In Depth: What on Earth is Sony doing with its smartphones?

A few years ago, Sony Ericsson was one of the main players in the mobile phone market. Cybershot- or Walkman-branded handsets were everywhere, offering premium brands in desirable packages.

But then came the smartphone revolution and Sony Ericsson faltered. Sony knew it needed a big change to keep up with Samsung and LG, so bought out Ericsson and set about trying to claw back some ground – with an interesting strategy.

You'd have thought the brand would have played safe, but instead it decided to carpet bomb the market with flagship handsets.

The Xperia Z. The Xperia Z1. The Xperia Z2. The Xperia Z3. This many headline phones took Samsung four years to launch, and yet Sony has managed the same feat in under 24 months – and the trend doesn't look like stopping any time soon with the Xperia Z4 hotly tipped for an appearance at MWC 2015.

However, this must look really confusing to consumers, especially as many buyers only dip into the market when their contract is up for renewal – who would buy a new phone when it could be obsolete in under half a year?

We talked to Pierre Perron, Sony Mobile's President for North West Europe, to find out why the brand thinks it can topple Samsung and Apple from the top of the smartphone tree by doing something so alternative.

"It is a challenge but the return on investment - when it comes to brand positioning and visibility - you get is far more important than the internal challenge we have in moving from one product to another," said Perron.

"We always make sure that the other product, the older phone, can continue on sale in a different price segment… The rest is just an internal challenge and we can cope with that."

The innovation point is an interesting one. Ignoring the fact this must be costing Sony enormously in terms of resource and money, being able to launch new phones constantly means consumers looking for a high-end smartphone always have access to the latest innovation from the Sony labs.

If the brand had followed the same pattern as the competition, it would have had to wait until March or April next year to unveil PS4 Remote Play compatibility, by which time it would have missed the chance to tie-in with the inevitable Christmas rush to buy a new console.

But the constant changes would have had a much bigger impact if offered in a new phone every 12 months, allowing the rumour mill to spike and get consumers excited in the same way they do with a new iPhone or Galaxy handset.

What? Why?

So why miss out on that hype? Why not save time and resource and just make a new phone each year, leaving the six month cycle for the mid- to low-range phones? Why risk confusing consumers or invoking their wrath when they find their fancy handset is outdated months, or even weeks, after purchase?

Perron disagreed that this would happen, and pointed to the fact this aggressive strategy allowed Sony to keep control of its profit margins as well as being able to offer consumers a phone no matter how much they wanted to spend:

"[This strategy] helps us from a tactical point of view, to avoid too fast price erosion," he said. "If we had one single product [retailers] could say this one needs to be at a lower price point as it brings more volume. But we have older phones for that price segment.

"It's not an addition for the sake of having a product, each [phone] needs to play a role at a certain price point – this is where our market share will be built."

It's a strategy that doesn't seem to be bearing fruit just yet, with losses announced for Sony's smartphone unit in the last quarter and a 15% reduction in headcount to help it streamline and launch a renewed attack on the higher end of the market.

The person who bought the Xperia Z at launch will still be locked into a contract with that device (although nearly free), looking longingly at the PlayStation power the current phone packs. Admittedly, Sony finally brought PS4 play to the Xperia Z2, but older phones are still being shown up for their lack of new gadgetry quite quickly.

Perron confirmed that newer phones forced older ones off sale – while Samsung is still selling the Galaxy S3 from two years ago, you can't buy the Xperia Z1 any more.

That makes sense, but those customers need to feel loved – and Sony's upgrade cycle has previously been a bit confusing, Android updates coming to older phones on a very ad-hoc basis, mirroring much of the Android manufacturers.

Compare that to Apple, which has brought the latest iOS 8 to a three-year-old phone, and you can understand the trepidation a consumer might feel about handcuffing themselves to a the latest phone only to find it's the forgotten child in under a year.

However, Sony's taking a stance on Android upgrades now: it wants to be more agile in offering new software treats to users, and the launch of Android Lollipop seems to have allowed it to even support the Xperia Z.

As to when Sony will start rolling out the update to its main line of devices, the manufacturer has said "the update for Sony Z Ultra Google Play Edition will hit over-the-air and should be with you soon – next up, we're looking forward to bringing Android 5.0; Lollipop to the entire Xperia Z Series starting from the early part of 2015… so stay tuned for the latest!"

