Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » avril 11, 2016

BetaNews.Com (12 non lus)

Will robotics bring a new dawn for digital transformation in the UK?

Publié: avril 11, 2016, 6:58pm CEST par Justin Anderson

Digital transformation has become a popular term in IT circles, fast becoming a priority for organizations across the private and public sectors. The UK government’s shift to digital services and departments has been a longstanding goal over the last three years and continues to be a long-term objective, as success across online services has created more efficiency for both workers and UK citizens. It’s surprising therefore that this year’s Budget, as delivered by George Osborne, was a little light on the technology front and neglected the next chapter in the government’s digital story.

IT and technology sectors are considered to be the foundation points for economic growth and needs to continue to be a priority for organizations to get more done. Productivity plays a crucial role in sustaining this growth, but continues to be an area where the UK falls short. Just recently, the Smith Institute found that while UK workers continue to work longer hours, they are less productive. Academics have questioned whether technology has a role in solving this puzzle.

Robotics: The next big thing?

Something that was raised in the Budget was the opportunities that robotics present. The UK will be trialing driverless vehicles to see if they present a viable alternative to resource that can otherwise be used elsewhere. This immediately allows us to think about the opportunities available if we were to raise digital transformation up a notch. It also raises questions as to whether robotic implementation will take over our jobs. Could digital transformation lead to the rise of the machines?

In short -- no. Rather, the introduction of automated machines in organizations is an extension to what is already happening with new technology that is already finding its way into the workplace. Apps, automated machines, smart appliances, smart buildings, all enhance the working environment so that workers can get more done. Robotics will fit in the worker experience in much the same way.

So how can organizations welcome robotics as part of the digital transformation story in a way that will prove positive?

Embracing this new technology, rather than rebelling will be key. It is important to not lose sight of that long term objective and understand that this opportunity creates a wealth of benefits to improve the worker experience. The rise of robotic assistance presents the perfect opportunity to upskill the workforce. Workers now have the freedom to upgrade their skill set, because robotics take the strain on those tasks which were once restrictive or time consuming.

For some industries such as manufacturing, robotic aid has been responsible for simple yet time consuming processes that have taken up valuable resource. Now it can channel this resource into areas of much needed innovation to ensure that this sector is able to grow and thrive.

More time and money can be invested in engaging with the workforce. This in turn creates a strong company culture and keeps retention rates high as workers have more time for themselves -- to learn new things as well counter long hours that prove unproductive.

What this ultimately means is that a better worker experience creates a better customer experience. The two are intrinsically linked. Happy workers mean happy customers. Digital transformation and the prospect of robotics is and will continue to have its role in creating this virtuous cycle.

Photo Credit: Palto/Shutterstock

Justin Anderson VP Sales, CRM and HCM, Appirio

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Google shows love to users with disabilities

Publié: avril 11, 2016, 6:34pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

According to Google, 20 percent of people in the USA will experience a disability at some point in their life. Let's think about this for a moment -- that is one in five people. In other words, people with disabilities are a significant part of the population. While there are many laws on the books protecting the disabled from discrimination, this group of people can still be underrepresented.

Today, the search giant highlights some of the ways it is helping users with disabilities. Google is focusing on multiple platforms, such as Chromebooks, Android, and the web.

"A few weeks ago we announced a preview of Android N for developers. As part of this update we're bringing Vision Settings -- which lets people control settings like magnification, font size, display size and TalkBack -- to the Welcome screen that appears when people activate new Android devices. Putting Vision Settings front and center means someone with a visual impairment can independently set up their own device and activate the features they need, right from the start", says Eve Andersson, Manager, Accessibility Engineering.

Android also received a new feature for those that cannot use a touch screen, called Voice Access Beta. This allows the user to navigate and control their smartphone or tablet using their voice entirely. This would be helpful for someone who cannot use their hands reliably, or at all, to operate their device.

