Citigroup Finds a Security Concern in their iPhone App

Citigroup is encouraging users of their iPhone app to discontinue its use and upgrade to its latest version.  Citigroup has indicated that the faulty app was accidentally saving info pertaining to the account of the individual using it.  The info included account numbers, bill payments, and security access codes.  This data being left on the device means that others can access it as well and that leaves the customer incredibly vulnerable.

According to Citigroup, the updated version will delete any Citigroup info that may have been stored on the device.  Kudos to them for discovering the problem, going public with it, and offering a fast solution.  The company has stated they do not believe that anyone was affected from the flaw.

This demonstrates that even apps that are approved by Apple and downloaded by customers from the App Store may not be free of bugs or security holes.  I expect to see more of these types of stories as our world continues to evolve around mobility  with the smartphone acting as the center point.  Cases such as this are the reason that I recommend waiting and not being on the leading edge of using apps such as this.  Give them some time to be used by others and have the bugs worked out of them before jumping in with both feet.

Amazon Releases New "WiFi Only" Kindle for $139

The iPad has changed things a lot as far as consuming media... in a very short time.  And while it has been getting the lion's share of publicity since its release, it wasn't the first "slate/tablet" type device designed for media consumption.  Perhaps the best known, until 3 months ago, was the Amazon Kindle.  Now, I've blogged about the Kindle here before.  It's a great device for reading.  Well designed, extremely light and portable.

Amazon was very meticulous in the design and the software as well.  The Kindle is easy to use, easy on the eyes, and really had anything the average person reading a book might need, including a dictionary.  You can make notes, highlight passages, dog ear pages, you name it.  In fact the only thing the Kindle wasn't easy on was the wallet.  I bought mine about 3 years ago and paid about $300 for it.

Now we're seeing why the old adage "competition is good" rings so true, even today.  That's because today, Amazon announced the release date for a new Kindle that will retail for only $139.  Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon has stated that due to selling so many of the devices, the price can drop due to the economy of scale.  This particular device also has a lower price tag due to the fact that it can only download from a WiFi connection and not a wireless mobile connection (Amazon uses AT&T for that service with no charge to the customer).

This new WiFi Kindle has some advantages over previous versions, including:

• Faster page turning
• 3500 book memory - almost double from previous versions
• One month battery life

The device will be shipping on August and is currently available for pre-order. All the details can be found on the product page at Amazon.com

Clinical Trial with Midwest ATC Handpiece Starting This Week

 

For the next few weeks we'll be putting a new handpiece from Midwest through our clinical testing process.  We'll push it as hard as we can to see if we can find any weaknesses.  This will involve, but not be limited to crown removal, endo access (especially through crowns), alloy removal, operative, and anything else we can throw at it.  We'll also be comparing it to our existing handpiece inventory of Prodrive handpieces, Kavo 635 with Prodrive turbines, and Lares 557's.

The Stylus ATC incorporates a couple of interesting technologies:

Speed-Sensing Intelligence (SSI) By incorporating SSI technology, Midwest Engineers added a sensor to the handpiece that connects to an electronic "brain" in the control source that constantly maintains bur speed according to load. It knows when to deliver more power.

Superior Turbine Suspension (STS) Midwest® optimized the axial preload with independent radial support to the bearings, providing unparalleled stiffness even at the highest load and speed without noticeable bur deflection or chatter.

 

For all the details on the Stylus ATC, visit the official website.

 

 

When Disaster Strikes...

As you should all know by now, I'm fairly fanatical about backing up. However, there are some times, such as when you are in the middle of a project and you suffer a crash. You may not have had the chance to backup that one critical piece and now your machine won't boot... What do you do?

Well, for around $20 you can have the Bytecc USB 2.0 to IDE/SATA Adapter Kit. This is one of those devices that is handier than you might think for all kinds of reasons. In a nutshell, it allows you to take a standard hard drive, connect it to another computer via USB and access it just like any other USB drive. You can copy needed files, reformat the drive, basically anything you can do with a USB drive. This very affordable little gizmo has made my life a lot easier on several occasions & is highly recommended.

Here is a list of features & included items:
USB 2.0 to IDE/SATA Cable
Support SATA HDD up to 1000GB(1TB) , IDE HDD up to 750GB.
Connect any device with an IDE/SATA Interface to a PC with USB interface
Transfer rate Approx. 480 MBps
Complies with USB 2.0 standards
Backwards compatible to USB 1.1 standards
Complies with ATA/ATAPI-66 Spe. V1.0
Easy to Install
Supports IDE/SATA and enhanced IDE hard drives
Supports ATA/ATAPI/SATA CD-ROM/R/RW DVD-ROM and more
External power adapter for IDE/ATAPI/SATA devices
Linux, Mac compatible


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Velocity Micro Cruz Tablet

I like my iPad, but I know there are those of you who would prefer something non- Apple and something that is on a different platform.

As time goes on, you'll have more and more choices, but how about right now? The good news is that you can have your very own tablet/slate device running Android. Here is the press release. Read on for all the details:

Velocity Micro® Announces a Family of Android™ based color E-readers and Tablets

Cruz line launches with 7" color Cruz Reader™, 16:9 Cruz Tablet™ and kid-friendly Cruz StoryPad™

Richmond, VA – July 13, 2010 – Velocity Micro, the premier builder of premium, high performance desktop computers, notebooks, and peripherals, announces the debut products from a captivating and affordable line-up of Android powered mobile devices. Taking e-readers light-years past e-ink, the Cruz Reader features a sleek design, touch screen display, and tons of multimedia features. The Cruz Tablet offers the same multimedia capabilities as the Cruz Reader with more storage and a multi-touch screen. Perfect for kids, the Cruz StoryPad offers a touch screen, interactive content, and intuitive interface. Best of all, the Cruz line starts at just $149.

