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BetaNews.Com (17 non lus)

Forget extensions, built-in ad blocking is coming to Microsoft Edge - [UPDATE... no it's not!]

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 11:05pm CEST par Mark Wilson

One of the first browser add-ons many people install to improve their online experience is Adblock Plus or something similar. Until recently, Microsoft Edge's lack of support for add-ons put off a lot of would-be users, but reports from Build 2016 suggest that native ad blocking is on its way to the Internet Explorer successor.

Adblock Plus is coming to Edge, but built-in ad blocking would negate the need for such an add-on. A slide shown off and snapped at a Build presentation shows that the next version of Edge, in response to user feedback, will feature ad blocking capabilities. There's no word on delivery timescale, but the upcoming Windows 10 Anniversary Update would seem a likely candidate. [Update: we now have a clarifying statement from Microsoft that puts rather a different spin on things].

ZDNet's Ed Bott photographed the slide which shows Microsoft's development roadmap built around feedback from testers. Right at the top of the list is reference to plans to create a plugin and extension store for Edge, but it's entry number four that's more intriguing.

"Build ad blocking features into the browser" is listed as a Feature Request from users. But the good news is that it is not only listed as being "Deliverable 4682811", but as "Targeted for the next version".

This will no doubt come as good news for those who have fallen in love with Edge, but it's not something that will be welcomed by the likes of Adblock Plus. It does seem that, particularly in the mobile arena, there is a move to baking ad blocking into the browser so it makes sense that Microsoft is following the trend. But it is the fact that Edge straddles Windows 10 on the desktop and Windows 10 Mobile that makes this a particularly interesting move.

Keep an eye out for Insider builds in the coming weeks as the feature may be just around the corner.

Update:

It seems that Mr Bott was wrong! We've spoken with Microsoft, and a spokesperson issued the following statement:

Microsoft is NOT building its own ad blocker features into MS Edge. What people saw during a session at //build yesterday was in reference to the work we’re already doing in bringing extensions to MS Edge, such as Ad Block and Ad Block Plus [...] the slide people are referencing from the session was poorly written and misinterpreted. We’ve let the Edge team know to update.

Photo credit: T.Dallas / Shutterstock
Can’t afford Dyson's Pure Cool Link? Try the Mi Air Purifier instead [Review]

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 10:53pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Having revolutionized the world of vacuum cleaning, James Dyson moved his attention to hand drying, heating and cooling. The latest gadget to roll off the Dyson production line is the IoT-enabled Pure Cool Link air purifier. Like just about every Dyson product out there, reviews are almost universally positive, but there is the question of the price tag.

The Pure Cool Link comes at something of a premium (be prepared to part with around $500), but it's certainly not a unique product. Dyson may have blazed a trail in many areas, but when it comes to air purifiers, it wasn't the first, and it certainly isn’t the cheapest. Take, for instance the Mi Air Purifier from Xiaomi. It's a relative snip at just $200, and the lower price tag doesn’t mean missing out on the Internet of Things.

Look to Dyson's advertising, and you'll see that the Pure Cool Link's HEPA filtering system removes "99.97% of allergens and pollutants as small as 0.3 microns". Despite being significantly cheaper, the Xiaomi device boast very much the same specs: "it filters out over 99% of particles sized 0.3μm and larger". Specifically, it is claimed that the Mi Air Purifier filters out 91 percent of formaldehyde and other harmful substances, 99.3 percent PM0.3 (0.3μm inhalable particles), and 100 percent dust, pollen and other large particles.

Does it work? Without specialist equipment to independently monitor air quality, it’s hard to say exactly what's going on, but the Mi Air Purifier certainly makes a noticeable difference. I'm lucky enough not to suffer from any allergies, but my girlfriend is not so lucky. In the month or so I have been testing the unit, she has come to rely on it to prevent irritation of her throat and lungs. There are times, such as after cleaning the house, or after using the open fire when the Air Purifier has a discernible effect on the air. But even when it's just left running, the air feels different... and a bit cooler.

