Web security scanner Netsparker gets a thorough testing
Web security specialist and Microsoft MVP Troy Hunt has published a detailed review of the web security scanner Netsparker.
Hunt tested the application by pointing it at a test site with "about 50 serious security vulnerabilities" and checking exactly what it managed to uncover.
Facebook to target emerging markets with ads tailored to connection speeds
Equality for all is a utopian ideal, but Facebook has plans to treat its users differently depending on where in the world they are. Specifically, the social network plans to change the way adverts are delivered to people based upon the speed of their internet connection. In a blog post drearily entitled "In High-Growth Countries, Reaching People Based on How they Connect", product marketing manager Brendan Sullivan reveals details of the plans which will make better use of available bandwidth.
Facebook has analyzed internet usage in developing, growing nations, and determined that the majority of people in these areas get online via mobile networks. The speed of connections can vary greatly from place to place leading to a huge variation in experiences. Mark Zuckerberg is already involved in projects designed to help get more people online, but the company is also concerned about keeping advertisers happy. "High-growth countries" offer great potential for income streams, and companies need to be sure that their ads are being seen by the people they target.
The app fraud people should be aware of
In any fast growing and competitive market there are pressures which can sometimes lead people to undertake controversial practices to gain an edge, or put simply, cheat to get ahead. The app promotion market is a prime example of these pressures in action.
Increasingly, bots that create fake click and install IDs have been deployed to boost apps "popularity". This is much more than simply mixing incentivized and non-incentivized traffic to grow volumes and lowers costs; it is clearly fraud.
Trustwave ethical hacking lab looks to counter hidden threats
Security exploits aren't always aimed at computers or mobile devices. Often they target the infrastructure devices like ATMs and point of sale terminals that we take for granted in our everyday lives.
In order to protect against these threats, enterprise security specialist Trustwave has announced that it's enhancing its capabilities with the opening of an ethical hacking lab at the company’s Chicago HQ.
Windows Phone 8.1 available now for AT&T Nokia Lumia 920, 820
Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 are the oldest Nokia-branded Windows Phone 8 devices, being announced two years ago. The former was the Finnish company's flagship, until Lumia 925 came along, while the latter was introduced as a mid-ranger, succeeded only now by Lumia 830. The good news is that, despite their age, they continue to receive software updates, a reassuring sign, no doubt, for platform enthusiasts.
Lumia 920 and Lumia 820 have already started to receive a software update to Windows Phone 8.1 in many markets across the globe, but the much-awaited version of the tiled operating system is only now making its way to the AT&T-branded models.
The evolution of the computer -- from 1613 to 2013
My first computer was the Sinclair ZX81 which, unsurprisingly, came out in 1981. It had 1kB of memory (but this could be expanded with the addition of a 16kB RAM pack) and a monochrome display. Compare that machine with today’s computers and tablets (and smartphones for that matter), and the advancement is clearly staggering.
The history of the computer is littered with milestones. In 1822 Charles Babbage began work on the Difference Engine, the first automatic computing engine. In 1936 Alan Turing submitted a paper describing a device that could be programmed using symbols on tape. In 1953 IBM released the first mass-produced commercial computer, and in 1976 Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak created the Apple I.
Meet Motorola's new Moto X, G, 360
Motorola managed to really impress with last year's Moto X and Moto G. The two smartphones have shown time and time again that they do not need heavily-customized software, large screens or the fastest hardware around to stand out from the rest of the pack. They successfully targeted different parts of the market -- the former has gone after flagship buyers while the latter has sought to attract consumers on a budget -- in a different, impactful way, relying on the appeal of the overall package to tell their story. But, no matter how good they might have been, Moto X and Moto G are clearly showing their age.
Today, Motorola is relieving the pair of their leading roles, as it unveils the new Moto X and Moto G (the 2014 editions, if you will). The names might be the same, but the latest offerings are new inside out.
Privacy and financial threats top mobile malware trends
With mobile malware showing a 68 percent increase over the first half of last year it seems that, as with the PC malware field, profit is the main driving force behind it.
New data released by security specialist NQ Mobile shows that infections were detected in 37.5 million Android devices in NQ Mobile's database of 136 million active user accounts worldwide, an increase of 78.6 percent over last year.
