Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » février 19, 2016

BetaNews.Com (20 non lus)

Acadia National Park goes digital, plan your visit now

Publié: février 19, 2016, 9:29pm CET par Alan Buckingham

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Maine then a can't-miss destination is Acadia National Park, situated along the Atlantic coast. The 47,000 acres of beauty was preserved way back in 1916 when the US government was rushing to protect huge swathes of land for future generations to enjoy.

Now the park is partnering with NIC for a new test program called "Your Pass Now". It is the first of three national parks that will trial this new approach.

Your Pass Now will allow for entrance passes to be purchased online. That's a huge departure from the traditional method of buying an entrance ticket at the gate.

"Today, many of Acadia’s potential visitors conduct business on their smartphones, tablets, and laptops,” says Acadia Superintendent Kevin Schneider. "Your Pass Now modernizes the sale of entrance passes and provides a digital alternative to purchasing the entrance pass in person".

This is the work of Maine Senators Susan Collins and Angus King who fought to have the National Park service offer park entrance pass sales online and to do so starting with Acadia National Park.

"With the launch of this pilot program at Acadia, the national park system is entering a new era of accessibility", Senator King states. "Electronic park passes will not only make it easier for the American people to visit and enjoy our most treasured places, but they'll also help the Park Service maximize sales and generate new revenues. I applaud the Park Service for embracing the power of this technology and am delighted that Acadia is leading the nation in piloting it".

Purchases can be made online using either a PC or mobile device. Visitors can then present the pass at the gate using either a printed copy or a digital version right on a smartphone. Customers can also choose dates, allowing advance entrance tickets to be purchased for a specified time. If you opt for digital then the ranger can scan the QR code when you arrive.

Teddy Roosevelt, though not the first to set aside land, would be proud of what became of one of his favorite projects. Now it's up to you to get away from the computer and out into nature.

Image Credit: Jon Bilous / Shutterstock
Five not so obvious things you can expect at MWC 2016

Publié: février 19, 2016, 8:37pm CET par Jim Bailey

At Mobile World Congress (MWC) tides will start to turn. There won’t be an overnight revolution powered by shiny new gadgets, but technologies we’ve seen evolving over recent years will start to demonstrate their real potential.

We expect to see five major technology themes come to the fore in Barcelona this year:

1. Internet of Things (IoT) Will Be Evident in the Everyday Enterprise, but Still Earning its Place

We’re going to move past the talking stage, and will see a significantly broader set of organizations start to adopt the IoT in 2016. There will be a rapid increase in the number of IoT-enabled projects, almost all trial projects that enable experimentation, new business model development and services that didn’t exist before, as organizations begin to test and feel their way to what might be possible through the IoT.

Traditional products companies will be able to start transforming their approach to revenue generation with the IoT, trying out new and diverse service offerings to complement and grow existing portfolios.

No one organization can reap the benefits of the IoT alone, so we will also see platforms and standards enabling a more open ecosystem to facilitate IoT adoption. There will be cross-fertilization and mutually beneficial business services created across enterprises, geographies and industries, blurring previous borders and encouraging innovation through ‘fast fail’ trials of IoT projects.

2. The Third Phase of Enterprise Mobility -- Connected workers

This is the year of the third phase of enterprise mobility. The first phase empowered users with mobile devices and email on the move. The second was basic transactional apps that could help cut travel time, and removed the need for paper-based operations. The third phase we’re now entering is about the transformation of business processes using mobile technologies, made more accessible thanks to the reduced cost of computing capability, familiarity of employees with devices, and the increased acceptance by CIOs of BYOD.

A major element of the third phase will be wearable devices as tools enabling enterprise mobility. At MWC, we’ll see evidence of the enterprise market evolving using new mobile devices, as enterprise pilot projects evolve into full roll-outs of wearable technology, particularly in the manufacturing and field force sectors.

This enhanced use of wearables will create a force of "Connected Workers", able to access the information they need when they need it, collaborating with colleagues remotely and receiving instructions on the go, including mapping information or advice on tools needed for a certain job, sent directly to the device of their choice.

3. Device Security for Consumers and Enterprises

As consumer connected devices increase in popularity and the choice in form factors increases, providers will start to look for ways to help users choose which device is for them. Security and data privacy will become an important differentiator, as even consumers with little interest in technology will hear stories about breaches and hackings, and will look to be reassured about how secure their personal data is, but also how far that data will be legally shared with others.

This concern is just as relevant for enterprise device users, and we expect discussions between different parts of the business such as HR and Legal to start in earnest this year to address this.

Recent Accenture research found that for nearly half (47 percent) of respondents, security concerns and privacy risks rank among the top three barriers to buying an IoT device or service. To address this, innovative and collaborative approaches to containing and managing device security over the lifetimes of devices and the services sold alongside them will emerge.

For devices with longer lifecycles and more complex supply chains such as connected vehicles, each element of that supply chain will need to work together to ensure the creation of an holistic security solution for that device.

4 Autonomous Commerce

As the IoT makes its way into people’s homes, cars and other devices, we’re going to hear more about autonomous commerce. Devices will be able to make purchases without any human intervention, and in years to come, they will start to learn our needs, wishes and intentions without our needing to tell them.

The technology already exists for this to happen, but at MWC discussions around an increasing need for education will take place, as well as how the payments ecosystem needs to adapt to ensure that user experiences for frictionless payments remain secure and simple, regardless of how many devices -- varying from white goods to cards to mobile devices -- can store payment details.

5. Analytics at the Edge

We will see more connected devices on display this year that are able to carry out analytics on selected data in-situ, in near real-time and without the need to send data to the cloud for analytics to be applied. This will allow for faster, autonomous insights generation and decision-making, and will be a major step towards untethered machine learning in people’s homes and enterprises.

As the pace of edge computing adoption accelerates, it enables deliberate, highly computational dependent business functions to be performed on a device, ultimately leading to more autonomous, responsive behavior that enables machines to play an active part in the world around us.

Jim Bailey, senior managing director, Accenture Mobility.

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

Photo Credit: catwalker/Shutterstock
There is more to boosting traffic to your website than SEO

Publié: février 19, 2016, 8:32pm CET par Daniel Foster

For a while now, search engine optimization (or SEO) has been applauded for its ability to boost conversions. In fact, an entire industry has been created by specialists in link building and optimizing websites for search engine results pages (SERPS). But through this, some of the basics have been forgotten -- it’s not just SEO that can help drive online sales.

Over the last five years, we’ve seen a massive rise in the number of good quality blogs appearing -- and these days you’re not likely to come across a good website without at least a news section. For the most part, businesses integrate this into their website as a way of working their way up in SERPS, by providing useful content that readers might share on social media. But blogs are also a brilliant way to naturally drive traffic and boost conversions.

