iGrann Pro gets updated once again with improvements and a UI refresh
One of the apps that is always open as an Active Frame on my BlackBerry 10 device is iGrann Pro. Today a small, but welcomed, update is rolling out and although the improvements are not huge, it’s nice to see yet another update from the developer.
Video: here’s what makes the G Flex 2 special, according to LG
We’ve already brought you our take on the G Flex 2, in our review, camera shootout, and versus comparison with the LG G3. But if you prefer your information straight from the manufacturer’s marketing department, here’s a product video that will walk you through the core features of the LG G Flex 2.
Unsurprisingly, the video raves about the several curves making up the G Flex 2’s profile, but also touches on everything from the “incredibly fast” Snapdragon 810 processor, to the self-healing back, Lollipop, and the fast camera. Check it out and let us know what you think. Curved shape aside, would you consider the G Flex 2 as your next purchase?
HTC says it still has surprises in store for March 1
The blogosphere is ablaze with leaked images and product videos that allegedly show the HTC One M9, due March 1. Now a comment from HTC’s global head of communications suggests we are yet to see the real good stuff.
The best parts of HTC’s March 1st launch event are the parts you have NO IDEA are coming.
— Jeff Gordon (@urbanstrata) February 24, 2015
One could interpret this tweet in two ways – it could be a tacit acknowledgement by Jeff Gordon that the leaks that have been making the rounds over the past days are real. The HTC exec may be trying to preserve some excitement for the Sunday event by hinting at some of the other devices that HTC has in store: a fitness band developed together with Under Armour, an Ultra (Max?) version of the M9, or something else.
But the tweet can also be read as a hint that the leaked videos are sending us on the wrong path, and that the real M9 will be different. Fans of conspiracy theories who still believe everything is a giant ruse by HTC (or a plain misunderstanding) will probably find some hope in this tweet.
Personally, I lean towards the first explanation – HTC is likely trying to salvage what it can by focusing on the announcements that haven’t leaked yet. Especially because the reactions to the M9’s M8-like design have been largely negative.
What do you think? Are you still hoping for a new design? Do you think HTC can really surprise after all?
Pebble Time is your new Pebble smartwatch, complete with colour e-ink display
The original Pebble smartwatch campaign still stands as one of the defining success stories of Kickstarter, raising over $10 million to fund what can only be described as one of the most recognizable smartwatches to date. Since then, Pebble has launched one primarily cosmetic update in the Pebble Steel, and made plenty of little strides […]
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Gemalto denies ‘massive theft’ of SIM card encryption keys by NSA and GCHQ
Digital security vendor Gemalto revealed its findings today following last week’s report of an incursion by the NSA and the GCHQ into the vendor’s SIM card encryption keys. While Gemalto noted that an operation by NSA and GCHQ “probably happened” in 2010 and 2011, the intrusion could not have resulted in a “massive theft” of SIM card encryption keys as the breach affected the company’s office network and not its secure networks.
Gemalto denies ‘massive theft’ of SIM card encryption keys by NSA and GCHQ
Digital security vendor Gemalto revealed its findings today following last week’s report of an incursion by the NSA and the GCHQ into the vendor’s SIM card encryption keys. While Gemalto noted that an operation by NSA and GCHQ “probably happened” in 2010 and 2011, the intrusion could not have resulted in a “massive theft” of SIM card encryption keys as the breach affected the company’s office network and not its secure networks.
Gemalto mentioned that the SIM card encryption keys were not stored in the networks that were breached:
These intrusions only affected the outer parts of our networks – our office networks – which are in contact with the outside world. The SIM encryption keys and other customer data in general, are not stored on these networks. It is important to understand that our network architecture is designed like a cross between an onion and an orange; it has multiple layers and segments which help to cluster and isolate data.
