Alert over booby-trapped security software

Piriform told users a booby-trapped version of its CCleaner software had been made available in August and September.

Millions of people use the CCleaner program to remove unwanted junk from Android phones and Windows PCs.

Piriform's owner, Avast, said it had managed to remove the compromised version before any harm had been done.

It appears that it was only the Windows version of CCleaner that was compromised.

Hijacked software used to target tech giants

Hackers who booby-trapped widely used security software also used their malware to infiltrate machines at tech firms, suggests analysis.

Evidence that other companies had been compromised came to light as Cisco researchers probed how attackers got at the popular CCleaner programme.

Millions of people downloaded a Windows version that hackers had laced with malicious code.

Cisco said the attackers were seeking valuable intellectual property.

Cleaning up

Last week CCleaner creator Piriform revealed that attackers had managed to place a hijacked copy of version 5.33 that works on Windows on some download servers. The booby-trapped code was available for about a month between August and September,

Apple's Siri ditches Bing search for Google

When Siri can't give you an answer, it'll now be Google filling in the gaps in Apple's knowledge instead of Microsoft's Bing search service.
The Siri voice assistant built into iPhones, Macs and soon Apple's HomePod smart speaker can handle plenty of requests, like reporting a stock price or defining a word you don't know. When it can't, it searches the web. It's not perfect, but it can be useful.
Google now supplies the answers in that situation. "Switching to Google as the web search provider for Siri, Search within iOS and Spotlight on Mac will allow these services to have a consistent web search experience with the default in Safari. We have strong relationships with Google and Microsoft and remain committed to delivering the best user experience possible," Apple said in a statement.
iPhone users in China will continue to get results from Chinese search engine Baidu. Bing is still used for image search.
Quality is crucial for search results -- nobody likes it when a computer fumbles a query or gives us the answer to a question we didn't ask. And Siri has tough competition: Amazon's Alexa-powered devices are increasingly common and Google Assistant is available in Google Home smart speakers and some phones.
Google, whose mission is making the world's information accessible, is hungry for the business. The company pays an estimated $3 billion a year to Apple for search traffic, according to an August report by Sanford Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi. "Given that Google payments are nearly all profit for Apple, Google alone may account for 5 percent of Apple's total operating profits this year," Sacconaghi said.

The most anticipated tech of 2017: Autumn edition

The iPhone X

The iPhone X -- that's pronounced "ten," by the way, not "ex" -- is a phone of firsts for Apple. A brand-new 5.8-inch OLED screen, Face ID to unlock the phone and no home button. Optical image stabilization on both rear 12-megapixel camera lenses, a portrait mode on the front-facing camera and a new feature to animate emojis.

The Price of an iPhone x is said to be $1000.00

The Features of Android Oreo will leave you Completely Speechless

Android Oreo 8.0 centers mostly on the nuts and bolts of making the software function better and faster and save battery. But there is more. Let’s take a look at what crazy features/specialties Oreo has to offer us:

• Faster Android

Android Oreo is more than twice as fast as Android Nougat. The boot time dropped from 35 to 13 seconds on the Pixel, and apps like Google sheet apps will run a lot faster. The faster Android has been created in a way to process complex tasks.

• Picture-in-picture

What do you do when you are watching a video on youtube, and suddenly you receive an important text? Commonly, you’d have to exit out of the youtube and open the chat messenger to reply. But In Android Oreo, you’ll just have to press the home button, and the video will shrink into a free movable window. The video keeps playing within a shorter screen while you can type your reply or do anything else on the phone. This feature is known as picture-in-picture.

The picture-in-picture feature works with only one screen, i.e., for opening the third app, you need to go to the home screen. It cannot adjust three apps on one screen. Although with the settings option you will be able to adjust the size of the shrunk screen. You can also opt it out if you don’t like it.

• Copy and Paste Gets Smarter

We either have to remember the numbers and texts, or we simply use the copy and paste on mobile because there’s no other alternative. Despite the comfort of copy pasting feature; picking a phone number, email address or expression doesn’t always work correctly, and we have to spend most of our time tossing with the selection bars in the right place.

Now with Android Oreo, you will just have to long press or double-tap anywhere on a phone number, address, or name and it will select perfectly for you. In extension, when you highlight a phrase or digits you will not only get a cut, copy and paste option; the system will advise opening the dialer if you tap a number, Email ID will suggest opening Gmail and a street address will recommend Maps.