As well as removing unwanted particles from the air, it also manages to do a good job of eliminating smells. Not that I live in a smelly house, you understand, but I cook, we have two cats. Smells happen. The Mi Air Purifier does keep things at bay.

Just like the Dyson Pure Cool Link, there's an app available for the Mi Air Purifier (iOS and Android) that not only allows for monitoring of air quality, but also for controlling the unit itself. The Mi device does not have the uber futuristic look of the Dyson, but it's still a good looking piece of kit. It's beautifully simple, and keep wonderfully elegant thanks to the single button to be found on the top. This button allows for powering up and down, as well as cycling between some of the available modes. But fire up your smartphone, and the app gives you access to far more settings, and gives you advice about when to open the window, and tells you when the filter needs to be changed.

The button on the Mi Air Purifier can only be used to access three different purification 'speeds'. Fire up the Mi Home app, however, and you'll find that it's far more flexible than you first thought. There is a 'standard' purification mode, but also an intensive mode that can clean the air in an entire room in a claimed 12 minutes. It has a CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) of 406m³ of air per minute, and is effective in rooms sized 28.4m²~48.7m².

You might well be concerned about the volume of an air purification system, and the standard, automatic mode is certainly audible, but soon blends into the background. Intensive, High Speed mode is loud, but it's not an invasive sound. It's not something you'd want to endure all day, that's for sure, but for a quick blast it's something you should be easily able to put up with for a few minutes. If you like the idea of running the unit in the bedroom while you sleep, there is a night mode option which not only dims the activity light but also make the unit run far, far quieter. For the most part, the auto setting does a great job. The on-board sensor detect the current air quality and adjust the power accordingly.

With a footprint of just 260mm x 260mm, and measuring 735mm tall, the Mi Air Purifier is not huge, but it is noticeable. It is a good-looker, and it's much lighter than you might think -- very easy to carry one-handed from room to room.

You can find out more about the Mi Air Purifier at the product website, and if you'd like to get your hands on one, head over to GearBest.
HyperX unveils Cloud Revolver gaming headset for PC, Mobile, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 6:27pm CEST par Brian Fagioli
Gaming headsets are a strange thing. On the one hand, they can provide a more immersive experience, allowing you to better hear in-game audio and communicate with other respectful players. On the other, it can cause you to communicate with disrespectful gamers too. Racist, sexist and threatening voices can really ruin what should be a fun game.

Ultimately, the pros outweigh the cons, as there should be -- hopefully -- more nice people participating in in-game chat than the evil and angry ones. HyperX is already known for its quality hardware -- including its well-respected headsets -- and now it introduces a new one, called Cloud Revolver. This gaming headset should work brilliantly for movies and music too. Not to mention, it looks totally bad-ass!

"It features a studio grade sound stage with 50mm directional drivers to deliver wider depth and width for improved audio precision in first-person shooter and open environment games. The tuning of the driver, mechanical design of the front acoustical chamber, larger ear cups and exhaust vents allow users to hear an opponent more clearly from further away and gain the ultimate competitive advantage. Music lovers will appreciate the concert hall-like experience when listening to their favorite tunes", says HyperX.

The Kingston-owned company further says, "HyperX Cloud Revolver uses signature red memory foam and premium leatherette on the ear cups and head band to provide award-winning comfort and quality for long hours of gameplay like its Cloud and Cloud II predecessors. The steel frame suspension design provides long-lasting durability, stability and quality. HyperX Cloud Revolver’s detachable noise-cancelling microphone offers crisp, clean and clear voice quality and reduced background noise. It is multi-platform compatible (PC, console and mobile device) and is certified by TeamSpeak and Discord; and, is compatible with Skype, Ventrilo, Mumble and RaidCall. A 2mm audio control box extension is also included with stereo and mic plugs".

HyperX shares the following specs.

