Lessons from the Dropbox breach

Dropbox is the latest major company to confirm a data breach, albeit four years old, but – as with all recent data breaches by cloud-based services – it highlights some key security lessons

from ComputerWeekly: Latest IT News http://www.computerweekly.com/news/450303585/Lessons-from-the-Dropbox-breach

VMware banks on competitive collaboration to succeed in multi-cloud era

VMware explains why cosying up to the competition makes sense when it comes to helping customers negotiate the multi-cloud world

from ComputerWeekly: Latest IT News http://www.computerweekly.com/news/450303549/VMware-banks-on-competitive-collaboration-to-succeed-in-the-multi-cloud-era

How HomeServe Labs plans to use the IoT to shake up the insurance business

Home maintenance services provider HomeServe grows its internet of things startup internally, and is now targeting the insurance industry with a leak detection system

from ComputerWeekly: Latest IT News http://www.computerweekly.com/news/450303577/How-HomeServe-Labs-plans-to-use-the-IoT-to-shake-up-the-insurance-business

TomTom finds its way to Indian global delivery hub

Sat nav maker TomTom invests in its Indian technology operation to increase innovation in a move that mirrors that of other corporates

from ComputerWeekly: Latest IT News http://www.computerweekly.com/news/450303566/TomTom-finds-its-way-to-Indian-global-delivery-hub

KYC: a financial services business enabler

In the financial services arena, know your customer (KYC) is set to emerge as a key strategic element of organisations’ business models

from ComputerWeekly: Latest IT News http://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/KYC-a-financial-services-business-enabler

Review: Updated: Google Apps for Work 2016

Latest news

[Editor's Note: What immediately follows is a rundown of the latest developments and features Google has added to Apps for Work since this review was first written.]

August 2016

• A new Google Hangouts Chrome extension was pushed out allowing for multiple chat windows to be incorporated into one, and making more chat content readily visible.
• Google introduced a 'Cast…' function in the main menu of Chrome, and this can be used to share the contents of a browser tab – or the whole desktop – into a Hangout session.
• Forms received a new feature which allows the insertion of images into surveys, so you can now do things like have a multiple choice question with pictures for answers.
• The Android apps for Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides were improved to make it easier to create tables and better looking charts.
• A couple of security tweaks were applied to Gmail, the most important of which is that the webmail service will now issue a warning about a link if it leads to a known malware site.
• Inbox got integration with Trello and GitHub, so Trello users will receive a summary of what's new with projects, and GitHub denizens will get a summary of code changes.
• Google Drive's preview feature was improved to make viewing previews of stored files a slicker experience, with a cleaner UI and better zoom functionality.

July 2016

• Google introduced a new scheme to help train employees on its productivity suite, with the system designed to act like a 'virtual coach' to help users learn when IT staff aren't around.
• Google tweaked the Admin app for Android to let delegated admins (and not just super admins) use the software to access functions while out and about.
• Google gave the Admin console some attention in terms of two-step verification, allowing admins to view the real-time status of where each user is in the 2SV enrolment process.
• Apps for Work is apparently being muscled out by Microsoft's Office 365, at least if sentiment from Redmond's Worldwide Partner Conference is on the money.
• Google launched the new Quizzes feature in the Forms app, designed to allow teachers to easily create and mark assessments for students.

June 2016

• Google Springboard was announced, a search tool (currently being tested) that can be used to quickly find things across Google Apps, plus it makes proactive recommendations.
• Google Sites got revamped with a new preview version boasting a simple drag-and-drop design which is more intuitive, and support for real-time collaboration was introduced.
• A 'new and notable' section was introduced to the Google Apps Marketplace, in order to highlight the best third-party apps available to businesses.
• The Android and iOS apps for Google Docs and Sheets gained the ability to edit content in Print layout view, and to edit existing conditional formatting rules in Sheets.
• Google tweaked Docs, Sheets and Slides so notifications of comments made not only arrive via email, but you can also get a notification on your Android device or web browser.

May 2016

• Google announced its new Spaces messaging app designed for small groups – but there's no news as yet on when (or indeed whether) it will come to Apps for Work.
• At Google I/O new APIs were introduced for Sheets, giving developers a "new level of access" to some of the most popular features in the app.
• New APIs were also brought to Slides allowing developers to easily push data from other third-party apps into Slides for maximum convenience.
• Google revealed that Android apps will be available for Chromebooks, and this opens up more productivity possibilities including using the Android version of Microsoft Word.
• Google integrated its BigQuery service with Google Drive, allowing users to query files directly from Drive, and save query results from the BigQuery UI directly to Google Sheets.
• Google Slides benefited from a new Q&A feature that lets audience members submit questions to the speaker directly from their mobile devices during a presentation.
• The Synergyse service was fully integrated with Google Apps, a virtual assistant that helps train users in the various apps and was previously a Chrome extension.
• Google Drive and Evernote were integrated, allowing Evernote users to seamlessly access any file on Drive.

