The security pros interviewed for our article, "Experts bust Android security myths," offered up the following eight Android security tips for IT administrators and users1) Don't root that Android device"To do significant damage in the mobile world, malware needs to act on devices that have been altered at an administrative level," according to Dionisio Zumerle, principal research analyst at Gartner. "The most obvious platform compromises of this nature are 'jailbreaking' on iOS or 'rooting' on Android devices ...To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
U.S. charges six from China with stealing wireless technologyThree men who studied at the University of California and then went on to work at U.S. tech companies are among six Chinese citizens charged with economic espionage by the Department of Justice on Tuesday. The technology that the men allegedly stole from companies that employed two of them, Avago Technologies and Skyworks Solutions, is used in wireless devices to filter out unwanted signals and has both commercial and military applications.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The numbers filed with the SEC seem pretty inarguable. Verizon dominates the U.S. wireless carrier industry, both in terms of total subscribers and in a key metric called ARPU, or average revenue per user. AT&T is maintaining its position in second place, Sprint is headed south in a hurry, and T-Mobile is making some un-profits in its new role as the un-carrier, but showing signs of a recovery.But the picture of a leader, a runner-up and two also-rans is more complicated than it seems. A saturated market with fewer new customers to compete for means that the big four’s relative positions in terms of size are increasingly stratified.+ ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: Verizon's acquisition of AOL is a move to disrupt the TV market | Apple, Google urge Obama to reject encryption back doors +To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Early this year, Dropbox released its cloud storage service on Windows phones and tablets, and on Tuesday the company followed up with a universal app that fleshes out the features for both types of devices.The update automatically adapts to the user’s screen size and delivers a number of new features, including the ability for Windows Phone users to upload videos directly from their devices.In the interests of multitasking, Windows Phone users can also now upload multiple files at once. And they can download files straight to their device or SD card, making it available for offline access; there’s a way to mark files as favorites for offline use as well.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Performing a search on Google now also displays relevant tweets from Twitter. The integration will widely distribute Twitter content beyond its own site and is also aimed at adding a new real-time element to Google search results.The changes, previously announced earlier this year, take effect starting Tuesday for Google’s search app on iOS and Android as well as the mobile Web, for U.S. users searching in English. A desktop version is coming shortly, Twitter said in a blog post. The feature will roll out to more countries in the coming months.Google has provided links to tweets in its search results for some time. But the new integration will display actual tweets, including photos contained in them. Searchers can also click on the tweets to view them within Twitter.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Yota, the Russian smartphone maker with the dual-screen phone, announced this week that it will bring its YotaPhone 2 to the U.S. through an Indiegogo campaign to raise $50,000 to pay for certifications and regulatory fees in North America.And the crowd has delivered. As of this writing, Yota has raised $80,000 in just a few hours, well beyond what it needed. Now to clear the FCC hurdles.The YotaPhone 2 can be pre-ordered for $500, and you get a three-month subscription to BookMate as well as a Yota Bumper case. There is also the Yota Wireless Power Bank for wireless charging, which will cost $50.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Microsoft seems determined to do the right thing with the upcoming version of Windows. After decades of sticking it to loyal Windows users with pricey upgrades and short-term perspectives, Microsoft under Satya Nadella seems to have seen the light.See also: Microsoft does the right thing, makes Windows 10 a free upgrade
Earlier this year, Microsoft made the enlightened decision to make Windows 10 a free upgrade for Windows 7 and Windows 8 users, and it has recently become clear that Microsoft will take another step to support Windows 10 users. The company intends to bypass the mobile carriers and update Windows 10 mobile devices directly as well—at least for business users with its Windows Update for Business program.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
It can even tell the time!Nearly four weeks after the Apple Watch first launched, it seems that Apple has finally gotten a grasp on supply issues. With the pool of Apple Watch users growing each and every week, it's high time that we focus on some of the cooler and lesser-known features of Apple's new wearable. While some basic features like checking text messages or answering calls are pretty well known, the Apple Watch, as with most Apple products, houses a number of compelling features underneath the surface which serve to make the device all the more useful.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Six residents of China face economic espionage and theft of trade secret charges for allegedly funneling radio frequency technologies used in mobile devices from U.S. companies to a university controlled by the Chinese government.The defendants facing charges in the U.S. are connected to Tianjin University in China. The U.S. Department of Justice released a 32-count indictment on Tuesday, three days after Tianjin University Professor Hao Zhang was arrested at the Los Angeles airport while trying to enter the U.S. from China. The five other defendants remain at large.The six are charged with stealing thin-film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) technology used in mobile phones from two U.S. companies, according to a DOJ press release. FBAR technology filters incoming and outgoing wireless signals so that a mobile phone only receives and transmits the specific communications intended by the user. In addition to consumer applications, FBAR is used in several military and communications technologies.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Continuing our ongoing series of 802.11ac reviews, we put four new access points to the test, bringing our total to 13. This time around, we looked at products from Linksys, Xclaim, Amped and ZyXel, using the same test-bed and methods as our last review.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here(Insider Story)
