Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » octobre 9, 2015

BetaNews.Com (20 non lus)

LoopPay hack does not affect Samsung Pay users

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 8:15pm CEST par Darren Allan

Samsung has hit a spot of trouble, with the news that LoopPay, a US-based subsidiary of the company, has been targeted by hackers.

This is particularly important because as the New York Times reports, LoopPay’s magnetic secure transmission technology is the cornerstone of Samsung’s mobile payment system.

It’s believed that the hackers, who are allegedly Chinese and affiliated to the government of that country, broke into LoopPay’s network back in March, over half a year ago now.

Given that the firm didn’t discover the intrusion until August had almost ended, that’s a pretty worrying length of time for the network to have been compromised. However, it’s the office network of LoopPay which was breached, and not the production network that handles payment transactions and is run by Samsung -- which is a completely separate system.

At this point, it seems that customer data is safe, and Samsung has come out with a statement to say that Samsung Pay users have not been affected by this affair.

Samsung called it an isolated incident, and said that at no point was customer payment information at risk.

Following the discovery of the breach, LoopPay enlisted the services of two independent security teams, and has conducted a "thorough and extensive sweep" of its whole system, with new safeguards being introduced where appropriate.

Samsung asserted: "We’re confident that Samsung Pay is safe and secure. Each transaction uses a digital token to replace a card number. The encrypted token combined with certificate information can only be used once to make a payment. Merchants and retailers can’t see or store the actual card data".

Nevertheless, even a sniff of bad sounding publicity on the security front isn’t good news for a payment system.

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

Image Credit: wk1003mike/Shutterstock
ARCHOS announces the privacy-centric GranitePhone to take on the Blackphone

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 7:30pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Smartphone owners will often argue over which mobile platform is the most secure, but if you're looking for the ultimate security, you need to step away from the mainstream. Silent Circle is probably the best known off-the-beaten-track company thanks to its ultra-secure Blackphone, but now there is a new contender: the GranitePhone by SIKUR.

Just as the Blackphone 2 runs the custom-made Silent OS 2.0, so the GranitePhone is driven by Graphite OS. It's a handset aimed at not only governments and businesses looking to secure their communications and data, but also individuals who are particularly concerned about their privacy.

While the phone offers "unrivalled focus on security, eliminating loopholes which could allow data theft and spying" the hardware specs are quite reasonable. We're not talking flagship device territory here, but this is a perfectly capable handset -- and don’t forget, this is not really a phone designed for anything other than business and private communication. Here's what the GraphitePhone is made of:

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 Octa-Core 64bits

GPU: Qualcomm Adreno 405

RAM: 2GB

Display: 5-Inch Full-HD

Operating System: Granite OS

Internal Storage: 16GB

Camera: Back 16MP / Front 8MP

Power: 2700mah Battery

ARCHOS has teamed up with SIKUR to create the GraphitePhone, and makes the rather bold claim that: "we managed to design a completely secure, private and productive device, eliminating any breach against your privacy, data theft and espionage".

If the 16GB of storage seems a little paltry, it's backed up by cloud expansion. Any data stored in the cloud is automatically encrypted, and apps are available that allow this data to be accessed from a computer, or an iOS or Android device.

The GraphitePhone can be yours for $849.
Dell might snap up EMC for $50 billion

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 7:28pm CEST par David Curry

A merger between Dell, private-equity firm Silver Lake and EMC might be on the cards, as the storage giant considers a few options. The merger would cost Dell $50 billion (£32 billion), making it the largest single-tech acquisition ever.

The move does make sense for Dell, as it moves from a consumer PC manufacturer to a data storage, security and enterprise service provider. EMC would be a large boost for the company’s revenue and add a large clientele to the portfolio.

Dell still holds a lot of debt, $11.7 billion (£7.6 billion) according to recent stats. In 2013, the founder and CEO Michael Dell paid $25 billion (£16.3 billion) to go private, but that hasn’t improved the company’s financial situation too much.

It did move out of the PC market, which lowered its revenue, but added more profit. The company is now focused on competing with IBM, Cisco, Amazon, and Salesforce in the cloud storage, security, and services market.

EMC may come without VMWare, its $32 billion (£20 billion) subsidiary that many investors say should be spun-off into its own company. Similar to eBay-PayPal, investors want to see the more innovative and profitable company move away from its older and less successful owner.

EMC without VMWare would still be great for Dell’s portfolio however, but we assume that the company wants VMWare to be added into the deal. EMC currently has a market price of $50 billion (£32 billion) and Dell isn't expected to pay over the valuation.

The deal may or may not happen this week, according to sources. EMC is definitely looking at all its options, which include a sale to other large US companies like HP, IBM or Cisco, all looking for more cloud storage clients.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Lastpass sold to LogMeIn -- should Linux users panic?

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 6:46pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

Cloud-based password managers are amazing solutions for keeping your login credentials safe and secure. I used to trust Google Chrome for this, but I did not want to be tied to one browser. Ultimately, I settled on Lastpass. My reason was simple -- it supports Linux, as it is entirely browser-based. The beautiful 1Password, and other alternatives, do not work on Chromebooks or my favorite open source distributions, sadly.

Today, however, Lastpass drops a bombshell, announcing it has been bought by the company LogMeIn. I am not familiar with this new owner, but many people are unhappy -- the comment section on the announcement is full of outrage. If you only use Windows, Mac, iOS or Android, there are alternatives, so you can switch if things get bad. Users of Chrome OS, Ubuntu, Fedora and other such operating systems? Not so much. Should we Linux users panic?

