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  • Dropbox Spam Attack Underlines Possible Security Issues with Cloud Storage

    Dropbox is currently one of the industry leaders in cloud storage, alongside products like RapidShare, Google Drive and MediaFire. But when Dropbox became the target of a fairly major spam attack, even those that promote cloud computing had to admit that cloud storage poses a real security issue for IT professionals.

    The spam attack that Dropbox users experienced was traced back to the source, specifically one particular user who didn’t follow the basic rules of password security. A hacker snagged several users’ log-in information off a wide range of site, including the info of a current Dropbox employee, and discovered that employee used the same password and login for his Dropbox account as he did on the other sites. He accessed the employee Dropbox account and discovered a document filed with email addresses for other users. The result was tons of spam messages pushing Dropbox users to gambling sites.

    Although this problem was fairly minor in the grand scheme of things, it underlines the larger problem. Something much more sinister could have been introduced to the system, or the hacker could have figured out how to access some of the data stored on the Dropbox cloud. It starts with the individual’s misuse of passwords, but it also suggests that cloud storage employees may not be taking their responsibilities as seriously as they should.

    This time it was a list of emails, and that list was included without an additional password or any sort of encryption. Next time it could be government paperwork, or banking and medical records. Dropbox responded strongly to the issue, declaring they will instantly be incorporating security changes.

    Those changes will include an additional piece of identity proof during the sign-in authentication process, automated checks through the system searching out suspicious actions, a way for users to review their log-in history, and frequent requests to change passwords.

    It’s never going to be foolproof, but it is a solid step in the right direction. IT administrators will need to take a lesson from the Dropbox fiasco, and remind their coworkers about the need for heightened security. With billions of files now stored on the cloud, there’s simply too much data at risk to stand idly by.

  • Logitech's HDTV Webcam Enables Home Theater Skype Connection

    Logitech has long led the industry in wireless technology, with a mouse and keyboard sure to be found in most offices and homes in America. Now they’re launching pushing into new wireless territory with the TV Cam HD, a webcam that can be mounted on your home theater system.

    The TV Cam HD is a fully standalone device that comes stock with Skype built in. You place it on top of your current HDTV and log on to your Skype account wirelessly through your home network. And with the remote control, you can take care of the whole process from the comfort of your couch.

    Logitech didn’t rush this latest device, and the details prove that out. The wide-angle lens is a Carl Zeiss, and you’ll find four internal microphones to allow for group conversations. The inclusion of Skype on the TV Cam HD sets this release apart from prior Logitech releases such as the standard TV Cam., which required an HDTV set that was compatible with the camera and already installed with Skype. That became a problem, as many of the biggest HDTV brands, such as Samsung, Panasonic and LG, offer sets that do not support webcams on their own.

    Other popular integrated video conferencing units include the Biscotti and the Tely Labs TelyHD. The former works with Google Talk, and the latter with Skype. But Logitech’s version integrates so seamlessly with HDTV units that it may give those competitors some serious fits moving forward.

    Consumers can grab the TV Cam HD starting this month for $199, making it middle-of-the-pack as far as pricing. But if you spend a great deal of time on Skype and want to experience it in full HDTV quality, the purchase will be more than worth it.

  • Half the World's Smartphones are Delivered by Samsung and Apple

    A few days after the rival Apple announced its less spectacular results, it is time for Samsung to disclose the official figures of the financial performance in the second quarter, and they are pretty impressive.

    Mobile market grew by only 1% in the second quarter of 2012, compared with 2011, and the giants Samsung and Apple have delivered almost half of the smartphones in the world, according to a recent IDC study.

    The two companies have doubled their market share over the past two years distanced themselves more and more from the competition, but at the same time has also increased the advantage of those from Samsung from the Cupertino-based company.

    Thus, in chapter smartphones, Samsung's market share in the second quarter was 32.6% , while of those from Apple was 16.9%. Samsung has also managed to achieve deliveries of 50.2 million units during this period.

    However, we must take into account the fact that Samsung has already launched the model that counts the most in this year, Samsung Galaxy S3 and Apple's iPhone 5 will likely see the light of the day later this year, with a market share of 6.6% and shipments of 10.1 million units, followed by HTC, with 5.7% and 8.8 million units sold.

    In total, global deliveries in the second quarter of 2012 have reached the impressive figure of 153.9 million smartphones, according to the same study conducted by the IDC.

    Samsung, Apple and Nokia are the top three producers with the most smartphones sold, but the surprise is ZTE, which climbed up to the fifth place in this ranking, with an increase of 300%.

  • Obi202 VoIP Adapter Allows for Free Local Calls

    A company called Obihai Technology has created the Obi202, a VoIP adapter that, when used in conjunction with Google Talk gives consumers the ability to make unlimited free local calls. Google will allow the service to run free of charge through the end of the year, and the Obi202 can be bought for a mere $75 on Amazon.com.

