Category: Technology News

Mobile security underscored by BlackBerry following celebrity photo hack

The company has used this opportunity to flaunt its strong reputation for keeping data and files safe.

BlackBerry Ltd. has taken the opportunity presented by the nude celebrity photo hacking controversy to remind people about the outstanding reputation that the company has in terms of mobile security.

As concerns have risen following the theft of highly personal celeb photos from the iCloud, Blackberry saw its chance.

The Canadian handset maker used its own official blog in order to pump its mobile security and to make recommendations for users to follow so that they can help to protect themselves against similar risks. The company used its most recent post to point out a range of different reports that have supported its claims for providing high quality security. These reports came from companies that included everyone from CNN and Time Warner Cable to CNBC and Fox News.

The blog post from BlackBerry provided steps for device users to take to boost their mobile security.

Blackberry - Mobile SecurityThey explained that “As the iCloud hacking story continues to unfold, experts are finding it hard to talk about strong mobile security without bringing the corporate embodiment of it into the discussion.” A previous post provided readers with “five concrete steps for better mobile security.”

At the same time that this company was using the photo hacking scandal as a chance to place itself in a positive light, Apple has been working hard on damage control. Recently Tim Cook revealed that the company already had plans to implement a new security system that will add an additional layer of protection as it will provide users with a notification if any attempts have been made to change their account passwords or to download data to a new device from the iCloud.

Apple has also taken this time to point out that the hackers were able to obtain access to the content because they either guessed the mobile security question to reset the password or they sent phishing emails to which the celebrities fell victim and revealed their login details. The company has stated that this was not a case of the iCloud being compromised.

Wearables sector scores Rebecca Minkoff for more appealing designs

The brand is now taking its first steps into the wearable technology marketplace.

The Rebecca Minkoff brand is known for its forward thinking style and willingness to embrace technology is now making its way into one of the latest branches of mobile, which is wearables.

In fact, the designer will be releasing a new wearable technology based collection this month.

Minkoff will be starting its wearables collection set with two bracelets. One of those devices unfolds in order to become a cell phone battery charger. The other one provides the wearer with notifications when various activities occur on his or her smartphone, such as the receipt of a text, an incoming phone call, and other types of alert. These bracelets are going to be sold in a variety of different colors and while the charger version will cost $60, the notification piece will cost twice that much, at $120.

These wearables will become available for purchase at Rebecca Minkoff stores, which will soon be opening.

Wearables - BraceletThe first of these shops will be in New York City and is slated to open in November. That said, the devices will also be sold at Nordstrom as early as this month. When it comes to wearable technology, many designers and companies are betting on the popularity of devices that bring together jewelry and technology, although watches and smart clothing have been working hard to make their marks.

That said, one of the reasons that the Rebecca Minkoff brand decided to take this direction with its wearable tech is that if these gadgets double as jewelry, then the pieces can be designed to be attractive enough that consumers will love them regardless of what they actually do for a smartphone user. The designer believes that this concept is central to encouraging people who aren’t typically early adopters of technology to be willing to buy one of these devices.

Minkoff is hardly the first designer to step into the wearables market, though this brand is hoping to become an important player. Recently Ralph Lauren unveiled his sensor shirt at the U.S. Open in tennis, whereas Tory Burch created jewelry for some of the latest Fitbit chips. Google Glass brought Diane von Furstenberg onboard to help to design its frames.