Tag Archives: Location Labs

AVG’s Top Blogs of 2014

2014 was a big year for the security industry and a busy one for AVG. There were high profile security breaches, some incredible new apps for our smartphones and huge game releases that pushed the performance of our devices to the limit.

 

Threats:

Heartbleed was arguably the most significant security story of the year after a crucial vulnerability was found in Open SSL, the technology used to encrypt data online. Potentially, OpenSSL estimate that as many as 66% of all websites were vulnerable.

Our blog post on how to stay safe from Heartbleed was our most popular post of the year and a follow up post later in June showing that many websites were still vulnerable comes in at number two.

One of the year’s most prevalent malware breakouts, known as GameOver Zeus was also amongst our top stories. GameOver Zeus picked up a lot of media coverage as experts gave a two week countdown until a massive suspected cyber-attack would be unleashed.

 

Mobile:

AVG had a big year for mobile with exclusive deals to protect Sony Xperia devices and we even created custom apps specifically designed for the Amazon Fire Phone’s ‘Dynamic Perspective’.

We also sealed the acquisition of Location Labs which has brought powerful security and device management features to millions of people.

In November, we release our first ever Android App Performance Report which detailed the secret ways that the apps we use can affect our smartphones. How much space they take up, how much battery they use and how much data they send.

 

Gaming:

Gaming also enjoyed a big year in 2014 with the release of many big name titles including Watch Dogs, where you play a hacker in a beautifully rendered open world. Our performance expert Sandro Villinger’s Ultimate Watch Dogs performance guide for the PC was our third most popular post this year.

Sandro also created a simple nine step guide to maximizing PC gaming performance which helped users of all abilities squeeze the most out their machines whether top of the range or 3 years old!

If you are a gamer, check out Sandro’s Ultimate performance guide to

Gaming looks set to have another big year in 2015, keep an eye out for Sandro’s GTA 5 performance review coming soon!

 

2014 was a great year at AVG and we’re looking forward to bringing you more big stories in 2015.

Happy New Year!

Technology is still a distraction for drivers

A newly released study by AT&T reinforces the unfortunate and dangerous trend of driving and texting that shows no sign of stopping. The survey, released last Wednesday, found two-thirds of respondents said they have read text messages while stopped at a red light or stop sign, but more importantly a quarter have sent texts while driving. One in four of those who texted while driving also believe they “can easily do several things at once, even while driving”…

Now for the rest of the story…The AT&T study points to a fascinating and disturbing feature of human behavior:  98% of survey respondents said that sending a text or email wasn’t safe, but 49% of commuters self-reported doing it anyway.

This result comes in spite of all the public-service campaigns and laws against texting and driving. And it certainly reinforces the ability of humans to say one thing and do another – though that isn’t exactly news.

What is news is a newer tech-related peril on the road: Voice-activated software. Originally viewed as an answer to achieving hands-free driving, voice-activated software is now a growing cause of driver distraction and threat to driver safety, according to a recent study by AAA .

Voice-activated software has been touted as a benefit, because drivers can keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road while changing radio stations or composing texts messages… Unfortunately, AAA found that drivers could still be distracted while driving. The reason? Interacting with the software still affects the cognitive part of your brain.  Many of the simple tasks previously noted increase a driver’s cognitive workload. And, depending on the situation, that can be dangerous.

Vehicle voice-activated “infotainment” systems that are more complicated or just take longer to navigate created the highest levels of driver distraction and safety risks, according to the October AAA study.

Many of us who use hands-free phone technologies have already come to understand that having a conversation, especially an important or emotional one, while driving can be only a little less distracting than juggling a phone. It’s for the same reason: Cognitive distraction.  Many studies back this up, including a groundbreaking one from the National Safety Council.

The bottom line: any activity that is not directly related to driving, whether it is using electronics or simply eating, represents a potential distraction and safety risk, according to previous research by AAA, the National Safety Council, the National Transportation Safety Board and other safety groups.

As with the ongoing campaign against text messaging or voice interactive driver safety, what’s needed is a multi-pronged approach just as Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) has done so successfully. Prevention strategies that may show the most promise are legislative and corporate policies, mixed with high-visibility enforcement and strict consequences.  Yet technology solutions also can go even further by preventing calls and messages from being sent or received by drivers in moving vehicles.

Location Labs

At AVG, we’re proud to have a new solution in our portfolio of products that addresses the texting issue—Location Labs’ Drive Safe app, available as Sprint Drive First and Safely Go. (AVG acquired Location Labs in September.) Drive Safe detects motion and automatically locks a phone moving more than 10 MPH. All ringtones, buzzes and push notifications are silenced, and only designated “VIP” contacts, like parents, can get through, while everyone else gets an automatic “I’m driving, I’ll reply later” reply.

It’s clear as connected cars become the norm, demands for driver security are only going to increase – both in terms of driving safety and data security. It also presents opportunities for technology to help solve these new challenges.