Headphone:
- Driver: Dynamic, 50mm with neodymium magnets
- Type: Circumaural, Closed back
- Frequency response:12Hz–28,000 Hz
- Impedance: 30 Ω
- Sound Pressure Level: 104.5dBSPL/mW at 1kHz
- T.H.D.: < 2%
- Input Power: Rated 30mW, Maximum 500mW
- Weight: 360g
- Weight w/ mic and cable: 376g
- Cable length and type: Headset (1m) + Audio Control Box (2m)
- Connection: Headset - 3.5mm plug (4 pole) + Audio Control Box - 3.5mm stereo and mic plugs
Microphone:
- Element: Electret condenser microphone
- Polar pattern: Uni-directional, Noise-canceling
- Frequency response: 50Hz–18,000 Hz
- Sensitivity: -40dBV (0dB=1V/Pa,1kHz)
While this headset can be enjoyed by both Nvidia and AMD fans, the red color really makes it attractive for the latter. Don't get me wrong, neither company has the patent on a color, but Nvidia being green and AMD being red is just a fact of life, folks!

If you want to buy this beautiful piece of audio equipment for your PC, Mobile, Xbox One, or PlayStation 4, pre-orders open tomorrow at Newegg, Amazon and Best Buy. While HyperX Cloud Revolver pricing is a bit of a mystery, I would predict something between $150-$250.
Enterprises should prioritize availability, not backups

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 6:15pm CEST par Sam Pudwell

With today being World Backup Day 2016, many companies are rightly preaching the importance of regular backups. However, Veeam is bucking the trend by saying that -- in the enterprise space -- just backing up is no longer enough.

The company thinks that the most important question for enterprises now should be "are we always available?" and has thus declared today as "World Availability Day". The argument is that for consumers, just having backups in place is sufficient, but enterprises are expected to be up and running 24/7 and downtime is no longer tolerated in today’s fast-paced world.

According to a recent survey conducted by Veeam, 84 percent of CIOs are unable to meet the expectations of constant availability and admit that it is costing them up to $16 million a year. Downtime actually increased in 2015, with companies experiencing an average of 15 unplanned downtime events, compared to 13 events in 2014.

Richard Agnew, VP NW EMEA, Veeam, explains: "Driving backup awareness amongst consumers is still important, but for today’s enterprises, backup alone is no longer relevant, or enough. Organizations have discovered that the question is no longer, "Are we backed up?" but instead, "Are we available?" Backup as it is traditionally known is being replaced by a new category: Availability.

"We’re seeing an 'Availability Gap' (the gulf between what IT can deliver and what users demand) in today’s organizations characterized by data loss, long recovery times, lack of visibility, and unreliable data protection. Fifty-nine percent of businesses in our research reveal that they experience unplanned downtime caused by IT failures, external forces, or other factors up to ten times a year at the cost of up to $100,266 per hour. It’s clear that this is hitting the bottom line, not to mention leaving a lasting impact on customer confidence (68 percent) and damage to brand integrity (62 percent)".

"Businesses should be putting availability and enabling an Always-On Enterprise on the boardroom agenda, to meet the demands of their employees who expect access to applications and data at any time, from any place, and from any device. No employee or customer will accept being without access to a critical application for even a few hours. While it’s good that backup solutions exist, if an employee has to retrieve the tape from the depths of a warehouse across town before a restore can even begin, the problem is far from solved, and downtime will not be tolerated".

"Advancements in technologies such as storage snapshots and virtualization have made it feasible for organizations to backup as often as every 15 minutes, and recover anything in the same amount of time".

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

Photo credit scyther5 / Shutterstock
LookingGlass releases new threat intelligence platform

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 3:57pm CEST par Ian Barker

Using threat intelligence helps enterprises to improve decision making when it comes to managing security incidents and enforcing policy.

Threat defense specialist LookingGlass Cyber Solutions is looking to improve the way analysts and security operators interpret threats targeting their organizations with the launch of its new ScoutPrime threat intelligence management platform.

