UE MEGABOOM is mega loud, but is it mega awesome? [Review]
Music is my favorite hobby, and I am certainly not alone. Technology has enhanced my listening in ways that I never dreamed. As a child of the 80's, I started with cassettes and later upgraded to CD. Collecting CDs and vinyl consumed my life; I even embraced MiniDisc to create my own digital mixes from my newest records.
Nowadays, I have continued my evolution to mp3 and ultimately, streaming. Long gone are the days of collecting and storing; Spotify is the sole source of all my tunes. Whether listening on my PC, tablet or smartphone, I demand a quality speaker -- preferably Bluetooth and portable. My current favorite portable is the UE BOOM. Today, I am looking at the next-generation, called the MEGABOOM. Is it mega awesome?
Your Android device may be spying on you even when it's 'off'
Much is made of the "Android malware problem", but the truth is, there isn't a very bad problem. That does not mean there is no problem though. Visuses for Google's mobile platform do exist and some folks manage to let phones and tablets contract a virus. Now a new and interesting bug seems to be floating around.
According to security software maker AVG this latest malware comes with a unique feature -- it can spy on you when you think your device is shut off. It does so by mimicking the shutdown screen, but not actually powering off the handset.
Google faces anti-trust probe in Russia over Android
Google has a new battle on its hands, this time in the form of a potential anti-trust probe in Russia. Yandex, the internet company behind the eponymous Russian search engine, has filed a complaint to the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS). Yandex claims that the US search giant is abusing its position by bundling Google services with Android.
It claims that users are forced into using the Google ecosystem including Google Search, and that it is difficult to install competing services on smartphones and tablets. There are distinct echoes of the antitrust lawsuits Microsoft has faced for its bundling of Internet Explorer with Windows.
Imation IronKey S1000 is fastest hardware-encrypted USB 3.0 flash drive on Earth
The world of computing is getting very scary. I tend to be a bit of a conspiracy-theorist, mostly due to my inquisitive nature. While being concerned about hacked hardware and government surveillance would be viewed as paranoia years ago, it now becomes a sad reality.
In light of Kaspersky Labs' bombshell and brilliant research (deserving of an award, in my opinion), we now know that nothing can be trusted -- your hard drive may be an undetected spy. Today, Imation announces the IronKey S1000, a hardware-encrypted USB 3.0 flash drive, which the company calls the "world's fastest hardware-encrypted USB flash drive". Can it thwart the now-infamous Equation Group?
Don't go to RedTube without protection -- the adult site could give you a nasty infection [updated]
Yesterday I reported how Jamie Oliver’s website was serving up malware to unsuspecting visitors. It was a problem that was quickly fixed, but a worrying one seeing as the website has over 10 million visitors a month.
Now today, Malwarebytes -- which first discovered the Jamie Oliver exploit -- reports another compromised site that’s even more popular. Adult website RedTube.com sees over 300 million visits a month (some shorter than others), and currently has a malicious iframe in its source code.
Find hidden executables with MZreveal
Malware uses many tricks to avoid detection. Sometimes this involves ultra-complicated, super-stealthy, rootkit-like Windows hooking. But often it’s no more advanced than giving an EXE or DLL file a much less worrying extension (virus.exe > virus.txt, perhaps). A simple technique, but maybe enough to get past you and your antivirus software.
MZreveal is a tiny free tool which can expose this hidden code by scanning the content of every file, listing any executables it finds which don’t have an EXE or DLL extension.
40 percent more PlayStation 4s in use than Xbox Ones by 2019
Over the holiday buying season, Microsoft managed to sell more Xbox One consoles in the US and UK than Sony sold PlayStation 4s, but globally Sony's console retains a healthy lead. Both companies like to lump together the current and previous generations of console, which makes comparing the Xbox One and PS4's sales tricky, but provides us with a general overview. During the holiday season, Microsoft sold 6.6 million Xbox consoles (360 and One) worldwide, while Sony sold 7.5 million PlayStations (PS4 and PS3). In 2014, Sony was the clear leader, having sold 18.8 million PlayStations, while Microsoft managed just 12.1 million Xboxes.