Back to Basics: Consistency

Although more and more businesses are introducing blogs onto their websites, there is still a pattern of them being updated irregularly and with content that is inconsistent. Not planning posts could be having a detrimental impact on the effectiveness of a blog, especially when encouraging visitors to convert.

In fact, B2B companies that blog regularly receive 67 percent more leads every month than those that don’t. And with blogs being named as the fifth most trusted source of accurate information online, it’s worth investing time into one to attract customers.

Underestimating the Value of Google Analytics

Don’t forget about Google analytics. Use it to see the kinds of posts that receive the most traffic -- is it posts that contain images, posts that offer advice, or news updates? Also look at those with the most comments, and those shared often.

It won’t take you long to get this information, and it could be the difference between whether your blog is successful or not. Take the 80/20 approach, 80 percent of your content should be the posts that you know your visitors like, and you can use the other 20 percent to experiment with new themes or ideas.

Remember what works for others might not work for you, or your industry. So take some time to nail this on the head. It sounds simple, but you’d be surprised by the number of businesses getting this wrong, and if they happen to be one of your competitors you could do well by perfecting this.

Email Is One of Your Most Valuable Tools

It’s taken time to build up your email list -- so make the most of it. If you’ve not already got a weekly or monthly newsletter going out, you really need to start one. It’s not only brilliant for marketing messages but it’s a valuable tool for increasing the reach of your blog. A notable 74 percent of marketers believe email will still be one of the best channels for delivering ROI in five years’ time, so ignore it at your peril.

Email is a great way to encourage existing customers back to your website or specific posts on your blog. Whether you’re giving them an exclusive offer, a preview of an upcoming blog, or an update on your business, a newsletter or email marketing message is a brilliant way to tie your marketing strategy together. And as customers will have chosen to sign up to your newsletter or marketing messages, or at least haven’t hit the unsubscribe button, they will be more likely to welcome contact.

Clickbait Isn’t Always Bad

Although readers will recognize that titles such as "5 crazy ways to make more money through your website -- 3 is NUTS" is obvious clickbait -- catchy headlines still work. While in clickbait articles the content is often secondary to the title, a punchy headline is going to make your article stand out next to others that could be similar.

As the SEO rules change, and Google’s updates increasingly make it a sometimes uncertain investment, getting the basics right is a good way to generate steady leads via your website.

As professionals that use the web to build relationships with customers, devoting time to a blog is worthwhile to instill trust into visitors that statistics suggest is likely to encourage conversions.

Daniel Foster, technical director and co-founder of WordPress hosting company 34SP.com.

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

Photo credit: PathDoc / Shutterstock
Apple vs. the FBI isn't at all the way you think it is

Publié: février 19, 2016, 7:01pm CET par Robert X. Cringely

The FBI holds an iPhone that was owned by one of the San Bernardino terrorists, Syed Rizwan Farook, and wants Apple to crack it. Apple CEO Tim Cook is defying the FBI request and the court order that accompanied it, saying that cracking the phone would require developing a special version of iOS that could bypass passcode encryption. If such a genetically modified mobile OS escaped into the wild it could be used by anyone to crack any current iPhone, which would be bad for Apple’s users and bad for Amurica, Cook says. So he won’t do it, dag nabbit.

That’s the big picture story dominating the tech news this week. However compelling, I’m pretty sure it’s wrong. Apple isn’t defying the FBI. Or at least Apple isn’t defying the Department of Justice, of which the FBI is supposed to be a part. I believe Apple is actually working with the DoJ, which doesn’t really want to compel Apple to do anything except play a dramatic and very political role.

Now for some more details. In order to get their court order the FBI had to tell the judge that its own lab couldn’t crack the phone. Or maybe they said their lab didn’t crack the phone. Nobody knows. But the first question any cynic with technical bones would ask is, "Can’t the CIA/NSA/Steve Gibson, somebody crack that darned iPhone?"

John McAfee, who is one of my absolute favorite kooks of all time says he can do it, no problem, in about a month. McAfee says the FBI is just cheap and unwilling to drop big bucks on the right bad guys to make it happen, which kinda suggests that iPhones have been broken-into before, doesn’t it?

One important point: I know John McAfee and if he says he can do it, he can do it.

SEE ALSO: Poll: Should Apple help the FBI unlock the San Bernardino iPhone?

There’s something that doesn’t smell right here. The passage of time, the characters involved, the urgency of anti-terrorism make me strongly suspect that the innards of that iPhone are already well known to the Feds. If I were to do it I wouldn’t try cracking the phone at all, but its backup on a Mac or PC or iCloud, so maybe that’s the loophole they are using. Maybe they didn’t crack the iPhone because they didn’t have to. Or maybe some third party has already cracked it, leaving the FBI with that old standby plausible deniability.

Let’s drop for a moment the technical arguments and look at the legal side. If you read Fortune on this issue it looks like Apple will probably prevail. The legal basis for compelling Apple to invent a key for a lock that’s not supposed to even exist is flimsy. This does not mean that the FBI couldn’t prevail in some courts (after all, they convinced the judge who issued the original order). But it’s really a legal tossup who wins at this point, or appears to be. Remember, though, that when it comes to lawyers Apple can probably afford better help than can the U.S. Government.

So Apple’s being seen as an unpatriotic pariah with Silicon Valley companies like Facebook and Twitter only in the last few hours finally starting to support Cupertino.

Before I tell you what I think is actually happening here let me add one more piece of data. At the same time the FBI is pushing for unprecedented power to force decryption of devices, another news item appeared this week: Columbia University computer scientist Steve Bellovin has been appointed the first technology scholar for the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board -- the outfit that oversees these very activities at federal agencies including the NSA, CIA and, yes, the FBI. Up to this point the Board has never had as a voting member someone who actually understands this stuff in real depth. And professor Bellovin does much more than just understand this technology, he’s publicly opposed to it as co-author of a seminal report, Keys Under Doormats: Mandating insecurity by requiring government access to all data and communications. The report, which was published last July by MIT, clearly takes the position that the FBI is wrong in its position against Apple. Not legally wrong -- this isn’t a legal document -- but wrong in terms of proper policy. Just as the Clipper Chip was a bad idea when I wrote about it right here almost 20 years ago, this forced hacking of iPhones is a bad idea, too, or so claims Bellovin.

Would Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, or even Jeb Bush have appointed Bellovin to that board? I don’t think so.

So wait a minute. There’s a plenty of reason to believe that Apple complying with the FBI order is bad policy, it’s legally shaky, and at least one of the people who makes the strongest arguments in this direction is now voting on a secret government board? What the heck is going on here?

What’s going on is Justice Antonin Scalia is dead.

Had Justice Scalia not died unexpectedly a few days ago (notably before the Apple/FBI dustup) and had the FBI pursued the case with it landing finally in the Supreme Court, well the FBI would have probably won the case 5-4. Maybe not, but probably.