April 2016

• Google Apps for Work received two new certifications: ISO 27017 for cloud security and ISO 27018 for privacy.
• A new 'Find a Time' feature arrived in Google Calendar for Android, allowing mobile users to find convenient times for meetings when they're on the go.
• Google's scheme of providing Apps for free to medium-sized firms who want to migrate over but are locked into an Enterprise Agreement was extended until the end of 2016.
• Reminders pitched up in the web version of Google Calendar, and said reminders will sync across browsers and mobile devices.

March 2016

• The Google Admin app received bolstered mobile device management capabilities, allowing for admins to handle security breaches even when they're out and about.
• Research into the most-used business apps on the web ranked Google Apps for Work in fourth place – behind Office 365, Salesforce.com and Box.
• Google launched its #maketime website, which aims to help you prioritise how you spend time during work hours, and highlight how Google Apps for Work can save you time.
• Google expanded support for its Identity Platform to cover logins for far more third-party apps in the Google Apps Marketplace, including Office 365 and Facebook at Work.
• A whole bunch of new templates were added to Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.

February 2016

• Gmail's existing Data Loss Prevention features got a boost with the addition of OCR for scanning attachments and additional predefined content detectors.
• Google also gave Gmail the ability to flag email accounts that it deems 'insecure'.
• Google Docs was enhanced with voice typing, allowing users to dictate to their word processor, and also access editing and formatting commands.
• Google Forms gained support for add-ons and the ability to edit Apps Scripts, plus work and education-related templates were introduced to the home screen.
• The Gmail for Android app received support for rich text formatting, and an option for one-tap instant RSVPs was introduced.

January 2016

• Instant comments were introduced to Google Docs, allowing users to click a simple icon to add an immediate comment to a document.
• The ability to add comments arrived in the Sheets and Slides apps for both Android and iOS.
• Google further bolstered the Sheets Android app with the ability to open and edit CSV and TSV files, along with additional files supported for import and export.
• Google Calendar for Android and iOS apps was graced with smart suggestions that pop up suggested event titles, places and people.
• Search became more powerful across Google's productivity suite, so when users search from Docs, Sheets, and Slides home screens, they get results from across all three apps.
• Google rejigged device management in the Admin console, categorising the various settings to make everything easier to find.

Now move on to Page 2 for our full review and detailed look at what Google Apps for Work offers, including an evaluation of features, pricing, and ease-of-use.

• Also check out our guide on how to achieve 'Inbox Zero' in Gmail (and Outlook)

Darren Allan contributed to this article

Introduction and pricing

For decades, the gold standard of office productivity software has been Microsoft Office – it inherited IBM's status as the technology nobody got fired for buying. But while Office is undoubtedly powerful, many of its users don't use many of its features. So why pay for things your organisation doesn't use?

That's the rationale behind Google Apps for Work, formerly Google Apps for Business. Where Office tries to do everything imaginable, Google Apps is much more basic. That said, it's much more powerful than it was when the suite debuted in 2006, but the emphasis on simplicity and speed remains.

Apps and pricing

Google Apps for Work is organised into four categories spanning eleven products. Under Communicate you'll find Gmail, Hangouts and Calendar; under Store there's Google Drive; under Collaborate there's Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides and Sites; and under Manage there's Admin and Vault. That final one is designed to archive corporate email in organisations that have to retain data for regulatory compliance.

And as ever, the pricing is refreshingly simple. The base product is £3.30 ($5.66) per user per month, and the Premium version is £6.60 ($11.32) per user per month. If your organisation is an educational establishment, Google also has a version for you: Google Apps for Education is free.

While we're on the subject of free apps, you can of course get Gmail, Docs, Sheets and other Google apps for free – so why spend money? The short answer is that the paid-for version gives you more storage, management, and the ability to use your own domain – so emails come from @yourcompany.com instead of @gmail.com.

Users on the base version of Google Apps for Work get 30GB of storage, which is twice the amount of the free products, and users on the Premium version get unlimited storage, while you also get improved admin controls and the Vault email archive. Both the base and premium versions come with HD videoconferencing via Hangouts and 24/7 phone, chat and email support.