• Notification Dots

If you put your mind back to Google I/O 2017, you might remember Google demoing notification dots. The current notification system on Android gives an alert in a pull-down notification shade at the top of the screen. However, with Android Oreo, you’ll see a dot appear next to an app icon that will tell you that you have an unread item. The best part is you can hold the app icon to expand the message and take a glance at the content inside.

This is something you are familiar with, right? Yes, both the notification badges and looking at the notification in a small window are features from Apple iOS. Although, the android users will now enjoy these two features on Android.

Interestingly, the color of the dot matches the app icon making it evident. Notifications at the top notification shade are synced with the dot, so tapping one will clear the other. A long-press on an app with a notification dot will open a menu of the missed notifications.

Android Oreo By Google

•Auto-fill (like on Chrome)

While using the chrome browser on the phone, you have to type in your name and password over and over again which is annoying, isn’t it? So, wow! Google has the auto fill option on chrome on mobile as well. Android Oreo’s autofill feature is not only for Google accounts but It will also remember your facebook, twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and simply all your passwords.

• The Battery Boost

Android Oreo will put some restrictions on background apps. It will retain certain apps from running down your battery. You can now expect improved battery life. Google has added “wise limits” to create automated caps for what apps can do in the background. These limits will reduce the extreme use of background services. Therefore, the apps won’t use much battery when you’re not using them.

• Google Play Protect

The more we rely upon our phones, the more its security becomes critical. Google Play Protect is a new service by Google that will scan your apps for any threats, and regularly check for the latest risks, which will be found and detected via machine learning.

• Adding More to Emojis

Google gives us rounder emojis. In fact, many emojis that illustrate different objects have also been tweaked, so there are numerous choices to explore the perfect expression. Google promises more than 60 new emojis in Android Oreo.

• Android Instant Apps

Android Instant Apps will let you use an app without downloading it to your device. This exciting feature is available in android oreo. Google provides a cloud-based version of the app, so you don’t have to download it from the play store now.

Instant Apps will give you full access to an apps interface, performance. Google rolled out full support for Instant Apps in February of 2017, and claims over 500 million devices have access to it. The problem though, is you need to enable it in settings first. That said, it’s enabled by default on Android 8.0 Oreo.

On 21st August 2017 Android 8.0 was officially launched as android oreo. The Oreo update was rolling out to people who had already installed the beta version of Android O. Oreo also reached Pixel users who were until now using the Android Nougat. However, this rollout is in waves so users may get it early while some may have to wait for a few days. The Android O will be available for Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, Google Pixel C, Google Pixel and the Google Pixel XL. Google also announced that all the devices enrolled in the beta program will automatically get the Android Oreo update.

So, yes, there is another wave of sweetness spread by Google, let’s make use of these specialties by Google.

Spotify signs Warner Music deal

Spotify has signed a new licensing deal with Warner Music Group, paving the way for the music streaming service to go public.

Warner was the last of the three big record labels to agree to renewed terms to make its catalogue available to Spotify's 140 million users.

However, Spotify has been forced to agree to some limitations to get the labels to sign.

Artists and labels have in the past complained about minuscule revenue from steaming sites when compared to downloads or physical sales.

But with the deals with Sony, Universal and now Warner in place, Spotify is expected to float on the New York Stock Exchange as early as this year.

On Instagram, Warner Music chief digital officer Ole Obermann said: "It's taken us a while to get here, but it’s been worth it, as we've arrived at a balanced set of future-focused deal terms.

"Together with Spotify, we've found inventive ways to reinforce the value of music, create additional benefits for artists, and excite their fans all over the world. Even with the current pace of growth, there’s still so much potential for music subscription to reach new audiences and territories.”

The “inventive ways” were not outlined, but if Warner Music’s deal is similar to those agreed with Sony Music and Universal, it is likely to include a clause allowing the labels to hold back certain songs from Spotify’s non-paying users for a limited period of time. Such a move would increase the royalties for artists who are unhappy at the lower earnings generated by streaming services.

Speaking about the Universal deal agreed in April, Spotify founder and chief executive Daniel Ek explained that "artists can choose to release new albums on premium only for two weeks, offering subscribers an earlier chance to explore the complete creative work, while the singles are available across Spotify for all our listeners to enjoy”.

According to the latest public figures, Spotify has 60 million paying customers - just under half of its entire user total. Its nearest competitor, Apple Music, has 27 million subscribers.