With Justice Scalia dead and any possible replacement locked in a Republican-induced coma, the now eight-member Supreme Court has nominally four liberal and four conservative justices but at least 1.5 of those conservatives (Justice Kennedy and sometimes Chief Justice Roberts) have been known to turn moderate on certain decisions. This smaller court, which will apparently judge all cases for the next couple years, is likely to be more moderate than the Scalia Court ever was.

So if you are a President who is a lawyer and former teacher of constitutional law and you’ve come over time to see that this idea of secret backdoors into encrypted devices is not really a good idea, but one that’s going to come up again and again pushed by nearly everyone from the other political party (and even a few from your own) wouldn’t right now be the best of all possible times to kinda-sorta fight this fight all the way to the Supreme Court and lose?

If it doesn’t go all the way to the Supremes, there’s no chance to set a strong legal precedent and this issue will come back again and again and again.

That’s what I am pretty sure is happening.
Verizon has the best cellular network in US

Publié: février 19, 2016, 6:56pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

Each carrier would like you to believe that its network is better than those of its rivals. It may be touted as the most reliable or the fastest but, at least in one regard, it definitely takes the cake. Such claims can be hard to believe though when they come directly from the horse's mouth. After all, it is easy to lead the pack when you decide exactly what the rules are.

RootMetrics has conducted its own tests to find out which major US carrier has the best cellular network and, based on its findings, Verizon comes out as the clear winner, well ahead of AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile.

Verizon's cellular network is the best performer overall with a 94.5 rating, topping AT&T's 91.3, Sprint's 86 and T-Mobile's 80.9. RootMetrics tested the networks for reliability, speed, data performance, call performance and text performance, in all 50 states including the 125 most-populated metropolitan areas.

Big red is the winner in all of the five categories. In text performance, it shares the top spot with AT&T, however, which ranks a consistent second in the other four. Sprint and T-Mobile claim third and fourth place, respectively, across all categories.

When looking at the performance across the 50 states, Verizon leads from afar with a 272 rating, compared to AT&T's 110, Sprint's 36 or T-Mobile's nine. Big red has 176 "outright" wins against its rivals, and 96 ties. AT&T has 23 outright wins, and 87 ties. Sprint has no outright wins, but has 36 ties. T-Mobile has two wins, but only seven ties.

Verizon also has the best cellular network in the 125 most-populated metro areas too, getting a 597 rating from RootMetrics. AT&T comes in second place with a 424 rating, followed by Sprint with 212 and T-Mobile with 209.

Verizon takes first place in all categories but text performance, where it loses to AT&T and just barely gets past Sprint. AT&T comes second in reliability, data performance, and call performance, while Sprint and T-Mobile trade places back and forth in all categories. Sprint betters T-Mobile in network reliability and call performance, while the latter comes ahead of the former when it comes to network speed and data performance.

Here are some other things worth mentioning. AT&T and Verizon offer 4G LTE coverage in all of the 125 most-populated metro areas, but Sprint and T-Mobile only manage 103 and 111 markets, respectively.

AT&T's cellular network offers download speeds of between 10 and 20 Mbps in 62 out of the 125 markets, while speeds of more than 20 Mbps are only seen in 10 markets. Slower speeds are seen in the 20 other markets.

In Sprint's case, 54 markets see download speeds of between five and 10 Mbps, while speeds of between 10 and 20 Mbps are only encountered in 37 markets. Higher speeds are seen in 14 markets, while the remaining 20 markets see speeds of less than 5 Mbps.

When it comes to T-Mobile, its cellular network delivers download speeds of between 10 and 20 Mbps in 62 markets, and higher than 20 Mbps in 38 markets. Speeds of between 5 and 10 Mbps are seen in 24 markets, with only a single market getting speeds slower than 5 Mbps.

Verizon's cellular network manages speeds of between 10 and 20 Mbps in 52 markets, but in 58 other markets users can see speeds of more than 20 Mbps. Slower speeds are encountered in the 15 other markets, mostly between 5 and 10 Mbps.

If you want to learn more, hit the link in the third paragraph for the complete report.

Photo Credit: Andresr/Shutterstock
Majority of UK businesses want to move their IT infrastructure to the cloud

Publié: février 19, 2016, 6:40pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

A significant portion of UK businesses, 63 percent of them, plan to move their entire IT infrastructure to the cloud in the near future, according to a new report by the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF).

The adoption rate of the Cloud among UK’s businesses currently sits at 78 percent, the same as a year before, but "substantially higher" than when the research was first conducted back in 2011, the report says. The report also says that the adoption is likely to increase to 85 percent in the next two years.

More than three quarters (77 percent) of the businesses using Cloud use at least two services, while one in eight (12 percent) use five or more.

Webhosting (57 percent), email (56 percent), eCommerce (53 percent) and collaboration services (52 percent) are the applications most likely to be hosted in the Cloud, the report adds.

When asked why they decided to go for the cloud, flexibility is the number one reason for 77 percent of those surveyed, followed by scalability (76 percent) and 24/7 service dependence (74 percent). Furthermore, 45 percent said they decided to invest in the cloud as it enables innovation, their business objective, followed by improving customer service (31 percent) and enhanced business continuity (37 percent).

"This is the sixth major body of research we have conducted into the UK end user community, and while we are continuing to analyze and report on trends and adoption rates within the UK, we also wanted to explore the issue of digital transformation and how Cloud computing is facilitating business change", stated Alex Hilton, CEO of CIF.

"It should come as no surprise that digital transformation is creeping up businesses’ agendas as they seek to stay ahead of the competition. Cloud is very much part of the digital transformation agenda, and it is clear from this research that those companies with plans to digitally transform, struggle to do so without the delivery model", added Hilton.

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

Image Credit: Chaiyapop Bhumiwat / Shutterstock
Dark data and why you should worry about it

Publié: février 19, 2016, 4:56pm CET par Ian Barker

How much of your company's data do you actually use? According to search technology specialist Lucidworks, businesses typically only analyze around 10 percent of the data they collect.

The rest becomes what the company calls 'dark data' -- information that lurks unused. Much of this data is unstructured and doesn't fit into any convenient database format. This means that companies don't have the tools to make sense of it or simply find they have too much to handle.

Lucidworks reckons that 7.5 septillion (7,700,000,000,000,000,000,000) gigabytes of data are generated worldwide each day and a large proportion of that will go dark. This data may contain sensitive information or details that could be used to commit crime, so it needs to be looked after. But it also has the potential to uncover details of undetected fraud, or boost business by revealing patterns in consumer habits, or finding untapped sources of revenue.

There's an interactive graphic on the issue of dark data on the Lucidworks site. You can see a short extract from it below to give you a flavor.
Why is Microsoft not selling HoloLens to consumers?

