botnet herder

Botnets for hire mean anyone can launch a DDoS attack

The latest DDoS Threat Landscape Report from security specialist Incapsula reveals that whilst 71 percent of network layer attacks last under three hours, 20.4 percent last for more than five days.

At an estimated cost of $40,000 per hour according to Incapsula, the total cost of these attacks can run into millions of dollars. The longest attack recorded lasted for 64 days.

By Ian Barker -
iOS 9 introduces six-digit passcode default for Touch ID devices

iOS 9 introduces six-digit passcode default for Touch ID devices

With iOS 9, Apple is improving the mobile operating system in a number of areas. As well as optimizing battery life and storage efficiency, making Siri more intelligent and beefing up multitasking, Touch ID-enabled iPhone and iPad owners will feel the benefit of improved security.

When iOS 9 launches in the fall, the minimum length of passcodes increases from four digits to six. It is already possible to use passcodes of more than four digits, but enforcing a stronger policy from the offset illustrates the importance Apple now places on security.

AT&T version Samsung Galaxy S6 active

Samsung announces Galaxy S6 active, coming soon to AT&T

In making Galaxy S6 more visually appealing and compact, Samsung has decided not to keep the water and dust-resistance capabilities of its predecessor, Galaxy S5. And that is a shame, because it would have made this flagship an even more attractive proposition, especially for those who are likely to, for instance, find themselves using the device in pools or dusty areas. It would have also given Galaxy S6 a clear advantage over the competition.

Thankfully, for those looking for a (more) durable Galaxy S6, Samsung has introduced Galaxy S6 active. As its name suggests, it is designed for folks who need or want a water-resistant smartphone that can withstand drops, but without sacrificing any of the highlight features of a flagship product.

By Mihăiță Bamburic -
IBM logo

IBM launches new cloud collaboration to power application development

Businesses are constantly seeking to improve the digital experience that they offer their customers, delivering something that's engaging and personalized. Add in demand for mobile access from every device, integrated social capabilities, and the need to analyze data from the internet-of-things to quickly make decisions and companies are looking for faster ways to create improved customer experiences.

Today IBM and Portico Consultancy are unveiling new cloud services to help businesses of any size quickly build, test and deploy applications to deliver on their requirements.

By Ian Barker -
opera_new-200x175

Opera 30 adds sidebar extensions, improves tab views

Norwegian browser developer Opera Software has released a landmark version of its niche web browser for desktop and mobile. Opera 30 FINAL debuts with three notable new features.

Version 30 makes it easier to view and switch between tabs, adds new sidebar extensions and introduces a new Trash folder to make it possible to restore bookmarks.

By Nick Peers -
Google's weird-looking self-driving vehicle prototypes

Google's self-driving cars never caused crashes

After US organization Consumer Watchdog made what it claims were "repeated calls for disclosure", Google is now releasing monthly reports on its self-driving cars, which will detail the number of accidents said vehicles have been involved in.

Google’s report for May 2015 said that during the six years the self-driving car project has been running, a total of 12 minor accidents have occurred over the 1.8 million miles driven.

By Darren Allan -
appleopen

Apple Swift 2.0 will be open source

Apple is a company that embraces closed ideology. Its operating systems only work on certain hardware which it selects and sells. Its App Store features our-way-or-the-highway guidelines. Worst of all, on iOS, the user cannot even choose a default browser or email client. Hell, even when you use a browser other than Safari, it must use WebKit.

Today, however, this archaic ideology may be softening -- slightly. Among the hubbub of all the flashier WWDC announcements, Apple announced something miraculous -- its Swift 2.0 programming language is going open source. Yes, really.

By Brian Fagioli -
lulz

U.S. government embraces HTTPS

When it comes to the web, you expect U.S. Government sites to be very secure. Hell, with all of the money we taxpayers pay, the websites should be the most secure in the world. Unfortunately, this is not the case. You see, not only are many .gov websites not secure, they do not even universally use HTTPS. In other words, there are shopping sites more secure than those of the most powerful nation in the world.

