<p> <i> 21.31 pm </i> OnePlus Power Bank with 10,000mAh battery to be launched on March 17

New Delhi: OnePlus has now announced the release date of its recently introduced 10,000mAh Power Bank. The company, which unveiled the Power Bank late last year, will start selling the device from March 17.

"Starting March 17. Are you ready to charge??," says a post (with an image of the Power Bank) on the company's Google+ page.

Priced at 15.99 euros (roughly Rs 1100), the device is said to provide three full charges for the OnePlus One. It has two USB ports that let users connect and charge two devices simultaneously.

It will be vailable in Silk White and Sandstone Black colours. The Power Bank's also features battery indicator LEDs. It weighs 220g.</p>

<p> <i> 21.29 pm </i> Why Yahoo's new on-demand password system is no two-factor authentication killer

In an effort to simplify authentication for its services, Yahoo has introduced a new mechanism that allows users to log in with temporary passwords that are sent to their mobile phones.

If this sounds like a two-factor authentication system where users need to provide one-time codes sent to their mobile phones in addition to their static passwords, it’s not. Yahoo already had that option.

Instead, the new log-in mechanism, which is based on what Yahoo calls on-demand passwords, still relies on a single factor, the user’s phone number.

Yahoo users—only those based in the U.S. for now—can turn on the new feature from their account security settings on Yahoo’s site. They will need to provide a phone number and then confirm that they have access to it by inputting a verification code sent to them via SMS.

Once the system is set up, the next time they want to log in, Yahoo users will see a button that says “send my password” instead of a traditional password input field. Clicking on that button will send them a temporary four-character password via SMS.

Still not perfect

The new system offers better security than static passwords, which can be stolen in a variety of ways, but it’s not as effective as two-factor authentication because it depends solely on how secure the user’s phone is.

“Two-factor authentication is more secure because it requires an attacker to compromise more than a single piece of information to be successful,” said Tim Erlin, director of product management at security firm Tripwire, via email. “While Yahoo is lifting the burden of remembering a password, they are maintaining a single target for compromise: your SMS messages. Malware on your phone could be used to grab those SMS messages, and then have full access to your account.”

The ability to intercept, steal and hide text messages is common for mobile malware, particularly for threats that target online banking users who often receive transaction and other authorization codes via SMS.

In addition, if a phone is lost or left unsupervised, it could be used to generate a password for the phone owner’s Yahoo email account. As many incidents have shown, a person’s email account can be a gateway for further compromises, because it can be used to reset the password for the user’s accounts on other websites.

Malware creators will increasingly target mobile platforms because of the important role they play for users’ online security, said TK Keanini, CTO at security firm Lancope, via email. “It is also important these days to ensure that the mobile account is secure because you don’t want attackers changing features like call forwarding and other features that can put them in the middle of this communication stream.”

Still an encouraging move

Researchers have warned for years that static passwords no longer provide sufficient protection for online accounts, so any effort to replace them with something else is generally welcome.

It remains to be seen how vulnerable Yahoo’s new system is, “but it can only be a good thing that a well-known brand in the technology field is seeking different ways to revamp the password,” said Chris Boyd, a malware intelligence analyst at Malwarebytes, via email.

Given a choice, however, Boyd would still choose two-factor over single-factor authentication any time.

So, if you already have “two-step verification” enabled on your Yahoo account it’s better to stick with it and not switch to the new “on-demand password” system. The two appear to be incompatible and switching to on-demand passwords could actually downgrade your account’s security, according to Erlin.

Even with the potential drawbacks, “it is good to see Yahoo trying to address the password problem,” said Jared DeMott, principal security researcher at Bromium, via email. However, most users will only do only what is required of them by default, “so if companies are serious about better login security, the default choice will need to be modified.”

For now, Yahoo’s new on-demand password system requires users to opt-in.</p>

<p> <i> 21.28 pm </i> Windows 10 Updates & Apps Will Be Distributed Using Peer-To-Peer Technology
A leaked build of Windows 10 technical preview suggests that it will allow users to download updates and some apps from other computers. The Windows 10 build 10036 appeared on torrent and file sharing websites ahead of its official rollout. When the folks from The Verge fiddled around the leaked version they found a new Update Settings window that gives the user the freedom to choose whether he/she wants to download Windows update and apps from Microsoft’s servers or from multiple sources aka other computers. It then asks whether you want to download updates and apps from computers on your local network or from local computers as well as computers on the internet. Microsoft says in the settings menu that this peer-to-peer method is faster than the conventional way of downloading updates from Microsoft’s servers. 

