White House outlines how the US will respond to cyberattacks

The US government is understandably worried about cyberattacks as of late, and it’s now setting some ground rules for how it responds to those digital intrusions. A newly approved Presidential Policy Directive details just how officials will coordinate responses to hacks and other “cyber incidents.” including its basic principles, outlining procedures and creating mechanisms that link the actions that link government divisions. Provided everything goes according to plan, officials would not only learn to share responsibility and resources when fending off attacks, but better understand the risks associated with a given crisis.

The policy also resurrects something you might have forgotten about since President Bush Jr. left office: color-coded threat levels. A new Cyber Incident Severity Schema gives the government a sense of just how seriously an attack might threaten everything from national security to foreign relations and “public confidence.” If it’s determined to be a green- or yellow-level risk, it’s unlikely to do serious damage. There’s a very tangible concern if an attack is labeled orange or red, and you’d better hope that you never see a black-rated attack — that’s an “imminent threat” where lives and critical infrastructure are in danger.

Once everything falls into place, you won’t see too many conspicuous examples of the directive in action. Even the schema is meant more for internal use than alerting the public. However, you’ll know that it’s working if the feds spend less time scrambling to react to a cyberattack and more time setting things right, whether they’re upgrading defenses or helping victims.

Via: Motherboard

Source: White House, (PDF)

iPhone 7 May Include Flush ‘3D Touch’ Home Button

Apple’s iPhone 7 may not include a physical home button, instead adopting a touch-sensitive “3D Touch” home button, reports Mac Otakara [Google Translate]. Such a home button would be flush with the body of the iPhone and would not actually depress when a finger is placed on it.

Instead, when a user presses on the home button, haptic feedback will mimic a press, much like the Force Touch trackpad on Apple’s most recent MacBooks. Through haptic feedback, iPhone users will feel the sensation of pressing on a button even though there’s no actual button to press.

Mac Otakara’s report refers back to an April home button rumor from Stormmedia and confirms its veracity, citing unspecified supply chain sources and saying there’s a “high possibility” the rumor is accurate. We’ve heard the same home button rumor from DigiTimes and analysts at Cowen and Company. While none of these sources have track records accurate enough to unquestioningly say the rumor is true, the fact that it’s a rumor we’ve heard multiple times now suggests it could be accurate.

A flush home button, when combined with rumors of improved waterproofing and the removal of the headphone jack, makes some sense. Without a physical button, there would be no way for water to get into the internals of the phone around the button, and it would also potentially improve the reliability of the Touch ID system.

Based on leaked part images and dummies, the removal of the home button will not drastically change the look of the iPhone 7.

Should Apple remove the physical home button in favor of a Force Touch or 3D Touch home button in the iPhone 7, the company will be one step closer to eliminating the home button entirely, something that’s rumored for the 2017 iPhone.

Related Roundup: iPhone 7
Tag: macotakara.jp
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Apple Reports Q3 2016 Earnings of $7.8B on $42.4B in Revenue

Apple today announced financial results for the third fiscal quarter (second calendar quarter) of 2016. For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $42.4 billion and net quarterly profit of $7.8 billion, or $1.42 per diluted share, compared to revenue of $49.6 billion and net quarterly profit of $10.7 billion, or $1.85 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. As expected, the results represent the second consecutive year-over-year declines in quarterly revenue and iPhone sales.

Gross margin for the quarter was 38 percent compared to 39.7 percent in the year-ago quarter, with international sales accounting for 63 percent of revenue. Apple also declared a quarterly dividend payment of $0.57 per share, payable on August 11 to shareholders of record as of August 8. The company currently holds $231.5 billion in cash and marketable securities, partially offset by $68.9 billion in long-term debt.

Apple sold 40.4 million iPhones during the quarter, down from 47.5 million a year earlier, while Mac sales were 4.25 million units, down from from 4.8 million units in the year-ago quarter. iPad sales were also down once again, falling to 9.95 million from 10.9 million.

“We are pleased to report third quarter results that reflect stronger customer demand and business performance than we anticipated at the start of the quarter,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We had a very successful launch of iPhone SE and we’re thrilled by customers’ and developers’ response to software and services we previewed at WWDC in June.”

