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Today’s topics include Microsoft’s Windows 10 catching up to XP in the desktop OS market, Symantec adds deep learning to its anti-malware tools, Amazon posted a record year as more users went mobile, and smart home adoption has been hampered by security concerns.
Windows 10 is within striking distance of Windows XP, in terms of desktop operating system market share. According to the latest figures from Web analytics company Net Applications, for the full month of November, the latest edition of Microsoft’s flagship OS had 9 percent share of the desktop OS market, closing in on XP, which had a 10.6 percent share.
Knocking Windows XP down the ranking would be a symbolic victory for the company. Despite Microsoft pulling support for Windows XP a year and a half ago—meaning no more security patches and bug fixes—the 14-year-old system software remains active on millions of machines.
Deep learning may be the next frontier for a security industry that’s dealing with constant attacks from cyber-criminals who become more sophisticated by the day.
According to a Symantec executive, the company has been working to integrate the whole idea of machine learning into its security services since February 2015. Symantec asserts that the capability, as new as it is, may be the next critical technology to keep cyber-attacks at bay.
Amazon’s 21st holiday season was a record breaker for the company on several fronts as consumers flocked to the Web-based retail giant for everything from consumer electronics to films and original programming content.
In addition, more than 3 million members worldwide joined Amazon Prime during the third week of December, bringing new levels of growth to the membership program.
The company also continues to gain ground on the hardware front as Amazon’s all-new Fire tablet, Amazon Echo and Fire TV Stick made up three of the top five items ordered on Christmas Eve through Prime Now.
According to a report from Argus Insights, consumers are experiencing challenges in the purchase, installation, configuration and support process for smart home devices and systems.
The survey indicated that even before purchasing connected devices, consumers are already expressing concerns about having to return products or being able to install and configure devices before the return date expires.
Poor support experience with other consumer electronics devices in the past is also causing consumers to delay purchases of new smart home devices or systems until the need becomes essential.