As we reported back in February, Docs for Chrome received a cool update that allowed voice typing and editing. At the time, I expressed that I was dubious that there was value, with the exception of those with a handicap. Google seems to agree, as it is now highlighting it as a tool for those with disabilities.

Regarding Chrome OS, Andersson furthers says, "every Chromebook comes with a built-in screen reader called ChromeVox, which enables people with visual impairments to navigate the screen using text to speech software. Our newest version, ChromeVox Next Beta, includes a simplified keyboard shortcut model, a new caption panel to display speech and Braille output, and a new set of navigation sounds".

One of the real winners, however, is a tool for Android developers that suggests ways to optimize their apps for the disabled. This is particularly intriguing, as it can inform developers that maybe hadn't considered this group of people. This should lead to better apps for disabled folks, and that is always a good thing.

Do you think more companies should follow Google's lead in focusing on users with disabilities? Tell me in the comments.

Photo credit: Voyagerix / Shutterstock
The future of developer recruitment [Q&A]

Publié: avril 11, 2016, 6:05pm CEST par Ian Barker

Recruiting developers is often a problem for organizations as the skills required are different from those in other sectors and can be hard to assess. Development often has a great deal in common with more creative fields, where suitability for a job is not so much about qualifications but about what you can do and how you can communicate.

So what can companies do to discover the developer talent they need? We spoke to Mike Bartlett, CEO of developer community site Gitter to get his perspective.

BN: What's wrong with the traditional approach where you simply advertise a job and wait for applications to roll in?

MB: Very seldom is great talent looking for a new job. The best engineers will be highly in demand and can effectively pick and choose where they work and what they work on. If you want the best, as you should, not only do you have to go out and find them, but you're also going to have to convince them why they should be working for you. Higher salaries, better free lunches and more ping-pong tables just won't cut it any more.

You need to start building relationships far in advance of hiring, building trust and an understanding of why working for you is better than working for someone else.

If you're just placing ads on traditional jobs boards or using regular recruiters, you’re probably going to get a large number of CVs through the door and spend a huge amount of time trying to figure out if the candidate is any good. This is hugely time consuming not only for the hiring manager, but will also take time out of your existing development team's schedule as they are generally the ones having to dig into each applicant individually.

BN: Do companies sometimes fail to effectively assess technical skills as part of the recruitment process?

MB: The most common failure is assessing how the candidate works with your particular technology stack, the code you've already written and -- most important -- with the team.

We've seen, and even used, a lot of developer testing techniques. There are particular exercises that will test competency, for example with a particular algorithm and understanding if the candidate truly understands computer science, logic and reasoning and these can weed out some of the obvious bad hires.

What we've found really effective is doing pair programming tests where the applicant will come and spend three or four hours sitting with one of your existing developers and working together on a real problem within your own environment. This will not only test software development skills, but communication skills, team work and a you'll get a really good sense of how that person behaves in real working conditions.

BN: What can businesses do to look for candidates rather than waiting for them to appear?

MB: The whole team should always be hiring. Make sure your developers are always on the look out for great people to hire. This means going to meetups and not just listening to the presentations, but socializing with the other attendees and getting to know one another. It means actively contributing to open source projects and hanging out in the online communities such as our own developer network, Gitter, and building relationships with the people who stand out.

There are great tools such as Workable or Lever where you can give your whole team access and help keep a list of prospective future candidates in a centralized place.

BN: What can developers themselves do to make them more attractive to prospective employers?

MB: Get stuck into the online communities and contribute back to open source projects. Pretty much every technology stack used in software development today is open source; rather than just reporting bugs back to the project maintainers, if you can roll up your sleeves and get stuck into the code, find the bug and send a proposed fix back to the project, you'll immediately gain a lot of credibility and be seen as contributing back to the ecosystem.

BN: Developer recruitment is a bit like online dating really, isn't it?

MB: Oddly enough, I met my wife on Match.com. If she reads me comparing our relationship to hiring developers, I think I might find myself in a lot of trouble!

