Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Ericsson announces latest networked services

The Swedish telecommunications giant Ericsson is to launch a number of solutions and applications that would show its "world-leading technology, service capacities and innovation," the company announced on Wednesday.One of the launches, Small Cell, as a service by Ericsson, enables increased network capacity in environments,Chefs Kitchen Knives where large numbers of people gather or when there is a need of the amounts of data.The technology will combine 3G and 4G with carrier grade Wifi and it allows the monetization of dedicated media content, advertising and over-the-top (OTT) services.Vintage bath fixturesThe Future TV Anywhere platform,Banner Pen bringing modern Web technologies to the TV operator world, is also among the new launches, which integrates Pay TV service quality and content depth, with the personalization, interactivity and multi-screen viewing capabilities of OTT services.Ericsson's new technology will be an opportunity for investment and increase of cost efficiency for the operators as consumers use numerous video services to find content and switch between multiple devices with varying content viewing abilities.According to Ericsson, the Future TV Anywhere will deliver innovative and seamless viewing experiences that can rapidly evolve at web speed.Another launch from Ericsson is Service Agility, which makes it easier for operators to collaborate with an ecosystem of partners, suppliers and application developers, facilitating faster launch of a much broader range of innovative products and services.Service Agility uses a single, open and flexible framework to provide a complete solution that allows a user to browse and select offerings from an enterprise catalog that stores all product information as components. 

Among the new launches, the new Ericsson Network Manager will be the platform for telecom operators to manage the transformation of their networks to new technologies.The system is designed to deliver high-performing networks that are adaptive to changes in world outside of what operators can control and it removes barriers between network domains for smarter decision making, reduces operational complexity and improves efficiency through better automation and policy control.The new Telecom Cloud Transformation consulting practice is also introduced by Ericsson and it will use innovative methodologies and tools to transform technology and process environments."The cloud offers operators advantages such as efficiency gains in operations as well as improved time to market," said Paolo Colella, Vice President and Head of Consulting and Systems Integration at Ericsson.Ericsson is a world-leading provider of communications technology and service. Today 40 percent of the world's mobile traffic goes through Ericsson networks and the company supports networks serving more than 2.5 billion subscribers.

China's trade sees rosy start, caution remains

Stronger-than-expected growth in China's foreign trade last month has surprised the market and prompted many analysts to look for further hints of underlying economic strength.China's foreign trade volume climbed 10.3 percent year on year in January to 382.4 billion U.S. dollars, marking a strong beginning for the year, according to customs data released Wednesday.Exports rose 10.6 percent from a year earlier to 207.13 billion U.S. dollars, while imports increased 10 percent to 175.27 billion U.S. dollars, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said in a statement.The trade surplus stood at 31.86 billion U.S. dollars last month, up 14 percent from a year ago and 24.25 percent from December.Chang Jian,Slap Bracelet chief China economist at Barclays, called the January figures "surprisingly strong," as the institution expected weak January trade performance based on weak PMI export orders, a high base from last year, and holiday distortions.According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the index for new exports orders fell 0.5 point in January to 49.3, under the boom-bust line of 50 for a second month in a row."Today's strong export report could have been boosted by a rush of shipments ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday," Chang said.The Spring Festival, or China's lunar new year, fell on Jan. 31 this year, marking the start of a week-long holiday for Chinese workers. The holiday began on Feb. 10 in 2013, and last year's additional working days contributed to its high base of comparison.Overall, the data suggest that the underlying strength of Chinese exports is probably better than we expected, Chang said.His views were echoed by Lu Ting, chief China economists with Bank of America Merrill Lynch.Cast iron tubsThe strong trade growth will be positive to markets even if the quality of January data was significantly affected by the lunar new year holiday, said Lu. 

"We may still claim that these readings are quite encouraging and might point to stable economic growth in the first quarter," Lu said.New data showed that trade with the European Union, China's largest trade partner, surged 14.6 percent to 341.19 billion yuan, while trade with the United States, its second-biggest trade partner, rose 8.8 percent to 299.23 billion yuan.China's trade with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, its third-largest trading partner, rose 11.3 percent year on year to 259.06 billion yuan, and trade with Japan rose 7.8 percent to 170.05 billion yuan.Based on the breakdown information, Lu said the strong exports were driven by demand from the EU and the U.S., while the strong import growth was driven by China's commodity demand, especially iron ore and copper.Zhang Yansheng,WoW US Level1-80 CD Key including 30 days secretary general of the Academic Committee at the National Development and Reform Commission, said the market was generally optimistic about economic prospects of major economies, including the EU, U.S. and Japan, and about steady growth in emerging markets.China's export growth will be quite strong this year on the back of recovering external demand, Zhang said.However, Chang said he remained cautious about exports this year."But we will watch closely for upside surprises that suggest underlying growth," he added."Our conservative export growth forecast of 9.3 percent this year assumes that the high base from last year matters," said Chang.Zhang Zhiwei, chief China economist with Japan's Nomura Securities, said in a research note that it is unclear to what extent the strong export data reflect true strength in the economy."The data on industrial production for January and February will be released on March 13 and should help to confirm the actual strength of export growth," Zhang said.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Google Wants to Be Part of Your Meetings With Chromebox

