, Panda Gl

  
• 

  Dell announces Chromebook 13 for business as Google expands 'For Work' initiative

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 4:12am CEST par Brian Fagioli

  

  I'm a strong believer in using the right tool for a job. Yeah, you can probably drive a nail into a piece of wood with the handle of a screwdriver, but wouldn't you rather use a hammer? The same applies to technology in business. Many businesses should probably stick with Windows machines (coupled with Office 365), but others would be smart to choose a Mac or Chromebook instead -- it depends on needs.

  Today, Dell announces the all-new touchscreen Chromebook 13. Designed for businesses the premium laptop can be configured with Intel Broadwell Core i5 processors and 8GB of RAM, making for a solid cloud-based workstation. The Chromebook for Work initiative is looking better every day.

  "Built with a lightweight carbon fiber cover, the laptop comes with a 13.3 inch FHD IPS touchscreen display, 5th Gen Intel Core processor, magnesium alloy palmrest, backlit keyboard, and high-precision glass trackpad. And if you're often on the road or rushing between meetings, you'll have the machine power to keep moving, thanks to a 12-hour battery life. Starting at $399 and available for purchase starting September 17th, the Chromebook 13 brings enterprise class performance at an economical price point", says Dell.

  

  The manufacturer further explains, "the latest Dell Chromebook offers options for performance, speed and mobility, thanks to Intel Celeron, Core i3 and i5 processors with up to 8GB of system memory, and up to 12 hour battery life allowing for all business day productivity while on the move. With seamless connectivity, fast boot time and high performance, users can be fully productive wherever they are. People are able to collaborate seamlessly with a 720p HD video webcam, a Full High Definition IPS display and dual array microphones all designed to integrate with Google Hangouts".

  

  Not only are the specs impressive, but so is pricing. The base model starts at $399, but prices will increase based on how you configure of course. This should be very attractive to businesses that are looking for inexpensive computers with minimal maintenance. The Dell Chromebook 13 looks like a cost-effective Pixel 2 alternative.

  

  The Dell Chromebook 13 is just the latest addition to Google's "Chromebooks for Work" program. Not only is the search giant increasing the number of business-focused Chromebook offerings, but it is gaining new Chrome OS adopters too. Starbucks and Netflix are two such major companies that are incorporating Chromebooks into their core. Chrome OS is proving to be a legitimate threat in the enterprise.

  

  Are you a Chromebook fan? Tell me why in the comments below.

   

  
• 

  Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ pricing revealed

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 12:13am CEST par Mark Wilson

  

  When Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ earlier today, there was a lot to take in -- but information about pricing was notable by its absence. As these are both flagship handsets, low prices were never going to be on the cards, but as the day has worn on, carriers have revealed how much you can expect to pay.

  Pre-ordering starts today, so you don't have much (well... any) time to save up, but we now know how much the two handsets will cost from AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Read on to see how much you'll have to part with.

  It should come as no surprise that the Galaxy S6 Edge+ is the more expensive of the two, as detailed by Android Beat:

  AT&T

  32GB

  No Contract: $814.99

  Two-year contract: $299.99

  Next 24: 30 payments of $27.17

  Next 18: 24 payments of $39.96

  Next 12: 20 payments of $40.75

   

  64GB

  No Contract: $914.99

  Two-year contract: $399.99

  Next 24: 30 payments of $30.50

  Next 18: 24 payments of $38.13

  Next 12: 20 payments of $45.75

   

  Verizon Wireless

  32GB

  24 payments of $32

   

  64GB

  24 payments of $36

   

  T-Mobile

  32GB

  JUMP! On Demand will offer $0 down and 23 payments of $32.50, with an additional payment of $32.49. Buying before 9/30 will earn $0 down and $28.50 for 18 months.

   

  Sprint

  32GB

  No Contract: $792

  Two-year contract: $349.99

  Easy Pay: 24 payments of $33

  Lease: $0 down and 24 payments of $30

   

  64GB

  No Contract: $888

  Two-year contract: $449.99

  Easy Pay: 24 payments of $37

  Lease: 24 payments of $35

   

  The Galaxy Note 5, complete with its S-Pen is slightly cheaper:

  AT&T

  32GB

  No Contract: $739.99

  Two-year contract: $249.99

  Next 24: 30 payments of $24.67

  Next 18: 24 payments of $30.84

  Next 12: 20 payments of $37.00

   

  64GB

  No Contract: $839.99

  Two-year contract: $349.99

  Next 24: 30 payments of $28

  Next 18: 24 payments of $35

  Next 12: 20 payments of $42

   

  Verizon Wireless

  32GB

  24 payments of $29

   

  64GB

  24 payments of $33

   

  Sprint

  32GB

  No Contract: $720

  Two-year contract: $249.99

  Easy Pay: 24 payments of $30

  Lease: 24 payments of $25

   

  64GB

  No Contract: $816

  Two-year contract: $349.99

  Easy Pay: 24 payments of $34

  Lease: 24 payments of $30

   

  T-Mobile

  32GB

  JUMP! On Demand will offer it for $0 down, 23 payments of $29.17 and one additional payment of $29.08.

  
• 

  Hands-on and first impressions with Samsung Pay, Galaxy Note 5, and S6 Edge+

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 12:10am CEST par Brian Fagioli

  

  Today was Samsung Unpacked in New York City, and I was there live. Hundreds of tech journalists made the pilgrimage to the Lincoln Center to learn about the company's newest smartphones.