"It's a big day here at LastPass. We're thrilled to announce that we’re joining LogMeIn. As one of the world’s leading SaaS companies, we can’t imagine a better team to align with our values and product-driven mission. With their experience in growing successful brands like join.me, we’re excited to join LogMeIn in delivering the next generation of identity and access management for individuals, teams and companies, with LastPass at the forefront", says Joe Siegrist, CEO of Lastpass.

In a response to critics of the purchase, Siegrist says the following.

"Thank you for all the support we have received in response to our exciting news today. To address the concerns that some in our community have raised, I want to personally assure you that this is good news for our users. First of all, we (LogMeIn/LastPass) have no plans to change our existing business model. Secondly, this acquisition provides us with access to resources that will enable us to innovate faster, as we continue to strive to deliver an even better product than the one you have come to know and love. It is also important to note that the current LastPass team is staying in place and remains committed to deliver on the promise of privacy, security and convenience that has been our mission since day one. I appreciate and am proud of the passion of our community, and we will continue to work hard to maintain your deep loyalty".

Should Linux users (or any Lastpass users), panic over the service being sold? No. However, you are smart to not blindly trust a new company that will control your login credentials. In other words, stay vigilant, but it is premature to jump ship.

If you don't use traditional Linux distributions, or a Chromebook, you should investigate alternatives like 1Password -- it can't hurt. Hopefully Lastpass competitors can develop some quality Linux clients. Come on 1Password, lets get your service working on Ubuntu at the very least. Please?

Photo Credit: Maridav/Shutterstock
Mozilla to drop NPAPI plugins from Firefox

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 6:42pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Mozilla will kill "most" NPAPI plugins in Firefox almost two years after Google took the same action with Chrome. Back in September 2014, Google announced that NPAPI support would be removed starting in January 2015. Mozilla is now playing catch-up, and plans to end NPAPI support by the end of 2016.

When Google announced its decision, speed, stability, and security were cited as reasons for ditching plugins, and Mozilla is taking much the same line. The company also points out that many features and functions that only used to be possible through the use of NPAPI plugins can now be achieved through native web APIs. But what is this going to mean for users?

Mozilla hopes that the move will help to boost performance and security, and the company freely admits that it is following in the footsteps of Chrome and Microsoft Edge. Moving forward, new Firefox platforms -- such as 64-bit Firefox for Windows -- will launch without support for plugins. Anyone hoping that this could signal the true death of Flash is going to be disappointed.

Because Adobe Flash is still a common part of the Web experience for most users, we will continue to support Flash within Firefox as an exception to the general plugin policy. Mozilla and Adobe will continue to collaborate to bring improvements to the Flash experience on Firefox, including on stability and performance, features and security architecture.

Site owners and developers still relying on the likes of Java and Silverlight are being encouraged to investigate alternative technologies that can achieve the same things. Mozilla warns:

In the rare cases where a site needs to extend Web technologies, the recommended solution is to develop the additional features as a Firefox add-on. Site maintainers should prepare for plugins to stop working in all versions of Firefox by the end of 2016.

Photo credit: LoloStock / Shutterstock
Uber blames Lyft CTO for data theft

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 6:34pm CEST par Sead Fadilpašić

Uber is laying blame for the February 2015 hack and data theft on none other than its main competitor -- Lyft.

Back in February 2015, someone broke into Uber’s servers and stole data of more than 50,000 its drivers, and now Uber claims the thief’s IP address points to Lyft’s chief of technology Chris Lambert.

Uber filed a lawsuit in San Francisco federal court and, according to the company’s court papers, an unidentified person using a Comcast IP address had access to a security key used in the breach.

According to a Reuters report, two sources say the address was assigned to Lambert.

The court papers draw no direct connection between the Comcast IP address and the hacker. In fact, the IP address was not the one from which the data breach was launched. But, US Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler ruled that the information sought by Uber in a subpoena of Comcast's records was "reasonably likely" to help reveal the "bad actor" responsible for the hack.

On Monday, Lyft spokesman Brandon McCormick said the company had investigated the matter "long ago" and concluded "there is no evidence that any Lyft employee, including Chris, downloaded the Uber driver information or database, or had anything to do with Uber’s May 2014 data breach", Reuters wrote in a report.

McCormick declined to comment on whether the Comcast IP address belongs to Lambert. He also declined to describe the scope of Lyft’s internal investigation or say who directed it.

Lambert declined to comment in person or over email.

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

Photo Credit: M. Dykstra/Shutterstock
Who's looking at your screen and how can you stop them? [Q&A]

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 5:12pm CEST par Ian Barker

We can all remember seeing kids at school hunched over their desks to prevent anyone seeing what they were writing on their test papers. But when it comes to hiding sensitive information on your screen things aren’t that easy.

How big a problem is eavesdropping in this way and what can be done to guard against it? To find out, we spoke to Dr Bill Anderson, Chief Product Officer of technology company OptioLabs which has just announced a collaboration with AMD to help solve the issue.

BN: How big a problem is visual eavesdropping?

BA: The reality of today's world is that data is constantly being exposed on mobile devices. Using laptops, tablets and phones in places like coffee shops, airports, hospitals, or even inside company offices, puts information at risk to visual eavesdroppers, often without a user’s knowledge. A surprising 42 percent of all data breaches are caused by the simple observation of a computer screen -- according to studies by the Secret Service, Verizon Business and CERT at Carnegie Mellon -- but when you consider the fact that 89 percent of people admit to reading over someone else's shoulder (OptioLabs Mobile Worker Privacy Survey, 2013), it is evident just how frequently this type of data loss can occur.

BN: What types of data are most at risk from this issue?