Spotify has long been expected to float on the New York Stock Exchange, but was holding off until the major deals were struck to offer clarity to investors over future expenses.

Best Laptops of 2017

Here is a comprehensive list of the best Laptops of the year 2017


#1

Apple MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (13-inch, 2016)

Best MacBook Pro for portable power

Apple's smart, useful Touch Bar helps keep this as a top choice for combining power and portability.

#2

HP Spectre x360 (13-inch, 2017)

Best all-around ultraportable 2-in-1

Like the 15.6-inch version, except, you know, smaller, the Spectre x360 line continues to impress us with its design and performance.

#3

Apple MacBook (2017)

Less is more with this MacBook

With updated components and a couple design tweaks, the 12-inch MacBook is a great choice for an everyday laptop.

#4

Lenovo Yoga 910

Best ultraportable with a bigger screen

It's the size of a 13-inch laptop, but it's screen is just shy of 14 inches.

#5

Lenovo Miix 510

Surface Pro alternative

If you want the look and feel of Microsoft's 2-in-1, but for a little less, the Miix is an excellent option.

#6

Razer Blade Stealth

Best Windows MacBook alternative

The Razer Blade Stealth offers better specs for less money than the competition, and includes features others lack, such as a high-res touch screen and full-size USB ports.

#7

Samsung Chromebook Pro

Chromebook for Chromebook skeptics

It can't compare to higher-end laptops, but this is one of the best laptop experiences you can have for around $500.

#8

Dell XPS 13 2-in-1

Best 2-in-1

Dell takes one of our favorite ultraportables and turns into a hybrid.

#9

Microsoft Surface Pro (2017)

Microsoft's flagship Surface Pro gets an extremely conservative update, but better battery life keeps it the gold standard of Windows hybrid PCs -- for now.

#10

Microsoft Surface Laptop

While it doesn't necessarily stand out in a crowded field, the Surface Laptop has a great design and is a solid, travel-friendly clamshell PC.

Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary:March 2017

Microsoft released 18 new security updates today. Seven (7) are rated Critical and Eleven (11) are rated as Important. Updates include those for Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer, Kernel Mode Drivers, Windows Kernel, Silverlight, Flash Player, and others.

Microsoft also released an updated version of the Microsoft Windows Malicious Software Removal Tool on Windows Update, Microsoft Update, Windows Server Update Services, and the Download Center.
In addition, Microsoft released a number of updates for the various versions of Office.

Alien:Trailer recounts android's creepy creation

Not all androids are what they appear to be in the upcoming film "Alien: Covenant," the sequel to 2012's "Prometheus."

In director Ridley Scott's "Alien: Covenant," the crew of the colony ship Covenant discover what they think is an uncharted paradise. But it's actually a dangerous world inhabited by the synthetic David, played by Michael Fassbender. David is a survivor of the doomed Prometheus expedition. But Fassbender is also playing Walter, another android with a few upgrades from the David 8 line.

Your Twitter playbook for The 2017 Super Bowl

If you're planning to watch the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons face off in the Super Bowl, it's time to make sure your Twitter skills are up to speed.

As the roughly 27 million tweets during last year's Super Bowl make clear, the social network serves as a live feed for insights, memes and smack talk during the game.

The role of Twitter during the Super Bowl underscores the growing importance of social media for live events. Twitter has already banked on the NFL to draw in users, including through its streaming of select games during the past season. But for the big game -- always the most watched television broadcast in the US that year -- Twitter offers a place for hardcore fans to really geek out.

Watch for another flood of tweets Sunday for this year's contest at NRG Stadium in Houston.

Step 1: Don't use Twitter (use TweetDeck)

Step 2: Find the most-liked tweets

Step 3: Surface the verified accounts

Step 4: See only the tweets you care about

Step 5: Fine, use the Twitter app

Qualcomm says 5G is the biggest thing since electricity.

Your next wireless boost is about more than faster movie-streaming. Qualcomm is buzzing about 5G as the key to our future connectivity.

That's a big call but Qualcomm has its eyes on a 5G future. And it's not just thinking about speed.

At a CES that has given us intelligent robots, autonomous drones and wallpaper TVs, the next generation of wireless technology might not seem like that big of a deal. But Qualcomm says it will change society in ways we haven't seen since the introduction of electricity.

For anyone who thinks 5G is just an iteration after 3G and 4G, Qualcomm CEO Stephen Mollenkopf spent his keynote outlining why the next generation of mobile connectivity is about so much more than faster 4K Netflix streaming on your phone.