• Android Lollipop upgrade: when can I get it?

So, how should Sony fans feel? The bad news is you're probably never going to be more than 6 months from your special new smartphone being outdated, which may irk some. On the other hand, if you're OK to wait, that phone will be discounted pretty soon.

Is Sony's strategy sustainable? If it keeps lowering sale targets (it recently slashed it twice for the current financial year, several millions below the original 50 million target set by March 2015) then it's hard to see how the strategy will bear fruit – there's a high cost to constantly bringing phones out.

But there's one shining light: Sony's smartphones are actually rather good at the moment. The Z2 was a brilliant phone pitched at a decent price, and while the Z3 didn't really add a lot to the predecessor (and the camera quality doesn't quite match up to the level you'd expect from a dedicated technology team) it's still one of the better options.

Will we still be talking about Sony in the same way this time next year? If the brand comes up with a perfect smartphone, complemented with a viable budget option, and sticks to those models, then we could well be – but that's a big ask for any brand.

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Review: LG G Watch R

Introduction and display

The Motorola Moto 360 was hotly anticipated as the first circular Android Wear device, but its screen isn't actually a full circle. The display on the LG G Watch R however, is.

The G Watch R finally sees the fusion between the new wave of smartwatches and the tried and tested design of traditional wristwatches - but does the combination work?

It's still relatively early doors for the smartwatch revolution, and Android Wear is certainly still in its infancy. This has been clear as the early wave of devices we've seen have been a little half baked.

At £220 (around $300, AU$280) the G Watch R isn't cheap, it's comfortably more expensive than the square-shaped LG G Watch (£159, $229, AU$250), Sony Smartwatch 3 (£189) and Samsung Gear Live (£169, $199, AU$250), so if you've just splashed the cash on a new handset it's a considerable additional payment.

That said the price has dropped slightly since launch, and you can now get it for £199.99 if you shop around a little in the UK.

As with all the Android Wear devices the LG G Watch R will work with any Android handset running Android 4.3 or above - and there's even rumours suggesting Google may open up compatibility to iOS devices too, so watch this space.

In terms of specs the G Watch R is relatively well equipped with a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage and a 410mAh battery.

Compared to the Moto 360 that's a better processor and larger battery, plus you also get a barometer, heart rate monitor and 9-Axis (which includes a gyro, accelerometer and compass).

Display

The LG G Watch R sports a full circle P-OLED display measuring 1.3-inches in diameter, making it slightly smaller than the 1.56-inch offering on the Moto 360 - but did I mention, it's an circle!

While the 360 only has a resolution of 320 x 290, the smaller G Watch R is slightly higher at 320 x 320, giving you a clearer, crisper display.

Putting the two round watches side by side there's a clear difference between them and the G Watch R certainly looks better.

There's no question that the circular displays are more aesthetically pleasing than the square design of the Gear Live and G Watch, but those have the advantage of working with a wider array of apps, as some aren't built for round devices.

The always-on screen means there's no waiting for it to wake when you check the time, and the fully circular design can be mistaken for a traditional timepiece from afar if you've selected a watch face which suits.

During my review time with the G Watch R I never had an issue with the screen in direct sunlight, and I tended to keep the brightness on its lowest setting, which seemed to suffice in most lighting conditions.

That's good for battery life, as I rarely needed to raise it up, and I never required the full brightness setting.

Design and comfort

I've not been the only person to bemoan the design of smartwatches and the fact that they generally don't have the style of a traditional timepiece - so much so you'd question even slapping the Samsung Gear Live or LG G Watch to your wrist.

Thankfully though with the introduction of the LG G Watch R and Moto 360 there's a sign manufacturers are cottoning on to the fact that a device with subtle, stylish design will be looked on more favourably in this market.

The Moto 360 is certainly an attractive piece of kit, and it's probably the nicest looking smartwatch currently on the market, but the G Watch R takes the award for looking most like a traditional watch.

If you're already accustomed to wearing a normal timepiece - and I'm not talking about a slimline Casio digital affair - then the size of the G Watch R will be natural.