Publié: février 19, 2016, 4:26pm CET par Mihăiță Bamburic

HoloLens is one of the most exciting things that Microsoft is working on. First showcased more than a year ago, this headset could transform how we interact with technology on a daily basis, making it possible to display holograms on top of everyday objects. Imagine having a huge TV that is playing your favorite show showing up on your bedroom wall, or seeing snow falling down around you on a hot summer's day. The possibilities are virtually endless.

But while HoloLens has no doubt captured the imagination of many consumers, Microsoft has not made a kit available to the general public, choosing instead to only offer it for developers and businesses. Question is, why not consumers as well?

Microsoft seems to have no concrete plans to release HoloLens to consumers in the foreseeable future, based on the comments made by project head Alex Kipman during a TED conference in Vancouver. "When I feel the world is ready, then we will allow normal people to buy it. It could be as soon as we say 'yes', and it could be as long as a 'very long time'".

The problem is not the hardware, as apparently HoloLens itself is ready for prime time. That is, if you ignore the crazy price tag, which would put it out of the reach of the vast majority of consumers. Developers and businesses that are interested in buying HoloLens have to shell out $3,000 for a unit.

But, unlike consumers, they will be putting it to good use, creating augmented reality applications that work with the headset. Meanwhile, there are very few things that prospective HoloLens users, from the consumer fold, can actually do with the headset at this stage.

"If a consumer bought it today, they would have 12 things to do with it", says Kipman. "And they would say 'Cool, I bought a $3,000 product that I can do 12 things with and now it is collecting dust'".

This is the major reason for the concern surrounding the consumer availability of HoloLens -- if consumers are underwhelmed by it, chances are HoloLens will quickly lose its appeal. If that happens, the whole project turns to dust.

There is a similar concern with virtual reality headsets, but the number of applications that are compatible with VR headsets looks to be higher than in HoloLens' case. But, at least in this case, the cost to experience this technology is considerably lower -- a typical headset can be had for less than $100.

The content itself is typically offloaded to a smartphone and not hardware that has to be baked into the VR headset, so consumers would only have to get a headset to enjoy some virtual reality content. This also puts less pressure on manufacturers, which know that early adopters will not be very disappointed when they spend a small amount on cutting-edge technology.

Microsoft is obviously aware of the fact that virtually no one will pay thousands of dollars for HoloLens, so the software giant is likely waiting for the moment when this technology will be more accessible to consumers to launch it. And since Kipman says he is in "no rush", there is no pressure to deliver the goods. If Microsoft takes its time, chances are we will get a convincing product on launch day.
AirFoil 5.0 adds multiple Bluetooth speaker support, speaker groups

Publié: février 19, 2016, 3:47pm CET par Nick Peers

Rogue Amoeba has released Airfoil for Windows 5.0 and Airfoil for Mac 5.0, a major new version of its tool for streaming audio from computers to supported networked devices, including AirPlay hardware such as Apple TV and AirPort Express.

Version 5 adds support for Bluetooth devices, plus introduces a new free tool -- Airfoil Satellite -- that turns other PCs, Macs and iOS devices into clients for the main Airfoil tool.

Bluetooth support is the undoubted highlight of this release. Previously, Airfoil was restricted to streaming to Apple devices, but the new functionality makes it possible for users to stream audio -- either all audio or a single application’s output only -- to one or more connected Bluetooth devices. If only one application is selected, all other audio remains output to the computer’s speaker.

Support for multiple outputs allows users to stream to all connected devices with a single click. Version 5 also adds support for Groups, a means of grouping speakers together in a related set, allowing users to stream output to all members of a group with a single click. Speakers can be assigned to groups using any criteria, such as location.

Other new features include a Silence Monitor, which will automatically disconnect the speaker when streaming silence, while users can now hide speakers -- useful when connected to shared networks. Users also gain the ability to adjust the sync to take into account another device’s built-in latency.

The user interface has also been refined, although it promises to remain familiar to existing users. Another improvement sees Airfoil now able to capture audio from applications without having to quit and relaunch it first.

The Windows build unveils a completely rewritten audio capture engine, with the promise of increased robustness. Users can now also stream audio from 64-bit apps as well as apps from the Windows Store.

Mac users also gain access to custom equalizer presets, while full support for Apple’s VoiceOver feature has also been added.

The new release is accompanied by Airfoil Satellite, a free client program for Windows, Mac and iOS that make these devices available for audio output. Users can also control the main Airfoil server remotely from Airfoil Satellite on a connected computer. Airfoil Satellite requires the same license key as that used to unlock the main Airfoil application. Also available is Airfoil Speakers for Android and Linux devices.

Airfoil for Windows 5.0 and Airfoil for Mac 5.0 are both available now as free trial downloads -- both are fully functional, but only stream up to 10 minutes of audio at a time before quality degrades. The full version costs $29 per device (or $40 for both Mac and Windows), or $15 for those upgrading from the previous version.
Apple is using a straw man argument to fight the FBI

Publié: février 19, 2016, 2:03pm CET par Mark Wilson

Listen to Tim Cook and you’d be forgiven for thinking that Apple was standing up for the little guy, sticking up for the likes of you and I in fighting the FBI. The FBI, Apple would have you believe, wants Apple to break encryption, thereby weakening security for everyone. But that's not really the case at all.

The FBI has not asked for encryption to be broken; it wants access to data on the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone, and it wants to do so by using the (as yet unknown) PIN that has been used to lock it. Get it wrong too many times and the device is wiped. The FBI wants custom firmware to be made available that would allow it to brute force the PIN. It's nothing to do with cracking encryption, but that's not what Apple wants you to believe. It's an exercise in misdirection and a classic straw man argument. The problem is, if the straw man goes up in flames, will Apple too?

Tim Cook went as far as issuing a public letter explaining why Apple was refusing to comply with the court order that has been handed down. The word 'encryption' is used seven times in Tim Cook's letter, the word 'encrypt' once. You'd be forgiven for thinking that the FBI has asked for the magic keys that decrypt data, thereby meaning the same could be done for any iOS device out there -- but that's absolutely not the case.

The judge actually ruled that:

Apple's reasonable technical assistance shall accomplish the following three important functions: (1) it will bypass or disable the auto-erase function whether or not it has been enabled; (2) it will enable the FBI to submit passcodes to the SUBJECT DEVICE for testing electronically via the physical device port, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other protocol available on the SUBJECT and (3) it will ensure that when the FBI submits passcodes to the SUBJECT DEVICE, software running on the device will not purposefully introduce any additional delay between passcode attempts beyond what is incurred by Apple hardware.

Encryption is not mentioned once. Not once. We could argue, as Tim Cook tries to, that this is merely a matter of semantics, but this is not about encryption... not really.

Let's use an analogy. Suppose the FBI wanted to gain access to a locked house. It could smash the door down, but this might result in damaging whatever is inside, or even hurting people. This is akin to data being wiped after too many incorrect PIN guesses. The FBI could ask Apple to provide a skeleton key that unlocks every door in the world. This is the story that Tim Cook is putting forward, and it is understandably worrying. The idea that someone could unlock your front door -- any of your doors -- would be concerning to anyone.

