Samsung introduces Galaxy K zoom, a proper Nokia Lumia 1020 competitor
There is not even a shred of doubt in my mind when saying the best camera smartphone is the Nokia Lumia 1020. Aside from packing an impressive sensor in a relatively small body, it is the only device of its kind that was actually designed to be usable daily as a normal smartphone.
Its main competitor, if it can be called that, has been the Samsung Galaxy S4 zoom. Put kindly, it is the unholy union between a point-and-shoot camera and an Android smartphone. It is far, far, far from being remotely pretty and as such, mockery ensued. Thankfully, Samsung has gotten the message, as its successor, the Galaxy K zoom, is more like the Lumia 1020 and less like something only Frankenstein would appreciate.
Cybersecurity skills crisis contributes to security breaches
Recent high profile stories like the Heartbleed bug have turned the spotlight on IT security. A new report by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) highlights how a skills crisis is putting more pressure on security teams.
ISACA surveyed enterprises to understand the level of attacks and their security preparedness. Key findings include that one in every five enterprises has suffered an advanced persistent threat attack, but that one in three of those don't know where it came from.
Apple refreshes MacBook Air lineup with new processors
Today, Apple launched a refreshed MacBook Air lineup featuring a higher-clocked Intel Core i5 processor. The minor update comes nearly one year after the company unveiled the previous generation, which toted impressive battery life.
The small bump in speed is a welcome improvement that will make Apple's ultrabooks perform slightly better in resource-intensive scenarios, while delivering comparable battery life to the 2013 lineup. It is, however, not enough to justify an upgrade from the 2013 MacBook Air, in case you are thinking about it, as this is virtually the only difference between the two generations.
Fix .NET 4.5/ 4.5.1 issues with Microsoft .NET Framework Repair Tool 1.2
Microsoft has updated its .NET Framework Repair Tool to version 1.2, adding the ability to detect and fix issues with .NET Framework 4.5 and 4.5.1.
As with previous releases, the Repair Tool can only address MSI-installed updates of the .NET Framework from 3.5 SP1 to 4.5.1, and won’t touch the version installed with Windows.
With this Surface tablet, I thee wed
Microsoft has really been embracing video lately. Whether bashing the Chromebook or promoting its own Surface tablets, the videos it produces are enjoyable and informative to say the least.
Say what you want about the Surface line of tablets, but they are very functional, well-made devices. Microsoft's videos simply show-off the tablet's potential, which is sometimes lost in the tech community. Let's be honest, many people have dismissed Surface, unfairly. Today, the company unleashes another video, highlighting how a wedding planner named Ashlee uses Surface to be succesful.
AOL hacked -- 'significant number of user accounts' compromised
The latest big name company to fall victim to a security breach is AOL. In a post on the company blog, the AOL security team reveals that it is currently working with "best-in-class external forensic experts and federal authorities" to investigate unauthorized access to the network. Suspicion was raised by a marked increase in the number of spam emails sent via spoofed AOL Mail addresses, and an investigation was immediately launched.
AOL says that a "significant number of user accounts" are affected and that the breach involves accessing information associated with these accounts. It seems that those responsible for the security breach have been able to gain access to email addresses, postal addresses, and address book contact information, as well as encrypted versions of passwords and answers to security questions.
Microsoft gives OneDrive for Business users 40 times more storage space
Free storage space is very common, and it's available from the likes of Dropbox, Google and countless others. Microsoft's OneDrive also gives users a certain amount of free online storage space, and today business users receive a massive boost -- a forty-fold increase in capacity. OneDrive for Business storage is being boosted from 25GB to 1TB per user, and the same is true for Office 365 ProPlus customers.
Microsoft is putting ever-increasing faith in the cloud, particularly for its business users. "The cloud is about breaking down walls between people and information. Not building a new set of islands in the sky", states the Office blog. There's a third announcement too: "we’ll help organizations migrate data to OneDrive for Business". It's not quite clear exactly what this entails, but it certainly sounds good for anyone who has their data hosted elsewhere.
