Is it time for apps to protect themselves against threats? [Q&A]

mobile-security

Most security researchers now acknowledge that it is only a matter of time before a business suffers some form of compromise as the bad guys follow the money and conventional security tools struggle to keep pace. A recent report from Gartner stresses the need for apps to become self protecting rather than rely on security tools.

But how easy is it to produce a self-protecting app and how effective are they against malware? We spoke to Gordon Young, UK Sales Director of security specialist Promon to find out more.

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An end to financial compromise in business?

businessman cup money begging begger

As with many aspects of finance, the budget is a balancing act. The same can be said of the financial period-end close at many companies. It's a process that's full of compromises. But does it have to be that way?

Many politicians use dramatic financial compromises to drive public relations initiatives. This is certainly not the case for corporate finance leaders; they rarely openly discuss any financial compromises. However, corporate finance leaders do accept the grim reality that compromises have to be made -- or at least many think there is no other option. It’s not uncommon for accounting and finance professionals to spend hours passing emails, spreadsheets and explanations back and forth in order to keep the close moving along.

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Microsoft jokingly reveals what happened to Windows 9

belfiore-build-business-insider

When Windows 10 was first announced, everyone immediately had one burning question to ask Microsoft concerning the freshly rejigged OS. And that question was: "Uhh, what the hell happened to Windows 9?"

Windows 8 followed sequentially on from Windows 7, but somehow, Windows 9 got skipped -- and it seems that’s something Redmond isn’t afraid to joke about, via Joe Belfiore’s and other Microsoft staff members' T-shirts.

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Best Windows apps this week

zombie-driver-hd

One-hundred and twenty nine in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows in the past seven days.

Microsoft announced this week that Windows 10 will launch this summer for PCs only and that Windows 10 on other devices will be released later.

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Arq cloud backup app debuts on Windows

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Popular Mac cloud backup app Arq ($39.99) is now available on Windows 7 and later.

The program makes it easy to back up your chosen folders to Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive/ Nearline, Amazon S3 and Glacier.

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Tesla Powerwall already sold out for 2015

powerwall

Just a few days after it was announced, the Tesla Powerwall battery has already been sold-out for the next year. Now that’s what I call a good business deal.

The company received more than 38,000 reservations for the Powerwall, said Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk during its first quarter earnings call. The reservations include some 2,800 businesses looking to buy the Powerpack, which is a commercial version of the battery.

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Microsoft Match from Staples will find the perfect Windows device for you

mmatchstap

Computers can feel like magic. Not only can they do boring things such as business calculations, but they can do social things too, such as match people together for dating. Hell, many people end up marrying someone they meet through dating websites.

If computers can successfully match two humans romantically, what if they could also match humans to the perfect computer? Thanks to Microsoft Match from Staples, they can. By answering some questions about your needs and wants, this new tool from Staples will tell you which Windows device to buy.

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Flickr 4.0 update brings new upload tool and image recognition magic

flickr

It has been a while since Flickr (remember that site?) received an update, but today this changes. Flickr 4.0 is rolling out, and it's a massive update. Headlined by Flickr Camera Roll and Uploadr, the update can be enjoyed not only by Android and iOS users, but also those who stick to the website.

There's a tool that makes it easier to get photos up online but, more importantly, tools that make it easier to browse and edit them. Flickr Camera Roll is mouse and touch-friendly browser, there's a greater focus on sharing, and there's a dusting of magic. Magic View is Flickr's new killer feature that can automatically organize your photo collection for you.

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Just one percent of retail payments is made with a smartphone, and iPhone users buy more and spend more

digital shopping

Do you pay for goods in stores with your smartphone? If so, you’re in the minority. According to Javelin Strategy & Research’s new Mobile Proximity Payments Forecast 2015 report, while 9 percent of online transactions are currently made on a smartphone, mobile proximity payments -- that is using your smartphone to buy something in a brick and mortar store -- account for just 1 percent of all retail transactions.

Apple users lead the way when it comes to mobile proximity payments, with almost 16 percent having made at least one purchase in a month. That’s nearly double the rate of Android smartphone owners.

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Linksys releases EA8500 Max-Stream AC2600 -- world's first 802.11ac MU-MIMO router

router

Quality routers are worth their weight in gold as far as I'm concerned. A shoddy Wi-Fi connection is enough to drive you insane. I've bought budget routers that have been absolute nightmares; many dropped connections and needed reboots. Do yourself a favor and buy something from a reputable manufacturer.

Linksys is one of those reputable manufacturers, offering many wonderful networking products. Today, the company begins shipping the EA8500 Max-Stream AC2600 router. What makes this notable? It is the world's first MU-MIMO router to ship to consumers. In other words, this thing is likely to be awesome. Will you buy it?

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Yes, the NSA did act illegally

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It has been hard to avoid talk of the NSA over the past year or so -- Edward Snowden's revelations blew the lid off convert surveillance that has been carried out by the US government. It has been a hugely divisive issue, many heralding Snowden as a hero, others as a traitor and has led people to question whether everyday software might include secret backdoors.

Included in the NSA's activities was the mass collection of metadata about phone calls made and receive by American citizens. Today the US court of appeals ruled that this data collection is illegal. With other countries adopting NSA-style surveillance tactics, the ruling opens up the possibility that the NSA could face further legal proceedings and probes.

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More people now searching Google on mobile than desktop in some countries

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Google has revealed it has more traffic on mobile in 10 countries for search, showing the large amount of growth in the past few years.

Even though desktop revenue still trumps mobile, Google is surging towards a mobile future. The most recent change to the search engine focused on pushing mobile friendly websites higher up the search rankings.

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NirSoft announces SimpleWMIView

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NirSoft has announced the release of SimpleWMIView 1.0, a compact portable tool which uses Windows Management Instrumentation to uncover a vast amount of information about your PC.

If you’re familiar with WMI query generators then you’ll have no problems here. Choose your target computer, namespace, query and query type (synchronous/ asynchronous) and the results are displayed in the usual NirSoft table.

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Twistlock adds security to container-based applications

red key security

The move towards containerized technologies such as Docker for creating and scaling applications is great for development times but presents challenges for enterprises when it comes too keeping apps secure.

Unveiling a security suite designed to give enterprises the visibility and control they need over their container-based applications and data, Twistlock aims to maintain security and maximize efficiency and portability.

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HTC RE Camera bundle gets limited-time Mother's Day discount

momcam

Your mom's womb was once your home. For about 9 months, you lived inside of the woman rent free, while also siphoning free food from what she ate. Then, you were born, causing great pain and huge hospital bills. Ultimately, you grew up and were probably a pain in the ass for about 20 or so years (probably longer), before moving out. Some of you still live in her basement.

In other words, your mom got a pretty crappy deal. Once a year, however, Mother's Day arrives as a way to thank her for all the hard work. Many of you cheapskates will get her a lousy foot bath from Walmart or a basket of lotion that she will never use. This year, why not buy her something she might actually like? HTC is offering a sweet deal on the RE Camera, including a free bundle of accessories.

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