    The crux of the Obi202’s visibility comes through their partnership with Google Talk. There are many other VoIP adapters on the market, but with the Obi202, a user doesn’t even need a computer to make or receive calls. In addition, it will work with any standard telephone. You plug the device into your router, and you’re basically ready to use the service.

    VoIP-List.com: extensive catalog of voip providers, available software and hardware resources

    Google has allowed free local calls with Google Talk since the summer of 2010, and they’ll continue to do so through the end of the year. At the end of each year they made an announcement about continued free service. So users will have to take a wait and see approach, as Google may end up offering another year of free local calls in the eleventh hour.

    Basic calling isn’t the only thing the Obi202 can do. Hop on your Android or iOs-powered device and download the OBiON app. It’s free as well, and will give you a fantastic additional service, the ability to bridge calls from your cell phone. That means even if you have a tablet or an iPod device with network service, you could then use it to make calls. And with a bit of extra code work, you could even receive incoming calls as well.

    Reviewers have been more than pleased with the latest version of the Obi202. The voice quality is impeccable, the router they ship is solid, and you can connect two different phone handsets and set up as many as four different VoIP accounts. It plugs right into a USB port, and can be connected to a hard drive that will then link into the router. Basically, it allows you to create your own cloud storage service, and you can link it up with Google Drive or Dropbox for added features.

  • Global VoIP Revenues on the Rise

    It seems as if 2012 will go down as a turning point in the rise of VoIP. According to a recent report by industry analyst Visiongain, global VoIP revenues will reach $65 billion in 2012.

    Telecom companies are probably going to be the biggest losers, as VoIP giants like Skype continue to increase market share and revenues. Mobile providers are doing their best to buck the trend, but it seems consumers, enjoying the inexpensive service and expanding capabilities of VoIP providers, are determined to move their business.

    The global financial picture remains murky, and VoIP service has built their reputation on cheap, reliable video and audio calling. Add that economic uncertainty to the increasing proliferation of tablets and smartphones, and you’ve got a situation where VoIP should only continue to grow.

    VoIP-List.com: extensive catalog of voip providers, available software and hardware resources.

    Visiongain authored a report that takes a look at the next five years in the VoIP market. According to their analysis, the potential for growth is limitless, and it is only missteps in strategy that could sink emerging and established companies. With an increasing user base and significant revenues, VoIP services can no longer be threatened by traditional operators. In fact, it is telecom companies that are facing the need to adapt.

    The detailed report brought together nearly sixty graphs, tables and charts to back up the accrued data. Visiongain projected market trends both internationally and in five particular regions. The report also took a look at some of the market’s leading companies, and interviewed key leaders in the VoIP landscape.

    Anyone interested in the changing trends, or considering investing in a VoIP provider would be wise to take a look at the compiled data. Elements of the report can be downloaded free of charge from the Visiongain website.

  • Samsung New Galaxy Note Launch Date Revealed

    Samsung has finally decided about the date that the new Galaxy Note will be launched and as it seems, it will be in the 29th of August.

    After all these rumors and speculations about the release of the brand new Galaxy Note, Samsung announced that they will launch it at the Mobile Unpacked event in Berlin, in the 29th of August. It was confirmed by a spokesman of Samsung to Reuters, although he preferred not to give any other details.

    Galaxy Note was a huge success back in 2011, with its 5.3-inch screen and  the Android Ice Cream Sandwich capturing everyone's attention. The fact that it was something between a smartphone and a tablet, created a new need for many of us, the need to have an extra device. And since it was carefully made to compete with the best, it had received great reviews by geek fans. According to Samsung, 7 million Galaxy Notes have already been sold, raising the standards for the new model.

    Samsung feels that after the release of the popular Galaxy S III smartphone, another release of a popular smartphone/tablet would be at a perfect timing. They know that they are finally among the powerful at the market and they need to live up to the customers' expectations. Many Samsung fans anticipate for the release of the new Galaxy Note. And the fact that it will be released before Google's Nexus 7 and before the brand new iPhone, means that they need to convince customers as fast as possible.

  • Users Complain of Spotty Google Talk Services

    Google spends an awful lot of time and money advertising some of their services, and Google Talk, featured on Gmail and Google+, receives a large percentage of that attention. Yet any users who attempted to use Google Talk on the east coast of the United States and around the world during one day last week disappointedly met only dead air.

    The service drop occurred just before 7AM EST, and continued for the next six hours. During that time, none of Google Talk’s VoIP services or video conferencing capabilities were available. Google hopped on their sites to report that they were aware of the problem, and that it was impacting a majority of their users. They promised swift action, which then took much of the day to materialize.

    Issues like these are one of the only things keeping VoIP companies from expanding their dominance even further. People need reliable telephone service, and many Google customers are businesses. Losing voice, chat and video services for more than half a day could be devastating if the timing is poor.

