Today’s Tech Sightings:
Internet of Things: Sillier, Scarier and Coming Your Way
Wearable, connected devices and “smart” everyday gadgets are slowly making their way into people’s homes, turning everything from the cellphone to the fridge to Barbie dolls into a connected, Internet of Things tech challenge. While using your cellphone to turn on or off some features might be useful in some cases, writer David Gewirtz is concerned about the information gathering and overall security nightmare that comes with an Internet of Things world.
Thousands of Android, iOS Apps Still Vulnerable to FREAK Bug
A report from FireEye researchers said a large number of iOS and Android apps are still vulnerable to the FREAK bug despite released patches. According to the report, up to 10 percent of Android apps are vulnerable because they use an Open SSL library to connect to HTTPS servers.
Twitter Automates Creation of Harassment Reports
Twitter now lets users email themselves reports of online harassment or abuse with one click, once they have reported a tweet as abusive. The emailed report contains all the information needed should the victim decide to report the incident to law enforcement officials.
Are Smart Glasses Dead? Not on the Factory Floor
The future of Google Glass might be unclear, but alternative, high-tech glasses are still in use, particularly in U.S. factories. Factory workers use gesture or voice commands to operate augmented reality smart glasses that project layers of virtual reality onto the real world to give users heat vision and virtual instructions, among other things.
Google Admits Glass Prototype Was Overhyped
Google recently admitted that Google Glass did not fare as well as the company would have liked. Google X laboratory lead scientist, Astro Teller, discussed the Google Glass missteps in a keynote speech in Austin, Texas, saying the company sometimes led people to believe the prototype was a finished product.
Microsoft Tackles China Piracy With Free Upgrade to Windows 10
In an unprecedented move, Microsoft is offering China’s Windows users — including those with pirated copies — free upgrades to Windows 10, which is launching this summer. The initiative is an attempt to put legitimate Windows versions on millions of Windows computers in China.
Microsoft Cooks Up Way to Run Windows 10 on Android Devices
An agreement announced Tuesday between Microsoft and Chinese mobile device manufacturer Xiaomi will allow owners of the Xiaomi Mi 4 Android smartphone to install and test the Windows 10 Technical Preview. Custom-made ROMs (read-only memory), typically used to overwrite an existing operating system with a customized one, will allow users to override Android and transform the device into a Windows 10 phone.
Elon Musk: The End of Human Drivers Is Nigh
Tesla CEO Elon Musk expects self-driving cars to take over roads within 20 years, albeit gradually. And he predicts human drivers could be banned in the process because he thinks they are just too dangerous.
