Scam Alert: Microsoft Is Not Upgrading Computers To Windows 10 Through Email

This is what the scam email purporting to be from Microsoft looks like. Don’t fall for it.

First and foremost: If you’re a Windows 7 or 8 user, Microsoft will not email you to upgrade to Windows 10. If you do get an email along those lines, it’s probably a scam and if you download what’s inside, bad guys could hold your computer’s files for ransom.

Cisco Security’s Talos researchers discovered a new scam email, involving what’s known as ransomware, going around that offers to upgrade computer users to Windows 10 for free. While that Microsoft is upgrading Windows users for free, the company is only sending notifications to users via their desktops, and is not emailing anyone. If you see an email along those lines from someone purporting to be Microsoft, delete it immediately.

Those that do download the “upgrade” from the email will instead find their computers taken over by ne’er-do-wells who will demand to be paid, likely with Bitcoin, as it’s untraceable.

Example page of what users who download the attachment may see (via Cisco)

A wait process for the real Windows 10 might make some users impatient, and therefore, vulnerable, Talos points out.

“This threat actor is impersonating Microsoft in an attempt to exploit their user base for monetary gain,” Talos’ report says. “The fact that users have to virtually wait in line to receive this update, makes them even more likely to fall victim to this campaign.”

Talos advises people to back up their data, and keep copies of those backups offline, where they’re safe from attackers. And again, if you receive an email that seems like maybe it could be from Microsoft offering a Windows 10 upgrade, just delete it.

Your Files Are Encrypted with a “Windows 10 Upgrade” [Cisco blog]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

4 Major Content Marketing Problems (and How to Solve Them) - Relevance

4 Major Content Marketing Problems (and How to Solve Them)

4 Major Content Marketing Problems (and How to Solve Them)

Whether you work in-house or for an agency, you'll have no shortage of challenges in your role as a marketer. You might face marketing problems ranging from a strategy that targets the wrong audience to a lack of respect for marketing within your organization.
Many of the following problems we'll address relate in some way to content, and as content marketers, we're believers in the power of content that's aligned to customer needs – the right message delivered at the right time over the right channel.

1. Time Is Always Against Us
Many marketers feel the pressure of limited resources, whether in budget, staffing, or time allotted for projects. And there's always an emphasis on measuring how tactics affect the bottom line. The result? Many organizations skimp when it comes to content creation – neglecting their blog and not taking the time to create helpful pieces of content that demonstrate thought leadership in their field.
So, the question is how to make the most use of limited resources. Well, you can do this by getting scrappy and mastering the art of content repurposing. Believe it or not, you don't always have to start from scratch; you've probably got existing materials that could be turned into blog posts or combined to make white papers. Learn how to maximize your efficiency by taking a cue from NPR's credo of "Create Once, Publish Everywhere."
2. No Respect, I Tell You
Sometimes a marketing department is like Rodney Dangerfield – not getting enough respect; some executives might view marketing as a black hole for company dollars. These views can come from a variety of reasons, but one of the reasons might be that you're struggling to increase and prove ROI.
If that's the case, it's not enough just to keep your boss or customer happy. You need to improve how you measure the results of your marketing efforts by understanding and communicating the specific metrics that matter for your marketing campaign.
3. Unleash the Experts
Often, your company or client has many subject matter experts who aren't necessarily writers. It's evident to you that it would be beneficial to publish their expertise, but you might not be sure how to accomplish that. There are many ways to encourage non-marketers to contribute, such as clearly articulating your marketing goals, offering writer incentives, holding blog training sessions and providing continuous support. Find ways that work for you, and get your company experts involved.
4. TRADITION!
There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it – nothing will kill a great content strategy and drive a passionate marketer insane quicker than being shackled to the status quo. Your company wasn't built overnight, and neither was Rome. But, if Alexander the Great hadn't been willing to push his army harder than ever before, crossing boundaries and breaking barriers along the way, Rome never would've achieved the magnificent height it did. Be bold in your marketing! Try something different; test it. Do something radical like addressing a public relations problem head on. Admit defeat. Celebrate success. And when somebody tells you "this is the way it's always been done," challenge that notion. Rome wasn't built without taking that first step, and great companies don't become great by standing still.
Did you find this article helpful? What other marketing problems would you like to see addressed? Tell us what you think and what you'd like to see more of in the comments below.
For more ways on how to optimize your content, check out our Blog Post Optimization Guide.
This post was co-written by Dustin Clark and Derek Smith.