Think of it this way: If 3G ushered in the picture era and 4G was about video, 5G will be about tying our entire world together. What will we get? Live-streaming VR, autonomous cars that respond to real-time conditions, and connected cities where everything from the houses to the street lamps talk to each other.

"5G will be a new kind of network, supporting a vast diversity of devices with unprecedented scale, speed and complexity," Mollenkopf said at the packed keynote. "5G will have an impact similar to the introduction of electricity or the automobile, affecting entire economies and benefiting entire societies."

Those are big words from a maker of small chips, but it was in keeping with the grandiose nature of the whole keynote. The show opened with a video that was almost too hipster; it called computing pioneer Grace Hopper "gangster" and dubbed necessity the "baby mama" of invention.The connected future, of course, is all about thinking big. And Qualcomm had big ideas in big supply.

As far as Qualcomm sees it, our hyper-connected future will be about three key things: VR, the internet of things and connectivity for mission-critical tasks like autonomous cars and health care.

Next-gen 5G is certainly fast, so yes, you'll be able to download a 4K feature film in 18 seconds. But there's something else about 5G: crazy low latency. Sure, that doesn't sound sexy, but with latency as low as 1 millisecond, real-time VR and autonomous cars can become part of everyday life.

It seems Under Armour and Tom Brady want you to have a better sleeping time.

The fitness brand has teamed up with New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady to develop special pajamas.

The company has developed a new type of sleepwear. These garments are made of a fabric bearing a special pattern designed to absorb heat and get you a better night's sleep, the company says.For the dreamy, it's the latest revolution in high-tech snoozing. For the cynical, these are $200 pajamas.

Under Armour calls the product Athlete Recovery Sleepwear, and it partnered with New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady to design them. The company introduced the Tom Terrific-influenced PJs, along with some app updates for its wearables, on Thursday 5th January at CES, the annual tech trade show in Las Vegas.

Obviously you would'nt get dood sleep at a cheap price. A long sleeve henley costs $100, as do the bottoms. If you're a t-shirt-and-shorts type, you get a $20 break on both the top and bottom.

Under Armour says the key to the garment is a special pattern on the inside lining that's meant to absorb heat and create something called "far infrared," which the sleepwear transfers back to the body. Under Armour says far infrared energy promotes better sleep and helps the body recover faster with better blood flow and cell regeneration.

"Performance is really tied to how athletes are sleeping,"  Those are the words of Glenn Silbert, Under Armour's senior vice president of product and licensing.

Silbert says the company looked to Brady to provide insight as a professional athlete. He showed the team battle wounds from the gridiron, like a scar on his elbow. At age 39, he wanted faster recovery week after week. Silbert said Brady gets eight hours of sleep a night.

Under Armour isn't alone in its fascination with sleep. The science of sleep has become an obsession in Silicon Valley. Apple has a "night shift" mode for iPhones that gives the colors on your phone warmer tones so they're easier on your eyes before bed. Several apps, like Sleep Cycle and Sleep Bot, track your patterns. Wearables like the Fitbit or Apple Watch also try to help.

Virtually boring: VR really disappoints at CES this year

Virtual reality promises to be a mega-trend that upends how we use computers and just plain get along. So why is it such a snooze at the world's biggest tech expo?

Feel free to call it a virtual disappointment or say it was virtually unsurprising. I'll just say It was virtually underwhelming

Whatever pun you choose, the virtual reality industry has some explaining to do after this year's Consumer Electronics Show, during which the biggest product announcements can largely be categorized as "more of the same."

Consider computer maker Lenovo, which showed off a VR headset whose primary selling point is that it's cheaper than competitors like the $599 Oculus Rift from Facebook or the $799 HTC Vive-- though Lenovo isn't discussing prices yet and the prototype on display doesn't actually work.

There's also Osterhout Design Group, which showed a new pair of smart glasses, powered by Google's Android phone software and using the newest chips from Qualcomm. The glasses were supposed to be the latest entrant in the world of AR, or augmented reality, layering computer images on the real world you're looking at. (Think Pokemon Go.) But you'd be forgiven if you confused them with last year's model, though they promise better performance and visuals. It'll launch by midyear, costing as much as $1,500.

Even Intel, the world's largest chipmaker, which is developing its own VR headset, gave a presentation using nearly year-old devices from Facebook's Oculus.

