Samsung unveils new NFC printers for SMBs

CeBIT 2014 Touch and print

Samsung unveiled a pair of NFC printers

Samsung has added two new product lines to its printer portfolio at CeBIT 2014 in Hannover, Germany. The Xpress C1860 and the Xpress M2885 are a colour and monochrome laser printer respectively, targeting the highly coveted 'small and medium-sized' business market.
That market, Samsung reckons, accounts for more than 60% of the entire business printing sector, which explains why Samsung's Printing Solutions Business will focus on the small and medium business segment in 2014.
Both Xpress printers are available in printer-only or MFP (copy, scan fax) flavours. They are A4 only and can print at up to 28ppm in mono and 18ppm in colour. The C1860 comes with two processors and 256MB of RAM while the mono one comes with a single 600MHz processor and 128MB of RAM.

Mobile convenience

As expected, they both use Samsung's own proprietary image enhancement technology, Rendering Engine for Clean Page or ReCP, plus polymerised toner, which it says produces better colours.
It is however, when it comes to sheer convenience, that Samsung plans to trump its competitors. NFC and Wi-Fi Direct technologies allow users to print documents simply by tapping their NFC-enabled devices (Samsung or not) on the printer.
NFC also allows SMB without a dedicated IT helpdesk to monitor their devices more easily simply by touching the printer's NFC receiver. Core to that offering is Samsung's Mobile Print app which has been updated to offer NFC capabilities and is already available for Android and iOS.
Samsung stated that the new printers will be introduced in Europe in April but has yet to confirm what their respecrtive SRPs will be.

• See what Samsung has in store for businesses for the next 24 months.

Vodafone Germany rolls out sim(ple) data encryption

Security feature aimed at public sector and corporate clients

Vodafone Germany has announced a new data encryption service

Vodafone Germany has announced that it is to offer SIM card-based end-to-end mobile communications encryption to public sector and corporate customers. The move is aimed at providing organisations with a means of protecting sensitive data as mobile working becomes more prevalent.
The Secure SIM Data service allows users to encrypt data for emails, documents, data carriers and VPN connections using a pin and a digital signature before sending it. The recipient can decrypt the data using the same pin. By using a pin and corresponding signature, the need for additional hardware is avoided.
Secure SIM Data uses S/MIME encryption for email exchanges and PGP encryption is planned. The service can also be used to encrypt storage devices such as USB sticks or hard drives, ensuring that employees can keep data secure when travelling even in the event of a device being lost or stolen.

Effective protection

"We created Vodafone Secure SIM Data as a simple, cost-efficient and above all secure value-added service based on the Vodafone SIM card for the telecommunications group's corporate customers," said Carsten Ahrens, Group Senior Vice President of Vodafone Germany's Server Software and Services division. "It regulates access to sensitive data while also protecting mobile data communication effectively against attack."
The Secure SIM Data technology is provided by Giesecke & Devrient. It is being demonstrated this week at the CeBIT show in Hannover with a Windows 8-based Lenovo notebook.

Intel promises Puma 6 Atom-based smart home gateway to rest of the world

 

Intel will bring its smart home gateway to the market very soon, according to Christian Morales, the company's vice President and General Manager EMEA revealed during a press conference at the CeBIT 2014 expo.
The company partnered with Taiwan-based ODM Hitron to deliver its first smart home gateway, one based on the Puma 6, an Atom based system-on-chip that runs at 1.2GHz.
The device ran four different home servers (Home Automation, Home Security, Entertainment and Energy Efficiency) at the same time in a running demo.

Cisco built

Comcast was the first service provider in the US to use Intel's smart home gateway solution back in June 2013, which was built by Cisco.
The Puma 6 SoC adheres to DOSCIS 3.0, allowing it to reach up to 1.32Gbps downstream speed by combining 24 DOCSIS channels and up to 320Mbps upload (using EuroDOCSIS). It also offers hardware-based virtualisation, MOCA compatibility as well as wired and dual-band wireless MIMO connectivity.
This level of versatility is one of the reasons why utility companies such as MVV Energy AG in Germany are evaluating the unit for decentralised energy management within the home.