BA: The same OptioLabs survey also shows that 83 percent of mobile workers admit to using computers in public with confidential data displayed. All data is at risk from this issue, but sensitive data, such as corporate IP, personal and corporate financial information, health records, credit card information, and social security numbers are especially at risk because they are regularly exposed inside and outside of the work place. In fact, the 2014 US State of Cybercrime survey shows insiders made up the highest percentage of cases where data was compromised or stolen in 2014; 76 percent of the data lost were confidential records, 71 percent were customer records, and 63 percent were employee records.

BN: How effective are aftermarket solutions like filters and hoods?

BA: Screen filters and hoods can certainly prevent someone beside you from viewing your screen, but consider this: if someone is standing directly behind you, not only will they be able to see your screen just as clearly as you, but you will you not know that they are looking over your shoulder. Filters and hoods are ineffective because they do not protect information from visual eavesdroppers and they do not warn a user when their information may have been compromised.

Filters also introduce distortion, reduce screen brightness, and make it difficult for a colleague collaborating next to you to read your screen. This affects both consumers and enterprises, but enterprises face the additional issue of needing to comply with privacy regulations. When enterprise users remove their filters due to inconvenience, it takes enterprises out of compliance and puts them at risk of failing an audit.

BN: How is OptioLabs working to solve the problem?

BA: The security industry has focused on driving protection efforts toward the network and device layer, without much consideration for the most outward facing risk -- the last 2 feet from the computer to the user. OptioLabs PrivateEye Enterprise provides a layer of protection to address this vulnerability by protecting against data loss due to direct observation of the computer screen. The product provides organizations with a data security and compliance tool to prevent, monitor and respond to incidents they would otherwise miss. PrivateEye Enterprise protects against data leakage in real-time and provides actionable intelligence to monitor threat patterns.

BN: How does the technology work?

BA: OptioLabs' PrivateEye Enterprise uses facial recognition to unlock an authorized user's screen automatically, and continuously validates the user to ensure ongoing protection. Attention sensing technology in PrivateEye automatically protects the screen by blurring it whenever the user looks away or leaves their computer, and instantly clears it when they look back or return. The software continuously scans the scene around and behind a user to identify additional faces looking at the user's display, and if an eavesdropper is detected, PrivateEye alerts the user. The solution can also be set to automatically protect the screen when this occurs. Further, if an intruder attempts to log in while the user is away, a picture will be captured. Security alerts are also logged and can be sent to a 3rd party SIEM tool to incorporate into broader incident analysis.

Image Credit: racorn / Shutterstock
Hide data inside JPGs with Free File Camouflage

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 5:09pm CEST par Mike Williams

Image steganography is a clever technique for hiding files inside JPEGs, so that the contents appear unchanged, but anyone who knows the secret can easily extract its contents.

Free File Camouflage isn’t so clever -- in fact, it uses the most basic approach we’ve ever seen -- but there are still a few reasons why you might want to give it a try.

The program arrives as a tiny 130KB download -- just unzip and you can run it on any PC, from XP up.

The interface is a single dialog, which works more or less exactly as you’d expect. Specify the file to hide, the target JPG, an output folder, click "Camouflage!", and the program AES-encrypts your file and embeds inside the image.

View the picture and it’ll look just as it did before. But open it with Free File Camouflage and the "De-camouflage" function allows you to extract the hidden contents.

A couple of interface tricks mean this is all very easy to use. The program uses a "standard" password if you don’t enter one, so there’s no need to remember anything. And optional Explorer integration means you can embed or extract a file from the right-click Send-To menu.

(These features need to be treated with care, of course, because if you don’t need a password then an attacker won’t, either. But they might be handy in some situations, and there’s an option to enter a custom password if you’d prefer.)

The other issue you need to understand is that, unlike most of the competition, Free File Camouflage doesn’t use some sophisticated algorithm to embed file data in the individual pixels of your target JPEG. It just inserts the "hidden" file after the end of the image data.

If you’re looking for maximum security then this could be a problem, as it makes the file much more noticeable. Anyone knowledgeable who looks at it closely is more likely to realize there’s something strange going on.

Free File Camouflage doesn’t give you high-end enterprise-grade security, then, and we wouldn’t recommend you rely on it for anything critical.

But the program is small, quick and easy to use, and if you’re just looking to keep a few files safe from non-technical users then it’s probably good enough.
US businesses fear Safe Harbor dismissal will affect European operations

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 5:05pm CEST par Sead Fadilpašić

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the US are saying that the suspension of the Safe Harbor law might mean end of overseas operations for them, Reuters reported on Thursday.

The Safe Harbor law allowed companies in the United States to transport data regarding its European users to the States. It was struck down recently, by the European Court of Justice.

In a victory for privacy advocates, the European Court of Justice ruled that national regulators in the EU can override the 15-year-old Safe Harbor pact used by about 4,500 companies, including Apple and Alphabet’s Google, because it violates the privacy rights of Europeans by exposing them to allegedly indiscriminate surveillance by the US government.

Now, some US companies fear they will be locked out of the European market.

"The biggest fear is they’ll lose the opportunity to provide data services in Europe", said Emery Simon, counsellor to BSA, The Software Alliance.

"Any U.S. company with employees or customers in Europe is potentially impacted by this ruling", RetailMeNot spokesman Brian Hoyt told Reuters by email. "We also believe it may also create challenges for data sharing necessary to rapidly provide data analysis for business operations".

Adobe said it was |evaluating options| to transfer personal data between continents and Autodesk also said it was evaluating the decision, while Symantec said it has other mechanisms in place to legally protect data transfers, but the uncertainty following the ruling has made it difficult for such companies to determine their next steps and how much business might be lost.

