Antivirus firm Avast to BUY AVG for $1.3 Billion

Antivirus company Avast Software is planning to acquire Dutch rival AVG Technologies for $1.3 Billion in cash.

Avast announced today that it would buy Amsterdam-based AVG Technologies for $25 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at $1.3 Billion in an aim to expand its presence in the emerging markets.

With more than 230 Million users worldwide, Avast provides free and paid security software packages for both PCs as well as mobile devices to businesses and individuals.

The deal between the two popular security software companies will provide Avast with 400 Million endpoints -- devices that have some form of Avast or AVG application installed. Around 160 Million of those are mobile.

However, AVG technologies was in controversies for updating its policy that clearly said that the company will be allowed to collect and sell users' "non-personal data" to online advertisers in order to "make money" from their "free offerings" so they can keep them free.

With access to a large number of devices, Avast will be granted more opportunities in Internet antivirus and security-related business, giving the company a bigger pool of data on malware to offer better security products.

"We believe that joining forces with Avast, a private company with significant resources, fully supports our growth objectives and represents the best interests of our stockholders," AVG CEO Gary Kovacs said in a statement.

The deal will also provide Avast with an expanded geographical reach in its primary business as well as the growing number of Internet of Things -- physical devices connected to the Internet, Avast said in a statement.

The offer of $25 per share on AVG represents a 33 percent premium to its closing price Wednesday on the NY Stock Exchange. Avast will fund the transaction using cash on hand and debt financing.

This is the next major tech acquisition in last few months. Just last month, Microsoft made its biggest acquisition by acquiring LinkedIn, the social network for professionals, for $26.2 Billion in cash.

Facebook Launches OpenCellular - An open source Wireless Access Platform

Big technology companies are in the race of bringing Internet connectivity to unconnected parts of the world through flying drones, high-altitude balloons, and laser beams, but Facebook has announced a far less expensive method to provide connectivity to rural areas.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Wednesday the creation of a new open-source wireless communication platform called OpenCellular that can be easily deployed in remote locations by anyone.

OpenCellular is a doorbell-sized hardware device that could be attached to a pole or tree at a range of heights from where it can deliver a wireless network, from 2G cell-phone networks to higher speed LTE, and Wi-Fi networks like those inside your home, or local coffee shop.

The device is designed to work in rural locations in conditions, including high winds, extreme temperatures, and harsh climates.

But, wait! This doesn't mean that Facebook is rolling out its own broadband services.

Facebook to Open-Source the Designs and Software of OpenCellular

The social networking plans to open source the designs for this device so that service providers, researchers, and others can use its designs and control software for free to build their own boxes that are cheap to purchase and maintain.

"We designed OpenCellular as an open system so anyone—from telecom operators to researchers to entrepreneurs—can build and operate wireless networks in remote places," Zuck said. "It's about the size of a shoe box and can support up to 1,500 people from as far as 10 kilometers away."

Facebook has tested the new system at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California and, so far, it has been able to successfully use the device to send and receive text messages, make voice calls and access relatively slow 2G data connections.

OpenCellular is Zuckerberg's latest attempt to push its goal of worldwide Internet access, aiming to connect the next 4 Billion people across the world without Internet access and nearly 700 million people without cellular service.

Facebook's Free Basics -- an initiative to provide free access to certain Internet websites, including Facebook -- was banned in India from earlier this year due to the violation of Net Neutrality principles, while Egypt followed suit in April.

Besides OpenCellular, Facebook's other global connectivity initiatives include its high-bandwidth Internet laser beams, solar-powered aircraft Aquila and unmanned solar-powered Internet-distributing plane.

The initial version of OpenCellular's platform will be available this summer, but meanwhile, Facebook is testing out the devices at its headquarters and planning outdoor tests with its initial OEMs and Telecom Infra Project (TIP) partners.

Facebook Messenger Now Offers End-to-End Encryption for Chats

Following the recent surge in demand for secure apps, Facebook is now offering a new end-to-end encryption mode on Messenger, called Secret Conversations. The mode is currently available for a few users and could be in for prime time later this summer.

The mode brings Messenger in equal standing with competitors like iMessage, BBM and Whatsapp who already offer end-to-end encryption. Facebook highlights health and financial information as potential avenues where it could be used. It is not totally secure, but at least it demands a more sophisticated attack.

