Warning to Android users -- Outlook.com app stores emails unencrypted
Reverse engineering apps is an interesting field of work. On one hand, it can be used by software engineers to determine how an app works so they can copy it. On the other, the method can be used by those with malicious intent to track down weaknesses that can then be exploited. But there's also a third hand. Reverse engineering can also be used to highlight security problems with a view to not only alerting those affected, but also addressing the problem.
Researchers at Include Security, whilst practicing their reverse engineering skills, turned their attention to the Outlook.com app for Android and discovered a potentially worrisome security issue.
Clipboard History is a versatile text-only clipboard manager
Clipboard History is a simple clipboard manager which remembers up to the last 20 text items copied to the clipboard, and makes them available for reuse later.
The program only supports text -- not images, files or anything else -- and so can seem a little basic. But don’t be fooled. There’s much more to Clipboard History than you might think.
Surface Pro 3: niche product, not a savior
This week, Microsoft unveiled the Surface Pro 3 with a larger, 12 inch display and surprised some by holding off on a "Surface Mini". While Microsoft continued to harp on their "best of both worlds" mantra, it was very clear that this device was focused on productivity use cases and enterprise users. Does this signal a new era in tablet computing or is this simply a niche product?
I recently downgraded my tablet sales estimate because tablets haven't encroached upon productivity use cases as quickly as "phablets" have encroached on consumption use cases. So wouldn't the Surface Pro 3 fit with my definition of upmarket movement? Not quite. The challenge for tablets is to move upmarket into productivity use cases without compromising on their advantages over PCs -- 1) ease of use, and 2) lower price points. With the Windows 8 operating system and a price tag starting at $930 (incl. the keyboard cover), the Surface Pro 3 misses on both points.
Forget about fast lanes, who is worrying about secure lanes?
The FCC voted recently to approve a proposal allowing select companies the ability to pay a premium price to their ISPs in order to deliver their content with a faster service, or 'fast lane' when transiting their networks. There has been considerable discussion both for and against the proposal with respect to how it adheres to the philosophy of net neutrality and how it might impact competition among businesses, particularly small entrepreneurial ventures without the resources to afford premium delivery service.
Unfortunately, the debate’s focus on faster delivery has failed to contemplate the growing need for other types of premium offerings such as 'secure services' and some vitally important questions have been overlooked in the discussion: How will this proposal alter the security threat landscape? Has the security impact of faster delivery services been fully considered and are mitigation technologies prepared to deal with potential threats introduced by this new asymmetry? Why are customers content to pay for the delivery of DDoS attacks and cyber threats under the current unsecure delivery model, and why would they pay for them to be delivered even faster than ever before? It seems counterintuitive.
Microsoft opens up music service 22tracks across browsers, platforms
Back in April, at the Microsoft Build conference, the company unveiled a music site called 22tracks. It was not designed to compete with its own Xbox Music or other rival services, but more as a concept to display the power of Internet Explorer.
Now Microsoft is announcing that 22tracks will be expanding to work across all browser platforms. The service was already designed to run on Windows from IE, Windows Phone and tablets like the Surface. However, this update is also expanding what the service can do.
Could Google Glass be bad for your eyes?
The latest controversy surrounding Google Glass is the fact that the device is reportedly causing eye strain and headaches.
There have been a number of reports of problems on Twitter, and BetaBeat detailed their own experiences of two writers who had sharp pains after ten minutes of Glass usage -- pains that disappeared after taking the device off.
Finally! Task and todo list manager Any.Do gains a web app
Today is a day of celebration for fans of Any.Do -- the todo list and task manager for iOS, Android and Chrome. Some four years after its inception -- and after many, many demands from the service's user base -- Any.Do has, at long, long last, gained a web app. Founders Omer Perchik, Yoni Lindenfeld, and Itay Kahana have successfully avoided a brouhaha from users by finally delivering what they describe as "the number one most requested feature by our users".
Any.Do has proved incredibly successful on mobile platforms -- as well as in Google's web browser -- amassing more than 10 million users. Perchik says: "Web is a huge market we haven't even touched yet. There's a world of people who haven't considered us because they need a full web experience, right on their computer screens" of the launch. "We're conquering mobile, now it's time to break out in a broader market".
Nitro Pro adds barcode creation, restores 64-bit build
Nitro has released a major new update to its award-winning PDF creation and editing tool with the release of Nitro Pro 9.5. The new build is accompanied by a resurrected native 64-bit build.