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

Photo Credit: Grigory Galkin/Shutterstock
The benefits of moving from VMware to the cloud

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 3:40pm CEST par Ian Barker

VMware has long been a favorite with businesses. But there's evidence that with the advent of second generation cloud many companies are considering a move away from VMware to a more flexible option that gives them better control over configuration and costs.

IaaS specialist ProfitBricks is helping businesses migrate their systems from VMware to the cloud and has a lot of experience in the field.

Enterprises may be nervous about some aspects of moving to the cloud, in particular how their data is going to be secured. ProfitBricks uses double redundant storage with data stored on two synchronised sub units in separate geographical locations. Customers have the option to ensure that machines aren't hosted on the same physical server if required and are free to make their own additional backup arrangements.

Achim Weiss CEO and co-founder of ProfitBricks says, "You can have the same level of security set up on our cloud systems as you can on your own servers. We're also able to attract a team of good security staff thanks to the size of the business and a varied workload".

ProfitBricks has a Data Center Designer tool which makes it easy to set up complex scenarios via a graphical interface. Customers can run any type of OS that works on an x86 architecture, this makes it very easy to migrate existing systems. Hyper-V and VMware configurations can be automatically converted too. "Once they're on the cloud then they can start optimizing their setups," says Weiss. "It's very easy to scale, for example the core size of a server can be increased while it’s running."

Web hosting company ComSite runs 200 virtual servers on behalf of clients and has switched from using VMware systems in data centers to using the cloud with ProfitBricks, it has seen a 20 percent reduction in its costs as a result.

Sean Burchell ComSite's CEO says, "ProfitBricks eliminates the need to worry about infrastructure. We can spin up a new server in five minutes and we only pay for the time we're using". The switch has helped the company to grow because it can concentrate on sales and spend less time on maintaining systems.

When customers buy a core and RAM on ProfitBricks it's dedicated to them and not shared with anyone else, and customers are free to adopt their own standards for encryption of data in transit. The company is also in the process of gaining ISO 27K certification for security management standards.

"Customers have 100 percent control of their data and applications on the cloud," adds Weiss. "The same thing you can do with your hardware at home you can do with us. There are no restrictions on what kind of network protocols you use or how you set up your networks. It's painless cloud".

You can find more information on the benefits of running IT infrastructure in the cloud on the ProfitBricks site.

Photo Credit: Roland IJdema/Shutterstock
Panic over: iOS adblockers fail to trigger the 'adblockolypse'

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 2:46pm CEST par Wayne Williams

For a company that doesn’t rely on advertising to make its money, Apple was never going to lose anything by allowing adblockers into the App Store unlike, say, Google.

Still, the recent move has certainly proved divisive. On one hand, websites that rely on advertising to survive have been bracing themselves for a loss of revenue, while many iPhone users have welcomed the change. Web pages reportedly load quicker in Safari without adverts, and if you’re on a capped mobile data plan you’ll benefit from the savings created by not downloading ads. The big question was always whether the move would impact advertisers in any meaningful way, and the early indications are that it has certainly made a difference, although it’s far from the "adblockolypse" many predicted.

Mobile app tracking company AppsFlyer has been looking into what impact ad blocking apps have actually had since they were first allowed into the App Store. To do this the company examined nearly 100 million clicks on iOS Safari in the first two weeks after the release of iOS 9 on September 16, when such apps first became available.

After normalizing the data based on the adoption rate figures of iOS 9 -- as provided by MixPanel -- the company found was that there was a 19 percent drop in the number of clicks on Safari in the first two weeks after the launch of iOS 9.

To put that drop into perspective, for the total ecosystem AppsFlyer discovered that just 14 percent of all iOS clicks, and less than 3 percent of all mobile clicks, come from Safari users (Apple’s web browser currently has a 25 percent market share of mobile browsers). The in-app environment, where iOS users do most of their clicking, hasn’t been affected at all by the change.

So while a 19 percent drop in clicks is certainly worth noting, it isn’t really all that major in the grand scheme of things.

Summing up the findings, AppsFlyer’s Ran Avrahamy says the company doesn’t "expect mobile advertisers will be significantly affected by ad blocking software. For those advertisers that conduct their own media buying, they’ll simply have to seek out more in-app opportunities or consider shifting some dollars to Android. For ad networks that were heavily reliant on mobile web sites for their inventory, they’ll have to make sure their networks consist of plenty of apps, Chrome-optimized mobile web sites and Android publishers".
Own an Xbox 360? Play online for free this weekend

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 2:17pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

Gaming consoles have become exceedingly more powerful over the years, offering more realistic graphics. While better-looking games are appreciated, I would argue that the more important advancement is online multiplayer. Thanks to Xbox Live Gold, playing games against people all over the world could not be easier. True, Microsoft's consoles were not the first to gain online multiplayer support, but the company was arguably the first to get it right.

While Xbox One is all the rage nowadays, its predecessor, the 360, is still a great console. In fact, its low price and huge game library makes it a very smart buy. If you own an Xbox 360, but haven't invested in Xbox Live Gold (are you crazy?), today is your lucky day. Starting today, and through Sunday (October 9-11), you can play online for free.

"Free Multiplayer Weekend provides Xbox 360 players the chance to experience one of the major benefits of Xbox Live Gold -- playing their favorite Xbox 360 games online competitively or cooperatively with friends and Xbox Live Gold members around the world. Enjoy fighting side-by-side with friends and allies, and take your game to the next level", says Microsoft.

I know what you are thinking -- this is a USA-only promotion, right? Nope! Actually, it is available to all Xbox 360 owners around the globe where Live is available. How cool is that? You can find out if your country is eligible here.

Obviously, Microsoft is hoping you will be so amazed by online multiplayer that you will subscribe to Xbox Live Gold. You are not forced to sign up after, however I would highly recommend it.

