technology reviews – Page 2

Tier II cities more prone to cyber security threats: K7 Computing report

Patna is most susceptible, with 47 per cent of its netizens saying they had been attacked

Net users in tier-II cities are most vulnerable to cyber security threats, with Patna being the most susceptible. A staggering 47 per cent of netizens surveyed from that city said they had been attacked. Patna was followed by Guwahati and Lucknow, according to a latest report by IT security solutions provider K7 Computing. The study says that almost three out of every ten Indian cyber users encountered one or more cyberattacks, while metro cities have experienced a similar number when compared to the previous quarter.

Among the metros and tier-I cities, Delhi has seen the highest increase in terms of infection rate, with a growth of six per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis, says the K7 Computing’s Cyber Threat Monitor report for the second quarter of 2019-20. The company uses infection rate, described as the regional percentage of threat events reported to its K7 Ecosystem Threat Intelligence (K7ETI) infrastructure, as a barometer to measure the exposure of netizens grouped by state capitals, tier-1 and tier-2 cities to threats. This includes those who encountered at least one threat event during the period.

According to the study, Patna registered the highest percentile of cyberattacks at 47 per cent compared to the other Tier-2 cities covered in…read more

Year in Review: Why 5G remained a distant dream for India in 2019 too

Despite several developments on the 5G front, the next-generation network connectivity is still nowhere close to being rolled out in India. Here’s why

5G is expected to bring some key improvements to the current generation of mobile networks with regard to data transfer speed, latency and throughput. Besides, the next-generation mobile network is also expected to enable the full potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem, bringing to reality the concept of connected homes, office spaces, vehicles, and more.

Considering the benefits of 5G, at least in terms of what it promises on paper, and given India’s growing demand for data services, it is safe to assume that the technology would help put the country’s dream of a digital economy on the fast track. However, despite several developments on the 5G front, the next-generation network does not appear to be anywhere close to getting rolled out in the country.

Here is an explainer detailing everything you need to know about 5G in India:

What is 5G?

5G is a mobile network touted to offer faster data transfer speeds than the current generation (4G) at a lower latency rate and higher throughput to…read more

A list of popular gaming titles to be launched next year

Here is a list of popular games that are to be launched either in 2020

Technology news: From the advent of subscription-based game streaming services like Apple Arcade and Google Stadia to the rollout of some of the popular gaming titles for mobile platforms, the year 2019 has been a year full of surprises, fun and captivating experiences for the community of ardent gamers. The new year is unlikely to see any let-up in excitement, as some of the most popular gaming titles are scheduled to be launched in 2020.

Listing of popular games that will be launched or undated in 2020:

12 MINUTES (ANNAPURNA INTERACTIVE)

Availability: Xbox One, Windows 10 PC

Storyline: 12 Minutes is a real-time top-down interactive thriller with an accessible click-and-drag interface. What should be a romantic evening with your wife turns into a nightmare when a police detective breaks into your home, accuses your wife of murder and beats you to…read more

Isro puts Chandrayaan-2 setback behind ends 2019 on positive note

The GSAT-20 satellite is scheduled for mid-2020. It is a next-generation high-throughput satellite that would address the country’s connectivity issues

The Indian Space Research Organisation has gotten over the setback it suffered on account of the Chandrayaan-2 mission, and has ended the year with six launch vehicle missions and seven satellite missions. The number is lower than that achieved in 2018, when Isro had completed 16 missions and was preparing for some major milestones, including the launch of Chandrayaan-2, preparing for India’s first human space programme ‘Gaganyaan’ and its mission to the Sun: Aditya-1.

At the beginning of the year 2019, Isro said it was planning as many as 32 missions, including 14 launch vehicles, 17 satellite and one Technology Demonstration missions. The complex Chandrayaan-2 and the development flights of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle or SSLVs, were an intrinsic part of this plan. SSLVs are the new member in the Launch Vehicle family.

After completing 16 missions in 2018, Isro started the year 2019 not with a launch, but with the signing of an MoU with industries to…read more

Best midrange smartphones of 2019

lists top five mid-range smartphones price under Rs 25,000 and launched in 2019

Technology news: The midrange phone segment became the battleground for most smartphone manufacturers in 2019. As a result, it became one of the most populated smartphone categories of the year, with several launches. It was this category that also became the playground for phone makers to roll out their technology innovations with regard to imaging – one of the features that grew to become a key defining parameter in most smartphones of 2019. From premium designs to versatile imaging, midrange smartphones launched in 2019 were full of surprises and technology innovations.

Lists top five best sub-Rs 25,000 smartphones that were launched in 2019:

Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro

Redmi Note 8 Pro This was one of the most comprehensive smartphone ones in the midrange segment could get this year. From 64-megapixel quad rear cameras to a gaming-centric processor and fast-charge support, the phone has…read more

OnePlus announces $7000 bug bounty programme, partners with HackerOne

The company has also partnered with HackerOne, a hacker-powered security platform as part of its efforts to better protect users from cyber threats

Premium smartphone maker OnePlus on Thursday announced that it will offer a bug bounty offering upto USD 7,000 (about Rs 4.9 lakh) to security experts who discover and report potential threats to OnePlus’ systems.

The company has also partnered with HackerOne, a hacker-powered security platform as part of its efforts to better protect users from cyber threats.

OnePlus Global Security Response Centre will engage academics and security professionals to responsibly discover, disclose and re-mediate issues that could affect the security of OnePlus’ systems and will help OnePlus proactively counter potential external threats to user security, OnePlus said in a statement.

Security researchers around the world can proactively search for…read more

India, US discuss 5G technology, risks posed by Chinese-made telecom giants

President Donald Trump has asked American firms to stop doing business with Chinese telecom giant Huawei, alleging that it was a tool of Chinese intelligence

Technology news: The US has discussed with India the “risks” posed by Chinese-made communication networks, including 5G, pose to the treasured freedoms, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said, amidst the Trump administration stepped up its pressure against Chinese telecom giants.

President Donald Trump has asked American firms to stop doing business with Chinese telecom giant Huawei, alleging that it was a tool of Chinese intelligence.

Pompeo told reporters at a joint press conference with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar and Home Minister Rajnath Singh and the US Defence Secretary Mark Esper that the 5G issue was discussed during the second edition of the 2+2 ministerial dialogue between India and the US here…read more

Beijing reprimands Xiaomi, Tencent over users’ privacy infringement

China, which exercises close surveillance of online activity, has recently tightened its scrutiny of companies that gather data from consumers

Chinese tech goliaths Tencent and Xiaomi have been denounced by Beijing for planning applications that encroach on clients’ protection, even as the Communist system hoards its own assortment of individual information.

China, which exercises close surveillance of online activity, has recently tightened its scrutiny of companies that gather data from consumers.

Xiaomi Finance and Tencent’s texting administration QQ were among many hazardous applications named and disgraced by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology on Thursday.

QQ powers clients to permit the application to follow their use…read more

Indigenous missile system Pinaka successfully flight-tested for second day

The navigation system of the missile is also aided by the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).

India’s indigenously created Pinaka rocket framework, which is fit for striking up to scope of 75 kilometers, was effectively flight-tried for the second back to back day on Friday, in a lift to its big guns control, protection sources said.

Created by Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the Pinaka MK-II rocket is adjusted as a rocket by incorporating the route, control and direction framework to improve the end precision and upgrade the range, they said.

The rocket framework, equipped for striking into hostile area up to a scope of 75 kilometers with high exactness, was terminated from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur close…read more