Google Can Reset 75% Of Android Phones Remotely

                                  

Older versions of Android devices can have their passcode reset remotely by Google if a court order forces them to, allowing the authorities to look at the contents.

That's according to a document prepared by the New York District Attorney, which points out that phones and tablets running Android software released prior to Lollipop 5.0 are vulnerable to resetting.

Newer software uses full disk encryption, meaning Google cannot comply with requests even if it was forced to.

But earlier software - codenamed Froyo, Gingerbread, Ice Cream Sandwich, Jelly Bean and KitKat - is at risk.

This means that around 75% of all Android devices are still using a software version that can be remotely accessed with a court order.

The document said: "For some other types of Android devices, Google can reset the passcodes when served with a search warrant and an order instructing them to assist law enforcement to extract data from the device.

"This process can be done by Google remotely and allows forensic examiners to view the contents of a device."

Despite having the ability, most new Android phones have encryption turned off by default.

The process to turn it on varies by model, but can usually be found somewhere in the settings menu.

Meanwhile the search giant has revealed that it receives 1,500 requests every minute for the removal of specific results from its search engine for copyright reasons.

Google offers an automated system, letting complainants file through an online form under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

Blackberry to 'exit' Pakistan over data-retention row

                           

Phone-maker Blackberry is to stop operating in Pakistan at the end of 2015 because of government requests to monitor customer data.

The Pakistani government wanted to be able to monitor every message and email sent via its phones, it said.

In a blogpost, it said it had decided to "exit the market altogether" over the row.

It said Pakistan's demand was not to do with public safety but a request for "unfettered access".

Slow decline

In July, Pakistan's Telecommunications Authority told Blackberry the servers underpinning its messaging business would no longer be allowed to operate in the country, citing "security reasons".

Marty Beard, chief operating officer at Blackberry, said the "truth" of the matter was Pakistan had wanted to look at all the traffic passing across its messaging servers but the phone company would not "comply with that sort of directive".

"Remaining in Pakistan would have meant forfeiting our commitment to protect our users' privacy. That is a compromise we are not willing to make," wrote Mr Beard.

This led Pakistan to tell Blackberry its servers could no longer operate in the country.

Mr Beard said Blackberry did not support "backdoors" that would grant open access to customers' information and had never complied with such a request anywhere in the world.

"While we recognise the need to cooperate with lawful government investigative requests of criminal activity, we have never permitted wholesale access to our servers," he said.

Mr Beard said the company had regrets over leaving Pakistan because it was an "important market".

Initially, Blackberry said it would wind up its operations at the end of November. However, the exit date has now been moved to 30 December as the government shutdown deadline has been extended until that date.

Industry figures gathered by analyst company IDC suggest that, in early 2015, Blackberry had a 0.5% share of the global smartphone market. In 2014, Blackberry shipped about 5.8 million handsets - 70% less than in 2013.

Apple launches Apple Watch magnetic charging dock

Apple has created a larger magnetic charging dock for the Apple Watch, allowing it to charge on its side and lying flat

                             

The Watch can charge on the dock when lying flat

A charging pad is embedded in the centre of the dock, which can be flipped up for charging a Watch placed on its side. It comes with a lightning to USB cable, but a power adaptor is not included.

This is the first time Apple has made a Watch charging dock, and it follows in the wake of many third-party accessories.

The Apple Watch is the company's first foray into wearable technology and comes in three versions – Sport in anodized aluminium, Standard in stainless steel, and Luxury in 18 carat yellow or rose gold.

Since its launch earlier this year, the device is believed to have sold around 7m units, more than all its rival vendors combined, a report released earlier this month claimed.

Apple does not release official sales figures for the Watch, but the report by independent analyst company Canalys claims that Apple was the only smartwatch maker to ship more than 300,000 units in the third quarter of this year.

Its closest rival, Pebble, saw shipments reach 200,000 in the third quarter, according to Canalys, thanks to the launch of its Time Steel smartwatch, made from stainless steel with a colour e-paper display.

In September Apple released new software upgrade watchOS 2, bringing support for third-party native apps, new watchfaces and improvements to Siri.

The second generation of Apple Watch is reportedly in development for release next year, and is rumoured to feature a front-facing camera for FaceTime calls and inbuilt WiFi, alongside new premium models.

iPhone 6c 'due for release in first half of 2016'

Apple is planning to resurrect its entry-level iPhone range with the iPhone 6c before June 2016, analysts predict

                          

Apple is planning to reintroduce the entry-level c iPhone range with the launch of the iPhone 6c in the second quarter of 2016, according to analysts.