"Since 1992, Velocity Micro has been dedicated to building remarkable consumer electronics," said Randy Copeland, President and CEO of Velocity Micro. "With the development of the Cruz line, we were able to take those enthusiast sensibilities and package them for the mainstream consumer to create a product that's not only amazing, but affordable as well."

At under one pound and about a half inch thick, the $199, 7" Cruz Reader goes everywhere you do, making it perfect for students, avid readers, frequent flyers, and techies. Additional features such as video playback and web browsing provide a much richer experience than traditional e-ink readers at a more reasonable price than a tablet.
Key specs and features include:

· Crystal clear 4:3 ratio, 800x600 full color touch screen display – ideal for viewing ebooks and magazines, plus web pages and movies

· Google Android Operating System

· 802.11b/g wifi and full Web browser support

· High res video and high quality audio playback with no proprietary content restrictions

· Built-in Dictionary, Notepad, Calendar, Alarm Clock, Contacts, Games, and other useful apps

· Built in accelerometer, tilt activated

· Enough built in storage for hundreds of books

· USB and SD card slot for upgradable storage, including a 2GB SD card

· Up to 10 hours of use and over 24 hours of standby time, with a replaceable battery

· Access to over 2 Million ebooks via included Borders E-book library portal application

· Access to the Cruz Market™, an open content portal for downloading apps, magazines, and videos from a broad array of content providers.



At $299, the Cruz Tablet offers a truly mobile experience at an affordable price, finally giving consumers an Android-based tablet alternative.

Spec and feature upgrades include:

· 7" 16:9 ratio, 800x480 capacitive display – great for viewing widescreen video

· 802.11n wifi for faster wireless connectivity

· Integrated microphone for voice recording

· 4GB of built in storage with an 8GB SD card in the box for additional storage of high res photos, video, and music


Rounding out the Cruz line, the $149 Cruz StoryPad packs tons of multimedia features into a kid friendly, drop resistant package, letting children read, learn, and interact using a simple and intuitive touch interface. Features include:

· 7" 4:3 800x600 full color touch screen display

· Simplistic and intuitive navigation

· High res video and high quality audio playback

· Preinstalled audio book content – reads classic stories as the child follows along

· SD card for additional storage

· Available in pink, blue, and green


The Cruz Reader and Cruz StoryPad will be available from most major retailers and direct from Velocity Micro in August with the Cruz Tablet following on September 1st. For more information or to sign up for e-newsletter updates, visit www.CruzReader.com.

ABOUT VELOCITY MICRO, INC.

Velocity Micro, Inc. is the premier high-performance personal computer provider in North America. Founded in 1992, Richmond, Va.-based Velocity Micro custom builds award winning gaming, mobile, multimedia, small business, workstation, visual supercomputers and peripherals. Velocity Micro products are currently available at most consumer electronics retailers nationwide. For more information, please call (800) 303-7866 or visit www.VelocityMicro.com.

Velocity Micro has earned over 60 industry awards, including 11 PC Magazine Editor's Choice awards. CNET, Maximum PC, Mobile PC, PC World, Computer Gaming World, Computer Shopper, and PC Gamer editors have all chosen Velocity Micro systems as some of the industry's best-performing, highest-quality, and most reliable PCs.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Atomic9 Brings Bluetooth Wristband Speakerphone to Market

If you're sick of walking around with that Bluetooth earpiece stuck in your ear (and really, who isn't sick of that?).  Then this device is for you!  The Atomic9 Wristband Speakerphone allows you to answer and speak into a Bluetooth device on your wrist.

It's equipped with Bluetooth 2.1, will do voice dialing, and even warns you when you start to wander too far away from your phone (I'm famous for doing that as I tend to "wander" while on business calls.

This is certainly an interesting concept.  I have Bluetooth in my Tahoe, so I'm a bit used to the concept of using Bluetooth like a speakerphone.  I only use my in-ear headset now when I'm at my desk on business calls and almost no other time.  Of course the drawback is that everyone can hear the speaker so this is only going to be usable in select environments.

It's currently available for $99 and all the info is at the company website.

GENIUS LAUNCHES SUPER MINI WIRELESS NOTEBOOK 2.4GHZ MOUSE

When you travel, the smaller the mouse, the better. Trust me on that one. The good folks at Genius have come up with a great design for a travel mouse with a tiny USB dongle. Read on for the press release:

MIAMI (July 21, 2010)– Genius (www.geniusnetusa.com), a brand division of KYE Systems Corp., today announced a new addition to the company’s extensive line of mice, the Micro Traveler 900S with cordless high tracking precision and Stick-N-Go mount design.

The Micro Traveler 900S’s 2.4GHz digital cordless technology works up to 10 meters away and delivers interference-free operation, as well as 1200 dpi optical engine for enhanced tracking performance. The Micro Traveler 900S mouse is perfect for traveling around the home, office or on-the-go. The pico receiver can be stored underneath the mouse and the Stick-N-Go mount allows users to attach the mouse to a notebook or laptop, creating an ultra portable mouse. Now available in silver and black, the Micro Traveler 900S is attractively priced at MSRP USD $22.99.

Features:

2.4GHz wireless radio frequency minimizes interference

1200 dpi advanced optical engine for enhanced movement control

Soft rubber on both sides for a comfortable grip

Stick-N-Go to attach mouse to any laptop

2-in-1 slot for Pico Receiver and Stick-N-Go mount

2.6 inch mini size

Sales/Purchase:

The new Micro Traveler 900S mouse starts shipping in July 2010. Interested shoppers can go to New Egg.com, Amazon.com, www.geniuseshop.com, Tiger Direct, Buy.com or for more information on the entire line of Genius products and other retailers and distributors please visit: http://www.geniusnetusa.com/.