Jackery Air: Super-slim Portable Mobile Charger

Small Danish Company Create Software To Prevent The Printing Of 3D Guns Posted: 27 Jun 2013 07:00 AM PDT The Danish company Create It Real, has designed a software package that can prevent people from printing  3D guns. It recognises digital gun part models and then prevents them from being printed. The software is able to compare each piece the user is trying to print with a database of possible firearm parts. Of course the company state that "for safety reasons, there are no models of firearms stored on the user's computer but rather a list of characteristics." If the program detects that the user is trying to print a gun, the modelling software is shut down. The idea is that the 3D printer manufacturer can reduce their liability of people making such attempts. So far the company has been able to input the data for the Liberator 3D printed handgun, which was created by Defense Distributed, as well as the lower receiver part from Defense Distributed. However CEO of Create It Real, Jeremie Pierre Gay, says that they are ready to add more parts to the databse. "We've made a test to make sure it will scale up to a much bigger database of parts," said Gay. "It should be quite fast to actually check the model against the database." Gay is hoping that by allowing clients to add warnings to the 3D printing process, the printer maker will not be held responsible should someone manage to print a firearm and commit a crime. "We are in the business of selling technology to quickly launch a desktop 3D printer," said Gay. "If a buyer wants to print a gun, we want to be sure the 3D printer makers are not the ones responsible for it." Create It Real are working along with other partners so that this software can be brought to  the market. Could this be a solution to the controversial issue of 3D guns? What are your thoughts?

A Look At Samsung ATIV Tab 3 Posted: 27 Jun 2013 06:00 AM PDT It’s all about how thin gadgets are these days. People would easily make a trade off when it comes to performance specs, if the gadget is thin enough to make a difference in weight. I’m one of those – MacBook Air over MacBook Pro Retina. Never mind that Retina is brilliant, literally and figuratively. I’d rather have a sleek and light laptop to carry around. And when it comes to tablets, the same thing applies. Enter the Samsung ATIV Tab 3, one of the thinnest Windows tablets in town. The Samsung ATIV Tab 3 was recently unveiled by the Korean manufacturer, and while it runs on Windows and does not have dual boot capabilities, there is something to be said about this tablet. For one, it measures in at only 8.2mm. That’s still 1mm thicker than the iPad Mini, but that measurement is nothing to scoff at! At 550 grams, the Samsung ATIV Tab 3 is one handy device. It runs on Windows 8, so let’s not talk about that anymore, but its other specs are not that bad. 10.1-inch display 1.366 x 768 pixels Intel Atom Z2760 processor 2GB RAM 64GB of storage space Additionally, there are two cameras – front and back. Using either camera, you can take hi-res photos and/or take videos at 720p. While I personally think it looks moronic to take pictures and videos using a tablet, whatever floats your boat, yes? On the downside, the Samsung ATIV Tab 3 does not differ from other Samsung products in that it does not deviate from the plasticky feel. To be honest, I didn’t expect anything different! More so, the display will not impress, especially if you’re used to Retina screens. Then again, if you’ve never been an Apple fan, that might not be an issue. Here’s a demo video of the Samsung ATIV Tab 3, but there is no other info on the release date and pricing, so you’ll have to wait a while for that.

Microsoft & Oracle Get it Together in The Cloud Posted: 27 Jun 2013 05:00 AM PDT During a recent press conference the Microsoft Corporation said it would support Oracle software on its cloud-based platforms.  This tie-up is aimed at improving the rivals’ chances against smaller Web-based rival companies chipping away at their traditional businesses. The two industry leaders have been in competition for many years to sell their technologies to the world’s largest companies. But they both face growing pressure from these new rivals selling more and more cheaper services based in remote data centers and they are in a hurry to adapt their products accordingly.  This tie-up however, does not resolve major competitive challenges the two technology pioneers face in the expanding cloud market, but their cooperation was seen as a symbolically important step.  Microsoft Chief Executive Officer, Steve Ballmer has said that the two companies have long collaborated out of the public eye to meet customers’ needs, although being rivals. “In the world of cloud computing, I think behind-the-scenes collaboration is not enough.”  The rivalry between Oracle and Microsoft dates back several decades and has been marked by a personal rivalry between the companies’ co founders: Larry Ellison and Bill Gates. The deal will see Microsoft offering Oracle’s Java, Database and WebLogic Server to Windows Azure customers, while Oracle will also make Linux available to Windows Azure customers, both the companies have said, in a news release. Under the agreement, customers will be able to run Oracle software on Microsoft’s Server Hyper-V and on Windows Azure platforms.  The deal means Microsoft is promoting Linux and Java-based software, rivals to its own Windows platform. Microsoft stands to benefit from getting any customer to pay for its data center services, regardless of the underlying software being used. Microsoft’s large-scale cloud computing initiative, called Azure, has failed to catch up with Amazon’s cloud services called AWS (Amazon Web Services) over the past five years and shares of Amazon.com, which rents remote computing and storage to other companies, have surged 237 percent. During the same time period Oracle’s stock value has risen 38 percent and Microsoft’s shares are up 21 percent.