2015 Content Idea Book - Fresh Thinking from Top Brands

Download today for inspiration to wow and engage your audience with new content marketing programs ‒ by OneSpot

Download

Tags: PATHPublish
November 05, 2015 at 10:32AM
Open in Evernote

Experimental Verizon FiOS Service Would Be 10X Speed Of Google Fiber

With Google Fiber continuing to expand, offering gigabit broadband service for a reasonable price, some Internet service providers are feeling the heat and beginning to test networks that would blow the pants of Google.

Verizon announced earlier this week that it’s completed new fiberoptic technology that could eventually be deployed via its FiOS broadband service and provide download and upload speeds of 10Gbps, ten times the top speed offered by Google Fiber and similar services, and 20 times the current fastest option from FiOS.

To put it in real-world terms, it currently takes about 17 minutes to download a 2-hour HD movie on current FiOS service. At 10Gbps, it would take around 8 seconds.

The company also believes that 10Gbps isn’t the maximum speed for the tech, dubbed “next-generation passive optical network,” or NG-PON2. Verizon contends that it could ultimately provide service at anywhere from 40-80Gbps.

One lucky FiOS residential customer in Massachusetts, and one business customer in the area, have been testing NG-PON2. In addition to running the test on a dedicated fiber line, Verizon sent out the next-gen signal on a line serving current-gen customers to prove that the two systems could be delivered on the same fiber.

Verizon is touting NG-PON2 as a way to greatly increase speeds, serving the needs of customers with a growing number of Internet-connected devices in their homes and offices, without having to entirely replace the existing network.

Similarly, Comcast recently confirmed that it will soon begin testing DOCSIS 3.1 (short for Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification), which allows for high-speed transfer of data over existing cable lines. It’s hoped that this tech could provide upwards of 10Gbps in download speeds over Comcast’s current coaxial network.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

Amazon’s Deal With Marvel Adds 12,000 Comics To The Kindle Store

(Marvel)

Kindle users who’d rather pick up a comic book than a literary tome will now have 12,000 more options with a new deal between Amazon and Marvel. The e-commerce giant announced a partnership last night that will allow fans to download single issues of the publisher’s comics directly from its store.

Amazon bought comics download platform comiXology last year, which opened up the Marvel library to users, but customers had to first download the comiXology app to get them.

This new deal means readers can get anything from Ant Man to Spider-Man straight from the Amazon store instead, with no separate app required. Issues will be available on the Kindle Store the same day as they hit store shelves and comiXology, though the platform will continue to run its app on both iOS and Android Devices as well as the Marvel Digital Comic Shop.

“Amazon, comiXology and Marvel share a passion for expanding the audience for comic books and graphic novels worldwide,” said David Naggar, Vice President, Amazon Kindle in the press release. “With the ever-increasing number of devices in consumers’ hands and the growing popularity of Marvel’s extensive catalogue of familiar Super Heroes we see this as the perfect time to create a whole new generation of comic book readers.”

Although the idea of swiping through an e-reader to read a comic book might seem foreign to fans who are used to poring over back issues in the store and flipping through physical pages, Amazon has done pretty well with its digital comic service. The company says the comiXology app was both the number one grossing book app on iOS, and the highest grossing app in the Google Play Store’s comics category in 2015.

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Google Shutting Down Google+ Photos Next Month, Because Two Picture Storage Sites Is A Bit Much

(frankieleon)

Sometimes having the same thing twice is nice: that sweater you love or an extra toothbrush, you know, just in case. But having two similarly named photo synching and sharing applications – Google+ Photos and Google Photos – that pretty much do the same thing is a bit, well, redundant. And so, Google announced yesterday that it plans to send Google+ Photos to pasture with all the other outdated and seldom used apps and programs that came before it.