Photo Credit: sokolovsky/Shutterstock
How to run Bash on Ubuntu on Windows 10 Anniversary Update or Preview Build 14316

Publié: avril 11, 2016, 5:24pm CEST par Mark Wilson
Microsoft has been showing Linux a lot of love recently, and at Build 2016 the company announced that the Bash shell was coming to Windows 10. It’s a feature that will make an appearance in the upcoming Windows 10 Anniversary Update (due for release in July), but it's something that Windows Insiders on the Fast Ring already have access to in Build 14316 right now.

If you have installed this build, you'd be forgiven for not being able to find Bash however hard you look; there are hoops you have to jump through. So if you like the idea of accessing the Linux command line in Windows 10, there are a few steps for you to follow, starting off by enabling Developer Mode.

As Microsoft explains: "You can now run Bash scripts, Linux command-line tools like sed, awk, grep, and you can even try Linux-first tools like Ruby, Git, Python, etc. directly on Windows. You can also access your Windows filesystem from within Bash allowing you to work on the same set of files using your preferred Windows tools or Linux command-line tools".

Here are those all-important Bash-enabling steps:
- Open up Settings, click Update & security, and then head to the For developers section. Select the Developer mode option, click Yes to confirm, and then exit Settings.
- Hit the Windows key (or the Start button), type Windows features, and click the Turn Windows Features on or off entry that appears.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the list, check the box next to the Windows Subsystem for Linux (Beta) option, and click OK.
- Wait for a moment while Bash is installed and then click Restart now to restart your computer and complete the process.
- When Windows is back up and running, open a command prompt window, type bash and hit Enter.
- You'll see a message that reads 'This will install Ubuntu on Windows, distributed by Canonical and licensed under its terms'. Press Y followed by Enter to download the software from the Windows Store and complete the installation.
In future, you can access Bash via the Bash on Ubuntu on Windows shortcut in the All Apps section of the Start menu.

Photo credit: charnsitr / Shutterstock
Brief WordPress database guide for the absolute beginner

Publié: avril 11, 2016, 4:27pm CEST par Sujain Thomas

WordPress is the finest content management system. Its popularity is proof of that. Websites on WordPress perform great and the platform is easy to use. However, the same cannot be said about managing its database.

If you are a beginner in using this CMS then you might get a migraine or two whenever you try to understand the tons of content available online concerning WordPress databases.

What makes WordPress such a popular platform is the fact that there are so many places where you can access good information about it. Blog posts, articles and even how-to guides plus videos have been created to make usage of WordPress easy. However, for some reason the articles concerning databases just come off as rocket science to some people. There is not a reason why you should struggle though.

Just For the Beginner

One thing that is characteristic of all content management systems, including WordPress and Drupal, is that once you learn how to use them they become so easy. Drupal, for instance, is considered to be the hardest CMS that you could possibly use on this planet, but then it turns out that it is not all that complicated in the first place. You can imagine just how easy it is to use WordPress then. It uses PHP as its scripting language and its database management system is MySQL.

A basic understanding of these two will be very helpful when it comes to troubleshooting problems. It will also help you to understand how WordPress works generally. However, you do not need to go into the details of these technical terms now.

This following section is meant to help you learn how to manage your database using phpMyAdmin, including how you can create database backups. A backup or two will always be good for your database. However, creating the database can be a challenge sometimes, particularly if you have no idea what to look for.

Basics to Get You Started

As mentioned previously, WordPress is written on PHP. This means that the platform uses this programming language to store as well as to retrieve data from the database. The information that is stored in the WordPress database is varied ranging from posts, comments and pages to tags, categories and users.

Once you have installed WordPress it will ask you to provide a database name, username, host and password. This information is usually stored in the configuration file. The information that you provide concerning the database is the one that is going to be used to create tables and also store default installation data in the created tables.