Fans already lining up for the iPhone 6 in New York
Never mind the on-sale date, the next-gen iPhone won't even be revealed until next week, and yet already people are queuing outside Apple's New York flagship store to be first in line to purchase the phone(s).
In fact, the first people in line (well, they were first -- we'll explain in a moment), cousins Brian Ceballo and Joseph Cruz, told CNBC that they've been in line at the Fifth Avenue store since Sunday night, well over a week before the launch.
Hands-on with Microsoft's Lumia 830 -- 'the budget flagship'
Microsoft-owned Nokia has just released the latest in its Lumia range of smartphones, the Lumia 830, promising "the world's first budget flagship" with a no-compromises experience and "completely hassle-free photography," all for just €330.
So how does the new Lumia hold up? We go hands on to find out.
Netflix throws support behind FCC proposal to increase broadband competition
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'll state the obvious. Broadband in the US is broken. In fact, it's a complete mess. Speeds lag behind multiple smaller nations and providers were granted monopolies in many cases, thanks to complaining about the expense of laying the copper. At best, most citizens have access to two carriers -- that's one more than many, including yours truly.
Competition doesn't exist, but the oft-maligned head of the Federal Communications Commission, Tom Wheeler, wishes to change that. While his net neutrality initiative has been met with staunch opposition, this latest move may win him a few fans.
Gentoo Linux 20140826 Iron Penguin Edition -- open source fans, download now!
There are so many Linux distributions to choose from. Depending on your perspective, this can be a good or bad thing. You see, for many, using Linux is about choice -- you get to choose the distro, packages and environment. There is truth to this; however, many others, including myself, often wonder if the community's efforts are too fragmented. In other words, when talent is spread thin, progress may be slowed.
One distro which should not be discussed in this debate is Gentoo; it has been around for 12 years and is not some recently launched project. Hell, Google chose this distro as the base for Chrome OS, so it must be good; seriously, the search-giant's operating system is pretty darn stable. Gentoo Linux has reached version 20140826 and it looks like a winner.
Twitpic is closing. You have three weeks to grab your photos and videos
Image and video sharing service Twitpic is closing its doors. Threatened with loss of access to the Twitter API if the company refused to abandon a trademark application, Twitpic has decided it does not have enough clout to take on the microblogging giant. Twitpic founder Noah Everett used a blog post to break the news and give a little background to help explain the move. He stressed that the closure was a difficult decision and thanked users for their support.
The problem seems to stem from Twitpic's name. Everett explains that the company was contacted by Twitter a few weeks ago and asked to give up on the trademark application. The timing is a little strange because, as Everett points out, Twitpic's name has been in use since 2008, and the trademark application was filed the following year. The company managed to fight opposition from some parties, but it seems as though Twitter dealt the killer blow.
Google’s Android One rollout in India sets off alarm bells at Samsung
Google and Samsung look all set to battle it out for India’s burgeoning smartphone market after three Indian phone producers signed up to the Android One initiative that targets growth at the low end of the emerging market.
Micromax Infomatics, Karbonn Mobile and Spice Group have become the first manufacturers to sign up to Google’s new initiative that wants to drive an improvement in quality that will spark demand for low-end Android handsets.
Getty Images fires lawsuit at Microsoft for "massive" copyright infringement
Getty Images Inc is suing Microsoft for "massive infringement" of copyright. Microsoft's recently released Bing Image Widget enables people to display images on a website based on search terms. The automatically generated code creates image slideshows and galleries that pull in images from Bing -- Getty's complaint centers around the fact that the widget displays unlicensed images from its catalog that are subject to copyright. The Seattle-based stock image company says that Microsoft has turned the images that can be found online into "a vast, unlicensed clip art collection".
The lawsuit, filed at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, says that the injury caused to Getty is "incalculable" and calls for the widget to be blocked immediately. The level of damages sought is not specified, but Getty's lawsuit suggests that the company has more than 80 million unique images in its library. Getty has its own image embedding tool, and John Lapham, general counsel for the company, explained to Reuters that it is "only available for non-commercial websites and includes photographer attribution".
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