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The future explosion in e-commerce connectivity of all manner of electronic devices, sensors, and consumer products -- known as the Internet of Things (IoT) -- will pose a major challenge to ensure that IoT data is secure and that personal privacy is protected. The global "installed and connected base" of IoT units will reach approximately 30 billion in 2020, noted IDC in a November 2014 report...

There were 9 billion Internet of Things (IoT) units installed at the end of 2013 by IDC's count, and its analysts expect the figure to hit 28 billion by 2020 That's going to make life difficult for IT security administrators.

Converting video files from various media sources can be a huge chore. That task can be much more manageable with HandBrake, a GPL-licensed, multiplatform, multithreaded video transcoder. It is available for MacOS X, Linux, and Windows, which makes working on more than one platform a bit more convenient. The latest version of Linux, 0.10, released on Nov. 23, has many upgrades. However, the Linux version lacks a few of the features in the Windows and Mac versions...

Dartmouth University researchers are shining a new light on using "smart spaces" in ambient room lighting to transmit both data and human gestures The three-month-old research pushes the envelope beyond advancements already made by researchers in the UK, at the University of Edinberg....

Millions of Android users have been hit by malware posing as games on Google Play, according to Avast security researcher Flip Chytry The malware harbors fake ads that pop up when users unlock their devices, to warn them about nonexistent infections, or that their devices are out of date or have porn....

On Monday, Adobe Flash Player users were hit by a zero-day flaw for the third time in two weeks The company issued a security advisory for the vulnerability, which it dubbed CVE-2015-0313....

Good Technology on Tuesday announced a merger of its app container and app ecosystem with the Samsung KNOX enterprise security platform for Android The product merger is the next step in the partnership aimed at eliminating virus and malware concerns that come with Android adoption in the enterprise. The hardened security for Android targets the OS...

With Wall Street breathing down its neck for growth, Twitter on Tuesday launched a new advertising initiative that aims to boost revenues and add to its more than 284 million members The initiative aims to expand the reach of "Promoted Tweets" on Twitter. Promoted Tweets are ads that Twitter inserts into its members timelines. Currently, promoted T...

The problem with most portable battery-based chargers is that you still need to plug them into a wall socket to gain a charge. While some inventors have turned to solar, or even wind power, for off-the-grid power sources, solar and wind power take time and require Mother Nature to provide sun or wind. Enter Kraftwerk, a fuel-based hand-held portable generator that has launched as a Kickstarter project...

It is in the darkest time of the year with the arrival of winter thatperhaps we most appreciate our light bulbs. It isn't just the lightson the holiday decorations that provide that festive glow, but reallythe fact that the light bulb makes our daily modern life possible. Thelight bulb is taken for granted, and until recently it hadn't reallyevolved much in more than a century...

On Sunday evening, as a record 114.4 million people watched Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz, and Missy Elliott rock out during the Super Bowl's halftime show, another show was underway, as well For the first time, Google's YouTube hosted its own version of halftime on Super Bowl Sunday during roughly the same time slot....

Google is working on its own ride-hailing service to compete with Uber, according to a Bloomberg report Meanwhile, Uber has announced a strategic partnership with Carnegie Mellon University that will see the creation of the Uber Advanced Technologies Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., that will focus on developing long-term transportation technologies to f...

For months, the security community has been waving a red flag about how the nascent Internet of Things could become a cybercriminal's paradise. Last week, those admonitions were given some credence when the Federal Trade Commission recommended that the makers of IoT gadgets adopt some "best practices" to protect consumers from potential violations of their privacy and security...

Users of Verizon Wireless' network and products will find it will be easier to opt out of the carrier's tracking activities. Verizon Wireless, similar to other carriers such as AT&T, has been using a "supercookie" identifier to follow smartphone users' mobile Web activity. This data is then packaged and sold to marketers Verizon has given consumers...

The Linux community is filled with friction and diversity. One of the advantages of open source software is the diversity that leads to innovative approaches to improve the computing environment But can the diversity go too far? Is it a defining characteristic that kills programming creativity?...

Even the most vociferous Apple haters can surely admit that Apple -- judged upon the evidence of its record-breaking quarterly profit of US$18 billion, the most of any public held company ever -- is not only firing on all cylinders but also creating products that consumers around the world are willing to pay a premium for Apple sold an astounding 7...

Since 2010, when it began paying security researchers to find flaws in its programs, Google has paid more than US$4 million to bug hunters. Now it's prepared to pay even more The company announced Friday that it's expanding its Security Rewards Programs to include payments to researchers before they find bugs in Google's software....

Despite several highly publicized cloud hacks last year -- including the iCloud and Sony breaches -- the demand for cloud services is skyrocketing Amazon Web Services grabbed 30 percent of the global cloud infrastructure service market in Q4, Synergy Research reports. It grew 51 percent year over year (YoY)....

A group of organizations representing American businesses last week requested urgent discussion and dialog with China's government. They expressed concern about the possible adoption of a policy to ensure that any Internet and information communications technology products Chinese banks purchase from companies outside of China are secure and controllable...

Facebook last week announced Place Tips for iPhones, a feature that will give subscribers location-based recommendations at the top of their News Feeds. No mention was made of launching Place Tips for Android or Windows Phone devices Tapping on Place Tips will call up the information, which will include posts and photos friends have shared about a ...