Category: What’s On

Drone maker DJI and Canonical want to help developers’ applications take flight. Literally. The companies announced today that they are releasing a computer embedded on a drone platform. The goal is to allow developers to transform drones into more intelligent, autonomous machines capable of performing complex computing tasks on their own, according to DJI. The DJI Manifold, as the new system is called, runs on Canonical’s Ubuntu operating system and supports CUDA, OpenCV and ROS. The platform has been optimized for

Boston-based enterprise storage provider ClearSky Data said it has raised $27 million in a Series B investment round led by Polaris Partners, along with Akamai Technologies. The money will be used by ClearSky to refine its managed service delivery model for enterprise storage, which the company said combines the performance and availability of primary storage with the economics and scalability of the cloud. ClearSky made a splash over the summer with a plan to offer a multi-tiered, fully managed, hybrid data-management

As the latest figures from StatCounter and Netmarketshare for October show slowing adoption rates for Windows 10, Microsoft is looking at ways to nudge more users into its new operating system. The company revealed last week that it will soon classify Windows 10 as an "optional update" for users with devices still running Windows 7 and Windows 8.1. And early in 2016, it plans to recategorize Windows 10 as a "recommended update."Originally, upgrading to Windows 10 consisted of a two-step process.

In a split decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. today ruled that Apple has the right to seek an injunction to prevent Samsung from using several smartphone features found to have infringed on Apple patents. In a 2-1 ruling, the appeals court asserted that U.S. District Court Judge Lucy Koh erred in an earlier ruling against Apple's request for an injunction against Samsung. Part of today's ruling is based on case law established by

Russian Hackers Targeting U.S. Government, F-Secure SaysState-sponsored cyberattacks have been tied directly to a hacking group that gathers intelligence for Russia’s Kremlin. F-Secure Labs has just published a white paper that outlines seven years of attacks against governments in the United States, Asia and Europe. A malicious group called the Dukes uses a family of malware toolsets to steal information by infiltrating computer networks and sending the data back to the attackers, according to F-Secure Labs. The former Georgian Information Center

A recently discovered vulnerability in Android Lollipop allows an attacker to bypass the password lockscreen on a mobile device and gain full access. The flaw was discovered by a security researcher at the University of Texas at Austin, who said he has already alerted Google about his findings. The exploit requires an attacker to have physical access to the device but it will only work if the device’s owner has secured it with a password. The attack won’t be successful if

New York-based developer FiftyThree today launched Paper version 3.0, calling the new version of the note-taking program the biggest update in the app's history. The free app brings all of a user’s text notes, lists, photos, and sketches together, providing a space to collect ideas in any form the user prefers. The updated version of the three-year-old app comes with support for the Apple iPhone and several new features. In announcing the new version, FiftyThree said its goal is to turn

Developers and IT pros have been test-driving a preview of Office 2016 since March, but the final version is now set to launch starting September 22. Microsoft said the "seminal" release will be chock full of new IT management features. The new suite of Office applications will give Office 365 ProPlus business subscribers a choice of two types of ongoing updates. As they have in the past, company and organizational users can continue to receive feature and security updates on a

In a move to compete against Apple Pay, Google is revamping its mobile payment system. The search engine giant is starting to roll out Android Pay, a “simple and secure” way to pay for goods with your Android mobile operating system-powered phone. In fact, consumers with Android Pay installed on their smartphones can pay for goods at over 1 million locations in the United States. Beyond making digital payments, Android Pay even stores gift cards, loyalty cards and special offers on

It’s the first plug-in vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot to hit the market -- at least the first from AT&T. The wireless giant has tag-teamed with ZTE USA to offer ZTE Mobley, which launches on September 11 in AT&T brick-and-mortar and online stores. Packing a a powerful punch, the ZTE Mobley allows you to connect up to five devices to the Internet. You can use the hotspot data plan to surf the Web, play games and watch videos on AT&T’s LTE network.“The ZTE

Russian-speaking hackers with the cyberespionage group Turla have found a way to exploit weaknesses in global satellite networks to steal data while disguising the locations of their computers, the security firm Kaspersky Lab has revealed. Researchers at the firm said the hacking group, which has infected hundreds of computers in nearly four dozen countries over its eight-plus years of operation, has found an "exquisite" way to steal information by infecting the computers of Internet users connecting via satellite.The strategy allows Turla

Apple unveiled its iPhone 6S (pictured) and 6S Plus today at its annual new product blowout in San Francisco. The form factors and screen sizes of the two phones (4.7 inches and 5.5 inches, respectively) are the same as previous models, but that's about where the similarities end. The big news on the iPhone 6S and 6S plus is the new input feature, previously called Force Touch and now branded 3D Touch. The feature offers on-screen sensors that respond to pressure.