Hewlett Packard's Shelia Watson updated the company's The Next Bench Blog on Thursday with news of an upcoming HP Chromebox. There will actually be two when they arrive this spring, one that sports an Intel "Haswell" processor and one for more demanding applications that has an Intel i7 "Haswell" processor."It works with standard keyboards, mice and displays, and offers connectivity using HDMI, DisplayPort and Bluetooth, along with four USB 3.0 ports. Like other Chrome devices from HP, the Chromebox offers a fast, easy and safe computing experience for you and your family," Watson writes.Unfortunately, Watson doesn't provide any specific specs, and the notification page merely reveals Chromeboxes in four different colors: Smoke Silver, Ocean Turquoise, Snow White and Twinkle Black. She notes that some of these colors were used on the Chromebook 14 introduced a few months ago."You can securely mount the Chromebox to your wall or to the back of your monitor using standard VESA mounts. This petite little package can also snugly fit into your home theater, and it's small enough to pop into a travel bag (in case you wanted to set up shop while on vacation)," Watson adds.Meanwhile, over on Google, the search engine giant has introduced a Chromebox bundle of its own, bringing together Google+ Hangouts and Google Apps in an easy-to-manage solution. The Chromebox is part of a $999 kit for meetings, which also includes an HD camera, a remote control and a microphone/speaker.Clawfoot tub accessories 

The Chromebox in this bundle is actually one of several Asus revealed just days ago. Specs show that it has an Intel Core i7-4600U processor, either 2 GB or 4 GB of DDR3-1600 MHz memory (two SO-DIMM slots), a 16 GB SSD, a 2-in-1 SD card reader, Wireless N connectivity and more.According to the company, the remote control has a full QWERTY keyboard on the back, a nano-sized USB adapter, and RF connectivity (no line of sight necessary). The camera can capture video up to 1920 x 1080, and will automatically switch resolution based on available bandwidth."For the same price that companies have typically paid for one meeting room, they'll be able to outfit 10 rooms—or more. CDW and SYNNEX will help bring Chromebox for meetings to customers and resellers, and Chromeboxes from HP and Dell will be available for meetings in the coming months,Period Cup" reads Google's blog.Later this year,Silicone Wristbands Google plans to launch the Chromebox for meetings in Australia, Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the U.K.

Why You Should Buy A Windows Phone 8 Device in 2014

Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 didn’t see a lot of momentum last year. Though sales definitely rose when compared to last year, the platform and the devices that it powers didn’t have many high profile moments that smartphone buyers could latch onto as a sign that it was improving. As such, many users are wondering whether 2014 is the right time to buy a Windows Phone.Understandably,key programmer potential Windows Phone buyers in 2014 are worried about Windows Phone 8, the often rumored update that it is believed will deliver some much-needed polish to the operating system as a whole.Thankfully, Microsoft has already confirmed that Windows Phone 8 users are entitled to software upgrades for two-years. That means that the new notification center and separate toggles for ringer and music volume will come to all Windows Phone 8 devices at some point in the future.Microsoft’s release of the Windows Phone 8 GDR3 update last year didn’t necessarily get users riled up. That makes sense because users who received the update only picked up the option to specify new notification sounds on their devices. Behind the scenes there was a bit more going on.With Windows Phone 8 GDR3 smartphone makers are finally free to create devices running Microsoft’s operating that compete head to head with the hardware included in high-end Android smartphones. In fact, the same Snapdragon 800 processor that powers the LG G2 is used in Nokia’s Lumia 1520 phablet. This is the first time that’s ever happened and definitely makes buying Windows Phone hardware in 2014 much less of a gamble.Of course, Windows Phone has always been optimized for the hardware it ships on. As such, users won’t notice a dip in performance regardless of what processor they have. However, I’d imagine that knowing you have the power to play the latest games even a year or two from now is a good thing. 