It measures 46.4 x 53.6 x 11.1mm, making it slightly thinner than the 11.5mm Moto 360, and at 62g it's lighter than the majority of mainstream analogue watches.

The LG G Watch R only comes in the one size, there's not a series of sizes, colours and straps like Apple Watch, so if you're not a fan of black and your wrists are on the more slender side this may not be for you.

It doesn't look quite as premium as the Moto 360 either, with the watch bezel looking like plastic rather than metal which cheapens the appearance of the device.

There is a crown on the right side of the G Watch R, but it doesn't spin round, instead it acts as the power/wake button. You're unlikely to really use it after initially turning the watch on, but its inclusion provides the illusion that this is a watch rather than a mini computer strapped to your wrist.

Then there's the leather strap which, when you first take it out of the box, neither looks nor feels like leather. It appears cheap and doesn't feel particularly nice.

After a good week or so of use though the leather softened up and the strap felt more natural to the touch and on the wrist.

Luckily you can swap the strap out for any other 22mm offering, allowing you to bring some customisation to the G Watch R, and possibly some class as well.

On the rear of the watch itself you'll find a centralised heart rate monitor and five gold connector pins to one side which connect with the charging dock. While the main case of the G Watch R is metal, there's no mistaking the plastic backing.

It's not an issue and against the wrist it feels fine, plus with IP67 dust and waterproofing you'll be able to hop in the shower with the LG G Watch R without having to worry. In fact the G Watch R can be dunked into fresh water (no swimming in the sea or a pool, then) at the depth of up to one meter for 30 minutes.

Interface and performance

The LG G Watch R runs Google's Android Wear platform, and the on-screen experience is pretty much identical to all the other smartwatches using the same software.

The G Watch R has been upgraded to Android Wear 5.0.1 since launching, bringing it inline with Google's Lollipop update for phones and tablets.

It comes with an emphasis on watch faces, so you get a couple of extra stock ones and the ability to download a host of others, from Pacman to Santa.

The choice will grow as more and more developers get behind the platform, and you can now change the watch face from the Android Wear app on your phone - something I found easier than having to cycle through all the options on the G Watch R.

There's not a lot manufacturers can tweak here to give you a unique experience, so you're stuck with the familiar information cards which appear as and when Google Now decides.

For example, travel times and routes to and from work will display in the morning before you leave the house and before you finish at work in the evening, while the step counter is one of the most persistent cards available.

You can swipe vertically from the bottom of the screen to flick through the available cards, a swipe from left to right will remove a card from the list while moving you finger in the opposite direction will take you to more options.

The G Watch R provides you with an easy to follow tutorial when you first fire it up, and it shouldn't take you too long to get used to the basics.

'Settings' has been made easier to access with the 5.0.1 update, with the option being moved to the top of the list when in Google Now mode - saving you from having to scroll all the way to the bottom.

In settings you can access screen brightness, power off, restart, reset and about - the latter of which has an option to check for software updates, although you'll usually get notified with a card on the watch if there's a new version of Android Wear available.

The 'Start' menu meanwhile shows you all the applications installed on the G Watch R, but more about them on the next page.

There are a welcome number of watch faces pre-installed on the G Watch R, with some traditional timepiece lookalikes mixed in with some modern designs too.

Just hold down on the clock face to see the selection on offer and tap on the one that takes your fancy.

You can download more watch faces, I was particularly partial to 'Secret Agent', which will be familiar to anyone who's played Goldeneye.

Flick your wrist and the dimmed display with light up, alerting you that the G Watch R is ready and listening for an 'Okay Google' command from you.

The voice activation works pretty well, from setting alarms and taking notes to sending emails and making calls - the G Watch R had little trouble understanding what I said and putting my words into action.

It's no perfect though, and on several occasions the G Watch R didn't service me with the right words, which adds considerable delay to your message composition and makes you wish you'd just got your phone out and typed it.

It also still feels rather odd talking to your wrist, and I rarely found myself barking at the watch in public places.

The voice commands certainly come in handy when you're driving or if you're out on a run. At home I used the voice recognition more, but it's still quicker to pick up your phone and bash out a text if you're hands are free.

The Moto 360 disappointed in its full review when it came to performance, but the good news here is the LG G Watch R sports a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, providing a decent slug of power to your wrist.

