Amazon slashes Fire phone price to 99 cents -- is Apple's iPhone 6 to blame?
In New York, a dollar does not go a long way. Hell, if you are dehydrated, you may be hard pressed to buy a bottle of water at that price. If a dollar is all you have in your pocket, you are going to have a negative experience almost everywhere you go.
Today, your dollar may go a bit further -- at the AT&T store at least. You see, Amazon has slashed the price of the 32GB Fire phone to a shocking 99 cents. Early adopters are going to be mad, as they laid out $199. While discounts in technology are to be expected, please keep in mind, Amazon's phone only launched on July 25! Of course, the iPhone 6 is rumored to be announced tomorrow -- has Apple struck fear in the heart of Amazon?
An economist walks into a bar…
Did you ever see the 1991 Albert Brooks movie Defending Your Life? A movie that clearly could not be made today because it includes neither super heroes nor special effects and isn’t a sequel, it’s about a schmo (Brooks) who dies only to find heaven has an entrance exam of sorts in which you literally defend your life. Well the other day I watched a very good TED talk by my friend Bob Litan in which he defended his entire profession -- economics. I know no braver man.
Few of us would defend our professions. I’m a journalist -- what is there to say about that except that being a Congressman is worse? Yet Bob Litan volunteered for this gig, which he does with remarkable energy for a guy the size of a meerkat.
How to upgrade your iPhone 5s to iOS 8 now
Disclaimer: This is for educational purposes only, we do not recommend updating to iOS 8 before its official release (probably) on September 10. If you don't have a developer ID and install iOS 8 your warranty may be voided.
The iOS 8 release is likely to be announced alongside the iPhone 6 following Apple's trend of announcing devices on Tuesdays and releasing iOS updates on Wednesdays. A fairly safe bet would be that iOS 8 will be released on 10 September. But what if I told you that you could get iOS 8 on your iPhone 5s earlier than that?
Twitter tests 'Buy' button to allow purchasing via tweets
It has been the subject of speculation for some time now, but today Twitter finally announces that the rumored "Buy" button will soon be making an appearance in timelines. The feature has been made public through a blog post that explains that the button will initially be pushed to "a small percentage of US users", but reassuring everyone else that coverage "will grow over time".
What does this mean? Well, that you will be able to buy things via tweets, essentially.
Happy 15th Birthday, Wi-Fi! Thanks for letting us surf the web on the toilet
Wireless access points are basically magic. Well, it is actually science, but to early users, it was like something out of a fantasy. When I worked at CompUSA, people would buy a router and laptop and seem unable to grasp the concept of internet being everywhere in their home, including the front porch. Don't forget, at the time, we were not far beyond the days of dial-up and widespread AOL use.
Today, Wi-Fi is second nature to many people -- it is an expectation and no longer an interesting invention. This is no different than other mind-boggling technologies that turned mainstream, like the refrigerator or television. Today, the Wi-Fi Alliance celebrates 15 years of Wi-Fi; this technology deserves praise and thanks from all internet users. Hell, I love that I can access Netflix and my favorite websites while sitting on the toilet.
Why I'm hoping Apple's iWatch will be everything Android Wear isn't
Many of my friends don’t wear watches. Most prefer to whip out their phones when they want to know the time. I do wear a watch, and it’s partly for convenience (looking at my wrist is quicker than pulling my phone out), and partly just because I like wearing a watch.
Although I own numerous watches, my timepiece of choice is an Omega Seamaster Professional. It’s good looking, solid and reliable, and I cherish it. I’m not adverse to the idea of wearing a smartwatch, the problem is I’ve yet to see one that doesn’t appear cheap and/or ugly.
Emsisoft Internet Security 9 integrates firewall into existing anti-malware protection
Emsisoft GmbH has unveiled its first integrated security suite for Windows in the form of Emsisoft Internet Security 9.0. The suite comprises all the functionality of Emsisoft Anti-Malware, plus the core engine from its Online Armor firewall.
Emsisoft Internet Security promises the same lean and efficient protection as the standalone Anti-Malware tool, while adding in a user-optimised version of its firewall that -- unlike Online Armor -- is designed to be as beginner-friendly as possible.