Microsoft had quietly acquired Pando Networks in March 2013. Pando Networks had developed a hybrid peer-to-peer and server-based protocol that included central control over file distribution, intelligent throttling between peers and servers, analytics and security. Since this new feature was leaked before its official release, we do not have any official information from the Redmond based software giant about the intricacies of this technology. We do however can tell you about its advantages and disadvantages.

Pros:

Hassle-free Update Download: If you have ever tried to update your computer or smartphone or tablet with a new operating system, you might have noticed that during the first few days from the launch everyone is hounding on the company’s servers and the download speeds are woefully slow. This peer-to-peer technology will make sure that there are multiple sources to speed up your update downloads.

Saving Internet Usage: As you can see from the screenshot above, there is an option that allows you to download updates from computers on your local network. This is brilliant if you have multiple systems running the same operating system. You can download updates on one system and share it among other systems using your local network.

Cons: 

Security: Since Windows update will be handed to people for distribution, they can easily tamper with it. So Microsoft has to develop ways to make sure that this does not happen.

Hidden Network Usage: In the leaked screenshots we haven’t yet seen a feature that gives the user the option to stop sharing an update. For example, if a user has received the update and has enabled this option he/she may be also responsible for sharing the update on the internet and that can result in some hidden internet usage which may anger people who have limited internet usage.

In the end, we would like you to take this news with a pinch of salt because of two reasons. First, the build is not an official one from Microsoft and second Microsoft has a habit of including new features on test builds that it may or may not include in the final retail version of Windows.</p>

<p> <i> 21.26 pm </i> Sony Xperia Z3 & Z3 Compact

 Lollipop update begins today

Sony has officially confirmed that the Android 5.0 Lollipop update will begin rolling out to Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact handsets beginning today.

It’s been a long wait, but Xperia users will finally be able to get their hands on Google’s latest OS.

“We’re starting out Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade from today for Xperia Z3 and Xperia Z3 Compact,” said a Sony spokesperson.

“You’ll see the upgrade hit first devices in the Nordics and Baltics, continuing to further markets, for more Xperia Z Series products, starting In around two weeks’ time.”

The full list of Xperia Z devices due to get the update in two weeks’ time is available on Sony’s website.

The update will bring plenty of improvements to the platform, not least improved battery life courtesy of OS optimisations.

You’ll also get lock-screen notifications, and a complete design overhaul based on Google’s ‘material design’ aesthetic.

There will also be multi-user user profiles and guest mode, which means it will be easier to give your friends and family a chance to play with your smartphone.

One of the most important changes from Sony is the opening-up of the SD card. You’ll now be able to move any apps – including third-party ones – across to the SD card.

If you don’t get the update immediately, don’t worry – timing and availability very much depends on your market and carrier.

Fortunately, at least we now know the update is on its way to Xperia handsets, assuaging the concerns of Xperia users who have waited patiently for Lollipop since we first saw the software back in September.</p>

<p> <i> 21.24 pm </i> BlackBerry Spy-Proofs Samsung Tablets With IBM Software

BlackBerry Ltd. introduced a modified Samsung Electronics Co. tablet computer that lets government and corporate users access consumer applications such as YouTube and WhatsApp while keeping confidential work-related information away from spies and crooks.

The 2,250-euro ($2,360) SecuTABLET will be available by the third quarter, Hans-Christoph Quelle, head of BlackBerry’s Secusmart unit, said in an interview Sunday. More than 10,000 units will be shipped annually in Germany by next year, with a higher number sold by International Business Machines Corp., which is handling sales to companies worldwide, he said.

The SecuTABLET combines Samsung Electronics Co.’s Tab S 10.5 with Secusmart’s microSD card and IBM software to wrap applications that hold sensitive data into a virtual container where they can’t be harmed by malware. Germany’s computer-security watchdog is evaluating the device for classified government communication and will probably give its approval before the end of the year, Quelle said.

“For many of the tasks that officials and executives need to carry out, a phone just isn’t enough -- they want a tablet,” Quelle said at the CeBIT technology conference in Hanover, Germany. “The most important thing is that we combine security with usability. We don’t want to take the fun things away from people.”

BlackBerry acquired Secusmart last year in an effort to win more business from customers demanding rigorous data security. The Waterloo, Ontario-based company, which sold few of its own 2011 Playbook tablets, is shifting from making hardware to building security components and software into competitors’ devices as the frequency of cyber attacks mounts.

