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Apple introduces Apple Watch

During the iPhone 6 launch yesterday, Apple announced the Apple Watch, which is its first incursion into the world of wearable tech. The Apple Watch is a smartwatch with a rectangular face, swappable bands, sapphire glass, inductive charging, rotating digital crown, and a heartbeat sensor.

You will have an opportunity to choose between 6 different straps, including a leather loop, a sport band, stainless steel strap and a classic leather buckle that is easy to adjust.

The watch will also be available in 2 different sizes and 3 different collections, including the Watch Edition, Watch, and Watch Sport.

Of course, the Apple Watch will only work in conjunction with an iPhone, so you will have to own a relatively new model starting with iPhone 5.

Revolutionary you think?

During the launch, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook said “We love to make new products that improve people’s lives. We love to make things that allow our users to make things that they could never have imagined.” He also added that the Apple Watch will redefine what people expect from its category.

How Different is it from the iPhone?

Cook stressed that they did not just take the iPhone and transformed it into a watch. Take the Pinch to Zoom for instance, this wouldn’t work on a watch and for that matter, Apple has a small dial on the side of the watch known as the digital crown. Pressing the dial takes you to the home screen which you can personalize.

They also introduced the digital touch that allows users to quickly share a sketch that is drawn on the watch’s face. Since the watch doesn’t have a keyboard, the digital touch allows you to still communicate relatively complex ideas using sketches.

It is also important not to forget the basic function of the watch – it’s a timepiece. The watch is able to keep unfailingly precise time of 50 milliseconds of the global standard time.

You can also receive and send texts from the watch. You will feel a gentle tap whenever you get a message and you can also send out quick replies. There are customizable animated emoji too.

The watch is also your intelligent fitness companion as it will provide you with a complete report of you day’s physical activity. This includes the number of steps taken, the frequency, and quality as well. Your Activity App will simply display your fitness level in 3 rings that show your progress and thus provide you with all the motivation you need to exercise more and keep fit.

The Apple Watch retail price will start at $349 and will be available early 2015.

September 10, 2014
Apple Announces iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

Apple has just announced iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, two new models with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch Retina HD displays, and packed with some new technologies in an all-new thin design.

iPhone 6 features a 4.7-inch display with 1334 x 750 resolution (38 percent more viewing area than iPhone 5s), while iPhone 6 Plus features an even bigger 5.5-inch display with 1920 x 1080 resolution (88 percent more viewing area and nearly three times the pixels than iPhone 5s.)

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus include: the A8 chip with second generation 64-bit architecture; improved iSight and FaceTime HD cameras; ultrafast wireless technology VoLTE and Apple Pay, a new mobile payment system:

Users can pay securely and conveniently in stores by simply holding the phone near the contactless reader while keeping a finger on Touch ID; there is no need to unlock your iPhone or launch an app.

With Apple Pay, you can also make one-touch purchases within apps, without having to enter credit card or shipping information. All payment information is kept private, encrypted and stored securely in the Secure Element, a chip inside the new iPhones.

Both models include the M8 motion coprocessor that gathers motion data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, compass and the new barometer, which senses air pressure to provide relative elevation.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus include iOS 8 with new Messages and Photos features, QuickType keyboard, a new Health app, Family Sharing and iCloud Drive.

Pricing and Availability

iPhone 6 comes in gold, silver or space gray, and will be available in the US for $199 for the 16GB model, $299 for the 64GB model and for $399 for a new 128GB model (with a two-year contract).

iPhone 6 Plus comes in the same colors and will be available in the US for $299 for the 16GB model, $399 for the 64GB model and $499 for the new 128GB model (with a two-year contract.)

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK beginning on Friday, September 19, and customers can pre-order both models beginning on Friday, September 12.

September 10, 2014
IFA 2014: Samsung To Incorporate Netflix and Amazon 4K Ultra HD TV Apps

Samsung are partnering up with Netflix, Amazon, Maxdome, Chili, and Wuaki.tv with the intent of incorporating loads of 4K Ultra HD content to their smart TVs. The South Korean electronics giant is expected to launch Amazon’s Ultra HD service in October. Meanwhile, Netflix’s 4K app is going to be stretched to Europe later this year, making a debut with “House of Cards”, the political drama.

Samsung also reinforced its cooperation with major European content partners, including maxdome, Wuaki.tv, and CHILI “to secure more UHD content to work towards a more robust UHD ecosystem.”

According to the visual display’s executive vice president at Samsung’s electronics, Won Jin Lee, the UHD era has begun making it important to provide customers with more options as far as the UHD content goes. This will help in continuing the widespread adoption of UHD content. Won further added that Samsung offers its consumers with a wider range of UHD content for them to enjoy on their immersive Curved Ultra HD TVs.

This is definitely not Samsung’s first venture into the 4K UHD content market. Prior to World Cup, Samsung partnered up with Portugal Telecom and with RTP, the Portuguese broadcaster to show live warm-up matches employing the MEO content service on 4K TVs across the world.