The company quietly retired the iPhone 5c range in September as the new flagship iPhone 6s and 6s Plus models were introduced, but the 4-inch series is slated to return before the launch of the iPhone 7 in September 2016, according to market intelligence company Trendforce.

The iPhone 6c will keep the same 4-inch display as the 5c, whilst the iPhone 7 is expected to be upgraded to 32GB of storage and become fully waterproof for the first time, the company said.

Rumours abounded earlier in the year that Apple was planning to push the iPhone 6c out in time for Christmas, but such a move is looking increasingly unlikely.

In May rumours circulated that Apple had accidentally uploaded an image of what appeared to be the iPhone 5c sporting a Touch ID fingerprint sensor in its home button - a feature only the iPhones 5s, 6 and 6 Plus currently have. The picture was quickly replaced with a standard photo of an iPhone 5c, suggesting the original was merely poorly rendered.

Uber will launch UberPool in London despite TfL proposals, says exec

                              

Uber is planning to launch UberPool, its service that provides rides for much cheaper by allowing passengers to share journeys, in London in the coming months despite threatened limits on ridesharing.

Andrew Byrne, Uber's Head of Public Policy in the UK and Ireland said that Uber is hoping to launch "a major new product called UberPool" in London within the next few months, which will match riders and drivers going in the same direction, and allow people to share a ride.

"We want to end car ownership in London," he told the Parliamentary committee at the Business, Innovation and Skills Committee inquiry into the digital economy.

Uber, whose growth in London has sparked widespread protests from the black cab industry, is facing questions over its future in London afterTransport for London proposed new restrictions on minicab services.

In particular, the restrictions suggest "controls on ridesharing in public vehicles" which would block UberPool in London completely. Uber's chief executive Travis Kalanick has previously said a £21 black taxi trip with UberPool would cost just £6.

The ride-sharing service already runs in cities including Paris, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and Boston, with Indian city Bengaluru being themost recent addition to the list.

Google could be your next mortgage broker

                              

Shopping for a mortgage? Google is now a licensed mortgage broker.

The tech giant launched Google Compare for mortgages on Monday that will allow potential home buyers to find and compare home loans.

When looking to buy a home, experts recommend shopping around to find the best mortgage terms. With Google Compare, users will be able to enter personal information, including property value, down payment size and approximate credit score to get tailored results. The results will also show lenders' ratings and reviews.

Homeowners can also use the tool to refinance their mortgages.

The product is currently only available in California, but the company plans to expand into other states.

Related: How to buy a home without a 20% down payment

Google is registered as a licensed mortgage broker. Though the company won't be financing mortgages, it will aggregate quotes from local and national lenders it has partnered with, includingZillow (Z) and Lending Tree (TREE), in order to help users find the best mortgage.

Google (GOOG) acknowledged that lender participation is based on a flexible cost-per-lead model, which means the company is paid by the mortgage lenders.

The mortgage comparison tool adds to Google Compare's offerings, which also allow users to shop around for car insurance quotes and credit card offers.

Future iPhones could contain eye-tracking software

Eye-tracking software could be a feature of future iPhones and other Apple products after the company was granted a patent for the technology

                          

The next generation of iPhones could contain software designed to track the path of your gaze, and only display notifications when your eyes are focused on a certain part of the display, a new patent has revealed.

Filed by Apple in September 2012, the newly-granted patent outlines how a gaze detection device could delay the automated autocorrect of a misspelled word if it knew the user's eye weren't focused on the word, which it claims would be "more intuitive".

This could apply more widely to notifications, it suggests, delaying the delivery of a message notification until the user is paying attention to the display, minimising the risk of missing the message altogether.

Other examples could be for voice mail pop-up notifications, news alerts or software and app updates, the patent suggested.

The use of biometric technology, including voice and facial recognition and fingerprint and retina scanning is becoming increasingly commonplace for payment and identification methods.

Apple's iPhone 5s, 6 and 6s generations of iPhones all contain Touch IDfingerprint scanners embedded in their home buttons to unlock and swiftly make verified purchases.

• The Apple inventions that never surfaced

Google patented the use of an eye-tracking system to unlock devices by following the flight path of a bird or reading a line of text back in July 2013. Fujitsu unveiled its inbuilt iris-scanning smartphone authentication system at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC), which it said will be applied to security systems.

As ever, there is no guarantee features explored in patents will ever make it into future products. Many companies are in the practice of patenting certain functions or materials to actively prevent rivals from using the technologies.