Windows Phones haven’t changed much in the year since Microsoft first announced Windows Phone 8.Menstrual Cup On the other hand, the services and products that surround Windows Phone have all grown and matured in a number of ways. There’s SkyDrive, which is now available anywhere and integrates seamlessly with apps running on user’s Windows 8.1-equipped laptop, desktop or 2-in-1. Every Windows Phone comes with a free version of Microsoft Office. These too are backed up by and expanding and ever-changing array of apps for desktops, tablets and the web. Windows Phone users can even access these documents for free online through Office Web Apps.Not all users are comfortable with two-year service agreements. After all, taking the risk on a new mobile platform and signing a two-year service agreement could be dangerous. What if they turn out to not like the platform? What if there aren’t enough apps to tide them over in the Windows Phone Store.Luckily, buying a Windows Phone device without a two-year service agreement has never been cheaper. The low-end Lumia 520 and Lumia 521 now hover at about $60 to $40 at most retail stores. Pricing for the now-midrange Windows Phone 8X b HTC is even lower. Buyers can pick up that device on Amazon for as little as $199 without a two-year service agreement.united-promo As we move forward into 2014 prices for once high-end Windows Phone devices without a two-year service agreement are only going to get lower.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Finland targets giant status in global cleantech arena

"We see ourselves as the Henry Ford of wave energy," said Tomasz Mucha, who is responsible for project financing and business development at AW-Energy, a small renewable energy company based in Vantaa, just north of the Finnish capital Helsinki."When Ford built the first car he knew what it should do and he had an idea of how it should be done. Eventually, he was able to take the technology to line production," said Mucha.Mucha and his colleagues are working hard to ensure that in the next five to 10 years, powering household devices with abundant clean energy harvested from the ocean will be more science fact than science fiction.Currently two companies in Finland's cleantech sector focus on wave energy: AW-Energy and Wello, headquartered in Espoo, a satellite town near Helsinki.Both companies have patented solutions that convert the kinetic power of ocean waves to electricity.Wello's Penguin is a specialized vessel that bobs on ocean surfaces while anchored to the seabed, allowing it to convert the rocking and rolling motion to energy.AW-Energy's WaveRoller is deployed on the ocean floor and features a moveable, fin-like panel that converts the constant undersea wave surge to electricity.AW-Energy is hoping that its first commercial project will take the company one step closer to the Fordian production line ideal. Plotted for Bretagne in France, the initiative has impressive Herb basilheavyweight partners behind it: Finnish energy giant Fortum, French naval shipbuilder DCNS and the support of the local Bretagne region."We need projects and their operational data before the industry can kick off and get results that will convince conservative organizations like financial institutions, energy companies and insurance companies," Mucha emphasized. 

Kaisa Hernberg, executive director of the government-backed export promotion network Cleantech Finland, said that renewable energy companies represent just one aspect of Finland's dynamic clean technology sector.Altogether the sector includes 2,000 companies and organizations and cuts across a diverse range of industries: energy and materials efficiency; technology for built up environments; bioenergy and biofuels; and water management, including water treatment or purification.Finnish cleantech is quietly yet solidly increasing its contribution to the Finnish economy and conquering major markets abroad."In 2012 the turnover of the cleantech sector surpassed that of the forestry industry, so it's major business in Finland, and turnover in the sector increased by 15 percent in 2012," Hernberg elaborated."It's the competitive factor that spawns the growth," she added.According to AW-Energy's Mucha that competitive factor includes an operational model that has become a key feature of many companies operating in the techno-industrial sector.Fruit knife"Finland has well-established know-how in the heavy machinery and equipment industry, and has been traditionally involved in heavy industry. In addition there is a business model where R&D and core components are produced in Finland and exported to projects on-site," Mucha outlined.The competitive edge has also seen Finland's cleantech sector grow to employ 50,000 people with another 40,000 jobs to be added by 2020, according to estimates by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy. 

Moreover, it has helped the Nordic nation spread its cleantech wings far and wide."China is the number one market for Finnish cleantech. They have ambitious emission reductions targets so they are very interested in cleantech solutions," Hernberg noted.She added that Russia, Brazil, India,Antique faucets Germany and Sweden are also major markets, and the United States to some extent."What they all have in common is that they are all large growth markets. And many of the emerging economies are struggling with the effects of wide industrialization and urbanization," she said.A 2013 analysis of the global renewables market by a specialist team at the business and financial information provider Bloomberg estimated that by 2030, renewable technologies will account for 50 percent of new power generation capacity globally.Groundbreakers like AW-Energy and Mucha want to play a major role in that transformation, and in so doing could make Finland a global cleantech giant.

