BYOD set to drive extra security on consumer mobile devices
According to research group Gartner consumers are unwilling to pay for security products on their mobile devices. But thanks to BYOD and the need to protect corporate data it believes security providers have an opportunity to get their products onto more devices.
Gartner predicts that by 2015, 30 percent of the criteria for consumer product selection will be based on requirements to secure mobile computing platforms. It urges product managers to expand their endpoint security to cover all popular mobile devices as well as traditional PC systems.
HTC Windows Phone 8X and Nokia Lumia 928 available for FREE at Verizon
Verizon subscribers who are in the market for a free, on-contract smartphone now have two more options to choose from, as the US mobile operator just lowered the price of the HTC Windows Phone 8X and Nokia Lumia 928 from $99.99 to zero, when purchased alongside a two-year agreement.
It is worth noting that the Windows Phone 8X and the Lumia 928 join the likes of the LG Lucid, Pantech Marauder and Samsung Stratosphere II in being offered for free alongside a two-year contract with big red. Unlike the HTC and Nokia-branded devices, none of the other three handsets are high-end smartphones.
Buy it now -- ZTE Open Firefox phone comes to eBay
Chinese electronics company ZTE has announced that it's to start selling its Firefox phone on eBay in the US and the UK. Available only in a fetching shade of orange and unlocked for use on any network the phone will cost $79.99 in the US and £59.99 in the UK.
The ZTE Open offers an affordable smartphone based entirely on open web standards using the Firefox OS. It has all of the functions you'd expect of a smartphone including calls, messaging, email and a camera, plus additional functions like built-in social network integration with Facebook and Twitter, location based services and access to the Firefox Marketplace to download apps.
Run only trusted programs on your PC with SecureAPlus
Most antivirus tools try to keep you safe by identifying malware before it can do any harm. In principle this sounds like a good idea, but in practice it requires a lot of work to scan your files and monitor process behavior. And even then, it’ll often fail when confronted with brand new, previously undiscovered threats.
SecureAPlus takes a different approach. While it does include a basic antivirus engine, the core technology here is application whitelisting, which means only trusted programs are allowed to run automatically. If something unknown is launched then you’ll be alerted right away, and the program won’t be executed until you provide your express permission.
Here’s what’s new in the latest build of Windows 8.1
Windows 8.1 will likely hit the RTM milestone in the next couple of weeks but a new version of the forthcoming operating system -- build 9471 -- has leaked onto the internet, revealing a few interesting changes and additions to the official Windows 8.1 Preview released two months ago.
Don’t expect a genuine Start button, or a raft of exciting new apps -- Microsoft isn’t about to reinvent the wheel this close to RTM. However, the software giant has introduced one big new addition which might appeal to anyone thinking of migrating to the tiled OS, as well as a selection of smaller changes.
Microsoft is at it again -- launches new Scroogled video
Microsoft's Scroogled campaign, an attack on rival Google, is still in full-swing, despite taking turns between entertaining and ridiculous. My colleague Wayne Williams described it as "sad and embarrassing", but I am not so sure I would go quite that far, though neither will I defend the software maker in this battle.
Now Microsoft launches its latest attack -- again going after Gmail. This time around, the company goes after the new tabbed design in Gmail, though it focuses on treating the email service on the whole as a trojan horse for advertising -- not a new claim, only a new video for an old accusation. The video, of course, ends with the plea to use Outlook.com.
Hackintosh -- a meager man finally gets his Mac
I’ve never owned a Mac before, but I’ve secretly wanted one since the release of OS X. The first time I tried the operating system was at CompUSA where I was a salesman. I regularly sold iMacs, iBooks, PowerBooks, Mac Minis and eMacs. The people that came to the Apple section of the store always seemed very odd -- they dressed weird and were loyal to Macintosh as if it were a religion. However, as odd as the people were, they were also very computer literate -- the same could not be said for the average eMachines or Compaq buyer.
Sadly, like many people, Apple hardware has always been too expensive for me -- I live meagerly. And so, I had to settle for Windows. There was nothing bad about Windows per se, but it lacked the cool-factor that the Apple computers had. Plus, I like to build computers and upgrade them. Something like a Mac Mini was affordable but not upgradeable -- a major turnoff.
Got yourself a new Nexus 7? Now you can download factory images and binaries
For anyone looking to tinker with their Android, access to factory images is essential. After something of a delay, Google is making available factory images and binaries for the recently released Nexus 7. Listed under the product name Razor, the images and binaries are freely available for all to download.
Anyone who is a fan of trying out custom ROMs needs access to an image so things can be restored to their factory fresh state should something go wrong. The image download is based on build JSS15J and weighs in at 360MB.