"We are excited to announce the availability of ScoutPrime and the other enhancements to the broadest portfolio of threat intelligence and risk management products in the market," says Chris Coleman, CEO of LookingGlass Cyber Solutions. "These latest additions ensure our customers stay ahead of the rapidly changing threat landscape targeting their organizations and the companies they do business with".

ScoutPrime allows users to customize threat levels to match their organizational risk tolerance. With configurable threat indicator confidence scoring, along with an internet intelligence‐based foundation allos it to apply context using the largest collection of proprietary and third party threat data available in a single product. The result is relevant, actionable intelligence. By allowing organizations to visualize threats ScoutPrime reduces the risk they face from new and emerging threats.

LookingGlass has also enhanced its Cyber Threat Center which now includes a case management enhancement that allows customers to enrich the intelligence to sync with their internal processes and track each vetted issue from delivery to resolution. In addition Cyber Threat Center now has the ability for administrators to enable two‐factor authentication on user accounts.

Improved too is the company's Cyveillance Malicious C2 data feed which monitors over 60,000 domains known to be associated with active malicious command and control servers. Its daily updates now include support for internationalized domain names and additional metadata on the botnet, variant, category, and criticality score.

You can find out more on the LookingGlass website.

Image Credit: Mopic / Shutterstock
New study finds strong demand for service-based messages

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 3:00pm CEST par Ian Barker

Over the last few years consumers have increasingly come to expect to receive messages keeping them up to date with appointments and transactions.

Mobile marketing company Vibes has announced the results of a study of over 1,000 people which finds that mobile phones are the number one preferred device for service-based messages with 70 percent preferring to receive service-based messages this way.

Good news for businesses is that service-based messages are seen to create a competitive advantage, with 84 percent of consumers saying that service-based messaging has an impact on their decision to choose one company over another.

Conveying basic information such as time, date and tracking information, is one of the most important features of service-based messages in terms of positively impacting customer satisfaction. Most consumers (78 percent) say that a text message is the fastest way to be reached for important service updates on purchases.

Alongside the survey results, Vibes is launching a new transactional messaging solution to enable enterprises to deliver automated service messaging programs across mobile channels. Using the company's Catapult platform, it enables enterprises to power automated service messaging programs across mobile channels, including text, push and mobile wallet (Apple Wallet and Android Pay).

"With the enterprise shift to mobile, mobile messaging has become a top priority and complement to email strategies to provide the best experience possible for customers", says Jack Philbin, co-founder and CEO of Vibes. "Transactional messaging on mobile provides an immense opportunity to gain a non-marketing mobile touch point, drive cost savings and innovate your brand. We’re already seeing large enterprises turn to Vibes to capitalize on the immediacy of mobile and power transactional messaging programs to reach consumers on their most trusted and heavily used device in a way that is easy for them".

Key features include user-friendly transactional messaging templates and logic that allow technical and non-technical users to create actual message templates, update content and set up message logic. Sophisticated reporting capabilities can conduct deep cross-channel analysis to help business users understand transactional messaging’s impact on the customer experience.

The full Transactional Messaging Consumer Report is available from the Vibes website where you can also find more about the transactional messaging service.

Image Credit: Rido / Shutterstock
Smartphone sales to reach 1.5 billion units in 2016

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 2:52pm CEST par Mihăiță Bamburic

Now that Gartner has released its smartphone sales forecast for 2016, it is easy to understand why Microsoft is not pushing the Windows Phone agenda at Build 2016. With sales expected to reach 1.5 billion units this year, the software giant and its fellow Windows Phone vendors would have to ship hundreds of millions of handsets for the platform to be taken seriously by developers. And that, as you may be well aware of, is unlikely to happen, when just last year the tiled operating system's market share barely passed the one percent mark.

Gartner says that smartphone sales growth will be in the single digits for the first time this year, with an expected increase of just seven percent over 2015. The phone market as a whole could reach 1.9 billion units at the end of the year.