Sony announces 1.1 bln USD annual net loss as deal to sell PC business reached, 5,000 jobs to be axed

Sony Corp. announced Thursday it had revised its full year forecast for the year through March to a group net loss of 110 billion yen (1.Vintage faucets1 billion U.S. dollars) from a profit of 30 billion yen, owing to sluggish sales of its televisions and personal computers.Sony, also known for its Xperia smartphones and PlayStation games consoles, also forecast an operating profit of 80 billion yen, from sales totaling 7.7 trillion yen.In the April-December period, the electronics giant returned to profit to the tune of 11.17 billion yen, from a 50.87 billion yen loss logged at the same time in the previous year, the firm said.Banner PenSony also said its sales were up 16.4 percent to 5.9 trillion yen, from the previous year, with its operating profit surging 70. 5 percent from the previous year to 141.45 billion yen.The firm however confirmed Thursday it has reached a deal to sell its flagging Vaio laptop business to investment fund Japan Industrial Partners."Sony has determined that concentrating its mobile product lineup on smartphones and tablets and transferring its PC business to a new company established by Japan Industrial Partners is the optimal solution," Sony said in a statement.The firms are planning to have themodern lamps deal finalized by spring this year and just ahead of a planned consumption tax hike from 5 to 8 percent a month later that could negatively impact demand for consumer electronics here, as purchasing sentiment for non- essential goods wins as consumers here rein in spending. 

"Sony and JIP will now proceed with due diligence and negotiate detailed terms and conditions of the business transfer, targeting the conclusion of a definitive agreement by the end of March 2014," said Sony."Following reevaluation of the product lineup, the new company is expected initially to concentrate on sales of consumer and corporate PCs in the Japanese market and seek to optimize its sales channels and scale of operations, while evaluating possible further geographic expansion," the statement added.As well as making wholesale changes to its TV business, by restructuring the struggling section as a subsidiary and not one of the mainstay businesses of the firm, Sony also announced it will be cutting personnel in a bid to reduce costs.Sony said that as part of the sale of its PC business, some 5, 000 jobs will be axed."For employees of Sony Corporation and Sony EMCS Corporation that are not hired by the new company or transferred within the Sony Group, Sony plans to also offer an early retirement support program to assist their reemployment outside of the Sony Group," Sony said in an official statement Thursday.

Friday, February 7, 2014

UPDATE 1-Golf-Walker joins Spieth in share of Pebble Beach lead

American Jimmy Walker edged one step closer to a third victory on the 2013-14 PGA Tour when he moved into an tie for the lead after the rain-delayed second round of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on Friday.FedExCup points leader Walker, who won the season-opening Frys.com Open in October and last month's Sony Open in Hawaii fired a three-under-par 69 at Spyglass Hill, one of three venues being used this week, to sit on nine-under after 36 holes.Walker clearly relishes playing on the picturesque Monterey Peninsula, having recorded top-10 finishes in each of the last three years at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.polyester resin"I do like playing golf out here, playing Pebble beach is pretty amazing," Walker told reporters. "I seem to play well out here. I don't know what it is but I do like playing out here."The 34-year-old collected three birdies in a bogey-free display in mainly overcast, breezy conditions to finish level with fellow American Jordan Spieth, who returned a six-birdie 67 at Monterey Peninsula.Spieth, the 2013 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year who clinched his maiden title at the John Deere Classic in July, birdied his final hole, the par-three ninth, to join Walker at the top."We are just having a lot of fun," Spieth said of the pro-am atmosphere."We are playing a little slower rounds and we are not catching the best weather but everything is laughs and it just a good time."It feels a little more relaxed and when things are going wrong there are some the people there to pick you up." 

Just one stroke shy of the lead sits fellow American Hunter Mahan after a four-under 68 at Spyglass Hill moved the 31-year-old five-time Tour winner to eight-under.Mahan carded six birdies and two bogeys to move into the mix.First-round leader Andrew Loupe, a PGA Tour rookie making only his seventh start on the U.S. circuit,Banner Pen was another stroke back at seven under after carding a one-over 73 on the hosting Pebble Beach Golf Links.Richard Lee (72) sits alone in fifth place at six-under while 11 players are tied sixth at five-under.Tournament favourite and world number four Phil Mickelson, bidding for a record-equalling fifth victory at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am,Clawfoot tub accessories was five off the pace in a tie for 17th after signing for a roller-coaster 73.The American left-hander, wearing a glove on each hand to cope with increasingly chilly conditions on the Pebble Beach Golf Links, mixed a double-bogey at the second with four birdies and three bogeys to finish at four under.Loupe's overnight lead of two shots held up when the rain-delayed first round was completed earlier on Friday.The 25-year-old Loupe had set the pace with a sizzling 63 at Monterey Peninsula on Thursday but 40 players were yet to finish when play ended for the day in fading light.Of those, Mickelson was three strokes off the pace with three holes remaining but he was unable to get any closer to Loupe as he finished up with three successive pars on Friday morning to card a 66. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by John O'Brien)

