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Nokia survey finds that smartphone infections rose 400 percent in 2016 http://ift.tt/2o32IcJ Smartphone viruses may not be a security threat you hear about every day, but they are far more common than you might think. According to Nokia on Wednesday, it found that there was an 83 percent rise in monthly smartphone infections in the second half of 2016. In a survey of 100 million devices across Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East, the rate of infections in mobile networks peaked at 1.35 percent in October and averaged about 1.08 percent in the second half of 2016. That was up from 0.66 percent in the first half of the year or 63 percent. More: New Android malware disguises itself as a Chrome update About 81 percent of infections were on Android devices, 15 percent on Windows devices, and four percent on iPhones and other mobile devices. The monthly rate of infections on smartphones was 0.9 percent in the second half, up 83 percent from 0.49 percent of devices in the first half. Over the entire year, infections rose a whopping 400 percent. About 81 percent of infections were on Android devices, 15 percent on Windows devices, and four percent on iPhones and other mobile devices. More: At urging of aides, President Trump gives up his personal smartphone The Nokia report joins a growing body of evidence that mobile malware is on the rise. Google’s Android Security 2016 Year in Review found that Android device infections reached 0.64 percent in the first quarter of 2016 and 0.77 percent in the second quarter — a growth of 0.77 percent. From there, the infection rate moved to 0.67 percent in the third quarter and 0.71 percent in the fourth quarter. Google said that since 2014, infections on Android have been less than one percent, and it noted that users were 10 times more likely to download malware from outside Google Play than inside its store in 2016. More: Security experts find 43 Android phone brands affected by Chinese spyware According to Kaspersky Labs, the number of malicious installations nearly tripled compared to 2015. About 40 million attacks were attempted by mobile malware, and mobile advertising Trojans — viruses capable of aggressively displaying ads on infected devices and secretly installing other applications — were largely responsible, accounting for 16 of the top 20 malicious apps. Mobile ransomware trojans — apps that disable device with demand messages — were among the most aggressive. More than 153,000 unique users were targeted last year, an increase of 1.6 times compared to 2015. And Kaspersky Labs detected over 260,000 unique varieties over the course of its investigation. The takeaway? Exercise common sense when installing an unfamiliar app and consider one of the many third-party security suites available across mobile devices.
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://ift.tt/mG1NBn March 27, 2017 at 07:05AM
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Formula 0.0001: Nanoscale grand prix features the world’s smallest cars http://ift.tt/2nZ0TNs What could be more exciting than watching the souped-up vehicles of Formula One or NASCAR racing around a track? How about another car race, only one in which the vehicles are around 100 times smaller than a DNA molecule, 30,000 times thinner than the width of a human hair, and 1 million times smaller than a millimeter? Welcome to an upcoming contest physically taking place in Toulouse, France, but streaming live over the internet courtesy of the magic of YouTube. Called the Nanocar Race, the event will pit four single-molecule, human-controlled “vehicles” up against one another in a race to the death … or at least the end of a 0.0001 millimeter length of track. More: World’s tightest knot could lead to materials breakthroughs “We started out by thinking about designing a molecule with wheels, and eventually we started realizing that it would be possible to drive it,” CNRS senior researcher Christian Joachim, one of the brains behind the project, told Digital Trends. “That’s when we thought about creating a competition.” Four teams from around the world will compete in the final race, since that is the number that can be tracked at the same time using the lab’s adapted scanning microscope. Propulsion for each of the cars is provided courtesy of tiny electrical pulses from microscope tips, while human operators will also be needed to handle the two turns the mini-speedsters need to make. “It’s a real experiment in real time,” Joachim continued. “It’s like launching a rocket. We considered both streaming it live or recording it and then showing it after. We asked all of the team, as well as our sponsors, and everyone thought we should take the risk of doing this in real time.” If you’re interested, you can tune in and watch the whole thing live on YouTube on the Nanocar Race channel on April 28. It’s a truly unique concept, and while some may scoff at the idea of turning serious nanoscale research into a sporting competition, there’s no doubt that the idea has already captured people’s imaginations. “The nanocar is just one part of the work we’re doing with single molecules,” Joachim said. “There are two or three trends at the nanoscale right now: the other two being getting molecules to calculate and to transmit information. Nobody cares. But if you say that you can make a molecule into a car? Suddenly people get excited. It seems that mechanics are a more accessible entry point than electronics.” We think you’d have to be pretty small-minded not to get excited.