The next big step for the excellent quality TV revolution is to come up with a secure UHD content distribution solution with the SCSA (Secure Content Storage Association). Samsung is working with SCSA’s founding partners including Warner Bros, 20th Century Fox, Western Digital, and ScanDisk and have sprung a 500GB external hard drive which is pre-loaded with 40 tiles having 4K picture quality that includes ‘life of Pi’ and ‘ Star Trek Into Darkness’.

September 4, 2014
WhatsApp Will Soon Include Free VoIP Calls

Jan Koum, the CEO of WhatsApp, declared in February a WhatsApp update that will offer free VoIP calls for the Blackberry, Android, Windows phone, and iOS. The Voice over IP is still to be seen occurring as an upgrade even though its launch was speculated for the second half of this year. If the VoIP feature is enabled, it will certainly put WhatsApp at per with some of the most renowned calling and messaging applications like Skype and Viber.

Nonetheless, WhatsApp have a greater advantage when compared to their rivals in the sense that the application is much simpler to master and it also utilizes less bandwidth – this consequently eliminates lags and delays during voice calls.

A few depicted screenshots of the anticipated update have leaked showing arrangements that the call will be initiated from chat. However, the calling is anticipated not to impede with instant messaging. Only after the user grants the application permission to make the call will the VoIP call be initiated successfully.

The leaks also suggest a call button, mute, speakerphone, and the VoIP calls can be made by 3G connections as well as Wi-Fi.

The cost of making the VoIP calls has not yet been disclosed but they are expected to be a little lower compared to other VoIP providers.

Source: tech2

September 3, 2014
6 Essential Public WiFi Security Tips

There are many risks associated with using a free WiFi network to browse sites that house private information. It’s quite easy to scan a public WiFI network to get a list of all the IPs currently connected. Once a snooper has that list, there’s a large amount of things they can do with that information. They can, for example, install software on your computer which can then be used to capture confidential information such as usernames and passwords, credit card numbers, even emails or search history.

SaferVPN assembled their 6 fundamental tips for staying safe on public WiFi:

1. Turn off sharing

Uncheck all the boxes (music, photos, printers, etc.) from the Homegroup section of Network and Internet Settings on a PC and from Sharing under System Preferences on a Mac.

2. Use anti-malware / antivirus

This applies to much more than public WiFi alone – you should always protect your computers and mobile devices from malicious attacks. It’s not much different than getting your annual flu shot. There are some great free and paid solutions out there. PC Magazine has a nice unbiased list of their favorites here.

3. Use HTTPS

General rule of thumb: don’t enter sensitive information (credit card numbers, social security number, even a password) on pages that don’t have https at the very beginning of the URL (the full address you see towards the top of your screen). If you are just browsing around, playing a game or catching up on the news, having https won’t matter as much.

4. Protect your passwords

If you use the same password for every site, or if you password is featured in the dictionary, you’ve got a problem. In fact, a password’s lifespan really shouldn’t exceed more than 6 to 12 months. But how do you manage all of these unique passwords? Apps like 1password or LastPass will do it for you.

5. Enable a firewall

This is a quick an easy task that can be accomplished on both Windows and Mac that prevents undesired web traffic from entering (or exiting) your computer. This adds an extra layer of security and can be used to prevent computers from accessing certain sites and content. You can learn how to configure your firewall here.

6. Confirm the network name

Before you try to connect to the WiFi at your local Starbucks, make sure the network is actually called Starbucks and not something suspicious like Stars and Bucks. On top of that, it’s very easy to assign any name to a network so think before you click as there may be more than one “Hotel_WiFi-Guest”. Always gotta be on the look-out for the little things.

Source: SaferVPN

August 26, 2014
The Dangers of VoIP Fraud [Sponsored post]

As the VoIP industry has grown in both importance and economic potential, unfortunately this has also resulted in fraud incidents becoming more frequent and damaging. As such, fraud is a very expensive problem for the industry and needs to be combatted. Consequently, many anti-fraud websites and networks have been established to report fraud and to warn others against rogue operators.

VoIP forums and social networks like LinkedIn are flooded with topics from users devoted to companies accused of non-payment and other fraudulent activity. However, not all of these media are moderated and sometimes the information cannot be verified. Suffice it to say, some of these claims can be very doubtful.

For this very delicate situation, reputable resources with verified information are needed. Lots of companies use VoIPfraud.net to publish and check information about fraudsters and nonpayers. The website, 9 years old and with thousands of registered users, is devoted to fraudulent schemes and companies operating in the VoIP sector.

Just like on the forums and social networks, users can publish information about fraudulent organizations they have had the misfortune to deal with. However, what makes voipfraud.net different is that each claim is checked and needs to be verified by an administrator before publishing. Only after the administrator has contacted the accused company to check the information can the warning appear on the website.

Learn more at www.voipfraud.net.

August 19, 2014
Speedflow Announces MediaCore Mobile Web-interface

Speedflow, a telecom services provider and VoIP software developer with long-term industry experience, announced the release of a new version of its MediaCore Solution, which includes new “exciting and innovative” options adapted to all devices and applications.

