These days, almost everyone is online, and consequently cyber security is of ever-increasing importance. We’ve all heard stories about identity theft, password phishing, credit card fraud, and all sorts of online related crimes that happen.
To adequately protect yourself in this environment, every network, personal or commercial, should have at least three basic components dedicated to their cyber security. In most cases these will be:
Of all computer peripherals on the market, the humble mouse is easily the one that's been most maligned. Essentially unchanged in design and functionality for two decades, the mouse has finally come into its own having now claimed the title “smart”. Having languished in the shadows of hardware such as speakers, printers and external hard drives, the mouse is enjoying its moment in the sun thanks to a group of Italian product developers. Working with the UK-based company Laura Sapiens, the team of engineers devised a new generation of mouse called the Ego! Smartmouse. The Ego! Conveniently stores the user's digital identity and files, giving you the ability to access multiple platforms by transporting your personal files inside the mouse.
The Smartmouse is designed to interact with any device that can access Bluetooth technology. As an optical mouse, the device functions flawlessly. However, what differentiates the Ego! Smartmouse from others is its capability to manage its own accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, touch sensor and embedded VGA camera. In addition it sports a Linux OS that employs a 2 GB, 4 GB or 8GB of flash memory. The Ego! Is a completely transportable storage device. However, for those important files requiring more capacity, the device offers cloud storage.
Last week, Google rolled out its much anticipated Chromebook Pixel laptop with the intent to impress. Early response to the high-resolution touch screen and powered by an Intel Core i5 processor has been very positive. Google's new Chromebook Pixel laptop enjoys features such as 12.85-inch touch- sensitive employing Corning's latest Gorilla glass screen technology for its touch screen capabilities. The screen's resolution is a crystal-clear 4.3 million pixels, or the equivalent of 238 pixels per inch. This represents greater pixel density than that of the Macbook Retina.
The model comes in two options:The stripped down Chromebook Pixel which is only available in WiFi and the upgraded version which is designed to connect with Verizon's LTE network. Both models are powered by an Intel Core i5 processor. Google claims a battery life of 5 hours. It comes equipped with QuickOffice and a SD card slot for automatic photo uploads to Google+.
Kickstarter is the leading online funding platform for aspiring project creators seeking a financial sugar daddy. Each month, 10's of thousands of potential Investors contribute seed money for promising projects that interest them. Since 2009, more than $500 billion has been pledged to finance more than 35,000 creative and business projects. The Kickstarter investors have an impressive track record in picking winners. Of the 88,491 launched projects, 43.5% enjoyed a successful outcome. Projects fall within one of a number of categories including games, technology, music and so on.
Kickstarter operates in a truly entrepreneurial spirit. Each independently achieved project is the sole responsibility of the project creator. They have complete autonomy in how the project is managed and completed. Each creator invests his time in building his Kickstarter pages to present to investors. Kickstarter exemplifies the quintessential free enterprise system completely in sync. Concepts transform into actionable ideas that morph into successful fruition and enter the open marketplace.
Iconic computer manufacturer Dell has entered an agreement with private equity firm Silver Lake Partners, Microsoft and Dell founder Michael Dell to privatize the company in a deal estimated to be worth a whopping $24.4 billion. The newly formed triad hopes to buy the company from the shareholders for $13.65 a share. The purchase price offers a slightly higher price than the share's closing price as of February 1. However, that number represents the price of a Dell share prior to the rumors of buyout began circulating in mid-January.
If the buyout goes according to plan, the transaction will be one of the largest leveraged buyout ever recorded on Wall Street. The leveraged buyout is a last ditch effort to turn around Dell's dismal performance. Once the envy of tech companies, Dell had seen 33% of its market value evaporate in 2012. The shrinking PC market is the culprit for Dell's recent demise. Dell has suffered from diminishing sales as competitors such as Apple and Samsung have been able to adapt to “post PC” world.