    VoIP-List.com: extensive catalog of voip providers, available software and hardware resources.

    The timing of the Google Voice crash was also quite strange in that it occurred on the same day that Twitter crashed for several hours. Of course they couldn’t be related, but that’s millions upon millions of dissatisfied users.

    Before Twitter went down, reports were surfacing there that the Google Talk delays were seen not only in the United States and the UK, but actually all around the world. Google did not give a reason for the issue, only promising to resolve it expediently. Hours later, they were able to solve the problem.

  • 4K: The Future of HDTV

    Technology continues to change almost at the speed of thought. Go back half a decade, and the HDTV was the height of the home theater experience. Then 3D HDTVs came out, and users around the world rushed out to bring one home. But now 4K HDTVs are right around the corner, and will again change the home viewing experience forever.

    Also known as either Ultra HD or Super HD, the 4K refers to the horizontal resolution of the device. That means you’ll get nearly 4,000 pixels on the diagonal, and almost 2,000 pixels vertically. That adds up to a total of nearly eight million pixels. So sitting in front of a 4K set will give viewers the experience of watching the combined power of four HDTVs at the same time.

    The industry hasn’t yet created a real standard for the 4K HDTV. You’ll find Quad HD (3840 x 2160) and 4K/2K (4096 x 2160), and additional options for projectors and cameras. The 4K HDTV was the brainchild of Hollywood, looking for a way to create more options for the current crop of digital visionaries. The recent “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” remake was screened in 4K, and it seems that more and more films will follow suit.

    Once the 4K HDTV hits the living room, it will truly change the home screening experience. The problem will be content. There just isn’t much out there that will take full advantage of the resolution. Ideally, new programming will arise, but there is no timetable for that.

    Size and price may also be an issue for many consumers. The 4K HDTVs that are now being shown off are all at least 84-inch displays, and are going to hit the market at costs over $20,000. And according to tech experts, the ideal screen size for the 4K set would be 25 feet. So until it becomes more prevalent, only the richest and most dedicated viewers will be able to enjoy this new technology.

  • LawCaseXchange Offers a "DropBox for Lawyers"

    Cloud storage has become a viable option for all businesses, but some industries need services more closely tailored to their needs. Thanks to a startup that just launched on Friday, lawyers should soon have what they’re looking for.

    The company is called LawCaseXchange, and the goal of Founder Shayn McFarland is to create a service that can share case documents quickly and securely online. McFarland has spent the last decade working as a paralegal, observing the inefficient way that case files were emailed or sent by physical couriers.

    Many cloud storage services have cropped up over the past few years, but none of the big titles, such as Dropbox, iCloud or Google Drive, focused enough on organization and collaboration to fit the needs of legal professionals.

    LawCaseXchange addresses those issues directly. Case files can be organized inside of specific case folders, with the proper parties invited to check out a new document as soon as it is uploaded. All files are available for the life of the case, and if new counsel comes on board, they have the complete history at their disposal.

    The startup utilizes Amazon’s S3 cloud, and it’s 256-bit encryption technology. McFarland said that they needed that massive might in case the company’s stored data is ever subpoenaed. It’s a similar level of support that the big companies enjoy, and is currently being put through the paces by a large legal firm based in San Diego.

    According to some attorneys that commented on the new product release, LawCaseXchange should be a fantastic resource for smaller firms that can’t afford to build out an internal management system for the massive amount of documents that pour through their office.

    Companies looking to pick up the service can get started for only $10 a month, which buys 5GB of dedicated storage and 30GB of downloads. At the highest level, $60 a month will buy 200GB of storage and 200GB of downloads.

  • Nokia promotes pink Lumia 900 with a nail polish

    Nokia has decided to promote its popular Lumia 900 phone, not in the conventional way, but rather with a more creative idea.

    In order to promote the pink Lumia 900 phone, they decided to launch a matching pink nail polish. "Nokia Lumia Pink" was designed by Duality Cosmetics and in case you are interested in buying it, it will only be available at one-day (and only) events in Dallas, Denver and Los Angeles. Moreover, if you attend these events, you will also be able to receive manicure and pedicure, in pink color of course. If you are not into pink, Nokia Lumia 900 also comes in white, black and cyan. However, pink is Nokia's latest release for Lumia 900, which justifies their need to promote it as much as possible, turning the smartphone into an accessory.

    According to Valerie Buckingham, director of marketing for Nokia North America:

    “phones are in your back pocket all day [and should represent] the most personal parts of your style.”

    Thus, Nokia Lumia 900 Pink targets women that need to match their smartphone with their colorful style. It is part of Nokia's efforts to boost sales, struggling to keep up with the high smartphone competition. Although Nokia Lumia phones started selling at a satisfactory rate, they have recently seen a drop in their price, in order to remain at the game.

    Can Nokia make it with such marketing ideas, though?