Google announced in a post on its social network site, Google+, that staring on Aug. 1 it will begin winding down Google+ Photos.

According to the tech company, the Android version of Google+ Photos will be the first to shutter, with the web and iOS versions going dark shortly after.

The company says the decision to shut down the platform was made in an effort to “ensure everyone has the best photo experience we can deliver.”

The move isn’t exactly surprising considering the company recently launched a standalone cloud photo and video storage app, Google Photos, which offers many of the same options as Google+ Photos.

The biggest difference between the two platforms is that with Google+ users had to actually visit the network on the web to access photos, while Google Photos has its own dedicated web interface, 9to5 Google reports.

Individuals still using Google+ Photos can transfer their stored pictures to Google Photos via a link found on their Google+ account photo page.

Google assures users that if they aren’t quick enough in transferring their content, it won’t simply vanish. Instead, photos and video will still remain available for download through Google Takeout, a program that allows users to download a copy of their data stored within Google products.

Goodbye Google+ Photos, hello +Google Photos! [Google]
Google+ Photos being discontinued August 1st following standalone Photos service debut [9to5 Google]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

Judge Says Cablevision Must Stop Running Ads Calling Verizon A “Liar”

One Cablevision commercial depicts a sheriff telling Verizon that the town is done with its lies about WiFi.

It’s not uncommon to see a cable provider commercial that pokes fun at or attempt to disprove a competitor for their claims of being the faster, less expensive, or just plain better option. But there one less lineup of such ads you’ll be seeing on your TV, as a judge ruled this week that Cablevision must stop running its ads that essentially call Verizon a “liar” regarding claims that it had the fastest wireless network.

On Monday U.S. Magistrate Judge Gary Brown granted Verizon a temporary retraining order to put a stop to Cablevision ads running in New York, ruling the spots were “literally untrue and implicitly false” and knowingly misled consumers.

Cablevision’s ad campaign — which began back in January and depicted, among other things, a sheriff telling Verizon that “this town’s had enough of your lies” — claimed Verizon wasn’t truthful about its broadband internet speeds, the quality of its DVR, service appointments, and other business practices.

“The law, like our economic system, encourages spirited competition,” Brown said in his ruling. “But when a competitor exceeds the bounds of decency by falsely impugning the integrity of a competitor, it runs afoul of the law.”

Reuters points out that Cablevision previously agreed to voluntarily discontinue certain print ads in July. Those ads included depictions of Verizon as Pinocchio and reps for the cable company with “pants on fire.” Under the judge’s order this week, Cablevision has until this Friday to discontinue its television ad campaign.

Verizon was quick to welcome the judge’s ruling in a statement (PDF), saying Cablevision’s ads were nothing “but a campaign to keep accurate and factual information away from consumers.”

“The Cablevision lawsuit and its other tactics have a great consequence, even if it’s the opposite of what Cablevision had hoped: It’s clear, and confirmed by a court, that if you want faster Internet upload and download speeds and the ability to access those speeds wirelessly, Verizon offers it,” Susan Retta, Verizon vice president of consumer marketing, said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Cablevision tells Reuters that the company would continue to challenge Verizon’s claims, “not only through the legal system but also in the court of public opinion.”

Brown’s ruling is just the latest chapter in the Verizon/Cablevision saga.

Back in January, Cablevision filed a lawsuit [PDF] alleging that Verizon’s advertisements that it had the “fastest WiFi available” were an attempt at misleading customers during Cablevision’s launch of its own WiFi service called Freewheel.

The company accused Verizon of making misleading statements that are not only false advertising about its own products but also mislead consumers with regard to Cablevision.

“The false ads in Verizon’s campaign are designed to undermine the competitive threat Cablevision’s WiFi services pose to multiple facets — both internet and cellular service — of Verizon’s business,” the suit stated.

Brown threw out that lawsuit last week, saying that Verizon was not lying to the public by claiming its FiOS fiber optic network provides the fastest WiFi.