Access points put to the testWe put four new access points to the test, from Linksys, Xclaim, Amped and ZyXel, using the same test-bed and methods as our last review. The Linksys LAPAC1750PRO performed best in the throughput tests and was a feature-rich product. The Amped Wireless AP was a close second in the speed tests and is a solid business-class access point. The Xclaim unit did well given it’s only a two stream (2x2) AP. The ZyXEL unit was last in throughput, but has a number of advanced features in the areas of configuration, management and security. (Read our full review.)To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Facebook is said to be eyeing games for its mobile Messenger product, a move that might jump-start the revenue the company generates from non-advertising sources.Facebook is in talks with gaming developers to incorporate or tie their apps in some way into Messenger, The Information news site reported on Monday. The talks are at an early stage and they could break down. But incorporating games into Messenger, which is popular among a growing number of mobile users, could boost the company’s gaming business, which depends heavily on the declining number of desktop computer users.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
The first trailer for the new "Steve Jobs" movie starring Michael Fassbender as Jobs and Seth Rogen as Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has hit the web, and it's pretty intense even though it's all dialogue.The film is slated to arrive in U.S. theaters on Oct. 9, four years after Jobs died.Apple enthusiasts are hoping the film, which was originally going to be directed by David Fincher and star Christian Bale, will be a major upgrade over the Ashton Kutcher "Jobs" movie from 2013.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
While the first few iterations of the iPhone were all released during the summer months, the iPhone 4s completely turned Apple's iPhone release schedule on its head. Due to various production problems that resulted in delays, the iPhone 4s was released in October of 2011. Since then, Apple has adjusted its iPhone release schedule accordingly, with each new iPhone models now debuting during the fall.But now we're hearing word that Apple's next-gen iPhone, prematurely dubbed the iPhone 6s, might be released sometime in August. According to a recent report in GforGames, which typically has a decent track record with respect to Apple rumors, rumblings from Apple's supply chain suggests that Apple doesn't anticipate any yield issues with its next-gen iPhone and may revert back to a summer launch schedule.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Asus isn’t a household name in the U.S. when it comes to smartphones, but it is trying to make a strong statement with the Zenfone 2, which packs more storage than similarly-priced competitors.The Zenfone 2, which has a 5.5-inch display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, starts at $199. It will begin shipping on Tuesday with Google’s Android 5.0 OS.A model with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage goes for $299, while the $199 model has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The smartphone is shipping as an unlocked device, meaning it will work with multiple carriers.It has an Intel 64-bit Atom Z3580 processor code-named Moorefield and a PowerVR G6430 graphics processor, which is capable of handling 1080p video rendering.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Samsung will not have to pay all of the US$930 million in damages that Apple was awarded in 2012, a U.S. appeals court ruled Monday.The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., agreed with a California federal jury that Samsung violated Apple design and utility patents related to the iPhone. However, the appeals court reversed the jury’s finding that Samsung infringed on Apple’s trade dress, or the overall look and packaging of a product.Thus, the U.S. District Court in San Jose, California, where the case was originally tried, must recalculate the portion of the settlement dealing with trade dress.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Apple CEO Tim Cook delivered the commencement address to the George Washington University Class of 2015 on Sunday, May 17. He reflected on negative and positive influences in his life, from Gov. George Wallace to President Jimmy Carter to Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, urged students to find their direction and to make a difference in the world. Here's the transcript from his talk as well as the video, which is below.
Hello GW.Thank you very much President Knapp for that kind intro. Alex, trustees, faculty and deans of the university, my fellow honorees, and especially you the class of 2015. Yes.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
Apple, which has been working hard to bolster its mapping technology since ditching Google Maps in 2012, has acquired Coherent Navigation, a startup offering a high-accuracy GPS navigation service.Coherent’s navigation system is used in the Iridium satellite network, according to the LinkedIn profile of Paul Lego, who was CEO of the company before going to work for Apple. Coherent, which was founded in 2008 and is based in the San Francisco area, counts the U.S. government as a customer and had been aiming its technology at the mining, construction, energy and agriculture industries. Coherent had fewer than 10 employees, according to its LinkedIn page, which states that the company “has ceased operations.”To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
This week the G4 smartphone from LG Electronics starts shipping outside its home country, with arrivals in the U.S. and Europe expected in a couple of weeks. While the smartphone has a great screen and camera, it doesn’t get everything right.What works:Screen: Even though the G4’s screen has the same size and resolution as the one on the G3 (at 5.5 inches and 1440 by 2560 pixels) it’s noticeably better. LG has improved its performance in several regards, including brightness and color reproduction, making it one of the best screens ever. All those pixels put higher demands on the processor, GPU and battery, but it’s nonetheless worth it.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here
This week the G4 smartphone from LG Electronics starts shipping outside its home country, with arrivals in the U.S. and Europe expected in a couple of weeks. While the smartphone has a great screen and camera, it doesn’t get everything right.
What works:
Screen: Even though the G4’s screen has the same size and resolution as the one on the G3 (at 5.5 inches and 1440 by 2560 pixels) it’s noticeably better. LG has improved its performance in several regards, including brightness and color reproduction, making it one of the best screens ever. All those pixels put higher demands on the processor, GPU and battery, but it’s nonetheless worth it.To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here