It comes with 512MB of RAM, the same as the other Android Wear devices, and I was able to move around the interface easily. Performance seems to have taken a bit of a hit since the 5.0.1 update though, with load times noticeably longer every now and then.

I'm hoping another quick update will solve this, but for now it's a little annoying.

Apps and fitness

Before you can get to grips with your LG G Watch R you'll need to visit Google Play on your smartphone and download the Android Wear app.

You'll then be instructed on the watch face and within the app on pairing the two devices together, once paired you're good to go.

There's nothing particularly ground breaking pre-installed with Android Wear, the standard compatibility with Google's apps (calendar, Gmail, Hangouts, Maps etc) is present along with the likes of Weather and Fit - the latter of which you'll use to monitor your steps and heart rate.

Unlike the Moto 360, LG hasn't provided its own management app for the G Watch R and there's no dedicated heart rate application which monitors your pulse throughout the day.

You have to manually navigate to the app on the watch and have it check your heart rate that way, which is a little clumsy.

If you can't be bothered to navigate with your fingers you can always just say "Okay Google, show me my steps/heart rate" which does make the process easier.

For those of you who want you text messages on the G Watch R your phone's stock SMS client will ping new message notifications to your wrist, but for full functionality including the ability to reply and read message chains you'll need to use Google's Hangouts app.

That's not a huge issue, Hangouts works pretty much the same way as any other SMS app, and you won't have any trouble getting to grips with it.

Being able to read a message stream on your wrist is useful, as is the ability to reply with a pre-determined stock message such as "Yes", "I'm running late" or "I'm in a meeting" - or for a more personal touch you can speak your response.

The Google Maps integration is handy, giving you turn by turn directions on wrist - I found this particularly useful when walking round London looking for an office, as I didn't have to get my phone out and hold it in front of my face as I strolled down the road.

As part of the Android Wear 4.4w.2 update Google enabled a Play Music function which allows you to store music files directly on your smartwatch.

Fire up Play Music on your smartphone and enable 'Download to Android Wear' to get your tunes sent across to the G Watch R.

You can then pair a set of bluetooth headphones with the watch and listen to your tracks without the need for a smartphone.

You've got to keep in mind that G Watch R only has 4GB of internal storage, so it may not be able to store your whole music collection, plus you'll want to keep some space to download other apps.

The number of available apps for Android Wear is increasing, and you can jump to a selection via the Wear app on your phone.

This will take you to a dedicated are of the Play Store where most of the big names who have committed to the platform so far (Facebook, Twitter, RunKeeper etc) can be found.

There are many more ready to go though. Download the Wear Store app and it gives you access to hundreds of apps and games which have been crafted for your wrist wearable.

You'll need to check that the app you're downloading has been built with the G Watch R's circular screen in mind, as a fair few have only been developed for the square screens of the Smartwatch 3, Gear Live and G Watch.

Quality varies wildly, and there's a fair amount of duplication, but expect the selection be become more varied and increase in quality as more and more developers jump aboard the wearable wagon.

When it comes to fitness the LG G Watch R is relatively rudimental in its functionality. The step counter is handy for a quick glance at your daily progress, but the lack of any real analysis makes it difficult to gauge performance over weeks and months.

You can adjust your step goal from 1000 all the way up to 20000 per day and there's a bar chart to show you your weekly steps, but that's it.

LG decided against including GPS in the G Watch R, so Sony's Smartwatch 3 remains the only device with the location function which has just been unlocked in the 4.4w.2 software update.

The heart rate monitor adds another metric to the fitness side of things, but like the pedometer there's little functionality for analysis with a history of readings the only insight you get.

There's certainly the chance to expand these functions and we could always see Google build on them in future software releases, but for now they'll be little use to those serious on tracking their fitness.

Battery life and connectivity

One of the biggest sticking points with smartwatches is battery life, and unfortunately things are no different with the LG G Watch R.

First up, the good news. The G Watch R sports a 410mAh battery which is bigger than the 320mAh power pack stuffed into the Moto 360.

The G Watch R then, delivers better battery performance over its rounded Motorola rival as well as the square faced options, but don't get too excited. I found that the G Watch R could last two days on a single charge, but no longer than that.