Seagate Kinetic Solution: A look at the Rausch BigFoot Object Storage solution

TechRadar Pro landed on Seagate's booth at CeBIT 2014 earlier today to check out the just-announced BigFoot Object Storage solution from German manufacturer Rausch.
The first question that I put to them was about the BigFoot name. BigFoot, for those who remember, was a hard disk family owned by Quantum who was then acquired by Maxtor, who was then absorbed by Seagate.
In theory therefore Seagate owns the BigFoot trademark in storage; whether or not they licensed it to their German partner, nobody on the stand could tell me.
As for the device itself, it is a boring-looking 4U rack server that could actually pave the way for a revolution in data centres with a refocusing on the first word, data. My interlocutor of the day, Marcus Ulonska, said that the product was all about unstructured data and trying to scale massively.

KOSP

It gets really interesting once you get past the marketing lingo and peer over the technical details. The device is part of the Kinetic Open Storage Platform (otherwise known as KOSP) and what it seeks to do is offer a solution for simple, massively scalable data demand based on objects (e.g. video, audio, documents etc).
What that means is a chassis that can accommodate up to 72 4TB hot swappable enterprise HDDs in one 4U space with each of them offering two 1Gbps Ethernet Interfaces (not sure whether RJ45 or RJ45 to SAS), which will also power the drive.
No controller is required - each hard disk drive has its own IP - and the whole system is powered by two 1.36Kw PSUs. Seagate wouldn't tell us more details about what's on the drive mainboard but added that the targeted market is non I/O intensive tasks.

Windows 8.1 review The new version of Windows 8 is what you're expecting and probably what you want

Windows 8.1 is here. And you can download it for free. But does it fix what was wrong with Windows 8?
From Facebook to the full-featured Mail app and modern Outlook to a "peek" bar in the modern version of Internet Explorer 11 to the new Windows Scan app, you get all of the promised Windows 8.1 extras.
We are still waiting for the proper touch versions of the Office apps but that's the way things work in Microsoft's new 'continuous development' world. And of course you get the interface changes and SkyDrive integration we saw in the Windows 8.1 Preview.
The Start button is back, you can boot to the desktop and use the same image for your Start screen as your desktop background.

Ratings in depth

SkyDrive is built in to sync files - on both Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 RT - as well as settings and the layout for your Start screen and desktop taskbar.
But Microsoft's second bite at the convergence of PCs and tablets doesn't back away from what we still want to call Metro; in fact there are more built in modern apps than in Windows 8, more settings you can change without jumping to the desktop and more options for how you place modern apps on screen.

The latest version of its mobile OS proves Google certainly isn't taking a break

Everyone was expecting Key Lime Pie to serve as the delicious moniker for the next version of Android. Google surprised us all by bucking tradition and releasing Android 4.4 under the name KitKat.
Version 4.0 started life as Ice Cream Sandwich, but the last three decimal additions came under the Jelly Bean banner. This new version was obviously deemed different enough to snag a new nickname, but not different enough to merit a jump to version 5.0.
That 0.1 bump hardly does it justice. Don't be fooled: this is an important step up for Android. KitKat is super-smooth, the UI is refined and elegant, there are improvements to the long-neglected calling and messaging side of the platform, a new focus on productivity, and your fortune-telling digital assistant is brought front and centre as Google Now reaches maturity.