Samsung Electronics fourth-quarter profit sags

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd posted its first decline in quarterly profit in two years, hit by one-off special bonus as well as slowing smartphone sales as it braces for a year of tougher competition with rival Apple Inc.The world's biggest smartphone maker kept its full-year investment plan conservative and warned it would be difficult to increase earnings in the first quarter as demand pulls back from the year-end holiday period.October-December operating profit fell 6 percent on year to 8.3 trillion won ($7.7 billion),amino resin in line with a previous estimate of 8.3 trillion won, Samsung said in a statement on Friday.The figure was brought down by an 800 billion won ($745 million) special employee bonus to commemorate 20 years since Chairman Lee Kun-hee announced a management strategy that the company regards as the catalyst to its recent growth. 

It said a stronger won also hit profit, knocking off around 700 billion won.Shares of Samsung Electronics, worth $204 billion, edged up 0.4 percent after the earnings release, compared with the benchmark index which fell 0.3 percent. The stock has fallen 8 percent in the past month on concern over slowing smartphone growth."It will be challenging for Samsung to improve its earnings in the first quarter as the weak seasonality of the IT industry will put pressure on demand for components and TV products," the company Cast iron tubsaid in a statement.Samsung said its 2014 capital expenditure, a barometer of broader technology industry demand for manufacturing tools such as chip equipment,World of Warcraft US - Golden Pig will be similar to 2013's 23.8 trillion won. 

Operating profit at its cash cow mobile division stood flat at 5.47 trillion won, but slipped 18 percent from July-September's record 6.7 trillion won as new iPhones drew away sales during the year-end holiday period.Operating profit from display unit Samsung Display tumbled 90 percent to 110 billion won as weaker-than-forecast sales of the Galaxy S4 left smartphone screens sitting in the inventory, while subdued sales of television sets also had an impact on TV screen shipments.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

The future of Dynamics in a Nadella-led Microsoft

Microsoft's Dynamics ERP and CRM product lines seemed safe immediately following former CEO Steve Ballmer's sweeping reorganization of the company last year. But now that longtime Microsoft executive Satya Nadella has been named Ballmer's successor, the time is ripe for more focused speculation on the future of Dynamics. Here's a look at what could be in store.He knows Dynamics well: Nadella served a stint in the Dynamics business from 2001-2007, so he has an intimate knowledge of the ERP applications and their user bases, as well as Dynamics CRM, which has made strides against the likes of Salesforce.com, thanks to factors including aggressive pricing and the option of cloud or on-premises deployments."It's not as if he's going to take a lot of time to come up to speed," said analyst Frank Scavo, managing partner of IT consulting firm Strativa. "I think Dynamics increases in stature at Microsoft under Nadella."Nadella played a "fairly prominent role" at a Microsoft analyst event Scavo attended several months ago, taking part in a lengthy session that primarily focused on Dynamics and Microsoft's Azure cloud service, which Nadella oversaw before taking the CEO job, Scavo added.x431Meanwhile, Nadella has said that to be a leader in enterprise cloud computing, a vendor must have "best-in-class first-party SaaS applications," running on its own cloud infrastructure. 

All in all, Nadella will likely be a strong advocate for Dynamics as he settles into the CEO slot.key programmer"We are very happy about Satya's appointment as CEO,BMW ICOM" a spokesperson for Dynamics said via email Thursday. "Microsoft Dynamics is on a strong growth path and is seeing great traction market. We are innovating at a rapid pace and are excited about what we plan to deliver to our customers in the upcoming months."Customer enthusiasm: Customers are happy too. "We're extremely excited about it," said Frank Vukovits, co-founder and director of programming for the Dynamics AX User Group, regarding Nadella's appointment. In fact, Nadella spoke at the group's first summit meeting in 2005, Vukovits said. "He has always been a big supporter of the community and sees a lot of value in users and customers getting together and sharing their knowledge to allow them to do more with the product." 

Nadella understands business applications and the needs of users that work with them, Vukovits added. "What would have made me nervous is if they brought someone in with a history focused just on sales and licensing, the volume side of the business, versus the need to truly embrace the business customer," he said.Eyes on the enterprise: In order to substantially grow the Dynamics business, Microsoft will have to go after ERP deals with large enterprises. To that end, it's been building out its global services capabilities, even though traditionally Dynamics has mostly been sold through partners around the world, who tweak the software for customers' needs. Many have also built out industry-specific functionality for Dynamics.