After the installation process is complete, WordPress then runs queries to the database in a bid to dynamically generate HTML pages for the blog or website. It saves you the effort of having to create a .html file for every page that you wish to create.

Creating the Backup Using phpMyAdmin

Photo Credit: Crucial.com.au

To backup your WordPress database from the phpMyAdmin page, click on the WordPress database and on the top menu you will find a tab titled Export -- click on this tab. The newer versions of phpMyAdmin will ask you to select a specific export method that you want to work with. There is the quick method, which will export the database into a .sql file.

There is also the custom method which will provide you with some more options to choose from plus the ability to download the backup in a compressed gzip or zip archive. Using the quick method is tempting and sometimes it is most beneficial if your database does not contain very important things.

The custom method is however, the best for backing up your WordPress database. You should go for the zip compression option though instead of the gzip. This custom method makes it possible for you to exclude all the database tables that you do not want to backup a feature that is lacking in the quick method. For instance, if you have used a plugin which added a table in your database, you can opt to leave out that table from the backup if you do not need it.

When you are done selecting the tables that you want to backup then you can click export to complete. The database file that you exported can be imported into a different database or the same one. All you need to do is going to the Import tab. This is a really good way to protect yourself against disasters of data loss and it is probably the first thing that you need to learn about WordPress databases.

Conclusion

WordPress has really made data management a simple job. Right from the moment that you install it to your site it will create the database automatically for you based on the information that you provide. Creating a backup is important and the process is very simple when you use phpMyAdmin.

Sujain Thomas is a data IT professional who works closely with DBA experts to provide her clients with fantastic DBA services to solve their data problems. If you need data IT solutions, she is the person for the job. She enjoys writing on database administration services and other topics in the IT field.

Photo credit: Ingvar Bjork / Shutterstock
SteelSeries APEX M500 is an affordable Cherry MX Red mechanical keyboard for eSports

Publié: avril 11, 2016, 2:58pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

If you are happy with your current keyboard, but it isn't a mechanical variant, you probably could be happier. In other words, you probably don't know what you are missing. Mechanical keyboards offer a very satisfying typing experience, plus potentially better performance when gaming.

Mechanical keyboards are often an expensive affair, however. They are totally worth the investment, but sometimes they have extra features you don't really need or want, which inflates the price. Today, SteelSeries announces the APEX M500 mechanical keyboard with a very reasonable price. It has Cherry MX Red switches, which are ideal for gaming. The eSports-focused keyboard is fairly basic by design, which makes it affordable for many.

"SteelSeries, leader and innovator in gaming peripherals, announces the availability of the SteelSeries Apex M500, a tournament-ready mechanical keyboard outfitted with Cherry MX Red gaming switches and SteelSeries Engine customization software. Available for $99.99 / €119.99, the ultra-durable Apex M500 also features a traditional key layout for universality, Anti-Ghosting technology and blue LED backlighting", says SteelSeries.

The company further explains that the "Apex M500 showcases a smart cable management system with three cable guides that adapts to your keyboard setup to eliminate tangles and interference. It is also armed with 100 percent Anti-Ghosting technology with 104 key rollover to ensure precision no matter how fast you play".
Click to view slideshow.
While the SteelSeries APEX M500 is basic and affordable, it is actually quite attractive too. The blue back-lighting contributes just enough to make it exciting, while still maintaining an overall mature look. In other words, it doesn't look like a child's toy -- it means business.

If you are interested purchasing this mechanical keyboard, it will be available later today at Newegg or SteelSeries directly for $99.99. Keep in mind, even though it is designed for eSports, it should work well for everyday computing tasks too.
Microsoft throws its support behind EU-US Privacy Shield

Publié: avril 11, 2016, 2:00pm CEST par Mark Wilson

The transfer of data between the US and Europe has been something of a privacy and security nightmare. In an attempt to improve privacy protection, the European Commission established the EU-US Privacy Shield "to restore trust in transatlantic data flows" post-Edward Snowden's NSA surveillance revelations, replacing the controversial Safe Harbor arrangement.