When it comes to Microsoft Windows 10, the momentum is huge. At least that’s the message Redmond is sending to the masses. Nick Parker (pictured), corporate vice president of Microsoft’s OEM division, took the stage at the IFA 2015 consumer electronics show in Berlin today to talk about the new operating system and how much traction it’s gaining even in the early days of its release. “Our strategy is clear and our strategy is to build the best mobile and productivity

Fast-growing, Portland, Oregon-based video-streaming infrastructure company Elemental Technologies is becoming a property of Amazon Web Services. AWS has reportedly clinched a deal to acquire Elemental, which will continue to operate under its own brand name, for $500 million. Founded in 2006, Elemental provides cloud-based software that lets its customers more easily reformat and stream video from live and on-demand sources onto laptops, tablets, smartphones and other devices. The company has more than $44 million in funding, in addition to hundreds of

A new update for Facebook’s Conversion Lift tool aims to make things a little easier for advertisers on the social network’s site. While the previous version compared audience members who were served ads and those who were not, the latest iteration will allow companies to compare multiple ads to see which are more effective. The updated version of Conversion Lift is designed to help advertisers discover which ads perform best; whether brand and direct response ads work better than brand ads

A new update for Facebook’s Conversion Lift tool aims to make things a little easier for advertisers on the social network’s site. While the previous version compared audience members who were served ads and those who were not, the latest iteration will allow companies to compare multiple ads to see which are more effective. The updated version of Conversion Lift is designed to help advertisers discover which ads perform best; whether brand and direct response ads work better than brand ads

Ailing Canadian handset maker BlackBerry Ltd. is working to reinvent itself and spending a pretty penny to do it. The company has agreed to buy Good Technology for $425 million in an all-cash deal. The Good acquisition certainly fits into BlackBerry’s strategy to offer customers stronger mobile security. Good is recognized as a leader in security mobility with solutions that cover all stages of the lifecycle for both enterprises and governments. More than 6,200 companies in 189 companies use Good’s technology,

The official launch date for the Gear S2 is still two weeks away, but Samsung is providing a sneak preview of its answer to the Apple Watch via a new video posted on its YouTube channel. Backed by a pulsing, techno-pop beat, the video shows a silver-tone digital timepiece with a round face, and teases at a number of features ranging from voice calls and messaging to fitness and scheduling. Samsung plans to unveil the Gear S2 at the IFA 2015

On opening day of the 2015 Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco yesterday, company CEO Brian Krzanich (pictured) gave attendees a look at a prototype smartphone integrated with an Intel RealSense 3D camera. The camera would be contained in a Google Project Tango smartphone. Holding up the prototype phone, about the size of an average Android smartphone, Krzanich said the device would "breaks the limits of what a phone can do." Intel’s team in Israel integrated the 3D tech with Project

Redmond is adding container support to its latest Windows Server 2016. The idea is to help developers deliver applications more quickly so they can keep up in a competitive landscape. Users will get the first public preview of Windows Server Containers in Microsoft's third technical preview of Windows Server 2016 and System Center 2016. The company is also integrating features such as Nano Server functionality and improving its software-defined datacenter tools in an age where many enterprises are looking for ways

Future versions of the Firefox Web browser could provide users with new ways to block online site elements that track visitors' behaviors. Mozilla, the organization that develops Firefox, said it is currently experimenting with a private browsing update and other new features in pre-beta versions of its browser being tested by developers. The new features are currently being taken for a test drive on the Firefox Developer Edition for Windows, Mac and Linux, as well on Firefox Aurora for Android. In

Tech giant Oracle just rolled out new functions to its Service Cloud and Social Cloud. The new bells and whistles aim to help organizations serve up better customer experiences and make data-based business decisions. Specifically, the new social features promise to help brands increase social engagement and mine business insights through a new community self-service solution, as well as beefed up social service and incident routing. Oracle also added new social listening and analytics capabilities to the mix.“In today’s hyper-competitive business

