Category: What’s On

Concerns about identity theft, financial fraud and business or government tracking are creating a "chilling effect" on online commerce and free expression, according to analysis of data from a 2015 survey of Internet use conducted for the Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Of the 41,000 households asked about privacy and security in the July 2015 U.S. Census Bureau survey for the NTIA, 19 percent of those using the Internet said they had experienced a personal problem related

Radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags have proved useful for things like tracking inventory, but they haven't worked in games and other applications that require fast information processing -- until now. A team of researchers from Disney and Carnegie Mellon University have developed a way to use RFID tags for near-real-time interactions with a wide variety of objects.The new system, called RapID, uses probabilistic models to enable computers to quickly read the movements of RFID-enabled objects to play games and identify other

In the latest salvo of the battle of the note-taking apps, Google and Evernote announced this week that Google Drive content will now be available in Evernote. In the world of mobile note-taking apps, Evernote is the primary competitor of Microsoft’s OneNote. Evernote had also been competing with Google’s own note-taking app, Google Keep, but Evernote said that integrating with Google Drive content is a natural next step for the company."We want anyone using Drive to have access to their content

A new study from Microsoft has found that organizations now rely more on digital infrastructures than they do on physical infrastructures. The findings indicate that cloud deployment models have now overtaken any other type of deployment in the technology sector, according to the company, which asked tech research firm 451 Research to conduct the study. “As organizations prepare for major business and technology changes, they will depend more on digital platforms to deliver products and services,” the company wrote in a

The latest developer version of Opera Software's browser features a power-saving mode the company said can extend a laptop's battery life by almost 50 percent, compared to previous versions of the browser as well as Google Chrome. Opera 39 includes a feature that activates when a laptop is unplugged from a power source. When that happens, a battery icon appears next to the browser's search and address field; clicking that icon turns on the power-saving mode.While in development, the browser was

German tech giant SAP said that it will be expanding the enterprise offerings available on its HANA Cloud Platform for Internet of Things (IoT). Making the announcement at the IoT World 2016 conference being held in Santa Clara, Calif., this week, SAP said the new offerings will be focused on helping enterprises provide new customer outcomes. “SAP is helping customers map their journeys through digital transformation, and the IoT has the potential to drive the largest segment of growth in new

A long-rumored app from Google aims to make browsing with a mobile device easier than ever. The company today launched Gboard, a new application for iOS that enables Google search directly from a mobile device’s keyboard. The app makes searches simpler and also offers swipe-based typing and access to GIFs and such commonly used keyboard functions as emojis and word predictions. And the keyboard integrates directly with Google’s services. Tapping a G-shaped icon instantly enables a user to search Google without

The latest update to SugarCRM's customer relationship management (CRM) platform adds several new capabilities aimed at providing sales and marketing professionals with "more timely and relevant" information about their customers. Sugar 7.7 adds new support for custom tags to help users better classify information about their customers in ways that work for them, the company said. The updated platform also improves search capabilities to deliver the most relevant results quickly, according to SugarCRM.The new version of Sugar also enhances the platform's

The workplace chat app Slack is making a move to leave a mark on enterprise apps of all kinds. Today, the company announced that it’s rolling out a new feature called Sign in with Slack. The feature lets Slack users sign into and use other apps with the same identities they use with Slack. Sign in with Slack is a way to keep teams connected across the many apps they use for work, the company said.The advantages of the new feature

Microsoft unveiled a new insider preview build for Windows 10 yesterday. The new version, titled Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14342, includes the much-anticipated updates for extensions support for the Edge browser, along with real-time Web notifications and the ability to navigate using swipe gestures. The new build also contains a slew of fixes for known issues such as problems with DRM-protected content, bugs causing audio content to crash and an issue causing the search box on the Language Settings page

Separate investigations by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have been launched into how smartphone makers and wireless service providers handle device security updates for their customers. Following a resolution adopted by FTC commissioners Friday, the agency is ordering eight mobile device companies to submit information about how and when they decide to issue security patches for vulnerabilities. The companies that must submit responses to those orders within 45 days are Apple, BlackBerry, Google, HTC America,

One of the creators of the artificial intelligence (AI) behind Siri, the digital assistant acquired by Apple in 2010, today demonstrated a next-generation AI called Viv that he said could eventually let people "converse" with any smart device in the Internet of things. Siri creator Dag Kittlaus currently runs a San Jose startup called Viv Labs, founded with fellow Siri creator Adam Cheyer. (Another Siri creator, Tom Gruber, now works for Apple.) At the Disrupt NY 2016 tech conference in New

