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Picking a product of the year is anything but trivial because the products I cover every week range from headphones to laptops to books, cars and more. So, I thought I'd try something different this year and pick six products that each deserve the title and then name a winner that stands out from the rest. This allows me to simplify the task and get around a bit of a writer's block I've been having on this subject. The six products will be a book, a car, a laptop, a smart speaker, Security, and a component. Let's get to it. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2EYlHNe

As if e-commerce companies didn't have enough problems with transacting securely and defending against things like fraud, another avalanche of security problems -- like cryptojacking, the act of illegally mining cryptocurrency on your end servers -- has begun. We've also seen a rise in digital credit card skimming attacks against popular e-commerce software. Some of the attacks are relatively naive and un-targeted, taking advantage of lax security on websites found to be vulnerable, while others are highly targeted for maximum volume. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2SpRHxA

The healthcare cloud has been growing incredibly, becoming an ever-more-important element of health information technology, or HIT. There are many reasons why the HIT cloud has been becoming more prominent, such as research and development and collaboration. Since the cloud has been expanding so rapidly, this may be a good time to reconsider security -- and that means understanding the threat, reviewing best practices, and heightening awareness of emergent approaches. First, realize the cloud is only getting bigger. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2Tgj0u1

In DNA printing, genetic code becomes computer code. This transformation occurs when the chemical bases adenine, thymine, cytosine and guanine present in a chemical mix or gene sequence are translated by computer through gel electrophoresis technology into their representative letters: A/T, T/A, C/G, G/C. This alphabet code was formalized in 1970 by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry for integration into a text-based bioinformatics format, called "FASTA," in which nucleotides are represented symbolically using single letters. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2QUvI5d

When I think of corporate responsibility, one company tends to float to the top, and that is Cisco. With massive efforts to train people all over the world in the critical networking skills needed to secure and expand global communications, Cisco has been taking a major chunk out of joblessness. It has invested millions to reduce homelessness near its headquarters -- something most of the tech firms seem to ignore -- and it has been aggressive in deploying crisis teams during disasters to ensure timely communications to first responders. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2EKTdpN

Generation Z is getting a lot of attention these days, as the cohort is expected to outpace millennials, and comprise 32 percent of the world's population. This powerful group of 7.7 billion consumers was born into a digital world. A much-reported claim is that Generation Z has an attention span of 8 seconds. It may seem that to reach younger consumers, your website should mirror this lightning-quick attention span, but in reality, the reverse is true. Members of Gen Z constantly get slammed with every conceivable stimulus. from TechNewsWorld http://bit.ly/2BBihwe

Firework this week released a collection of shows consisting of 12 episodes that will run just 15-seconds each. The first, "Fireside Chat featuring Molly Tarlov," debuted Tuesday. Three more followed on Wednesday, and another is scheduled for release on Dec. 28. Users can download the episodes via the Firework app, which is now available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. In the first series from Firework Originals, "Fireside Chat featuring Molly Tarlov," the actress and comedian interviews various stars in just 15 seconds. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2CoamUT

DNA printing is based on the natural flow of genetic information in a cell from DNA through RNA to amino acids to proteins, from gene to protein, genome to proteome, genomics to proteomics. DNA, life's foundation blueprint, makes up genes, the instructions for making proteins -- the complex molecules that do most of the work in living organisms. "DNA makes RNA makes proteins make Life." That simple formula, which has worked well for life on Earth for at least half a billion years, very recently has turned into a trillion-dollar modern global industry based on an updated formula: "People make DNA." from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2S8T3wy

Why would Apple want to put Qualcomm out of business? It's because Apple uses a lock-in strategy, where once on an Apple platform it is painful to get off. Most of the smart Apple iPhone users I know actually use Google apps and Google's infrastructure and other third-party tools on their iPhones, so if they want to move to an Android phone they can move almost seamlessly. However, this always assumes there is an Android phone to move too. Since Qualcomm ensures that almost anyone can build a decent smartphone, Apple wants to kill the company. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2BsWR4m

Since the industrial revolution, technology has changed society continually. Largely due to innovations in semiconductor electronics, software and computer technology, the pace of technological development has continued to accelerate over the past 50 years. Personal computers now fit into your pocket. You have access to people and information all over the world through the Internet. Anything up to the size of a small building can be printed. Just about everything -- from your house to your car -- is becoming intelligent. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2SMNnbc

BlackBerry this week introduced its new Security Credential Management System. SCMS -- a free service for the public and private sectors -- could encourage efforts to develop autonomous and connected vehicle pilot programs. Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry, which in recent years has pivoted from its past business built around mobile handsets, undertook development of this technology to provide the critical infrastructure for vehicles and traffic lights to exchange information securely. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2GdH1jV