The mode resides inside the Messenger app, requiring no further installs. It will only work on one unique device at a time, be it your phone, laptop or desktop which makes sense as messages will only appear on the devices they’re delivered to. It will be very limited in terms of features at first, not supporting GIFs, payments, videos or any other Messenger features. Secret Conversations also won’t be turned on by default.

Users can time their messages to self-destruct after an allotted period, allowing greater controls over privacy.

Facebook, which came recently under fire from users for supposedly making their shared links on Messenger easy for marketers to find, is releasing the feature as a way to appease some of the bad press.

With 900 million users under its pocket, Messenger could be highly successful in getting encryption to larger populations. That is, if Facebook can shed away the trust issues to begin with.

MIUI 8 for Xiaomi Devices Announced Globally

Xiaomi announced its latest Android based OS version, MIUI 8, back in May. The UI update was released as a beta version in China back then. Today, the company has announced the global release of its MIUI 8. The global version of the ROM will consist of all the features found in the Chinese MIUI 8, plus some extra ones.

MIUI 8 is bringing a whole lot of visual changes to the interface while maintaining the same fluid animations and lag-free experience. The company claims they are “Using color in unlimited ways”.

Notification Drawer

The biggest change can be seen in the notification drawer which shifts from a two-pane one to single-pane one. The notification drawer now has a weather panel at the top which changes colors and animations according to the weather data.

Previously, the toggles used to be on the right pane. Now they have been moved to a single one and sit below the weather panel. The toggles can be edited and arranged as well.

Other changes include a color changing status bar with new animations across the whole UI, based on the apps in use. Xiaomi has kept an option for users to switch back to the old two-pane notification drawer, if they prefer the older one’s functionality.

Dual Apps

The most unique and the probably the best feature on the MIUI 8 is Dual Apps. Don’t mistake it for split screen multitasking. It is actually a change which allows users to have two instances of the same app installed simultaneously. For example, you can have two WhatsApp accounts for two different SIMs. This is unique and a great feature, something desired by users for quite a while.

Dual Spaces

Spaces are like having two different phones in one pocket. Each space has its own workspace, with its own separate set of apps, settings, customisations, image gallery. It is sort of like having two accounts on a single phone. One can be used for work, the other one for personal use.

While Android supports multiple accounts since Lollipop, Xiaomi has changed the original feature to make it more useful. Users can set different passcodes for each space and enter either one by simply entering the respective code. No need to switch again and again.

Another use-case for this is that people with tablets, or those who share their phones, can separate stuff from each other without much hassle.

Scrolling Screenshots

MIUI 8 brings another cool new feature, scrolling screenshots. Often, screenshots are limited since you can only show so much on such a small screen. This feature lets you take one long screenshot across a page by combining multiple images. The final image can then be cropped as well.

Quick Ball

It’s a small circular ball on the screen. The ball consists of quick shortcuts, basic functions like home, back and task manager plus shortcuts to apps of the user’s choice.

A similar feature has been available on rooted phones for quite some time but this is probably the first time an OEM has incorporated such a feature and improved it for daily use.

Other Features

Xiaomi has added some other nifty utilities into the mix as well:

• Smart Caller ID and Spam Alert
• Improved Mi Cloud Photo Sync (Saves storage automatically)
• Built-in video editing tools
• Revamped Task manager with music controls
• Math Problem Solver
• Multi-Window management
• Power Saving mode
• Wallpaper Carousal
• New Animations for calls

Release Info

The public beta for the MIUI 8 Global ROM will be released as an OTA update on 11 July while the stable release will hit all devices starting August 16.

Devices eligible for the upgrade are Mi 5, Mi Max, Mi Note, Mi 4i, Mi 4, Mi 3, and Mi 2. The Redmi series devices include Redmi Note 3, Redmi Note 2, Redmi Note Prime, Redmi Note, Redmi 2 Prime, Redmi 2, Redmi 1s and Redmi 1.

Google Names Android N as Nougat

It isn’t Nutella and certainly not Naan Khatai, but instead Google has named the next version of Android, “Nougat”.

For the very first time, Google had asked Android fan community to suggest names for the upcoming version.

Millions of people, including myself, submitted their favorite “sweet names” and many were confident that it will be called Nutella, considering Google’s partnership with KitKat in the past.

However Google decided to go with the sweet candy.

It is still unclear about the version number that Google will assign to Nougat, it could be 7.0 or just an increment to Android 6.0.

To make it official Google also unveiled the new Android Nougat statue at its headquarters in California.

Android Nougat will bring performance and security updates and is likely to be released in September this year along with a new Nexus device.