Microsoft to shed over 7,000 jobs in revamp of phone business
Just over a week on from Microsoft's announcement that it was getting out of the display advertising business with the loss of 1,200 jobs, the company's CEO is wielding his ax again.
This time up to 7,800 jobs are set to go in the company's phone hardware business as it says that the future prospects for the segment are, "...below original expectations".
Wi-Fi Sense in Windows 10 could result in privacy and security problems
Windows 10 is about to arrive and with it comes a host of new features, like Cortana. There's also Wi-Fi Sense which is designed to allow a Windows Phone to connect automatically to any open network it knows about, and even accept the terms of use automatically. It's a nod towards convenience, and that's something Microsoft needs in its Windows 8x replacement.
Security firm AVG, makers of very good anti-virus software, both free and paid, see the inherent problems with this, and there are several.
Everything we know about OnePlus 2 so far
Even though it is nowhere near as popular as Apple, LG, HTC or Samsung, up and coming Chinese maker OnePlus has managed to capture the public's attention with the One flagship, and is likely to do so again with its successor. Known as OnePlus 2, it will be officially unveiled towards the end of the month.
In the meantime, OnePlus has revealed some interesting things about its upcoming Android flagship smartphone, including a pricing estimate. Here is everything we know about OnePlus 2 so far.
How to save $200 off your Samsung Galaxy Note 4 purchase
Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 is among the best Android phablets around, if not the best. It has a great screen, fast internals, offers great battery life, packs a stylus and, on top of that, comes with the type of software that meets power users' needs. If there is one problem with it, that is its age -- a successor is likely to be announced in a couple of months.
However, if you are considering getting a Galaxy Note 4, Samsung is making your decision easier by slashing $200 off the price of the phablet. Here is how you can take advantage of this promotion.
Blame confused consumers for Xbox Music rebranding
Microsoft recently rebranded its music service from Xbox Music to Groove Music, and the reason is pretty simple: consumer confusion.
In a tweet earlier this week, Microsoft’s corporate VP for operating systems Joe Belfiore said "Lots of people were saying 'I don’t have an Xbox, why would I use Xbox Music?'".
Securing networks is harder than it was two years ago
Enterprises face evolving security challenges and solutions due to the introduction of cloud infrastructures. Growing cloud adoption has been identified as one of the key reasons why a majority of IT and security professionals find securing their networks more difficult today than two years ago.
Network security company Tufin has produced an infographic, based on a recent research report with ESG, looking at why 56 percent of professionals believe network security is getting harder.
Facebook facelift puts women on top
Facebook has been busy updating its look. It's very subtle, so you'd be forgiven for missing it. Following on from last week's incredibly understated logo change (just believe us, the font is slightly different) comes an update to the friends icon. A minor thing, you might think, but with the current focus on diversity, it's one that is noteworthy.
The social network comes in for constant criticism; just about everything it does gets a negative reaction. If it's not complaints about Internet.org, it's the company's lackadaisical attitude to privacy. If people are not whining about changes to their news feed, they are questioning censorship. One Facebook designer was unhappy with the way the friends icon pushed a male figure to the front, while the female symbol shrank into the background. So she redesigned it.
Acronis brings business data protection solutions to the cloud
With the increased threat of data loss from security breaches or system failures, many enterprises are turning to cloud solutions to look after their information.
Backup specialist Acronis is keen to take a slice of this market with the launch of its Acronis Data Protection Platform. This is a cloud platform that seeks to transform the way data protection is delivered to end-user customers by service providers, resellers and distributors.
Apple Watch sales are a disaster
While no official sales figures have been released, analysts suggest that Apple Watch sales figures are dire. The suggestion comes from analysts at Slice Intelligence, with figures pointing to sales now sitting at a fraction of what they were three months ago.