General surprise in the tech world wasn't just based on the erroneous supposition that Key Lime Pie had to be next; there were also some raised eyebrows at the idea of Google entering into a tawdry cross-licensing deal with Nestle which would see a flood of Android-shaped KitKats hitting the shops offering buyers the chance to win Nexus 7 tablets or Google Play credit.
According to Google the promotion was its idea, and no money changed hands. With Nestle producing 50 million Android KitKat bars it certainly looks like a sweet deal for them.
Naming conventions aside, the 4.4 update is about addressing some of the Android criticisms that simply won't go away, and it does so very well indeed.
There's a real focus on the consumer here, with a smattering of useful new features, a noticeable bump in performance, and some optimization to ensure that budget hardware is not left behind.
Android 4.4 is easily the best version of the platform to date, and Google has left the ball firmly in the OEMs' court when it comes to rolling out the upgrades.
Leading the field by extending the update beyond its Nexus line to the Moto G also neatly illustrates the move to improve the Android experience on low-end, affordable hardware.

First impressions

KitKat really makes a mockery of the idea that iOS 7 is more refined than Android. This version of the platform is impressively fast, with stylish transitions and an intuitive feel that masks the potential complexity.
There's a paring back of the notification bar that introduces translucency and context awareness, enabling you to reclaim every pixel of your display for whatever you're doing.
There are a few new features here, and not all of them are perfect, but for the most part Google has cherry-picked improvements and refined them.
The contrast between the bloated OEM launchers and stock Android could hardly be starker, but there are still a few things that manufacturers like Samsung and LG could teach Google (split-screen apps is an obvious one).

The familiar white Google logo, followed by four pulsing colourful circles, still greets you on booting up, but the process has sped up dramatically as the platform has matured. When I checked version 4.1 on a Galaxy Nexus it took 34 seconds. The Nexus 4 running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean clocked in at 19 seconds.
Android 4.4 took 21 seconds to boot up on the Nexus 5 we used for testing. Not quite as fast as the Nexus 4, but when you consider that my Galaxy S3 running version 4.3 of Android took just shy of 40 seconds to boot up, you get a feel for how speedy that is.
As the home screen comes into view, you can immediately detect the lighter feel that Google was shooting for. The status bar icons at the top are now white.
The custom Roboto font looks like it has been on a diet, which makes it feel that little bit more crisp and elegant. Looking at menu highlights and icons, what once was blue is now generally grey.

Google Experience Launcher

The changes go further on the Nexus 5 because it has the Google Experience Launcher. Those black bars top and bottom are gone. A subtle gradient is retained to ensure white icons are clear, even on light backgrounds.

Head into your app drawer and you'll find white dots at the bottom of the screen to illustrate which page you are on. The icons are now much bigger and clearer, at the cost of displaying just four across instead of five.
The widget tab has been dumped, and you won't miss it because a long press anywhere on the home screen gives you access to the widget menu, as well as wallpapers and relevant settings.
Swipe from right to left and you can access additional home screens. There doesn't seem to be any limit, you simply drag an icon to the right to create a new screen. Any home screen you empty will automatically disappear.
The only real surprise is that you have to scroll deliberately through each one; you can't take a shortcut by tapping on the page marker dots at the bottom.
Swiping from left to right on the home screen will bring Google Now into view, but I'll go into that in more detail later.
None of these changes made it beyond the Nexus 5 by default, but if you're willing to investigate it's quite easy to get the Google Experience Launcher on other Android devices. Unfortunately there's a risk that it won't work perfectly. I am disappointed and surprised that Google decided to keep this as a Nexus 5 exclusive.
The good news is that popular launchers, such as the free Nova Launcher, can be used, and the status bar transparency is supported along with a number of other customization options, to help you get the look you want.

How To Easily Build Your Own Website (Even If You Are Not Techy)!