So while the nightly charging ritual isn't required, having to charge it every other night is just as frustrating.

I still look in envy at the likes of the Pebble and Pebble Steel which can get seven days from one charge, but that's understandable with black and white displays and fewer functions.

Still, having to charge your watch as well as your smartphone on a bi-nightly, if not nightly, basis is counter productive and it will put off a number of people.

LG provides a similar magnetic charging cradle to the one bundled with the original G Watch, only this time it's round to fit the shape of the G Watch R.

It's easy to plonk the G Watch R down on it at night, but there were a few times I forgot and then had the watch die on me in the middle of the day with the charging cradle back at home.

Without that there's no way to recharge the watch and thus it's ultimately useless if you go away and forget this vital piece of kit.

The Qi wireless charging cradle for the Moto 360 is a lot more stylish in its implementation and useful as it doubles as a bedside/desk clock while it sits on the stand, but again you're constrained by the need for the cradle.

The Sony Smartwatch 3 has a microUSB port on the side, allowing you to charge it using a standard smartphone cable which is far more practical, but adds additional bulk to the device.

In short the charging solution for the G Watch R isn't terrible, but it's also not the best and the fact it can't go more than two days on a single charge is still a huge irritation.

Connectivity wise Android Wear smartwatches are still pretty limited. The LG G Watch R sports Bluetooth 4.0 and that's about it.

There's no GPS, NFC or cellular connections available and as I've already mentioned it's also devoid of a microUSB port.

You also can't build on the 4GB of internal storage with a memory card, but hey, at least it has a barometer.

Verdict

The LG G Watch R has got one thing right, it actually looks like a watch. While it may not appear as premium as the Moto 360, it's personally my favourite looking smartwatch to date.

There's still a long way for Android Wear to go to become truly useful, and justifying the G Watch R's price tag is difficult.

We liked

The design will always be subjective, and while some people told me the G Watch R looked a bit cheap and plastic, I am rather taken with it.

It's unassuming and that's what I want. People catch it out the corner of their eye and instead of recoiling in horror at the ugly computer strapped to my wrist, they gloss over it thinking it's nothing more than a simple time piece.

The display is also worth shouting about. While the Moto 360 had a larger screen which made text a little larger and easier to read, the higher resolution display of the G Watch R is easier on the eye, while the P-OLED screen delivers strong colours.

Performance wise the Watch R holds in own in the market, and it bests the 360 which suffers from an underpowered chip inside.

We disliked

At two days the battery life is better than most of the Android Wear competition, but considering you don't have to charge a normal watch ever, every two days is still pretty annoying.

Add to that the fact you have to have the charging cradle with you to charge it and things can get very frustrating if you've left it at home.

The price is very steep. The LG G Watch R doesn't really offer anything additional over the G Watch, Smartwatch 3 and Gear Live - all of which are a good chunk cheaper.

Android Wear in its current form is still limited. I'm sure more functionality will be added in future software updates, but for now it still feels rather half baked.

There are certain use case scenarios which highlight the benefit of a smartwatch, but most of the time it really isn't that much effort to pick up your phone and check your notifications.

Verdict

The LG G Watch R is one of the best smartwatches on the market, but it's still far from a polished device.

Android Wear needs more work, it still feels odd talking into your wrist - especially in public places - and the price tag is a hard one to swallow - especially if you've just bought a new handset.

It's difficult to really recommend any of the smartwatches currently on the market as they're yet to carve a path which makes them really a nesscessary addition to your day to day life.

Sure the G Watch R is fun to show off to your friends, and its unassuming design means it blends far better into your wrist, but should you buy one?

Only if you really, really want to.

First reviewed: October 2014

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Your Kindle could be damaging your health

Reading that e-book in bed may seem like the perfect way to relax before sleep, but it might actually be harming your health.

Researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA claim that reading back-lit ereaders before bed leads to poorer quality sleep. The is due to our natural body rhythm, which uses light to tell the time.

The blue light emitted from tablets, smartphones and LEDs disrupts this pattern, meaning we experience poorer sleep, less deep sleep, and awake in the morning feeling more tired.

Circadian

Researchers analysed the production of the sleep hormone melatonin in the 12 test subjects, discovering that the amount was reduced by reading an e-book.