"The double-digit growth era for the global smartphone market has come to an end", says Gartner research director Ranjit Atwal. "Historically, worsening economic conditions had negligible impact on smartphone sales and spend, but this is no longer the case. China and North America smartphone sales are on pace to be flat in 2016, exhibiting a 0.7 percent and 0.4 percent growth respectively".

The report says that emerging markets will continue to show growth, but it will slow down. In India, for instance, nearly one in three phones sold this year will be a smartphone (29 percent of sales), with growth expected to remain in the double digit territory just for the next two years.

"Prices did not decline enough to drive upgrades from low-end feature phones to low-end smartphones", explains Gartner research director Annette Zimmermann. "Vendors were not able to reduce the price of a 'good enough to use' smartphone lower than $50".

Meanwhile, in mature markets, like North America, Western Europe, Gartner expects smartphone lifecycles to be prolonged. This is a direct consequence of, among other factors, the higher quality of smartphones that have been released more recently, which allows users to enjoy them for a longer period of time before they feel the need for an upgrade.

"As carriers' deals become more complex, users are likely to hold onto phones, especially as the technology updates become incremental rather than exponential", explains Zimmermann. "In addition, the volumes of users upgrading from basic phones to premium phones will slow, with more basic phones being replaced with the same type of phone".

Gartner does not provide a sales breakdown for the major vendors or platforms, but Android can gain a bit more traction this year as Apple is expected to post lower year-over-year numbers for iPhone sales. It will be interesting to see how Windows Phone will fare in 2016, as Microsoft and its partners bring more devices to market.

Photo Credit: sellingpix/Shutterstock
iOS 9.3 is more stable than Android 6.0 Marshmallow

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 2:11pm CEST par Mihăiță Bamburic

Every major iOS release seems to come with some annoying bugs these days. In the case of iOS 9.3, users have reported crippling activation errors and crashes and hangs in some of the built-in apps, leading Apple to release updated builds. However, despite these problems, iOS 9.3 seems to be very reliable.

According to a new report by Apteligent, iOS 9.3 is actually the most stable iOS release since iOS 8. Its crash rate stands at 2.2 percent, besting iOS 9.2, iOS 9.1, iOS 9 and iOS 8 over an eight-day period. Not only that, but iOS 9.3 is also claimed to be more stable than Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Apteligent's report shows all of the aforementioned iOS releases having spikes in crash rates, with iOS 8, iOS 9 and iOS 9.2 shooting past 3.2 percent, and iOS 9.1 coming dangerously close to that level. In contrast, iOS 9.3's highest crash rate is below 2.6 percent. The spikes happened on the same day for all iOS releases, as you can see from the graph below.

What about Android 6.0 Marshmallow? Well, Apteligent says that its crash rate stood at 2.6 percent during the evaluation period. That is not a major difference, but it does show iOS 9.3 to be superior in this regard. It also shows that Marshmallow can offer a similar user experience.

Android has frequently been criticized for being less stable than iOS, but the above figures show Marshmallow to be very reliable in day to day usage. The open-source operating system has made significant progress over the years, and so have Android apps, based on my experience.
Facebook gives users selective memories with date and people filtering

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 11:58am CEST par Mark Wilson

Facebook's Memories feature can be a nice way to start the day. Fire up your phone first thing in the morning, and you can wax nostalgic as you look at your status updates and photo uploads from years gone by. But the On This Day look-back is not always warm and fluffy; Facebook isn't just about the fun aspects of your life.

In response to feedback from users who were unhappy to be cheerily reminded of the death of a loved one or some other tragic event which they might prefer to put to the back of their minds, Facebook has introduced On This Day preferences making it possible to filter out content involving certain people, or from a particular date range.

The next time you visit your Facebook memories, you'll be presented with a message from the social network: "Want to control which memories you see? There may be some memories that you don't want to see again, so we've built new preferences to help you filter dates and people from the posts that we show you in On this Day".