Developers of U.S.-based Elementary OS recently released the community's annual major update, Juno 5. What makes this distro so nontraditional is its own desktop interface, called "Pantheon." This desktop interface is somewhat of a hybrid, inspired by Apple's Debian Ubuntu-based OS X. It combines some similarities of the GNOME 3 Shell with the visual finesse of the OS X dock. Its Ubuntu underpinnings are anchored under the hood. What you see and use on the screen gives Elementary OS a distinct look and feel. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2C7T3Hj

Supermicro CEO Charles Liang has informed the company's customers that a leading third-party investigations company found "absolutely no evidence of malicious hardware" on its motherboards. The investigation was undertaken in response to a recent claim that bad actors had inserted spy chips in the firm's motherboards on behalf of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, China's armed forces. The findings "were no surprise to us," Liang noted, because "our process is designed to protect the integrity and reliability of our products." from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2zVdLIY

Selling location data collected by mobile phones has become a lucrative business, according to a report that noted location advertising sales are expected to reach $21 billion this year. At least 75 companies receive anonymous, precise location data from applications with the location services feature activated. Several of those outfits claim to track 200 million mobile devices in the United States -- about half of all devices in the country. The data is very accurate, coming within a few yards of a person's whereabouts at a point in time. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2QsSxg7

December has become consistent with the Chinese curse, "May You Be Born In Interesting Times." We are up to our armpits in wars, and each is very different. Qualcomm and Intel are fighting for 5G control, and Intel is tearing itself apart. Microsoft passed Apple in valuation, largely because it has not been focusing on Apple. Canadian authorities just arrested the daughter of the Huawei founder, at the request of the United States, cratering the stock market again, and setting up a potentially costly chain of events. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2RUqJ0V

Rumors circulated this week that Microsoft will be replacing the core technology in its Edge browser for Windows 10 with Chromium, the open source software from Google that is the core of the Chrome browser. Google's Blink will be basis of the new browser, reportedly codenamed "Anaheim." Microsoft Edge, developed by Microsoft as a replacement for Internet Explorer, is now on Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile and Xbox One devices. However, it does not run on older versions of the Windows operating system. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2PkkjWF

Linux and the open source business model are far different today than many of the early developers might have hoped. Neither can claim a rags-to-riches story. Rather, their growth cycles have been a series of hit-or-miss milestones. The Linux desktop has yet to find a home on the majority of consumer and enterprise computers. However, Linux-powered technology has long ruled the Internet and conquered the cloud and Internet of Things deployments. Both Linux and free open source licensing have dominated in other ways. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2RETq1x

Google hasn't released consumers from its filter bubble -- the package of personalized search results it delivers -- despite having promised to do so, according to study results from DuckDuckGo. Most participants saw results unique to them, the researchers found, which could not be explained by changes in location, time, by being logged into Google, or by Google testing algorithm changes with a small subset of users. On the first page of search results, Google included links for some participants that it did not include for others. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2BSO6lC

Deepin 15.8, released last month, is loaded with more efficient layout tweaks that give the distribution greater functionality and maturity. Deepin, based in China, shed its Ubuntu base when with the 2015 release of version 15, which favored Debian Linux. That brought numerous subtle changes in the code base and software roots. Ubuntu Linux itself is based on Debian. The chief distinguishing factor that accounts for Deepin's growing popularity is its homegrown Deepin Desktop Environment. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2PlBzKU

The personal data of some 100 million people who have used Quora, a popular question and answer website, has been compromised, the company disclosed. "We recently discovered that some user data was compromised as a result of unauthorized access to one of our systems by a malicious third party," wrote Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo in an online post. "We are working rapidly to investigate the situation further and take the appropriate steps to prevent such incidents in the future," he added. The intrusion was discovered Friday. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2E1gJPa

Nvidia has announced a breakthrough in 3D rendering research that may have far-reaching ramifications for future virtual worlds. A team led by Nvidia VP Bryan Catanzaro discovered a way to use a neural network to render synthetic 3D environments in real time, using a model trained on real-world videos. With Nvidia's technology, worlds can be populated with objects "learned" from video input. Nvidia's technology offers the potential to quickly create virtual worlds for gaming, automotive, architecture, robotics or virtual reality. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2APd6bL

This year I thought I'd list my favorite unusual products as gift ideas. I'm a big fan of products most people don't have that solve a specific work problem, as well as those that could make your life easier, more comfortable or more fun. I like to give gifts that people actually would use. In some cases, due to the cost, these may be things you'd buy only for yourself, a spouse, or a relative you really want to impress. So here is my guide to 2018's personal products that have a bit of wow associated with them. from TechNewsWorld https://ift.tt/2BP37EY