You're more likely to be struck by lightning than hit by mobile malware

mobile lightning

We constantly see stories about the latest threat from malware, particularly relating to mobile devices. But is it really as bad as it's made out to be?

No, says threat detection and containment specialist Damballa which is unveiling new research based on its big data analysis of almost half of US mobile traffic.

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Safari is king of the mobile browsers -- which could be bad news for Google

safari king

Google’s dominance of the web is best illustrated by Mobilegeddon. The search giant has made changes to its algorithm, prioritizing sites that are "mobile friendly" and demoting those that aren’t. Google says that mobile-friendliness is just one of 200 signals that it uses to determine the ranking of results and that sites which don’t have mobile versions won’t disappear as a result of this change. That said, the truth is if Google says you need a mobile site -- that it approves of -- then you need a mobile site.

But while Google is forcing sites to offer mobile friendly versions or suffer the consequences, it’s Apple’s browser that the majority of people are using to access the web while on the go.

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New tools help speed up the unlocking of business intelligence

Business laptop graph

Where business intelligence is concerned it's often the case that companies don't lack data. However, they struggle to use the information they have in a way that offers meaningful insights.

San Francisco-based cloud analytics provider GoodData is releasing some new additions to its platform to break down the barriers of traditional business intelligence and improve self-service options without compromising the IT department's need for data governance and integrity.

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Microsoft confirms Windows 10 universal apps will work on HoloLens

Microsoft steps into the future with HoloLens, holographic computing meets virtual reality

Microsoft has launched a question and answer section for Windows Holographic and the HoloLens headset, sent in an email to Windows 10 'Insiders' currently testing the new updates to the operating system.

The FAQ answers ten of the most popular questions on HoloLens, before Microsoft’s annual BUILD conference on April 29th to May 1st. Amongst the answers, Microsoft details that HoloLens will be able to run Windows 10 universal apps.

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Office 365 Video begins its worldwide rollout

Busy office

Back in November we told you about Office 365 Video, although at the time it was only available for First Release customers. The service, if you recall, brings video sharing to the enterprise, allowing customers to manage and post, as well as making it available across all devices -- PC, tablet and phone. Microsoft also claims that it will be automatically optimized for each device.

Now the service is rolling out worldwide, so everyone can begin putting it to use for training videos, company messages and the like. Microsoft's Claire Tutill states that "Video is fast becoming one of the most powerful forms of communication, so this is a very exciting development for Office 365 users".

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Cybercrime gets smarter and more complex

Hacker detection

There are 85,000 new malicious IPs launched every day and the top phishing targets are technology companies and financial institutions.

These are among the findings of a new report from threat intelligence and security company Webroot. The Webroot 2015 Threat Brief provides the latest cyber threat trends collected from tens of millions of users and over 30 security technology partners.

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iOS 8 vulnerability can send iPhones, iPads into reboot loop

16GB iPhones and iPhones quake in fear as Apple increases maximum app size to 4GB

At the 2015 RSA Conference, security researchers from Skycure showcased a new iOS 8 vulnerability which, if properly exploited, can send iPhones and iPads connected to a malicious hotspot into a reboot loop. The vulnerability affects both the operating system as well as apps which use SSL to communicate.

All that an attacker has to do to exploit the vulnerability is to set up a router in a "specific configuration", and allow anyone to connect (basically make it an open hotspot). The iOS 8 devices that connect will be affected, without the attacker having to have access to them.

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Facebook revamps your newsfeed yet again

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Facebook is, once again, making changes to the algorithm that controls what appears in newsfeeds. If you had ever been under the impression that you were going to see a chronological list of status updates from your friends in your newsfeed, numerous changes over the years will have put paid to that notion.

It has been a source of many a social networking grumble, and now Facebook is taking steps to address the issue. Depending on how you use Facebook, you may be connected to not only real-world friends, but also companies, celebrities and even TV shows. Your newsfeed has likely turned into less of a collection of bon mots from your mates and more of a stream of updates from entities you're only vaguely interested in. Now your friends will be given greater priority.

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Mem Reduct: a memory cleaner which isn't rubbish

MemReduct200-175

Let’s be frank: most memory cleaners are garbage. They’ll lure you in with bogus claims about fixing memory leaks, dazzle you with flashy interfaces and colorful graphs, yet usually make no difference at all to system performance (or even slow you down) because they’re doing something Windows does as required, all on its own.