The "Games with Gold" aspect (which is not a part of this weekend's promotion), allows you to download free games every month. Microsoft says the free games, over a full year, will total at least a $700 value. The cost of Live Gold? Only $60 for the year; you can usually get it cheaper too.

The small print says that not all games will be compatible with the free online multiplayer promotion, but does list Grand Theft Auto Online, Call of Duty: Advance Warfare, Minecraft and FIFA 16 as definite titles. Your results may vary with other titles.

Will you be playing online this weekend? Tell me in the comments.
Microsoft is setting Lumia 950, Lumia 950 XL up to fail

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 2:11pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Microsoft appears to be making sure that its new Windows 10 Mobile flagships, Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, have no chance of succeeding in the fierce high-end smartphone market. The software giant has, once again, made the terrible mistake of going down the carrier exclusivity path, which will hurt sales across major markets like the US and Europe and significantly affect the platform's credibility.

Microsoft has decided that its long-term Windows Phone carrier partner, AT&T, should be the sole mobile operator to offer Lumia 950, while in Europe the flagship smartphone will only be carried by Deutsche Telekom (and, hopefully, its subsidiaries). Even worse, there seems to be no talk of carrier availability for Lumia 950 XL. And you wonder why Windows Phone's market share just can't seem to grow...

Microsoft's decision to go with AT&T is not due to a lack of interest from other major US carriers. Vocal T-Mobile CEO John Legere claims that the company he runs did not refuse to carry Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL, discrediting a report that says T-Mobile and Verizon are not interested in selling these two handsets.

Now, if Microsoft changes its mind one day, as unlikely as that seems, Legere says that T-Mobile will consider carrying Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL. That is good to hear, but do not get your hopes up. Windows Phone flagships have never been sold across multiple major carriers in the US, as each got its own version.

To be clear: We did not turn down the new Windows devices. MSFT gave to AT&T. If @microsoft wakes up, we'll talk about @TMobile carrying

— John Legere (@JohnLegere) October 8, 2015

For those who are considering getting a Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL from Microsoft and using it on T-Mobile's 4G LTE network, at least both devices are compatible and are expected to work without (major) issues.

@shayaansiddiqui The device is compatible with the T-Mobile network. With regard to band 12/700MHz LTE, it's listed in the official... 1/3

— T-Mobile USA (@TMobileHelp) October 8, 2015

Seeing as Microsoft has been told time and time again that carrier exclusives are bad for business, as they limit the number of potential buyers, it is even stranger to see that on the old continent only Deutsche Telekom will sell Lumia 950. It boggles the mind.

At least with previous generations of Lumia flagships Europe used to be spared of widespread exclusive deals. Lumia 930, for instance, had been available at multiple operators across European markets; you could, for instance, get one from Orange, T-Mobile or Vodafone, in the same country. Even though flagship sales have not been stellar, they at least have helped Windows Phone to cross the 10 percent share mark in multiple local markets. Why mess with that?

You may wonder why I am making such a big deal out of this. Well, it is because Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL are the most-anticipated Windows smartphones in over a year and a half. The last Lumia flagships were Lumia 930, which was announced in April 2014, and Lumia 1520, the original Windows Phone phablet, which was unveiled in late-October 2013 (that's right, two years ago)!

Given this much time between halo devices, potential buyers expect the smartphones to be readily available, and not sold basically through a single carrier in each market. And it is such a shame because both Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL look like great options for consumers shopping in this segment. There is no denying that.

What's more, given the nature of the two devices, it is very important for hardcore platform fans -- the ones who are most-likely to shell out for the most-expensive Windows 10 Mobile offerings on the market -- to be able to get what they want. They are the ones who are the most-vocal supporters of the platform, and the ones who will try to convince everyone around them and everyone they can reach on the web to buy into the Windows 10 Mobile ecosystem. Disappoint them and you're shooting yourself in the foot. Actually, both feet. It is the cardinal sin, and Microsoft is guilty of it.

Even the biggest apologists would have to agree that Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL are set up to fail. Given that not even Microsoft truly wants its flagships to succeed, what kind of future does Windows 10 Mobile have? It's heading towards a death sentence.

Update: We have reached out to Microsoft for comment, hoping to get some worthwhile information to shed more light on Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL's availability, in the US and across the globe.

Photo Credit: Leszek Glasner/Shutterstock
Microsoft is setting Lumia 950, Lumia 950 XL up to fail [Update]

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 2:11pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Microsoft appears to be making sure that its new Windows 10 Mobile flagships, Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, have no chance of succeeding in the fierce high-end smartphone market. The software giant has, once again, made the terrible mistake of going down the carrier exclusivity path, which will hurt sales across major markets like the US and Europe and significantly affect the platform's credibility.

Microsoft has decided that its long-term Windows Phone carrier partner, AT&T, should be the sole mobile operator to offer Lumia 950, while in Europe the flagship smartphone will only be carried by Deutsche Telekom (and, hopefully, its subsidiaries). Even worse, there seems to be no talk of carrier availability for Lumia 950 XL in US. And you wonder why Windows Phone's market share just can't seem to grow...

Microsoft's decision to go with AT&T is not due to a lack of interest from other major US carriers. Vocal T-Mobile CEO John Legere claims that the company he runs did not refuse to carry Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL, discrediting a report that says T-Mobile and Verizon are not interested in selling these two handsets.

Now, if Microsoft changes its mind one day, as unlikely as that seems, Legere says that T-Mobile will consider carrying Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL. That is good to hear, but do not get your hopes up. Windows Phone flagships have never been sold across multiple major carriers in the US, as each got its own version.