How does it compare to Office?

Google's main rival here is of course Microsoft, and Redmond's Office 365 comes with a number of price tags attached depending on which version you want and how many users you're planning on giving it to.

Microsoft has cut the price of Office 365 to make it more competitive, and it now comes in four tiers: Office 365 Business Essentials, which is £3.10 per user per month; Office 365 Business, which is £7 per user per month; Office 365 Business Premium, which is £7.80 per user per month; and Office 365 Enterprise E3, which is £14.70 per user per month. The first three plans are limited to a maximum of 300 users per year.

The most basic version of Office 365 offers web-based versions of Office apps, 1TB of storage per user plus a 50GB email inbox, unlimited online meetings and HD videoconferencing, plus business-focused social networking for collaborating across departments.

The next step up, Business, offers full Office apps for desktop, laptop, tablet and smartphone along with 1TB of storage, but not the extra 50GB email inboxes. If you want that and the desktop/mobile apps too, you'll need Office 365 Business Premium. As with Google there's 24-hour web support and phone support for "critical issues".

One deal-breaker here might be compliance: Microsoft's compliance tools are limited to the Enterprise product, which is twice the price of Google Apps for Work Premium.

Setup

Setup

The sign-up process takes mere seconds and once you've created your account you'll be taken to the Admin Console. This has eight key options: users, company profile, billing, reports, apps, device management, security and support.

It's possible to add users in two ways – manually, or by uploading a CSV file containing multiple user details. Once you've done that you can then specify which apps they can use, so for example you might want to let users access email but not Google Hangouts. You can also disable unwanted apps globally.

One of the most interesting sections here is Mobile Device Management, which enables you to mandate passwords and Google Sync on user devices, to encrypt data, configure Wi-Fi and to enable or disable automatic syncing and the device's camera.

You can also remotely wipe devices either manually or automatically if they haven't been synchronised for a specified period.

The Admin Console also contains some additional tools: group creation, third-party apps, domain management and settings for other free Google services such as Google Analytics, AdWords, Google+ and Google App Engine.

The optional Vault, which doubles the per-user price from £3.30 ($5.66) per month to £6.60 ($11.32), is designed for organisations that need to retain email and chat data and other digital information for regulatory compliance.

You can set data retention options globally or based on particular dates, groups or search terms, search the archive using the familiar Google search field, and you can audit the data and export it for further analysis. It doesn't store all communications, however – any chats marked off the record aren't stored.

If you're not sure whether you require Vault or if it isn't currently necessary, it's possible to upgrade to the with-Vault version from within your Google Apps for Work Admin Console.

Tools and features

Create: Docs, Sheets, Slides and Sites

Google's apps come in two forms – cross-platform, browser-based apps and mobile apps for iOS and Android. Microsoft's mobile OS isn't supported beyond Google Sync for mail, contacts and calendars.

It's worth noting that the browser apps only use local storage if you're using the Chrome browser or Chrome OS, although the standalone Google Drive desktop app keeps everything in sync if you prefer a different web browser (and of course Gmail is widely supported by desktop email software and mobile email apps). The features available offline differ from product to product and platform to platform.

Docs, Sheets and Slides are Google's equivalents of Word, Excel and PowerPoint, although a more accurate comparison would be to Apple's most recent iWork apps – the emphasis is on simplicity and ease of use rather than power features.

That's particularly apparent in Slides, which also appears to prize simplicity over making presentations that don't look absolutely awful.

We wouldn't want to craft a massive, complicated manuscript in Docs, but then that isn't what Docs is designed to do. It's a fast and user-friendly way to create everyday documents and to share them with colleagues and clients. The companion Drawing app adds functions such as WordArt-style text effects, simple image creation, diagrams and flow charts.

It's a similar story with Sheets, which covers the most common Excel functions (including pivot tables) but doesn't have the power of Microsoft's offering. It is improving, though, and now that it supports Google's App Script add-ons it's possible to automate workflows and develop custom apps – although it's still way behind Microsoft here.

There are two additional apps for creating content: Forms, which as the name suggests is for creating and completing online forms, and Sites, which can be used to create shared pages on the intranet or public internet. Sites is a template-driven affair and while it won't give professional web designers any nightmares, it's an effective way to publish web content without any knowledge of web content creation.

Collaboration and compatibility

Online collaboration has been baked into Google Apps from the outset, and sharing documents with colleagues or clients is effortless. The Revision History panel tracks changes and there's a separate panel for comments, which can be notified via email as well as in the app.