But what the FBI is actually doing is asking for the spare keys to a specific door so they can open it without any collateral damage. It's more like when you lose your car keys, or want to get a spare cut. You can’t just go to the shop down the road and have a supplicate run off, you need to get in touch with the manufacturer who will produce a custom key paired to your vehicle after having performed the necessary security and verification checks.

Apple is being utterly disingenuous in suggesting that this is a story about encryption. It's not.

That's not to say Apple is completely wrong, of course, but it is certainly being misleading. Tim Cook is right to suggest that it would set a worrying precedent. He says "while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control", and he's right. There is cause for concern. What the FBI is asking for is concerning, but not for the reasons Apple suggests.

The thing is, putting forward the idea of breaking encryption is a far, far more emotive issue. It's something that everyone -- every company -- cares about. That is why Facebook, Twitter, Google, Microsoft and the EFF have offered their support to Apple. But break things down, and the issue is actually very different. Would there be such support if the court order was reworded to say 'Apple needs to disarm the self-destruct feature of this device'? Probably not.

Apple knows as much, and that's why Tim Cook released his very carefully worded letter as part of a cleverly orchestrated campaign to drum up even more support. I hear you, Tim, but you need to be honest about what's actually going on.

Apple could help the FBI without compromising the security of anyone else. It does not need to supply the FBI with the source code for any tool it creates that allows for PIN bypassing. It's hard to imagine that Apple engineers don’t already have such a tool, even if it's only for personal use. The phone in question could be brought in house, unlocked by Apple, and handed back. The unlocking tool need never be in anyone's hands other than Apple's, greatly minimizing the potential for abuse.

But this is just conjecture, and it would still set a precedent. No company wants to be seen to be siding with the enemy, even if the "enemy" is fighting terrorism. The real enemy here, for Apple, is Apple's image. Apple is terrified of any of its sheen becoming tarnished. Sadly, the company has resorted to poorly thought out arguments based on flawed logic and unsound reasoning to support its position. The damage to image has already been done.

Share your thoughts in the poll we have running: Should Apple help the FBI unlock the San Bernardino iPhone?

Photo credit: Wuttichok Panichiwarapun / Shutterstock
Canonical to release Snappy Ubuntu Core Linux image for Samsung ARTIK IoT platform

Publié: février 19, 2016, 1:41pm CET par Brian Fagioli

Ah, Linux. What can't the open source kernel do? For many projects, operating systems based on it have proven remarkably adaptable -- being made to work with countless hardware configurations. While Windows may remain king of the desktop -- for now -- Linux has its fingers in many pies for which Microsoft's offering is just too bloated. It remains to be seen if Windows 10 IoT will be embraced.

Today, Canonical announces that it will be releasing an Ubuntu Core image for Samsung's IoT-focused ARTIK platform (5 and 10 modules). What does this mean? Well, developers can now leverage one of the most popular Linux distributions on this hardware. This creates amazing potential for ARTIK.

"With a tiered architecture built for performance, optimized power consumption, memory utilization and footprint, SAMSUNG ARTIK modules are designed for a variety of applications -- from wearables and end-nodes to powerful hubs with integrated wireless capabilities, local processing and analytics. The 'best-in-class' security solution starts with a hardware Secure Element (SE), and adds software Trusted Execution Environment (TEE). Developers can benefit from the various wireless connectivity options (Zigbee, BLE, Wi-Fi) to securely connect various sensors around the house to the cloud and rely on Ubuntu Core’s capabilities to manage the security of devices once deployed by remotely and reliably upgrading the software running on these devices", says Canonical.

Maarten Ectors, VP IoT, Canonical explains, “SAMSUNG ARTIK device and platform developers looks set to benefit from the large, well-established Ubuntu developer community which is especially strong in the fields of IoT, Robotics, autonomous vehicles and computer vision. This image will let developers fully and quickly utilize the power of the SAMSUNG ARTIK platform and enable access to a host of powerful new tools for the development of innovative new connected devices. It will create an environment particularly suited to creating solutions for smart homes and smart home appliances".

Applications like Internet of Things and robotics have a big future, and Canonical is wise to partner with big players in this regard. Ubuntu is a wonderful distro and the Snappy Core variant is sure to play a major role in many technological projects. Not only does this make Samsung's ARTIK platform more attractive to developers, but Ubuntu Core gets a credibility bump too.

If you are a developer looking to try this image, Canonical promises that it will be available "in the next several weeks". Yeah, waiting stinks -- sorry, y'all. With that said, it will be found here, once released.
Best Windows apps this week

Publié: février 19, 2016, 1:39pm CET par Martin Brinkmann
One-hundred and sixty-eight in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows 8.x and Windows 10 in the past seven days.

This week saw some great releases and application updates. Facebook's official application is available to all users for instance, and updates to Twitter, Hulu or Todoist improved these apps significantly.

The new King game Papa Pear Saga is my app of the week pick. It is a fun game that is not another match-3 type of game but a game that stands on its own.

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

The following discounts are provided by Red Stripe Deals, a weekly changing list of offers, and the Deals Hub application.

The following is this week's selection:
- Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride (Full), an adventure game for $3.49
- Doodle God, a puzzle game for $0.99
- IQ Mission 2, a puzzle game for free
- Baseball riot, an action game for $1.49
- Chimpact, a jump and run game for $2.49
- LCARS Interface, an Enterprise.like computer interface for $1.49
App of the week

Papa Pear Saga

The latest King game for Windows 10 is not another Candy Crush Sage clone but a game that stands on its own.

It plays a bit like the Japanese game of Pachinko mixed with Flipper elements.

You shoot pears out of a cannon positioned at the top, and try to bump into as many elements displayed in each level as possible to reach a certain score threshold or other level objectives like bringing down fruit or lighting up the buckets.

Use the mouse, or touch, to control the speed of the projectile as well as its axis. While you may shoot multiple pears in rapid succession, you don't control what happens afterwards to them as that occurs automatically.

Other apps

Readia for Windows 10 (free for the next 10-days, then $1.99)

Readia is a comic book reader for Windows 10 that you can use to read and manage your digital comic book collection.

It supports zip, rar, cbz and cbr archive formats, jpeg, png and bmp image formats, and pdf currently.

Network Data ($1.39, free trial available)

Network Data displays information about the computer's network traffic.

Traffic information includes upload and download data for all network adapters, graphs, and options to display all data, or data from the last month, week, day or hour.

The app supports a live tile to display the information in the Start menu, notifications, and color customization options.

The data is taken directly from Windows 10's network statistics dialog.

Voice Wake ($1.99, free trial available)

Voice Wake requires a static IP address and that Wake On LAN is configured on the device.

