Vodafone protects smartphone communications with ‘Secure SIM’
Vodafone has developed a new SIM card that can be used on smartphones to provide secure access to data networks and tap-proof telephone calls as well as email and text message encryption, the operator said on Monday at the Cebit trade show.
In June, Secure Login will be the first service that uses the Secure SIM, working as an alternative to traditional smart cards, according to Vodafone.
When employees log into their corporate network, the SIM card and server initially exchange key data. The employee is only granted access once the card has been identified and accepted, and a PIN (personal identification number) has been entered. Read more...
Android passes Opera to become number one mobile browser
For years, Opera has quietly dominated the mobile browsing scene. Even when the iPhone’s popularity skyrocketed, Opera’s massive installed user base kept their browser firmly in the lead. But there’s a new number one now: Android has crept into the pole position.
The reason for the shift is easy enough to see. Opera used to offer something no one else did: a capable browser that ran on very inexpensive phones. Even on older BlackBerry phones, the Opera browser was the way to go. Today, however, there are scores of low-cost smartphones available from carriers around the globe running Android. Read more...
iPhone 5 to retain glass back of iPhone 4 and 4S?
The next couple of weeks are going to belong to the iPad. It’s a given: it will be announced on Wednesday, will release (probably) a week or two later, and, in between, it will be talked about incessantly. However, there is another Apple device that’s capable of stealing a few headlines. Yes, iPhone 5 rumors are still coming.
The latest rumor claims to debunk much of the accepted line of thinking about the iPhone 5. Though many have been expecting to see an iPhone with an aluminum back (see our conceptualized iPhone 5), iLounge reports that the next iPhone will instead have either a glass or ceramic back.
If Apple went with a glass back for the next iPhone, then the design would probably look similar to the iPhone 4/4S. Even if it were thinner, more widely-proportioned, and had a larger screen, there are only so many ways that you can sandwich two pieces of glass together. The back wouldn’t likely be rounded (that would make it highly prone to scratches and breaks), so we’d probably see two flat pieces of Gorilla Glass again held together by a stainless steel antenna.
That Gorilla Glass could be the key to making the next iPhone thinner. When Corning announced Gorilla Glass 2 at CES, the company made it clear that it wasn’t stronger than standard Gorilla Glass; instead, it offered the same strength in a thinner package. Apple, who worships at the altar of lightness and thinness, wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to use the new material — especially since Apple already uses Gorilla Glass in the iPhone.
In addition to the larger screen and thinner design, frequent iPhone 5 rumors include LTE, an NFC chip, and (less likely) the removal of the home button. It’s commonly expected to ship either in June/July — like the first four iPhones — or in the iPhone 4S’ October release slot.
(Source: geek.com)
Despite ban, you can still discuss anorexia on Tumblr
In late February, Tumblr staff announced that it is officially prohibiting blogs "that actively promote self-harm." This policy change was made in an attempt to cut down on content which promotes or glorifies many forms of self-harm including — though unfortunately not limited to — eating disorders, self-mutilation and even suicide. Now the micro-blogging service's staff is clarifying the terms of that ban in an attempt to address user concerns.
As a post on the official Tumblr staff blog explains, the reaction to the change in policy was "overwhelming." The initial announcement itself received more than 25,000 likes, reblogs and replies, and over 2,500 Tumblr users sent comments in by email. Many of those responses had a common theme: " What about people who just talk about it?" Read more...
Apple Makes 500k Jobs? Cloud Services Could Help Make 14 Million, With Half In China And India
Much was made of the news last week from Apple that its businesses had effectively created over 500,000 jobs in the U.S. not just directly at its company but at the many that link into the ecosystem it has created. Today, Microsoft teamed up with IDC to publish some research that took that one step (or actually 13.5 million steps) further:
The two say that cloud computing services will generate nearly 14 million jobs worldwide by 2015, and that in 2012 that number is already at 6.7 million. That development, IDC says, could account for $1.1 trillion annually in new business revenues. Read more...
Facebook Messenger For Windows Desktop Chat Client Launches After Leaking
You might spend more time using Facebook if you didn’t have to leave a browser window open, so today Facebook officially launches its Messenger for Windows free downloadable desktop client. But since an early tester leaked the download link in December and Facebook responded by making it publicly available, you might already have it. The client lets you persistently chat, receive notifications, and read your news feed from your desktop.
Facebook says “For those of you on Macs, we’re busy working on Messenger for Mac right now. Stay tuned.” Facebook Messenger for Windows can be downloaded here for Windows 7, and it will be promoted to Windows users around the world over the next few weeks. Facebook has exhausted much of the supply of new users to sign up in many countries. The product demonstrates its shift to focusing on squeezing every last drop of engagement from existing users. Read more...
Hacker on hacker: Zeus bot master dupes Anonymous backers into installing password stealer
Hackers have duped supporters of the Anonymous group into installing the Zeus botnet, which steals confidential information from PCs, including banking usernames and passwords, security researchers said last week.
According to Symantec, someone modified a link to a popular distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack tool to direct users to a Zeus bot Trojan instead.
The replacement of a Zeus client for the "Slowloris" DDoS tool took place on the day after Anonymous launched strikes against websites operated by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), and others in retaliation for the arrest of four men associated with the popular Megaupload "cyberlocker" site on charges of copyright infringement, money laundering and racketeering. Read more...
Microsoft’s new IE9 commercial is surprisingly compelling
Certain products are at their best when you notice them the least. Web browsers are a good example of this, as you want the Internet to flow well, and not to get tripped up on what tool you are using to access it. That in mind, it can be difficult to cast a utility tool in a pleasing or exciting light, given their inherent status as backbone technology.
Google had a series of innovative commercials for Chrome, showing off various tests of the browser against whimsical Rube Goldbergs. Chrome, as you can guess, won. Microsoft, looking to promote Internet Explorer 9 has just released a new commercial which is, I think, effective, and notable as it is focused and surprisingly un-silly. Read more...