TEK TALK, Computer insights by Ed Collins

Tek Talk is a non-technical column about computer news of general interest. It is researched and written periodically by freelance writer and journalist Ed Collins. Comments are welcome via Twitter: @EdCollins2

Apple’s Developers Conference opens June 2

Apple’s popular Worldwide Developers Conference will run from June 2-6 in San Francisco. Software developers from around the world will attend more than 100 technical sessions led by Apple engineers and other experts in hands-on lab sessions to help developers fine tune their apps and integrate new technologies over the five day session.

Hewlett-Packard to lay off thousands

H-P plans another in its series of layoffs as the company struggles to bolster revenue and restructure itself. CEO Meg Whitman said as many as 16,000 workers could be released soon. H-P currently employs about 318,000 worldwide. The layoffs were made after the company lost revenue in its second quarter when compared with a year ago.

Hackers after cash and trade secrets

Five members of an international hackers group called Blackshades were accused in a New York federal court of “distributing malicious software to thousands of cybercriminals throughout the world.” Prosecutors said they were installing a Remote Access Tool (RAT) in a victim’s personal that enabled cybercriminals to remotely and surreptitiously gain control over the victim’s computer. After installing a RAT on someone’s computer they practically own it, having full access to the hard drive, data files, email, and being able to activate the computer’s web camera.

In another recent case, the FBI accused five Chinese military officials of hacking into six major U.S. businesses (including Westinghouse and US Steel) to pilfer trade secrets and intellectual property. “This is the new normal,” FBI Agent Robert Anderson told USA Today. He said there are two kinds of big companies who are victims of Chinese hackers. “Those who have been hacked and those who haven’t discovered it yet.

Samsung’s Galaxy S5 has heart rate   monitor

South Korea’s Samsung Galaxy S5 that entered the smartphone market recently is the first one to contain an easy-to-use heart-rate monitor. You just put your finger against a sensor on the back of the phone and wait for a few seconds to receive a beats-per-minute measurement. Great device for joggers and others who want to frequently know how the “old ticker” is ticking. Of course Galaxy S5 has many other phone features as well: fingerprint scanner, nice 16 megapixel rear camera for taking photos of friends and family, water resistant in case you drop the phone in the pool, big easy to read 5.1-inch display screen, lightweight device weighing only 5.1 ounces, better battery with more capacity than was in previous S4, and 40 pre-loaded apps included. The smartphone is selling for around $200 under a two-year plan at AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint.

MacBook Air gets update at lower prices

Apple Computer has updated its MacBook Air line. They now have faster processors and cheaper prices, according to Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior worldwide marketing vice president. “Prices now start at $899,” he indicates. The ultra-thin notebook features powerful Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processors, fast flash storage, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, up to 12 hours of battery use, and Apple’s iLife and iWork software apps.