Clinton’s E-mails

BlackBerry shares slipped 0.8 percent to $9.73 at 10:40 a.m. in New York on Monday. IBM’s stock was up 1 percent to $155.89.

The tablet integrates BlackBerry’s technology with one of its main competitors in the mobile-device market. When IBM and Apple Inc. signed a deal to collaborate on mobile business applications last July, BlackBerry’s stock dropped 12 percent.

The tension between maintaining personal privacy while still letting employers secure phones has been in the spotlight recently with former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a single device and a home-based server for both her government work and private communications.

A poll by IBM showed that 63 percent of all officials need access to specific software such as for finances and controlling on their mobile devices. However, many government officials and executives have resisted the use of so-called crypto phones as they tend to limit what users can do with them.

Snooping Software

For instance, making a secure call requires both sides to have the necessary technology installed, and many programs aren’t allowed to run on them because they may pose a point of entry for viruses or snooping software. The devices also tend to be more expensive than off-the-shelf phones.

Secusmart tries to make its devices safe and useful at the same time by installing a small chipcard, which encrypts voice and data and cannot be corrupted by malware targeting the operating system. The company has shipped BlackBerry 10 devices modified in such a way to German Chancellor Angela Merkel and members of her government.

Samsung has begun emphasizing its enterprise products as it lost its lead in the smartphone market to Apple in the fourth quarter. Its Galaxy S6 phone will ship with the Knox software, which combines improved user authentication and encryption to protect the device from attacks.

“We do recognize that people actually have a personal life and a business life,” said Lee Epting, head of Samsung’s European corporate-customer business. “We need to be able to easily transfer between those two worlds.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Cornelius Rahn in Berlin at crahn2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Kenneth Wong atkwong11@bloomberg.net Kim McLaughlin, Lisa Wolfson.</p>

<p> <i> 21.21 pm </i> YU to launch Lollipop-powered ‘Project Caesar’ smartphone

Interestingly the ‘ME’ in the teaser resembles Xiaomi’s ‘Mi’ logo.

NEW DELHI: It looks like YU, the recently launched smartphone brand from Micromax, is gearing up to launch a new smartphone. 

The firm has already started teasing a phone which has been code-named Project Caesar. The latest teasers on the company's Facebook page suggest that the phone will come preloaded with Android Lollipop, the latest version of Google's mobile OS. 

YU has even taken a dig at Xiaomi in a teaser that reads, 'KitKat in the age of lollipop? Give ME a break.' Interestingly the 'ME' in the teaser resembles Xiaomi's 'Mi' logo. It's worth pointing out that Xiaomi's recent flagship, Mi 4, comes preloaded with Android 4.4 KitKat and not Lollipop. 

YU is rumoured to release the new smartphone in April. This is also the time when Cyanogen, which powers the software of YU smartphones, is expected to release a build based on Android Lollipop. No other details related to the phone are available at the moment. The company had earlier launched Yureka, a budget phone that offers mid-range specifications and is sold via weekly flash sales.</p>

<p> <i> 21.20 pm </i> Cyanogen to Raise $100 Million in Funding, Without Microsoft: Report

Cyanogen, which makes the CyanogenMod custom ROM based on Android, is close to raising $100 million (approximately Rs. 629 crores) in a fresh round of funding, claims a new report.

Bloomberg citing people with knowledge of the matter reports that Cyanogen is all set to reach the landmark without Microsoft while add that Wipro is one of the investors in the new funding round. The report contradicts earlier ones indicating Microsoft would invest in Cyanogen.

Further, the report suggests that Microsoft might not be an investor; though the company is in talks with Cyanogen to help distribute its software, one person said. The Redmond giant is trying to get its suite of Android apps on Cyanogen's OS distribution, however, further details are limited at the moment.

The report adds citing a person with knowledge of the matter in January that the fresh round of funding could value Cyanogen at $500 million (approximately Rs. 3,147 crores) or even higher. So far, there has been no announcement regarding the funding round from Cyanogen.

At MWC earlier this month, the company behind the popular CyanogenMod operating system announced its re-branding alongside revealing a new partnership with chipmaker Qualcomm. Cyanogen confirmed that it would provide software support for features and UI enhancements of Cyanogen OS to certain Snapdragon processors. It would launch alongside the April release of Qualcomm Reference Design (QRD).

With the collaboration, Cyanogen believed that its software would be adopted easily by OEMs looking for an alternative to Google's Android OS. The features and UI enhancements from Cyanogen would be available for select Snapdragon processors namely Snapdragon 200, Snapdragon 400, and Snapdragon 600 series.</p>