Live streaming video app Periscope is making a couple of changes to its video broadcast app. Periscope announced today that beginning in a few weeks all videos will be saved by default, rather than expire after 24 hours. The new functionality could have significant ramifications for companies that have struggled to find ways to use the app for promotional purposes. In addition to saving videos by default, the Twitter-owned platform also announced two other major feature changes: the ability to search

With at least four months to go before the much-anticipated iPhone 7 is released, Apple fan sites are buzzing with the latest rumor that the new device might lack the innovative Smart Connector feature. Introduced last fall with the new iPad Pro, the Smart Connector enables the transfer of both power and data between two Apple devices without the need for cords or Bluetooth pairing. For example, a Smart Keyboard connected to the iPad Pro (shown here) doesn't require any internal

A wearable technology developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University may one day make touchscreens for smart watches unnecessary as users could issue commands to their devices simply by touching their own arms. The new technology would essentially transform a user’s entire lower arm into a touchpad, capable of receiving commands traced on the skin. The system, called SkinTrack, was developed by Carnegie Mellon’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute’s Future Interfaces Group (HCII). The interface supports continuous touch tracking on both the hands

We use them every day, and they’re crucially important -- yet, far too often we’re lazy and careless about them. Passwords, and the importance of keeping them secure, are once again in the news after word emerged Wednesday of a data breach that put more than 272 million passwords and account credentials at risk. Milwaukee-based cybersecurity firm Hold Security reported that a Russian hacker had offered a tranche of 1.17 billion credentials for about $1, because the cybercriminal was more interested

In its ongoing effort to pursue enterprise markets, Apple announced yesterday that it is teaming up with SAP to develop iPhone and iPad apps for business users. As part of that partnership, the companies also plan to release a new software development kit (SDK) and launch a training academy to promote the building of native iOS apps for enterprises. Apple launched a similar partnership with IBM in 2014 to develop apps designed specifically for use in key business sectors. Under that

Almost a year after federal concerns about a cable/broadband monopoly derailed a proposed merger between Comcast and Time Warner Cable (TWC), officials yesterday gave a conditional thumbs-up to a three-way marriage of TWC, Charter Communications and Bright House Networks. Under the terms hammered out between the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the newly merged company will be prohibited for seven years from charging premium interconnection fees to other broadcasters or online streaming services using its network.

Technology stocks are cooling, and that could be bad news for the world’s most valuable company. Apple Inc. warned investors this week that its quarterly earnings report will contain bad news about iPhone sales. How bad? That remains to be seen. According to its January forecast, Apple's revenue is set to drop for the first time in more than a decade as iPhone sales slow.Even though iPhone sales haven’t been great, investors hope the company’s profits, which were to be released

Judging by the responses from users on Twitter, Dropbox' new technology for accessing cloud-based files from the desktop will be a welcome and much-needed improvement. Unveiled today, the "Project Infinite" preview will let Dropbox users view all their cloud-stored files and folders from their devices without having to first launch a browser. "Dropbox Infinite is exactly what I've been looking for for several years now," Web developer Nils Riedemann wrote today in a tweet. Tech news publisher Owen Williams added, "Whoa,

Verizon Deploys OpenStack NFV in 5 U.S. Data CentersWorking with Big Switch Networks, Dell and Red Hat, Verizon said it has just wrapped up "the industry's largest-known" network functions virtualization (NFV) OpenStack cloud deployment across five of its data centers in the U.S. NFV enables network services typically provided by separate devices like routers, firewalls and load balancers to be delivered through a virtual machine environment. It's a strategy designed to lower costs and speed up deployment of services. Verizon, which announced

U.S. Health & Human Services Goes Salesforce for $100M CRM UpgradeThe Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) recently announced an agency-wide $100 million Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for Salesforce subscriptions. The agreement will allow HHS operating staff and personnel in other divisions to purchase Salesforce products and services through a central purchasing vehicle. The agency said the agreement will help streamline CRM (customer relationship management) software purchasing decisions throughout the department. “Driven by the use of mobile, social and cloud technologies

NASA and the U.S. Department of State were among the federal agencies that received low marks on IT security, according to a recent report card issued by the New York-based firm Security Scorecard. Also receiving low grades were the states of Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Washington. The 2016 U.S. Government Cybersecurity Report, released earlier this month, analyzed the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of some 600 local, state and federal government agencies. It found that government organizations perform poorly in information security compared to private-sector