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://ift.tt/mG1NBn March 27, 2017 at 07:05AM
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‘Moonlight’ director to write, direct Amazon series based on Underground Railroad http://ift.tt/2nnWUqX Moonlight received the top prize at this year’s Academy Awards, taking home the Oscar for Best Picture. And now, Barry Jenkins, director of the touching film, will be moving over to the streaming world to write and direct a drama series about the Underground Railroad, reports Variety. The series explores the historical period by following the story of a young slave named Cora who escapes her plantation. She seeks out the Underground Railroad in a desperate quest for her freedom. But rather than coming across a metaphorical railroad, she discovers a real one. The show will be based on the best-selling book The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. More: James Franco, Seth Rogen will take us back to the ’90s with comedy series on Hulu “Colson’s writing has always defied convention,” comments Jenkins. “It’s groundbreaking work that pays respect to our nation’s history while using the film to explore it in a thoughtful and original way.” Jenkins struck gold with Moonlight, a dramatic film that chronicles a young African American boy’s struggles with homosexuality. He’s also known for the film Medicine for Melancholy, but aside from those two projects, his writing and directing resume is fairly slim. In the TV world specifically, he has directed one episode of the Netflix series Dead White People, and directed one episode of Futurestates on PBS, among earning a few other writing and directing credits, including a number of shorts. That said, along with Jenkins’ own Pastel Productions behind him, executive producing the series will also be Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, which also produced Moonlight. Moonlight’s win at the 2017 Academy Awards was an historic one, when the award was wrongfully given to La La Land until the mistake was discovered, and the award was then awkwardly handed off on stage. In addition to winning the night’s big award, Moonlight also won for Best Adapted Screenplay, and Mahershala Ali won in the Best Supporting Actor category. Jenkins lauded Amazon as a distribution partner for this new project, praising the streaming service’s “reference for storytelling and freeness of form” as being “wholly in line with our vision.” Amazon, it’s worth noting, enjoyed its own share of praise at this year’s Academy Awards, taking home a trio of awards — one for its foreign language film The Salesman, and two for its original film Manchester by the Sea, including one for the Best Original Screenplay, and Best Actor for Casey Affleck.
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://ift.tt/mG1NBn March 27, 2017 at 06:37AM
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Onkyo’s latest entry-level A/V receiver packs plenty of features for the price http://ift.tt/2ntkofU If you’re looking for cinema-quality sound at home, you’ll need a surround sound system, but they have a reputation for being rather expensive. While audio/visual receivers can easily sell for more than $1,000, there are cheaper options that will still sound great, and that looks like what Onkyo is offering with its new TX-SR373 entry-level A/V receiver. This 5.2-channel model doesn’t offer features available on higher-end systems like Dolby Atmos or DTS:X, but it does deliver plenty of power, producing a maximum 155 watts per channel at 6 ohms or 80 watts per channel at 8 ohms. The TX-SR373 features a total of four HDMI inputs, complete with HDCP2.2, supporting 4K/60p and HDR10 passthrough. The single HDMI output supports Audio Return Channel, meaning you can hear audio from broadcast TV through your receiver without the need for an extra cable running between the TV and receiver. More: SoundHound partners with Onkyo to deliver speakers that can also listen In addition to the HDMI inputs, the receiver features three analog audio inputs and two digital audio inputs: One optical and one coaxial. Not all the connectivity relies on wires, as the TX-SR373 also features built-in Bluetooth with aptX, making listening to music from your computer, phone, or other mobile devices is easy and convenient. A number of different listening modes are built-in, including Direct Mode, meant to be used with higher quality sources like SACD over HDMI. While some of the features in the TX-SR373 can be found in most A/V receivers these days, it offers something you don’t often find in entry-level models. For the first time at this price point, Onkyo has included its AccuEQ room calibration technology. This automatically calculates speaker distances, sets the crossover frequency for your subwoofer, and equalizes the audio by measuring your room using an included microphone. More: Onkyo’s new SBT-A500 soundbar combines a low profile with Dolby Atmos sound The TX-SR373 is available and retails for $350. For more information on Onkyo’s latest A/V receiver, see the company’s website.
