Thousands of Yahoo visitors hit with malware

Two internet security firms have reported that Yahoo's advertising servers have been distributing malware to hundreds of thousands of users over the past week.
The attack appears to have been the work of malicious parties who have hijacked Yahoo's advertising network.
Fox IT, a security firm based in the Netherlands, described the problem in a blog post on Friday. "Clients visiting yahoo.com received advertisements served by ads.yahoo.com. Some of the advertisements are malicious," the firm reported. Instead of serving ordinary ads, Yahoo's servers reportedly sent users an "exploit kit" that "exploits vulnerabilities in Java and installs a host of different malware."

300,000 users per hour

Fox IT says Yahoo users have been getting infected since at least December 30 2013. At the time it discovered the issue on Friday, the firm says, malicious payloads were being delivered to around 300,000 users per hour. The company guesses that around 9 percent of those, or 27,000 users per hour, were being infected. More recently, the firm says, the volume of infections has tapered off, perhaps due to efforts by Yahoo's security team.
A researcher, also in the Netherlands, has confirmed seeing the malware. The fact that the malware targeted flaws in a Java programming environment is a further reminder that the software is not entirely secure.
As Java's Web plugin has declined in popularity among legitimate Web developers, its security flaws have become a juicy target for hackers. Some browser vendors are moving toward blocking the technology outright. Security experts recommend that if your browser supports it, you should disable Java as a precaution.
A Yahoo spokeswoman said: "We recently identified an ad designed to spread malware to some of our users. We immediately removed it and will continue to monitor and block any ads being used for this activity."

India big market for consumer electronics,wearable tech: Accenture

India is poised to become a huge market for wearable technology like smartwatches and fitness monitors, driven by keen consumer interest in these latest gadgets and increasing spending on consumer durables, consulting firm Accenture today said. 

According to Accenture's Digital Consumer Tech Survey 2014, respondents from India were most interested in buying fitness monitors (80 per cent), smart watches (76 per cent) and Internet-enabled eyeglasses (74 per cent). 

About 80 per cent said they plan to buy a smartphone, 69 per cent a High Definition TV, 65 per cent a traditional tablet PC, and 63 per cent a laptop PC. 

"India is clearly a major growth market for consumer electronics. Craving more personalised digital experiences, the country's consumers rank among the world's most willing to pay for and use consumer electronics devices -- including wearable technologies," Accenture Global MD (Electronics and High-Tech industry group) Mattias Lewren said. 

Globally, 52 per cent said they were interested in buying wearable technologies like fitness monitors for tracking physical activity and managing their personal health. 

About 46 per cent said they wanted to buy smart watches, while 42 per cent said they were interested in purchasing Internet-connected eyeglasses. 

The survey was conducted across Australia, Canada, India, South Africa, the UK and the US and covered more than 6,000 people. 

Wearable technologies can be used for a range of applications like tracking a person's heart rate and calories burned through fitness monitors or enabling consumers to browse the Internet, take digital photos and receive hands- free notifications through Internet-connected eyeglass displays. 

"In the past year wearable technologies have emerged as the next big consumer electronics market category, particularly for health and wellness," Lewren said. 

To capitalise on this growth opportunity, consumer electronics companies should consider investing in wearable product innovation and industrial design, and building ecosystems that connect wearables to the broader array of interactive digital networks, Lewren said. 

Globally, 52 per cent respondents said they plan to purchase a smartphone next year, while 40 per cent voted for a tablet PC. 

Similarly, 41 per cent said they intend to buy a HD TV, 38 per cent a laptop, 25 per cent home game consoles, 23 per cent Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) navigation units and 22 per cent ebook readers.

Global IT spending to reach $3.77 trillion in 2014: Gartner

Global IT spending is expected to pick up pace this year and grow 3.1 per cent to touch USD 3.77 trillion on the back of higher enterprise software and device sales, according to research firm Gartner.