"Overall, we found that the use of portable light-emitting devices immediately before bedtime has biological effects that may perpetuate sleep deficiency and disrupt circadian rhythms, both of which can have adverse impacts on performance, health and safety," Read the report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

So if you want to nod off faster, you're probably better off using an ereader that isn't back-lit, or just sticking with a paperback.

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How businesses can deal with the issue of employees surfing for pornography

Introduction

The reality of the workplace today is that employees are sometimes free to browse on any website, surf from the cafeteria or a private cubicle, and consume megabytes of data off the corporate Wi-Fi network. But what if they abuse that in one of the worst ways possible?

Surfing for pornography at work is one of the most controversial, least understood (in terms of actual data about the problem), and most technologically challenging issues facing IT admins.

Controversial matter

It's controversial because not everyone has the same definition of what constitutes "not safe for work" material, laws protect the freedom of speech, and it can be difficult to address web surfing violations in business (i.e. whether the employee really visited inappropriate sites).

The problem is severely misunderstood because most companies do not share any data about those who have been "caught" surfing for pornography. And, it becomes a technical challenge when web filtering products weed out malware and block sites commonly known to disseminate pornographic material, but don't prevent access to seemingly innocuous blogs.

Eric Cowperthwaite, the vice president of advanced security and strategy at Core Security (and the former CISO of Providence Health and Services), says the issue is multifaceted and IT admins, company heads, and other leaders have to be smart about their approach.

"There is a legal issue, a management and productivity issue and a security issue," he says. "Each one of those can, and should, be dealt with differently."

Blocking strategies

Of course, the best solution in any company is to deal with the problem of employees surfing for porn by blocking access to well-known sites entirely. This is mostly a security issue. Interestingly, most of the security companies who block malware and other harmful agents declined to discuss blocking strategies related to pornography because of the free speech issues and how people define the topic.

At the same time, many products exist that will block sites and filter harmful (and inappropriate) content, from the Cisco Web Security Appliance to products from companies like FireEye, Symantec, McAfee, and Sophos.

"It is a fairly well understood reality that many of the internet systems serving up pornography don't have good security themselves," says Cowperthwaite. "They are low margin operations run in locations and by organisations that really aren't overly concerned about good security. Their servers are often compromised by bad guys and are serving up malicious software, man-in-the-middle attacks, credit card breaches and the like.

"This is a significant threat to corporate security. However, the bottom line is that you deal with this sort of issue just as you would any other security issue. You put controls in place to prevent users from accessing known bad internet sites, malicious software, their session data being hijacked, and so forth."

Management and legal issues

Management and employee retention issues

The reality for most companies is that security precautions are not always 100% effective. In some cases, a site might contain "not safe for work" images and videos that sneak through the corporate firewalls or may not always be deemed pornographic. Yet there are serious management issues related to blocking this material that could still be considered offensive.

"If your users are accessing pornography at work, then there are a bunch of policy and productivity issues," says Cowperthwaite. "Even, potentially, issues involving a hostile workplace. I once dealt with a senior manager looking at porn in ways where his junior female employees could see it. That's a pretty hostile workplace.

"The issue is that security often gets pulled into (or puts itself into) the position of being the enforcer of behavioural policies that have nothing to do with good security. If an employee is surfing pornography at work there are productivity, policy, management problems. And that is who needs to deal with the issue. Security teams should run from being an HR enforcer if at all possible."

Outright violation of well-established guidelines for surfing the web should be enough to terminate an employee, says Rob Enderle, a well-known tech analyst. "Generally the best practice is that if someone is caught viewing porn in the workplace their employment is terminated and they are visibly walked out of the building," he says.

Privacy and legal issues

Lastly, companies have to deal with the legal ramifications of viewing pornographic material in the workplace. There's the more obvious violations – such as surfing for child pornography – and other issues related to surfing in a workgroup setting in front of other employees.

"The inherent problems of porn in the workplace are well-known and documented," says Charles King, an IT analyst. "It's disrespectful and divisive, often sparks and contributes to employee hostilities, and can also expose the employer to legal liability in a variety of forms. In other words, it's inappropriate on virtually every level so employers have the right and responsibility to protect themselves and their employees.