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://ift.tt/mG1NBn March 27, 2017 at 06:37AM
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DirtySixer provides the first mountain and road bikes for tall people http://ift.tt/2nYXDkU Bicycles are a great way to get exercise, but for the super tall, this can be difficult. The average bike frame is only meant to accommodate riders up to 6 feet, 6 inches. Sure, they can force themselves onto a standard bicycle or adapt it with a long seat post and stem, but this messes with the perfect balance of a bike and leads to an uncomfortable ride. After successfully creating the first and only proportionate 36er bike for this taller market, including big names like Shaquille O’Neal, DirtySixer came back to Kickstarter for two additional models. Joining their All-Road bike is the Mountain Bike and Road version of the DirtySixer. More: This bizarre bicycle reinvents the wheel … as a set of spider legs While using a 36-inch wheel, DirtySixer bikes scaled up in every way. Unlike adapted bicycles, these bikes are engineered and balanced for riders between 6 feet, 5 inches and 7 feet, 5 inches. The longer wheelbase allows the weight of the rider to stay towards the center of the bike while the frame encourages a more upright riding position. This is a big deal for tall people who normally suffer from chronic back, neck, shoulder, and wrist pain while riding. Being taller than most shouldn’t prevent riders from owning a comfortable bike. What sets these new bikes apart from the All-Road model is their design. The Mountain Bike doesn’t have full suspension, but it does feature a super sturdy frame to handle rough terrain and fork travel. This bike is for trails, single track, or Cross Country, Enduro, but not pure Downhill. To keep the wheels string, it uses wider hubs. Meanwhile, the Road Bike uses lighter rims, slicker tires, and drop bars. Each bike comes in three different sizes to accommodate different size riders. Small is good for anyone from 6 feet 5 inches to 6 feet 9 inches, medium for anyone from 6 feet 9 inches to 7 feet 1 inch, and large for anyone from 7 feet 1 inch to 7 feet 5 inches. Depending on the exact model, prices for the new DirtySixer Road and Mountain bikes start at $6,200 and go up to $9,100. The signature color of DirtySixers is Sky White. For an additional $190, there are eleven additional colors to choose from. Six more colors are available for $260. The Kickstarter has so far raised a third of its goal with 18 days left of funding. Shipments expect to go out this September.
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://ift.tt/mG1NBn March 27, 2017 at 06:37AM
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‘Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey’ remake announced for Nintendo 3DS http://ift.tt/2oraycb A remake of Atlus’ 2009 dungeon crawler Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is in the works for the Nintendo 3DS, and fans can expect to see new recruitable demons, added voice acting, and an all-new ending that promises a unique take on series events. Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey will launch in Japan this fall, and while a North American release has not yet been announced, Atlus will likely address the game’s localization status following next month’s launch of Persona 5. More: ‘Persona 5’: Our first take Originally released for the Nintendo DS, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey is a first-person dungeon crawler with turn-based combat mechanics. Like previous games in the Shin Megami Tensei series, Strange Journey features character recruitment mechanics, allowing players to forge alliances with demons and monsters encountered throughout the quest. Recalling the first-person dungeon exploration sequences that defined earlier Shin Megami Tensei games, Strange Journey uses the same gameplay engine as Atlus’ Etrian Odyssey games. As players explore the game’s massive labyrinths, an automapping feature tracks progress on the portable’s bottom screen, making careful cartography a part of the core gameplay experience. Strange Journey is part of the same series as Atlus’ Persona games, and many Persona fans have explored the franchise’s origins in the years following the launch of Persona 3 and Persona 4. In general, the dungeon-crawling entries in the Shin Megami Tensei series are more complex and difficult than the Persona games, and players braving Strange Journey‘s mazes should expect a steep challenge. More: Atlus details free and paid DLC set to be released in support of ‘Persona 5’ Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey will feature all content from its DS predecessor while adding voice acting for all major story sequences. Deep Strange Journey also expands its character roster to over 350 recruitable creatures, and added story sequences will give new insight into the game’s narrative. Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey launches this fall for the Nintendo 3DS in Japan. Localizations for North America and Europe have not yet been announced.