This iPhone-Sized Device Can Hack A Car, Researchers Plan To Demonstrate

Auto makers have long downplayed the threat of hacker attacks on their cars and trucks, arguing that their vehicles’ increasingly-networked systems are protected from rogue wireless intrusion. Now two researchers plan to show that a few minutes alone with a car and a tiny, cheap device can give digital saboteurs all the wireless control they need.At the Black Hat Asia security conference in Singapore next month, Spanish security researchers Javier Vazquez-Vidal and Alberto Garcia Illera plan to present a small gadget they built for less than $20 that can be physically connected to a car’s internal network to inject malicious commands affecting everything from its windows and headlights to its steering and brakes. Their tool, which is about three-quarters the size of an iPhone, attaches via four wires to the Controller Area Network or CAN bus of a vehicle, drawing power from the car’s electrical system and waiting to relay wireless commands sent remotely from an attacker’s computer. They call their creation the CAN Hacking Tool, or CHT.“It can take five minutes or less to hook it up and then walk away,” says Vazquez Vidal, who works as a automobile IT security consultant in Germany. “We could wait one minute or one year, and then trigger it to do whatever we have programmed it to do.” 

Just what commands the researchers can remotely inject with the CHT, Vazquez Vidal says, depends on the model of car. They tested four different vehicles, whose specific make and model they declined to name, and their tricks ranged from mere mischief like switching off headlights, setting off alarms, and rolling windows up and down to accessing anti-lock brake or emergency brake systems that could potentially cause a sudden stop in traffic. In some cases, the attacks required gaining under-the-hood access or opening the car’s trunk, while in other instances, they say they could simply crawl under the car to plant the device.For now, the tool communicates via only Bluetooth,Soft cup limiting the range of any wireless attack to a few feet. But by the time the two researchers present their research in Singapore, they say they’ll upgrade it to use a GSM cellular radio instead that would make it possible to control the device from miles away.All the ingredients of their tool are off-the-shelf components, adds Vazquez Vidal,x431 GDS so that even if the device is discovered it wouldn’t necessarily provide clues as to who planted it. “It’s totally untraceable,” he says.The Spanish researchers’ work adds to a growing focus in the security industry on the vulnerability of networked automobiles to hackers’ attacks. Before the Defcon hacker conference last July, researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek put me behind the wheel of a Ford Explorer and a Toyota Prius and then showed that they could plug their laptops into a dashboard port of vehicles to perform nasty tricks like slamming on the Prius’ brakes, jerking its steering wheel and even disabling the brakes of the Explorer at low speeds.That work helped to spur Senator Edward Markey to send a seven-page letter to 20 automakers asking that they detail their security practices. Though the automakers’ answers were due on January 3rd, Markey’s office hasn’t yet released the results of their responses. 

Toyota both brushed off Miller and Valasek’s work by pointing to the fact that their hack required physical access to the vehicle. “Our focus, and that of the entire auto industry, is to prevent hacking from a remote wireless device outside of the vehicle,” Toyota safety manager John Hanson told me at the time.But Miller and Valasek counter that others had already shown that the initial wireless penetration of a car’s network is indeed possible. In 2011, a team of researchers at the University of Washington and the University of California at San Diego wirelessly penetrated a car’s internals via cellular networks, Bluetooth connections, and even a malicious audio file on a CD in its stereo system.Vazquez Vidal’s and Garcia Illera’s CHT device adds yet another way to cross that wireless divide,Period Cup and one that’s likely far cheaper. But like prior researchers, they say their intention is to show that digital car attacks are possible, not to enable them. Though they’ll detail the physical construction of their tool, they say they don’t plan to release the code used to inject commands into their test vehicles’ networks. “The goal isn’t to release our hacking tool to the public and say ‘take this and start hacking cars,’” says Vazquez Vidal. “We want to reach the manufacturers and show them what can be done.”Like Miller and Valasek, they argue that car makers need to look beyond the initial wireless penetration of a car’s network to consider adding security between a vehicle’s systems, limiting a rogue device’s ability to wreak havoc.