"Creating clear policies on the subject would be the first order of business, followed by ensuring that every worker understands the issues and consequences. Finally, it's critical for companies' HR and legal departments to develop fair, objective methods of enforcement in cases where employees violate those policies."

Cowperthwaite adds: "There have been cases, mostly not ever discussed publicly, where corporate resources have been used by people dealing in child pornography. This is one of the CISO's worst nightmares. The systems the CISO is entrusted with safeguarding have been compromised (usually by an insider) and then used to break the law. To make it worse, it is one of the worst forms of law-breaking in our society.

"The solution is straightforward, however. If you have good security controls that protect against your networks being breached and exploited by bad guys, then you have the right controls in place to deal with this issue."

In the end, technology can help, but most of the experts agreed the issue is really one that IT leadership has to confront and manage on a case-by-case basis.

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4GB RAM phones are coming, and Samsung's Galaxy S6 could be the first

A couple of months ago we heard word that the Samsung Galaxy S6 might have 4GB of RAM, but Samsung may have just helped confirm that rumour itself. Not only that, it might be more power efficient than existing RAM modules too.

Samsung has announced that it's begun mass producing the industry's first 4 Gigabyte LPDDR4 mobile DRAM modules for phones and tablets. Samsung's LPDDR4 chip is two times faster than a typical DDR3 DRAM used in PCs and can support UHD video recording and playback, as well as continuous shooting of high-resolution 20MP+ images, so it will be a real boon for camera phones.

But the upshot is that 4GB RAM smartphones are coming, and soon.

High performance, low power

Yet despite all that performance the voltage is just 1.1V, making it the lowest power memory option available for large-screen smartphones and tablets. So it should simultaneously boost the performance of devices and be kinder on their batteries.

Given that it's faster than DDR3 DRAM and designed with tablets in mind it could also feasibly find its way on to computers, ushering in super laptops. Wherever it ends up it's likely to arrive soon, since Samsung is already starting to mass produce it.

We could feasibly see it in the Samsung Galaxy S6 and will almost certainly get it in the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, not to mention lots of the other flagships and tablets that will be launching next year.

• The Galaxy S6 might have a metal frame too.

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First USB 3.1 products to launch at CES 2015

Taiwanese company Adata will be releasing a number of USB flash drives that will use the brand new USB 3.1 technology (Type C OTG) at CES 2015.

There are no details about the storage capacity, but we can expect Adata to offer anything between 128GB and 1TB models. Adata also mentioned that it will leverage Bluetooth pairing with your smartphone to enable protection at user level by using Bluetooth as an additional security level.

Announced back in July 2013, the new interface promises to deliver up to 10Gbps, twice the transfer rate of USB 3.0 and on par with Intel's Thunderbolt.

Other notable advantages include universal reversible ports (replaces both USB and microUSB) and the ability to deliver up to 100W of power, which should be enough for a laptop and a couple of monitors (like the AOC E1759FWU which uses only 10W).

USB 3.1 will be backward compatible with current USB devices. It will be interesting to find out how swift will the rest of the market adopt USB 3.1 as it seeks to federate both mobile and desktop audiences.

• Will USB finally kill the desktop?

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Microsoft confirms Onedrive will keep files 'forever' if users want it

Microsoft has confirmed to TechRadar Pro via its OneDrive Twitter account that its cloud-based storage service will save files on OneDrive forever or until the user decides otherwise.

To the question "are the files on OneDrive saved forever?", OneDrive's team answered "You'll still be able to view, share, and download files, but you won't be able to upload files until you buy more storage."

This means that you can upload as many files as you want over the course of a year, allow your subscription to lapse and still access them later without limits.

Google also allows you to do that on Google Drive although if you're over the free storage limit, incoming messages to your Gmail account will be returned to the sender.

Will Box and Dropbox follow?

Microsoft removed the 1TB storage limit on all Office 365 subscriptions, although the rollout has been staggered and likely to reach non-business users early next year.

A 10GB limit on individual files and a 20,000-file limit for OneDrive for Business still hold although you will be able to upload as many files as you want if you compress them.

The cheapest way to get unlimited OneDrive storage is to get a one-year subscription to Microsoft's Office 365 Personal which costs less than £50 at CCL.

Check out our review of Microsoft Office 365.

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