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  • Microsoft and Google hot on the Heels of Amazon in the Cloud

    Amazon's success in cloud computing is the cause of much woes for its competitors Microsoft and Google. In an attempt to catch up with Amazon, whose web services are currently the leader in the cloud computing service sector, Microsoft and Google have decided to upgrade their services with new features. These upgrades are also expected to heat up the competition between them.

    According to a NetworkWorld report, this week Google upgraded its public cloud service by launching load-balancing features. The service usually aims at enabling customers to scale up and down virtual machines and hence accommodate any demand spikes experienced. As for Microsoft, just a few months ago it improved its Azure cloud service with new auto-scaling feature, and thanks to these features users can now scale up and down resources in the cloud.

    Brandon Butler of NetworkWorld has been reported stating that the two companies are already playing catch-up with Amazon Web Services, which is the leading IaaS provider and already offers such services.

    In the meantime, Microsoft has raised its stakes in the battle against Google through a new advertisement in which Microsoft consumers are warned "not to gamble with Google Docs." This move is geared towards earning the company public favor in the cloud space.

  • TiVo Releases its best DVRs yet, the TiVo Roamio DVRs


    A major TiVo release was last seen three and a half years ago and while the company has constantly hit the market with new features since – via software updates, hardware revisions, and accessories – it is back with a bang. TiVo Roamio Plus is the DVR the world has been waiting for since it first saw the Premiere and it is now out alongside two other new Roamio DVRs, released in the price range of $200-$600.

    The DVRs feature built-in WiFi and at least four tuners. The user interface has been refreshed to include new and quick-launching YouTube and Netflix apps, as well as a What to Watch Now feature. There is also a new remote that is now independent of IR.

    The Plus and Pro come integrated with TiVo Stream functionality. A cool new trick that the stream feature delivers is out-of-home streaming for recorded and live shows along with the ability to download shows to iOS devices when out of home. The feature will be coming to the Roamio in the fall but it has been tested with a Tivo Stream transcoder.

  • Samsung Launches its Second Dual-Screen Flip-Phone: the Galaxy Golden


    In a span of weeks, Samsung has launched two new clamshells. The tech giant certainly thinks the flip-phone is not going anywhere any time soon.

    The Galaxy Golden has just been debuted and its similarity to the Folder is rather striking. The Folder was leaked a few weeks ago, just before the official arrival of the Hennessey, under an almost identical model number.

    The Galaxy Golden sports Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, dual 3.7-inch Super AMOLED screens, a 1.7GHz dual-core processor, and an 8 megapixel camera. It is also packed with features designed for the older generation including an "easy mode" that enables optimization of the home screen, an FM radio, a business card recognition function, and a pedometer that works with S Health.

    S Health is a personal wellness app that was initially demonstrated at the Unpacked launch of Samsung Galaxy S III. It is compatible with such healthcare sensors as body composition scales, blood pressure monitors, and blood glucose meters, and collects health data to help maintain a healthy lifestyle.

    It can be expected that those Koreans who are in their golden years and can afford over $790 or about 790,000 won will appreciate the Galaxy Golden's tailored features and its aging form factor.

  • Tas Government Responsible for Delays in VoIP Transition

    Delays in the transitioning to VoIP services by the Tasmanian government have resulted in the MyNetFone contract yielding no forecast revenues for the service provider. MyNetFone signed the $20 million contract with the state government in July 2012.

    According to the VoIP services provider, all commercial commitments and infrastructure have been delivered as required by the contract and the delays are a result of factors outside the company's control. The company has further said that these project delays will not harbor it from pursuing more government business for VoIP services.

    The expected gross revenue per annum for MyNetFone is nearly $2 million and the full revenue should be realized by FY2015.

    In January a government spokesperson confirmed that the services provided by MyNetFone were successfully used in the 2012 trials support and the first customers came to be cut over at the onset of January 2013.

    For the full year ending 30 June, 2013, MyNetFone had a profit increment of 35 per cent to $4.1 million. For the same period there was a 21 per cent revenue increment to $46.2 million. The period was reportedly dominated by considerable one-off integration expenses and being able to exceed the forecast is an achievement that is likely to facilitate the company's acquisition synergies and bolster its bottom line in future.

  • LG goes Retro and Incorporates Rotary Dials in New HDTV


    LG are renowned for their next-generation gadgetry. This time they have chosen to go retro with their new LG 32LN630R HDTV. The 32-inch LCD set boasts a full HD resolution and it comes with support for USB drives and MHL.

    LG certainly seem to be missing the TVs that had you walking over to change the channels. Their 32LN630R looks pretty much like a '70s tube TV down to the rotary dials and working channel, and they have infused the retro design with the usual modern luxuries like the 1080p IPS-based display that has support for both MHL video from mobile devices and USB-based storage. The TV has a native resolution of 1920×1080.

    LG has started shipping the 32LN630R TV to South Korea at a cost of 840,000 won ($754). Americans who are nostalgic of the Retro TVs will have to wait a while to get this HDTV as the company has no immediate plans of distributing it in the American market.

  • Voip-Pal.com Claims First Patented Method of VoIP Communications Interception


    The war of governments against terrorism is now becoming a reality as companies work on developing VoIP communications intercept technologies. Voip-Pal.com is having a head start in this field with its Lawful Intercept. The corporation asserts that it owns the first patented method of VoIP communications interception in the US.

