Technology and Techno News

Audio: The UAE's first IT specific education and development institute is to open at Dubai Silicon Oasis in a joint venture with SAP MENA. Phl Blizzard attending the signing ceremony, with HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman, Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), spoke with Dr Mohammed Al Zarooni, CEO, DSOA about the project.

Audio: Apple's growing market sure has prompted cybercriminals and malware coders to target Mac users, says Aleks Gostev, Kaspersky's Chief Security Expert. The Flashback virus, also known as FlashFake, has affected a greater proportion of machines than notorious Windows viruses such as Conficker - hitting 1% of the 60 million Mac OSX users worldwide. On the other hand, iOS has proved to be incredibly resilient with zero malware tracked to date.

Audio: The concept of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is based on convenience and cutting costs, but companies must have security policies and solutions for all personal devices brought to the workplace, according to Denis Maslennikov, Senior Malware Researcher for Kaspersky. Steven Bond spoke to Maslennikov about BYOD and social media risks at Kaspersky Lab's Security Summit in Moscow.

Audio: The UAE is readying a new royalty collection system to benefit artists and producers, and the regional market is expected to follow in Asia's footsteps, with mobile downloads nearing 90% of total music sales. Steven Bond spoke to Craig Pereira at, Sony Music Middle East's Director of Marketing, at the Music Industry in Middle East: Challenges & Opportunities' forum in Dubai Media City.

The long undetected Flame virus which has intruded IT networks across the Middle East is discussed by Mike Khattab, VP - Emerging Markets, Vision Solutions with Phil Blizzard. The impact of intrusions like this and their prevention, along with the importance to businesses to avoid interruption or downtown to data and IT systems. He also explains how Double Take performs a continuous back-up of data, ready for data recovery should an IT system fail.

Audio: As Intel launches their 3rd Generation Intel Core Processors, Nassir Nauthoa , Intel's General Manager for the GCC, comments on innovations in the laptop and tablet industry and the region's young, but mature market, with a 'healthy appetite' for cutting edge technology. Steven Bond reports on the significant leap forward in processing power as Intel encourages developers to capitalise on boosted CPU capabilities.

Audio: Big Data is proving valuable for business intelligence, and technology is maturing to provide effective real-time analytics, but as firms process large amounts of personal data, should we be concerned, or simply embrace an improved end-user experience? Steven Bond caught up Josh Klahr, Vice President of Product Management at Greenplum, during EMC World in Las Vegas, about his perspectives and personal findings, including consumer rewards for profilic and targetted tweeting.

The current trend for enterprises to allow 'Bring Your Own Device' (BYOD) into the corporate environment may see their IT infrastructure being susceptible to security issues. Phil Blizzard talks to Matt Irwin, UK Account Director, Excitor about their smartphone app which places all corporate data into a 'container' which is isolated from the personal data of an employee's device.

Audio: The ability to make sense of the masses of the 'big data' mounting daily on company networks and across the internet is the next stage of evolution in business analytics. Such chaotic and vast data requires powerful tools to locate, process and analyse relevant information for enterprises - but harnessing big data will revolutionise business intelligence and transform decision making, according to experts. Steven Bond spoke with Chris Preston, Senior Director of Integrated Technology Strategy with EMC at EMC World in Las Vegas, to break down the big data concept and illustrate its high value.

Research in Motion (RIM) key focus is an accleration in the development of apps for the Blackberry. David Schifman, Director of Developer Marketing, RIM. talking to Phil Blizzard outlines the key strategies for Research In Motion, which includes greater engagement with the developer community. He also talks about what can be expected in the future and the challenges facing the telecom sector.

Audio: A new report focussed on the issue of data loss, downtime and related investments has found that respondents in Mena, and particularly the UAE, are more concerned about customer confidence than lost revenue, compared to other global reports. Steven Bond spoke to Said Akar, EMC's District Manager for South Gulf about the Disaster Recover Survey 2012 and some of its key findings, including the widespread use of outdated technologies, such as CD-ROMS, for data backup.

Audio: Augmented reality apps will soon find a home in every smartphone, according to Martin Herdina, CEO, Wikitude, a global leader in the augmented reality app space. Steven Bond spoke to Herdina about the rise of AR, the potential for advertising and other monetisation options.

Audio: YouTube has this month launched regional domains in eight Mena countries, offering new opportunities for advertisers and content providers. Steven Bond talks to Matthew Glotzbach, Manager Director of YouTube EMEA at a Google Hangout in Dubai, about the surge in popularity of Middle East online broadcasting.

For premium class passengers on commercial airlines the Apple iPad is being viewed as a 'state of the art' device for providing infotainment. Howard Clarke, Business Development Director, IFA Services, UK talks to Phil Blizzard on the ways this iconic mobile device may be used by airlines, the content which could be provided and how news is updated on a regular basis.

Web security firm Blue Coat aligns new software with tailored usage policies for top global firms. Dave Ewart, Director, Product Marketing, talking to Steven Bond explains the need for a complete security framework, which extends to each user, regardless of location or device - and the importance of stringent policies.