The excitement surrounding any Apple launch means that sales are likely to be high immediately after release, but by anyone's standards Apple Watch sales appear to be a disaster. From a high of around 44,000 sales per week in April, Apple is currently shifting fewer than 5,000 of its wearables each week.
Adobe recognizes major Flash vulnerability, will patch it today
Flash, a product that has only been in the press for bad reasons lately, is back in the news. For a similar reason, of course. Adobe has issued a security bulletin to notify its users about a vulnerability -- referred to as "the most beautiful Flash bug for the last four years" by hackers -- in all versions of its Flash product for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
The vulnerability, first spotted by security firm Trend Micro, is the aftermath of a mega security breach at Hacking Team. The infamous group that offered hacking services to spy agencies was hacked earlier this week, and most of its internal documents -- consisting of 400GB of emails, source code, client lists, invoices etc -- were made available to the public.
Logitech transforms! New logo, design philosophy and 'Logi' label
In the technology business, companies come and go all of the time. This is due to many things, but mostly changing trends and companies resting on their laurels rather than constantly evolving. A recent example of this is BlackBerry -- formerly known as RIM. It was on the top of the world -- it owned the enterprise smartphone market while also being wildly popular with consumers. Today, the company is arguably on life support -- a shell of its former self -- caught off guard by the iPhone.
Enough talk about failures, let us instead talk about a success in the technology world -- Logitech. The peripheral maker formed in 1981, making impressive mice. It has since branched out to make much more, like headsets, speakers, and keyboards to name a few. Of course, it still makes awesome mice! Today, the company is making some very bold moves -- a new logo, design philosophy and 'Logi' sub-brand.
No shit! Experts say backdoors and encryption limits are security risks
Adding backdoors so governments can access data is a "major security risk". This is the (perhaps slightly obvious) conclusion of security experts and cryptographers writing in a report entitled Keys Under Doormats: Mandating insecurity by requiring government access to all data and communications.
The report from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab criticizes plans to allow law enforcement agencies unfettered access to encrypted data through the use of either front doors or backdoors. More importantly it poses the question: "if we want to maintain the security of user information, is this sort of access even technically possible?"
What is San Diego Comic-Con really about?
Tomorrow night begins my seventh sojourn to the greatest geekfest and pop-culture event on the planet. Imitator shows are everywhere this Century, but none commands character and class like the original. San Diego Comic-Con is an amazing amalgamation of hopes and aspirations—and the grandest storytelling—where, for four days and a Preview Night, tens of thousands of people can be themselves—fit in, rather than feel oddball—or be whom they would want to be by dressing up as beloved superheroes or villains and by adoring the storytellers and actors behind them.
The first, full three-day event took place from Aug. 1-3, 1970, at the U.S. Grand Hotel, with about 300 attendees and sci-fi luminaries, including Ray Bradbury and A.E. van Vogt. This week, 130,000 attendees will storm San Diego Convention Center to enter an alternate reality, where the social rules binding them everyday no longer apply.
Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview Build 10149 hits Slow Ring
Builds of the desktop version of Windows 10 have been released at an accelerated pace in recent weeks, but Windows 10 Mobile users have had far fewer updates to install. A couple of weeks ago, build 10149 was made available to Insiders on the Fast Ring and today it makes its way to the Slow Ring.
Build 10149 has been deemed stable enough to make its way to a larger audience. New features to look forward to include Microsoft Edge, Cortana improvements, updated apps, and plenty of bug fixes.
NSA's XKeyscore may be collecting your Skype, webcam and router data
The NSA's covert data collection has become the worst kept secret in the world. Edward Snowden blew the lid off the program and has released many documents providing validity to what he has said. While he continues to harbor in Russia, the US is split over whether he is a traitor or hero. Whistle blowers certainly aren't new -- they date back many years and include the famous Deepthroat who revealed Watergate.
Now more information has come to light in the form of XKeyscore, a program designed to glean data from user's router, webcam and Skype calls. It's just as scary as it sounds.
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