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How storage can help fight malware [Q&A]


We tend to think of storage as being a target when it comes to malware attacks with cyber criminals seeking to steal data or encrypt it to demand a ransom. But in fact technology can make storage part of the solution.
Hybrid storage specialist Reduxio believes innovative storage can be used to fight and defeat ransomware and malware. We spoke to Reduxio's Jacob Cherian (VP of product strategy) and Mike Grandinetti (chief marketing and corporate strategy officer) to find out how.
Google PhotoScan turns your smartphone into a scanner for your old photos


Despite the name, smartphones are generally used for anything but traditional phone related activities -- and one of the most popular usages of the devices is snapping photographs. But while an entire generation of photographers has grown up with digital photography, there are plenty of physical photos out there waiting to be digitized.
Google thinks it has the answer in the form of PhotoScan. The app is available for iOS and Android, and it transforms your smartphone into a scanner so you can preserve old photos. Unsurprisingly, it is packed with smarts to simplify the whole process, and it all ties in neatly with Google Photos.
Mozilla Firefox 50 trims start-up times, widens download protection


Mozilla has released Firefox 50.0 for Windows, Mac and Linux, with Firefox for Android 50.0 due imminently. For the second release in a row it’s launched a week late, but this time the reason behind the pause is different.
The extra week gave Firefox 50 time to unveil its headline new feature: significant start-up improvements, achieved through an overhaul of the application’s add-on SDK module system. Elsewhere download protection covers a wider range of executable files, plus Firefox 50 introduces a smattering of useful usability improvements.
What you need to know about federated identity


As we conduct more and more of our work and personal lives using information technology, we have to sign in to lots of different systems. That can mean many different sets of credentials which can be hard to manage.
Federated identity is a way of streamlining this by linking an electronic identity and attributes across several identity management systems. This is related to single sign-on (SSO), which involves sharing authentication between systems -- such as signing onto other websites using your social network ID -- but federated identity goes much deeper.
Could alt-right account bans spell the end of Twitter?


Abuse and trolling has been a serious problem for Twitter for some time and continues to be so. Various measures have been introduced to help with the issues, but now the site is going down a more drastic route, banning prominent alt-right accounts.
This is not something that is entirely new; earlier in the year Breitbart's Milo Yiannopoulos (also known as @Nero) was permanently banned from Twitter. In the wake of Donald Trump's astonishing rise to presidency, the alt-right movement has enjoyed a major boost. The question is, does Twitter risk cutting off too many of its users if it continues its alt-right cull?
Google Translate gets better thanks to Neural Machine Translation technology


The internet has made the world feel smaller, connecting people all over Earth. The problem? Many of us speak different laguages! Sure, some of you speak multiple languages, but for many of us -- including yours truly -- one is all we know.
Thankfully, translation services -- such as Google Translate -- removes barriers, allowing people to more easily communicate despite language differences. Today, the search giant announces that it has massively improved its service thanks to Neural Machine Translation technology.
Samsung buys Harman for $8bn


In an effort to expand into the auto market, Samsung has announced that it will purchase Harman for $8 billion to gain access to both its automotive and audio offerings.
The American company Harman is best known for its audio equipment, though it also has a large presence in the automotive market. Last year, the company earned over $7 billion, of which its connected car devices and audio systems accounted for 65 percent of the total sales.
Bigger battery, better camera, faster processor -- the OnePlus 3T is even more of a flagship killer


The OnePlus 3 -- unashamedly billed as the 'flagship killer' -- caused major ripples of excitement when it was released earlier in the year. Now, after rumors and teasers, and mere months after the launch, there is a follow up -- the OnePlus 3T.
One of the key features of the OnePlus 3 was Dash Charge, its fast charging option still offers a full day's usage from 30 minutes of charging -- and the battery has jumped in size. Internally, the processor has been upgraded to a Snapdragon 821 chip clocked at 2.35 GHz, and there's now a 128GB model available.
What you need to consider before adopting Microsoft Office 365


The cloud-based office productivity software market is expected to reach $17 billion in 2016. That’s more than a 400 percent increase from 2009 when the market was valued at $3.3 billion.
With the success of cloud-based applications and their pay-as-you-go model, it shouldn’t be surprising that the cloud version of one of the most widely used desktop application packages would grow to become a popular choice for businesses. I’m of course referring to Office 365, Microsoft’s leading productivity and work software package delivered via the cloud.
Android backdoor found sending personal information from US users to China


Mobile security firm Kryptowire has discovered a backdoor in several Android smartphones sold in the US. The company says that the firmware collected personal data about users without consent, and sent this private information on to Chinese firm Shanghai Adups Technology Company.
Included in the reams of personal data shared to a third party server were the full text of SMS, call histories, and unique device identifiers. In addition to this, an OTA (over the air) update to firmware allowed for the non-consensual installation of apps, user location tracking and keyword monitoring.
Is Apple crazy to sell a $300 hardcover photo book? Not at all


Last month, Apple unveiled new MacBook Pro laptops. While the machines were undoubtedly great, their prices were very high -- even for Apple. Despite the cost, they are apparently flying off virtual shelves, as shipping dates are now in late December. In other words, price be damned, people will buy what they want, and they are willing to splurge on quality. The old adage of "you get what you pay for" is sometimes quite true.
Today, Apple announces a hardcover book called "Designed by Apple in California". It is a paper book comprised of high-quality photographs of the company's products. There are two sizes being offered, with the smaller (10.20" x 12.75") costing $200 and the larger (13" x 16.25") costing $300. Are those prices high? Yes. Is Apple crazy to ask that much? Nope. In fact, the company is wise to set a high price, as it sets the value and desirability at a high level.
SMBs hold on to their hardware longer than enterprises


Smaller and medium-sized businesses would rather wait a couple years longer before upgrading their systems, compared to large enterprises, a new survey by memory and storage company Crucial shows. Out of 350 IT decision makers in the UK, US, Germany and France, more than half (52 percent) say their company has a hardware refresh cycle of about three to four years.
Large organizations replace systems every two years or so (23 percent) while small organisations wait four years or more (22 percent). The reason behind upgrades is always the same -- their current systems are no longer good enough. Sometimes, businesses would opt to reimage and redeploy problematic storage drives (28 percent), and sometimes, they’d just buy new computers to replace the old and the slow ones (19 percent).
Twitter expands Mute feature to help combat its troll problem


Twitter has promised for some time that it will do more to tackle the problem of trolling, abuse and harassment. Today, the company announces that it is expanding its Mute features, giving users the ability to mute keywords, phrases, and conversations.
This comes in response to feedback from people who have long-asked for a way to prevent notifications about topics they are not interested in, from people they don’t want to hear from, and so on. Twitter also says that it has retrained its staff and improved systems to make it easier and more efficient to report and deal with cases of abuse.
Time tracking tools aren't keeping up with mobile workforces


Modern businesses are increasingly concerned with agility and efficiency and this leads them to seek more mobile solutions. But a new report shows that workforces are struggling with outdated processes that don't adequately support this new world.
The study by performance management specialist Changepoint shows that organizations using time and task data to guide business decisions are relying on old-fashioned methods including Excel spreadsheets (28 percent) and even pen and paper (36 percent).
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