Access to the keys would have allowed the US and UK government agencies the ability to listen in on phone conversations and install malware on any Gemalto-issued SIM card. With an annual production of 2 billion SIM cards and association with most major carriers in the world including US carriers such as AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon, any security breach at the vendor would have global consequences. Here’s what Gemalto found in its investigation into the hack:
The investigation into the intrusion methods described in the document and the sophisticated attacks that Gemalto detected in 2010 and 2011 give us reasonable grounds to believe that an operation by NSA and GCHQ probably happened
The attacks against Gemalto only breached its office networks and could not have resulted in a massive theft of SIM encryption keys
The operation aimed to intercept the encryption keys as they were exchanged between mobile operators and their suppliers globally. By 2010, Gemalto had already widely deployed a secure transfer system with its customers and only rare exceptions to this scheme could have led to theft
In the case of an eventual key theft, the intelligence services would only be able to spy on communications on second generation 2G mobile networks. 3G and 4G networks are not vulnerable to this type of attack
None of our other products were impacted by this attack
The best counter-measures to these type of attacks are the systematic encryption of data when stored and in transit, the use of the latest SIM cards and customized algorithms for each operator
According to Gemalto, even if the SIM card encryption keys were stolen, it would have resulted in the US and UK intelligence networks spying on 2G networks, making most users in developed countries prone to intrusion by covert agencies. However, The Intercept – the publication that first broke the news of the hack – noted that the target countries for the NSA and GCHQ’s spying activities included Afghanistan, Iceland, India, Iran, Pakistan, Serbia, Somalia, Serbia,Tajikistan and Yemen, where 2G networks are still the norm. Gemalto stated that its secure data transfer system was in use at that time, which would have deterred hackers from gaining access to the encryption keys.
Head to the link below to read all of Gemalto’s findings.
Source: Gemalto
LG now rolling out the G Flex 2 around the globe
With MWC just around the corner, expected to bring announcements for a handful of the latest flagship devices, LG has decided to wait no longer on rolling out their new curved G Flex 2.
LG has officially announced that the LG G Flex 2 is rolling out now around the globe. Expect to see the 5.5-inch device on store shelves in the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore, France, Germany and the U.K. very soon. Sadly, no actual availability date has been provided, and we are not seeing the device on many of the websites of the bigger carriers here in the States just yet.
Following the above noted markets, LG will be bringing the Octa-core Snapdragon 810 SoC powered G Flex 2 to other ‘key markets’ in the rest of North and South America, Europe and Asia in the coming weeks.
If you have not yet had the chance, be sure to check out our coverage of the LG G Flex 2, including first impressions, side-by-side with the LG G3 and more. I don’t want to spoil your reading, but we found the phone to be a few steps forward, but perhaps with a major flaw.
Pricing for the LG G Flex 2 appears will be very fair for what you get. $200 with a 2 year contract, or about $500 outright. $504 in monthly installments on Sprint’s Easy Pay plans.
Head on over to LG’s announcement for all the details, or just keep tabs on your local carrier, the LG G Flex 2 should be available very soon.
Are you thinking of grabbing the LG G Flex 2, or will you hold off to see what goodies MWC has to bring?
Further reading:
Suitcase with e-scooter can help you make it to your flight on time
If you saw our old backpack with an electronic scooter post and thought, “That would be so much better if it were a suitcase,” then your prayers have been answered. What’s pictured above is a legit suitcase-and-e-scooter-in-one that can run up to 12.4 mph for 6 miles on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery — that should be enough to traverse huge airports with broken walkalators. It’s the standard carry-on size, so you don’t have to check it in if you don’t want to, though it’s a bit on the heavy side (17.4 pounds). This is a real product that you can buy right now, by the way, not a concept or a prototype somebody dreams of mass producing one day. The regular version will set you back $599, while the model fitted with solar panels costs $100 more. Now, if people are starting to look and judge you for riding a suitcase, you can choose to be boring and use the scooter’s power to move your luggage while you walk.
Filed under: Misc, Transportation
Via: Pocket-lint, Gizmag
Source: Coolpeds
Former HTC executive seemingly confirms HTC One M9 videos are the real deal
If you’ve been scouring the Internet for any trace of the HTC One M9 in the last 24 hours, you will have seen the HTC One M9 videos that were leaked out earlier today. Plenty of discussions have ensued arguing whether this will be the device that HTC unveils at MWC 2015, and while the consensus is […]
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Samsung Working with SK Telecom for 5G Data Speeds
Samsung and SK Telecom, a South Korean mobile operator, are planning to showcase current research into future 5G data transmission at 7.55 Gbps at Mobile World Congress next week. The transmission uses millimeter wave frequencies, meaning those over 6 GHz. The size of the frequencies is higher than mobile and Wi-Fi frequencies, and comes with some pros and cons.
The pros are of course related to the higher speeds achievable with the new technology, but the cons are the fact that higher frequencies will have a much harder time penetrating buildings and will be more likely to be obstructed or interfered with by obstacles. In order to combat this potential issue, Samsung and SK Telecom are working on technology that uses 3D beamforming, which senses the location of your smartphone and directs a narrow transmission to the device.
We can expect to see it implemented in South Korea in 2020, which is 2 years after Japan’s NTT DoCoMo’s planned network demonstration in Tokyo. If you’re wondering when we can expect to see it stateside, extrapolating our current rates of network expansion and speed improvements, we can expect to see it at least 10 years after that.
Source: PC World
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