Obviously there’s still a long way to go, and a lot to play for in the latest round of the console wars and anything could happen in the next four or five years. Windows 10 could give the Xbox One a huge boost, and a run of great Xbox exclusive games could make a big difference too. However, the latest forecast from Strategy Analytics doesn’t see things improving for Microsoft in the coming years -- quite the opposite in fact.
How to breathe new life into an old PC [Beginner’s guide]
With today’s rapid pace of technological change and consumer-centric culture it’s easy to throw out your laptop or PC as soon as a shinier, flashier model comes along. The problem is: there’s always a faster, more up-to-date version waiting just around the corner.
However, you can save the environment, and your bank balance, from taking any extra strain by following these tips to get some extra life out of an older computer.
DataRPM brings machine learning to big data
We constantly hear about the benefits big data can bring to organizations, but a shortage of expertise means that many are missing out. A recent McKinsey report reckoned that the US alone faces a shortage of up to 190,000 people with big data skills.
In order to overcome this DataRPM is introducing Smart Machine Insights which uses machine learning to automatically model data, perform advanced statistical analyses, and present key insights to users in an easy to use visual format.
New software boosts productivity for event managers
Organizers of events and conferences often find themselves using multiple software tools in the process, from ticketing services and project management to emails and spreadsheets.
To streamline things Bizzabo is launching what it calls an Event Success Platform, equipping small to medium event organizers with a complete system to promote, manage and monetize their events.
Google Maps sets sail for Greenland with the Vikings
While we all know the Vikings for Scandinavia and for their raids on Britain, we forget the great explorers that they were. They settled in Iceland, Greenland and eventually made their way to North America long before Christopher Columbus "discovered" it. However, it's that second stop we're talking about today.
Google Maps and its Street View technology is more or less constantly adding locations, allowing users to view exotic locals from the comfort of their home or office. This time it’s the Fjords and Viking sites located in Greenland.
Microsoft kills yet another standout Windows Phone feature
Some of the features that have made Windows Phone special, differentiating it from its rivals, are slowly being stripped away. The latest victim is Rooms, which Microsoft has announced it will no longer be supporting starting next month. What a shame.
The software giant says that, as a result, users of Windows Phone 8 and Windows Phone 8.1 will be unable to chat with their Room contacts, create new rooms, add or remove members, or change permissions. And, if they upgrade to Windows 10 Technical Preview, their beloved rooms will be gone forever.
New cloud platform helps promote employee engagement
If a workforce is engaged people will be happy and more productive in their jobs, so it's something that businesses are keen to promote. But a Gallup survey last year found that 87 percent of workers worldwide and 70 percent of employees in the US are either not engaged or are actively disengaged in their jobs.
In order to try to put this right Californian company Glint is launching a real-time cloud solution to help people succeed at work. It's based on attractive and user-friendly pulse surveys that take only two or three minutes to complete.
How do US carriers fare at unlocking your smartphone?
The four-largest carriers in US have come up with a list of measures designed to make phone unlocking easier for their customers, following pressure from FCC and activist groups, among others. The deadline for enforcing these measures passed last week, so how do AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon fare today?
According to consumer rights activist Sina Khanifar, surprisingly to some, Verizon, which is the leading carrier in US, is the only player that implements all the measures. At the other end of the spectrum are T-Mobile and Sprint, which appear to be doing a shoddy job, only managing to implement half.
HTTP/2 has been approved, bringing the promise of a more efficient web
The web could be in line for a speed boost as the HTTP/2 standard edges closer to being finalized. The updated standard will be the first major alteration to the protocol since the late 1990s, and it includes a number of important updates that should help to make life online faster and more enjoyable.
Although HTTP/2 is yet to be published as a completed standard, it is already supported by some web browsers including Chrome and Firefox. However, it won't be until the standard is far more widely adopted that the real benefits will be felt.
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