Huawei sells more smartphones than Apple
With a couple of notable exceptions, Apple consistently ranks as the second largest smartphone manufacturer based on sales. It's something that we've become accustomed to. No other vendor, except Samsung, has managed to beat it.
Well, until now, that is. According to a new report from Counterpoint, Apple was overtaken by Huawei, which posted a very strong performance towards the second half of the year.
New technology platform helps secure business devices
Thanks to increased use of mobile and BYOD devices, there's a significant risk to business networks from un-managed and uncontrolled devices which could offer a route for security breaches.
Israeli startup company Axonius is looking to solve this problem with a new platform designed to eliminate blind spots on the network and provide a single place to understand, manage and control the security of all end user, compute and IoT devices.
Facebook offers millions to music industry to avert copyright crisis
Facebook is said to be offering hundreds of millions of dollars to music publishers and record labels to avoid having to take down user-generated videos that feature copyrighted music.
Bloomberg cites "people familiar with the matter" as saying Facebook's payments will allow for the legal use of songs in uploaded videos. At the moment rights holders can tell Facebook to remove any videos that feature copyrighted music, and the social network is keen to create a frictionless experience for users if at all possible.
Facebook Watch is now available right across the US
Facebook Watch may sound like it's going to be a cheap alternative to the Apple Watch, but it's really just Facebook's latest jump into video. Launched a month ago, Facebook Watch is now available to everyone in the US.
The initial launch was a limited one, and just last week the rollout expanded to a wider group of users. But now everyone in the US is able to see the Watch tab on desktop and mobile platforms, giving access to original video content.
FTC spanks Lenovo for bundling security-compromising adware on laptops
Lenovo has settled with the Federal Trade Commission after selling laptops with VisualDiscovery adware pre-installed. The Superfish-developed adware was installed without users' consent and made machines vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks.
On top of this, the adware shared users' browsing data with third parties. As part of the settlement, Lenovo must gain explicit consent from users before engaging in similar tactics in the future, and must not misrepresent software that serves to inject ads into browsing sessions. The FTC did not, however, prohibit Lenovo from installing adware on its hardware, nor did it impose a financial penalty on the Chinese company.
Opera Mini for iOS isn't dead after all -- the developers were just waiting for iPhone 8
Earlier this year, I was shocked to learn that development of Opera for iOS was effectively dead. No, this was not just a rumor -- an Opera employee told me publicly on Twitter. And so, we here at BetaNews reported the unfortunate news. Luckily, the report of the browser's demise was short-lived -- the company later told me the employee was misinformed. I was dubious, so I took a wait-and-see approach to see just how alive development truly was.
Well, today, Opera supplied proof that its popular Mini browser is alive and kicking -- a new version! Apparently the company was just waiting for the iPhone 8 before updating the web browser. In a blog post highlighting the upcoming release of a new iPhone, the company shares that the user interface has been refreshed. For instance, there is more use of the "Opera red" color and trending news stories have been bumped to the top of the start page. New features have been added too, such as an enhanced search bar that can scan QR codes.
How to fight back against the email scammers
Business Email Compromise (BEC) has become one of the most popular tactics deployed by fraudsters in recent years. A step up from the numerous but low-quality spam campaigns that clog most inboxes on a daily basis, BEC attacks involve a planned attack on a specific target, aided by the impersonation of a trusted contact.
The most commonly seen tactic is to take on the guise of the CEO and use their authority to trick a financial department into transferring funds, while variations include impersonating suppliers and business partners, and going after sensitive data rather than direct payment. In its most recent report, the FBI estimated that financial losses from these attacks is more than $5.3bn since October 2013.
Over a third of Windows 10 users still don't have the Creators Update
The Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is set to launch on October 17, but a large portion of Windows 10 users are still waiting to be offered the Creators Update which was released back in April.
Windows 10 rollouts tend to be quite slow -- Microsoft only makes each upgrade available to systems it considers compatible -- but the pace of the Creators Update rollout has been positively glacial -- way slower than the Anniversary Update that preceded it.