The iPhone's Touch ID sensor could soon act as a panic mode activator  

Apple was recently granted a patent for implementing a 'panic button' function into its fingerprint sensor, which could be implemented in various ways, including disabling a certain set of functions on the phone, denying access to contact information, emails and photos, or activating the handset's camera or microphone to document who is trying to use it. The recordings could then be forwarded on to law enforcement under certain circumstances.

Android and iOS dominate smartphone market with 98pc share

                      

Mobile operating systems iOS and Android account for a combined 98pc of the smartphone market as BlackBerry and Windows struggle to compete, a new report has found.

The two operating systems have reached an all-time-high as rival systems struggle to make their presence felt in the market, a report by Gartner found.

The impending release of Windows 10 for smartphones was not enough to convince consumers to stick with the brand, the report found, after the brand’s market share fell from 3pc in the third financial quarter of 2014 to 1.7pc in the same period this year.

During this time, around 5,874,000 units running Windows were sold, compared to 977,000 running BlackBerry, according to research from Gartner. The recently-announced BlackBerry Priv is the first BlackBerry handset to run Google’s Android operating system.

The new BlackBerry Priv: touchscreen + QWERTY keyboard

Comparatively, Google’s Android system, which runs on handsets manufactured by HTC, LG and Samsung, sold 298,797,000 units during the third quarter of the year. Apple’s iOS-running iPhones sold 46,062,000 units during the same time, the report found.

Gartner research director Anshul Gupta attributes the lack of interest within developer and manufacturers for building for Windows due to the lack of size of devices from manufacturers and the considerable effort involved.

“We haven’t seen many larger device manufacturers building for Windows; there is little interest from vendors, while another challenge is the small install base; with lack of app developers for the windows ecosystem, gathering user feedback and driving updates and constantly refreshing it. It requires significant investment, and not all developers are inclined,” he added.

As far as BlackBerry’s shift to Android is concerned, it’s too late, he says. “The main problem with the BlackBerry ecosystem is that it couldn’t evolve as fast as the others, and subsequently there wasn’t as much interest from consumers.

‘We don’t see BlackBerry’s adoption of Android as bringing any massive advantage; we think it’s too late now,” he added. “If you’re targeting the enterprise marking, the rise of people bringing their own devices to connect to enterprise systems means you’re going to lose out - it’s all about the consumer market."

Behind Samsung and Apple, Chinese brand Huawei made significant market share gains during the third quarter, the report found, shipping some 27,262,300 units compared to 15,935,000 the previous year - a rise of some 7.7pc.

“Huawei has really matured as a global player, offering a good balance between their home and international markets, while becoming brands that are clearly appreciated by consumers, Gupta added. “Huawei is a much bigger player in terms of their portfolio compared to Xiaomi, which shipped 17,197,200 comparatively."

Windows 10 is getting a massive update

                    

Windows 10 is getting its first mega-update on Thursday.

After updating your Windows 10 PC, your computer will boot faster, your photos will be clearer, reminders will be easier to set, and your PC will perform more smoothly.

But Windows 10 won't look any different -- most of the improvements are under the hood.

It's essentially Windows 10's first "service pack," the term Microsoft had used for its occasional major updates that squash bugs and add new features.

Just don't call it a service pack. Microsoft is touting its new "Windows as a service" model with Windows 10, by constantly upgrading the software. Microsoft says that Windows 10 will continue to evolve over time as customers provide feedback.

"We're just calling it the November update," said Yusuf Mehdi, executive vice president of Microsoft's Windows and devices group. "We're signaling that we're moving away from that service pack idea -- but in truth it is every bit a service pack."

Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) says the new update will make Windows 10 boot 30% faster than Windows 7 PCs. The Edge browser will get a Chrome-like feature, allowing people to sync their favorites across all Windows 10 devices. You'll be able to use handwriting to set reminders in the Cortana virtual assistant app. And a host of driver updates will help make Windows 10 PCs take better photos and run more smoothly.

The update is also huge for corporate customers. Microsoft is giving Windows 10 a host of new features that make it ready for broad deployment in business environments. For example, after the update, IT managers will get control over how their Windows 10 devices get updated within their organization.

More than 110 million PCs are already running Windows 10, which debuted on July 29, making it the fastest adoption for any version of Windows in history.

Now that it's ready for the corporate world, Microsoft is expecting Windows 10 to be the fastest-ever upgrade for businesses as well.

Tech consultancy Gartner expects 50% of businesses to have begun deploying Windows 10 by 2017.

Xboxes will also be getting Windows 10 upgrades Thursday. Microsoft's goal is to have Windows 10 running on more than 1 billion devices by 2018.