Apple’s guidance for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016 includes expected revenue of $45.5–47.5 billion and gross margin between 37.5 and 38 percent.

Apple will provide live streaming of its fiscal Q3 2016 financial results conference call at 2:00 PM Pacific, and MacRumors will update this story with coverage of the conference call highlights.

Conference call starts at 2:00 PM Pacific – No need to refresh

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Tag: earnings
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Apple Forecasts Third Consecutive Revenue Decline Next Quarter

Apple today reported a negative-growth June quarter in iPhone sales and revenue, and its guidance for the fourth quarter of the 2016 fiscal year suggests that the downward trend is likely to continue through summer.

Apple expects fourth quarter revenue of between $45.5 billion and $47.5 billion, which would be up to 12 percent lower than the $51.5 billion in revenue it posted in the year-ago July-September quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the company also expects a gross margin between 37.5 percent and 38 percent, operating expenses between $6.05 billion and $6.15 billion, other income/expenses of $350 million, and a tax rate of 25.5 percent.

Tags: earnings, AAPL
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FOSPower BlackOnyx: cheap wired headphones that truly impress

Wired headphones aren’t going anywhere — especially with great deals like this.

With headphone jacks disappearing, and more people moving towards Bluetooth, is there a still place for wired headphones in today’s world? Well, FOSPower is proving that there is, and that you don’t have to spend a lot to get great sound and a comfortable fit.

There are enough gadgets and electronics that I have laying around that I need to remember to charge, and the last thing I want is for my headphones to not power up when I want to use them. That, plus the lower cost and lighter weight, make wired headphones preferable for the foreseeable future.

So, what makes the FOSPower BlackOnyx headphones stand out?

Sound Quality

When you think of a $13 pair of headphones, sound quality may not be the first thing that comes to mind. When I first put these headphones in, I was not expecting much, but as soon as the music started I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone has different expectations when it comes to sound quality, and the type of music that you are listening to will also dictate what you think of the headphones.

While listening to musical choices like Top 40, hip-hop, country, and others, the headphones performed well. There is a decent range, good (but not overpowering) bass, and an overal enjoyable sound that comes out of them. Will they outperform a $100 set of headphones? Probably not, but they aren’t aiming to. When thinking of them as a spare set of headphones, ones that you can just keep laying around, they are an excellent value and provide an awesome quality of sound for what they are.

Comfort

When it comes to headphones, everyone will have a different experience. What is comfortable to one person’s ear will not be comfortable to the next. Luckily, FOSPower includes three different size rubber earbud replacements in the package. The size that is on the headphones out of the box may not be ideal, so be sure to play around with them and see which provides the best fit for you.

The actual earbud itself is a bit heavier than others, but I found that was a pretty good thing. The extra weight helped keep the headphones in place once I got them comfortable and started moving around. Many other sets of headphones would jiggle loose or fall back out, but these held in place well.

In terms of comfort, I found that using them for an hour or two was no issue, but if you are looking at having them in for 8 hours a day you may find otherwise.

Build Quality

Since my headphones are generally just balled up and placed in my bag or a drawer, I need them to be durable. They need to be able to withstand some abuse, and the connector needs to be strong enough not to fray from plugging it in and unplugging it. FOSPower has nailed all of these areas for me. The thin, flat cable is durable and reinforced around the 3.5mm jack so I have no worries about breaking the plug when removing them from my phone.

FOSPower nailed sound, comfort, and build quality.

The earbuds themselves are also made of high-quality materials and don’t feel cheap at all. They have a bit of weight to them, which I found helped in keeping them in place while moving.

While the overall build quality is fantastic, the microphone cover is made of a cheap plastic that I worry may not withstand abuse very well. After seeing the quality of the rest of the components in these headphones it is a bit surprising that the company didn’t opt for something a bit stronger.

Should you buy them?

For around $13, you really can’t go wrong with these headphones. If you are looking for an extra set to keep in the car, or a cheap set to carry around in your bag, you will want to pick these up. The headphones look and feel high quality, and don’t set you back a fortune so you don’t have to be super careful with them. The sound quality is better than one would expect for the price, and they are quite comfortable to wear regularly.

