Apple is destroying Samsung where it really matters

There’s no end in sight to the war between Apple and Samsung. In all likelihood, competition between the two will be healthier than ever this year, thanks to a resurgent iPhone 8 and a non-explosive Galaxy Note 8.

But even though neither company is teetering on the brink, Apple is most definitely winning the current battle. Its earnings for the crucial holiday season were above expectations, and one analyst has pegged Apple at widening the gap where it matters the most.

Apple Is Shutting Down iTunes Music Downloads on March 31st, 2019, Sources Say

Apple is now scheduling an end date for paid iTunes music downloads, according to sources inside the company.
Apple is now experiencing meteoric growth on its streaming music platform, Apple Music.  But that growth is directly impacting Apple’s old-line downloads store, for obvious reasons.  And, ultimately hastening its demise.

Just last week, Apple executive Jimmy Iovine pointed to a shutdown when ‘people stop buying’.  Now, sources inside the company are pointing to a firm date for a planned shutdown of the iTunes music download store.  Earlier, these same sources pointed to an ‘early 2019’ shutdown, though internal roadmaps now include a March 31st, 2019 phase-out of the service.

The sources clarified that this would only be the announcement date.  Effectively, that will set in motion the shutdown, with users given ample warning of the upcoming phase-out.
Additionally, the sources stressed that music downloads will always work on all Apple devices and the iTunes platform, across all versions.  That includes music purchased on iTunes, or uploaded from any other source.  So you’ll always be able to play MP3s, iTunes-purchased AACs, and even older, DRM-protected iTunes songs (many years ago, song downloads were ‘DRM protected,’ creating limitations on file-sharing and other uses).

Other variations, including ‘iTunes Plus’ downloads and video downloads, will always be playable.

You’ll also be able to manage your music download collection on iTunes without issue.  Apple will only be ending its paid download offering.

Open Source Is Everywhere and So Are Vulnerabilities, Says Black Duck Report

Black Duck by Synopsys on Tuesday released the 2018 Open Source Security and Risk Analysis report, which details new concerns about software vulnerabilities amid a surge in the use of open source components in both proprietary and open source software.

The report provides an in-depth look at the state of open source security, license compliance and code-quality risk in commercial software. That view shows consistent growth over the last year, with the Internet of Things and other spaces showing similar problems.

This is the first report Black Duck has issued since Synopsys acquired it late last year. The Synopsys Center for Open Source Research & Innovation conducted the research and examined findings from anonymized data drawn from more than 1,100 commercial code bases audited in 2017.

Tomorrow's cities: Google's Toronto city built 'from the internet up

On Toronto's Eastern waterfront, a new digital city is being built by Sidewalk Labs - a firm owned by Google's parent Alphabet.

It hopes the project will become a model for 21st-Century urbanism.

But the deal has been controversial, representing one of biggest ever tie-ups between a city and a large corporation.

And that, coupled with the fact that the corporation in question is one of the largest tech firms in the world, is causing some unease.

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The FBI wants you to reboot your router NOW to help destroy a botnet

Remember when the world discovered that over half a million routers have been infected with sophisticated "VPNFilter" malware that could, among other things, cut off access to the internet or be used for Russian spying?

Today, the FBI is asking everyone -- yes, everyone -- to reboot their routers immediately. Right now, even. Or maybe after you finish reading this story.

In a public service announcement published Friday and noted by Ars Technica, and a new addition to a US Department of Justice press release, the FBI explains that it's hoping that your actions will help the US government destroy a botnet before a Russian hacking group, Sofacy, can harden the malware's defenses.

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Fraudsters may have accessed Simplii data

ORONTO - Simplii Financial says fraudsters may have electronically accessed certain personal and account information for approximately 40,000 of its clients.

Simplii, which is CIBC's direct banking brand, says it learned of the potential issue yesterday and has implemented additional online security measures as it continues to investigate.

The changes include enhanced online fraud monitoring and online banking security measures.

Simplii says it will be reaching out to clients and customers who notice any suspicious activity should contact the bank.

It adds that clients who are victims of fraud because of the issue will receive 100 per cent of the money lost from the affected bank account.

Simplii says there is no indication that clients who bank through CIBC have been affected.

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Telecom Tech News Why ZTE believes AI automation will play a crucial role in the telecoms industry

MWC ZTE has a firm belief that, in the telecoms industry, AI automation has a crucial role to play - and that impending 5G networks will bank very much on the capabilities of AI for operational support as well as management of infrastructure and business functions.

The company also believes that ‘AI for operations’ represents a bigger opportunity for providers of telecom services to occupy a top position in the future market. 

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How the telecom sector is developing in times of digital transformation

The global telecommunications industry is developing dynamically; the main players seek to expand the boundaries of development, to create more long-term and reliable relations between market participants and customers everywhere.