To be clear: We did not turn down the new Windows devices. MSFT gave to AT&T. If @microsoft wakes up, we'll talk about @TMobile carrying

— John Legere (@JohnLegere) October 8, 2015

For those who are considering getting a Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL from Microsoft and using it on T-Mobile's 4G LTE network, at least both devices are compatible and are expected to work without (major) issues.

@shayaansiddiqui The device is compatible with the T-Mobile network. With regard to band 12/700MHz LTE, it's listed in the official... 1/3

— T-Mobile USA (@TMobileHelp) October 8, 2015

Seeing as Microsoft has been told time and time again that carrier exclusives are bad for business, as they limit the number of potential buyers, it is even stranger to see that on the old continent only Deutsche Telekom will sell Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL. It boggles the mind.

At least with previous generations of Lumia flagships Europe used to be spared of widespread exclusive deals. Lumia 930, for instance, had been available at multiple operators across European markets; you could, for instance, get one from Orange, T-Mobile or Vodafone, in the same country. Even though flagship sales have not been stellar, they at least have helped Windows Phone to cross the 10 percent share mark in multiple local markets. Why mess with that?

You may wonder why I am making such a big deal out of this. Well, it is because Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL are the most-anticipated Windows smartphones in over a year and a half. The last Lumia flagships were Lumia 930, which was announced in April 2014, and Lumia 1520, the original Windows Phone phablet, which was unveiled in late-October 2013 (that's right, two years ago)!

Given this much time between halo devices, potential buyers expect the smartphones to be readily available, and not sold basically through a single carrier in each market. And it is such a shame because both Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL look like great options for consumers shopping in this segment. There is no denying that.

What's more, given the nature of the two devices, it is very important for hardcore platform fans -- the ones who are most-likely to shell out for the most-expensive Windows 10 Mobile offerings on the market -- to be able to get what they want. They are the ones who are the most-vocal supporters of the platform, and the ones who will try to convince everyone around them and everyone they can reach on the web to buy into the Windows 10 Mobile ecosystem. Disappoint them and you're shooting yourself in the foot. Actually, both feet. It is the cardinal sin, and Microsoft is guilty of it.

Even the biggest apologists would have to agree that Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL are set up to fail. Given that not even Microsoft truly wants its flagships to succeed, what kind of future does Windows 10 Mobile have? It's heading towards a death sentence.

Update: We have reached out to Microsoft for comment, hoping to get some worthwhile information to shed more light on Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL's availability, in the US and across the globe.

Update: Microsoft has provided the following comment:

We're refocusing our channel strategy, narrowing it in the short-term and planning for broader operator availability long-term. While there was interest across the board from U.S. operators, currently we've made the decision to have AT&T carry the Lumia 950, and then sell both the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL unlocked through our own channel in Microsoft stores. In Europe, Deutsche Telekom will carry the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, and we'll have more to share about other carriers shortly.

So what have we learned new? Well, not much, aside from the fact that more carriers may offer Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL in Europe, aside from Deutsche Telekom. Well, at least there's that.

Photo Credit: Leszek Glasner/Shutterstock
Kiss goodbye to the Control Panel in Windows 10, its days are numbered

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 2:08pm CEST par Mark Wilson

For Windows stalwarts, the move to Windows 10 has meant embracing a number of changes. Since Windows 8, Microsoft has been keen to push its modern interface, and this is a drive that continues with renewed strength in Windows 10. In ushering in the new, the old has to be let go -- and one of the next features for the chop is the Control Panel.

At the moment, Windows 10 users have something of a strange, split experience when customizing the operating system and changing settings. Some things are handled by the old-fashioned Control Panel, others by the Settings app. Microsoft's Gabe Aul and Brandon LeBlanc have made it clear that the Control Panel is due to die.

For some people, killing the Control Panel will make perfect sense. Looking to two places to change different settings may be confusing for some. Microsoft views things slightly differently, saying that streamlining two into one is more of an exercise in efficiency and performance. Writing on Twitter, Gabe Aul affirmed:

@billybobjoe2211 @brandonleblanc Having two separate implementations means more code complexity and disk/mem usage. Getting to one is leaner

— Gabriel Aul (@GabeAul) October 4, 2015

This is certainly not the first time Microsoft has talked about the death of the Control Panel. System administrators have voiced concern about the move to the Settings app, but Microsoft insists that feedback indicates a desire for more Control Panel options to migrate to Settings:

@ttmRX3 Different people have different opinions about this. We get lots of feedback asking to get all CPL settings into Settings app.

— Gabriel Aul (@GabeAul) October 6, 2015

Windows Insiders will be the first to experience Windows 10 with a beefed up Settings App and a cutback -- or non-existent -- Control Panel. While Microsoft is responding to questions and feedback about the direction it is taking Settings in, the company has not committed to any sort of schedule.

There's clearly still some work to do because, although the capabilities of Settings have expanded greatly over the months, the Control Panel remains far more powerful. When the day comes, will you be among those mourning the loss of the Control Panel?

Photo credit: benchart / Shutterstock
Best Windows apps this week

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 2:04pm CEST par Martin Brinkmann
One-hundred and forty-nine in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows 8.x/10 in the past seven days.

No best app of the week this time, even though several good games and apps were released.

This week was particularly good if you like to watch TV, cartoons or Anime as free apps were released for that.

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.
- Inventioneers, create inventions in this game for $0.99
- IQ Mission 2, a puzzle game that is currently free of charge
- SuperPhoto, a photo effects app for $1.99
- Spectral Souls (Eng), a tactical roleplaying game for $7.99
- Prismatica, a puzzle game for $1.99
- Files&Folders Pro, a file manager for $3.99
The popular mail application MetroMail is currently available free of charge.