Click the Preferences button and you can start setting up filters as Facebook explains:

Your memories are yours, so you should control which ones you see in On this Day. Memories include things such as your posts and other people's posts that you're tagged in, major life events and when you became friends with someone on Facebook. Use these filters to help make sure that we show you memories from On this Day in a way that's meaningful for you.

So if there are life events you'd rather not be reminded of by Facebook, head over to the On This Day page and configure your preferences.

Photo credit: Lakeview Images / Shutterstock
The 3-2-1 rule and other backup tips

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 11:55am CEST par Ian Barker

It may not have escaped your notice that today is World Backup Day, which aims to raise awareness of the importance of looking after your data.

To mark the event Dark Bear Web Solutions has produced an infographic offering facts and tips about backups.

It reveals that 64 percent of people globally would be more worried about losing their data than about losing the device it was held on. Also that 37 percent of small businesses have had to restore lost data from a backup at some point.

Among the tips it offers are how to spot what isn't a backup, for example saving to another folder or leaving pictures in your camera's memory. It also recommends the 3-2-1 rule for data you care about -- taking three copies, using two formats, for example the cloud plus a hard drive, and having one off-site backup.

It looks at the differences between cloud storage and cloud backup too, and at the various physical media types that can be used, as well as offering tips for small businesses.

You can see much more in the full graphic below.

Image Credit: Oleksiy Mark / Shutterstock
Forget extensions, built-in ad blocking is coming to Microsoft Edge

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 11:38am CEST par Mark Wilson

One of the first browser add-ons many people install to improve their online experience is Adblock Plus or something similar. Until recently, Microsoft Edge's lack of support for add-ons put off a lot of would-be users, but reports from Build 2016 suggest that native ad blocking is on its way to the Internet Explorer successor.

Adblock Plus is coming to Edge, but built-in ad blocking would negate the need for such an add-on. A slide shown off and snapped at a Build presentation shows that the next version of Edge, in response to user feedback, will feature ad blocking capabilities. There's no word on delivery timescale, but the upcoming Windows 10 Anniversary Update would seem a likely candidate.

ZDNet's Ed Bott photographed the slide which shows Microsoft's development roadmap built around feedback from testers. Right at the top of the list is reference to plans to create a plugin and extension store for Edge, but it's entry number four that's more intriguing.

"Build ad blocking features into the browser" is listed as a Feature Request from users. But the good news is that it is not only listed as being "Deliverable 4682811", but as "Targeted for the next version".

This will no doubt come as good news for those who have fallen in love with Edge, but it's not something that will be welcomed by the likes of Adblock Plus. It does seem that, particularly in the mobile arena, there is a move to baking ad blocking into the browser so it makes sense that Microsoft is following the trend. But it is the fact that Edge straddles Windows 10 on the desktop and Windows 10 Mobile that makes this a particularly interesting move.

Keep an eye out for Insider builds in the coming weeks as the feature may be just around the corner.

Photo credit: T.Dallas / Shutterstock
Foxconn buys Sharp for $3.5 billion

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 10:38am CEST par Anthony Spadafora

Last month Sharp announced that Foxconn would be acquiring the company for $6.2 billion. However Foxconn was concerned with the financial future of Sharp and decided to put the deal on hold in order to renegotiate some of the terms.

Now the deal is finally complete and Foxconn has acquired a 66 percent majority stake in Sharp for around $3.5 billion. This is the largest overseas investment in a Japanese company to date and its proposal caused quite a stir in Japan.

Innovation Network Corp, which is backed by the Japanese government, wanted to buy out the company instead in order to split Sharp and its display business. Its goal was to add the display side of the company to a joint venture between Sony, Toshiba and Hitachi, which produces LCDs called Japan Display. However Sharp rejected the deal in favor of the more lucrative Foxconn offering.

Foxconn is also gaining a lot from the deal by acquiring Sharp’s display technology, which it will use to produce LCD displays mainly for Apple. This will make it cheaper for the company to build devices from Apple as it will no longer have to rely on Samsung and LG to produce the displays it uses in the iPhone.