Mobile Malware Increases By 614% – Android Most At Risk Posted: 27 Jun 2013 04:00 AM PDT New data shows that in the past year mobile malware has increased by 614 percent, with Android receiving 92 percent of the threats. The data comes from Juniper Newtorks, who released its third annual Mobile Threat Report on Tuesday. The growth of mobile malware was tracked from March 2012 to March 2013 and the increase of 614 percent is quite staggering, especially when you compare it to the last year, when the increase was 155 percent. The company based their analysis on more than 1.85 million mobile apps on various mobile operating systems but Juniper says what really stood out was that cybercriminals, instead if trying to hack into every operating system, go for the most popular: Android. According to the analyst firm Canalys, 60 percent of the smartphone market is dominated by Android. Apple has just over 19 percent and Microsoft 18 percent. So it’s no wonder that Juniper found that 92 percent of all detected mobile malware was aimed at Android. As well as Android being the most popular operating system, many of its users have not updated to the latest version of the OS, another reason why cyercriminals prefer to target Android. With most users still using the older version Gingerbread, new security updates from Google are being missed and therefore making them more vunerable. However that doesn’t mean that other operating systems are immune, they can still be exploited. “Theoretical exploits for iOS have been demonstrated, as well as methods for sneaking malicious applications onto the iOS App store. But cyber criminals have by and large avoided Apple’s products in favor of the greener pastures offered by Google Android,” Juniper’s report reads. “This does not mean that iOS is more secure than Android.” Cybercrminals are using SMS Trojans, amongst other tactics, to attack mobile users. They trick users into sending text messages to numbers set up by the cybercriminals. It is the preferred attack of the cybercriminals, making up 48 percent, 29 percent is from fake installs and 19 percent from Trojan Spy malware. The advice to mobile users is: avoid buying apps from third party app stores, update mobile operating systems to the latest version available and don’t allow apps to access any private or personal information that is stored on the device.

Water-resistant Sony SmartWatch 2 Unveiled Posted: 27 Jun 2013 03:00 AM PDT Sony's initial foray into the market of wearable electronics was not that big a success, given that the company's first smartwatch went by largely unnoticed. But Sony SmartWatch 2 is a modified, improved version of its predecessor and will surely make some waves, especially in a market that seems to be currently obsessed with smartwatches. Unveiled earlier this week, the SmartWatch 2 is equipped with a 1.6in touchscreen display made of a transflective LCD panel, which is likely to offer good visibility outside. Screen resolution is 220×176 and the display is slightly larger than in the previous model, which used OLED technology. The Android-powered smartwatch basically retains the same functionality as Sony's original smartwatch and allows users to read texts and emails, take photos, answer calls, and so on. The new gadget also supports NFC and Bluetooth 3.0 connection, which makes for a very easy pairing with other devices that run Android 4.0 or later versions. A major improvement is the fact that the SmartWatch 2 is water- and dust-proof. Not that much that you can take it swimming or in the shower, but it will definitely survive if you accidentally spill a cup of coffee on it. The SmartWatch 2 also looks good and reliable. It has an elegant design, with its aluminum body and the removable 24 mm strap – you will be able to choose between a standard strap customized to your liking and a stainless steel wristband. Sony says the smartwatch has a battery life of two to four days for moderate use, which can be prolonged to one week for light users. The device can be easily recharged with a standard micro-USB cable. It is also compatible with any Android headset. No pricing information is yet available for the new gadget, which is expected to be released in September. Its predecessor retailed for about $130, so we're curious to see what price tag Sony will put on the SmartWatch 2, especially that this year will most likely see the release of rival products from Apple and Samsung.

Jackery Air: Super-slim Portable Mobile Charger Posted: 27 Jun 2013 02:00 AM PDT All the frequent travelers out there who always worry that their mobile devices will run out of juice when they need them most should definitely give this gadget a try. The Jackery Air is a super-slim portable mobile charger that's about the size of an iPhone 5 and has a matching elegant look. On a full charge, the device is able to offer 2-4 charging cycles to any mobile device with a 5V power input. The device is available in two different models: a 2800mAh model that offers two full recharges to an iPhone 5 and a 5000mAh model able to recharge your smartphone three to four cycles. The two models will essentially look the same and have the same size, but the more powerful 5000mAh model will be a bit heavier, weighing 0.5 ounces more (5.5 ounces vs. 5 ounces for the 2800Ah model). The Jackery Air is also able to hold a charge for up to six months when it's not in use. Powered by a Samsung battery cell, the device will be able to recharge itself in 5-6 hours via an USB connection. It is very easy to use, as all you'll have to do is connect your mobile device and press the button on top of the charger to start the charging process. The Jackery Air's button is also equipped with a three-color LED light which indicates the device's battery levels. The device can power your smartphones, MP3 players, tablets, portable gaming consoles and basically any other gadget that has a 5V input. Anyone traveling with a Jackery Air and a fully charged iPhone will have enough power to listen to over 160 hours of music and watch over 40 hours of video. The project has just ended its funding campaign on Kickstarter, sweeping past its $30,000 goal. Manufacturers have already created similar mobile charging products so they expect to start mass production on the Jackery Air as early as next month. With plans to start shipping in late July or early August, the mobile charger is expected to retail for $69 to $89.

	Tech Beat Small Danish Company Create Software To Prevent The Printing Of 3D Guns A Look At Samsung ATIV Tab 3 Microsoft & Oracle Get it Together in The Cloud Mobile Malware Increases By 614% – Android Most At Risk Water-resistant Sony SmartWatch 2 Unveiled Jackery Air: Super-slim Portable Mobile Charger