Amazon announces Video Direct in an effort to compete with Google's YouTube
Despite competition from the likes of Vimeo, YouTube has remained at the top of the heap for streaming videos, mostly because of content that comes from its users. While it's hard to see it being toppled anytime soon, it will have a new rival trying to do just that.
Amazon, which already runs its Prime Video service filled with TV shows and movies, is expanding its footprint, adding user content.
Facebook admits there is a left wing bias in Silicon Valley
Facebook may be insisting that its news curators are not suppressing right-wing stories, but a senior executive is willing to admit that Silicon Valley as a whole is rather left-leaning.
Alex Schultz, vice president of growth at the social network, says: "There is definitely a left-wing bias to any company based in San Francisco". He made the comments at an LGBT discrimination conference, joking that "a Republican may be the most at-risk diversity at Facebook".
India has mobile forensic tools to hack into iPhones
The case of the FBI seeking to force Apple to provide backdoor access to the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone focused attention on security and encryption once again. The agency may have been able to gain access to the phone with help from a third party, but the Indian government has gone one better.
Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has revealed that the government has a tool that can be used to gain access to, among other devices, Apple's iPhone. This is not to say that a tool has been created that bypasses encryption, rather that a method for getting past the lockscreen has been developed.
Xiaomi unveils 6.44-inch Mi Max smartphone, MIUI 8
Chinese maker Xiaomi has announced a new Android phablet, called Mi Max, and officially showcased MIUI 8, the latest version of its Android distribution. The handset is large even for its class, featuring a 6.44-inch display that is more typical of a small tablet than of a phablet.
That is not the only thing that is big about it though, as Xiaomi has also added a 4,850 mAh battery inside Mi Max. This is one of the largest capacities we have seen in a smartphone and, with the help of MIUI 8, it should translate into great battery life -- 76 percent better than iPhone 6s Plus, the company claims.
Businesses want advanced analytics but have low confidence in their data
A new report from data quality management company Blazent and 451 Research shows a disconnect between businesses' desire to pursue machine learning analytics and the quality of their data.
The poll, of 200 C-level and senior IT leaders, reveals that despite the 67 percent of respondents that have a strong appetite for advanced analytics technologies, 60 percent have low confidence in their organization's data quality management practices.
Only a solid strategy can unlock the cloud's benefits
Switching to a cloud-based solution, either public, private or hybrid, can result in reduced cost, better data security and improve the overall bottom line, but only if it comes with a solid strategy, VMTurbo says.
The application performance control platform company says businesses will fail to realize the benefits of a cloud-based approach to business without a proper strategy. It has come to that conclusion following a poll of 1,368 organizations, where 57 percent said they had no multi-cloud strategy, 35 percent no private cloud strategy, and 28 percent no public cloud strategy.
Outdated software on BYOD devices puts business data at risk
When people used office workstations managed by the IT department it was relatively easy to manage security because there was a defined perimeter.
In the modern era of mobile devices and BYOD though security becomes much harder. Authentication specialist Duo Security has released a new report on the security health of user devices, based on data gathered from more than two million devices used by businesses worldwide.
Fedora 24 Beta is here -- Linux fans, download it now
While Ubuntu focuses on convergence -- smartphones and tablets -- Fedora seems comfortable with the desktop, server, and cloud. You know what? That is not a bad thing. There are far too many Linux distributions nowadays, and if they all started focusing on a "Swiss Army" strategy with mobile device types, things would get messy. I find Fedora's narrower view refreshing.
Today, the Fedora Project announces that version 24 of the operating system achieves Beta status. If you have never tried the Linux-based OS, I urge you to give it a go. If my recommendation doesn't do it for you, please know that it is the operating system of choice for Linus Torvalds -- father of Linux.
Brands are not ready to meet consumer mobile expectations
New research shows that a majority of brands are unprepared when it comes to implementing a mobile strategy and aren't allocating enough resources to improve the mobile experience to meet consumer expectations.
The study by experience management software company Sitecore shows that although 97 percent of brands believe a good mobile experience impacts customer loyalty, 41 percent of respondents have either no mobile strategy in place at all, or have a mobile strategy that has yet to be implemented. In addition, 70 percent of these brands believe that their organization will not deliver on a mobile experience strategy for at least another six months.
Facebook denies censoring right wing news from Trending Topics
Having been hit with allegations of censoring news from conservative outlets, Facebook has issued a strenuous denial. Gizmodo reported claims from former Facebook "news curators" that they were directed to not only suppress news from right wing sources, but also to "inject" stories into Trending Topics regardless of their actual popularity.
Suggestions that its Trending Topics are driven by a liberal agenda have been denied by Facebook. The social network says it "found no evidence that the anonymous allegations are true", going on to say that while there is a review team in place, its guidelines "do [not] permit the prioritization of one viewpoint over another or one news outlet over another".
Lenovo will make enterprise harware in Europe for EMEA customers
Chinese tech maker Lenovo has announced that it will start building enterprise hardware for its EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) customers in Europe.
That way, customers can expect lower prices (sort of) and faster delivery times.
Think Android security updates take too long to roll out? So do the FTC and FCC
Both the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are starting to ask the questions that Android users have been asking for years: why do updates and upgrades take so long to roll out?
If you're in possession of a flagship or recent handset, the chances are you're in line to receive timely updates for the foreseeable future. But Android's fragmentation means that older handsets quickly drop off the radar, get forgotten and remain unpatched. The FCC and the FTC both want to know why security patches are slow to hit phones, and the agencies have launched separate, but parallel, investigations.
Pint: a complete package manager in a single PowerShell script
Pint is a simple package manager which can download, install, and update the portable editions of VLC, LibreOffice, 7-Zip, SumatraPDF and many other popular Windows applications. It’s a familiar idea, but what’s different about Pint is that it’s all done in a single PowerShell script.
This makes for an ultra-lightweight download (under 18KB), and "installation" should be as simple as unzipping the core files.
New security vulnerability affects one in four Android devices
A security vulnerability on Google’s Android OS has exposed users’ text messages, call histories and other sensitive data for the past five years.
The security firm FireEye has released a blog post detailing how it affects smartphones running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean as well as earlier versions of the OS. The bug, which has been indexed as CVE-2016-2060, allows apps to access sensitive user data by taking advantage of Android’s permission system.
Neil Patrick Harris says 'Thank you' with Siri and iPhone
Neil Patrick Harris is one cool dude. From playing a boy-doctor on the TV show, Doogie Howser MD, to becoming one of the premier hosts for fancy award shows, the man is undeniably awesome. There are even some rumors that the handsome actor could replace Michael Strahan on Live! with Kelly Ripa, but I digress.
Today, NPH becomes the latest Apple advertisement star. In a video titled "Thank You Speech," the actor shows off the hands-free capabilities of the iPhone 6s.
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