According to Speedflow, this is just one of many steps the company has taken to “keep up with modern technological trends” and to make MediaCore more user-friendly. Compatible with both smartphones and tablets, these features are available for current clients with the latest MediaСore version.

The Mobile Web enables Speedflow customers to stay in touch with their business flow while on the move. Users can check financial performance on-the-go and make instant adjustment to the settings.

The web interface has been made compatible with all device resolutions, so access from mobile and desktop will use the same login information.

It will be possible to see MediaСore in action throughout the autumn at international exhibitions and conferences. You can find more details on the company website.

July 23, 2014
Microsoft Ups Storage 5,000% to 1 TB for Each Office 365 User

Microsoft bumped up its cloud storage increasing it from 20 GB to 1 TB for every Office 365 user. It also increased its Microsoft OneDrive from 7 GB to 15 GB. According to Microsoft’s data, out of every four people, three have storage of less than 15 GB on their PC.

This storage boost has put Microsoft in the forefront when compared to Google and Dropbox, as far as free allocation goes. The Free Dropbox accounts get a sparing 2GB, even though it may be expanded through signing up friends. While Google may offer 15 GB free cloud storage, it includes Gmail, Drive and Photos.

In addition, Microsoft has also lowered the price of purchasing additional storage to$2 per month from the previous cost of $7.50 per month for 100 GB.

Office 365 storage

So if you are thinking of getting more than an extra 100 GB, you will be better of switching to an Office 365 account, as all Office 365 account holders get storage increase to 1TB.

A personal Office 365 subscription costs $6.99 per month and comes with 1 TB for every user while the Home Office 365 subscription costs up to $9.99 monthly and comes with approximately five 1TB OneDrive allocations.

An earlier announcement by Microsoft also revealed that OneDrive for Business clients as well as university students also get a boost to 1 TB.

All the changes are expected to be effected this month, according to Microsoft.

July 17, 2014
Apple and IBM partner to bring a ‘new class’ of business iPhone and iPad apps to enterprise
Apple and IBM announced yesterday an exclusive partnership to transform enterprise mobility through a ‘new class’ of business apps – MobileFirst for iOS that will bring IBM’s big data and analytics capabilities to iPhone and iPad.

The partnership aims to ‘address key industry mobility challenges’ by creating:
- a new class of more than 100 industry-specific enterprise solutions including native apps, developed exclusively from the ground up, for iPhone and iPad;
- unique IBM cloud services optimized for iOS, including device management, security, analytics and mobile integration;
- new AppleCare® service and support offering tailored to the needs of the enterprise; and
- new packaged offerings from IBM for device activation, supply and management.
As part of the agreement, IBM will also sell iPhones and iPads with the industry-specific solutions to business clients worldwide.

Specifically, the two companies are working together to deliver the following elements of enterprise mobile solutions:

– Mobile solutions that transform business: The companies will collaborate to build IBM MobileFirst for iOS Solutions—a new class of “made-for-business apps” targeting specific industry issues or opportunities in retail, healthcare, banking, travel and transportation, telecommunications and insurance, among others, that will become available starting this fall and into 2015.

– Mobile platform: The IBM MobileFirst Platform for iOS will deliver the services required for an end-to-end enterprise capability, from analytics, workflow and cloud storage, to fleet-scale device management, security and integration.

– Mobile service and support: AppleCare for Enterprise will provide IT departments and end users with 24/7 assistance from Apple’s customer support group, with on-site service delivered by IBM.

– Packaged service offerings: IBM is introducing IBM MobileFirst Supply and Management for device supply, activation and management services for iPhone and iPad, with leasing options.
July 16, 2014
Google Drive for Work Takes on Dropbox with Unlimited Storage for $10 Monthly

For the first time ever, an unlimited storage has been offered by a cloud file storage service at entry level prices. Google has released the much anticipated Google Drive for Work which presents unlimited storage for as little as US$10 monthly. Since a Google Drive for Work account with less than five users is limited to 1TB storage as per user, it means that a business may spend up to $50.

The incorporation of Quickoffice into the newly launched Drive grants a user the ability to not only open a Microsoft document, but also make changes to it in its innate format is a major drawcard. These also applies to Power Point and Excel files both in Chrome browser and Android mobile devices on a laptop or desktop computer.

Google is making plans to extend this ability to iOS devices soon.

Two years after its introduction to the market, Google Drive has managed to get more than 190 million users globally.

Google Drive for Work has given more security settings and control to businesses which would like to know who shares files and how. The service gives businesses a chance to share up to 5TB in files for the public to download, comment, edit or simply view.

Google Drive’s compatibility with over and above 40 file formats allows for previewing of PDFs, Microsoft Office documents, videos, images and spreadsheets without the need for extra software.

Another notable alteration to the consumer Google Drive is the full support and stronger security. All files are encrypted when being transferred to the Drive’s cloud data center from the user’s computer and remain encrypted while in storage and even when transferred to any mobile device.

July 14, 2014