Today’s topics include a new preview version of Office apps from Microsoft, a data breach disclosure from CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, a new Twitter feature for Android and iOS, and a another decline in the global tablet market.
Microsoft has released preview versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint for Android smartphones, Jared Spataro, general manager of Microsoft Office 365 marketing, announced on May 19.
The business productivity apps will run on Android phones such as Samsung’s new flagship, the Galaxy S6. As in the iOS versions of the apps, an essential design trait of the Android version is a consistent user experience that transcends device type and operating system. Embracing Google’s Android ecosystem fits with Microsoft’s mobile-first product strategy.
CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield revealed that it was the victim of a data breach that may have exposed the personal health information of up to 1.1 million Americans. The CareFirst breach is the third major Blue Cross Blue Shield health care breach disclosed this year.
CareFirst began to examine its systems after the Anthem breach disclosure in February and engaged with FireEye’s Mandiant incident response division, which determined that the CareFirst breach occurred in June 2014. Mandiant’s analysis shows that attackers gained access to a single CareFirst database.
Android and iOS smartphone and tablet owners who use Google Search on their devices will get real-time Twitter content served up with their search results. Initially, the feature is available only on Google.com in English in Google Search for Android and iOS, Google senior manager Ardan Arac wrote in a company blog post.
The company is working on delivering the same feature in other languages and with desktop searches as well, Arac said, although she did not say how soon that might happen.
The global tablet computer market has shrunk for the second quarter in a row, with Apple and Samsung selling 23 percent and 30 percent fewer tablets, respectively, according to a new report from ABI Research.
Apple’s iPad shipments in the first quarter of 2015 hit 12.62 million units, which is a drop of 23 percent from the year-prior quarter. Samsung fared similarly, with a 30 percent decline in tablet sales for the first quarter of 2015, compared to the same period a year ago.