For a limited time FOSPower is offering Android Central readers an exclusive discount on these headphones. Use coupon code FOSPWR03 at Amazon to get them for just $10.

See at Amazon

Do wired headphones still have a place in your world? Let us know what you think in the comments!

BlackBerry officially announces the DTEK50, pre-orders now open for $299

BlackBerry has officially announced the keyboardless DTEK50, the second Android offering from the company. Being touted as the world’s most secure Android smartphone, it features a 5.2-inch scratch resistant display, Android 6.0 Marshmallow, a convenience key which you can map to your favorite app and much more. As you’d imagine, BlackBerry has hardened the OS on the DTEK50, added a secure boot process and much more to ensure that it is the most secure it can be.

More: BlackBerry DTEK50 specs

You’ll be able to place a pre-order for the DTEK50 on ShopBlackBerry.com in the U.S., Canada, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. It will be priced at $299 and will make its way to other retail partners in the coming weeks.

See at BlackBerry

Press release:

BLACKBERRY ANNOUNCES THE WORLD’S MOST SECURE ANDROID SMARTPHONE– DTEK50

DTEK50 delivers BlackBerry’s unmatched security, privacy and productivity to price-conscious consumers and businesses

Waterloo, ON – July 26, 2016 – BlackBerry Limited (NASDAQ: BBRY; TSX: BB), a global leader in mobile communications, announced today that DTEK50TM, the world’s most secure Android smartphone, is now available for pre-orders at ShopBlackBerry.com. DTEK50 is BlackBerry’s second smartphone powered by Android, following the PRIV.
Fully equipped with Android Marshmallow 6.0, DTEK50 combines BlackBerry’s unique security, privacy and productivity with the full Android experience in an all-touch design, at a price point that’s accessible for consumers and ideal for enterprise fleet deployment.

“We take our customers’ privacy seriously. That’s why we’re proud to have all the security and privacy functionality that’s built in our newest Android smartphone. DTEK50 merges the unique security and connectivity features BlackBerry is known for with the rich Android ecosystem,” said Ralph Pini, Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, Devices, BlackBerry. “DTEK50 adds to BlackBerry’s lineup of secure smartphones, providing choices to our customers with different price points on both BlackBerry 10 and Android platforms.”

Android Security at the Forefront

In a recent survey1 of Android smartphone users, BlackBerry found that 50 percent believe their smartphone is only somewhat secure, and what’s more, despite data security fears, one in six Android users don’t know about Android security patches.

“With an increase in cybercrime on smartphones, people need to recognize that the private details of their lives – where they live, their bank info, pictures of their kids – are at risk on their personal device. You wouldn’t leave the doors of your house unlocked at night. Having a smartphone that doesn’t take your privacy seriously is the equivalent,” said David Kleidermacher, Chief Security Officer, BlackBerry. “It’s equally important for businesses to protect their sensitive data from cyberattacks at all points of their mobile environment – from the device to the network and servers.”

DTEK50 was designed to address the security and privacy needs of today’s uncompromising Android users. Smartphones are increasingly being targeted for cyberattacks through tactics like malicious apps, scareware notifications and insecure Wi-Fi connections. BlackBerry’s Android smartphones, including DTEK50 and PRIV, have unique built-in hardware security.

DTEK50 encrypts all users’ information, including business critical data and personal data such as pictures, videos and contacts. Malware protection is also built-in along with back-up, wipe and restore capabilities. Additional software provides users with visibility and control over which apps get access to personal info or device features such as the microphone or camera. BlackBerry also delivers security patches on the same day that Google publicly releases information about them, while many popular Android smartphones put the users’ private information at risk of being hacked due to slow security updates.