Sharing is a one-button affair, with options including public, anyone with the correct link, anyone within the organisation, or sharing only with a specified group of people. These options only apply to unpublished documents, however – anything published via the Publish to the Web option, which makes an online copy of the current document, is publicly available.

In addition to the obligatory Microsoft Office formats, Google Apps also supports documents including Open Document Format, Rich Text Format, PDF, plaintext and zipped HTML. Spreadsheets can be saved as CSV and tab-delimited files, and presentations can be output in SVG and PNG formats.

The big selling point here is importing rather than exporting, however – it's useful to be able to bring non-Google documents into Google Apps for Work and make them editable and collaborative.

Google Apps also includes Google's Hangouts service, which you can make available for text, voice and video calls with anybody or limit conversations to just those people who are members of the same organisation. Hangouts can be shared with up to 15 people and used for video chat, presentation sharing or screen sharing.

Verdict

We liked

Google Apps for Work is very competitively priced and easy to administer. While the various apps aren't quite as fully featured as power users might like, they're more than adequate for most everyday office work.

We disliked

The apps may be too simple for some organisations, and not everybody loves Google's software interface – although it's much better than it used to be. You also might not be comfortable with the thought that your company's communications are being scanned by Google.

Final verdict

Rather than be all things to all men and women, Google Apps for Work is content to cover the basics and to cover them well. It's fast, lightweight and works on a wide range of devices, and it's both easy to use and easy to administer.

If Google's apps cover the features your users will need every day, it's a very compelling product for SMEs – and with 30 days to put it through its paces without providing any billing details, it's a product you can test risk-free.

from Techradar - All the latest technology news http://www.techradar.com/1255762

Updated: Samsung Gear S3: release date and everything you need to know

Samsung Gear S3 price and release date

In a wearable world that's mostly dominated by Apple Watch, the best fitness trackers, and Android Wear devices, the Tizen OS-running Samsung Gear S2 made quite the impression - and the Gear S3 duo offers some big improvements to the wrist-based smart thing.

There are, in fact, two Gear S3 models to choose from: the Samsung Gear S3 Frontier and the Samsung Gear S3 Classic - and they're pretty much identical apart from slight design tweaks and connectivity.

Given Samsung's one of the biggest makers of smartwatches behind Apple, and it's been working hard on its own OS for the platform, any new device from the brand is a big deal. So let's dig in to see what's on offer:

• Fancy something with a little Android flavor? Here are the best Android Wear smartwatches.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Samsung's refinement of an already-decent smartwatch
• When is it out? Announced August 31, released in the latter half of 2016
• What will it cost? US$250 (about £189, AU$330) depending on the model

Samsung Gear S3 release date and price

Samsung has used its IFA press conference to talk up the new watches - sadly there's no release date nor price available yet.

We're expecting them to emerge by the end of September, but in terms of price the Gear S3 duo would do well to stay at its current entry price of US$299. Of course, we'd love to see a lower price, but that's probably not on the cards.

Like the Gear S2, the Gear S3 has emerged in two different models, and if the same pattern is followed then the Classic will cost US$50 more than that standard model, but offering a more elegant steel build and leather band.

Samsung Gear S3 design and performance

Samsung claims it has spent a lot of time studying watches – both of the smart and classic variety – to come up with the ultimate wearable, and it has produced two distinct models: the Gear S3 Frontier and the Gear S3 Classic.

The Samsung Gear S3 Frontier is aimed at more active wearers, with a rugged design and built-in LTE mobile network connectivity and GPS, which allows it to continue functioning as a smartwatch even when it's not connected to a smartphone.

Meanwhile, the Gear S3 Classic aims for a more iconic appearance, with a size and weight (which is lighter than the Gear S3 Frontier) that aims to replicate the balance found in hand-crafted luxury watches.

Apart from the design, LTE support of the S3 Frontier, and weight, both versions of the Gear S3 are evenly matched in the spec stakes, with a dual core 1.0GHz processor, 4GB internal memory, 380mAh battery and 768MG RAM.

Both smartwatches run the Tizen operating system and are compatible with Android devices running Android 4.4 or later. The two variants of the Samsung Gear S3 will also be highly customizable with support for swappable 22mm straps and interchangeable digital watch faces.

Samsung Gear S3 features

Both Samsung Gear S3 models come with support for IP68 water resistance and mobile payments through Samsung Pay. The Samsung Gear S3's 1.3-inch circular Super AMOLED always-on display has a resolution of 360 x 360 and a pixel density of 278ppi (pixels per inch), and it's protected by extra-tough Corning Gorilla Glass SR+, which is a first for a Samsung Gear wearable.