  Sadly, there was little magic in the building, as the devices were leaked well in advance. Ever see a movie trailer that gives too much of the movie away, and then you go to see the film, and you have already seen the best parts? Yeah it was like that. No surprises. Still, both the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ seem to be wonderful new phones.

  If you've ever been to an event like this before, it goes like this; first you line up early outside so you can get a good seat at the keynote. After the keynote, the journalists file out like cattle, and then run like manics to get to the demo tables first. In other words, it is a lot of jockeying for position.

  It is clear that the Note 5 was not the star of the show. During the keynote, and during demos, the S6 Edge+ was the phone Samsung was pushing. The demo tables were especially telling -- there were far more S6+ tables than Note 5. I actually had to ask a Samsung employee to show me where the Note 5 was, as it was not apparent.

  Photos 

  

  Video

  With that said, the first phone I tried was the Galaxy S6 Edge+. If you think it is nothing more than a larger Galaxy 6 Edge, then, well... you would be right. OK, technically it has better specs, including a mind-boggling 4GB RAM, but the experience is essentially the same. It is important to focus on the experience, as this is what will impact consumers in a now-mature smartphone market.

  The screen on the Galaxy S6 Edge+ is amazing -- the curved edges on the larger display makes it look like magic. Seriously, colors are vibrant and the phone feels alive. It felt great in my hand -- light and comfortable.

  You can see a demo of the Galaxy S6 Edge+ in the above video.

  Photos

  

  Video

  After that, I located the Note 5 and got to try it out too. This is very similar to the Galaxy S6 Edge+, but without a curved screen. If of course has the much-celebrated S Pen, which many professionals love. Truth be told, I am not a fan of using a stylus, although I respect the functionality it adds. For my smartphone usage -- mostly consumption, gaming and social media -- the Galaxy S6 Edge+ would probably be the better choice.

  The screen on the Note 5 looks as good as the Galaxy S6 Edge+, but I prefer the curved experience on the latter. With that said, holding the Note 5 is easier and more mindless, as you do not have to be aware of the edges.

  You can see a demo of the Note 5 in the above video.

  Both phones feature Samsung Pay, yet another mobile payment system. At first, I was disinterested, until I learned that it works with existing magnetic strip card readers. In other words, a merchant does not need an NFC terminal to take these types of payments. In layman's terms, the card reader is fooled into thinking a traditional magnetic card has been swiped -- very cool. Check out the demo above.

  They both also support Samsung's exclusive Fast Wireless Charging, as seen in the video above. The company promises that this will wirelessly charge the phones faster, but I could not get them to commit to how much faster. Of course, you will need to purchase the new accessory to achieve that speed, but luckily, older Qi chargers will still work, albeit slowly.

  

  The keyboard cover seen above will work with both the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+. It transforms the smartphones into Blackberry-like typing machines, perfect for both business users and hardcore texters alike. I got to try this accessory and found that it worked brilliantly. It definitely improved my typing as compared to typing on the screen. It snaps onto the back of the phone when not in use, so you do not have to worry about losing it.

  Overall, Samsung has done it again. Both the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ are fast, beautiful and powerful. Both phones manage to stand out in the sea of Android phones -- a curved screen, an S Pen -- without being gimmicky. In other words, Samsung is doing what no other Android OEM can -- being striking and distinct.

  
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  Xiaomi launches Redmi Note 2 and Note 2 Prime starting at $125; unveils Android 5.1-based MIUI 7

  Publié: août 14, 2015, 12:01am CEST par Manish Singh

  

  Xiaomi, the fast-growing Chinese technology conglomerate which earned a name selling durable and powerful smartphones, tablets and other gadgets at insanely cheap price points, today at an event in China announces two new smartphones and a major update to its Android based ROM. The company today launches the Redmi Note 2 and the Redmi Note 2 Prime.

  The successor to the company's fast-selling Redmi Note phablet, the Redmi Note 2 is Xiaomi's latest take to the increasingly competitive smartphone market. The Redmi Note 2 sports a 5.5-inch FHD display and costs just RMB 799 ($125).

  Other features of the device include a 64-bit capable MediaTek Helio X10 octa-core chipset clocked at 2GHz (which incidentally is the same SoC that HTC supplied in its $800 One M9+ smartphone). The phone comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage. It supports Wi-Fi, 3G, and Bluetooth for connectivity options. The company has also launched an FDD-LTE capable variant of the Redmi Note 2 which is priced at RMB 899 ($140).

  The Redmi Note 2 Prime is a refined version of the Redmi Note 2 with slightly better hardware specifications. For instance, it comes the Helio X10 processor which is clocked at 2.2GHz. Additionally, you also get 32GB internal storage. It is priced at around $155.

  All three devices come with a 13-megapixel camera at the back, and a 5-megapixel sensor placed upfront. They all have the same 3,060mAh battery. The devices also comes with infrared support for universal remote compatibility with a number of compliances.

  

  On the software front, they run on MIUI 7. MIUI 7 is the latest update to Xiaomi's Android-based ROM. The ROM has been updated to bring in improvements to the user interface, support for facial recognition technology in photos, a “unique” roaming app to support virtual network when you're out of your home nation (or state), and a bunch of new themes. MIUI 7 is based on Android 5.1.

  Xiaomi says that the facial recognition technology will make it possible for the phone to automatically sort out similar images. For instance, if you have taken plenty of images of your cat, the phone will arrange all its pictures in a different folder. The update will begin to rollout to a range of Xiaomi devices later this week in China, which will be followed by global rollout in the coming weeks.