Akamai: DDoS attacks drop since Q1 2013, Indonesia marked as biggest cyberbully

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/16/akamai-state-of-the-internet-q2-2013/

The latest Akamai report on the state of the internet is out, and thankfully DDoS attacks have dropped since the last one. What's more, China's reign as the number one perpetrator was cut short by Indonesia, which almost doubled its first-quarter malicious traffic from 21 percent to 38 percent. China's traffic dropped from 34 percent to 33 percent, but combined, the two countries still comprise more than half of observed attack traffic. The US on the other hand, stays in third place even though attack traffic dropped from 8.3 percent to 6.9 percent.

There is a bright side to the research, though: Global internet speeds rose at a much higher rate since the last report. High broadband (any speed greater than or equal to 10Mbps) adoption rose to 14 percent worldwide quarter over quarter, while average-connection speeds rose to 3.3Mbps from the previous 3.1Mbps. If you've been keeping tabs on mobile device traffic numbers, cellular network traffic was about even between Android Webkit and Apple's Mobile Safari, coming in at just under 38 and 34 percent respectively. In terms of raw traffic across all network types though, Cupertino's ecosystem nearly doubled Google's, at 54 percent compared to 27.6 percent respectively. You're more than welcome to check out the press release and the source for full details, but we recommend putting on a pot of coffee first -- it's a heady read.

Filed under: Internet

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Source: Akamai (download)

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Intel delays Broadwell chips to early 2014 due to production yield problems

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/15/intel-delays-broadwell-chips-to-early-2014/

We hope you weren't dead set on buying devices using Intel's Broadwell processors, as the company has delayed production of the 14-nanometer CPU line to early 2014. Fixes for early manufacturing defects didn't work as well as expected, CEO Brian Krzanich says, limiting Intel's ability to produce enough functioning chips. The setback shouldn't affect Skylake, Broadwell's successor. Still, it's not good news for a semiconductor firm that's scrounging for good news in an unforgiving PC market.

Filed under: Laptops, Tablets, Intel

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Source: CNET

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Square Cash lets you send money over email, now open to US residents

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/15/square-cash/

That Square Cash service that was unveiled as invite-only about five months ago? Well, it's officially open to the public. As of now, anyone can send cold hard cash to anyone else just with a regular ol' email address -- well, an address in the US, anyway. To send money, simply send an email to the recipient with "cash@square.com" in the CC field and the dollar amount in the subject line. If you and your recipient are new to the service, you'll both get an email from Square with a link to a secure website where you can enter in your debit card number. After that, those funds will be transferred in one to two business days. Once your debit card account is set up, any subsequent cash transaction will go through automatically. The service is absolutely free to send and receive, though you're limited to sending only $2,500 a week.

Though you only need email to send and receive cash, the folks at Square are also releasing a Cash app for Android and iOS that essentially acts as a shortcut to the service. Once you enter in the dollar amount in the app, it kicks you over to email to complete the process. Brian Grassadonia, Director of Products at Square, told us that Square Cash solves the problem that has historically plagued the status quo when it comes to peer-to-peer payments. "You no longer need to remember to log in to an account to send or receive money," he said, giving examples of friends dealing with a bar bill or parents sending money to their kids in college. "This is so easy and lightweight that any time there's an opportunity to send money, you don't have to think twice -- you just do it." The service is only available for US residents for now, though the company has said it's open to exploring opportunities in other countries in the future. So sorry, moochers, now there's no excuse for you not to pay your pals back ever again.

Filed under: Internet

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Source: Square Cash, App Store, Google Play

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Verizon's LTE boosted in 'major markets' by new frequency, hits 80 Mbps down

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/15/verizons-lte-aws-rollout-begins/

The prospect of faster LTE over AWS frequencies has made Verizon lick its chops since late 2011, and now it's finally starting to sate its speed-demon appetite. Big Red has confirmed to PhoneScoop that many of its "major markets" are now being graced with the fresh spectrum (Band 4, if you're curious), which is expected to boost bandwidth, help its infrastructure cope with growth and improve reliability. While the carrier didn't specify which areas are seeing the rollout, several reports indicate that the new frequency has arrived in parts of New York City. In particular, GigaOM reader Milan Milanovic has pulled down 80 Mbps on the new waves while in Midtown Manhattan, with uploads hovering around 15 Mbps. Of course, those speeds are sure to take a dive as more and more folks jump on the bandwagon. Milanovic says fellow network testers have seen Verizon activate AWS in Chicago and Los Angeles, but we've yet to spot speed test results for those areas.

Before you get too excited at the prospect of increased bandwidth, keep in mind that only handsets with the appropriate radios can surf the AWS band. However, Verizon says an update for phones sporting the right hardware, such as the Galaxy S 4, is due in the near future. There's no word on how quickly AWS will spread throughout the wireless telco's domestic empire, but we've reached out for a timeline and will update things here if and when we get one.

[Image credit: Milan Milanovic]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Verizon

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Via: Droid Life

Source: GigaOM, HowardForums, PhoneScoop

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Sony VAIO Tap 11 review: meet Sony's answer to the Surface Pro

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/15/sony-vaio-tap-11-review/

It wasn't until I was in a meeting with Sony, getting hands-on with its holiday lineup, that I realized something: the company didn't have a proper Windows 8 tablet. Yep, that's right: for all the experimentation PC makers have been doing around Win 8, one of the biggest names in consumer electronics had never attempted a simple Windows tablet. Even crazier: Sony instead placed its bets on the slider PC, of all things -- a design that presents more than a few ergonomic challenges.

Finally, though, Sony is giving the ol' slate form factor a shot: the company recently announced the Tap 11, a tablet seemingly designed to blow the Surface Pro out of the water. Like Microsoft's tablet, it has a kickstand, USB port, pen-enabled display and a thin keyboard case that attaches to the device magnetically. Unlike Microsoft, however, Sony is throwing in the wireless keyboard at no extra charge -- kind of a big deal considering Ballmer and Co. are selling the Type Cover for an additional $130. Even better, the Tap 11 starts at $800, undercutting the new Surface Pro 2 by $99 (and that's not even counting the keyboard). So, what's the catch?%Gallery-slideshow100615%

Filed under: Tablets, Sony

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