BlackBerry has purchased a German security firm that counts Angela Merkel as one of its customers in a bid to reinvigorate its enterprise mobility management portfolio.Secusmart was snapped up for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition comes as the Canadian company is aiming to reinvent itself as the most secure handset manufacturer.Both Google and Apple have made it clear that they view the enterprise segment as the next big market to go after following the release of Android L (for Google) and the recent IBM announcement (for Apple).A solution called "Security Card" is at the heart of all Secusmart products. Essentially a computer squeezed into a microSD card format, it integrates an NXP SmartMX P5C T072 crypto-controller with a PKI coprocessor for authentication.The company's CEO, John Chen, declared that, "the acquisition of Secusmart underscores our focus on addressing growing security costs and threats ranging from individual privacy to national security," adding, "this acquisition bolsters our security solutions with leading voice and data encryption and anti-eavesdropping technologies, and furthers BlackBerry's security leadership in end-to-end mobile solutions."
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Wednesday, July 30, 2014
BlackBerry buys mobile security startup
Interview: How HTML 5 is speeding up apps for iOS and Android
When HTML 5 first arrived on the scene it promised big things for the web and mobile - one app compatible across all platforms without the need for developers to tinker with code sounded great.Thing is, it hasn't worked out that way just yet. Developers are still stuck with the intricacies of iOS, Android and Windows Phone which demand some level of native programming for each platform.Operating systems such as Firefox OS - based entirely on the HTML 5 platform - were promising concepts, but are yet to take the mobile world by storm.HTML 5: what is it?Apple's iOS and Google's Android still dominate the market, and both solutions support different code bases.TechRadar spoke to Anthony Odogwu, an app developer and Founder of FutureSpace Technologies, who explained the challenge for developers."It's challenging to get your mind around the syntaxes and what's needed to compile and run your application [when moving from iOS to Android app development for the first time]."HTML 5 to the rescue?Transitioning between the two operating system is becoming easier however. "With the development of frameworks and software you have the ability to transfer what you've built to an extent between platforms," Odogwu told us.These complexities within app development can result in a slower creation process, and in such a fast-paced industry speed is essential. That's where HTML 5 comes in."HTML 5 allows us to build a lot of prototypes very quickly before we decide whether certain functions will be natively coded."These prototypes show us and our clients how the framework of the app will work - when you have a prototype it enables everyone to see the plans clearly."The work done in HTML 5 isn't lost either, as Odogwu explains: "with the new SDKs there are a lot of frameworks and plugins which allow you to quickly transfer the HTML 5 to an iOS or Android format," minimising the amount of coding required to make it a native application.Out of the comfort zoneAnother advantage of HTML 5 is encouraging developers wedded to one particular operating system to branch out and code a single app which will work on a variety of platforms.Odogwu says HTML 5 "gives those who are native development lovers a bridge, enabling them to build an application and make it compatible across different devices with just one framework and design."While there are clear benefits for using HTML 5, Odogwu is remaining grounded when it comes to the future for the language."I think it's definitely going to be a competitor. With mobile app development there are still native functions which are needed for certain things, and HTML 5 is still limited in that area."As a cheaper way of creating apps HTML 5 will have a space that it will be dominant in, but I don't think it will overtake iOS and Android."You'll need a phone for some apps: here are the best
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Ugandan Constitutional Court Could Rule Thursday On Challenge To Anti-Homosexuality Act
The court opened hearings Wednesday over the government’s objections.
Ugandan anti-gay activist Pastor Martin Ssempa in parade before "thanksgiving ceremony" celebrating passage of the anti-LGBT law in March.
Stringer / Reuters
The Constitutional Court of Uganda opened arguments on Wednesday on a challenge to the controversial Anti-Homosexuality Act brought by a group of human rights activists, legal scholars, opposition politicians, and LGBT people.
The first day of hearings focused on the question of whether the law, which punishes homosexuality with up to a lifetime sentence and criminalizes promotion of LGBT rights, was adopted unlawfully because there was no quorum present when Speaker Rebecca Kadaga called for a vote on December 20, 2013.
"This is a fundamental provision, my lords, intended to protect the integrity of parliament," attorney Nicholas Opiyo told the judges in presenting the case. "This procedure, my lords, was ignored by the honorable speaker of the House."
The court adjourned at around 1:00 p.m. and scheduled hearings to resume on Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m., which could be the final hearing. Opiyo told that he got the impression the court intends to decide on this procedural challenge before hearing arguments on whether the law, which was enacted in February, violates fundamental rights protected by the constitution. If the court agrees that Parliament broke procedural rules, Opiyo said, "it appears ... it will dispose of the entire case," and "it looks likely" that it will decide that during the Thursday session.
If the court rules against the government, it would not be the first time that the Ugandan Constitutional Court has ruled in favor of LGBT rights. Trans activist Victor Mukasa successfully sued Uganda's attorney general in 2006 for raiding his house while he was head of Sexual Minorities Uganda. Inspired by Mukasa's victory, activist David Kato sued the now-defunct Ugandan tabloid Rolling Stone over a series of articles outing LGBT people. Weeks after winning the case in 2011, Kato was bludgeoned to death.
The hearing was presided over by Justice Sam Kavuma, with an audience that included leading anti-LGBT activist Pastor Martin Ssempa and Frank Mugisha of Sexual Minorities Uganda. Before beginning arguments on the quorum question, much of the day was taken up by an unsuccessful attempt by the attorney defending the law to delay the hearing, claiming they had not had adequate time to prepare. The Constitutional Court had set the hearing date for September, before unexpectedly announcing last week that arguments would begin on Wednesday. The court rejected the government's motion, saying the government had not filed a petition to have the hearing delayed.
You can listen to Nicholas Opiyo argue his case here:
w.soundcloud.com
Mujuni Raymond contributed to this report from Kampala.
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Rich Franklin Wants One More UFC Fight
Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin wants one more UFC fight before he hangs the...
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Tuesday, July 29, 2014
‘Asian Morgan Freeman’ Is Probably The Best Thing To Ever Happen To The Internet
Morgan Freeman is a man of many talents. One might think his soothing, narrative voice, hypotheses about the zombie apocalypse and his calm demeanor cannot be replicated by anyone. But then, with such a thought, one would be wrong. A Guyism reader found an Asian Morgan Freeman doppelganger, and it is too perfect for words. Seriously. I […]
‘Asian Morgan Freeman’ Is Probably The Best Thing To Ever Happen To The Internet
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Genius Solar-Powered Plug Turns Any Window Into An Outlet
The unparalleled convenience of solar energy can now be yours thanks to this portable outlet that absorbs sunlight and converts it into electricity. Designed by Kyuho Song and Boa Oh, the Window Socket sticks to a wall that gets a lot of sunlight and, after eight hours of charging, is left with 10 hours of […]
Genius Solar-Powered Plug Turns Any Window Into An Outlet
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Scott Brown's Campaign Ads Feature Green Screened Stock Footage
Spoiler: He’s not at the airport.
Scott Brown's new campaign ad titled "Security" features the New Hampshire candidate standing in an airport talking about security procedures at U.S. airports compared to security conditions at the U.S.-Mexico border:
youtube.com
But it appears Brown isn't really in an airport — and instead in front of a green screen with stock video footage of an airport from Shutterstock superimposed during editing:
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