Friday, January 24, 2014

2014 Detroit Auto Show: Mercedes unveils new midsized sedan

Mercedes-Benz showed off the next-generation C-Class at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Monday. The 2015 C-Class will be roomier than the current model and offer more safety features and amenities.Mercedes is growing the car and adding features because it is no longer the luxury brand’s entry-level vehicle. That role has fallen to the smaller CLA, a just-released sedan starting at about $30,000, roughly 20% less expensive than the expected starting price of the new C.“It’s not uncommon for lower-priced models to slowly move upmarket and get replaced by all-new, entry-level models,” said Karl Brauer, an analyst at auto information company Kelley Blue Book.“The C-Class was never the sportiest car in that segment, so making the next version larger and more luxurious isn’t a major shift for the model’s image or role,” Brauer said.united-promoMercedes’ challenge will be to pack enough luxury features into the new C while still keeping the price competitive, he said.The C300 will come with a 2.0-liter,Tampon turbocharged and direct-injected four-cylinder that will produce an estimated 235 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque.The C400 will have a 3.0-liter turbocharged, direct-injected V6 making an estimated 329 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. Expect a diesel option later.Initially, Mercedes will offer only the all-wheel-drive version. A rear-wheel-drive model will follow. 

The new C grows by four inches in length and 1.6 inches width. Mercedes has used that extra room to make a cramped back seat more comfortable. The trunk capacity also has grown to 17 cubic feet from 12.4.The bigger C gives Mercedes slots in nicely in the brands lineup, said Stephanie Brinley, an analyst at HIS Automotive, fitting between the CLA and the larger E-Class and S-Class models.And like Ford,Soft cup with the 2015 F-150 pickup truck also introduced at the Detroit show Monday, Mercedes is making a much greater use of aluminum alloys to shave weight from the car and increase fuel economy. The new C-Class will be about 220 pounds lighter than its predecessor.Nearly half the new C-Class platform is made from aluminum, compared with 10% in the outgoing model. This lightweight construction cuts fuel consumption up to 20% over the current model without any loss of performance, Mercedes said.Mercedes has not released fuel consumption numbers for the new car, but the current generation gets 24 or 25 miles per gallon in combined city and highway driving, depending on the engine choice, according to Environmental Protection Agency ratings.The new model will be the first passenger car built by the German manufacturer in America. Mercedes plans to assemble the C-class at the automaker's factory in Alabama, where it already produces sport-utility vehicles. The shift is part of as strategy by Mercedes to build cars closer to their markets to avoid the negative effects of currency fluctuations.

Microsoft's Management Discusses F2Q 2014 Results

Greetings, and welcome to the Microsoft second quarter fiscal year 2014 earnings conference call. [Operator instructions.] It is now my pleasure to introduce your host, Chris Suh, General Manager of Investor Relations for Microsoft. Thank you, Chris. You may begin.Thank you, operator. On our website, microsoft.com/investor, is our financial summary slide deck, which is intended to follow our prepared remarks and provides a reconciliation of differences between GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures.As a reminder, we will post today's prepared remarks to our website immediately following the call, until the complete transcript is available. Today's call is being webcast live and recorded. If you ask a question, it will be included in our live transmission, in the transcript, and in any future use of the recording. You can replay the call and view the transcript at the Microsoft Investor Relations website until January 23, 2015.During this call, we will be making forward-looking statements, which are predictions, projections, or other statements about future events. These statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results could materially differ because of factors discussed in today's earnings press release, in the comments made during this conference call, and in the Risk Factors section of our Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, and other reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statements.Before I hand the call over to Amy, please keep in mind that all growth comparisons we make on the call today will relate to the corresponding period of last year. Also, unless specified otherwise, all impacted numbers for the current quarter have been adjusted for the cumulative effect of last year's revenue deferrals and recognition related Windows, Office, and Xbox video games. 

As a reminder, with our new segment reporting structure, we have consolidated adjustments of this nature into “corporate and other” to provide better comparability of operating results. You can find details of the adjustments and a reconciliation of differences between GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures in our financial summary slide deck.Thank you, Chris.Period Cup Good afternoon and thank you all for joining us today. As I look back on the quarter, I am pleased with the results, as we exceeded our expected revenue growth while continuing to maintain our focus on improved execution and cost management.TamponOur devices and consumer segment had a very good quarter and grew 13%, with a successful holiday. Our commercial segments had another great quarter, and grew 10%, to over $12 billion, as we continue to deliver on our differentiated cloud strategy.We performed well this quarter, and you see it in our financial results. This holiday, we continued to make significant progress in the consumer space, headlined by Xbox One, which launched in 13 markets and sold in 3.9 million units in just over five weeks.united-promoAccording to NPD Group figures, Xbox One was the leading console in the U.S. for the month of December, which was its first full month in market. When adding in Xbox 360, which held the third spot, Xbox led the U.S. market, with 46% share in December. We are excited by this enthusiastic response from our loyal customers, and are working to increase the availability of Xbox One.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