Today Microsoft has announced its support for the principles the framework says that companies will have to abide by. More than this, Vice President for EU Government Affairs at Microsoft, John Frank, says the company will comply with Data Protection Authorities advice in disputes, and cooperate with them on data transfer processes.

Whilst recognizing that "no single legal instrument can address for all time all of the privacy issues on both sides of the Atlantic", Microsoft nonetheless says that Privacy Shield is a good starting pointing. The company says that additional steps will be needed to localize the framework, and praises the European Commission and US Department of Commerce for what it describes as having helped create "stronger and pragmatic privacy protection".

In a blog post, Frank says:

First and foremost, at Microsoft we believe that privacy is a fundamental human right. In a time when business and communications increasingly depend on the transmission of personal data across borders, no one should give up their privacy rights simply because their information is stored in electronic form or their technology service provider transfers it to another country.

We recognize that privacy rights need to have effective remedies. We have reviewed the Privacy Shield documentation in detail, and we believe wholeheartedly that it represents an effective framework and should be approved.

As well as announcing that it will sign up for Privacy Shield, Microsoft also says that it will embrace the dispute resolution process. Specifically, Microsoft will respond to any complaints it receives within 45 days. Having complied with Safe Harbor and cooperated with Data Protection Agencies for nearly 15 years, the company says "we believe it makes the most sense for us to continue with this approach and submit disputes to the DPAs under the Privacy Shield".

The Privacy Shield framework also places transparency obligations on companies, and this is something that Microsoft also embraces:

We also welcome the obligations in the Privacy Shield for transparency about government requests of access to personal information. As a company we have advocated for greater U.S. transparency. In 2013, Microsoft and other U.S. tech companies successfully challenged the U.S. Government over our constitutional right to disclose more detailed information about the Government’s demands for data. And in 2014, we filed suit against the U.S. Government after it attempted to force us to turn over a customer’s email stored in our Irish data center. While we continue to advocate for additional domestic legal steps in the United States, we believe that the European Commission and Department of Commerce have chosen a sensible approach in the Privacy Shield. In this area as in others, we believe the Privacy Shield represents an important step in the right direction.

What needs to happen next is to convince more companies and, importantly, individuals that the Privacy Shield agreement is in their best interests.

Photo credit: StockStudio / Shutterstock
Record everything launched on a PC with Process Logger Service

Publié: avril 11, 2016, 1:14pm CEST par Mike Williams

Process Logger Service is a Windows service which logs every process launched on your PC. It’s a useful tool that can help answer a range of questions. Like, did the email you open launched something? What did that installer do? When was a particular program last run? And more.

The service must be set up manually. It’s not a difficult process, but does involve a little more work than we expected.

You must a) unpack the download, b) browse to the 32 or 64-bit ProcLoggerSvc folder, c) copy that to C:\, d) browse to C:\ProcLoggerSvc, and e) run install.bat as an administrator (there’s an uninstall.bat to remove it later).

Once setup is complete, everything else is straightforward. There’s no extra system tray icon, no interface to browse, the program just runs in the background and logs every process launch in the C:\ProcLoggerSvc\Logs folder.

Open that file in Notepad and you’ll see entries like this.

[Process Creation]

11/04/2016 09:46:44
Process: [8496] C:\Windows\System32\notepad.exe
Username/Domain: user/domain
CommandLine: "C:\WINDOWS\system32\NOTEPAD.EXE" C:\ProcLoggerSvc\Logs\MSI\11-04-2016.log
MD5 Hash: 60336413E419C2EA5E215F1A32061E40
Bitness: 64-bit
File Publisher: Microsoft Corporation
File Description: Notepad
File Version: 6.2.10586.0
Integrity Level: Medium
System Process: False
Protected Process: False
Metro Process: False
Parent: [5844] C:\Windows\explorer.exe
Parent CommandLine: C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE

This amount of detail makes for a lengthy log, but fortunately Process Logger Service starts a new log at the beginning of every day, so it remains manageable.