“The evidence presented suggests that Verizon FiOS’s top three tiers, namely 150/150 Mbps, 300/300 Mbps, and 500/500 Mbps all provide faster download speeds than Cablevision’s fastest plan, and all five FiOS plans offer faster upload speeds than any of Cablevision’s offerings,” Brown ruled on Friday.

Retta said in a statement that the court decision also confirmed that Cablevision’s 1.1 million WiFi hotspots emanate from routers in the private homes of its subscribers and not in public locations, as the company claimed.

U.S. judge tells Cablevision to stop calling Verizon ‘liar’ [Reuters]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

TurboTax Will Delete Cloud Backups Of Tax Returns For Some Users On July 21

(JeepersMedia)

TurboTax tried an interesting experiment this year: some of their desktop software users were offered the opportunity to store their tax returns in the on the cloud, which could be useful in the case of hard drive failure or some other catastrophe affecting files on your computer. Those customers will have to download a copy for safekeeping: Intuit has decided to end the experiment and have desktop customers save their returns the old-fashioned way.

That is the whole idea behind testing features, after all: if they don’t work, get rid of ’em. Only about 20% of people who file using TurboTax use desktop software: the rest file using the company’s Web-based services or mobile apps. (Yes, there are phone and tablet apps to do your taxes: some readers were surprised at this during tax season.)

The desktop program automatically saves a copy to the computer on which it’s installed, but cloud backup was offered as an option to some customers this year. Web users’ returns are stored on Intuit’s servers as part of the service.

TurboTax to delete tax returns for CD users who store online [CNN]

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

Lawsuit Accuses Kohl’s Of Advertising ‘False’ Original Prices

(Daniel Oines)

Is it fair to consumers when a retailer sells their own private-label products at a “discount” from the prices that they set in the first place? Two Kohl’s shoppers in California say that it isn’t, and they’ve filed a federal class action suit alleging that discount department store Kohl’s does exactly that.

The two lead plaintiffs claim that the real problem is with the store’s own brands, which include Sonoma, Apt. 9, Croft & Barrow, Daisy Fuentes, Elle, Mudd, Jennifer Lopez, and Simply Vera. Since Kohl’s owns these brands, the “original price” that they set on any item is arbitrary.

Yet shoppers love discount games, so all a retailer has to do is start us out with the idea that an item is “worth” more than they want to charge for it. If they want to sell a dress for about $24, they could mark the “original” price as $40 with a 40% discount. Easy!

The lead plaintiffs say that’s exactly what is happening every day at Kohl’s. (PDF download) “As a result,” their lawyers write in their initial complaint, “Plaintiffs and members of the proposed Class… received items of lesser value and quality than they expected and Kohl’s unlawfully, inequitable, and otherwise improperly was thereby unjustly enriched and benefited.” In other words, that $24 dress was never worth $40 to anyone.

It’s one thing when an off-price retailer sells clothes from other brands that you could theoretically find in a department store, even if the items bearing fancy brand names that you find in stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls or in brand outlets are actually produced specifically for the off-price or outlet market.

While Kohl’s does business in the same way nationwide, this class action only applies to California, alleging violations of that state’s false advertising, and unfair competition laws.

The plaintiffs ask that Kohl’s stop tagging items with what they call “false, untrue, and misleading ‘regular’ or ‘original’ prices,” as well as restitution for items that they have bought based on those “false” original prices.

Original Complaint [PDF]

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

Mozilla: Firefox Bug Could Secretly Search, Upload Your Files

(angela n.)

If you use Firefox on a PC, you should make sure you update your browser right now: Mozilla says Firefox user notified the company after spotting a bug that has the potential to search and download local files.

In a blog post yesterday, Mozilla said it released a security patch to fix the vulnerability, and is urging Firefox users on computers running Windows and Linux to update to Firefox 39.0.3 (you can do that by clicking here).

The company says a Firefox user found an ad on a general news site in Russia that was serving the bug up, which would then search for sensitive files and upload them to a server that appears to be in Ukraine.