Calling all RSS fans! Inoreader now supports Microsoft OneNote
They said RSS was dead, but when Google decided to close the door on Google Reader, there was a vocal clamoring of disapproval. A flood of tools popped up to filled the vacuum left behind by the absence of Google's service and one that quickly grew in popularity is Inoreader -- thanks, at least in part, to the fact that it can be customized to look and work in much the same way as Google Reader.
No RSS reader worth its salt would be complete without offering integration with a number of other online services of course, and now InoReader benefits from OneNote support.
Spotify plans new video ads for its 30 million customers
Customers can opt to subscribe to music streaming service Spotify, but many elect for the free version which is ad supported. Now those ads will get a bit more visible as "Spotify for Brands" takes shape with new offerings being introduced.
The new service comes in two versions called Sponsored Sessions and Video Takeover. This isn't quite as intrusive as it may sound at first. In fact, there is actually some benefit to the users. "Spotify Free users can opt in to watch a brand-sponsored video spot (aka a Sponsored Session) in exchange for 30 minutes of uninterrupted music", explains Spotify's Candice Katz.
Amazon holding a one-day flash sale on SanDisk memory products
If you’ve been holding off buying a memory card, flash drive or SSD, now is your chance to snap up a SanDisk bargain.
Today, and today only, Amazon.com has slashed the price on a range of SanDisk products, and there are some serious bargains to be had. SanDisk makes great memory products (most of the SD cards I use -- with the notable exception of an Eyefi Mobi one -- are from SanDisk).
What's next for cloud storage?
The cloud infrastructure industry is in a bit of a price war that will ultimately benefit consumers. However, while some organizations may see this as an opportunity to move to the cloud, cost is not the only consideration, nor is it the most important. First and foremost, when it comes to data management, measures need to be taken to ensure the information is secure and accessible whether it’s stored on premises or in the cloud. The allure of low prices will certainly attract more customers and open up new markets for the cloud services industry. Yet, if end-user data is not managed holistically -- with a single view of data regardless of location -- ensuring that only the appropriate data is in the cloud in the first place, the cost and complexity in the future will negate any bargain entry costs.
It’s time to focus on what an investment in cloud storage can bring back to a business, from the ability to wipe data from a mobile device to end-to-end access, we are entering a time where it’s no longer what you can give to the cloud, but what the cloud can give to you.
One in three financial services firms inadequately protected against cyberattack
We trust financial services organizations with some of our most precious data, but are these companies doing enough to protect the information?
According to a new survey by Kaspersky Lab and market research company B2B International, 93 percent of financial services organizations have experienced some form of cyberthreat in the past 12 months.
Gartner makes the silliest claim yet regarding Internet of Things adoption
Companies are pouring a lot of money into creating connected hardware, but it will be some years before the Internet of Things really makes it big. In fact, a recent survey showed that most consumers haven't even heard of the term, let alone purchased any smart appliances yet.
A fortnight ago, Acquity Group (part of Accenture Interactive) released its 2014 State of the Internet of Things Study, and predicted that 69 percent of consumers will own an in-home IoT device by 2019. Today, Gartner makes a much bolder claim, stating that by 2022 the typical family home could contain more than 500 smart devices. This is one of Gartner's stupider predictions.
Facebook celebrates 1 billion daily video views with new view count feature
As demonstrated by the infuriatingly popular #ALS Ice Bucket Challenge phenomenon, video on Facebook is more popular than ever. If you were in any doubt about just how popular these magic moving pictures really are, the social network announces that it is racking up an incredible 1 billion video views every day.
But have you ever wondered how many other people have wasted their time watching yet another video of crazy Russian drivers, drunken debauchery, or amusing animal antics? Wonder no more! Starting this week, Facebook is rolling out a new feature that shows how many views a particular video clip has received.
Microsoft takes down Bing Image Widget after Getty legal action
Following a lawsuit from Getty Images Inc, Microsoft has taken the beta version of its Bing Image Widget offline. The stock image firm had complained that Microsoft's widget infringed on copyright by enabling people to embed protected images in websites without attribution or authorization.
In opting to willingly pull the widget, Microsoft may have managed to sidestep at least some of the brunt of the legal action taken against the company. Getty had called for the immediate blocking of the tool and filed a lawsuit at US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
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