Features that make DTEK50 the most secure Android smartphone, include:

• Rapid Security Patching: BlackBerry has a record of being the quickest to deliver security patches, setting the bar in incident response and patch management to protect your device from malicious threats.
• DTEK™ by BlackBerry App: Enables users to automatically monitor their OS and apps to know when their privacy could be at risk and to take action to improve it. The DTEK app also tracks applications and notifies you when someone is: taking pictures or videos without your knowledge, turning your microphone on, sending a text message, or accessing your contacts or location.
• Hardware Root of Trust: BlackBerry’s manufacturing process uses a proprietary technique that adds security from the start, allowing for the tracking, verification and provisioning of DTEK50.
• Secure Boot Process: Starting with the root of trust, each stage of DTEK50’s secure boot chain must first verify that the next component is fully intact before proceeding, ensuring your device has not been tampered with since the last restart.
• Android OS hardening: BlackBerry provides additional security patches, improved random number, address space generation and certificate pinning to make it more difficult for attackers to target a device by scrambling application/system memory.
• FIPS 140-2 Compliant Full Disk Encryption: Protects your private information, like pictures or bank information, from being stolen if you were to lose your phone.

Ready to Work

DTEK50 combines the world’s most secure smartphone with BlackBerry’s enterprise management solutions to produce a powerful device capable of powering any work day. Key features include:

• Android™ for Work and Google Play™ for Work: Allows for fast, simple and secure integration with an enterprise environment as well as easy access to numerous rich business and IT-managed apps.
• Full Enterprise Mobility Management Support: DTEK50 supports BlackBerry’s powerful suite of EMM applications and secure productivity solutions, including: WatchDox by BlackBerry for secure file-sharing, Good Work for business-class email and collaboration tools, Strong Authentication by BlackBerry as a VPN solution, SecuSUITE for Enterprise for secure voice and instant messaging communication, BBM Protected for encrypted messaging and – BES12 for secure cross-platform management.

Design Meets Function

DTEK50, BlackBerry’s thinnest device ever, represents the best of BlackBerry with Android to make users more productive and responsive, pairing security with intelligent design. Key features include:

• BlackBerry Intelligent Keyboard: DTEK50 has a smart keyboard designed to learn from users and increase typing accuracy and speed. It provides word suggestions as you type and includes up to three languages, letting you flick them into place for faster conversations.
• BlackBerry Hub: This unified inbox is an irreplaceable tool for consolidating all of your messages in one place – whether it’s email, calendar, social or phone calls.
• Customizable BlackBerry Convenience Key: With the press of a button, the Convenience Key provides quick access to your most used applications and more.
• Stunning Screen: DTEK50 has a 5.2″ full HD display, capable of displaying 16 million colors. The screen is made of scratch-resistant glass and features a specialized oleophobic coating to protect against smudges and fingerprints.
• Expandable Memory: With support for micro SD cards up to two TB, DTEK50 provides the flexibility to add affordable and hot-swappable memory to download, install, capture and share as your needs evolve.
• Dazzling Camera: DTEK50 is engineered to deliver professional-looking photos with an 8MP front facing camera and a 13MP auto-focus rear camera. Plus, features like Phase Detection Auto Focus and a dual-tone LED flash are designed to help the camera focus instantly and accurately for a blur-free, realistic looking photos, even in low light.

Availability and Pricing

Starting today, DTEK50 is available to pre-order from ShopBlackBerry.com in the US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and The Netherlands for $299 USD. DTEK50 will be available in a number of channels around the world, including more than 40 partners from electronics stores, carriers, VARs and distributors. This includes Rogers, Bell, TELUS, WIND, Videotron and SaskTel among others in Canada. In the U.S., DTEK50 will initially be available in Best Buy, B&H and Amazon. Availability of DTEK50 in additional global channels and countries will be announced in the coming weeks.

For a limited time, customers who pre-order a DTEK50 on ShopBlackBerry.com only will receive a complimentary BlackBerry Mobile Power Pack, a high-capacity portable charger worth $59.99 USD ($69.99 CDN, €59.99 and £54.99) that powers all your compatible mobile devices to maximize your productivity and play time. This offer expires on August 8th at 11:59 pm PST.

Huawei sees strong growth in first half of 2016

Huawei has announced its financial results for the first half of 2016. The company saw a sales revenue increase of 41.% over the same period last year, with ¥77.4 billion ($11.6 billion), with smartphone shipments up 25% to 60.56 million units.

With this progress, Huawei has captured 11.4% of the global smartphone market. The company has also apparently taken 10% of the market for phones between $500 and $600. It’s marketshare in China hit 18.6%, while the company also strong growth in developing markets Latin America and Central Asia.