Best app of the week

None this week

Other apps

CBS

The new CBS application has been designed specifically for Windows 10. Only CBS All Access subscribers may watch most of the shows.

Episodes marked as free are the exception to the rule as they can be watched without subscription. These free shows are still geographically restricted and thus limited.

Apart from offering access to pre-recorded shows, live TV access is granted as well for CBS All Access subscribers.

Bricks Crash 2 ($0.99, free trial available)

The game looks like another Arkanoid or Breakout clone on first glance. While it shares similarities with those games, mainly that you need to clear all bricks from the board, how you do it is completely different.

You fire colored balls from the bottom of the screen that will remove same-colored bricks. There are also power bricks that have an extra effect when you hit them such as exploding and taking adjacent bricks with them.

Smart RSS Reader

This is a free RSS reader for Windows 10 that features notifications and live tiles.

You can only add individual feeds to the app as it does not support opml files.

Feeds are displayed with titles, images and text by the app. There is no option to change the display, for instance to text lists to show more articles at the same time in the interface.

All items are displayed in the feed reader and not the actual site. Smart RSS Reader renders the full site for that in its interface.

CSI: Slots

CSI: Slots is a new Gameloft game that combines CSI adventures with Casino slot gaming.

All you do in the game is to spin the reels to find or analyze evidence, or interrogate suspects.

In the very first interrogation sequence for instance, you are tasked with getting as many handcuffs as possible.

All handcuffs that come up after you spin the slot machine will count towards the interrogation progress.

Spinning costs money which you earn by leveling up or getting combinations on the slot machine.

Ring Video Doorbell

You need a Ring Video Doorbell to use the app of the same name. The app allows you to monitor what is going on in front of your door regardless of where you are.

The system uses Wi-Fi and besides providing a clear view of who is standing in front of your door enables you to chat on top of that.

Sherlock Holmes Adventure (full) ($2.99, free trial available)

If you like find-in-picture style games then you will enjoy Sherlock Holmes Adventure as it delivers that plus a couple of extra features that you may like.

Explore all the rooms of an abandoned hospital by leveling up, unlocking new rooms and finding all items in a room before the time runs out.

Visuals are nice but game controls are somewhat all over the place.

Racing One ($0.99, free trial available)

Racing One brings you Formula One news, stats, standings, information and schedules.

It enables you to check out upcoming races, standings, and provides you with access to a live text feed which you can use to follow races if you cannot watch them on TV.

Some features listed in the interface, driver and team information for instance, are not yet available but listed as "coming soon".

Considering that there are not many Formula 1 apps out there for Windows, fans may want to check it out.

Panda Commander Air Combat

Panda Commander Air Combat is a great looking shoot'em up game that features power ups, upgrades, bosses and more to keep you entertained for a long time.

The game is free and uses ads as well as in-game purchases for monetization.

You earn stars while playing the game which you invest in ship upgrades or power ups. It does take a considerable amount of time to earn enough stars for the upgrades though.

Boss battles at the end of each level are challenging, but the game itself is not fast paced or a bullet-hell game like Ikaruga or DoDonPachi Resurrection.

Cartoon HD Stream and Anime HD Stream

The free versions of these apps -- the paid editions do away with advertisements -- offer access to thousands of cartoon and Anime in HD quality.

To name a few shows that the app offers: on the cartoon side, you get The Simpsons, Family Guy, SpongeBob or Sesame Street, while you find One Piece, Hunter x Hunter, Naruto Shippuuden or Sword Art Online featured in the Anime application.

Quality-wise, both apps let you choose between 360p and 720p. Please note that most Anime come with subtitles and/or dubs.

Notable updates

The Tinder client Timber was updated and is now optimized for Windows 10. It features a redesigned UI, dark theme option, better performance and improved background notifications among other things.

The Weather Channel application was updated for Windows 10 introducing new weather alerts and an interactive map feature.
US government will not force companies to decode encrypted data... for now

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 1:21pm CEST par Mark Wilson

The Obama administration has announced that it will not require companies to decrypt encrypted messages for law enforcement agencies. This is being heralded as a 'partial victory' by the Electronic Frontier Foundation; partial because, as reported by the Washington Post, the government "will not -- for now — call for [such] legislation".

This means that at the moment companies will not be forced to build backdoors into their products, but there is no guarantee that this won’t happen further down the line. The government wants to continue talks with the technology industry to find a solution, but leaving things in limbo for the time being will create a sense of unease on both sides of the debate.

Since the NSA surveillance revelations made by Edward Snowden, there has been increased concern about security and privacy, and greater interest in encrypted communication tools. The notion of communication that can't be intercepted and read has governments around the world worried.

Companies will be under no illusion that the US government wants them to cave in and offer decryption keys -- against the advice of security experts -- and while the public message at the moment is that mandatory backdoors will not be required, it's hard to know what sort of pressure might be applied or to guess what is actually going on in secret.

This is something that EFF and the SaveCrypto.org coalition fear:

If Obama wants to leave a legacy promoting innovation and consumer privacy, he should create a clear policy position opposing secret, and sometimes informal, agreements between the government and tech companies to undermine security and privacy. Internet users -- both in the United States and abroad -- deserve to trust their digital service providers, and this step would go a long way to amending the trust rift caused by years of privacy abuses by the NSA.

The government will continue to push the anti-terrorist agenda, ignoring complaints that the ability to access communication that could be harmful actually ends up weakening security for everyone. It would be the virtual equivalent of locking the front door but leaving a key under a flowerpot on the doorstep.

Photo credit: wk1003mike / Shutterstock
PC shipments decline in Windows 10's launch quarter

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 12:51pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

In Windows 10's launch quarter, PC shipments declined by a considerable margin compared to the same period a year prior. Year-over-year, shipments are down by 7.7 percent according to Gartner or 10.8 percent based on IDC's findings.