It enables you to change power states of the PC (wake, shutdown, restart and hibernate) using Cortana.

Loop Drive 2

This is a basic game in which you control the speed of a car that is driving around in a circle all the time.

Your task is to avoid collisions with other computer controlled vehicles by decelerating or accelerating the car.

Oxenfree ($19.99, no free trial)

Oxenfree is an adventure game about a group of friends opening a ghostly rift.

The game, inspired by events of World War II, uses a conversation system that changes the story and relationships based on the decisions you make.

It features beautiful visuals and an interesting story that may remind you of teen and horror movies of the 80s.

Notable updates

Facebook, the official Facebook application for Windows 10 is now available to all users. It has still a beta tag though.

Hulu has been reviewed by Alan this week. The new versions introduces Cortana and Live Tile support, a new vertical layout, and support for personalized watchlists and home pages.

Twitter updated with Moments support.

Todoist Preview has been updated with live tile support for "today" and "next 7 days", initial support for Windows 10 mobile, new context menu options and more.

EzPodder, a video and audio podcast management app is available as a lite version as well now. Plus, it is a universal application.

TVPlan Beta updated with Tract.tv support, experimental trailer viewer, actor dialog options, and a lot more.
Best Windows apps this week

Publié: février 19, 2016, 1:39pm CET par Martin Brinkmann
One-hundred and sixty-eight in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows 8.x and Windows 10 in the past seven days.

This week saw some great releases and application updates. Facebook's official application is available to all users for instance, and updates to Twitter, Hulu or Todoist improved these apps significantly.

The new King game Papa Pear Saga is my app of the week pick. It is a fun game that is not another match-3 type of game but a game that stands on its own.

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

The following discounts are provided by Red Stripe Deals, a weekly changing list of offers, and the Deals Hub application.

The following is this week's selection:
- Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride (Full), an adventure game for $3.49
- Doodle God, a puzzle game for $0.99
- IQ Mission 2, a puzzle game for free
- Baseball riot, an action game for $1.49
- Chimpact, a jump and run game for $2.49
- LCARS Interface, an Enterprise.like computer interface for $1.49
App of the week

Papa Pear Saga

The latest King game for Windows 10 is not another Candy Crush Sage clone but a game that stands on its own.

It plays a bit like the Japanese game of Pachinko mixed with Flipper elements.

You shoot pears out of a cannon positioned at the top, and try to bump into as many elements displayed in each level as possible to reach a certain score threshold or other level objectives like bringing down fruit or lighting up the buckets.

Use the mouse, or touch, to control the speed of the projectile as well as its axis. While you may shoot multiple pears in rapid succession, you don't control what happens afterwards to them as that occurs automatically.

Other apps

Readia for Windows 10 (free for the next 10-days, then $1.99)

Readia is a comic book reader for Windows 10 that you can use to read and manage your digital comic book collection.

It supports zip, rar, cbz and cbr archive formats, jpeg, png and bmp image formats, and pdf currently.

Network Data ($1.39, free trial available)

Network Data displays information about the computer's network traffic.

Traffic information includes upload and download data for all network adapters, graphs, and options to display all data, or data from the last month, week, day or hour.

The app supports a live tile to display the information in the Start menu, notifications, and color customization options.

The data is taken directly from Windows 10's network statistics dialog.

Voice Wake ($1.99, free trial available)

Voice Wake requires a static IP address and that Wake On LAN is configured on the device.

It enables you to change power states of the PC (wake, shutdown, restart and hibernate) using Cortana.

Loop Drive 2

This is a basic game in which you control the speed of a car that is driving around in a circle all the time.

Your task is to avoid collisions with other computer controlled vehicles by decelerating or accelerating the car.

Oxenfree ($19.99, no free trial)

Oxenfree is an adventure game about a group of friends opening a ghostly rift.

The game, inspired by events of World War II, uses a conversation system that changes the story and relationships based on the decisions you make.

It features beautiful visuals and an interesting story that may remind you of teen and horror movies of the 80s.

Notable updates

Facebook, the official Facebook application for Windows 10 is now available to all users. It has still a beta tag though.

Hulu has been reviewed by Alan this week. The new versions introduces Cortana and Live Tile support, a new vertical layout, and support for personalized watchlists and home pages.

Twitter updated with Moments support.

Todoist Preview has been updated with live tile support for "today" and "next 7 days", initial support for Windows 10 mobile, new context menu options and more.

EzPodder, a video and audio podcast management app is available as a lite version as well now. Plus, it is a universal application.

TVPlan Beta updated with Tract.tv support, experimental trailer viewer, actor dialog options, and a lot more.
Poll: Should Apple help the FBI unlock the San Bernardino iPhone?

Publié: février 19, 2016, 1:11pm CET par Wayne Williams

The US courts say Apple should help the FBI access the contents of an iPhone belonging to one of the San Bernardino shooters, but Apple is refusing, on the grounds that it doesn’t want to erode the security of Apple customers.

I’m personally on Apple’s side, as is my colleague Joe Wilcox, but Donald Trump wants Apple to use "common sense" and open its phone up, while John McAfee is claiming he can help the FBI unlock Apple’s device within "three weeks", primarily through the use of social engineering. The FBI for its part says it doesn’t want Apple to create a backdoor in all iPhones, just unlock the one belonging to the killer.

Apple has reportedly been given more time to respond to the court order, and prepare its defense, so the situation isn’t likely to be resolved either way anytime soon.

BetaNews readers have commented on the topic in both mine and Joe’s stories, but what I’d like to know is what the overall consensus is. Are you on the side of Apple here, or do you think the company should open up the iPhone and help the FBI?

Cast your vote and leave a comment below explaining the reason for your view.
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
Photo credit: Blablo101 / Shutterstock
10 reasons why I don't use Microsoft Edge, and one why I do

Publié: février 19, 2016, 12:53pm CET par Martin Brinkmann
Microsoft Edge is the default system browser on Windows 10. Microsoft ships the operating system with Internet Explorer as well, and it is easy enough to use either one of the browsers to download Firefox, Chrome, Opera or any of the other browsers available for Windows.

When Windows 10 came out, I was interested in Microsoft Edge for a number of reasons. It is a new browser by Microsoft that did away with old dependencies that held Internet Explorer back. That should make it sleeker, faster and less prone to attacks.

Edge gives that impression on start. It is fast, displays only a few mandatory elements in the interface, and works well on most sites you open using it.

If you dig deeper, or compare it to established browsers, you will notice that it lacks many features that most Internet users would call essential or at least "nice to have".

Microsoft is working on adding some of those; it introduced options to clear browsing data on exit automatically and a "save to" option to the most recent Insider Preview build for instance.

10 Reasons why I don't use Microsoft Edge

The following reasons are why I don't use Microsoft Edge more often, let alone as the main system browser.