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://ift.tt/mG1NBn March 27, 2017 at 06:37AM
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Live Location lets you share your real-time whereabouts in Facebook Messenger http://ift.tt/2o9VTTr Facebook Messenger makes it easy to keep in touch with friends and family, but offers little in the way of finding them. But that is changing. On Monday, Facebook began rolling out Live Location, a new Messenger feature that lets users share up-to-date location info with friends and family. For up to one hour, you can expose your real-time location to the chat participants of your choice. Contacts can track your progress when you’re on your way, or find your current location if you are meeting somewhere. They will also be able to see an estimate of how long it would take to get to your location by car. More: Wow! Facebook now allows users to react to chats inside Messenger According to Facebook, “How far away are you?” is one of the most used phrases on Messenger as people talk to friends and family. “Live Location is super helpful when trying to coordinate with friends, telling people how close you are when you’re on your way to an appointment or even sharing where you are with your roommate when you’re on your way home at night,” wrote product manager Selena Wang. Facebook said Live Location won’t impact battery life — “We put a lot of time and effort into […] minimizing battery consumption to the point you wouldn’t even have to think about it,” head of Messenger David Marcus told TechCrunch. You can turn Live Location off after it’s been activated — a countdown timer lets you know how much longer your location will be shared before you need to re-enable it. More: Google’s new and improved Maps does away with the clutter to make finding places easier As TechCrunch points out, it’s not Facebook’s first location-sharing rodeo. Prior to 2015, Messenger shared a momentary exact location with each message. But Facebook disabled the feature after a Harvard student demonstrated that it could be used to track a users’ location histories. “Many of use make plans on Messenger that involve finding each other, or letting friends and loved ones know we’re on the way,” Marcus wrote in a blog post. “Sharing your location will also help some of you feel safer on the way home.” More: Google Maps lets you share your location with your besties The launch of Live Location comes on the heels of a new Google Maps location feature release last week: “Share location.” Users can broadcast their whereabouts for a set period of time (between 15 minutes and three days) or indefinitely, and pin a person’s location to their home screen for speedier access.
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://ift.tt/mG1NBn March 27, 2017 at 06:01AM
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Petzl revolutionizes the mountaineering industry with the Irvis Hybrid crampon http://ift.tt/2oqYmIz The mountaineering mantra “light is right” has limited application in the realm of crampons as most climbers prefer to wear lightweight aluminum crampons but require a durable steel pair for climbing vertical ice. However, climbing gear manufacturer Petzl aims to fulfill this way of thinking with its innovative Irvis Hybrid crampons. A revolutionary addition to the world of alpine industry gear, the new product perfectly blends the best of both aluminum and steel worlds. The Irvis Hybrid crampons solve the problem of strength versus weight with a steel toe, aluminum heel, and a Dyneema cord connection bar. The product is a simple combination of the company’s earlier Leopard and Irvis models but effectively serves as the most groundbreaking crampon on the market to date. The Leopard model is the epitome of light and packable, boasting aluminum fronts and backs, with a Dyneema cord connection bar as opposed to traditional metal. Dyneema is considered the world’s strongest and lightest fabric and is used in many commercial industries. The Leopard’s ingenious utilization of Dyneema (Cord-Tec) is the most prominent design development, efficiently solving the problem of crampon packability and making for the lightest possible product. Petzl’s metal connection bar replacement allows for the first foldable crampon while maintaining absolute material strength. The original Irvis model offers traditional 10-point steel support and a rigid connection bar — providing the sharp edges and durability necessary for technical water ice climbing, however, at the ultimate sacrifice of weighing heavily. Related: Mountaineers can climb more comfortable and safely with new gear from Fjallraven The Irvis Hybrid crampons opened the door into a new realm of mountaineering gear development. The aluminum and Dyneema elements keep the product light while steel front points allow wearers to execute more technical terrain, including water and alpine ice. In addition, the Irvis Hybrid crampons come with both a toe strap and a toe clip to meet wearers’ interchangeable needs — a stand-alone revolutionary improvement, in itself. They do require the use of rigid or semi-rigid soles due to the flexibility of Cord-Tec — though this isn’t much of a downside considering the whole picture. Petzl’s Irvis Hybrid Crampons retail for $179.95 via the company’s website.
