Tag Archives: Tech news

Watch the World's First Mind-Controlled Car in Action

When automobiles giant like Nissan, Toyota and Tesla are focusing on self-driving smart cars, Chinese researchers have taken the future of automotive car driving technology to the level that’s beyond your imaginations.

Chinese researchers have built what they claim is the World’s First Mind-Controlled Car — that uses nothing but human’s brain power to drive.

Isn’t that sound like a

Google drops Chrome support for old operating systems

Are you still running an old PC operating system like Windows XP or Vista?

There are some risks running an unsupported operating system — the biggest is falling behind with security updates and fixes.

As years roll by it’s necessary for companies to “deprecate” (a fancy way of saying “make obsolete”) older versions of their software. This becomes necessary because it’s hard coordinating and supporting many different versions.

Google has announced that from April 2016 they will no longer be supporting their popular Chrome web browser for certain older operating systems.

The operating systems affected are:

  • Windows XP
  • Windows Vista
  • Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard)
  • Mac OS X 10.7 (Lion)
  • Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion)

How does this affect me?

Chrome will continue to work on the operating systems mentioned above, but will no longer receive updates and security fixes.

If you continue to use an old operating system, and software that is no longer supported, then you will likely be more vulnerable to new and emerging security threats.

What can I do?

To avoid vulnerabilities and the risk of infection from malware and viruses, we recommend that you always keep your operating system and all your software up-to-date.

Consider upgrading your operating system where possible for the best protection and productivity, and if this means upgrading your old computer, it may well be worth exploring.  Think about it, the cost of data loss from a security breach could be costlier than the price of new hardware.

And while you’re at it, installing an effective antivirus and security suite is worth it for peace of mind — PC users can download AVG AntiVirus Free, and Mac users can download our free AVG AntiVirus for Mac.

AVG wraps up a successful week in Latin America

Last week AVG took part in Latin America’s largest and most important telecoms, IT and Internet event – Futurecom. It is the first time AVG has exhibited and presented at the event and we wanted to enter the show with some significant news and noise, which we achieved.

Brazil has been a strong market for AVG – a large base of users taking advantage of the AVG Free products on both Windows and Android. There has also been a strong presence in the AVG Business products for over a decade through our partner Winco, who became the first AVG Latin America office after we acquired them in July 2014. As with most technology companies, we see Brazil as a key market for our continued expansion strategy. Futurecom has allowed us to share some of this strategy and announce local partnerships and products developed specifically for the local market.

The first announcement of the week was the launch of AVG Family Graph – a new product from our Location Labs business unit. Knowing where our kids and loved ones are is becoming part of everyday life. In fact, when a parent communicates with their child 72% of them start with “where are you?” I can even hear myself saying it, as it’s usually the first question out of my mouth. This becomes a serious conversation in countries with crime issues that involve kidnap and ransom scenarios.

AVG Family Graph provides the ability to locate family members’ phones regardless of their mobile operator through a simple and easy to use app. If a family member is in trouble, there is a panic button that alerts all the other family members of your location. Of course, we hope that no one needs to use the panic button, and for most parents just knowing where their kids are at any given moment will give them peace of mind. AVG is looking to partner with carriers in Brazil to provide the app to families while giving carriers the advantage of knowing your family a little better. This way, carriers can customize services to meet the demands of a connected family.

The second of this week’s announcements was the news that our security and performance products, AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android and AVG Cleaner for Android, are now featured in the Samsung Galaxy’s Latin American app store, and are also featured in the gift section of the store. Both apps will be available with a 90-day trial, after which time customers in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Peru will be given the choice of upgrading to keep the enhanced features or migrate to the free protection or performance features.

Our last announcement of the week was our partnership with Conecta, one of Brazil’s leading mobile insurance companies. When you purchase a new phone, the sales people often ask if you want to insure it. In order to help protect your new device, AVG is providing Conecta customers with anti-theft and anti-virus protection. Customers who purchase a Conecta mobile insurance policy will receive a complimentary one-year subscription to AVG Internet Security and AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android.

