BBC iPlayer for iOS and Android gets major new redesign, makes content easier to find
UK telly addicts rejoice: the BBC has unveiled a major redesign of its mobile app with the release of BBC iPlayer 4.0 for iOS and BBC iPlayer 4.0 for Android. Both apps have been updated with the specific intent of making browsing and show discovery easier.
This has been achieved by creating new Home, Channel and Category pages, all of which sport a new design optimized for either portrait or landscape view.
The Internet of Things brings the future of the web as we know it into question
The so-called Internet of Things (IoT) came to the British public's fullest attention earlier this month, following national media coverage about two household name retailers announcing their proposed £3.4 billion merger. Dixon's and Carphone Warehouse positioned their desire to marry consumer electrical goods, such as fridges and TVs, with smartphone devices, as part of their preparation for IoT. In so doing, they would appear to want their slice of the multi-billion treasure trove tech industry giants such as Cisco and GE have been forecasting in the next five years.
Of course, the definition of IoT is not new. In fact it's been around for over a decade. What has changed is the public's awareness that the technology we use on a daily basis has caught up with the vision of an always-on, always-connected world. If you look into the details of what comprises the IoT, then you'll see that it includes everything from cloud computing, big data analytics, Internet-enabled devices, applications, network and storage.
Misconfigured apps will account for the majority of mobile security breaches
Security incidents originating from mobile devices are currently pretty rare. But with 2.2 billion smartphones and tablets set to be sold in 2014 and PC sales in decline, the focus of security breaches is likely to shift towards mobiles in future years.
According to research specialists Gartner by 2017 misconfiguration of applications will account for 75 percent of mobile security breaches.
The moon now has faster broadband than some parts of the UK
Thanks to work carried out by MIT and NASA, the moon now has faster broadband than some parts of the UK, after registering speeds of just under 20mbps.
According to Wired, the Earth's satellite is now able to receive large amounts of data, with video and audio streaming possible as a result of new, record-breaking broadband transmission speeds.
Make your television 'beyond smart' with Android-powered TVPRO
Smart TVs are all the rage nowadays, but I am not a fan. While some consumers prefer convergence, I like to have my TV serve as nothing more than a display. For streaming media, I like the option of adding my own device, such as the amazing Amazon Fire TV. Sure, you can still add such a device to a smart TV, but if there is anything I hate more than convergence, it is redundancy. I don't want multiple ways to access Netflix or Hulu in the same room.
If you are searching for that one device to add to your TV, there are many to choose from. However, a new Android-powered device is shaking things up a bit with a unique form factor, called the TVPRO from a company called Reshape. You've got to check this out.
Apple and Beats to make beautiful music together -- for $3 billion
Streaming music is the future, there is no question about it. The concept of buying, downloading and storing music is so passé. This is a natural evolution of the music market as the world heads to the cloud. Strangely, Apple was absent in the initial boom. While Spotify, Google Play Music All Access and Xbox Music were on the forefront, Apple was stuck in the past with half-baked services like iTunes Radio.
Apple's failure to lead in this segment has cost it dearly -- $3 billion dollars. You see, today, the company announces that it is buying Beats Music and Electronics for that much. In the blink of an eye, Apple is a leader in music again, but was it worth it?
Google launches Chromecast in additional regions
Last year, in fact, almost one year ago, Google unveiled Chromecast. The tiny HDMI dongle was a surprise addition to the latest Nexus 7 announcement, but launched in the US only. However, over the course of its existence, the company has been slowly rolling it out across other regions.
Now Google is announcing its latest round of nations, telling us "these countries are home to some of the biggest fans of online content in the world, and the smartphone is one of the most popular ways for them to access it".
Here's how to unlock a hijacked iPad or iPhone
A number of iPhone and iPad users have fallen foul of a particularly nasty hack, in which they find themselves locked out of their devices unless they pay to have them unlocked.
The extortionist leaves a message claiming to be from the well-known software engineer Oleg Pliss. A message on the screen reads "Device hacked by Oleg Pliss", and encourages the user to pay $100.
