This is Moto X4

The smartphone market has been a bit boring lately, but things are starting to heat up. Manufacturers are pushing the boundaries of design, as we see with the beautiful Essential Phone, Samsung Galaxy Note8, and leaks of the upcoming iPhone 8. Now is an exciting time to be buying a new smartphone. The Moto Android smartphones have long been forward-thinking in design, and today, Lenovo unveils its latest such device, which runs version 7.1 of the operating system -- not Oreo. The "Moto X4," as it is called, features a 2.2 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 processor, 3GB of RAM, a 3,000mAh battery,… [Continue Reading]

Nest Thermostat E is a more affordable way to control your home's temperature

Earlier this year, my local energy company emailed me with an offer I couldn't refuse -- a big discount on a Nest Thermostat. While I had never really cared much about such a product -- I was OK getting up from my chair to control my home's temperature -- the price was too enticing. And so, I installed the product and linked it to my Amazon Echo. With the power of my voice, I can now control both my air conditioning and heating. It is amazing. The energy company has even issued me a check for allowing them to control it… [Continue Reading]

Where can blockchain add value?

Blockchains and their use cases have evolved significantly since the advent of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. And for a few good reasons. The fully decentralized system lowers transaction costs, improves record-keeping and enables complete transactional traceability. These benefits make blockchains ideally suited for the hyperconnected digital era -- one in which trust boundaries between devices, networks, applications and users are being constantly redefined. But what makes blockchains credible? A blockchain’s network participants are bound by certain rules, which are continuously validated by peers. Several built-in mechanisms, including proof-of-work, proof-of-stake and consensus-based decisions ensure trust is maintained and strengthened. The… [Continue Reading]

The biggest challenges in mobile security

In the past 20 years, we have seen a boom in mobile adoption and the arrival of the Internet of Things, but recently these advancements have been overshadowed by cybersecurity attacks which have targeted celebrities, the NHS and even the CIA. As a result, concerns for our online and mobile security have sky rocketed for both B2B and B2C customers. These hackers’ skills are forever evolving, and our ability to stay one step ahead is becoming increasingly difficult, with providers embarking on a never-ending search for ways to stop these attacks. So, what are the current challenges facing the world… [Continue Reading]

Microsoft releases Windows 10 Redstone 4 Insider Preview Build 16353 for PC

I've faced a bit of criticism for claiming the Windows Insiders program was getting confusing and convoluted. Yeah, for some of you, the program is totally clear -- I get it. Please understand, however, that not all Insiders have their lives revolving around Windows 10 like maybe you do. And that's a good thing. When collecting data, you want to have varying degrees of knowledge and understanding, as that provides more diverse feedback. Today, Dona Sarkar legitimizes my concerns by acknowledging that things are getting a tad confusing. While announcing a new RS4 build for the "Skip Ahead" folks -- Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16353 for… [Continue Reading]

Kingston launches DataTraveler Bolt Duo flash drive for Apple iPhone and iPad

Nowadays, many people leverage cloud storage for mobile devices. With Wi-Fi and high-speed cellular data being commonplace, this works fairly well -- until it doesn't. If you ever find yourself in a place without a reliable internet connection, it can be quite frustrating when you can't access needed files. It can also be a massive dilemma if your phone or tablet runs out of available storage and you don't have a connection to offload them to the cloud. While many Android devices can use USB-C flash drives, iPhone and iPad users cannot, sadly. Luckily, some manufacturers make flash drives with a… [Continue Reading]

D-Link launches affordable DCS-8000LH Mini HD Wi-Fi Camera

Home Wi-Fi cameras can be quite amazing. Yeah, there are potential privacy risks, but for some, the benefits outweigh any concerns. Not only can you monitor your home to protect from, say, burglars and intruders, but you can also keep an eye on children and pets. It is a great way to make sure your loved ones are safe and sound -- whether you are away from home of just in another room. Today, D-Link unveils a new such indoor camera called DCS-8000LH. It has quite a number of things going for it, such as low cost, solid features, and a beautifully… [Continue Reading]

Alexa and the Wink home automation hub team up on colors

Are you automating your abode? It's become the in-thing these days with more and more products hitting the market. While we can't stress enough about the insecurities that have been discovered, it still can be a fun experience, although sometimes a difficult one. There's no end, seemingly, to the things you can do, but where many people start is with lights, which, in theory, are easy. Some aren't, so be warned. Amazon's Alexa and Wink's home automation hub have been partners almost since the inception of the products. Now the partnership is moving forward with even more features. Do you have bulbs with changeable colors? Then you can now do it… [Continue Reading]