In 2013, the markgrew 0.4 per cent over 2012. The total spending in 2013 is estimated at about USD 3.66 trillion, Gartner said in a statement today.

Enterprise software spending growth is expected to be the strongest at 6.8 per cent to touch USD 320 billion by 2014-end from USD 300 billion last year.

Spending on devices such as PCs, ultramobiles, mobile phones and tablets, which contracted 1.2 per cent in 2013, is expected to increase 4.3 per cent to USD 697 billion.

Convergence of the PC, ultramobiles (including tablets) and mobile phone segments, as well as erosion of margins, will take place as differentiation will soon be based primarily on price instead of the task-orientation of devices, Gartner said.

Spending on IT services is expected to grow 4.5 per cent to USD 963 billion, while on data centre systems, it is projected to touch USD 143 billion, up 2.6 per cent.

Spending on telecom services is estimated to expand 1.2 per cent to USD 1.63 trillion in 2014.

Meet Edison: A computer that is smaller than an SD card

How small a computer can get? If you ask Intel it is already as small as an SD card! On Monday, Intel unveiled Edison, a computer housed in an "SD card form factor". The device uses Quark microprocessor technology that was shown by Intel a few months ago. Intel CEOBrian Krzanich said that the "computer" is meant to be used in wearable smart devices like a health tracker or in everyday products like coffee mugs that has to be connected to the internet.

Edison has built-in wireless capabilities and support for multiple operating systems. "It is a full system. It's a full Pentium-class PC in the form factor of an SD card," said Krzanich. Edison will be available in the middle of 2014.

"Wearables are not everywhere today because they aren't yet solving real problems and they aren't yet integrated with our lifestyles," said Krzanich. "We're focused on addressing this engineering innovation challenge. Our goal is, if something computes and connects, it does it best with Intel inside."

In his keynote address at Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Krzanich showed an example of Edison can be used. He said that it can be attached to the clothes of a baby. This will allow parents to monitor the baby even if they are not in the same room. For example, if the coffee mug used by parents also has Edison and can connect to the internet, it can talk to the device attached to the baby's clothes and tell parents whenever the baby is getting uncomfortable.

Edison is Intel's attempt to not repeat the mistake it made in the smartphone market. With smartphones and tablets, Intel failed to see the trend and did not address the market properly until 2012. Now when the companies are expected to push smart glasses and smart watches, Intel intends to not repeat the mistake it made earlier.

"Most of my career a computer has been something you hold in your hand [...] or sits on your desk... That idea is about to be transformed," said Krzanich.

One of Intel's most serious competitors, Qualcomm announced a smartwatch - Toq -- a few months earlier. On Monday, Intel too joined the bandwagon by showing the prototype of the smartwatch it is developing. The company also said that it was developing smart earbuds - called Jarvis -- with biometric and fitness capabilities. The earbuds will read a message to the user or track his physical movement.

In addition to developing reference devices for wearable technology, Intel will offer a number of accessible, low-cost entry platforms. These are allegedly aimed at helping lower entry barriers for individuals and small companies to create innovative Internet-connected wearables or other small form factor devices.

At his keynote, Krzanich also said that Intel, along with its hardware partners, will launch tablets that dual-boot Windows and Android.

The company will make McAfee security app for mobiles and tablets available for free this year. "As corporate bring-your-own-device programs have grown in popularity, many firms have prohibited Android-based devices that weren't compatible with their companies' security requirements. Intel this year will offer Intel device protection technology, which will help Intel-based Android mobile devices meet most security standards for use at home and work," the company said in a press note.

