EncFSMP: a real cross-platform encryption tool
Encrypting your most confidential files can be very easy, at least with the right application. Create a container; choose a password; drag, drop, done.
Sharing those containers is often more difficult, especially if the recipient needs to install a copy of your original encryption tool, and it’s not available for their platform.
Google slashes prices to attract the enterprise to its Cloud Platform
They say the key to a man's heart is his stomach, and for me, that is probably true -- feel free to put fat jokes in the comments. But what is the key to a company's heart? Money. Yes, cost savings is an easy way to make a company take notice in your solution.
Today, Google is aiming to attract the enterprise to its Cloud Platform using this practice. You see, the search giant is dramatically slashing prices, and quite frankly, businesses should take notice.
Twitch gaming video arrives on Roku set-top boxes and TVs
Video games and set-top boxes. They don't seem to go together, but these days they do. You can play games on many of them, though they won't be confused with an Xbox One or PS4. But today video games aren't just about playing, it's become a spectator sport as well. Much of that is due to the Twitch service which allows people to post videos and watch others.
Now the Twitch channel has arrived on Roku, one of the most popular set-top boxes on the market. The manufacturer is adding the channel now, allowing customers to begin streaming the videos that seem so popular in today's culture.
Court of Appeals says Samsung's legal payments to Apple should be reduced
Patent lawsuits in the world of technology are nothing new, and the case between Apple and Samsung resulted in one of the largest fines ever being handed down. Samsung was ordered to pay $930 million in damages after a court found that the company had violated Apple patents with its smartphone and tablet designs.
Today the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit overturned part of the original ruling, saying that the jury was wrong to say that Samsung infringed on Apple's trade dress intellectual property. The exact details of what this will mean are yet to come out, but it should lead to a fairly hefty reduction in Samsung's legal costs.
GV18 Aplus smartwatch -- what can you expect for $35? [Review]
It's always the way with technology that it starts out expensive then tumbles in price as more manufacturers enter the field. With smartwatches that fall in price has come pretty quickly as Chinese manufacturers have jumped on the bandwagon.
The last budget smartwatch we looked at proved pretty impressive for the price. The GV18 Aplus is cheaper still and yet packs in even more features. So, is it cheap and cheerful or cheap and nasty? Let's find out.
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 12 gains Windows 10 support
German developer Ashampoo has announced the release of Ashampoo WinOptimizer 12 ($49.99), its hugely comprehensive all-in-one PC maintenance toolkit.
Extended drive and internet cleaners work to free up more hard drive space. They can optimize multiple user accounts in a single operation, too -- no need to log into each account individually.
Debunking the five common misconceptions about DDoS protection
Defending organizations networks against DDoS attacks has long been a daunting challenge, but now cybercriminals are making it even more so. Headlines today are rife with news of another DDoS attack, data breach or other security incidents.
Yet even in today’s dynamic threat landscape, many organizations still believe that the DDoS protection they adopted a few years ago still works today. In these instances, organizations are gambling with their network. It’s time to debunk some outmoded misconceptions about DDoS.
Traditional security approaches produce too many false positives
According to 62 percent of IT professionals traditional security approaches produce too many alerts and false positives for them to handle.
This is among the findings of a new study from research firm Enterprise Management Associates (EMA), sponsored by machine learning and automation specialist Prelert, which shows that 25 percent of organizations know they experienced a breach or significant cyber attack that incurred loss last year.
Apple buys high-precision GPS firm Coherent Navigation
The accuracy of GPS on iPhones could be on the verge of becoming significantly better. Apple has confirmed that it has acquired GPS company Coherent Navigation, a start-up that specializes in super-precise global positioning systems.
As is usual, Apple remains tight-lipped about future plans, going no further than confirming the purchase in an email. The wheels of activity are already in motion and the Coherent Navigation website has already vanished from the internet.
The best Microsoft Surface Pro 3 version gets a $150 discount
If you are in the market for a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 then you should definitely get the 256 GB version with 8 GB of RAM. It is the best of the bunch, offering the right balance between price and performance. It is also the model that I would leave my 13-inch Apple MacBook Air for.
Luckily, if you are considering the aforementioned Surface Pro 3 version, Microsoft is now sweetening the deal with a $150 discount, which brings the price down to a more affordable $1,149. Normally, the slate costs $1,299.
10 things you don't know about Facebook
For a site like Facebook, which has become sort of a synonym for the Internet itself, it’s hard to say there are things we still don’t know about it. Everything’s already been said, everything’s been discovered and the site is as transparent as it gets.
But there are still things we (or at least some of us) still don’t know about it, and those include some awesome, but long lost and forgotten options the site has to offer, like:
Snapchat plans to release a Windows Phone app, but don't get your hopes up
While Windows Phone Store is home to lots of third-party apps, you will not see a Snapchat client in there. And it is not due to a lack of effort. The company simply does not want any such offerings to be available, actively working towards eliminating each and every one.
Rudy Huyn, a well-known Windows Phone developer, has gone as far as asking Snapchat to review the code of his 6snap client to keep the app alive in Store, but the company would not budge. Also, when Snapchat CEO Evan Spegel was told that Windows Phone users want an official app, he simply replied: "didn't think anyone used those". However, Snapchat's could-not-care-less-about-Windows-Phone stance seems to have changed, as it just announced that a Windows Phone app is on the cards.
Streaming video subscriptions will quadruple by 2019
Online video services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are undeniably popular, but they are set to explode in the next few years. A study published by Juniper Research suggests that in a period of just five years (2014-2019) the number of people subscribing to streaming video services will rocket from 92.1 million to 332.2 million.
Despite what many people may have thought, it is not growing use of mobile devices for entertainment that will be responsible for the increase. The nearly fourfold growth will be driven by the success of the likes of Google's Chromecast and Amazon's Fire TV Stick.
Shoppers use mobile mainly for research rather than purchasing
Businesses are using analytic tools to gather information online, through digital and social channels, as well as call center data, to get to know and build a closer relationship with their customers. However, a survey by customer experience specialist TimeTrade reveals that mobile channels in particular are mostly used for research rather than buying.
The survey looks at consumer buying habits and how retailers need to adapt and provide a better customer experience in order to succeed. It shows that retailers are realizing that a highly personalized in-store experience leads to a lasting impression and creates brand loyalty.
LG G4 rolls out this week
South Korean maker LG has announced that its latest flagship smartphone will roll out globally starting this week. Unveiled in late-April during a special event, G4 is positioned as a rival to the likes of HTC One M9 and Samsung Galaxy S6.
LG says that G4 will be available through around 180 carriers and retailers across the globe, and will continue its roll-out throughout June. It will not be immediately available in key markets across Europe and North America.