Foxconn has also began a push to manufacture electronics and sell them under its own brand. Currently the company produces TVs which it sells in Taiwan. Sharp’s television displays could help Foxconn expand its efforts in this market as well as in mobile.

Since 2010, Terry Gou the founder and CEO of Foxconn has been interested in either investing in or acquiring Sharp. He even made a personal investment of $617 million in a subsidiary of Sharp in 2012 to show his deep interest in working with the company.

Gou will now finally have the chance to work alongside Sharp and take advantage of the companies’ potential.

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

Photo Credit: EDHAR/Shutterstock
Would you like a digital passport on your smartphone?

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 6:37am CEST par Sam Pudwell

I’m sure most of you will be familiar with the frantic scrabble to find the correct documents at the airport, resulting in a mild heart attack when your passport isn’t where you thought it was. FYI, it’s probably in your back pocket.

Well, this could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a company called De La Rue, which is working on creating digital passports on your smartphone that can be used at airport immigration, making travel an entirely paperless experience.

Of course, the biggest challenge for De La Rue will be creating a solution that is acceptable for governments around the world, as significant security and anti-counterfeit measures will be required.

De La Rue chief executive Martin Sutherland told The Times that the project is a long-term one, but the company has already started working on removing the need for a physical passport.

Despite the excitement that may be felt by consumers, security professionals have been quick to warn of the potential dangers: "Most European countries have been using digital chips embedded in traditional passports for ten years with little or no impact to security, but with the introduction of a passport being associated with an internet connected device, the threat model changes significantly", said Gavin Millard, technical director with Tenable Network Security, speaking to MailOnline.

"With the recent launch of Apple Pay and Google Wallet, proving that mobile devices can be used securely for transactions though, the obvious next step in the evolution of everything digital is the paperless passport. If introduced, many will err on the side of caution and not enable this capability on their devices, but for frequent travelers convenience will probably trump security concerns".

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

Photo Credit: Laborant/Shutterstock
Businesses want their infrastructure in the cloud, but it will take time

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 4:43am CEST par Sead Fadilpašić

IT management software firm SolarWinds recently polled 166 IT practitioners, gaining valuable insights into business cloud adoption, security concerns and new and valuable skill sets. The results are quite interesting -- 92 percent said cloud adoption is important to their business, while 27 percent said it was "extremely important".

However, despite cloud technology growing rapidly, businesses are not eager to place their entire infrastructure in it -- 43 percent believe half or more of their infrastructure will be in the cloud within the next three to five years. Sixty percent believe their organization will never fully migrate.

Still, companies want at least some of their infrastructure "up there", with just nine percent saying they have no infrastructure in the cloud.

Last year, the number of businesses not yet in the cloud at all was at 18 percent, this year it’s six percent, giving clear signals that business transformation begins with the cloud.

"The findings of this year’s study paint a clear picture: cloud adoption is nearly ubiquitous, but it’s not now and will not in the foreseeable future be suitable for all workloads, and even if it were, very few if any companies would convert all of their existing applications to run in the cloud", said Joel Dolisy, CIO of SolarWinds.

"The resulting dynamic -- one set of critical on-premises services connected with another set of services in the cloud -- is hybrid IT. And at the center of this evolution is the IT professional who needs to ensure always-on performance of applications, devices, networks and systems -- regardless of location. They need to be empowered with the support to gain the skills and tools required to properly manage hybrid IT environments, which in turn will allow businesses to truly unlock the potential of the cloud".

The full report, entitled IT Trends Report 2016: The Hybrid IT Evolution, can be found on this link.

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

Photo Credit: wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock
Mozilla brings better security to Firefox for iOS

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 4:02am CEST par Alan Buckingham

Security has been in the news since Edward Snowden; before actually, just not as prominently. Now, in recent weeks, the headlines have focused on Apple over its iPhone dispute with the FBI, a saga that seems to have come to an end recently.

