Smartwatch

Smart Fitness – Dumb Security

April 10, 2015 — Leave a comment

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The busy little bees in Kaspersky Lab just had a new assignment. This time they analyzed the security performances of the extremely popular fitness mobile gadgets, which are obviously extremely insecure. Why? It is actually a surprisingly simple situation. The smart-bracelets are not to be blamed.

The manufacturers are running blindly for the additional profit. They do not have time nor nerves to bother themselves with the “trivialities”, such as the optimal security and privacy protection, among other things. Why is this so important? You do not have to be a rocket scientist for this one, do you?

If you do not solve the problem with the smart-bracelets, then you are going to get into deeper trouble with the smartwatches. Do not forget that the iWatch wave is about to hit our customer’s shores. We have just opened an additional unsecured and the unprotected door for hackers to exploit.

Does it really have to be this way? First, we come up with a new concept and imminently face the security crisis, then we are trying to figure out what to do about it. Seriously? What happened to the predictions in the cyber security field, as our main and most trusted tool? Obviously, too much to ask.

A Smartwatch On A Watch

January 31, 2015 — Leave a comment

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You know how it goes, don’t you? The ignorance is the mother of all cyber troubles. We are so blindly focused on smartwatch performances that we are completely neglecting the serious threats and potential damages in this field. Are you confused, or maybe you think that we are exaggerating?

Who in the world would hack a smartwatch and why? Well, you should know better or at least think twice. When you attack a smartwatch, you are actually after the bigger target. A smartphone is something you are trying it to reach through a smartwatch. How? Communication is the key here.

What is that supposed to mean? You do not have to be a rocket scientist to know that your smartphone and smartwatch have to communicate and exchange tones of data almost each second, do you? This is exactly what the hackers are aiming at. This is the Achilles’ heel of modern smartwatches.

What can we do about it? It is not such a bad start to be fully aware of this serious danger. Now, we are ready to do something about it for real. We need to implement some effective measures in order to prevent that our data transfers are intercepted and misused. How hard could it be? Right?

LaLaLaLa

November 30, 2014 — Leave a comment

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This is a lot of “las”. What is the thing with this 4XLa? This is undoubtedly a ground shaking concept, if it is to be true and fully functional, which can change the IT landscape beyond recognition. In plain English, we can describe this device as the mobile Google Translate. And, that is only the beginning.

With the 4La you can focus on a certain person and ensure that all background noise is eliminated. In addition, you can get a rough, but an immediate translation. All of these in a discrete hearing device, you will hardly notice. You can connect it with your smartphone or include some kind of smart glasses.

Then, how come we have not heard a little bit more about it? Maybe, this is only a baby concept. There are so many practical issues to be solved first. What is going to happen with the price itself? This way it looks like a list of wishes for some IT enthusiast. Additionally, who is to carry out this idea, in the first place?

For what is worth, we sure hope that this story will not end up with a simple lalalala song. We need the SF concepts, such as this one to keep us warm at night. However, in order to function on a daily basis, we would need something more realistic and practical. Keep on dreaming. Keep on imagining.

Android Wear Time To Swear

June 23, 2014 — Leave a comment

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The more we know about it, the more we want to own it. Google OS for smarwatch or better known as Android Wear. This is going to be a heart and soul of any smartwatch, which is going to run on Android. You may play with the design itself, but at the end of the day it is the OS, which is going to say what exactly can you expect.

Let us take a quick peek, shall we? The voice command is something that will immediately grab your attention. You do not have to bother to type like crazy. All you have to do is to address your smartwatch with a gentle voice. In addition, you can rest assured that your commands will be executed smooth and easy.

You can even answer your messages with no need to type not even a single letter. Again, the voice command comes to rescue. For what is worth, these voice commands are still in the test phase. Therefore, you should hold your horses when it comes to your expectations. You cannot have a Star Trek feeling, but you will definitely enjoy it, for sure.

Is Google exaggerating a little bit with its Android Wear? Well, it depends from your point of view. If you have already paid $500 for a smartphone, then it has to be a good reason for you to pay extra $200 or $300 for basically the same thing in a smaller format. Right? If you buy yourself a smartphone with a smaller screen, then it is not likely that you will acquire a smartwatch. Are we right again?

James Samsung Bond

May 26, 2014 — Leave a comment

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It seems that the guys at Samsung are never bored. The great thing about the major league IT players, especially the ones dealing with the smartphones, is that you do not have to worry that your ideas are too eccentric or impossible. On the other side, it is definitely worth mentioning that from time to time you should know where to draw a line. Right?

So, what happened with Samsung? Samsung is obviously so obsessed with the concept of smartwatches that the next big thing is on the horizon, and it is called – a smart-watch-phone. What in the world is that? Well, that is a smartwatch, which can be used as a smartphone. Are you confused? Are you asking yourself, what is the catch with this one?

As you already know, in order to use your smartwatch you are required to ensure the flawless connection with your smartphones. That is the only what you will be able to make or receive phone calls on your smartwatch, including SMS, emails, and other functions reserved only for the smartphone. It comes without saying that this is an impressive effort on behalf of Samsung.

However, we cannot avoid asking one more logical question. If you can do all you want or need with your smartwatch, why would you use your smartphone in the first place? If you can trap yourself by overselling, can you jeopardize your business position by “over-inventing”? Well, that is up to Samsung to find out, this way or another.