 

Nowadays, you don’t have to be a tech wiz in order to build a website. In fact, you don’t even have to be tech-savvy. Website building is no longer reserved for the technology experts who know the ins and outs of computers and can write code. There are easy to use website builders with ready made templates. With drag and drop editors, and endless choices of templates and functions, anyone can create a professional and great-looking website within minutes. If you can fill out a form, you can build your own beautiful and functional website exactly to your taste!
In the past, professionals and individuals looking to create a website have been forced to hire expensive professional graphic designers and computer programmers to do all of the work for them. Not any more! Building your own site is simple, and will save you tons of money. You won’t even have to install any programs onto your computer, because most website building companies are accessible via web browser.
The basic premise of these website builders is easy-use for the average Joe. These companies have recognized that more and more people without the skill to build sites are interested in doing so, and they’ve provided the solution. These new site builders are as simple as the word processor that you use at home. They make use of pre-set templates that you can choose, which immediately give you a general outline for your desired website. You can start with a basic template and then just follow the simple instructions to customize the design of your site to your taste. You control everything, including the backgrounds, colors as well as interesting textures. A simple site can literally be done in a matter of minutes! Here’s the

Simple Step-By-Step Process:

• Choose a template
• Choose images
• Upload your text and multi-media
• Customize it
• PUBLISH!

It’s really that easy. These easy to use website builders will provide you with all of the technological advancements and options that an expensive professional would charge you a small fortune for. And that is not all! Nowadays it is estimated that people spend up to 40% of their Internet time on their mobile devices. Website building companies such as Wix.com even give you the ability to make your site mobile compatible, giving you the best of all worlds. That’s certainly not a market you want to miss out on and a feature that professional site builders will charge extra for.
So what are you waiting for? Don’t be intimidated. Head over to one of the top website builders and find out for yourself how easy and simple building your dream website can be!

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition

Bitdefender's antivirus engine is one of the best around, and a favourite of the independent testing labs, so getting a free version sounds very appealing indeed.
The program is ultra-compact, downloading and installing in less than a minute on our test PC (although it does demand removal of any incompatible products first). A very basic interface then provides effective on-demand and automatic scanning, real-time antivirus and antiphishing protection.

Avira Free Antivirus

Avira Free Antivirus provides two main areas of protection.
A strong antivirus engine (rated highly by independent labs for its file detection rates) constantly monitors your PC, looking for and eliminating threats.

If you choose to install the Avira toolbar then you also get some web tools (an antiphishing tool, ad blocker, social networking protection), although this also replaces your default search engine with an Avira page.
Problems? The interface can seem a little complex, just at first. And the program has more impact on your PC's performance than some other tools. Still, on balance Avira Free Antivirus remains a capable and effective security package.

ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall

We have one or two concerns about ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall, notably that its antivirus database is only updated daily (hourly updates are reserved for the commercial version), which leaves you more exposed to the very latest threats,
The program does provide plenty of functionality, though, with a capable, AV-Test-certified antivirus engine, an easy-to-use firewall and some browsing protection.

It does its best to keep things simple. Open the Preferences dialog, say, and you'll find only 10 buttons and settings (and most of those you'll never need to use).
The database update means it wouldn't be our first choice, but if you're a fan of ZoneAlarm, or just want a firewall and antivirus tool from the same company, this could be a good choice.

Panda Cloud Antivirus Free

Small and simple, Panda Cloud Antivirus is a lightweight tool which provides free real-time antivirus protection, and can be used alongside many other security tools without problems.
It's the free version of a commercial product, and so has a few missing features. The Pro edition helps to protect you at public wifi networks, for instance, while its "USB Vaccine" function reduces the risk of malware infecting a USB drive.

The core antivirus protection remains the same, though. And while that doesn't deliver the top detection rates, independent testing shows it's very capable, with the program winning certification in AV-Test's latest report.

Avast Free Antivirus

You don't have to spend long with Avast Free Antivirus to realise why it's one of the most popular security tools around.
The program is simple to install; a straightforward interface makes it easy to use; a quick first scan should identify any potential threats on your PC, and this all has minimal impact on your system performance.

These aren't just subjective opinions, either. Independent testing by AV-Test has found the program to be a good all-rounder, and it was one of AV-Comparative's "Products of 2012".
Avast Free has some useful extras, too. A Software Updater alerts you to program updates you've missed, for instance, while its Browser Cleanup tool provides a simple way to remove unwanted add-ons from your browsers.