Can the iPad Pro replace the laptop?

                                     

True productivity is a mess. Stacks of open applications, browsers crowded with tabs, ongoing chat conversations pushed to the edge of the screen.

Laptop replacement is just one of many possible uses for the 12.9-inch super-powered iPad. It has the required processing power and a stunning screen, but as a serious work device, it's not there yet. Despite the "Pro" in its name, it's a better fit for more casual laptop users.

here are a few areas where the device doesn't quite make the leap from tablet to laptop: the premature death of the mouse, lack of full-featured software, and multitasking.

Ergonomics

The iPad Pro dreams of a world without that little arrow cursor, where you just touch buttons and windows. Who hasn't absentmindedly reached up to tap their computer screen, only to feel embarrassed and maybe a little disappointed?

Unfortunately for the iPad, we are not yet post-mouse. The official Apple keyboard supports some common shortcuts, but has no trackpad. This creates a frustrating (and tiring) mishmash of hand movements.

When you're in the zone on a laptop, your arms barely move and your fingers fly across the keyboard and trackpad, executing familiar shortcuts and movements. On the iPad Pro, you're constantly pausing to reach up. It sounds minor, and maybe it will become second nature over time, but it's a distracting and unfortunate design.

Software

All existing iPad apps work on the iPad Pro. The most interesting options are apps that have been updated to work with the Apple Pencil, the optional stylus. If you don't need any heavy-duty apps, or use custom company software, then there's a chance you can do everything you need on an iPad.

Developers love to make iOS apps. Unfortunately, they're usually lightweight versions of popular professional software. Adobe has multiple Photoshop iOS apps. They're great for someone dabbling in photography, but they won't work for professional photographers. Same goes for other industries. Really great mobile versions are just not good enough to use full time for work.

Operating system

The latest version of iOS has made huge strides in productivity, and the iPad Pro has some multitasking options. If you want to run two apps side by side or watch a video while you work, then the iPad Pro is a good option (if $799 is in your price range). But for most, these features aren't enough to mimic the laptop experience.

Maybe iOS on the iPad Pro is a vision of how we should work. Focused on one thing at a time, two max.

But even accepting its limited view of multitasking, Apple's iOS still has a lot of work to do before it catches up to laptops as a tool for pro users.

That pencil

It's really great! If you're thinking of moving from a pencil-based workflow to a laptop, this is a fantastic upgrade. It feels as close to writing on paper as possible, plus there's an entire world of options like 3D modeling, painting, and design.

Apple Pay launches in Canada with American Express, available at merchants like Tim Hortons, Indigo

                                

Apple Pay, the technology giant’s system for making purchases at bricks-and-mortar stores with an iPhone, launched in Canada on Tuesday, more than a year after its release in the U.S. and four months after it debuted in the U.K.

The service in Canada will be limited to American Express cardholders, however co-branded AMEX credit cards — like one offered by Bank of Nova Scotia — are not included in the deal.

Starting Tuesday, Canadian users of Apple Watch and iPhone 6 models or higher will be able to make purchases by tapping their devices on merchant terminals equipped with near field communication (NFC) technology and AMEX’s contactless payments system.

Apple Inc. and American Express said any merchant equipped with the AMEX system could accept Apple Pay, but did not disclose how exactly many retailers have the technology. However, they did say that businesses such as Tim Hortons, Indigo, McDonald’s, Petro Canada and Staples, are equipped.

The service is also due to roll out to AMEX cardholders in Spain, Singapore and Hong Kong next year.

Canadians who own the iPad Pro, iPad Air 2 and iPad Mini 3 or higher can also make in-app purchases using Apple Pay from companies such as Uber, Starbucks, Domino’s, Groupon, Priceline and Beyond the Rack.

Apple Pay joins other mobile payment services offered by Google Inc.’s Android and BlackBerry Ltd. According to ComScore Inc., 40 per cent of Canadians who own a smartphone, own an iPhone.

A Forrester Research report in October said consumer adoption of Apple Pay has been modest. In the first nine months after launch, only six per cent of U.S. iOS users have used Apple Pay, the market research firm found.

However, there is considerable potential, analyst Jacob Morgan wrote, since it has been quickly adopted by U.S. banks and iPhone 6 models have been selling in record numbers.

“Apple Pay has brought improvements in security and customer experience to the payments landscape and has seen encouraging early adoption in the U.S.,” Morgan wrote.

Cook has previously said that Apple Pay is on track to be available at more than 1.5 million point-of-sale locations in the U.S. by the end of 2015, up from 220,000 at launch.