It would be easy to blame Windows 10 for the PC market's decline, however it is actually weak demand for new hardware which is hampering sales. IDC expects the effects of Windows 10's availability to be felt in the long-run. Gartner reveals, based on its 2015 personal technology survey, that 50 percent of consumers intend to get a new PC in the next year.

One of the biggest -- if not the biggest -- Windows 10 selling points is the free upgrade promotion which Microsoft has offered to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users. Until it ends, on July 29, 2016, users will see little need for new hardware, if what they currently use can handle the new operating system. Windows 10 has been installed on more than 110 million devices so far.

Going back to PC shipments, it is Lenovo which leads the market, followed by HP, Dell, Apple and Acer. PC shipments during the third quarter of 2015 are estimated to be above the 70 million units mark, down from just over 79.5 million units in Q3 2014.

These numbers are not final, so you can expect to see some slight changes after manufacturers publish their earnings reports. As such, it would make little sense to discuss the numbers posted by IDC and Gartner, given that there are not-so-negligible variations between them: if you look at Apple, it's said to have gained market share in the quarter according to Gartner, while IDC claims the opposite.

Now here are the good news.

"This change in consumer preferences toward PCs was visible in the preliminary data, as we saw positive growth in U.S notebook and premium ultramobile shipments", says Gartner principal analyst Mikako Kitagawa. "Soft recovery is expected to start in 4Q15, as Windows 10 product refreshes start to appear. In the meantime, PC manufacturers should adjust configurations for 2016 without the impact of price hikes seen in 2015, which will lead into more stable market conditions in the upcoming year".

"The PC market continues to contract as expected, but we remain optimistic about future shipments", says IDC Worldwide PC Tracker research manager Jay Chou. "While PC shipments will be hampered in the short run by the availability of a free upgrade to Windows 10, the improved PC experience across user segments should drive longer-term demand for new PC hardware that is expected help stabilize the market in 2016 and beyond".

Photo credit: Rob Hyrons/Shutterstock
Windows apps on Android will soon be a reality

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 10:48am CEST par Mark Wilson

If you have an iPhone, you're stuck with running iOS apps; if you have an Android phone, you're stuck with Android apps. At least that used to be the case. For desktop platforms such as OS X and Linux, tools and emulators exist that make it possible to run software designed for a different platform. CodeWeavers produce CrossOver which enables PC games and applications to run on non-PC platforms.

At the moment, CrossOver is available for Mac and Linux, but there are plans to bring the tool to Android. This means that, ultimately, it should be possible to run Windows software on an Android phone or tablet.

CrossOver is based on WINE -- the open source compatibility layer that is most definitely not an emulator -- and a preview of the Android version has been announced. It's not available just yet, but CrossOver for Android will be available as a 'technology preview' by the end of the year. CodeWeavers says that the preview will require an Android tablet with an Intel processor, and suggests that at least 2GB of RAM "is necessary to run most real-world Windows applications".

It's unlikely that this project will see your Android tablet replacing your desktop computer or laptop, but it does herald a time of true cross-platform compatibility. With Windows 10, Microsoft has created a unified code base that means apps can be run on any Windows 10 device -- that pool of devices is about to expand further.

If you’re interested in trying out CrossOver for Android as soon as possible, sign up for the preview over on the CodeWeavers website.

Photo credit: motttive / Shutterstock
Sony PlayStation 4 Universal Media Remote finally coming this month -- order now

Publié: octobre 9, 2015, 1:43am CEST par Brian Fagioli
Nowadays, video game consoles are not just about gaming. You can use an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 to watch Blu-ray discs, or stream music and movies too. While this arguably impacts the focus of the machine, it also presents a better value to consumers. Since the PS4 doubles as a media player, how the heck has Sony not yet released a proper remote control? Many PS4 owners have been clamoring for one.

Well, PlayStation 4 fans, you are finally about to get your wish. Starting now, you can pre-order the official Universal Media Remote. It will ship this month and the price is actually very reasonable. Will you buy it?

"We all love DualShock 4, but sometimes when you’re watching movies, you just want a remote. The good news is now you can, since we’ve worked closely with Performance Designed Products (PDP) on a Universal Media Remote for PlayStation 4 that will let you turn on the system, navigate the UI, and control video content on apps like Netflix or on Blu-rays and DVDs", says Anand Agarwal, Sr. Manager of Platforms Marketing at Sony.

Agarwal also says, "the Universal Media Remote for PS4, which will be available in the U.S., Canada and Mexico when it launches later this month, uses Bluetooth to control PS4 and can also be set up to control up to three additional devices, including a TV, cable box and audio receiver. It also features many of the most important buttons for navigating system menus and entertainment apps on PS4 including the Action buttons (triangle, circle, cross, and square). Like DualShock 4, the remote also features the SHARE, OPTIONS, and PS buttons".

While this sounds wonderful, there is one major caveat -- not all apps will be compatible. With that said, most of the ones that you probably care about the most will work. Sony is promising to expand compatibility over time too. The company shares the working apps below.
- Blu-ray Disc Player
- Crunchyroll
- FUNimation
- HBO GO
- Media Player
- NBA GAME TIME
- Netflix
- NFL Sunday Ticket
- PlayStation Video
- PlayStation Vue
- Twitch
- YouTube
So, how much will this cost? A very acceptable $29.99 (pre-order here). Keep in mind, this offers Bluetooth support for the PlayStation 4, while also having an IR blaster for your cable box, TV and audio equipment. Sony has seemingly done a nice job with the design too, as it looks very ergonomic and feature-full.

Will you buy it? Tell me in the comments.