Samsung unveils speedy 256GB Universal Flash mobile storage -- will Apple use it for iPhone 7?
Last year, I bought my first iPhone. Shockingly, the base model still came with a paltry 16GB of storage. Since this was my first-ever such Apple smartphone, I decided to go nuts and splurge on the massive 128GB. Since I store my photos in the cloud, and stream music and movies, I have come nowhere near filling it up. I should have bought the 64GB, but I digress.
Of course, my situation is not the same as everyone else -- some people truly need 128GB or more. Unfortunately, Apple does not offer more than 128GB -- yet. This may change, however, as Samsung announces crazy fast 256-Gigabyte Universal Flash Storage for mobile. The high performance should make these 256GB modules very popular with manufacturers. This will certainly show up in Android devices, but could Apple select it for the upcoming iPhone 7?
Google Chromecast could come built into future TVs
Google’s Chromecast is a nifty piece of kit. The $35 dongle lets you stream content from your smartphone or tablet to the big screen. It’s great for casting TV shows, movies, music, sports, games and more.
At the moment you need to purchase a dongle and attach it to your set via HDMI to use this functionality, but in the future that step might not be required as Google is reportedly looking to partner with TV manufacturers to offer Chromecast-like functionality natively.
Tim Cook goes off-script describing FBI iPhone backdoor request as 'cancer'
Say what you like about Apple, one thing is for sure -- it is one of the most scripted and tightly-controlled companies in existence. Everything is stage-managed to within an inch of its existence. Leaks about upcoming releases are rare, and there is a tight rein on the media and who has access to its products for review. So when the FBI asked Apple to unlock the iPhone of the San Bernardino shooter it was hardly surprising that the company was a little shaken and unprepared.
This was a media situation Apple was not in control of. Tim Cook has gone on the offensive in recent days, defending his company's decision not to help the FBI, and in a new interview with ABC News the CEO referred to the request to unlock the phone as requiring "software that we view as sort of the equivalent of cancer" -- something of a shocking thing to say when you consider the cause of death of his predecessor, Steve Jobs.
IObit Malware Fighter 4 arrives
IObit has announced the release of IObit Malware Fighter 4, with what looks like some major improvements in protection.
A new IObit anti-malware engine and a 10x larger database aim to detect and remove even more threats.
ISIS threatens Dorsey and Zuckerberg for closing terrorist Twitter and Facebook accounts
ISIS is many things including being a master manipulator of the media and an expert at utilizing social media. Facebook and Twitter have been key tools in the group's propaganda dissemination, and the social networks have reacted by closing down accounts whack-a-mole style.
Now Islamic State has released a video in response to the censorship. It depicts Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey riddled with bullets as "the sons of the Caliphate army" threaten to fight back against account closures.
ASUS' routers will be audited for 20 years
Taiwanese hardware manufacturer Asus has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges, the agency reported on Tuesday. Back in 2014, it was discovered that Asus’ routers had poor security protocols, putting hundreds of thousands of users’ data at risk.
Under the settlement, Asus will have to establish and maintain a comprehensive security program, subject to independent audits for the next 20 years. The FTC said the vulnerabilities allowed attackers to gain access to at least 12,900 routers.
Facebook has missed a trick or two with its limited Reactions
After years of pestering, yesterday Facebook finally supplemented the famous Like button with five additional Reactions. To the disappointment of many, the much-requested Dislike button is yet to make an appearance, but this is not the only way in which the social network has let people down.
Advertisers, page owners, and the general Facebook hoi polloi now have at their disposal six reactions that serve little useful purpose. Sure, it gives users the opportunity to express a slightly wider range of emotion, but the range is far too limited. Additionally, Facebook has let down its paying users more seriously -- it fails to register the meaning and intent behind the different reactions, rendering the six options almost pointless.
My journey from iPad Pro lemon to Apple lemonade [sixth in a series]
My previous post in this series begins: "I cannot presently recommend Apple's big-ass tablet as a laptop replacement—using the official-issue Smart Keyboard". The statement is retracted.
Apple PR contacted me after the story published, asserting that the short battery life I experienced was abnormal behavior. Seeing as it was the last day to return iPad Pro under T-Mobile's buyer's remorse policy, I took the assertion at face value and returned the rig. The exchange interrupted my plans to use the tablet as my primary PC for a month. From today, the clock resets to zero, and I start over.
Typing with fingers is so passé! Google enhances 'voice typing' in Docs for Chrome
In the classic film, Back to the Future II, some children remark to the main character that his use of hands to play a classic video game is essentially uncool and lame. In the real future, maybe mind-controlled input for games and apps will become a mainstream reality, but in the interim, mice, keyboards and game pads will reign supreme for computing overall.
A less futuristic alternative to using hands is dictation -- computers converting speech to text. Solutions have been offered for quite some time, but only in recent years have they become fairly usable and reliable. Google has been a huge proponent of voice, and today, the company announces it is enhancing 'voice typing' in Docs for Chrome to be much more than just dictation.
Latest Amazon Fire TV update appears to break Harmony remote, but doesn't
Earlier today we told you about Amazon's latest roll out of updates, bringing new software to both the first generation Fire TV and the Kindle reader. While Kindle adds a new home screen, Fire TV introduces both Amazon Echo control, though it isn't quite what you think, and a new video section to guide you along the way.
While the new software improves things quite a bit, there can be a dark side to these updates. Sometimes they just simply break things, mostly in unexpected ways.
I'm going to let you into a little secret about Windows 10
Wait for it... wait for it... For all of the criticism I have levelled at Microsoft, I actually rather like Windows 10. It is, of course, not without its faults, but in the main it's a solid operating system and a reasonable upgrade from Windows 8.1. I have a (well-earned) reputation for negativity, cynicism, and pessimism, so what's with the sudden burst of positivity?
In reality, nothing has changed, but I've settled into my stride. Rather than battling the bits I hate (and there are still plenty), I've learned to turn a blind eye. I've realized that I was trying to fit Windows 10, rather than making Windows 10 fit me. There's still plenty I don't like, but by simply learning not to focus on them, I've come to like the operating system much more. As with so many things in life, it's all about how you use it.
Majority of data breaches occur in US
There have been 1,673 data breaches last year. They have led to 707 million data records being compromised. Those are the results of a new report by digital security firm Gemalto, entitled Breach Level Index.
The Breach Level Index tracks all data breaches worldwide, looking at their size, severity, as well as the number of records compromised.
Windows 10 Insider Preview Redstone Build 14271 arrives on the Fast ring, and there's an update for Mobile too
Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14267 arrived on the Fast ring 6 days ago and brought some very welcome improvements with it, including three additions to Microsoft Edge, although sadly still no support for extensions.
Today Microsoft rolls out another Fast ring update, Build 14271, and also an update for Mobile, Build 14267.1004. This is the first time the software giant has released new builds for PC and mobile on the same day.
Alexa, find updates for Amazon Fire TV and Kindle
We knew updates were on the way to various Amazon products, but with a gradual roll out it was hard to say when things would arrive. Today the waiting is over, as both Fire TV and Kindle picked up the latest updates from the retail giant.
So what is in the cards for these updates? Well, lots of cool things that can prove useful to the company's multitude of customers.
Former employees are a major security threat
If you’re a business owner in the UK, chances are a good portion of your workers are looking for the first opportunity to ditch you.
According to a new report by Ilex International, the identity and access management firm, 59 percent of workers are looking for a new job in 2016. Two reasons are behind this: first that the majority feels underpaid, and the second is that the economy is improving and better prospects are out there.
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