    Voip-Pal.com Inc applied for a patent for its Lawful Intercept technology (U.S. Patent No. 8,422,507) in 2007, which was two years before the filing of Microsoft Corporation for a patent for its Legal Intercept (US Patent Application 20110153809). In 2011 the USPTO rejected Microsoft's Legal Intercept and Voip-Pal's Lawful Intercept was given priority in spite of the substantial similarities of both patent applications due to its earlier filing date. In January, 2013 Lawful Intercept was allowed and in April it was issued as a patent.

    There has been rapid growth of the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) industry as the traditional landline subscriptions suffer a decline. In 2012 the revenues collected in the industry were $63 billion and at present the growth is a double digit. It is expected that by 2015, the mobile VoIP subscribers will have reached 410 million. The implication of this on the traditional wiretapping is that it's being rendered obsolete and law enforcement agencies have to look for alternative ways of intercepting VoIP communication.

  • Blackberry Officially Launches 9720 Smartphone with Curve-era Specs


    Business has not been as usual at BlackBerry for a long time but the company continues to trudge on with constant new releases. The most recent of these releases is the heavily-leaked BlackBerry 9720, which has just been officially launched. Packed with popular social apps, this super social smartphone comes with a HHGA touchscreen and a premium look. It takes the specs of a starter smartphone to the next level.

    A re-engineered and distinctly curve-like thumbpad dominates the 2.8-inch 480×360 display, and 512 MB of RAM plus 5 megapixel camera complete the package. Photo sharing has been made easier with some tweaks to the OS that deliver an onscreen button (this is far from being called revolutionary). There is also a dedicated BBM key featured to take the user directly to the messaging app.

    The phone comes with the typical BlackBerry keyboard, optimal typing being a given thanks to its distinct keys. Easy navigation is facilitated by the 2.8-inch touchscreen and trackpad. With the BB 7.1 OS powering it, BlackBerry 9720 has brought an updated interface that enables you to unlock it or access the camera by swiping.

    The handset will be released in Latin America, Europe, and Asia in the coming weeks.

  • Upstarts Threatening Giant Oracle's Future Dominance over Database Market


    Database giant Oracle is under attack, and like chip goliath Intel ignored emerging ARM's RISC chips in mobile devices for too long and legacy incumbents such as server-vendors HP and Dell lagged behind as the commodity servers market shifted, it may not notice the ground shifting beneath its feet until it's too late.

    The size of Oracle's database is so huge that even as it's used to facing competition from niche technologies it may be blind to the termites nibbling at its foundations. A marauding hoard of small firms has cropped up to provide low-cost or free databases to the current and future customers of Oracle.

    There has already been migration of more than one hundred companies from Oracle but with a market cap of $152 billion and earnings in the last quarter being $10.9 billion, this is insignificant for now. Given a couple of years of firms adopting the new databases though, the shift will become apparent.

    The current rooster of Oracle customers comprises some of the largest companies in every industry and a large portion of the public sector. However, longtime Oracle customers are looking to cheaper alternative to the notoriously pricey licensing of Ellison & Co. and upcoming companies are unfamiliar with the technology the giant uses. This is the root of the giant's foreseeable problems.

  • LG's 55-inch Super-Thin Curved OLED TV Hits Best Buy at $14,999


    Back at CES, LG was more than happy to tease that curved OLED HDTV. And now the company has announced its OLED HDTV is bringing revolutionary display technology to the U.S. market through its exclusive launch partner Best Buy. The super-thin curved screens, model 55EA9800, are available through Magnolia Stores inside Best Buy for just shy of 15 grand.

    The ground-breaking, ultra-thin curved design of the 55-inch LG Curved OLED TV, alongside a next-generation display technology, delivers an experience that sets the benchmark for TV design and home entertainment in the industry. LG has used its proprietary WRGB technology to create the perfect color output and its exclusive Color Refiner for tonal enhancement, producing images that are astoundingly vivid and realistic. The new TV weighs less than 38 pounds (17.2 kilograms) and the edge of the screen is 0.17 inches (4.3 millimeters).

    The Richfield, Minnesota store of retail giant Best Buy had already stocked the 55-inch set at the time of announcement. In the coming weeks, it will roll out in select Best Buys across New York, Los Angeles, Seattle, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. This new premium TV goes for $14,999.

  • Vulnerabilities Discovered in Code Library for Encrypted VoIP Calls

    At the onset of July, a code library for encrypted VoIP calls was found to have security flaws. Security firm Azimuth Security researchers discovered serious vulnerabilities in the open-source library ZRTPCPP, which is used by several applications to offer encrypted phone calls. PGP creator Phil Zimmermann designed ZRTPCPP specifically for the implementation of the ZRTP cryptographic key agreement protocol for VoIP communications.

    The Azimuth Security researchers say these flaws could be leveraged to perform denial-of-service attacks or arbitrary code execution. Apps that no longer get updates could also contain the vulnerabilities ad infinitum. Though not the first time security bugs are found in a code library, the ZRTPCPP problems serve as a somber reminder that security bugs can have widespread repercussions in a popular library.

    The apps that were affected by this security flaw include Twinkle, CSipSimple, SilentCircle, and LinPhone. This also includes anything that uses GNU ccRTP with ZRTP enabled. Luckily, the problems in the ZRTPCPP library were fixed almost instantly. SilentCircle was also quick to take action, updating all its apps on both the App Store and Google Play.