“The files it was looking for were surprisingly developer focused for an exploit launched on a general audience news site, though of course we don’t know where else the malicious ad might have been deployed,” Mozilla notes.

At this point, Mozilla products that don’t contain its PDF viewer, like Firefox for Android, aren’t vulnerable. Mac users aren’t affected either, though they “would not be immune should someone create a different payload,” Mozilla adds. You also may be safe if you use ad-blocking software.

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

FREE BOOKS: 100 lega

FREE BOOKS: 100 legal sites to download literature



from Worth Reading..... http://ift.tt/1pHe7sW

via IFTTT

Amazon Will Reportedly Pay Self-Published E-Book Authors $.006 Per Page Read

(Micah Baldwin)

Last month, Amazon revealed it planned to begin a new payment system that entailed paying some authors per page read instead of per book purchased. Today, we know a little more about those impending payments, including the dollar value that Amazon intends to associate with each turn of the page.

The Guardian, citing an email from Amazon to authors, reports that the new payment system could pay some self-published authors just $0.006 per page read.

The company says in the email that customers read nearly 1.9 billion pages from books listed through Amazon’s Kindle Owners Lending Library and the Kindle Unlimited service last month. The company said that it expects to pay authors self-publishing through those services at least $11 million for June, July and August.

According to the Guardian, that means the payments received by authors could be as little as $0.006 per page read, estimating that if an author publishes a 220-page book each page would have to be read by every person who downloads the book in order for the writer to make the $1.30 they get under the previous pay-per-download payment system.

A literary editor tells the Guardian that the new system hasn’t exactly been welcomed with open arms by authors. She says six of her clients have already left the services, citing an estimated 60% to 80% reduction in royalties.

“A lot of self-published romance authors are disabled, stay-at-home mums, or even a few returned veterans who work in the field because a regular job just isn’t something they can handle,” the editor says. “People are shedding a lot of tears over this.”

Amazon set to pay self-published authors as little as $0.006 per page read [The Guardian]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

Comcast To Begin Testing Super-Fast Cable Broadband This Year

(honeylamb)

Most talk of new high-speed broadband has revolved around Internet service providers laying new networks of fiberoptic cable to deliver download speeds of 1Gbps or more, but Comcast says it plans to start testing a system that could provide upwards of 10Gbps over coaxial cable lines.

In yesterday’s call [transcript PDF] to discuss Comcast’s quarterly earnings, the company said it will begin “trialing and ultimately deploying DOCSIS 3.1 in our network, which will provide significant added capacity and lay the groundwork for future speed increases for our broadband customers.”

DOCSIS (short for Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) allows for high-speed transfer of data over existing cable lines. DOCSIS 3.1 is the latest version, released in 2013, and supports speeds of nearly 10 times the current 3.0 standard.

As DSLreports.com notes, it’s highly likely that Comcast won’t push DOCSIS 3.1 to the limit but will instead use it to offer gigabit broadband service that is closer to what Google Fiber and AT&T’s Gigapower services are providing in the few markets they serve.

Brian Roberts, Comcast’s CEO, labeled DOCSIS 3.1 a “quantum leap forward.” Comcast Cable president Neil Smit said the testing of this faster cable broadband will begin in the last quarter of 2015. The company says it plans to continue building out its fiber network.

The question is going to be price. Comcast recently announced initial pricing for its Gigabit Pro fiber service: $300/month, plus upwards of $1,000 in installation and activation fees, which seems a deliberate statement to customers that this is a product intended for businesses and users willing to plunk down significant cash. We won’t know for some time if Comcast will target a similar market with its pricing for higher speeds achieved through DOCSIS 3.1.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

Want Solitaire Ad-Free On Windows 10? That’ll Cost You

After leaving Solitaire off Windows 8, forcing PC users who needed to fill that procrastinatory urge to download the program separately, Microsoft made many customers happy when it announced that it’d be including the game in Windows 10. While that’s all well and good, some players might be irked to know that the new Solitaire is a freemium — meaning if you want an ad-free experience and access to other premium features, you’ll have to pay.

