| IT decision-makers at SMBs fear the Internet of Things Jun 5th 2014, 14:10, by Juan Martinez 
Seventy percent of IT decision-makers at small-to-mid-size businesses do not believe the C-Suite will increase IT spending to provide them with the resources necessary to tackle additional security problems created by the Internet of Things, according to a survey conducted by Opinion Matters for GFI Software. Almost 80% of survey respondents expect their security practices to change as a result of the Internet of Things. Mobile devices will create the most problems for IT administrators at small-to-mid-size companies who operate within an Internet of Things, according to the study, in which 81.7% of respondents chose mobile devices as their number one concern. Research firm IDC projects technology and services revenue for the Internet of Things will increase from $4.8 trillion (£2.9 trillion, AU$5.3 trillion) in 2012 to $7.3 trillion (£4.4 trillion, AU$8.2 trillion) in 2017, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.8%. IT decision-makers do not think existing anti-spam, anti-virus and anti-malware infrastructures will protect their organizations from the new endpoints created by the Internet of Things. Almost half of those surveyed said firewalls would be their top priority in an Internet of Things era, while 35.7% cited mobile device management. Anti-virus was cited as a top priority by only 18.7% of respondents. The major playersTechnology vendors like Cisco, Microsoft, IBM and AT&T have all recently announced significant plans to increase their Internet of Things capabilities. In March, Cisco said it would invest $1 billion (about £605 million, or au$1.1 billion) to build what it said would be the world's largest Intercloud network to tackle the Internet of Everything. In February, IBM and AT&T joined together in a global alliance to develop support for the Internet of Things, and Microsoft announced a task force focused solely on the Internet of Things. The survey consisted of responses from 202 IT decision-makers across the United States. The survey defined small-to-mid-size companies as businesses with 250 employees or fewer.        |  | Three ditches roaming charges in five more countries Jun 5th 2014, 09:29, by James Rogerson 
Everyone hates the big roaming charges that come with using internet abroad. Your choices are essentially to either be faced with a big bill or be cut off from the internet for extended periods. But Three seems to slowly but surely be doing away with them. The company has announced that from 1 July you'll be able to roam at no extra cost in France, Switzerland, Israel, Finland and Norway as part of the company's 'Feel At Home' initiative. Plan that holidayThose five locations join the eleven that Three had already removed roaming charges from, including the US, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Macau, Australia, Italy, Austria, Hong Kong, Sweden, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland. Feel At Home is available to all Three customers and will automatically activate when you arrive in a supported country. Now we just need it in the other 180 countries in the world.        | | Nokia X2 set for launch later this month Jun 5th 2014, 09:02, by James Rogerson 
Nokia's eye-raising Android launch at MWC was not an anomaly it seems, as reports suggest the Nokia X is getting a successor, possibly as soon as the end of the month. That's according to 'reliable sources' speaking to BGR India, which claim the handset will be announced sometime in the week starting 23 June. This isn't the first we've heard of the Nokia X2, or whatever it ends up being called. Last month it was suggested that a new Nokia X device would be arriving with a dedicated home button. Simple specsSince then specs for the device have also popped up on AnTuTu.com, pointing to a phone with a 4.3 inch 480 x 800 display, a 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon 200 processor, 1GB of RAM, an Adreno 305 GPU, 4GB of built in storage and a 5 megapixel camera. The benchmark also claims that it will have a 0.3 megapixel front facing snapper and run Android 4.3. All of that makes it a low end device, but one that's a modest upgrade over the original Nokia X. We weren't thrilled by the performance of the original handset, even considering its low price tag, so hopefully this new one will fare better. As with the first Nokia X it's likely to be aimed primarily at emerging markets, so if and when we'll see it in the UK is unknown, but this boost in specs could be the very thing Nokia is doing to get the handset ready for the more developed markets.        | | HTC Desire 816 goes exclusive with Optus Jun 5th 2014, 06:35, by Farrha Khan 
With the HTC One M8 high-end flagship launch out of the way for the year, HTC's mid-range Desire 816 flagship is finally arriving Down Under with a sub-$400 price tag and headed straight to Optus as an exclusive. Touting a similar look to the HTC One range - but now in plastic - the Android-powered Desire 816 has a large 5.5-inch display and weighs in at 165g. While it's definitely not a premium phone, it can certainly boast some power, with a quad-core 1.6GHz Snapdragon 400 chip and 1.5GB RAM. If 8GB of onboard storage isn't enough for your needs, it does also have a microSD card slot. You also get NFC, DLNA connectivity, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and, of course, 4G and LTE Cat 4. Batteries and shootersWith those specs, you'll need a decent battery to get you through the better part of the day, and thankfully HTC has thrown in a 2600mAh battery. The Desire 816 touts a 13MP shooter on the back and a 5MP front camera, along with 1080p video recording capabilities. HTC Boomsound is also onboard with dual-front speakers, as well as HTC BlinkFeed. You can order the smartphone now from Optus, with an outright price of $398. It'll attract a $5 monthly repayment on the $35 My Plan, though it'll be free on all other 24-month plans.        | | Samsung Galaxy K Zoom is heading to Australia Jun 5th 2014, 05:28, by Farrha Khan -470-75.JPG)
Another digital camera/smartphone hybrid from Samsung following last year's Galaxy S4 Zoom, the Galaxy K Zoom is heading to Australia with a $749 price tag. Now touting a "K" moniker, the 4.8-inch cameraphone is a little chunkier than its predecessor, but that might be because it has bumped up specs. On the camera side of things, it has a hard-to-miss 10x optical zoom lens sitting on its rear, and a 20.7MP 3 BSI CMOS sensor with optical image stabilisation. It smartphones tooWith bumped up specs, the new K Zoom manages some decent power with a a hexa-core processor - or rather a 1.3GHz quad-core chip used during the heavy lifting processes (such as image capture and editing), and a 1.7GHz dual-core chip to take care of more mundane tasks. On the phone side of things, you get a 1280 x 720 display, 2GB of RAM and a paltry 8GB of internal storage, but thankfully there is a microSD card slot. Android 4.4 KitKat runs the device, while a 2430mAH battery keeps things ticking. You also get 4G and NFC for easier transferring of all the snaps Samsung expects you to take. The Galaxy K Zoom will come in black or white and with an RRP of $749 from all major retailers across Australia. The handset will also be compatible with Gear Fit, Gear 2 and Gear 2 Neo.        | | Amazon smartphone should finally show its face June 18 Jun 4th 2014, 21:14, by Chris Smith 
Update: Blink and you miss it, but one eagle-eyed Google+ user snagged a screen grab of what everyone in the video is gawking at. Aaron Kasten paused Amazon's vid at just the right moment to reveal a phone-sized black item in the hands of one woman. You can also see the device reflected in her glasses. We obviously can't say with 100% certainty this is the Amazon phone and the device we'll meet June 18, but, well, it's hard to argue otherwise. Keep checking this space for more on the forthcoming Amazon smartphone. 