That is not, however, the only security that needs to be part of our daily lives. Web browsers represent yet another problem and most are working to add layers of protection for customers.

Today the Mozilla foundation announces "we’re adding features to Firefox for iOS to protect your security". What does this entail?

Mozilla explains that it will enable a four-digit passcode to protect the stored user names and passwords within the browser.

"With this feature, if your phone somehow ends up out of your hands, your passwords have an extra layer of protection", Mozilla states.

Combined with the fingerprint reader and Apple's built-in security, this is a welcome addition to keep your data safe and secure. Security is only as good as the user, though. You have to set it up in order to use it, and also remember to use a strong password.

Photo credit: jijomathaidesigners / Shutterstock
FBI issues warning over MSIL/Samas ransomware

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 2:43am CEST par Phoebe Jennelyn Magdirila

The FBI has began seeking the assistance of companies in the US to streamline its investigation on an increasing ransomware threat in the country.

The FBI is looking into a strain of ransomware called MSIL/Samas, which has been encrypting data across entire networks rather than single computers, Reuters reports. The ransomware infects machines before encrypting data and asking for money in return of the access.

The investigating agency found that the group behind MSIL/Samas used Jexboss, a publicly available security program, to scan for vulnerable versions of the JBoss software, which will be followed by a malware attack on the vulnerable network, according to information Reuters has gathered.

To the dismay of companies, the malware, called Peyta, also finds and deletes the back-up files firms could use to restore data by overwriting a key Windows system file called the Master Boot Record, and includes ransomware variants that use different methods to lock up systems and force victims to pay.

IT firm Cisco said it saw Samas targeting firms involved in healthcare, wherein early versions of the malware charged a ransom of one bitcoin (£300) for every machine hit. This amount was later increased later to 1.5 bitcoins.

Cisco security analyst Nick Biasini said: "It is likely the malware author is trying to see how much people will pay for their files. They even added an option for bulk decryption of 22 bitcoin (£6,600) to decrypt all infected systems".

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

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Seagate Innov8 is world's first USB-powered desktop hard drive -- 8TB, USB 3.1, and Type-C

Publié: mars 31, 2016, 12:54am CEST par Brian Fagioli

Many times in life, we must make decisions. Often, there can be two paths -- both with pros and cons. Ultimately, we must make a choice, potentially making a sacrifice.

A good example of this is USB hard drives. "Laptop" variants, at 2.5 inch, can be powered by USB bus, while "desktop" models, at 3.5 inch, need a dedicated power cable. When it comes to capacity, however, the desktop variants offer more. Ultimately, you must choose which is more important -- more storage or less wires. Today, this changes, as Seagate unveils the Innov8 -- the world's first USB-powered desktop hard drive.

"There is still an abundance of consumer electronics that require an external power supply, placing a premium on power outlets. With advancements in USB 3.1 technology, major manufacturers like Apple are beginning to rely on one connection-type for everything. Today, with the introduction of Seagate's new Ignition Boost Technology, Innov8 is the world's first 8TB desktop hard drive that does not need to be plugged into a power outlet. Similar to a standard car requiring a battery kick to start the engine, Ignition Boost together with USB 3.1 enables Innov8 to thrive off bus power. No dedicated power source or adapter required", says Seagate.
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This is huge news, as using an 8TB USB drive used to mean being tethered to a wall outlet. Now, you can be more mobile -- free to find a comfortable place at a coffee shop or hotel that may not have a free outlet.

The caveat, however, is that it requires the reversible USB Type-C and USB 3.1 -- things most computers do not have. As time marches on, it will become standard, however. For now, only certain machines, like MacBook, Google Pixel, and others, can truly take advantage.

Besides being convenient, fast, and having a ton of capacity, the drive is also beautiful. The aluminum body and its fins make it look elegant, and should help with cooling too. The subtle blue LED looks exquisite.

If you want to purchase the Seagate Innov8, it will be available in April for $349.