The Pirate Bay celebrates tenth anniversary with censorship busting PirateBrowser
Reaching double figures is a big landmark in anyone's life, and it's no different for the Pirate Bay. The website that the authorities love to hate, and ISPs are forced to block, is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Rather than munching on cake, washed down with a few sodas, the torrent site is marking the occasion by releasing its own web browser -- imaginatively named PirateBrowser.
Announced via Twitter, the browser is essentially a customized Firefox installation and it will come as little surprise that it has been tweaked to bypass restrictions that prevent people from accessing the site. The browser is currently available for Windows -- although Linux and Mac versions are in the pipeline -- and it comes complete with a bundled Tor client and proxy tools.
Trim Enabler for OS X boasts redesigned interface, adds Pro-only features
Oskar Groth has released Trim Enabler 3.0, his tool for enabling Trim on non-Apple SSD drives in OS X. The latest build continues to offer this core functionality, plus redesigns the user interface and adds some minor tweaks, for free, but also incorporates a new Pro version with extra functionality including benchmarking and advanced SMART monitor that can be unlocked for $10.
The most notable change in version 3.0 is the redesigned user interface, which takes its design cues from the forthcoming iOS 7. The app also adds menu bar support, allowing it to be accessed directly from the menu bar or "torn off" and placed in a standalone window.
Apple wins patent case that could lead to a ban on certain Samsung products
The Apple and Samsung battle continues to rumble, and less than a week after a proposed ban on the sale of iPhones and iPads was overturned, another ruling has -- at least for the time being -- gone Apple's way. The US ITC has upheld a previous ruling dating back to 2011 that found Samsung has infringed various Apple patents, potentially leading to a US ban on various devices from the South Korean company.
The ruling found that Samsung had violated two patents relating to Apple's iPhone. The first patent (often referred to as the "Steve Jobs patent") relates to the use of a touchscreen interface as means of interacting with a device using one or more fingers. The second patent relates to the design of an audio socket that can determine the type of microphone or headset that has been plugged into it.
Microsoft details how Xbox One game-sharing will work
With the lead-up to Xbox One, there was initial controversy, mostly surrounding the "always-on" feature, or potential for it. After the official announcement detailing the console, the company did an about-face, resulting in the "Xbox 180" nickname. The problem was, this not only took away potential DRM concerns, but also some rather cool features that many were looking forward to.
Today Major Nelson laid out the plans to fix this for the many customers who wish to have this service. Thanks to the vocal few, the features will now come at a price.
Quick! Grab your Google Latitude data before it's too late!
The latest horse to be sent out to pasture from Google's stables is Latitude. Little notice was given when the service's retirement was revealed -- albeit quite quietly -- back in July. In a blog post about the latest version of Maps, Google mentioned in passing that "Latitude and check-ins will be retired. These features will no longer be a part of the new Google Maps app, and will stop functioning in older versions by August 9".
Pay a visit to the About Latitude page and you will indeed see confirmation that Google will close "Google Latitude, Latitude for iPhone, the Latitude API, the public badge, the iGoogle Gadget, and the Latitude website on August 9". Well the date is now upon us. The end is nigh.
Best Windows 8 apps this week
Forty-first in a series. Microsoft has finally added an option to search for apps in your web browser. Up until now, you had to use the official Store app on Windows 8 for that or a third party service. While there is still no option to browse apps by category or filter by price, it is a step in the right direction. It makes my life a lot easier for example as I can now grab links right from the search interface and do not have to use search engines for that anymore.
Microsoft cannot be happy with the current app growth rate in Windows Store, and this is probably one of the core reasons why it launched the App Builder Rewards program for Windows Phone and Windows 8. It is currently only open for developers in the US though but will provide developers with options to earn points that they can exchange for rewards.
Linux gets hit by a trojan -- it's time to sudo apt-get scared!
When evangelists pontificate the benefits of Linux, the topic of security always comes up. A big selling point of Linux-based operating systems are that they are generally immune to viruses, trojans and malware. However, this is a falsehood -- no OS is 100 percent safe when it comes to these things. According to security company RSA, a team of Russian cyber-criminals have developed a trojan, named "Hand of Thief", which targets Linux.
The security company explains that the trojan is "designed to steal information from machines running the Linux OS. This malware is currently offered for sale in closed cybercrime communities for $2,000 USD (€1,500 EUR) with free updates. The current functionality includes form grabbers and backdoor capabilities, however, it's expected that the Trojan will have a new suite of web injections and graduate to become full-blown banking malware in the very near future. At that point, the price is expected to rise to $3,000 USD (€2,250 EUR), plus a hefty $550 per major version release".
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