How to deal with immediate cyber threats
As the threat of invading malware increases (viruses, worms, Trojans, bots, just to name a few), companies, small and large, will continue to use technology as a means of defence. The antivirus industry is extremely large and continues to garner major investment. As with any technology niche, there is both good and bad within what’s called advanced endpoint security, but it will continue to be installed as a means to protect against modern malware and other possible threats.
It is interesting to me that the term virus has become the way most people understand how computers or enterprise systems become infected. I think it is because people understand the flu and the common cold. And they generally understand how to protect against catching the flu or catching a cold. The most important protection is information.
How Internet of Things supports smart cities
Global analyst firm Gartner has predicted that by 2020 there will be more than 20 billion "things" connected to the Internet, sending data all over the world. These Internet of Things (IoT) devices could be anything from fish tanks and fidget spinners, to sunglasses, fridges and other home appliances. All these devices have the ability to send and receive data between one another, creating a network that can share valuable information.
When such devices are integrated into the infrastructure of our towns and cities, they have the potential to revolutionize the way we live our lives -- making our cities more accessible, safer and easier to navigate. For fleet and operations managers in particular, this presents a very enticing opportunity.
Microsoft shows weakness by extending the free Windows 10 S to Pro upgrade deadline
Windows 10 S is a really great idea in theory. By limiting the operating system to applications from the Windows Store, it could make users safer. After all, it should limit the potential of malware since users can't download and install questionable things from the web. Of course, this will only be successful if there is a good library of apps, and I am sorry to say, the Windows Store is a failure in that regard. The biggest selling point for Windows is legacy program compatibility. Once you take that away, there isn't much left.
Thankfully, the company is giving complimentary upgrades from Windows 10 S to Windows 10 Pro until the end of 2017. This will allow a person or organization to easily recover from mistakenly buying into Windows 10 S if it doesn't meet their needs. Today, however, as a sign of weakness, Microsoft extends this deadline.
Samson unveils affordable MediaOne M30 powered studio monitors
Samson is a company that is known for making affordable audio equipment for both amateurs and professionals. For many podcasters, for instance, its microphones are a wonderful value and quite popular. The company has a very diverse portfolio of such products.
Today, Samson launches a new set of powered studio monitors. These pro-grade speakers should offer solid sound reproduction. While they are 2.0, meaning just left and right speakers, there is an output to add a dedicated subwoofer. If you do need added bass, but don't want to buy a sub, there is a bass-boost button too.
WhatsApp tests free Business app, but will charge larger enterprises
Not content with amassing over a billion users, WhatsApp is branching out into new territory, testing out a new free WhatsApp Business app. The app will be free for small to medium-sized companies, but larger enterprises will be charged.
The announcement comes just days after it emerged that WhatsApp was introducing verified accounts for some business users. The new app is part of WhatsApp's drive to monetize the platform, and it will provide a line of communication between businesses and customers.
Xiaomi Mi A1 runs stock Android, features dual 12MP camera
Xiaomi has become one of the largest smartphone manufacturers thanks in part to its approach to customizing Android. MIUI, its distribution, is a significant departure from what is commonly referred to as "stock Android," which is the version that Google ships on its Pixel line of smartphones, packing lots of added features and a heavy theme.
Its new Mi A1 is different. This is Xiaomi's first smartphone running stock Android, and it is also its first entry in the Android One program. It is not, however, an entry-level device, as it features faster and better hardware than what we've seen so far in the Android One landscape.
'It is time to return to not being evil': Opera and Vivaldi founder accuses Google of 'misuse of power'
The founder of the Opera and Vivaldi web browsers, Jon von Tetzchner, has lashed out at Google in a vitriolic blog post in which he accuses the search giant of a "misuse of power." He says that Opera helped Google to grow and that it didn’t take long for the company to expose its dark side.
He complains that despite the fact that Vivaldi is based on Chromium, the web browser has to hide its real identity in order to work with Google Docs. He also suggests that his Google AdWords campaigns were suspended after he gave interviews in which he described Google as being a threat to democracy. von Tetzchner is not a happy man, and he has a simple message for Google: "it is time to return to not being evil."
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