If you still have too much data -- or you don’t have much spare drive space -- then you can just pause logging when you don’t need it by disabling ProcLoggerSvc in the Services applet.

On balance, if you only need to detect process launches briefly then we’d prefer to use Sysinternals’ Process Monitor. It’s more convenient, and records plenty of other process actions, too.

Process Logger Service could be a better choice for longer-term monitoring, though, especially if you’re logging actions on someone else’s PC.

You could even use it to record another user’s actions without their knowledge, although it’s worth remembering that the program doesn’t try to hide itself. If someone notices the extra C:\ folder, or the new Windows service, then your cover will be blown.

Process Logger Service is a free-for-personal-use application for Windows XP and later.
New cloud platform streamlines Android app development

Publié: avril 11, 2016, 12:51pm CEST par Ian Barker

Businesses have ever more demand from consumers to deliver services via mobile, so they're looking for ways to produce apps quickly and efficiently.

To address this need, Android solutions provider Genymobile is cloud-based platform that allows enterprises to build, test, show off and service Android applications across the entire application lifecycle while streamlining the development process.

Genymotion Cloud is a cloud-based emulator that combines collaboration and automation features. It enables developers, QA, UI/UX designers, sales and marketing, help desk teams and business decision-makers to easily evaluate apps at any stage of development on more than 3,000 virtual device configurations instantly via any web browser.

"There is mounting pressure for every business to be mobile-powered. It is imperative that mobile development does not become a burden. Our SaaS solution maximizes efficiencies across the whole mobile application value delivery chain," says co-founder and co-CEO of Genymobile, Arnaud Dupuis. "Everyone involved in the project gets the information they need exactly when they need it. This not only means faster time to market. It also means better quality, reliability and improved customer satisfaction".

Collaboration features include the ability to demo the app's functionality on any Android device via any web browser, allowing sales and marketing to gather market feedback before the application is complete. Customized virtual device configurations can be remotely shared, allowing developers working on the same project to share an identical local development environment. The most up-to-date application under-development can also be shared for review, meaning developer teams and UX or UI engineers can collaborate more easily throughout the project. Sales teams can expedite cycles by allowing potential customers to use and test an app under development without requiring additional engineering support.

Genymotion Cloud also offers automation features including continuous integration support, compatible with on-premise CI infrastructures such as Jenkins, Bamboo, Buildbot and TeamCity. Code testing is simplified too with standard HTTPS REST and Java APIs that allows developers to create a testing device, install an application, run and test it against multiple device configurations without leaving the development environment. In addition, it's compatible with industry standard integrated development environments, including Android Studio and Eclipse.

You can find out more about Genymotion Cloud on the company's website.

Image Credit: Alex Mit / Shutterstock
How phone agnostic beacon technology will revolutionize mobile payments

Publié: avril 11, 2016, 11:36am CEST par Jonathan Duffy
Mobile payments are gaining momentum in the UK. Apply Pay has an initial monopoly, Google recently announced its UK launch and Samsung is planning to follow suit later this year. Countries across the globe are increasingly moving towards cashless societies thanks to advances in contactless payments. The UK is a leader in contactless payments and, thanks to technology such as Oyster cards, mobile payments are catching on quickly.

Instead of carrying a physical wallet with cash and bank cards, mobile wallets are becoming an increasingly popular method of payment.

The death of the wallet

Mobile payment apps have added a new and convenient way for people to pay for goods and services. The total value of proximity mobile payments is set to see a significant growth of 210 per cent in 2016 and has the power to revolutionize the shopping experience, making payments more convenient and faster. It’s an attractive option for brands and customers alike as it makes the payment journey for the customer much more simple.