Today, however, this changes. Barack Obama's White House has completed a new standard that all U.S. government websites will be forced to follow. While it is embarrassing that this is only happening in 2015, it is better late than never.

By Brian Fagioli -
womanly

Cortana joins the mile high club -- Microsoft takes your travel plans to new heights

While Windows Phone is not the best mobile operating system, Cortana is the best overall digital assistant. Google Now is very useful, but cold and heartless. Siri is just... a pleasant way to get the weather -- I'm only half-joking here. Microsoft's offering is a mix of personality and usefulness that truly makes life better; I cannot wait until she is available on iOS and Android.

Today, Cortana joins the mile high club. No, she is not doing anything naughty (I hope); she is making air travel a better experience for Windows Phone users. In other words, she is almost like a nagging mom or wife (or dad, husband) that gets you to the airport on time!

By Brian Fagioli -
movei to ios

Apple to make it much easier for Android users to switch to iOS 9

Part of the reason why smartphone owners stay with their current choice of mobile operating system is they don’t want to have to mess around transferring personal data between devices. If you have an iPhone, upgrading to a newer model is very straightforward, and if you have an Android device, upgrading to a newer or different one is just as easy. Switching operating systems is, however, a real pain.

Apple wants to make it easy to go from Android to iOS and is introducing a new app called 'Move to iOS'.

By Wayne Williams -
apple_music

Apple Music and Beats One radio launch to shake up audio streaming

It was not the industry's best-kept secret -- Sony let the cat out of the bag a little early -- but at WWDC today, Tim Cook officially took the wraps off Apple Music. Set to compete with the likes of Tidal and Spotify, Apple's new streaming music service sits neatly alongside iTunes and has the involvement of Dr Dre, Trent Reznor, and Jimmy Iovine to name but three.

Cook stepped into Steve Jobs' shoes for a moment, introducing the famous "one more thing" that has been missing from more recent Apple events. Not a company to hide its light under a bushel, Apple's Music service is not just a music streaming service, but "the next chapter in music". But there's more than just Apple Music; there's also Beats One, Apple's first ever radio station.

Nightstand

Apple Watch gets much smarter and more useful with watchOS 2

I own an Apple Watch, and I like it, but like so many Watch owners I appreciate that this is a device whose future is coming, but isn’t quite here yet. In my first impressions review I said "What it can do right now is great, but what it will be able to do in the future will be amazing", and it seems as if the future might be coming sooner than I expected.

At the WWDC 2015 keynote Apple revealed watchOS 2, and to say it’s impressive is an understatement. With the upgrade Apple is seriously improving the usefulness of its wearable.

By Wayne Williams -
pc-gamer

E-sports could become as popular as football

The number of people who watch e-sports is approximately the same as those who watch NHL hockey and its popularity is continuing to grow. The chief executive of gaming and entertainment firm Unikrn Rahul Sood believes that by 2017 it will be as popular as the NFL. Should the popular game, football, be worried about a virtual pretender to its crown?

Since the advent of online gaming and competitive multiplayer competition, e-sports have experienced rapid growth to the extent that major broadcasters are beginning to take note. E-sports are regularly streamed online via services like Twitch, but TV stations in the US, Norway and East Asia have also broadcast events live.

By Barclay Ballard -
iOS_9

iOS 9 public beta coming in July with split-screen apps and improved battery life

Expectations were high for iOS 9 news at WWDC, and Apple delivered. At the keynote speech at the developer conference we were introduced to the latest version of the operating system that will power iPhones and iPads the world over, with the promise that it has been "refined from the ground up".

What is there to look forward to? Lots. There are updates to Apple Pay, a new News app, updates to Notes, as well as an updated keyboard, split-screen app display, and even a picture-in-picture option. But the news that will get a lot of people excited is that there will be a public beta of iOS released.

app store

App Store hits 100 billion downloads

The App Store is unquestionably one of the main reasons for Apple’s continuing success. It certainly revolutionized the smartphone, and despite a serious challenge from Android it remains the top store for apps across the world.

At WWDC 2015, CEO Tim Cook revealed a couple of major numbers -- the biggest being that over 100 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store since it opened.

By Wayne Williams -
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