With more than 60 smartphones stolen every hour in Brazil’s four largest cities, the anti-theft functionality within AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android might come in handy!

Vote for Todd Simpson’s upcoming talk at SXSW

 

Vote for my proposed session at the SXSW (South by Southwest) 2016 Interactive Festival.  If you care about privacy, here are sme important questions that I aim to answer:

  • How are physical tracking mechanisms and traditional online mechanisms converging?
  • What does that mean for your privacy?
  • Why is privacy an important fundamental human right that we should all be protecting?

 

Click here now to vote for Todd

 

If you vote for my session, I’ll also introduce a breakthrough technology that can help tell the world when you’re not willing to be tracked called ‘Do Not Snap’.

Thank you for voting for me, and I to hope to see you at SXSW 2016.

AVG Helps Secure Obi Worldphone Smartphones

SAN FRANCISCO– August 31, 2015 – AVG® Technologies N.V. (NYSE: AVG), the online security company™ for more than 200 million monthly active users, announced today a new global partnership with smartphone manufacturer Obi Worldphone to provide mobile security across its new range of SF1 and SJ1.5 smartphones. Launched in numerous countries worldwide and unveiled at a special event in San Francisco, the devices will come pre-installed with AVG’s flagship AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android™ app, giving Obi Worldphone customers the peace of mind that they can use their devices safely and securely straight out of the box.

“With mobile the primary source of Internet connectivity for many smartphone users in emerging markets, security is becoming an increasing concern for device manufacturers looking to deliver the best experience to their customers,” said David Ferguson, Senior Vice President, Revenue & Business Operations, AVG Technologies. “This partnership enables AVG to further our expansion into some of the markets where we are seeing an increase in mobile phone use, ensuring that we continue to secure and protect people, devices and data across the globe.”

Under the terms of the partnership, Obi Worldphone customers will receive a free, 30-day trial of the AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android™ app. After the trial, customers can either choose to keep the enhanced features by purchasing the annual subscription or use AVG AntiVirus FREE for Android™, which equips their smartphone or tablet with core protection.

“We have partnered with the best in the industry in bringing this new range of devices to market, and AVG is a prime example,” said Neeraj Chauhan, CEO, Obi Mobile, maker of the Obi Worldphone. “With smartphone users increasingly relying on their devices for a whole range of online activities such as gaming, shopping and even more sensitive transactions such as online banking, we are committed to providing safe, secure mobile connectivity for our customers from the outset.”

About AVG Technologies (NYSE: AVG)

AVG is the online security company providing leading software and services to secure devices, data and people. AVG’s award-winning technology is delivered to over 200 million monthly active users worldwide. AVG’s Consumer portfolio includes internet security, performance optimization, and personal privacy and identity protection for mobile devices and desktops. The AVG Business portfolio – delivered by managed service providers, VARs and resellers – offers IT administration, control and reporting, integrated security, and mobile device management that simplify and protect businesses.

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

www.avg.com

 

Media Relations:

US: Deanna Contreras
Tel: +1 415 371 2001
Email: [email protected]

Rest of World: Zena Martin
Tel: +44 7496 638 342
Email: [email protected]
Press information: http://now.avg.com

Google announces a restructure – it’s now owned by Alphabet

Why the restructure? According to Larry it’s to help them streamline management of their various companies and also stay focused on their initiatives and new opportunities. It’s “ …about businesses prospering through strong leaders and independence.” – Larry Page.

So Search, Youtube, Apps, Maps, Android and Advertising remain under Google and according to their filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, “Businesses such as Calico, Nest, and Fiber, as well as its investing arms, such as Google Ventures and Google Capital, and incubator projects, such as Google X, will be managed separately from the Google business.”

For anyone who enjoys innovation in tech, this should come as exciting news – it means Google’s core internet product teams will be even more focused on improving and innovating their internet products; and we might start to see more ambitious and technological milestone projects being developed by Google X and Google Ventures.

Congratulations Google, uh…I mean Alphabet, for moving tech forward. Let’s see what you do next.

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