iPhone 6 Features We Want from Apple

The iPhone 5s is just a few months old, but seeing as how we’re already into 2014 and a new iPhone will more than likely be released later this year at some point, it’s not too early to talk about the next generation, currently referred to as simply the iPhone 6 for now, although rumors have pointed to the “iPhone Air” as a possible name for the device.Period CupWe’ve already talked plenty about iPhone 6 rumors and what we can most likely expect out of the new device, but we’ve never really discussed what we’d like to see featured on the next iPhone,united-promo rumor or not — sort of like a wish list that we could give to Apple if we had the chance.There are a lot of rumors flying around about the iPhone 6, many of them are fairly realistic, but there are also a lot of rumors that are pretty ridiculous. With that said, we thought we’d come up with our ideal iPhone 6 and put together a next-gen device that we would want to see later this year. 

There’s a reason that Apple hasn’t slapped a 5-inch display onto the iPhone: the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s’s 4-inch display allows for a fairly small device that’s easy to hold and easy to store in a pocket while on the go. The Nexus 5 is great and all, but it’s way too big for one-handed operation.However, Apple can go a bit bigger without compromising size. The iPhone 5s has surprisingly thick bezels, but if the company slimmed those down and made the iPhone just a tad larger, it could easily fit in a 4.2-inch display — maybe a 4.5-inch.Furthermore, if they upped the resolution to a proper 1280×720, the device would still be at least the same 326 PPI that the iPhone has always been since the iPhone 4. In other words, a 4.2-inch display is completely feasible.We want to see NFC in the next iPhone, but after Apple revealed iBeacon, we’re not so sure if that’s going to happen. iBeacon might be Apple’s NFC replacement, which can do many of the things that NFC can,Menstrual Cup but with a much wider communication range that’s similar to a local WiFi network. 

Granted, iBeacon will still be useful, and iOS users will still get close to the same benefits in a way, but cross-platform support is out of the question, so sending something via NFC to an iPhone from an Android device might never be possible. Then again, that's something that isn’t new.While I personally don’t think that Apple will implement wireless charging into the iPhone 6, I’d still love to see it as a feature. It's a simple enough technology that Apple could easily explain it to the everyday consumer, and Apple is all about simplicity and convenience, so users wouldn’t need to worry about wall chargers or USB cables if they needed to boost their iPhone juice.As far as how they could implement the technology is an entirely different question. Users might have to buy a separate Apple accessory in order to take advantage of wireless charging, or the company could start making new docks that have wireless charging capabilities inside. Whatever the case, we think wireless charging would be a big hit amongst iPhone users.

Car Accessories For Relaxation and Luxury

Car Accessories For Relaxation and LuxuryYou are looking for whether your automobile is low-priced or costly or sick maintained or maybe well held. You will need to install many car accessories that could make the feeling of travelling, a rather pleasurable a person. External vehicle accessories in addition to internal car or truck accessories are often the two groups of car equipment. Floor mars, specialty dash contains, seat contains fog devices and atmosphere perfumes are furnished car gadgets. It is usually insufficient to help simply get a car after which you can equip it without any accessories. More furnished accessories consist of car tire covers, figure covers, cool and environments accessories plus gas hats. 

You would probably surely need to make auto look wealthy and exciting right? Any time yes, then it’s good to purchase the appropriate accessories. There are a number people that live inspiration. They might do anything to acquire original gadgets. If this really is you, you need in store the showroom that could have each of the accessories you have to equip your vehicle. If possibly not, then a good accessory shop might your very best bet. If you happen to not in the fad with originality, then obtaining them through retailers certainly a better option because cost is leaner. No topic where you pay for the gadgets from, it is very important to decorate your automobile with all of them.The description of gadgets for cars might be ‘necessary add-ons’. They aid in categorize outer walls and insides accessories.GM TECH2 Increasing this performance for the car will be the role that could be played through the add-ons. They likewise go some distance in attracting a person’s eye of these passers-by. Merchandise that give auto, a totally new looks are definitely the car add-ons. If a person compromise to them, you usually are compromising on precisely what will make the vehicle look greater. 

The security portion of the car is not ignored.Menstrual Cup If your house is in a spot where a large amount of fog reigns from the winter, afterward fog equipment, are absolutely essential. If your home is an area where winters are very harsh, then choosing snow plus ice add-ons will are beneficial. Never compromise on the safety and purchasing car add-ons thus gets important. Your own satisfaction will possibly be enhanced using accessories including car take covers, saddle covers together with body includes.x431