If you relied on CES to show you the latest in technology, VR was pretty much a no-show.

"It is concerning that people haven't invented as much cool things to do with VR," said Gartner analyst Brian Blau, on the sidelines of CES next to people checking out gadgets like smart locks with fingerprint sensors and this year's reimagining of the multifunction remote control, which looked suspiciously similar to last year's version.

Ian Paul, chief information officer for adult entertainment company Naughty America, said he's concerned that there doesn't seem to be a serious effort from content creators, aside from his competitors and the video game industry. As a result, it's hard to find compelling content, which he said often leads people to find more and more. "You don't have a rabbit hole experience in VR," he said.

But he's not concerned that there's comparably little energy being put toward VR hardware products at this year's show. Blau echoed that sentiment, adding that investment in hardware will likely happen over time. "There may not be an iPhone-like aha moment for VR," he said.

Part of the reason is that after years of gee-whiz futuristic demos, people's expectations have become unrealistic, said Lisa Zhao, co-founder of Chinese motion sensor startup LYRobotix. "Average users, they want the perfect glasses now," she said. "That's not how technology advances."

For decades, VR was little more than a pipe dream, relegated to fiction, Hollywood props and a few hardware geeks. But that changed in 2012, when a startup called Oculus gained attention for promising affordable, high-quality goggles. Facebook bought the company two years later for $2 billion.

This holiday season marked the first time that high-end VR headsets from Oculus, Sony, HTC and other major players were on store shelves.

Last year, it appeared VR was on a similar trajectory after Intel showed off a helmet from a partner company called Daqri that could be configured to give construction workers a form of X-ray vision. They'd be able to see schematics as they looked at a building. It became one of the most talked-about products at the show.

But that energy fell away this year. Most VR companies at CES 2017 are talking about things few consumers will think about, like new sensor technology and software development tools. (Scott Stein, who reviews virtual reality tech for CNET, says "most of the major players in VR took CES off, and the biggest advancements needed to take VR forward -- better displays, wireless, and less bulky designs -- still haven't gotten here yet."

''Don't hold your breath for a US phone in 2017'' -Xiaomi

Even though the company was teased US by passing around a gorgeous, white, nearly bezel-less version of a Chinese phone.

The gleaming white phone with its razor-thin bezel and unique call technology is just the kind of thing you'd want to put in your pocket and try right away.

But even though Xiaomi announced this version of the Mi Mix phone at the giant CES 2017 tech show in Las Vegas, it's just one more example of a promising Xioami product that you might not be able to get your hands on for quite some time.

Xiaomi is one of the many Chinese phone makers set on winning customers in the fiercely demanding US market, alongside the likes of Huawei, ZTE and relative newcomer OnePlus. But while those companies are already selling their unlocked devices, Xiaomi has yet to directly compete. It won't be easy, either, not in a market where Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxys S and J series are dominant.

There's also some question about Xiaomi's reported slipping hold in China, and its ability to make enough of its traditionally good as well as cheap phones for US buyers. New entrants also have to use technology that works with the country's wireless networks and regulations  and striking a deal with patent-holders of internal tech or similar designs can be time consuming and would cost alot.

Samsung takes wraps off $150 million fund for early startups.

The electronic giant's venture arm reveals a new name and says it's investing in young companies targeting VR, AI and the internet of things.

The latest $150 million fund announced Wednesday by Samsung Next, formerly known as the Samsung Global Innovation Center, targets pre-seed (typically used to build a core team and initial prototypes) to series B investments, David Eun, president and founder of Samsung Next, said in a statement from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Samsung's venture arm on Wednesday also announced its rebranded name and new website.

Samsung Next has had a Silicon Valley presence since 2013, when it was initially called the Open Innovation Center. The group runs an accelerator, forms partnerships and makes acquisitions and investments in startups focused on software and services. It also helps span the gap between the Valley's startup culture and the massive conglomerate. That's a necessary bridgebecause -- despite being the world's biggest maker of TVs and mobile devices -- Samsung largely remains a mystery. Most people can't tell you the businesses it's in (it makes everything from toasters to tablets) or the names of its executives.

In the demos from some of Samsung's portfolio companies at Eureka Park booth: No. 50231, the company said. These include VR animation company Baobab Studios, cloud gaming and company LiquidSky and IoT services company Filament.

Samsung Next offices are situated in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, New York, Tel Aviv and in Korea.