iDevices 'Smart Home Essentials' kit is Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa compatible
As prices continue to drop, and the technology becomes easier to use, 'smart home' devices are set to explode in popularity. As someone who once swore off such things, I now have Wi-Fi-enabled electric sockets and home cameras. When I am away, I can turn on a lamp and monitor my house. It is very cool, but slightly annoying that there is no central app for all of my connected home devices. Since I chose different brands, I unfortunately have a few different apps on my smartphone and tablet.
Today, iDevices announces 'Smart Home Essentials'. This focused kit is both Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa compatible. By purchasing this well-designed kit, you can avoid managing multiple apps. It even comes with free concierge service based in the USA for help setting things up (if needed).
Microsoft releases full-length trailer for Gears of War 4
Are you into gaming and can't wait to get your hands on the latest titles? You've got a big one on the way and now you don't have to wait quite as long to at least get a look at what you're missing.
Today, Microsoft is releasing the first full-length trailer for Gears of War 4. It is narrated by John DiMaggio who you may recognize as the voice of Marcus Fenix from the game.
Dell announces Latitude 13 3000 Series convertible laptop
Dell has announced a new hybrid device to help small businesses with tight budgets. The convertible laptop, a Latitude 13 3000 Series 2-in-1 comes with a few important features which budget devices usually lack, like the USB Type-C port or Windows Hello support. The new device, available now on Dell's online store, comes with a starting price of $699 (£530).
"Staying abreast of the latest form factors and solutions is critical in today’s competitive business landscape", wrote Raza Haider in a blog post, announcing the new device. "Specifically, the growth of 2-in-1 devices are revolutionizing the way workers perform day-to-day jobs, from data entry in the field, to visual design, virtual collaboration and any number of other tasks in the office and beyond".
The iPhone's passcode security can be beaten for just $100
Remember how Apple and the FBI clashed regarding the unlocking of San Bernadino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook's iPhone 5c some six months ago?
Apple refused to help the FBI find a way to unlock the iPhone as it believed doing so would, in Tim Cook’s words, "undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect". After lots of posturing from both sides, the FBI eventually found a way to crack the encryption without Apple’s help, although at a reported cost of in excess of $1 million. But now a Cambridge computer scientist says he has managed to crack the iPhone 5c’s passcode security for a lot less than that -- just $100, in fact.
HP launches new ProBook 400 G4 laptops
HP has announced a new series of laptops aimed for small business owners whose employees are style-oriented millennials. Truth be told, if you're a bit older, but would still like a fairly cheap, well-designed laptop, there's nothing stopping you from getting your hands on the new HP ProBook 400 G4 Series.
It comes with the latest seventh-generation Intel Core processor, or seventh-generation A-Series APUs from AMD. Its graphics are powered by the NVIDIA GeForce 930MX, and is paired with 16GB of RAM. It has full HD displays, USB-C ports, and enterprise-grade security. Most importantly, the company significantly improved its battery life, and promises up to 16 hours on a single charge.
Google Trips for iOS and Android can help you with holiday vacation travel planning
The summer is just about over. Children are back in school, the temperatures are slowly dropping, and soon enough, the leaves will begin falling from the trees.
Summer vacations are now in the rear view mirror, meaning it is holiday-related travel coming up down the road. Around the USA, many families will begin planning for both Thanksgiving and Christmas getaways. Google Trips, a new app for Android and iOS, is designed to help people plan their trips, with a focus on offline use for when someone is without an internet connection. Keep in mind, it will work for all travel -- not just holiday related plans.
European workers vulnerable to social engineering attacks
Hackers are using social media to gather information about their next victim. They use that information to form sophisticated strategies and deliver advanced threats into networks.
These are the results of a new Blue Coat Systems report, based on a poll of 3,130 workers in various industries in Great Britain, France and Germany. Key takeaway from the report is that user behavior has not improved much since last year. This year, 42 percent of respondents say they only accept friend requests from people they know.
How to tell if your replacement Samsung Galaxy Note7 is safe to use
Samsung recalled the Galaxy Note7 earlier this month following reports of exploding batteries, and promised to replace the affected units free of charge. To make it easy for customers to find out whether their device should be exchanged, the company has released an official IMEI lookup tool that informs them if the built-in battery is safe to use or not.
And for those who receive a replacement unit -- and for new users -- Samsung has added some visual identifiers to help folks figure out if they are looking at a revised (safe to use) Galaxy Note7. There are two major changes, over the affected units, that you should look for.
Altify brings augmented intelligence to B2B sales
The internet means that buyers are armed with more information than ever before which can make life more challenging for salespeople.
Sales transformation company Altify is looking to give sales teams the edge with the launch of its latest enterprise B2B sales platform with augmented intelligence capabilities that prompt sales professionals of the next best action to progress a sale.
The best of both worlds regarding storage and the cloud
It might shock you to hear that managing data has never been more difficult than it is today. Data is growing at the speed of light, while IT budgets are shrinking at a similar pace. All of this growth and change is forcing administrators to find more relevant ways to successfully manage and store data. This is no easy task, as there are many regulatory constraints with respect to data retention, and the business value of the data needs to be considered as well.
Those within the IT world likely remember (with fondness) the hierarchical storage management systems (HSM), which have traditionally played a key role in the information lifecycle management (ILM). Though this was once a reliable and effective way to manage company data, gone are the days when businesses can put full confidence in such a method. The truth of the matter is that things have become much more complicated.
Google and Apple show that tech companies' blase attitude to tax cannot continue
Technology firms, like bankers, are starting to earn a bad name for themselves. The practice of funneling profits from different branches of a company through countries that have favorable rates of tax is nothing new -- far from it -- but it's becoming far more prevalent. Apple was recently asked to pay back $14.5 billion in unpaid tax in Europe, and this is not an isolated incident.
Small businesses understandably feel that they are getting a raw deal when the big players have the clout and resources to play the system to their advantage. But it doesn't always work out. In addition to the $14.5 billion in Ireland, Apple has just paid back $118 million in Japan for 'under-reporting income' and Google is also facing investigation in Indonesia over possible unpaid taxes.
Boost speeds on busy PCs with Project Mercury
Modern CPUs are powerful devices which can run most applications without difficulty, but run enough processes at the same time and your performance will soon fall away.
Project Mercury (64-bit version) is a freeware tool which automatically optimizes process priorities and RAM usage to ensure your active application always has the maximum system resources.
How to plan for and recover from IT emergencies
Bugs in the software, mistakes in configuration files, even the infamous "fat finger" -- all are responsible for service outages at cloud-based services, data centers, enterprise networks, and any other IT installation, large or small.
There are just too many things that can go wrong. Even if an organization takes care of everything humanly possible, there are still the monkeys. That's a lesson the folks at KenGen, Kenya's electric company, have learned the hard way.
Windows Safe Mode attack could put your passwords at risk
Because it allows only the essential elements of the Windows operating system to run, Safe Mode is a useful tool for diagnosing and fixing problems. But according to researchers at CyberArk Labs it could also be exposing you to risk.
Safe Mode stops a lot of third-party software from running at startup and that can include many security solutions. Attackers who have gained remote access to a machine may therefore be able to reboot it into Safe Mode to launch attacks.
Easily switch between 20+ DNS servers with Change DNS Helper
Switching your DNS servers can improve web performance, enhance security and help you reach some sites you can’t normally access.
It’s awkward to do this manually, but Change DNS Helper is a free tool which makes the process much easier.
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