1. No Extension Support

Microsoft Edge will support browser extensions eventually, but the technology is not there yet. Microsoft promised that extensions are a top priority but nothing has come out of this so far.

Even when extension support is added to Edge on stable builds of Windows 10, it is not the end of it as the usefulness of that feature depends largely on developer support.

If you look back at plugins and add-ons for Internet Explorer, you will come to the conclusion that there were few available for the browser despite its overall usage share.

It certainly had something to do with how add-ons were created for Internet Explorer, and Edge will make that easier according to Microsoft.

Still, after launch, only a handful of extensions will be made available initially.

2. Barely any interface customization options

I'm a spoiled Firefox user who -- still -- has options to modify the browser interface to his liking. I can add or remove elements, and move most around without issues.

Edge, just like Google Chrome, limits this to hiding or displaying the favorites bar. There is no option to move icons around or remove them from the browser, and no advanced customization features that allow you to display tabs in a sidebar, add a status bar to the browser UI, or change colors.

I cannot remove the "make a web note" or "share web note" icons for instance even though I will never use those features.

"What you see is what you get" seems to be the motto right now. The only option provided is to add a home button to the interface.

3. Adding Search Engines is a pain, switching between them too

Microsoft Edge ships with Bing as the default search engine. It may also include other search engines that you can pick one from, but there is no apparent option to add search engines that are not listed on the configuration page to the browser.

The only option provided right now is to use the discovery feature. This works only if the search engine supports OpenSearch. All you need to do in this case is to visit it, run a search, and open the Edge Settings afterwards to change the default search engine to the newly discovered one.
1. Select the three dots at the top, and then Settings from the context menu that opens.
2. Scroll down and select "view advanced settings".
3. Find "search in the address bar with" and click on the change button.
4. Select a search engine from the list, and click on "set as default" to make it the new default search engine in Microsoft Edge.
An easy option to switch between search engines is missing as well.

4. The Missing Address Bar

When you open a new Tab Page in Microsoft Edge, the address bar is removed from the browser UI and all you get is a "Where to next" field on the page which acts as a combined search field and address bar.

This is inconsistent and in my opinion a decision that leads to bad usability. A browser should not modify the core UI ever, and the address bar is probably the most important element a web browser has to offer.

The address bar appears if you scroll down on the new tab page, and if you do, you cannot scroll up anymore to display the in-page "where to next" field instead.

5. The "fly-out" Settings

If you select Settings from the main menu at the top, you will notice that Settings are displayed as a fly-out menu in Microsoft Edge.

The main issue here is that the Settings don't use the available browser window which means that there is lots of scrolling involved to go through them and that it is not as easy to get an overview of what is available.

You can click on the pin icon to display the Settings permanently on the screen, but that takes away space from websites that you open in the browser.

6. Not displaying protocols in the address bar is bad

Microsoft Edge does not display the protocol used to connect to the active site. The only indicator it gives that you are connected to a secure site (https) is the lock icon in front of the address.

You can click in the address bar field to display the full url, but that is impracticable for a number of reasons.

In addition, the secure icon should use color indicators (green and red) as this is how all other browsers handle these visualizations.

7. Favorites and History management use fly-out menus too, no search

If you manage a lot of favorites, or need to browse the history, you will notice that Edge displays these in a fly-out menu as well.

The menu has the same issues as the Settings one, namely that its width is limited and that there is no option to display the data on a page using the full width of the browser window.

The display lists only a handful of links before you need to start scrolling, and there is no search available to quickly find what you are looking for.

There is also no option to sort the favorites quickly, for instance by recency or number of visits.

8. No tab history

While you can right-click on any tab open in the browser to reopen closed tabs, there is no option to quickly go through a list of closed tabs to open the one you are looking for, or to display all sites that were loaded in the tab previously.

Chrome and Firefox users can right-click on the back or forward icons to display previously visited sites which makes it easier to open these again.

9. No user profiles

I use multiple user profiles in Firefox for different tasks. One for work, one for regular web browsing, one for testing, and another for secure activities such as online banking.

These profiles are configured differently depending on the activity, they use different extensions, and they help me separate work from other activities.

Microsoft Edge does not support user profiles currently which means that you are stuck with a single profile for all activity.

10. Right-click search with default search engine, not Bing

When you select text in Microsoft Edge and right-click, you get an option to search using the Bing search engine.

This option is hardcoded in the browser, and does not change even if you change the default search engine of Microsoft Edge.

Bing Lookup should change to whatever search engine you have selected as the default one.

What I DO use Microsoft Edge for

I use Microsoft Edge to watch Netflix. The reason I do so is because it supports higher resolutions than any of the other web browsers on Windows when the HTML5 player is used.

Microsoft Edge supports resolutions up to 1080p while both Firefox and Chrome are limited to 720p each.

You can verify this on your machine by using the shortcut Ctrl-Shift-Alt-S while a video is playing. It displays information about all supported audio and video bitrates.

You will notice that Chrome and Firefox don't support the highest bitrates that Microsoft Edge supports.

Now You: Are you using Microsoft Edge?

Photo credit: T.Dallas / Shutterstock
Opera claims you're using 30 percent of your mobile data on background apps

Publié: février 19, 2016, 12:12pm CET par Alan Buckingham

Mobile data these days comes at a premium. Carriers charge what could be considered ridiculous amounts for it and many customers burn through it. Unless you're predominantly on Wi-Fi then you're likely wondering where all of that data is going.

The answer, of course, is background apps -- programs that run all the time without the user realizing it. These can eat up tremendous amounts of a monthly allotment.

In a new study, browser maker Opera has found that these hidden processes can use about 30 percent of your monthly plan.

The main culprits are likely not a surprise. Both Facebook Messenger and Gmail account for the bulk, wracking up 73 percent of your background data usage. Google Drive and WhatsApp are also running afoul of your limits, accounting for more than 50 percent.

"Most apps are made to give a great user experience, not to save data. If you fetch background data through your data plan, it's like throwing away $1 out of every $3 you spend on your mobile data plan", says Sergey Lossev, Product Manager at Opera Software.

Needless to say, the company produces Opera Max, which can detect this usage and alert users, and the company is recommending people install it.

Regardless of your inclination when it comes to installing this software, the information seems solid enough, and rather unsurprising. It's up to the users to decide what to do now.

Photo credit: Ron Leishman/Shutterstock
Mobile operator Three to block ads at the network level

Publié: février 19, 2016, 11:51am CET par Wayne Williams
Ad blocking has been going on for years, but it’s risen in popularity a lot lately, thanks in part to Apple allowing ad blockers into the App Store. Popular content blocker Adblock Plus has been having conversations with advertisers recently too and is looking to discover just why people block ads on the web.

In an interesting move, mobile network operator Three has announced that it will be using ad blocking technology created by Israeli startup Shine to block adverts on a network level.