TeamViewer will add screen sharing to iOS app

Apple announced many of the new features that will be available in iOS 11 at WWDC 2017, but there is one that we are only hearing about just now: screen recording. Yes, come this fall, iPhone and iPad users will be able to show others what is on their smartphone or tablet's screen. And TeamViewer just announced that it will be the first to have a screen-sharing solution available on iOS. "Remote tech support to iPhones and iPads is now easier, and more effective than ever before. Feedback from TeamViewer users clearly communicated to us that the ability to view remote iPhone and… [Continue Reading]

Apple teams up with Accenture to build iOS business apps

Apple has announced another major expansion of its Internet of Things (IoT) services with a significant new partnership. The computing giant has revealed it will be teaming up with Accenture for the launch of a new platform that will let businesses better interact with their customers. The partnership will see Accenture create a dedicated iOS practice within its Digital Studios arm, aided by Apple's own experts. This business will offer a number of tools and services that will help companies a smoother way to interact with customers using iPhone and iPads. This includes IoT-specific tools, templates and predesigned code that will allow businesses… [Continue Reading]

ASUS details Windows Mixed Reality Headset

Dell revealed more information about its first Windows Mixed Reality headset yesterday, and now it is ASUS' turn to do the same. The company, which is among the first supporters of the platform, chose IFA 2017 to talk about price and expands on the specs that it has. The Windows Mixed Reality Headset (yes, that's its actual name), which we first read about back in late-May, has a pretty cool design, featuring "hundreds of 3D polygons and a glossy tone-on-tone effect." There are anti-bacterial materials used for the cushioning and a crown design that is balanced and optimized to reduce the amount of… [Continue Reading]

The PC is still king in the office

Desktop computers remain the primary means of work for the majority of the workforce, but this may not be the case for long. A new report from Spiceworks examining the current usage of, and future investments in business PCs and mobile devices in the US, UK and Canada titled The Future of the PC says 60 percent of employees still use desktops as their primary working device. PCs are followed by laptops (27 percent), thin devices (five percent), tablets (three percent), smartphones (two percent), and 2-in-1s (two percent). However, the future seems brighter for the laptop than the PC. Investments… [Continue Reading]

ASUS unveils the ultra-fast RT-AX88U 802.11ax Wi-Fi router

ASUS is among the leading players in the router market, constantly pushing the envelope in terms of performance and design. The latest high-end entry in its lineup is no different. The new RT-AX88U, which is also ASUS' first 802.11ax offering, promises transfer speeds of up 5,962Mbps over Wi-Fi and features sharp edges, massive antennas and gold accents -- just what you would expect out of an ASUS router.   The RT-AX88U is not the only router that ASUS announced today at IFA 2017, as it also unveiled the RT-AC88U. The company specifically mentions gamers as its target market for the latter, with… [Continue Reading]

New authentication methods help companies to ditch passwords

Most people now recognize that passwords alone are flawed as a means of securing systems. The problem is that there are lots of options when it comes to finding a better way of doing things. Access control specialist SecureAuth is helping the move towards a passwordless world with the introduction of additional multi-factor authentication (MFA) methods, including Link-to-Accept via SMS or email, and YubiKey, the FIDO Universal Second-Factor (U2F) security key by Yubico. These methods mean users aren't required to have a phone or smartphone application in order to authenticate without passwords. This allows organizations to go passwordless without having to… [Continue Reading]

Ashampoo Music Studio 7 is your one-stop music center

They say everyone has a book in them. Using this theory, everyone should have a song, too. But, it’s not as easy to create a track from scratch. You can lay down a beat, but you really need a keyboard to control input and also some basic composition understanding, such as how to create a chord. An easier way is to, well, borrow from other people. Effectively that’s how a DJ will learn his trade. They take songs created by other bands and add their own components or simply mix together for one continuous track. Obviously, it goes without saying that you… [Continue Reading]

Alexa and Cortana will be able to talk to each other

Digital assistants can do many things well, but no single one can do everything that we need. That's why we use different ones, depending on what we want to do and what device we are using. But what if they could talk to each other, so we wouldn't have to switch between them anymore? Amazon and Microsoft have decided to do just that, announcing that Alexa and Cortana will soon be able to work together to help users do what they want much more quickly and easily. Here's what that means for the two tech giants' customers. On Windows 10,… [Continue Reading]

How enterprises are using data to get work done

A new study by content management and collaboration specialist Egnyte has analyzed 25 Petabytes of customer data and four billion of the activities they performed. This has been used to uncover unique insights about the way businesses are managing their data and how their employees are collaborating on it. Among the findings are that hybrid content has grown by 83 percent year-on-year, while 41 percent of content resides in on-premises storage. New types of content are affecting storage use too and this trend is likely to continue as video is expected to claim 80 percent of web traffic by 2019.… [Continue Reading]