Avram Miller says Steve Jobs has one more Apple intro
We all have friends (people we know) and friends (people we not only know but hang out with). Maybe the better contrast might be between friends and buddies. Well Avram Miller is one of my buddies. He lives down the road from me and my kids prefer his pool to ours because his is solar heated. The retired Intel VP of business development is quite a character, knows a lot of people who know people, and understands the business of technology at a level few people do. So when he wrote a post this morning predicting that Apple will clean Google’s clock in search, I sat up in my chair.
Avram’s thesis is that Steve Jobs felt betrayed by Google’s development of Android and decided years ago to go after the soft underbelly of the Googleplex by building a superior search product called Found that Apple would have no need to monetize -- the Switzerland of search. Please read Avram’s post and you’ll see he claims that Steve Jobs even pre-recorded his participation in the Found launch event scheduled for sometime next year. Which of course makes me wonder what else Steve may have prerecorded?
Ubuntu Membership Board looking for nominees -- could you be one?
Linux is great for a litany of reasons, but one of my favorites is the sense of community that its users and developers share. I respect Windows and OS X, but lets be honest, neither Apple nor Microsoft have a sincere communal offering for its users. Many Linux distributions give users a chance to participate, which is very refreshing.
Ubuntu is a great example of this. In addition to being one of the most popular and easy to use Linux-based operating systems, its community is top-notch too. Today, the Ubuntu Membership Board announces that it is looking for fresh nominees to join the board. Could you be one?
Firefox sports major facelift, improved Sync tool
Mozilla has released Firefox 29.0 FINAL for desktop, with Firefox for Android 29.0 also due for release shortly. Version 29 is a landmark release, sporting a major redesign of the program interface.
It also debuts a vastly improved -- and simpler -- Firefox Sync function using accounts, finalizes and enables the Gamepad API and offers a new interactive new tour to help step users through the new user interface.
Take, edit and share screenshots online with Screen Courier
Screen Courier is a small but interesting screen capture tool from Mister Group, the developer of System Explorer.
The program installs quickly and easily. There’s no adware, and even though it can host your captures online, no registration is required.
FreeOCR improves accuracy, but users should be careful when installing
Ralph Richardson has released FreeOCR 5.0.2, a major update of his free OCR tool for Windows. Version 5.0.2 introduces one notable new feature -- automatic scan cleanup -- and adds official support for Windows 8.1.
It also fixes some bugs when using TWAIN scanners and changes the automatic updater tool to point to the program website rather than attempt to download a new version due to warnings flagged up by selected security tools.
A guide to cutting the cord -- the services and hardware that will help fill the void
A little while back I wrote a post asking you, the readers, if you planned on getting rid of your pay TV service this year. The response was overwhelming, but the comments were also somewhat surprising. Many of you had already done it.
For those who have not, I thought it would be a good opportunity to point out the services available that can help to fill that time when you sit on the couch simply wanting entertainment to relax to. I don't promise that this will make up for everything, but let's see how close we can come.
New HP security service helps businesses assess risk
It's easy to underestimate the impact that security incidents have on businesses and even harder to assess potential risks before a problem occurs.
HP is launching a new service to help companies make timely and informed decisions about management information-security risks across their organizations.
If Google is your god, I'm glad I'm an atheist
It seems that the world of technology is much like the world of politics and religion -- oh yes, we are going down that road -- you pick your side and you stick to it. While it is great to be decisive in what you believe in, it can also be very limiting. It creates a sense of black and white, ignoring the myriad shades of grey that undeniably exist. It stunts the palate and narrows the mind. This is the effect that Google has had on the world, or the world of technology at least. Just as many people will unquestioning accept what is proffered by their religious text of preference, too many people fail to look outside of what Google has to offer.
It seems that Google is a god to many people, and this is worrying. My colleague Joe Wilcox has written extensively about the importance of writing for one's audience rather than for Google. Refusing to tailor one's content to meet the demands of Google's ever-changing algorithms may mean fewer hits, but it will almost invariably mean higher quality content and a more enjoyable, readable and unique experience for readers. And at the end of the day, that is what matters. Google is not my god. I'm an atheist -- and I'm extremely glad to be.
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