A lot of factors go into helping Facebook determine which News Feed items appear first on a user's page. This week, the company has added new considerations to ensure it delivers interesting content that's geared specifically to each user. One of the new factors being added to the News Feed algorithm is time spent viewing an item. Facebook figures that the longer a user reads or views an item, the more likely it is that the user finds that content interesting,

Microsoft released the latest build of Windows 10 to members of its Insider Preview program today. The release, labeled Build 14328, includes upgrades to Windows Ink, the Start button, Cortana, and the Search function. The company released a previous version of the build for mobile devices earlier this week, so this latest version focuses primarily on PC functionality. There are so many changes in the latest build that some users might want to wait around for a more stable version of

Microsoft released the latest build of Windows 10 to members of its Insider Preview program today. The release, labeled Build 14328, includes upgrades to Windows Ink, the Start button, Cortana, and the Search function. The company released a previous version of the build for mobile devices earlier this week, so this latest version focuses primarily on PC functionality. There are so many changes in the latest build that some users might want to wait around for a more stable version of

As we commemorate the 47th annual Earth Day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a message for individuals or businesses thinking about throwing old electronic equipment and gadgets in the trash: Don’t. The agency, along with many other public and private organizations, is encouraging people to find ways to re-use or recycle the electronic machines and devices that seem to be produced by the millions each day. The agency estimated that every 1 million recycled mobile devices can potentially yield

As we commemorate the 47th annual Earth Day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a message for individuals or businesses thinking about throwing old electronic equipment and gadgets in the trash: Don’t. The agency, along with many other public and private organizations, is encouraging people to find ways to re-use or recycle the electronic machines and devices that seem to be produced by the millions each day. The agency estimated that every 1 million recycled mobile devices can potentially yield

Cloud-based and digital transformation-related services are making strong contributions to Microsoft's bottom line, while its PC sales have proven to be a drag and Windows Phone revenues are crashing, the company reported yesterday. Microsoft's financial results for the third quarter of its 2015-2016 fiscal year showed the company with revenues of $20.5 billion, a six-percent decline over earnings in the same quarter last year. Those figures included a deferral of more than $1.5 billion in revenues related mostly to the July

Tech giant Amazon is expanding its foothold in the automated smart home space with the launch of two new Internet of Things products: the Echo Dot, and the Amazon Tap. The Echo Dot provides voice-control for home stereo systems, or it can be used to control smart home devices. The Tap is a wireless speaker that can also be used to connect to Amazon’s Alexa voice service. Both devices are being pitched as complements to the original Echo, the voice-controlled speaker

Consumers who like doing a little armchair R&D will soon get their chance, thanks to a new initiative from Sony. The electronics giant has established what it’s calling the Future Lab Program to help the company employ user feedback to refine and improve new products. The newfangled research and development effort has the goal of releasing concept prototypes that will eventually evolve in an open, creative environment -- and with help from open communication with the public.The goal of the initiative

With little fanfare, Amazon has removed the option for device encryption for tablets, phones and other products running its Fire OS 5 operating system. The decision has been met with widespread confusion and criticism, especially as Amazon yesterday filed an amicus brief in support of Apple's decision not to give the FBI access to the data on the iPhone of one of the San Bernadino, Calif. terrorists. Amazon's move on Fire OS 5 (pictured above) encryption came to light after David

Three days after a report indicated that Twitter might soon introduce an algorithm-driven timeline, fans of the microblogging site are continuing to tweet their complaints using the hashtag #RIPTwitter. The outpouring of commentary in the wake of Friday's report in BuzzFeed prompted CEO Jack Dorsey (pictured above) to respond with two tweets of his own on Saturday. In one, he noted that Twitter "never planned to reorder timelines" in the coming week.Twitter currently posts new tweets to a user's timeline in

Verizon Wireless last week started pitching an alternative to T-Mobile’s Binge On free mobile streaming service. But how does go90 stack up against the competition? Go90 (pictured above) is Verizon Wireless’ all-in-one mobile entertainment app. It offers live sports, live music, original shows and popular TV episodes -- 21,000 titles to be exact. The service also boasts 50 exclusive original series on its roster.The United States’ largest wireless carrier announced Friday that all post-paid customers can watch go90 video content on