Amazon Adds Free Encryption to Storage Service

Using Amazon Web Services' new Server Side Encryption feature, enterprises will at no extra cost be able to encrypt data stored on the company's Simple Storage Service (S3), Amazon said on Tuesday.The Server Side Encryption feature has been added to simplify the process of protecting data stored on S3. Previously, enterprises had to choose an encryption algorithm, create and store keys, and adapt...

Apple Announces IPhone 4S to Crowd

Apple on Tuesday announced the iPhone 4S, a 3G smartphone with improved hardware designed to allow the device to run applications faster than its predecessor, the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4S will run on a dual-core A5 processor, which also will allow the device to run graphics up to seven times faster than prior models, said Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide product marketing at Apple,...

Apple iPhone 4S: A Deep Dive Into the New iPhone's Hardware

Apple iPhone 4SAfter more than a year with the iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S--announced Tuesday by Apple CEO Tim Cook--seems a bit, well, underwhelming.The hardware announced today offers no design overhaul. Apple upgraded the phone's camera from a 5-megapixel sensor to an 8-megapixel sensor, though, and the iPhone 4S will use the same dual-core A5 chip that the iPad 2 does.4G capability? Forget it--Apple...

Apple Seeds Final iOS 5 Gold Master Beta to Developers

iOS 5 won't be out until October 12, but if you're a registered iOS developer, you can get your hands on the gold master release today.The Gold Master update is available for download from Apple's developer site, but unlike previous builds of iOS 5, which have offered updating over-the-air via iOS' Software Update, the final beta is strictly a download-only affair. If you try to install the update...

Apple Unveils the New iPhone 4S

Apple’s latest iPhone doesn't look all that different on the surface from the iPhone 4 it replace. But the iPhone 4S unveiled by Apple at a press event Tuesday promises an improved processor, new wireless system, and more powerful camera, along with voice control capabilities.The iPhone 4S is available in black and white. The 16GB version costs $199, a 32GB model costs $299, and the 64GB edition...

Apple Updates iPod Nano, Touch Models

Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, announced updated versions of the iPod nano and iPod touch.iPod nano Apple has made the iPod nano’s multitouch display easier to navigate by using larger icons. Schiller also said the company has improved the experience of using the nano for fitness. “Right out of the box, you can go on a walk or a run as well, without adding...

Apple Upgrades Game Center in iOS 5 Update

Apple Game CenterThe "world's most popular gaming platform" just got better. On Tuesday, Apple unveiled new features appearing in their iOS 5 update, including some much-needed upgrades for their Game Center mobile gaming service. The changes include friend suggestions, photos, and achievement points.On Apple's website, the "friend suggestions" element gets a bit more clarification: "Meet your match...

Apple Will Pay You $200 for Your Gently Used IPhone 4

Apple iPhone 4If history is any guide, the advent of the iPhone 4S will soon render the iPhone 4 both significantly less sexy and significantly less valuable on the resale market. But the good news for early adopters is that Apple will pay them up to $200 to buy back their mint-condition iPhone 4.As The Next Web points out, Apple's Reuse and Recycling Program offers the money in the form of an Apple...

Apple’s iPhone 4S Announcement Crashes Popular Websites

If you had trouble getting updates on this morning’s Apple keynote, you weren’t alone. Almost every major tech news site suffered at least some downtime during the introduction of the new iPhone 4S.In addition to some server hiccups here at PCWorld and at our sister publication Macworld, almost every site covering Apple’s event live--including Wired, Engadget and Ars Technica--suffered down time....

AppleCare+ for IPhone Covers Accidental Damage

Apple iPhone 4SWith all the big Apple news on Tuesday, you'll be forgiven if you missed a change the company made to its AppleCare extended-service offering for the iPhone. But that change is significant and will make the plan more appealing to some users.Every iPhone includes 90 days of technical support and one year of hardware support and repairs. Prior to Apple's Tuesday event, you could pay...

Apple--Not Piracy--Is the Real Problem for the Movie Industry, Says Exec

Piracy is less of an issue for the movie industry than is the dominance of the digital distribution channel by a single company, such as Apple.That's what the CEO of Miramax told a movie industry crowd Monday at the annual MIPCOM event in Cannes, a sort of bazaar for entertainment content. While the audience listening to the executive's message was made up of industry insiders, the message has some...

CEO Steve Ballmer 'Underpaid,' Microsoft Says

CEO Steve BallmerMicrosoft CEO Steve Ballmer received compensation valued at $1.38 million this year, according to documents filed this week with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. His total package is up roughly 2% compared to 2010, when he received compensation valued at $1.35 million.[ReadL CEO PAYDAY: What tech's top execs raked in for 2010]Ballmer's 2011 pay package consists of a $682,500...

Epic Announces Infinity Blade II for iPhone 4S

Hot on the heels of the announcement of the iPhone 4S comes word that one of the platform's most popular games is getting a sequel.Epic was on stage to show off Infinity Blade 2, the sequel to the iOS game released last year. The sequel will naturally feature improved graphics, as well as the ability to wield two swords.Oh yeah, and it's "only going to run like this on the iPhone 4S. Why? Because...

Despite Ellison Remark, Oracle Still a Fan of X86

It can't be easy working for Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. Just ask John Fowler, the head of Oracle's systems business, who's spent the past two weeks trying to convince customers that Ellison didn't really mean it when he said Oracle is "phasing out" its x86 business."Larry made some rather 'interesting' comments about Intel, that he doesn't care a lot about the Intel server business," Fowler said in...