If you still think they might help you anyway, there are a few more honest and capable tools you can try, and Mem Reduct is a great example.

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Funding for SaaS businesses grows by 70 percent

cloud money dollars

Software as a Service (SaaS) is one of the biggest technology growth areas at the moment. That's reflected in the amounts of capital being pumped into the sector by investors.

A new SaaS Trends Report by Tibco Analytics and venture capital tracker CB Insights shows that funding for SaaS companies was $11.7 billion in 2014, up 70 percent over the past year. SaaS funding has tripled since 2011.

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Specs showdown: Sony Xperia Z4 vs Samsung Galaxy S6

xperia-z4vs-galaxy-s6

Recently, the Japanese giant Sony announced the Xperia Z4, the latest in its line of premium Z-series Smartphones for its home market. Consumers and critics alike are baffled as to why the phone exists. With no global launch announced, and the phone decidedly questionable on its hardware priorities, it can be understandable why some are seeing the device as a regression from the Z3. This all comes in the background of Sony looking to restructure and streamline its smartphone offerings, looking to focus primarily on the high end of the market.

In complete contrast, Samsung has found a new gear with the release of the S6, following the plastic-clad disaster that was the S5. In this specs showdown, we pitch the forthcoming Xperia Z4 against the Samsung Galaxy S6.

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Google wants you to be quiet about 'Mobilegeddon' -- it's creating 'Mobiletopia'

goovle

When Google announced changes to its mobile search rankings, the industry gave it the nickname of "Mobilegeddon". A play on the word Armageddon, this moniker signaled the end of the world for websites that did not have a mobile-optimized site. While that is an extreme exaggeration, some websites did risk losing traffic as a result. Many webmasters found themselves in a panic.

Google, however, wants you to know that this concern is misplaced. Rather than it being a bad thing, it is a good thing, called "Mobiletopia". Even if Google's intention was to create a utopia for mobile devices, some argue that this demonstrates the search-giant is too strong and has too much control over the web. What do you think?

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HBO cuts off its nose to spite its face

HBO cuts off its nose to spite its face

Using proxies to access blocked or region-locked content is nothing new. It's a technique that's often associated with piracy, such as using tools to bypass restrictions placed on torrent sites, but it's far from being the only use. Step outside of the US and it's surprising how many well-known services are no longer available.

HBO Now is an example of a service that is not supposed to be available outside of the US, but with the right tool it is. And this is not a case of people freeloading -- people are willing to pay to view the likes of Game of Thrones. Despite coughing up the cash, non-US HBO Now users are being threatened with having their viewing curtailed.

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Microsoft releases Windows 10 Technical Preview Build 10052 for Lumia phones -- meh?

dubious

If you own a Windows Phone, I feel sorry for you. Why? Microsoft is showing a lot of love to Android and iOS lately, while neglecting its own mobile operating system. Hell, the company even seems to be embracing Apple Watch very strongly! True, Microsoft did release Windows 10 Technical Preview Build 10051 for the phones, but it was only for certain devices, and worse than that, it is an absolute train wreck. While it is a fun look to the future, it isn't something to be used as a daily driver.

If you did choose to install Windows 10 Technical Preview Build 10051 on your only smartphone, you may be regretting it. Before you move back to Windows Phone 8.1, you should try out the all-new Build 10052, which was released today. It is a bug-fix release that may solve your woes. Other than fixes, it appears to be a rather ho-hum affair.

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Windows 10 fanboys are Microsoft's developmental laxatives

Windows 10 fanboys are Microsoft's developmental laxatives

What do we want? Windows 10! When do we want it? Probably sooner than the development cycle permits! With Windows 10, Microsoft has painted itself to be a benevolent god, ready to bestow gifts from the future on those willing to put up with the 'quirks' of the preview testing process. But the fact that something is free, does not mean that people are not going to complain -- far from it, in fact.

Aside from complaints about the features of Windows 10 itself, one thing that Windows Insiders (an 'exclusive' club has to have a name, after all) cite as a major bugbear is the speed at which new builds are pumped out. Despite the existence of a fast ring, builds are still trickling out painfully slowly. The new 'all-ears' Microsoft listens to its customers. As such the latest email from Gabe Aul promising -- yet again -- that "we're going to send out builds more frequently" comes as little surprise, but is pressure from the Windows 10 fanboys causing Microsoft to rush, and what effect will this have on the final product?

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