Review: Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Kids

Introduction

First of all, this isn't a new thing. What Samsung has done here is take its existing and rather low-spec Galaxy Tab 3 and whack it in a yellow case, rebranding it as the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids in the hope generous parents might buy it for their little ones regardless of how many cores it has inside.
This means you, or your lucky child, get a 7-inch tablet with a relatively low-resolution 1024 x 600 display, powered by a positively budget sector 1.2GHz dual-core processor.
There are two things that make it worthy of investigation, though, thanks to Samsung selling it with two extremely robust cases, and also providing a super-secure and completely separate Kids Mode alternative Home screen that lets parents control every aspect of their child's tablet time.
The RRP for the Galaxy Tab 3 Kids is around the £199 (around $229.99, AU$260) mark, although it's available for about £150 (around $199.99, AU$225) online. Which is quite a premium price for a 7-inch Android tablet these days, especially as the specs suggest this is mutton dressed as lamb - and the standard Galaxy Tab 3 can be picked up for nearer £99 (around $169, AU$190).
The hardware, then, is exactly the same as that offered by the Galaxy Tab 3. You get Samsung's traditional physical Home button, with Menu to the left and Back to the right. Beneath the central button is the Micro USB connector, which lets you fill the Tab's generous 4000mAh battery.

There are two cases provided, an orange rubber thing and this extremely impressive Junior Businessman-style case and holdall, which also combines a kickstand with a hole in the hinge to house the stylus.
This is by far the best reason to plump for the Tab Kids over the myriad other cheap Android tablets, as the stand lifts the tablet while in landscape mode, raising the viewing angle and meaning your poor child won't grow up with such a hunched back from using the thing sat at a table.

Samsung's build quality is impressive too. The Tab 3 Kids feels heavy and solid, plus the touchscreen is responsive and survived extensive angry prodding from my son during the course of my tests.
And the stylus that comes as part of the briefcase-like case and stand combo is great, allowing a child to live out its wildest marker pen fantasies without actually ruining any carpets or soft furnishings.

Around the back there's no flash beside that 3MP camera, so don't go expecting to use this for anything other than joke kiddy photography. What's nice to see are those chunky little rubber feet on the bottom of the case, which help the tablet sit still when being used on a table with the kickstand out.
I like the case. The case is great. The case is a five-star accessory. The tablet inside it, though, is a bit of a disappointment.

Interface

Kids Mode interface

The main selling point is this locked-down alternative launcher, which Samsung calls Kids Mode. It's activated by tapping on an icon on the standard Android Home screen, and once you're in this happy-clappy world of friendly animals you can't get back to the grown-up Android world without entering your PIN - even turning the tablet off and on again puts you straight back into Kids Mode.
So your child's going to be stuck with it.

If your child's getting on a bit and perhaps even pushing double digit years, the wealth of full-power Android apps that feature on the Android 4.1 side of things can be accessed in Kids Mode too. So as your child gets more adept and proves it can be trusted, you can start filtering in other apps and adding them to the Kids Mode side.
That's a nice touch. I trust my boy to amuse himself listening to Spotify and Google Music playlists as it's important he learns about the Pet Shop Boys, so being able to add these to the Kids Mode options means he's instantly at home. In a year or two he might be allowed YouTube, so it's nice to know that can be added to the locked side when you feel a kid is ready.
Then when he's 18 he can have access to Snapchat.

How technology is changing workplace culture?

With the advances in technology, end users are being offered easier and faster options to communicate and work efficiently. Mobile devices are playing a huge role in allowing today’s workforce to be at distant locations and yet be productive. Kiran Datar, vice president, Moxtra (A company into mobile applications) shares some of his thoughts as to how technology is increasingly changing workplace culture.

Communication is an essential part of life. The ability to communicate clearly and effectively is one of the skills that businesses look for in employees. More than 81 per cent of employees use their personal mobile devices and 91 per cent of recruiters use social media for recruiting. As technology keeps growing and helping in making communication easier than how it used to be few years back, companies expect their employees to engage actively on social media. The technological advances achieved during the past few decades, have brought about a revolution in the business world, affecting nearly all aspects of a working life. People all across the world, can reach others in a matter of seconds, with cost being increasingly negligible.