Add driverless cars into the mix, and there is an exciting and brave new world ahead for technology and cars and, hopefully, greater driver safety.

Who Dares Wins in The Pitch, UK

On Thursday 18th September more than 40 intrepid small business entrepreneurs  – including one  17 year-old – from around the UK assembled in Manchester for the Northern semi-final of The Pitch 2014, the small business competition that this year has AVG as its lead sponsor.   As with the first semi-final in London the event took the form of a Boot Camp during which the competition’s main sponsors provided a series of mentoring workshops designed to help the contestants hone their pitches as they bid to land a coveted place in the Live Final taking place in Bristol on 23rd October.

The AVG workshop – appropriately held in a room called ‘dare’ – centred on overcoming sales objections.  Adapted from the classic objection-rebuttal cycle training that AVG provides to IT partners our workshop was based on the premise that entrepreneurs are great at dreaming up ideas for new products and services but are less confident when it comes to dealing with negative responses to their sales proposition.

Led by Mike Byrne, the workshop taught one or two simple techniques for overcoming common sales objections. People were then split into pairs for a role-playing exercise where they had the chance to practice what they’d learnt.  This format seemed to work very well, never failing to break the ice and fully engage the participants.  This was reflected in the numerous pieces of positive feedback that we received – a good example being this tweet from RecruitPacks.

Then it was time for the main event.  Everyone was given just 90 seconds to step up in front of a room full of judges and rivals, pitch their business idea and make the case why they should be selected to go through to the live final. There was a hugely diverse range of start-ups to choose from.

As lead sponsor and one of the judges AVG has the very difficult task choosing between such a high calibre of entries. Of course, AVG is always interested in eye-catching new ideas – especially in tech -Very occasionally, we take more than a passing interest as the recent acquisition of mobile monetization start-up Location Labs demonstrates.  If you would like to read more on this why not check out Mike Foreman’s recent interview with BusinessZone, published this week, where he talks more about what companies like AVG look for when weighing up prospective acquisitions and what entrepreneurs can expect.

The Boot Camp had a whole spectrum of businesses: everything from e-book stores and games for teaching numeracy; radon detectives and crime scene cleaners ; Twitter-driven advertising concepts and nano technology; and many more besides.  However in one thing Manchester was united. They all shared the same courage and determination. A willingness to push themselves well beyond their personal comfort zones in pursuit of making their business dreams come true.

For some the experience was plainly quite traumatic.  But in conquering their nerves they won the sympathy and support of the whole room.  A place in the live final awaits 30 of the top semi-finalists and a chance to present their pitch to a live audience, a panel of judges that will include Judy Bitterli, as well as investors and supporters.

One final word on Manchester to end on.  There cannot be many other business contests where people who are technically in fierce competition do so much bonding with their peers and provide so much emotional support for each other.  As Dan Martin editor of BusinessZone put it, “There was a lot of love in the room!”

AVG Technologies Announces Intention to Acquire Location Labs

Today, we announced our intention to acquire Location Labs, which is best known for its “mobile security for humansâ€.

AVG has been talking for some time about the need for a more holistic approach to security; one that protects not only devices, but also data and, ultimately, the people using those devices and data. Products that encompass all these elements must be easy to understand and easy to use.

AVG’s security for Android smartphones is one the top security apps on the Google Play store. Location Labs products, sold by major mobile operators and running on both the Android and iOS platforms, provide exceptional security and safety for people – you and those you care for.

Additionally, Location Labs’ mobile products and services draw on the value of the mobile operator network to provide features and functionality that are not possible otherwise. Having multiple distribution channels delivers good choices for customers. They may want to download our apps directly from App stores, or they may prefer to choose a service that has been validated and integrated with their network provider, including their billing and customer support services. Currently, AVG’s mobile offerings use the first method; Location Labs’, the second.

At AVG and Location Labs, we understand that for our customers, safety and security for connected devices is first and foremost about ensuring that their families, or those they care deeply about, are protected. This is where the combination of AVG Zen and the Location Labs’ products will really shine. With AVG Zen, customers can connect to, and manage the device and data security of their own, and others’, phones, laptops, and PCs.

With Location Labs offerings, they can also manage the content, applications, and permissions available on each of those devices, and see the location and status of the users. As massive numbers of mobile devices are adopted worldwide, and as we all connect more and more items to our own personal networks, this promises to be an important and growing market.

We are particularly pleased that the leadership and the team at Location Labs will be joining AVG. They have built a compelling business within the mobile industry – not an easy thing to do – and helped grow the company to over 1.3 million paying subscribers. We are looking forward to working with them to grow the business further to improve safety and security for all mobile users.

Today’s announcement is the first step in a longer journey and we believe it marks the start of a new approach to mobile security for consumers. We understand that to really enjoy the rich experience of today’s connected world, we all need to feel comfortable and safe, and to have confidence and trust in the smart devices that enable us to monitor and secure the people we care about. As we move forward, we’ll be working hard to make this vision a reality for our customers.