Daily Tech Briefing: Sept. 19, 2014
Apple has released its iOS 8 operating system with a full array of new capabilities and new features, but you might want to wait before installing it on your devices. As with all new major software packages, early adopters can run into glitches that later users might not experience. The company is calling this the biggest iOS release ever and that people who do install the new operating system will have enhanced features relating to photos, messaging, file sharing and device interconnections.
Apple's new iOS 8 shows a renewed focus on security as it includes new features that bolster user privacy with stronger data encryption as the company seeks to restore customer confidence in its data storage services. iOS 8 also ships with patches to 56 vulnerabilities that span the mobile operating system's feature set. The emphasis on data privacy comes in the wake of thefts of personal photos from iCloud accounts and worries about government access to Apple IT systems. On a new section of Apple's Website devoted to its privacy policies, the company asserted that even if Apple receives a legal government request for access to a user's iOS data, they will not be able to comply.
AT&T is now accepting preorders for Samsung's latest Galaxy Tab S 10.5 and Galaxy Tab S 8.4 tablets. As part of the Galaxy Tab S promotion, customers can also purchase a Samsung Tab S keyboard for 50 percent off if they activate a new line of service and purchase the keyboard at the same time as they order their new devices. The keyboard normally retails for $129.99, and the 50 percent discount will only be good while supplies last. Normal retail sales of the devices will begin Sept. 26 online and in AT&T stores.
Cisco announced it is purchasing Memoir Systems to bring faster and more affordable memory technologies to the ASICs the networking vendor uses in its switches. Cisco explained that Memoir licenses its IP and offers tools that can speed up memory access by as much as 10 times while reducing the amount of space in the switch or router ASIC that memory takes up. This will enable Cisco to produce networking chips that are faster and smaller than current ASIC.
