Best security software 2015 awards

From a cybersecurity standpoint, the year of 2014 has been saturated with brand-new trends and
innovative approaches to the old ones. Further rapid rise of cloud computing, the growth of social media popularity, the increment of smart phones’ share on the cyber arena, enhanced techniques for online identity protection and, on the other hand, the increasing sophistication of malware attacks – these factors have substantially influenced the way the security software industry should respond to these challenges so as not to lag behind. In this constantly evolving environment, it certainly matters what computer programs to use for proper protection. Experts working on the Privacy PC project have come up with a rating of the software suites that will meet most demanding users’ requirements in terms of reliable defenses in 2015.
Privacy PC is an ambitious initiative aimed at keeping track of computer security, data protection and user privacy issues. Since its launch back in 2003, the project has been continuously testing security software in the prevalent categories according to a robust set of evaluation criteria. Other areas of the team’s expertise include incident response, cyber warfare, social engineering, virus cleanup, data encryption, to name a few.
Getting back to the rating, here is what David Balaban, Privacy PC’s Chief Editor, has to say:

Over the course of the year, we have been testing security software representing all the major niches. Owing to an extensive list of benchmarking parameters, the verdicts on what is where on the scale of overall efficiency and usability have become obvious.

The Gold, Silver, Bronze and Editor’s Choice award winners are listed for the following software clusters: antivirus, Internet security, antimalware, antispyware, mobile security, free antivirus, Internet privacy, encryption, and password management. Download links and brief highlights about each product are provided in one place. Users can also navigate to the respective full review pages for all programs directly from the evaluation page. Last but not least, the impartiality of the rating is attained owing to a clear-cut testing algorithm, where applications are assessed in terms of usability, feature set, efficiency and support. The sum of grades by the above criteria is what ultimately determines the total score.
Keeping one’s cyber life intact is essential these days. Security software ratings like this help users stay on the safe side by separating the great products from the mediocre ones.

Samsung Galaxy S6

 It is no secret that the core purpose for the Galaxy S6, release date of which is rumoured to come as early as January 2015, is for Samsung to better compete with Apple's iPhone 6 and propel the South Korean tech giant back to the top of the global smartphone market.

But the big question is - will Samsung deliver this time around and deploy with the Galaxy S6 the essential functionalities that will boost its chances of upending the market leader that is the iPhone 6?
In a report by The Motley Fool, the S5 replacement appears to be the monster device "that will outclass (both) the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus." Specifically, the same report indicates that the Galaxy S6 will shine in three key areas:

Higher RAM provision and latest technology
The minimum expectation is for the Galaxy S6 to overtake the specs and capabilities that Samsung had presented with its twin 2014 flagships - the Galaxy S5 and the Note 4. One possibility that is gaining ground is a variant of the GS6, likely the international build, will flash the Snapdragon 810 processor by Qualcomm.
That happening will mean that the next Galaxy flagship is very much open for supersized spec upgrades, the most notable of which will be felt in the random access memory department or RAM.
It will be hardly surprising that with the Galaxy S6, Samsung will jump from LPDDR3 to LPDDR4 and the upcoming device will boast of at least 3GB of RAM with the high likelihood of higher provision once the phone is out of the box - 4GB perhaps.
Efficiency, however, is the most exciting benefit that the GS6 will get from the LPDDR4 memory technology. That would mean the device is equipped with extreme mobile powers not found on any of the iPhone 6 models plus one welcome bonus - the Galaxy S6 will not be a power-hog, promising single-charge battery juice that could last more than 24 hours even in extensive usage.
Superfast Internet access
The Note 4, according to The Motley Fool, is already a powerhouse in terms of LTE speed and clearly outperforming any of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus in mobile download speed. It's only natural that the Galaxy S6 will do significantly better, likely leaving the Apple hero phones behind by many miles.
Again with the Snapdragon 810 powering up the next Samsung pride, it will likely sport a cellular radio signal that is governed by the Category 9 LTE-Advanced technology, which translates to maximum speeds of 450 megabits per second (MBPS) for download and 50MBPS for upload.
...and breakneck Wi-Fi speed
Complementing the Galaxy S6's LTE edge over its rival is a Wi-Fi standard that will deliver download top-speed of 650MBPS. This is made possible by Broadcom's BCM4358 that takes full advantage of the latest Wi-Fi 2x2 802.11ac solution.
The chance is quite high that the chip - or even a much better version - will find its way to the Galaxy S6 as the same is already showing prowess via the Galaxy Note 4, The Motley Fool noted on its report.
Additional come-ons for the device is a freshly-engineered body - light and slim - and Samsung's unique TouchWiz render of Android 5.0 Lollipop, which suggests it will be first Samsung kit to get a solid taste of Google's latest mobile operating system.
And if indeed Samsung is so raring to take on the iPhone 6 with the Galaxy S6 then the latter could be really set for a release date anytime in January 2015 with the grand introduction to be packed with the CES 2015 in Las Vegas that will kick off on the 6th of the month.
Source.

'The Interview' illegally downloaded 750,000 times on Christmas

"The Interview" was a big hit with pirates on Christmas.

There are thousands of people currently sharing the movie illegally on BitTorrent. On Christmas, about 750,000 people stole digital copies of "The Interview" by using the file-sharing software, according to piracy blog TorrentFreak.

BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer file sharing network, allowing people to upload, share and download content. Though there are legitimate purposes for the software, it is largely used as a way for people to host and download pirated movies and TV shows.

Sony (SNE) Pictures opted to release the movie digitally on Wednesday, a day before it hit theaters. That simultaneous digital and theatrical release concerned movie theater chain owners. They worried that making the movie available online would increase piracy and keep people from buying tickets.
But piracy did not appear to have much of an impact on movie theater attendance. "The Interview" had a very limited release: just 331 independently owned movie theaters opted to show the film, and many reported sell-out crowds on Thursday.
Related: For moviegoers, 'patriotic duty' to see 'The Interview'
"The Interview" also scored a lot of legal digital purchases as well. Though Sony said it would not provide the number of online streams, the movie soared to YouTube's No. 1 most-streamed movie on Christmas. "The Interview" also was available for streaming on Google (GOOGL, Tech30) Play, Microsoft's (MSFT, Tech30) Xbox and a special website set up by Sony.