As these digital wallets gain market traction, banks could find themselves in trouble. There are more players entering the space. According to Bloomberg News, Walmart, Starbucks and even Chevron petrol stations are working on plans for their own digital wallets.

But the 'walled gardens' of Apple and Samsung Pay make it difficult to implement the systems and add extra costs to the merchants as they are only usable on the phones they manufacture. This significantly limits the systems customers can use. Other limitations include:
- Credit card based systems
- User data owned by Apple et al
- No options for customization
- Added fees
Beacon payment technology gets around these methods using a combination of phone-agnostic beacon technology and a phone app. This method allows banks and payment merchants to regain control through a white-labeled solution that is completely customable.

Banks are leading the charge

Tech-savvy consumers, world-leading smartphone penetration and progressive banks have kept the Nordics ahead of the game with mobile payments. In 2013, Danske Bank launched MobilePay to address the need for very simple money transfers. The ambition was to make transferring money to friends as easy as sending a text message. This app then evolved to a payment system for retailers using beacon technology with the app.

Dankse Bank’s mobile wallet was the third most popular app in Denmark and Norway (after Facebook and Facebook messenger) and over 90 million transactions by 2.8 million individuals were made through MobilePay last year alone.

Danske Bank’s MobilePay payments are now accepted in shops across Scandinavia, including McDonalds and Starbucks outlets, and all that is required of the customer is a free app that is installed on their iOS, Android or Windows Mobile device. Once purchases are scanned at the checkout and payment is requested, the mobile device is waved over the smart beacon with the app running. In response a customer is immediately shown the purchase amount and the app waits for confirmation through a simple pin and swipe gesture. In seconds a purchase is made without having to enter any amount manually or having to use a payment card.

Mobile payments platforms are providing retailers with an intuitive customer experience via inexpensive technology and removes costly merchant fees as the technology takes transactions direct from bank to retailers, changing the value chain.

Directly engaging with customers

By directly engaging their customers, banks can also create additional brand loyalty as well as providing a desirable feature to entice new customers.

The solution does not require technology and equipment that is expensive or difficult to access for retailers and it is intuitive to use and easy to understand for the end users. The payment is so easy and effortless: "They have all been mighty impressed by how easy and fast it is. People get really pleasantly surprised, and sometimes they have to try several times because they have a hard time believing that it really is that easy" says Danish supermarket Rema 1000’s project leader, Steffen Skov Larsen.

This disruptive technology has implications beyond ease of use for the customer and retailer. Because the technology takes transactions direct from bank to retailer, it changes the value chain by removing merchant fees, acquirers and payment service providers from the fee structure and comes with enhanced security so there is less chance of fraud or error.

Millennials opt for mobile first

Beacon technology gives banks and retailers the control to implement their own systems, creating bespoke white-labeled devices to the client’s specification with a custom payment system – outside the expensive walled gardens of Google, Apple and Samsung.

The problem for banks is that millennials who could become their new customers are deciding against conventional banking and choosing instead to bank through the growing number of mobile payment services.

If banks want a fighting chance to catch up with third-party mobile wallets, they’ll need a digital payment technology to do it.

Jonathan Duffy, managing director EMEA, Netclearance

Photo credit: gpointstudio / Shutterstock

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
The Internet of Things in 2016 -- where is it headed and what are your plans?

Publié: avril 11, 2016, 11:16am CEST par Alan Buckingham

The Internet of Things, more commonly known as IoT and sometimes referred to as a Connected Home or as Home Automation, is one of the biggest trends in technology these days and 2016 doesn't seem to be slowing down as new products continue to pour onto the market while others get updates and increasingly become compatible across platforms.

Product lines abound, from door locks to shades and from lights to crock pots. Manufacturers like Samsung, Insteon, Cree, GE, Nest, Wink, Sensi, Ecobee and many more are out there waiting for your hard earned money.