Chip company Rambus, known mostly for its memory technology and propensity to sue competitors, said it is taking a greater role in the manufacture of its chips. To mark the occasion, the company introduced its R+ DDR4 server memory chipset, RB26. The company said the chipset, for RDIMMs and LRDIMMs, is aimed at the enterprise and data center server markets. Rambus, based in Sunnyvale, Calif., develops DRAM memory technologies and licenses them to other companies who then put them into computers,

The numbers of women, African-Americans and Hispanic employees working at Apple over the past year have all increased by double digits, although the company's U.S. workforce remains predominantly white and male -- a trend that holds true across large swaths of the tech sector. "We are proud of the progress we've made . . . But we know there is a lot more work to be done," noted CEO Tim Cook when he revealed Apple's latest diversity figures this week. Apple

Business users already had the option of Chromebooks aimed specifically at them -- in particular, the high-end, $999-and-up Pixel -- but now they have a more affordable option from Dell and Google: the Chromebook 13, which starts at the far more affordable price of $399. Launched yesterday, the Chromebook 13 is being described as the "first premium professional Chromebook." Introduced by Google in 2011, the Chrome OS-based Chromebooks are designed to run primarily on the Internet and the cloud. Thanks to

Big Blue just spent $1 billion to give Watson the ability to see. IBM's supercomputer is getting an upgrade with technology acquired from Merge Healthcare, which will add data and images to Watson’s advanced image analytics and cognitive abilities. Merge Healthcare has made a name for itself providing medical image handling and processing, interoperability and clinical systems that work to advance healthcare quality and efficiency. The company’s goal is to unlock the value of medical images to help physicians make better

A federal judge in California has denied a request to allow a former iPhone user to proceed with her complaint against Apple as a class-action lawsuit. The request by Adrienne Moore centered around her discovery that she was no longer able to receive iMessages from some other Apple device users after switching to an Android phone. Moore filed her suit against Apple in May of last year, alleging that the iMessage system prevented her from obtaining the full benefit of her

Government overreach is the primary culprit that keeps the Internet from being the free and open source of information and ideas that it could be, according to a leading computer crime defense attorney. Jennifer Granick, director of civil liberties at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, addressed the subject of Internet freedom yesterday in her keynote address at the annual Black Hat computer security conference in Las Vegas.Granick said that as long as there’s overregulation, censorship and laws that don’t

A French order to apply the "right to be forgotten" to Google searches not just across European domains but globally would risk "serious chilling effects on the Web," according to the Internet search giant. Rather than comply, Google is asking the French agency that issued the order to withdraw it. France's Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés, or CNIL, issued the global delisting order to Google in June, giving the company 15 days to respond. However, the company "respectfully disagree(s)

Tech company Nvidia has just issued a voluntary recall of about 88,000 of its Shield eight-inch tablets. If you bought your Shield between July 2014 and July 2015, it seems you might need to worry about the tablet catching fire. The good news is Nvidia will replace the one in your hands absolutely free. “Nvidia has determined that the battery in these tablets can overheat, posing a fire hazard,” the company said in a statement. “The recall does not affect any

Tech company Nvidia has just issued a voluntary recall of about 88,000 of its Shield eight-inch tablets. If you bought your Shield between July 2014 and July 2015, it seems you might need to worry about the tablet catching fire. The good news is Nvidia will replace the one in your hands absolutely free. “Nvidia has determined that the battery in these tablets can overheat, posing a fire hazard,” the company said in a statement. “The recall does not affect any

In an open letter to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Mozilla CEO Chris Beard (pictured) said it's "disturbing" that the new Windows 10 operating system makes it difficult for users to choose anything but Microsoft's Edge as their default browser. Beard is asking Microsoft to reconsider its approach and make user settings with Windows 10 more obvious and intuitive to manage. Beard, whose organization develops the Firefox Web browser, said Mozilla contacted Microsoft about its concerns after trying out pre-release versions of

United Airlines is the latest to fall victim to a data breach. The hackers stole flight manifests, which disclose information about passengers on the flight and their destinations. News reports are pointing fingers at hackers backed by China. Some are attributing the attacks to the same group that attacked health insurer Anthem and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). In February, Anthem informed millions of its customers that hackers had gained access to the company's computers, potentially stealing personal information of

Tech giant Google today announced an update to its Google Translate app that expands its instant visual translation capabilities by 20 more languages, for a total of 27. The camera mode of the app now supports 37 languages. The Google Translate app was already known as a handy little device that allows users to instantly translate already printed text in seven languages by clicking on an in-app camera and pointing it at the text they need to translate.The app was developed