Currently, overcoming all boundaries of mobile technologies in the development of the global telecommunications sphere, expanding the scope of LTE technologies, virtualisation of services, cloud, big data and analytics, the concepts of IoT and M2M, and cybersecurity, which is important under the current conditions, are all put forward on the first row of demands. The telecoms industry is already pouring into all possible areas of chance; smart technologies are becoming an integral part of human life. All of these innovations lead to a significant growth of information and telecommunication techniques – and in this area a variety of business models and customer requirements are offered.

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Researchers seek to use 5G for monitoring air quality

Researchers from Helsinki University and Nokia Bell Labs are developing a technology which uses 5G for precise real-time monitoring of air quality.

Hackers can peek through surveillance cameras, report says

Hackers can peek through surveillance cameras, report says

A researcher in Argentina showed he could log into tens of thousands of DVR cameras and view the video stream live, according to Bleeping Computer.

May 7, 2018 3:31 PM PDT

A security researcher says he can access thousands of internet-connected cameras with a line of code.

James Martin/CNET

Tens of thousands of surveillance cameras are vulnerable to hackers, according to Bleeping Computer. Connected to the internet, the cameras have a flaw that a researcher in Argentina found anyone with a short line of code could exploit to log in.

The researcher first found the flaw in cameras made by Spanish camera maker TBK Vision, but next found that several other brands from around the globe appeared to be affected. Those included cameras sold by CeNova, Night Owl, Nova, Pulnix, Q-See and Securus. The flaw lets hackers receive a camera's username and password in plain text.

TBK Vision, Pulnix, Q-See and Securus didn't respond to requests for comment. CeNova, Night Owl and Novo could not be reached for comment. The researcher, Ezequiel Fernandez, declined to speak with Bleeping Computer, but the publication showed the research to other security experts who said the hacking code could successfully access the login credentials for the cameras Fernandez identified. Fernandez didn't respond to a request for comment from CNET.

Internet-connected surveillance systems are especially vulnerable to hackers when they come with default passwords. Hackers can find the cameras online by using search engines like Google or Shodan, which let users locate anything that connects to the internet. Often, hackers can then attempt to log in. If your username and password are both "admin," then hackers will have an easy time accessing your camera.

Things get even worse when hackers find ways to quickly access a large number of cameras at once. That's what happened during the Mirai attacks in 2016, when hackers accessed internet-connected cameras and infected them with malicious software. That created a network of hacked devices. The hackers then used the cameras to send an overwhelming number of requests to popular websites like Twitter, Reddit and Netflix, temporarily taking them offline.

Google Invests €150 million in Dublin Data Centre Expansion

Laser-Shooting Cow Eyeballs Are As Amazing As They Sound

Scientists have their eyes on a new breakthrough in laser technology. It involves cow eyeballs.

Ordinary contact lenses just moved one step closer to letting you shoot lasers from your eyes.

Scientists recently developed the first pliable, ultrathin "membrane laser" that can be fixed to curved or delicate objects. After being charged with blue light, the membrane emits lasers; researchers tested the material by placing it on contact lenses that they then mounted on cow eyeballs, according to a new study.

But don't worry — nobody's building battalions of bovines that can blast beams from their eyes. While comic book heroes use laser vision to punch holes in buildings or disarm supervillains, contact lenses fitted with these laser films would likely be used for identification or security scans, the researchers reported.

Microsoft, Facebook, Oracle Among 34 Firms to Join Cybersecurity Tech Accord

A Home Robot Could Be Amazon's Next Gamble

Apple closes at record high after Buffett boosts stake

Microsoft needs to prove it’s not another IBM

Microsoft has been known as the Windows company for years, but that’s changing. As it embraces a world beyond Windows, Microsoft is increasingly focusing its efforts on businesses rather than consumers. The software maker has been reshaping itself recently and embracing rival technologies in the process. Slowly but surely, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has made cloud, AI, Mixed Reality, and quantum computing his priorities for Microsoft’s future, moving the company away from the concept of Windows being at the center of everything it does

Here’s Why Doctors In The Know Might Stop Prescribing Blood Pressure Drugs

We were quickly approaching the day when people diagnosed with hypertension can kiss goodbye to their expensive ace inhibitors, calcium-channel blockers, beta-blockers, and other blood pressure medications. This is thanks to a breakthrough found in the Amazonian rainforest, that is going to change everything we knew about how to treat high blood pressure....

Microsoft’s 2018 Build conference takes place on May 7th and 8th. The company will use the two-day event to share its plans around artificial intelligence (AI), cloud services, its Cortana voice assistant, Office, and of course Windows. You can expect to see new Windows 10 features and other software updates announced at Build as Microsoft outlines what the rest of 2018 will bring for every key pillar of its business.