Press release:

Huawei Consumer Business Group

First Half Results for 2016
Outperforming the industry with strong overseas growth

July 26 2016, Shenzhen, China – Huawei Consumer Business Group announced today its 2016 half year financial results: Sales revenue in the first half of 2016 increased by 41% year-on-year to CNY¥ 77.4 billion. Smartphone shipments stood at 60.56 million, a year-on-year increase of 25%. According to IDC, global smartphone shipments in the first half of 2016 increased by just 3.1%, indicating that Huawei’s growth has significantly outperformed the market.

Huawei Consumer Business Group Chief Executive Officer Richard Yu said, “We saw particularly fast growth in traditionally high-end smartphone markets such as Europe and emerging markets including North Africa, Central Asia & Latin America.”

“We have continued to maintain healthy growth within the highly competitive smartphone market, which is testament to Huawei’s long-term commitment to innovation, anticipation of consumer trend and dual strategy of focusing on both domestic and international markets. Looking to the future, we will continue to work with our industry partners to offer consumers excellent levels of service and develop innovative new products that combine technology, quality and style.”

Optimized revenue structure sees overseas growth surpassing domestic growth

In the first half of 2016, Huawei Consumer Business Group further optimized its revenue structure, resulting that the growth in overseas markets is 1.6 times faster than that of in mainland China. According to GFK, by the end of May 2016, Huawei’s share of the global smartphone market reached 11.4%[1]. Among the USD 500-600 smartphone market, Huawei’s share has increased by 10%.[2].

Particularly strong results were recorded in European smartphone markets and breakthrough in high end market has been made. According to GFK, Huawei’s smartphone market share has reached over 15% in some European countries. In the traditionally high end market, such as UK, Germany and France, Huawei has achieved breakthrough in high end market as well.

In key countries from North Africa and South Pacific, Huawei have gained some breakthroughs on market share. In Egypt, Huawei’s smartphone market share has reached over 20% and in New Zealand, Huawei’s share has reached over 15%[3].

Strong sales growth was also achieved in emerging markets in Latin America and Central Asia. In some countries, Huawei’s year-on-year smartphone sales has doubled.

In China, Huawei continued to be the industry leader with a market share of 18.6%, according to GFK report in June.

Huawei is focusing on meaningful innovation
Having consistently demonstrated significant sales growth, Huawei Consumer Business Group continues to show a deep commitment to innovation in research and development from its R&D centers around the world, alongside repeated breakthroughs with its products, channels and brands.

Huawei’s flagship products, such as the P9, Mate 8, Honor V8 and MateBook, have been well-received by consumers worldwide. Sales volume of the Mate 8 increased by 65% when compared with sales of the Mate 7 during the same period in 2015. Furthermore, 4.5 million P9 and P9 Plus devices have also been sold, of which the number of devices sold internationally increased by 120% when compared with sales of the P8 during the same period in 2015. MateBook, Huawei’s first 2-in-1 notebook product, has been made available in many countries worldwide, including USA.

Huawei Consumer Business Group continues to uphold its strategic commitments worldwide. As of May 2016, there were 35,000 retail stores around the world offering Huawei products, an increase of 116% on the same period last year. And according to GFK, Huawei global shops coverage has reached about 150 thousand globally.

The brand has endeavored to continue investing marketing resources in sports, lifestyle, fashion and entertainment, amongst other categories, which helps to bring the brand to life and connect with consumers across the globe, increasing awareness and recognition of Huawei worldwide. Huawei also continues to work with many market-leading partners including Leica, Swarovski, Harman Kardon, Audi, Google, Microsoft and Intel, amongst others, to offer consumers advanced industry innovation.

In 2016, Huawei was once again named in the BrandZTM Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands. Huawei’s value of US$18,652 million saw the brand leap from 70th position in 2015 to 50th in 2016.

Huawei is well-positioned to continue its presence in the smartphone, wearable, smart home and cloud markets, becoming itself into an end-to-end solutions and platform service provider, and offering consumers a more convenient and intelligent way to connect their lives.