With a huge week in technology and gadgets coming to a close, it's always a good idea to get a look back at the week that was. We're ready to help you do just that with our Week in Review coverage, so settle in and let's get a good look at the biggest news of the week!
First came a look at the United States' rank in terms of its rapidity in auctioning off spectrum for wireless communications. With users eating up bandwidth at spectacular rates, it's no surprise that calls are being made for more bandwidth to be released into the consumer market so as to prevent logjams. This in turn led to questions being asked about why the United States is visibly auctioning off less bandwidth than other nations, which as it turns out, is a function of what's currently available in the market being used to its fullest.
Next came a report about the need to establish protection measures against online bullies and those willing to lie to damage the reputations of others online. This kind of activity isn't just limited to children in schools, and has damaged families, businesses, and other relationships to varying, and tragic, degrees. Protecting against such attacks can be both difficult and expensive, but the number of measures that users can take on their own is beginning to grow as well.
Then a report emerged about the future of the tablet market. While even casual observers can tell that tablets are increasingly popular, the exact numbers about expected tablet growth over even the next several months is downright dizzying, with tablet display shipments alone expected to increase 56 percent by the end of this year. The rest of the numbers are no less astounding, and pose significant questions about the way users will use technology in the coming years.
Next came a report that boasted an unusual speculation about the consumer communications market: was it possible that spending on such technologies could quadruple in just a year? That appeared to be the case, at least in the U.K. household spending market, where a spending rate that was normally seen to be just under three percent had suddenly shot up to fully 12 percent of household spending. Yet there was some doubt as to the numbers, more specifically, the measures used to reach those numbers, leading to the inevitable question of whether or not spending could abruptly quadruple in even a market like consumer communications.
Finally we received disturbing news about an Android (News - Alert) security flaw that, if properly exploited, could wipe certain Android devices clean of all their accumulated data. The hazard appears especially strong to those devices running the TouchWiz interface, especially the Galaxy II and Galaxy SIII, but isn't just limited to Samsung (News - Alert) offerings. The abbreviated version of exactly what not to do is to surf, via TouchWiz, to a web page containing the code "tel: *2767*3855%23" in an HTML frame. This triggers a firestorm of Android disaster that ends in the phone wiping itself clean. However, those running the latest firmware, or an alternative dialer app, should find themselves largely safe.
It was a huge week in technology, with tablets and smartphones and user buying habits looking to change the way users live and work every day. That's why our global online community is always in the hunt for news related to the sector. So be sure to join us back here next week for more, and of course, to wrap it all up every weekend with Week in Review!