The new Windows 10 version of Microsoft Solitaire is included by default, but there are some features locked behind a paywall: it’ll cost $1.49 a month or $9.99 a year to get rid of ads, gain access to more coins (Solitaire’s in game currency) for completing daily challenges and have the chance to earn boosts in Tripeaks and Pyramid games.

This isn’t the first time Microsoft has offered an upgrade, though the difference here is that Windows 10 has Solitaire bundled in, while the game had to be downloaded from Microsoft’s store with Window 8. That version also included separate paid additions that could be downloaded.

(h/t to Business Insider UK)

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Pinned to Spaces in my Mind..... on Pinterest

Just Pinned to Spaces in my Mind.....: Download this FREE wallpaper @ http://ift.tt/2k2Boq4 and many more for motivation on the go! / Fitness Motivation / Workout Quotes / Gym Inspiration / Motivational Quotes / Motivation http://ift.tt/2uubPBY

Could You Soon Be Making Purchases By Scanning Your Face? That’s The Plan At MasterCard

(frankieleon)

Who has time to memorize the special code or password when you could just scan your face to approve an online purchase? While using facial recognition as confirmation you’re, well, you, might seem a little far-fetched, it could be a reality this fall according to MasterCard.

The credit card company announced plans this week to start testing a new program that asks customers to snap a photo of themselves to approve purchases, CNN reports.

The pilot program, which begins with about 500 customers this fall, will use fingerprints or facial scans to confirm one’s identity and securely complete purchases.

To use the new security feature – when it’s available – MasterCard members must download the company’s app.

When completing a transaction, a pop-up will ask customers for authorization, either a fingerprint of a photo. If using the facial recognition option, people simply look into the phone’s camera and blink.

According to MasterCard, blinking was the best way to prevent a thief from simply holding up a photo of someone else to use a stolen credit card.

Instead of keeping a photo in its archives, the company says the system will map out one’s face and convert the points to create a code that stays on the device. The company says it won’t be able to reconstruct customers’ faces and that information collected by the app will remain secure.

To create the program, MasterCard partnered with smartphone makers including Apple, BlackBerry, Google, Microsoft and Samsung, CNN reports.

The company hasn’t finalized deals with banks just yet, so it’s unclear just who will get to test out the program when it’s up and running.

MasterCard says the initiative is the company’s latest attempt to cut down on fraud, while alleviating the need to remember complicated passwords.

Currently, the company offers customers extra security through a program called “SecureCode,” which aims to stop hackers from using ill-gotten credit cards online.

That program, which has been used about three billion times in the last year, requires a shopper to enter a specific password when shopping online.

The company says they are also working on other secure methods to approve transactions including voice recognition.

MasterCard will approve purchases by scanning your face [CNN]

by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

iTunes Ditches Free Music Downloads Again

You, iTunes user! What use do you have for free downloads when you have the glorious streaming library of Apple Music to enjoy? Earlier this year, iTunes appeared to discontinue their free music download of the week, a decade-old feature. We speculated that Apple was doing away with the feature because of their acquisition of Beats, which has a music streaming service. Now that Apple Music has arrived, the free music downloads are gone again.

For now, of course, Apple Music is free for the first free months, but old-school iTunes users might miss their free tunes. Now all that’s available are TV episodes as free downloads, which you can see above. Reader Andrew points out that downloadable movie trailers are also gone from iTunes.

This time, the freebies might be gone for good: streaming video sites like YouTube are a better way to watch movie trailers, and consumers are buying fewer full albums and more streaming subscription.

by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

Fiat Chrysler Offers Software Patch For Some Internet-Connected Vehicles After Hackers Hijack Jeep

(seventeenfoxes)

After a journalist’s report of being inside a 2014 Jeep Cherokee while hackers miles away took over his car as part of an experiment, Fiat Chrysler has announced it’s offering a software patch for some of its internet-connected vehicles. That being said, the company didn’t directly acknowledge the hacking event itself.

The company released a statement saying that just like other technology like smartphones and tablets, sometimes vehicle software updates are required “for improved security protection to reduce the potential risk of unauthorized and unlawful access to vehicle systems.”