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://ift.tt/mG1NBn March 27, 2017 at 06:01AM
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Meet the Nano 2 — a clamshell dome tent that opens and closes like a baby carriage http://ift.tt/2mJiedv The Nano 2 from Mollusc takes the familiar dome tent we know and love and turns it upside down. Unlike a typical dome tent with a side door entrance, the Mollusc Nano 2 tent opens and closes like the hood on a baby carriage. It is a one-of-a-kind shelter that is as suitable for a day at the beach as it is on the side of a mountain. The Nano 2 is the world’s first tent to open and close like a clamshell. This design provides the user with the flexibility to adjust the shelter based on the current weather and location. You can leave the tent wide open for an afternoon at an outside concert and then close the cover when darkness falls and you want to go to sleep. As the temperatures warm in the morning, owners can crack open the tent as much as they need to keep the interior temperature at a comfortable level. The design also has a low wind resistance allowing the tent to withstand the heavy winds of an exposed ridge. This design also uses a perimeter aluminium frame that conveniently sits on the ground. This frame can be physically weighted down using rocks when a rocky landscape prevents you from properly staking down the tent. More: Camping hammocks are good for any weather with Inferno insulation The idea for the Nano was conceived in 2011 after an overly warm stay in a yurt inspired the founders to rethink the way we sleep outside. The team used the next few years to sketch the design and explore the materials they could use in the tent. Starting in 2013, they began building their first prototype. After a year of repeated failures, the team at Mollusc came up with a solid design and perfected this idea throughout 2015. By the end of 2015, they started a crowdfunding campaign to move beyond the development stage. They used Kickstarter to secure the funds to produce the first version of the Nano and started to work on the second version. What you see in the Nano 2 is the result of the feedback the team received from the original Nano owners. The Nano 2 is available for pre-order via Kickstarter. Early bird prices start at 349 pounds ($432) plus shipping from China, which is estimated to cost approximately $40.
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://ift.tt/mG1NBn March 27, 2017 at 06:01AM
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AMD announces plans to break Nvidia’s grip on the notebook GPU market http://ift.tt/2o9ZzEs At the AMD Tech Summit in Beijing this weekend, AMD vice president Scott Herkelman took the stage to discuss the upcoming Vega-powered graphics cards. While we didn’t get a release date, Herkelman did discuss AMD’s plans to stay competitive in the notebook GPU market. According to VideoCardz, AMD plans to decrease the overall footprint of the upcoming mobile GPUs by stacking VRAM dies and freeing up more internal space without sacrificing performance. Size is an important consideration for notebook manufacturers, but this announcement was light on details. More: Speaking of performance, Intel hopes to juice your aging hard disk with its new Optane memory It’s unclear whether or not AMD’s new Vega architecture will be rolled out to discrete mobile GPUs — the kind found in premium and gaming-oriented systems — or if it will be included in AMD’s “APUs” — a CPU/GPU combo that delivers a smaller overall footprint but a lot less graphical performance. Herkelman did mention that AMD hopes the new Vega-powered mobile chips will provide notebook manufacturers with the horsepower they’ll need for their products to drive virtual reality and “the latest and greatest AAA games,” which strongly suggests that we’ll see discrete GPUs powered by the new Vega architecture. It’s unlikely even a next-gen onboard GPU would have the headroom necessary to drive any but the least demanding VR experiences. More: Is Mass Effect: Andromeda really that bad? Customers in the U.K. sure think so AMD’s previous architecture, code-named “Fiji,” never made a big splash in the notebook market, in part due to its overwhelming power demands. But Nvidia has had some success bringing the full-fat versions of its 10-series GPUs to notebooks despite their power consumption, indicating that there is a strong appetite for nearly desktop-grade graphical performance even if it impacts battery life. Additionally, it appears that AMD’s Vega-powered GPUs will be available in 4GB and 8GB options, on account of the way the new chips will stack memory. Unfortunately, Herkelman didn’t offer a concrete timeline for when we might see those desktop and mobile GPUs hit the market, but reassured the Beijing audience that Vega-powered chips were “just around the corner.”
Digital Trends via Digital Trends http://ift.tt/mG1NBn March 27, 2017 at 06:01AM |
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