The technology will be implemented by Three UK and Three Italy initially (there are plans to roll it out to other Three Group operators in the future) and will, the company says, give customers "more control, choice and greater transparency" over which adverts appear on their devices.

While advertisers will, naturally, be unhappy with this move, the goal isn’t to eradicate advertising on Three devices entirely, just block the worst examples.

The company says it has three principal goals when deploying ad blocking:
1. That customers should not pay data charges to receive adverts. These should be costs borne by the advertiser.
2. That customers’ privacy and security must be fully protected. Some advertisers use mobile ads to extract and exploit data about customers without their knowledge or consent.
3. That customers should be entitled to receive advertising that is relevant and interesting to them, and not to have their data experience in mobile degraded by excessive, intrusive, unwanted or irrelevant adverts.
Tom Malleschitz, Chief Marketing Officer, Three UK, says: "Irrelevant and excessive mobile ads annoy customers and affect their overall network experience. We don't believe customers should have to pay for data usage driven by mobile ads. The industry has to work together to give customers mobile ads they want and benefit from. These goals will give customers choice and significantly improve their ad experience".

Photo credit: Tashatuvango / Shutterstock
Facebook launches Suicide Prevention tool in the UK

Publié: février 19, 2016, 11:46am CET par Mark Wilson

Facebook has teamed up with charity the Samaritans to bring its Suicide Prevention tool to the UK. It's the same tool that was launch in the US a little over a year ago, and it gives users the opportunity to report content they feel might be indicative of someone struggling with suicidal thoughts.

While Facebook itself is not involved in seeking out suicide-related posts, it has a team in place ready to handle any content that is reported. The team is able to analyze and prioritize cases, and reach out to individuals to see what sort of support can be offered -- this might be as simple as having a chat, or it could involve a referral to specialist organizations.

Relying on users to report worrying content posted by the people they follow or are friends with on the social network takes the pressure off Facebook, but ensures that the social network is still seen to be doing something. Users are encouraged to use the Suicide Prevention tool to report content they are concerned about, but in the case of explicit talk about suicide, the advice is to get in touch with the emergency services.

Every part of the process is kept anonymous in a bid to encourage people on both sides to take advantage of it. As well as providing tips and support for those considering suicide, Facebook also recognizes that it can be difficult for those finding such content in their news feeds. With this in mind, Facebook says it will be providing " new resources and support to the person who flagged the troubling post, including options for them to call or message their distressed friend letting them know they care, or reaching out to another friend or a trained volunteer for support".

Photo credit: tulpahn / Shutterstock
Streamlining home network security [Q&A]

Publié: février 19, 2016, 11:22am CET par Ian Barker

Whilst businesses can call on expert resources to secure their systems, for many home users protecting a home network and the devices attached to it can be something of a dark art.

Finnish security company F-Secure is aiming to make securing systems simple even for the non-technical with its forthcoming SENSE product. We spoke to Mika Majapuro, F-Secure's director of product management, to find about more.

BN: Can you give us an overview of what SENSE is?

MM: We've been building F-Secure SENSE for around one and a half years, the reason we started the project was we know that people have more and more connected devices. With the Internet of Things they'll have many more in future thanks to technology like smart TVs and smart thermostats.

The bad news is that all of these connected devices are hackable and there are worries that maybe your TV or your child's toy could be spying on you. We wanted people to be able to run a connected home but stay safe, secure and private.

BN: How does it work?

MM: SENSE is a combination of a Wi-Fi router, endpoint security and cloud service. You take the sense device home and connect it to your existing router, it then creates a new Wi-Fi network to which you move all of your connected devices. SENSE can then monitor all of the traffic going in and out of your home. If it sees something suspicious it can send information to the cloud for analysis. If there's a problem then action can be taken to block the connection and notify the user that maybe their connected toaster is trying to send traffic to China or receiving traffic from a malicious website. It's a behavior and reputation based service.

For devices like PCs and phones we also install an endpoint app which provides security for when they are taken out of the home. This provides antivirus protection, blocks tracking attempts and so on.

BN: Once you've bought that SENSE hardware is there an ongoing subscription?

MM: Yes, you buy the hardware which should be about $199 and that includes 12 months of subscription. After that you pay $8 per month but that’s for an unlimited devices so it doesn't matter whether you have 20 devices or 200 it's the same price. Since it also replaces your traditional antivirus product the cost becomes very competitive.

BN: How easy is it to set the system up?

MM: For home users, setting up security can be a painful process. With SENSE we really wanted to make it easy to use so we've used focus groups and redone the setup process more times than I like to remember. The app also gives you valuable information about your connected home, how many devices you have, where they're connecting, how they're behaving and so on. There's also a simple display that tells you when your home is secure and which will alert you if something is going wrong.

BN: Tell us a bit more about the SENSE gadget?

MM: If you look at traditional routers it's safe to say they're not the best looking devices and are something which you probably want to hide. We've tried to make the SENSE hardware something that you'd be proud to own and keep visible. The display will show if attention is needed so you can then go to the app to find out what's happening.

There's nothing special in the hardware, it has a 1GHz dual-core CPU and 512MB of RAM, the real magic is in the software and the cloud service.

BN: Does it replace your existing wireless router?

MM: No, it's an add-on. You attach the SENSE device to the router you received from your ISP, either with Wi-Fi or Ethernet. It then sets up a new wireless network to which you'll need to move all of your devices, network attached storage and so on.

BN: When will it be available?

MM: We announced SENSE at a startup event in Helsinki last November. We’re still in the final stages of development but in Europe and North America you can pre-order the product on the website and it will start shipping in early summer.
Mendix products now available on Microsoft Azure

Publié: février 19, 2016, 10:18am CET par Sead Fadilpašić

Platform-as-a-service provider Mendix and Microsoft today announced a partnership which will bring Mendix services on the Azure cloud platform.

Mendix says the new partnership will allow Azure customers to seamlessly access Mendix’s rapid application development capabilities, adding that two versions are available -- free and commercial.

The Free Edition features a full-production platform that allows building unlimited apps, with up to 10 users each. Exact pricing for the Pro Edition was not disclosed, as it depends on the number of application users and "other factors".

"The apps of the future cannot be built with the tools of the past", said Derek Roos, CEO and co-founder of Mendix. "By working together, Mendix and Microsoft are providing a comprehensive cloud stack to power the digital enterprise of the future and unleash a tidal wave of digital innovation".

"Microsoft Azure is committed to offering best-in-class tools for every developer, so that IT teams can better respond to growing business demands", said John Gossman, architect, Microsoft Azure. "We are excited that the Mendix platform is now available in Microsoft Azure Marketplace. The combination of Mendix’s rapid application development capabilities and Microsoft Azure’s public cloud services enables digital innovation at astonishing speed and scale".

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

Photo Credit: wongwean/Shutterstock