Apple in talks to let you send money to friends with an iPhone

                                        

Apple is reportedly in discussions with banks over introducing a peer-to-peer payment service that would let iPhone owners send cash to each other.

The company has been talking to a number of American financial institutions, including JP Morgan Chase, Capital One and Wells Fargo, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Apple already offers its iPhone and Apple Watch contactless payment service, Apple Pay, in the US and UK with other countries set to follow. A service that lets users send money back and forth, directly from their bank accounts, could be seen as a natural extension of that.

Tim Cook, Apple's chief executive, met George Osborne on a visit to the UK this week, the Chancellor revealed on Wednesday, saying the two talked extensively about Apple Pay. "I was thinking how extraordinary it was that you had a finance minister and the head of a tech company talking about the future of banking," Osborne said, adding that he wants "the UK to be the global centre of fintech" at a Bank of England event.

Cook said on Wednesday that the next generation of children "will not know what money is", in a further indication that the iPhone maker is becoming more interested in payments.

A service that lets users pay each other via iPhone could be used by friends to pay each other money or split bills, and by independent contractors, turning an iPhone into a portable till.

It would also challenge a range of third-party payment services, includingBarclays' Pingit app, PayPal's Venmo, and Paym, the UK banking system's mobile payments service that lets users send money with just a phone number.

It is unclear how advanced Apple's plans are, although the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple would not charge for the service, and that it may use an existing US service called clearXchange.

Apple's discussions with banks about making further steps into financial services could face some difficulty, given that banks may run competing services. Apple Pay, for example, is only in two countries over a year after its introduction, although it will be launched in more territories soon.

Huawei reveals quick-charge battery

                                

Chinese tech giant Huawei has unveiled two prototype removable lithium-ion batteries that can recharge in minutes, using a bespoke charger.

The lower capacity battery charged by 68% in two minutes - but is not big enough to run a smartphone for long.

The higher capacity one charged by 48% in five minutes and could provide up to 10 hours of talk time, the firm said.

Current battery life is a significant limiting factor in the performance of portable devices.

Many tech firms and entrepreneurs are researching the issue.

In March, Samsung announced that the batteries in its new Galaxy S6 handsets could power up to four hours of usage after a 10-minute charge.

Scientists are also researching alternative battery materials to the traditional lithium-ion such as aluminium and graphene.

Huawei says it used heteroatoms - atoms which are not carbon or hydrogen - which the firm claims can increase charging speeds without affecting the battery's overall lifespan.

"Everyone in the world - consumers and all the manufacturers - would benefit from some unforeseen breakthrough in battery chemistry technology," Microsoft president Rick Osterloh told the BBC in July.

"At the moment everyone is getting interesting incremental benefits from changes in lithium-ion batteries but fundamentally there hasn't been a Moore's Law type curve for battery improvements and I think that would be something everyone would benefit [from]."

Moore's Law, which became the bedrock for the computer processor industry, relates to the rate at which processor speeds increase - roughly doubling every two years.

China's Black Friday Rakes In $14.3bn Record

Retailer Alibaba surpasses $9.3bn taken last year in China's Singles Day online sales extravaganza.
                                       
Chinese online retail giant Alibaba smashed records as sales during its annual Singles Day shopping extravaganza hit $14.3bn (£9.4bn) - beating the previous year’s $9.3bn (£6.1bn).

The company said it had surpassed the record by early afternoon while its main rival JD.com had also already overtaken last year's total.

Alibaba turned November 11, or "11.11" into a 24-hour shopping splurge six years ago. It was originally designed as a mock celebration for single people not in relationships.Steep discounts and other promotions on the day are aimed at attracting hordes of shoppers to spend their money online. This year James Bond actor Daniel Craig helped promote the event.

Alibaba said that in the hours leading up to midnight, nearly 130 million users visited the mobile Taobao app

The company saw takings of more than $1bn (£660m) within the first eight minutes of today's extravaganza which kicked off at midnight in China. By early afternoon the total had surpassed $10bn (£6.6bn).

Chief executive Daniel Zhang said parts of this year's event were being tailored to the growth area of mobile retail.Last year, the company had handled a peak volume of 80,000 orders per second, and this was expected to rise to 120,000 orders per second in 2015.

Mr Zhang said as the event began: "The whole world will witness the power of Chinese consumption this November 11."Surging retail sales have been a bright spot in China's recent growth story with factory output growth slowing. The stuttering performance overall of the world's second largest economy has prompted global market anxiety in recent months.