| Google Beefs Up Android Security, Watches for Misbehaving Apps Posted: 10 Apr 2014 11:21 AM PDT  New security measures keeps your installed Android apps in check
It's not unusual for a malicious Android app to sneak into Google Play, though they're obviously much more prevalent from third-party sources, especially from sketchy areas of the web. To help protect users from falling prey to an app's malicious intentions, Google is rolling out a new enhancement to its security scheme that will examine an app's behavior after it's been installed. The security scheme will continually check devices to make sure installed apps aren't misbehaving. It's part of Google's "Verify apps" security system, which also scans apps prior to installation. "Because potentially harmful applications are very rare, most people will never see a warning or any other indication that they have this additional layer of protection. But we do expect a small number of people to see warnings (which look similar to the existing Verify apps warnings) as a result of this new capability," Google stated in a blog post. "The good news is that very few people have ever encountered this; in fact, we've found that fewer than 0.18 percent of installs in the last year occurred after someone received a warning that the app was potentially harmful." This new measure will also protect against potentially malicious apps that might have been installed prior to Google's verification system going live in 2012. Either way, it's nice to have the extra layer of protection, especially as malware writers begin to pay more attention to Android. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Internet Ad Revenue Surges to $42.8 Billion, Leaves Broadcast TV in the Dust Posted: 10 Apr 2014 10:57 AM PDT  There might be something to this whole 'Internet' thing
Big media and Hollywood studios have approached streaming services like Netflix with trepidation, but if they're truly interested in lining their pockets with dollars, they may want to pay attention to where the money's at. And where is that? According to the latest IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report, the Internet is where the majority of advertising revenue is going these days. Internet ad revenues skyrocketed to $42.8 billion in 2013, representing a 17 percent increase over 2012's record setting $36.6 billion. The explosive growth propelled the Internet ahead of broadcast television for the first time, the latter of which collected $40.1 billion. "The news that interactive has outperformed broadcast television should come as no surprise," said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO, IAB. "It speaks to the power that digital screens have in reaching and engaging audiences. In that same vein, the staggering growth of mobile is clearly a direct response to how smaller digital screens play an integral role in consumers' lives throughout the day, as well as their critical importance to cross-screen experiences." Mobile is a large reason why the Internet is performing so well. For the third year in a row, mobile saw triple-digit growth, rising $7.1 billion during 2013, a 110 percent jump from the previous year. As for digital video, it accounted for $2.8 billion in in ad revenue for 2013, up 19 percent versus 2012. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Microsoft's 'Escape from Windows XP' Game Caps the End of an Era Posted: 10 Apr 2014 10:32 AM PDT  Going out in style
Well, that's it folks. Support for Windows XP officially ended on Tuesday, marking the end of a run that lasted nearly 13 years. Some will inevitably cling to the dead operating system, though as PC shipment data shows, many have also chosen to migrate rather than risk running an abandoned OS. As a final reminder to those who have yet to upgrade -- and perhaps as a fitting homage -- Microsoft created "Escape from XP," a fun (and free) time waster that's available to play on modern browsers. It's a trip down memory lane that begins with booting into Windows XP from presumably an ancient PC with a CRT monitor. You're then thrust into an arcade-style shooter in which you move around blasting bits of XP era icons. In the game, you're the last person in the world still supporting IE6 on XP, and it's time to navigate away from what Microsoft now calls a "pestilence on the peaceful developer community." Controls are simple -- WAD to move, arrow keys to shoot in the desired direction, and Q to swtich weapons. 
Diehard XP fans might take exception to Microsoft painting their belove OS as a "pestilence," but hey, it's a fun way to remind people that the retro party's over. The only thing missing is a cameo from Kurt Russell, who starred in Escape from New York and Escape from L.A. You can play Escape from XP here. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Symantec: Cybercriminals Shift Behavior to Mega Breaches in Hopes of Bigger Payouts Posted: 10 Apr 2014 09:06 AM PDT  A so-called "mega breach" can be worth as much as 50 smaller attacks
Large scale cyber attacks are on the rise, says security firm Symantec, which dubbed 2013 "Year of the Mega Breach." According to Symantec, there's a significant shift taking place in how cybercriminals operate. Rather than go in for quick hits with small rewards, cybercriminals are seeing the financial benefit in plotting bigger attacks months in advance. A single mega breach, as Symantec calls these attacks, can yield the same reward as 50 small scale attacks. "While the level of sophistication continues to grow among attackers, what was surprising last year was their willingness to be a lot more patient – waiting to strike until the reward is bigger and better," said Sheldon Hand, regional manager for Rest of Africa, Symantec. Symantec says there were eight mega breaches in 2013, compared to just one mega breach the year prior. As far as the bigger picture goes, there was a 62 percent increase in the overall number of data breaches from the previous year, which resulted in 552 million exposed identities. "Nothing breeds success like success – especially if you're a cybercriminal," said Hand. "The potential for huge paydays means large-scale attacks are here to stay. Companies of all sizes need to re-examine, re-think and possibly re-architect their security posture." Targeted attacks jumped 91 percent in 2013 compared to 2012 and lasted an average of three times longer. Interestingly, personal assistant and people working in public relations were the two most targeted professions, Symantec says. You can read more in Symantec's 2014 Internet Security Threat Report, Volume 19. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| PC Market Starting to Stabilize After Eight Quarters of Declining Shipments Posted: 10 Apr 2014 08:16 AM PDT  Users migrating from Windows XP helped offset weak consumer spending in the PC sector
Market research firms agree that worldwide PC shipments declined in the first quarter of 2014, which is the eighth quarter in a row of negative movement. However, there are signs that the market is starting to stabilize. It's a bit of a fuzzy picture at the moment because users migrating from Windows XP could be mucking with the trend line, but the picture should become much clearer by the end of the year. International Data Corporation (IDC) pegs the number of PC shipments at 73.4 million, a decline of 4.4 percent year-on-year, which is better than the projected decline of 5.3 percent. That's also roughly in line with Gartner's figures, which counted 76.6 million PC shipments in Q1, down just 1.7 percent from the same quarter a year ago. "While the PC market remains weak, it is showing signs of improvement compared to last year. The PC professional market generally improved in regions such as EMEA. The U.S. saw the gradual recovery of PC spending as the impact of tablets faded," said Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner. IDC wasn't quite as optimistic, though it did come to a similar conclusion in terms of stabilization. "Worldwide PC shipments have now declined for eight consecutive quarters as a result of shifting technology usage and competition (notably with tablets & smartphones) as well as economic pressures (including high unemployment, slow growth & investment, tight credit, and currency fluctuations) related to the Great Recession, sovereign debt crises, and their related impact on international trade," said Loren Loverde, Vice President, Worldwide PC Trackers. "The economic front seems to be gradually stabilizing and/or improving."computers Both firms have Lenovo leading the market, IDC with a 17.7 percent share versus HP's 17.1 percent stake, and Gartner crediting Lenovo with 16.9 percent of the market, versus HP's 16 percent. Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook |
| Newegg Daily Deals: Asus 23.8-inch LED Monitor, Corsair HX Series 750W Power Supply, and More! Posted: 10 Apr 2014 07:12 AM PDT |