“The software security update, provided at no cost to customers, also includes Uconnect improvements introduced in the 2015 model year designed to enhance customer convenience and enjoyment of their vehicle,” Fiat Chrysler says, via Automotive News.

A story on Wired.com by Andy Greenberg on Tuesday told how hackers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek had remotely taken control of the Jeep he was driving, as part of a pre-arranged demonstration designed to call attention to the Uconnect Infotainment system’s vulnerability. It’s installed in 2013-14 Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles, and the 2015 Chrysler 200, with an 8.4-inch touch screen and Wi-Fi hot spot.

Fiat Chrysler doesn’t have the capability to push software to affected systems wirelessly, so the company is instead directing drivers to http://ift.tt/1OuvJBs where they can download the security patch themselves, or take their vehicle to a dealer for the software to be upgraded for free.

The hackers had said they were planning on releasing part of the code they used to infiltrate the system at an upcoming Black Hat conference, to convince automakers that their products are vulnerable. Fiat Chrysler does not approve.

“Under no circumstances does FCA condone or believe it’s appropriate to disclose ‘how-to information’ that would potentially encourage, or help enable hackers to gain unauthorized and unlawful access to vehicle systems,” the company said in the statement.

Jeep hacking prompts FCA software update to enhance security [Automotive News]

by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

Apple users are now

Apple users are now able to download iOS 8.1, which comes with a handful of worthy features, including Apple Pay and the return of the Camera Roll.



from Worth Reading..... http://ift.tt/1uC0mZM

via IFTTT

Comcast Improving Download Speeds For Free In Northeast, But Not For Everyone

(Mike Mozart)

With Comcast losing pay-TV subscribers in favor of streaming video services, the company is doing what it can to retain customers who not only ante up for TV and broadband, but also for home phone service.

Today, the company confirmed that some of its Mid-Atlantic and New England broadband customers will be getting free speed upgrades.

Comcast is trying to sweeten the pot to retain Triple Play (TV/Internet/Phone) customers, who account for about 45% of its subscriber base, by bumping some of them up from 25Mbps service to the new Performance Pro tier at 75 Mbps at no extra cost.

Note that the company’s press release only refers to “eligible Triple Play subscribers” but provides no further details on eligibility. A Comcast media rep we contacted didn’t provide specifics but said the company will soon be notifying those who are eligible.

As a customer-retention plan, it’s not a bad idea. Costs for carrying TV networks continue to increase while live-TV viewership is down, so as much as Comcast customers would love to see a price drop for their cable service, that’s unlikely. There’s not much you can do to make phone service more attractive; we’re amazed that so many people still pay for landline service. But one thing Comcast can do is improve data speeds.

Most of the affected customers currently don’t need 75 Mbps service and won’t suddenly run out to buy multiple 4K TV sets to take advantage of the faster speeds. It’s a lot like the recent spate of wireless companies giving away extra or free data to smartphone users. It’s a factor the company has control over and a benefit that most will not fully take advantage of.

If you’re an Internet-only customer with the higher-speed Blast tier of service, you’ll get a free downstream speed increase, taking you from the current 105 Mbps to 150 Mbps. Unlike the other no-cost increase, you don’t have to be a Triple Play subscriber.

The bad news is that Internet-only and Internet/TV-only Comcast subscribers with speed tiers lower than Blast will not yet see any speed increase, and why would the company go out of its way to retain these Internet-only customers when they are growing in number?

This is why increased competition in home broadband is needed. Comcast customers (and subscribers of most cable companies) have little choice for high-speed Internet service, so if they cut the pay-TV cord they are often still tethered to the pay-TV company by the Internet. With competition, Comcast would have to fight to keep the business of that defecting pay-TV customer.

by Chris Morran via Consumerist

WP Quote This plugin

WP Quote This plugin #wordpress #plugin #authors #free #freebies #download #blogging #blogger #bloggingtips



from Worth Reading..... http://ift.tt/1vYGPFD

via IFTTT