By having an always-on display, wearers will be able to quickly glance at the watch to tell the time, like a classic timepiece, rather than having to wait for the screen to turn on, as with other smartwatches.

There's also the same Samsung Pay support that's found in the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge models (as well as the recent Note 7) - which means you can pay using any terminal with an NFC or magnetic stripe payment section using the watch.

The Gear S3 Frontier also features an SOS mode that allows users to activate location tracking to alert families, friends and emergency services if the wearer encounters any problems, even when they don't have their smartphone on them.

The Gear S3 battery life looks to be massively extended too: where most Android wear watches are promising a couple of days' use before conking out, the two new Samsung watches are tipped for four days' use between charges.

This is down to a pretty large 380mAh battery as well as a much more efficient platform in Samsung's proprietary Tizen operating system (AKA the Tizen Based Wearable Platform 2.3.2).

GPS and a barometric altimeter are big additions to the mix here: with this on board you'll be able to take these watches out for a run, learn how high you've gone, track your distance and listen to music too. If you're using the Frontier, you'll even be able to get phone calls without needing to staple your phone to your arm or stomach.

And finally: let's not forget that these watches are IP68 water- and dust-resistant rated, which means they can thrive under one meter of water for 30 minutes - just like the S7 pair.

We'll be updating this hub with information as we get it - stay tuned folks!

• Check out all the rumors for the Sony Smartwatch 4

What we want to see

As complete of a device the Samsung Gear S2 is out of the box, there are certainly a few tricks that we'd love to have seen. So, instead of complaining about it, we're looking to the future.

1. Built-in GPS

The more expensive 3G/4G model of the Samsung Gear S2 contains built-in GPS, which is an awesome feature that benefits joggers, walkers, and those who just want to know where they're going block-by-block.

We'd love to see this feature trickle down to the basic edition of the Gear S3, which would put it above several smartwatches that lack it. Frustratingly, there are several devices that do have it, like the Sony Smartwatch 3, Moto 360 Sport, and most recently, even Samsung's own Gear Fit 2. So, why not the Gear S3?

2. Android Wear 2.0 edition

In our exclusive video showing off the Samsung Galaxy S8 of our dreams, we bet that Samsung will release a stock Android option. It seems crazy, we know, but crazy enough to (hopefully) be true. Not that TouchWiz is all bad–it's gotten much better in recent years–but stock Android is pure, clutter-free bliss.

While the same can't be said about Google's wearable platform, it'd nevertheless be a gutsy move by Samsung to introduce an Android Wear 2.0-ready version of the Gear S3.

The Gear S2's Tizen OS is slick, refined, and in some ways, better than Android Wear. Even so, some smartwatch users might count Samsung out of their purchase decision by not adopting it, despite it being cross-platform.

3. iOS compatibility

One feature that Android Wear has up on Tizen, at least on a limited level, is iOS compatibility. Certain models, like the Moto 360 2015, Huawei Watch, LG Watch Urbane, Fossil Q Founder and a few others, can work on both Android and iOS.

Sure, iOS functionality with an Android Wear device is nothing to get too excited about, but giving iOS users more options to choose from than just the Apple Watch is a plus.

We'd love to see Samsung open its doors on the next wearable to work with iPhones. Samsung and Apple have a pretty bitter rivalry, so this might be wishful thinking, but it seems like an oddly good fit.

4. More bands to choose from

The bands of the Samsung Gear S2 can be switched out rather easily for any band that will fit its sizing. The only downside to this is that, other than its leather bands, Samsung doesn't offer any other bands of its own to trick the device out with.

Compare that to Apple expansive selection of bands to choose from, as well as Google's eclectic Android Wear Mode band collection, and Samsung's efforts so far seem utterly basic.

A small of a factor it might seem, being able to customize the bands of a smartwatch really makes it feel like your own.

5. A faster processor

As noted in the performance section, the Gear S2 and Samsung Gear Fit 2 share the same processor. Not that it's particularly bad, but if the Gear S3 is the step-up in design, build quality and features that we hope it is, it should have an impressive chipset to add onto that.

It's especially important considering that the Apple Watch 2 is incoming and Android Wear is set to upgrade its chipset standard to Snapdragon Wear 2100, which will yield much slimmer devices in the near future.

from Techradar - All the latest technology news http://www.techradar.com/1325711