Version 9.5 introduces a new silent update mechanism to ensure users are always running the latest version, and adds support for creating and editing barcodes within Forms.
How not to handle a security breach, the eBay way
You can’t have failed to notice by now that eBay has had a bit of a problem relating to leaked user data. The mainstream media was all over the story yesterday -- you know things are bad when the TV news takes notice of IT matters.
To reprise the facts it seems that attackers gained access to a number of eBay employee login credentials which allowed them to access the auction site’s systems. This may have happened as long as three months back but the company only became aware of it around two weeks ago.
Fitbit ships the most wearable 'bands', tops Pebble and Samsung
While wearables have yet to reach the popularity of smartphones or even tablets, shipments of bands reached an encouraging 2.7 million units in the first quarter of the year, according to a new report from analyst firm Canalys. The leader of the pack is Fitbit, with a dominating share of "nearly" 50 percent.
"Fitbit continued to ship most of the units in the basic band segment, despite the allergy-related recall of the Fitbit Force", says Canalys. The recall affected roughly one million units. "The issue was handled well and did not dramatically slow the company’s sales momentum", adds the firm. Fitbit outdid rivals like Pebble and Samsung, the last of which dominates the growing smartwatch landscape with the popular Galaxy Gear.
Google leapfrogs Apple to become world’s most valuable brand, Microsoft does well
Google has passed Apple in the brand stakes for the first time with technology dominating the world’s top ten most valuable brands including a strong 12 months for Microsoft.
Research from Millward Brown shows that Google’s brand value grew by 40 percent from 2013 to 2014 as it moved from second to first place with a valuation of $159 billion ahead of its competitor Apple, which saw its value drop 20 percent to $148 billion.
The Marvell 88SS1083 is world's first fully compliant SATA Express controller
The trouble with computers is that it is almost impossible to stay on the bleeding edge. The moment you buy the latest and greatest, something new comes along to replace it. I still remember fighting the battle of buying the fastest CD and DVD burners, years ago. It seemed like every other week, speeds would get boosted and I just had to have the fastest!
If you just bought a brand new SATA III SSD, congratulations, it is really fast and I'm sure you love it. But did you know that SATA III is on its way out? Yup, sorry to break the news to you, but SATA Express is one of the new standards, set to replace it. Today, Marvell announces that it has created the industry's first fully compliant SATA Express controller. Things just got real.
Zotac Zbox Sphere OI520 PC looks a lot like the Nexus Q (and that's a good thing)
Despite what some people think, the PC is not dead. However, for many, the concept of buying a desktop PC with a monstrous tower is. After all, thanks to companies like Apple, electronics have become art. And so, if someone does need a PC, they may opt for a laptop or all-in-one instead.
Truth be told, I have never been a huge fan of all-in-ones. If the display breaks, you could end up with a giant paperweight. I still remember when people bought TV/VCR combos. Almost always, the VCR failed and you would see a second VCR connected -- insanity. I have been of the opinion that it is best to keep your monitor and computer separate. With that said, I do like having a small footprint on a desk. Today, Zotac announces a spherical PC that is not only small, but beautiful too.
Apple removes popular marijuana growing game 'Weed Firm' from App Store
Weed Firm is one of those games, like Flappy Bird before it, that took the App Store by storm, reaching the number one spot purely through word of mouth. The trouble for Apple is the game follows the "vicious and lawless career of Mr. Ted Growing", an expelled botany sophomore, and is essentially a marijuana growing sim in which you produce and sell different types of weed, and interact with various shady characters including cops, gangsters, druggies and dancers. Not exactly the sort of game Apple really wants to see at the top of its charts.
It was perhaps a surprise that the Breaking Bad inspired app made it through Apple’s rigorous, and at times prudish approvals process in the first place, but having flourished far too well at the top, it was only a matter of time before it was hacked down. The game, inevitably, is no longer available in the App Store.
BullGuard Mobile Security for Android debuts cloud-based antivirus engine
BullGuard has unveiled BullGuard Mobile Security for Android, its latest all-in-one security package for Android mobile devices.
The $19.95 (3 devices, 1 year) release introduces a new cloud-based antivirus engine, which should improve accuracy while removing the hassle of regular updates, improving performance and keeping battery-draining system load to a minimum.
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