Kinect May Act As Xbox 360 Viewing Police with Parental Control Body Scanner

Microsoft wants the Xbox 360 to be the one-stop tech shop for all your entertainment needs: gaming, TV, movies, music and DVDs. But wait, there's more! Microsoft is trying to patent a Kinect 3D body scanner to estimate age and function as an Xbox viewing police AKA an automated parent control.A Microsoft Xbox web-based, pay-TV deal may be officially announced this week. Programming is expected to...

Firefox Advises Users to Disable McAfee Plugin

It's the last thing McAfee would want users to hear about one of its products, but the Firefox browser is advising users to disable McAfee's ScriptScan software, saying that it could cause "stability or security problems."SriptScan ships with McAfee's VirusScan antivirus program. It's designed to keep Web surfer's safe by scanning for any malicious scripting code that might be running in the browser....

NASA Discovers Northern Arctic Ozone Loss

Left: Earth’s Ozone levels in mid-March 2011. Purple and grey colors represent very small ozone amounts. Right: Dark blue and black colors represent very large amounts of chlorine monoxide, ozone destroying chemicals. [Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech]Scientists have discovered an unprecedented depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer in the Northern Arctic region. A NASA-led study released on October 2 in the...

Logitech Looks to IPhone 5 for Video Meetings

The Apple iPhone 5, expected to be announced on Tuesday, should be able to use Logitech's ClearSea videoconferencing software to tie mobile users into meetings alongside high-end telepresence systems and other platforms, according to Logitech. Logitech's LifeSize videoconferencing division acquired ClearSea earlier this year by buying Mirial, a video software company based in Milan. ClearSea is videoconferencing...

NTT DoCoMo Phone: You're Hungry, but Don't Eat Yet

"Your hunger level is 60%. Refrain from snacking even if you are hungry."So reads the display on the Toshiba Regza phone on display at NTT DoCoMo's booth at the Ceatec electronics show this week in Japan. And it has a point. It's been a few hours since breakfast and I could definitely go for a quick ramen, but probably should wait until lunch.A Bluetooth-enabled breathalyzer has analyzed my breath...

New iPhone 4S: Top 5 Letdowns

Apple's new iPhone 4S has some impressive upgrades, including voice controls, a faster processor, and a better camera. But to millions of tech fans hoping to be dazzled by Apple's latest creation, the 4S is, well, a tad disappointing. Here are the top pre-launch rumors that didn't come true: No 4-inch, Curved, or Edge-to-Edge Display The iPhone 4S' stunning 3.5-inch "retina" display is no improvement...

Overview: Apple's iPhone 4S Grabs the Spotlight

Apple unveiled a new iPhone Tuesday where the most significant changes—including new voice control features—are all on the smartphone’s inside. The iPhone 4S highlighted a press event where Apple also announced release dates for iOS 5 and its iCloud online storage and sync service as well as a new card design app for iOS devices. Apple iPhone 4SApple’s latest phone keeps the same Retina display,...

Online Banking Fraud Losses Decline in the UK

Online banking fraud losses in the U.K. fell 32 percent in the first half of the year, according to figures from U.K. banks released on Wednesday. The decline is due to the increased use of fraud detection software by banks, an industry group said.Fraud losses in online banking totalled £16.9 million (US$26.2 million) for the first half of the year, compared to £24.9 million a year earlier, according...

Rhapsody Buys Napster as It Battles Spotify

With its Napster acquisition this week, Rhapsody, the venerable U.S.-only digital music subscription service, is in battle mode as rival Spotify attempts to carry its strong momentum in Europe to America.Rhapsody, which has about 800,000 paying subscribers, isn't saying yet how many more people Napster will add to its service, but bulking up its business is critical to compete against Spotify, which...

Panasonic Viera TC-L42D30 42-Inch HDTV, $743

The Panasonic Viera TC-L42D30 LED HDTV provides great simulated surround sound, yet we found its image quality to be somewhat lacking (read our review for details)--especially for the high $1079 at launch this past June. Right now, though, Amazon.com is selling the 42-inch Viera for only $743, and shipping is free. (Quantities are limited, though the HDTV was still available as of this writing.)For...

Take a Lego Gears of War Lancer to a Rubber-Band Fight

[Photo: 'Plum B' on MOCpages]Halfway through Gears of War 3, I realized that a Lancer assault rifle would be a very effective tool for keeping the raccoons out of my garbage can. It all made sense. Then I realized that the technology doesn’t exist, and more problematic, PETA wouldn’t be too happy about it.So I moved on, and I purchased a raccoon-proof garbage can instead. I still wanted a Lancer...

Self-Service IT: Are Users Up To the Task?

Self-service procurement. Self-service business intelligence. Self-service recovery. User provisioning in private clouds. It's a wondrous world for end users these days as IT departments roll out tools that hand them the reins to the data and services they desire, whether it's instant access to their employee benefits account or a deep dive into corporate data stacks that were once off-limits.But...

Tim Cook Touts Lion, Mac Sales During Apple's iPhone Event

Mobile products like iPhone and iPad may get all the attention—and drive huge sales—but Macs and Lion operating system are also generating big momentum for the company, CEO Tim Cook said during Tuesday's iPhone-focused Apple event. Cook said Mac OS X Lion—available only through the Mac App Store—had been downloaded 6 million times since it launched to the public on July 20. Cook noted that Microsoft's...

Ten Security Essentials for the Networked Enterprise

The ideal information security environment is different depending on who you talk to. Your typical security engineer may say it must have firewalls, intrusion detection or any number of security focused technologies. Meanwhile a security tester may suggest that it is conducting penetration testing to provide assurances that security widgets are working well.This article attempts to provide a usable...