The writers here at BetaNews have personally used quite a few of these products, myself trying out Nest, GE Link, Cree, Wink and Mivatek. My colleague Brian Fagioli uses WeMo and Wayne Williams has tested Nest and various D-Link Connected Home products.

The market is expected to continue its growth, but it isn't without some pitfalls. There have been security concerns over all of this connectivity.

So where is all of this headed this year and in the longer run?

Richard Gunther, a writer at Digital Media Zone and host of the HomeOn podcast told us "IoT as a market space is growing substantially. More and more devices are connected to the cloud or to each other, in many cases enabling previously unimaginable consumer and business benefits but also introducing new challenges and complexities that we're not yet well equipped to manage. Security and privacy are some obvious issues, but even more subtle concerns arise that can be beyond the means of most consumers to comprehend. It's likely that many if not most of the objects in our daily lives -- homes, appliances, vehicles, clothing, possibly even people -- will in some way be digitally connected in the near future, but the reality is that it will likely get even more complicated and we'll encounter more 'big issues' that we need to solve at both the technical and societal levels before we can all truly benefit from IoT".

That's an optimistic, but realistic, outlook about where we are headed, but there are serious roadbumps along the way. Just last week we saw Nest announce the shutdown of Revolv, and this doesn't just mean the device won't be updated, the company will reach into your home and turn it off.

Ryan Lester of Xively states "Customers of connected products expect constant availability, real-time updates, lifecycle support and anything else that will provide them a truly great customer experience. They may not understand the bits and bytes driving the product, but their biggest concern is that the product is always-on, working and available".

That clearly won't happen in all cases -- companies go out of business and also kill products, though usually not so completely as Nest is doing with Revolv.

In fact, the trend is expected to continue. Pew Research, in a report presented to American Bar Association Section of Science and Technology law on March 30, 2016, states "The vast majority of respondents to the 2014 Future of the Internet canvassing agree that the expanding networking of everything and everyone -- the growth of the Internet of Things and embedded and wearable devices -- will have widespread and beneficial effects by 2025".

So, with that information, both the good and bad, where are you headed in 2016? Are you already connecting your home or do you plan to? Or does all of this make you want to pull out the tinfoil hat and place it squarely on your head? There are many considerations from convenience to security.

Image Credit: Black Jack / Shutterstock
Keygen alert: free password generator released for PETYA ransomware

Publié: avril 11, 2016, 12:59am CEST par Mark Wilson
The PETYA ransomware is just one of the recent examples of malware that encrypts victims' hard drives until a fee is paid. The advice from the government is not to pay the ransom -- or at least not expect to get a decryption key if you do -- but a password generator has been created that means you can decrypt your hard drive for free.

While TeslaCrypt 4 boasts 'unbreakable encryption', the same cannot be said of PETYA, although the PETYA ransomware does have the irritating habit of overwriting MBRs. This does mean that there is no way to interact with the drive on the infected computer, but with access to a spare machine to read the drive and access to the online tool created by Leostone, you could have your data back in seconds. As the tool's website proudly proclaims, you can "Get your petya encrypted disk back, WITHOUT paying ransom!!!" -- here's what you need to do.

The process is not something that everyone will be able to follow -- it is a little technical -- but it's worth persevering (hat tip to Bleeping Computer for the heads up!) to avoid coughing up any Bitcoin. You'll need to connect the infected drive to another computer and extract a couple of pieces of data from it, specifically:
- 512 bytes of verification data from sector 55 (0x37) offset 0(0x0) of the disk, converted to Base64
- 8 byte nonce from sector 54 (0x36) offset 33(0x21), also converted to Base64
To help with this, you can use the specially-written Petya Sector Extractor as this will provide you with the data you need.

Fire up your web browser and pay a visit to Leostone's decryption website at [https:] where you'll find two fields into which you can paste the requested data from the infected drive.

With this done, hit Submit and wait for a few seconds while your key is generated. Return the infected drive to its original computer, fire it up, enter the key when prompted, and the drive should be decrypted. For free!