VOXOA HD Wireless Stereo Headphones [Review]
Having been born in the 80s, I've seen a lot changes in technology. Believe it or not, our first VCR was a hand-me-down with a wired remote -- yes, wired. We also did not have a cordless phone for quite a while. Instead, we had a phone with a 50-foot cord. My first Walkman, a non-Sony portable cassette player (they were all called "Walkman" back then), had crappy corded headphones. Are you seeing a trend yet? Cords, cables and wires were a necessary evil.
Luckily, nowadays we have wireless everything. The coolest technology for me is Bluetooth headphones. The fact that I do not need to strategically run a cable down my shirt or jacket is a godsend. Unfortunately, the quality of Bluetooth devices vary wildly. It is easy to buy a wireless set of cans that sound terrible. So, are the VOXOA HD Wireless Stereo Headphones terrible or great?
Postbox adds Retina support on OS X, auto-resizes images
Postbox, Inc has updated its cross-platform, commercial email client with a minor update. Postbox 3.0.10 comes with added support for Retina displays in OS X.
The new release also now automatically resizes images to fit in the message pane window for readability purposes, plus allows users to whitelist an entire domain for loading remote images.
How to customize your Windows 8.1 Desktop
So you've decided to take the plunge with Windows 8.1 (following the changes with the latest update, maybe), and you want to know how to jazz up the old desktop? You know, the mouse-and-keyboard (non-Metro/new-style) bit of the OS where most of us still live. Or indeed, maybe you've had Windows 8 for ages, and just haven't been bothered to do anything when it comes to tinkering in Desktop mode. Well, read on, because in this article we're going to show you the basics of customizing the desktop.
Okay, so if you've done nothing with the place, the first thing you want to do is ditch that yellow wallpaper (it's almost as passé as an avocado bathroom suite). Right click on the desktop, select Personalize, and click on Desktop Background at the bottom of the window which pops up. You can then select an image from the set pics on offer, or click Browse to select a folder where one of your own preferred images resides. Note that you can hold the Ctrl key down and select multiple images for a desktop slideshow -- at the bottom, under "Change picture every", you can use the drop-down menu to specify a time interval in which a new image will be brought to the fore. Click the Save Changes button when you're done.
Incapsula launches added protection against DDoS attacks
One of the greatest threats faced by online businesses is the DDoS attack. Recent research by application delivery service Incapsula shows that DDoS attacks are up 240 percent and DNS attacks are also on the rise.
In response to this the company is launching significant updates to its DDoS Protection Services to stop the onslaught of attacks and protect even the largest enterprise customer.
Opera Coast: A new way of interacting with the internet [Q&A]
Coast, from Norwegian developer Opera, is a browser designed specifically for iPhones and iPads. Unlike other browsers it’s been built for simplicity. Instead of buttons, the app uses swipes for navigation. Gestures have replaced the typical functions. Despite this ease, Coast offers most of the features you could want, including a powerful, intuitive search and address bar that suggests keywords and site thumbnails as you type.
I spoke to Coast's creator, Huib Kleinhout, about the browser and his plans for the future.
Report shows retail and healthcare sectors lagging behind in security
It's easy to assume that security threats hit all industry sectors equally. However, a new report by security data analysis specialists BitSight shows big differences in effectiveness and performance across four key industries.
The report looks at S&P 500 companies in the finance, utilities, retail, and healthcare sectors from April 2013 to March 2014. It includes data on the average number of security incidents, the most prevalent types of malware, and how long they take to fix.
LG G3 goes up for pre-order
Yesterday, South Korean maker LG unveiled its much-awaited and much-leaked G3 Android flagship. My colleague Brian Fagioli, who was in New York at the press event, is impressed by the new smartphone, saying "the experience is greater than the sum of its (awesome) parts".
Less than a day after its unveiling, the G3 is already available to pre-order at UK retailer Clove. And, if you want to get your hands on the smartphone as soon as it is available on the market, you have to shell out £499. That is about €615 for those who live in other countries on the old continent. Those who live outside of Europe can forgo paying VAT, and get the G3 for £415.83, that equates to roughly $698.
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