Original article below... It looks like the end to eternal wait for the long-rumoured Amazon phone is finally coming to a close. The e-tail giant is throwing a launch event June 18 hosted by CEO Jeff Bezos, and all signs point to the company's 3D smartphone hitting the stage. Along with making the event pronouncement on Twitter, Amazon released a YouTube clip featuring "Amazon customers" (most probably actors), wowed by a mystery device. The positioning of some of the people's hands suggest they are holding a phone, and as you can see in the image above, it even makes a flash cameo appearance. One person in the video said it was, "very real life and incomparable to anything I've ever seen." Others waxed lyrical while moving their heads from side to side as if checking out a glasses-free 3D effect. "It moved with me," one gushed. The actions performed by the gap-jawed video stars also tie in with previous rumours suggesting that intuitive tilting gestures would play an important role in commanding the phone's user interface. The kind folks who agreed to be part of the video called the experience "flawless and seamless," although we probably shouldn't read too much into that. YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erUZQ9GK0sEYou can go too!At the end of the clip and on Twitter, Amazon pointed viewers to a web form to request an invite to the Seattle event. In other words, the fledgeling flying drone maker is extending the invite to everyday customers as well as journalists and developers. A smartphone launch would end at least two years of speculation regarding Amazon's entry into the smartphone hardware market. Previous reports have suggested the phone would have a 4.7-inch display, four Kinect-like front loaded cameras capable of tracking the movements and facial features of users. Meanwhile other whispers have raised the prospect of a high-specced device that would cost a fraction of the iPhone's price tag. Whatever we're in for June 18, tune back to TechRadar for up-to-the-minute details.        | | Samsung Galaxy F may go toe-to-toe with iPhone 6 come September Jun 4th 2014, 20:06, by JR Bookwalter 
Samsung certainly hasn't shied away from very public battles with Apple, and the Korean manufacturer may indeed be readying for another rumble this fall with a premium smartphone said to rival the next iPhone. Frequently reliable internet leaker @evleaks is back with another Twitter blast, this one claiming Samsung's high-flying premium Galaxy F smartphone could very well wind up encroaching upon the iPhone 6's turf in 90 days or so. According to an unnamed tipster, the Samsung Galaxy F will be "allegedly launching in September," a month many smartphone makers wisely avoid, lest they be crushed by a throng of new iPhone buyers. Samsung apparently refuses to blink, truly bringing a gun to a knife fight with the Galaxy F, a high-end upgrade to the Galaxy S5 rumored to feature a luscious 5.2-inch quad-HD display with a 2K resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. What the F?Rumblings of a Galaxy smartphone with even more panache than Samsung's Galaxy S5 started making the rounds last fall, when industry sources claimed the Android kingpin was targeting a March 2014 launch for the device. Needless to say, that timeframe came and went, but the Galaxy F has since turned up in a number of leaked images which seem to confirm Samsung's plans for a 2K resolution screen. Also on deck to make Galaxy S5 owners really feel buyer's remorse: A quad-core Snapdragon 805 processor with an extra-generous 3GB of RAM and 16MP rear camera. Of course, we still don't know exactly what Apple has up its sleeve with this year's iPhone 6, so it's likely to be a long, hot summer keeping up with a string of leaks from both camps before either Seoul or Cupertino shows their hands. - Take another look at Apple's iPhone 5S in our full review!
       | | Sony Smartband finally arrives in the UK with tempting £80 price tag Jun 4th 2014, 18:38, by Chris Smith 
Sony's first entry into the world of wearable wellness trackers has made a belated appearance on UK shores, with the Smartband WR10 finally going on sale. The wrist-mounted device, which was announced at CES 2014 in January with a promised March release date, can now be nabbed for a rather reasonable-sounding £80 from Sony's official store. The Smartband tracker differs somewhat from its rivals as its more of what Sony calls a "life logging" gadget rather than a straight up fitness tracker. Paired with the accompanying Lifelog Android app, the combo tracks your movements, communications, photos and social activities to provide a picture of your day. 'Blog your day'Though vibrations it can also be used to gently wake and alert users to smartphone notifications, while it can also be used as a media control device. As with many other devices of this ilk it tracks steps, distance, calories burned and sleep quality and rewards users with activity points "based on how you live." Another standout feature is the Smartband's removable, water resistant Core chip, which can be placed into different wristbands, depending on your activities. The Smartband comes in a snazzy World Cup shade of gold and green and is also available in black. Sony has previewed many other colours since launch, but it's just the two choices for now.        | |
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