New scalable storage solution to cope with the data explosion
It's reckoned that as much as 90 percent of the world's data has been created in the last two years. That's not only a frightening rate of expansion, it's a problem for IT administrators who need to think about storage on a much larger scale.
Storage specialist PROMISE Technology is launching its latest VSky A-Series product aimed at overcoming the limitations of existing storage solutions.
SXSW Accelerator continues to discover amazing new startups [Q&A]
The annual SXSW Accelerator competition presented by Oracle is set to take place on Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15 at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival.
I spoke to Chris Valentine, event producer for SXSW Accelerator and Startup Village, about the competition, and what innovations and trends we can expect to see emerging this year.
Microsoft expands its partnership with Cisco offering new cloud opportunities
Microsoft and Cisco believe the next generation of tools is on the way and that the cloud will be a key feature. There's little surprise in that statement, as things have been trending in that general direction for a while now. Microsoft and Cisco aren't strangers either, as the two have been partnered before, so the latest news simply expands on that relationship.
This time around a tool is being unveiled. According to Microsoft's Aziz Benmalek "next-generation services require close compatibility between hardware, software, network, storage and compute", and the firms have teamed up for a new product called Cisco Cloud Architecture for the Microsoft Cloud Platform. Benmalek claims that engineers from both companies have worked closely the ensure the integration between products from each. The result is combining Windows Azure Pack and Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI).
The next generation of CryptoWall malware emerges
After a short-lived hiatus, the creators of CryptoWall have re-emerged with the next generation of the devious malware, coined "CryptoWall 3.0". Just as security experts thought they had a handle on the original threat, the emergence of version 3.0 sparks debate as to what signals to look out for and how to protect against the rise of ransomware variants.
So what's new? Since making its debut last fall and wreaking havoc on thousands of businesses and individuals globally, CryptoWall is the biggest name in ransomware threats. Its predecessor, Cryptolocker, started the snowball effect in 2013 as one of the first ransomware strains to enter the marketplace.
The pressures faced by professionals fighting cyber crime
IT security professionals faced increased pressure to secure their organizations in 2014 and expect that pressure to further increase this year.
A new report from managed security services company Trustwave reveals a number of issues including pressure to roll out IT projects such as cloud and mobile applications despite having unresolved security issues; the pressures of being understaffed while security threats mount; and increasing pressure from executives to protect information while being resource-constrained.
What's being connected to your PC? Device Cleanup Tool explains
If you’d like to know what someone’s doing on your PC then you’ll probably start with any software traces: browsing history, recent documents, folders, whatever it might be. There are all kinds of options, and they might tell you everything you need to know.
While they’re not so obvious, hardware traces can also be extremely useful. If you could see that an unknown phone or USB key is being connected to your PC at a strange time, say, then maybe someone is using the device to copy your personal documents.
HERE launches on iOS
When Nokia announced the availability of HERE on Google Play, it also announced that an iOS version will follow in early 2015. And today's the day when HERE is finally available on Apple's App Store.
Apple's iOS becomes the last of the major mobile platforms to get HERE, following Microsoft's Windows Phone and Google's Android. I've been waiting for this moment since I switched to iPhone 6 Plus from Windows Phone. Sure, there's always Google Maps, but its inability to work as well as HERE without an Internet connection is a major downside for me.
IObit's Smart Defrag 4 adds Game Defrag, new engine
IObit has announced the release of Smart Defrag 4.0, a major update for its freeware PC maintenance app.
A new Game Defrag mode brings program-specific speedups. Just point Smart Defrag at a shortcut or executable -- it doesn’t have to be a game, any bulky application could benefit -- and the program will optimize it for you.
Tether unlocks your Mac when your iPhone's nearby
Having to type in a password every time to unlock your Mac is recommended practice, but it is also a nuisance. Since ditching the password is a bad idea, from a security standpoint, you are not left with many options to make life easier. But, there is a way you can have your cake and eat it too.
You can set up your Mac to automatically unlock when it detects your iPhone nearby. You still get to enjoy the benefits that come from having a password, but without having to put any effort into it. And you can do that using Tether, touted to be "the wireless leash to your Mac".
Microsoft reports the progress of its Superfish hunt
The hubbub surrounding Superfish has died down in the news now, but that doesn't mean the problem has been eradicated. Not only has the fiasco hurt consumers it has eroded the reputation of computer maker Lenovo. To its credit the company acted quickly, working with Microsoft and Superfish to alleviate the problem and attempt to regain consumer trust.
Microsoft aided on the Superfishing trip by adding the Win32/CompromisedCert to its Malicious Software Removal Tool, which is included in all modern versions of Windows. Many customers likely don't even know this tool is there, as there is no icon for it. It will run on its own in the background, but a manual launch can be accomplished by accessing "Run" and typing "MRT".
Dropbox SDK vulnerability puts billions of Office files at risk
A flaw in the Dropbox SDK for Android could potentially put large numbers of MS Office files stored in the cloud at risk.
IBM's X-Force Application Security Research team has discovered a severe vulnerability in Dropbox's software development kit (SDK) used by Android app developers to connect to Dropbox so users can tap into their files via an app.
Developing apps for Apple Watch was like 'walking in the dark'
The Apple Watch was announced just a couple of days ago, and the focus has been very much on the hardware so far. But battery life and the amount of storage aside, this is an Apple product, and that means apps are central to its success. Just like the iPhone and iPad, the Apple Watch is a platform on which developers can work their magic.
One such developer is Christoph Burgdorfer, the man behind -- amongst other things -- WhereAreYou App (Locate a friend), a free app that does very much what it says on the tin. It started life as an iPhone and Android app, but the emergence of Apple Watch opens up another possibility. I caught up with Christoph to chat about what it was like to develop for an unreleased product, and whether Apple got it right with the Apple Watch.
Opera 28 debuts bookmark sync, updates bundled themes
It’s been a feature of Firefox and Chrome for a while, but bookmark sync finally makes it way across to Opera FINAL 28, giving users of the Norwegian browser a convenient way to keep their bookmarks refreshed across all their devices.
The new feature isn’t restricted to desktop browsers either, with support for mobile platforms via Opera Mini for iOS as well as Android also implemented.
Apple Watch storage is rubbish just like the battery
We've had a little time to digest the announcement about the Apple Watch. Many people will be disappointed to learn about the battery life of Apple's first smartwatch, but there's still room for a little more dissatisfaction. Turn your attention, if you will, to storage.
At the Apple Watch launch event, Apple said nothing about the device's storage. Perhaps with good reason. iPhone owners have already complained that their devices do not have enough storage space, and this is a complaint that could be levelled at the Apple Watch as well. There's just 8GB of storage. If this sounds like it makes the device somewhat inflexible, there's worse news. Apple also places restrictions on how you can use this space.
Microsoft is taking you back to school -- free online courses through edX!
Higher education is damn expensive -- yes, damn. Many young people in America are taking out massive student loans to fund their education. As bad as the debt problem is, I stand by the fact that your education is the best investment you can make. It may sound like a cliche, but knowledge is power. You should strive to learn as much as you can. Unfortunately, many people go to college for the degree and not necessarily for the knowledge. This is understandable, as many employers just want to see that you have a degree.
Lately, however, I have been very intrigued by MOOCs. If you are not familiar, it stands for massive open online courses. Essentially, the courses are for the most part free, enabling people of all backgrounds, the opportunity to learn. I am currently taking one with edX -- one of the most popular providers of these open courses. Today, I am pleased to find out that Microsoft is partnering with edX to offer courses taught by its employees and experts. The best part? Most of them are free!
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