Another week, the Technology Observatory brings you the latest key stories from the technological world:

●       Vodafone will no longer reduce speed by default to charge for excess data instead

●       The Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba will invest $590 million in Meizu

●       Microsoft may have the goal of having Windows 10 ready for manufacturers in June

●       iOS 8.3 is already available, with plenty of new features

●       February 10 is international Safer Internet Day

●       Google announces a date for Google I/O 2015

●       Smartwatches had modest sales in 2014, the Moto 360 stood out the most

●       Xiaomi shows off its numbers: 100 million MIUI users worldwide

●       Apple Pay wins over support by one of its greatest allies, the US government

●       According to WSJ, Apple has an electric vehicle project underway

After talk of the possibility that Vodafone could be preparing rates with unlimited data, the first related moves apparently point to the contrary. If currently rates had a fixed price regardless of data consumption in exchange for a reduction in speed, as of the 16th of February excess data will be charged for by default to always maintain maximum speed for mobile Internet. After that, Vodafone contract rates for voice and data (Mini S, Smart, Red and yu) or mobile Internet rates will come activated, by default, with the Maximum Speed Service that the telecommunications operator presented in December and which applies a cost of €2 for each additional 200 MB up to a monthly maximum of 2 GB (€20), moment at which speed will reduce to 32 Kbps unless the user contracts one of the extra data vouchers which will continue to be available, as they have been to date. This way, Vodafone follows the same path marked by Orange, which charges €1 for each additional 100 MB since April 2014 but also permits the option of reducing speed by default instead of charging for excess data for all users who contact Customer Service to deactivate the Maximum Speed Service. The Maximum Speed Service will come activated by default as of next Monday the 16th, for both new clients through portability, migration or new contract, as well as for existing clients who want to change their rates.

 

The Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has made public its investment of $590 million in Meizu, one of the country's smartphone manufacturers. Despite the magnitude of the figure, bear in mind that Alibaba is a company the size of eBay or Amazon. In fact, it recently invested $10 million in Ouya, the video console created by Kickstarter. Though the reasons for the purchase have not been disclosed, it is necessary to remember that the Chinese e-commerce giant has been for some time working on YunOS, a cloud-based operating system for cellphones. For this reason, everything suggests that the motivation behind this investment may be to drive the expansion of its operating system, deciding to take advantage of a manufacturer like Meizu. In exchange, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer may benefit from Alibaba's enormous sales and distribution channels to increase its market share. It is curious to note that Alibaba has opted for a strategy that is exactly opposite to that which Amazon pursued when deciding to develop its own devices and operating system. No doubt, we are witnessing interesting moves by an e-commerce giant, though we'll have to wait some time to see what yields this investment returns.

With Technical Preview already running in the machines of the over 2 million members of the Windows Insider program, rumors are circulating that try to define the arrival date for the final version of Windows 10. The most recent news by Neowin assures that the goal is set for June. According to this North American publication, Microsoft is working overtime to have the RTM version of Windows 10 ready for June. This would be the final version of the system and would be sent to manufacturers for its inclusion in new equipment. Apparently the idea is to take advantage of the "back to school" purchase period, a time which was traditionally underexploited due to the delayed completion of each new version until August or September. This time, Microsoft wants to shift its pace and exploit the fast speed of development in which it has immersed itself to have devices with Windows 10 in the market as soon as possible. Amongst these, it is likely that we will also find the brand's hardware, such as the renovated Surface Pro 3 or the definitive arrival of the previously cancelled Surface Mini.

When users still don't have iOS 8.2 and there is still a sizeable list of devices that have not yet upgraded to iOS 8.1.3, Apple has made available to developers the beta of iOS 8.3 with some interesting innovations beyond the typical error corrections and system-related improvements. In this sense, it seems that iOS 8.3 will include some interesting changes for Apple Pay outside of the United States, with the reports of testing and support with some banking entities in China, which could mean that Pay may reach Europe and other critical regions of the Apple ecosystem. In addition, in line with OS X 10.10.3, innovations have been made with regards to two-step verification in services such as occurs with Google, which now functions natively, without requiring the generation of a specific password for each application or service. In addition, the inclusion of CarPlay Wireless for the wireless connection of devices to the system in the Apple car, and the inclusion of new Emojis, make the newest beta version of the iOS supplied by Apple one of the most interesting recent updates. With the Apple Watch just around the corner, it is expected that it will also include innovations for the Apple iPhone + Smartwatch ecosystem, though, logically, we'll have to wait for the launch to know whether it will, effectively, be the update that finally sustains Apple's new plans for 2015. Meanwhile, if you are a developer inscribed in the Apple beta program, you can download the new update through the company's developer channel.

It is an undeniable fact that the Internet has become a fundamental part of our daily lives. However, some practices put safe navigation through the internet at risk. To combat these types of problems, Insafe (a network of the European Commission for Safe Internet) promotes initiatives like international Safer Internet Day. The SID Safer Internet Day is an event held annually in February to promote a safer and more responsible use of new technologies, mainly amongst children and youth. SID this year is held today, February 10th, the second day of the second week of the second month, in over 70 countries worldwide, under the slogan "Let's create a better Internet together". However, a better Internet can only be achieved with better navigation practices. That's why today we offer come advice you may follow and implement, given the date.

Recommendations for safer Internet browsing

First, we must be aware of the fact that everything we publish in the Internet (photos, videos, comments, etc.) will be visible to anyone and, in many cases, will remain there forever. Having made this point clear, there's nothing more to do than to be aware of the consequences of our decision-making. However, you can take a note of this advice and of other recommendations that we publish in Hipertextual to be safer while surfing the web.

●      Secure password.

●      Experts suggest that a secure password should comprise at least 8 characters that combine upper-case letters, lower-case letters, symbols and numbers. It is also convenient to change these regularly to keep them from being stolen. Remember, a password is secret, so you should never share this information with anyone else. In this post we also speak of the importance of the password recovery security question.

●      Visit trustworthy sites.

●      One of the most common ways through which our computers are infected by viruses is using redirected links contained in some malicious websites. Avoid clicking on links of e-mail addresses of unknown senders or in chat windows that invite you to participate in a suspicious activity, never accept files that you have not requested to download or that come from sites of questionable activity.

●      Updated system.

●      Updates of our installed system and software have an important justification. These correct security failures that are detected over time and which could increase the vulnerability of our computers and which could ultimately compromise our data. This is why it is of utmost importance to not let too much time go by between system updates, as this could make the difference in whether or not your information is secure.

●      Antivirus.

●      Installing programs that protect the user such as firewall, antivirus or antispam decreases the risk of infection. This, in turn, prevents our loss of valuable information or becoming victims of bank-related frauds at any given moment. The market offers free, good quality and high performance antivirus programs that you may test.

●      Requests from strangers.

●      It is very simple to create accounts in social networks in the Internet. Unfortunately, many of these "supposed" accounts are used to harm others. Avoid accepting invitations from people you do not know and under no circumstances share your personal data with a stranger, remember that not all of your data needs to be public. It is always preferable to keep your address or telephone number private. Use common sense.

●      Respect.

●      Over all, respect others. Take responsibility for your comments and opinions. Reflect on their impact and consequences before publishing anything, to not offend others. Remember that bodies exist in your country that are responsible for keeping you safe, and that together we make a better Internet.

Google has already announced the date of its annual developer conference, a date which traditionally brings us an avalanche of fresh news on its most popular and successful products, from Maps and Gmail, to Chrome and, of course, the world famous Android operating system. The dates of Google I/O 2015 are the 28th and 29th of May. During last year's Google I/O, the company demonstrated how it planned to take the Android operating system to all possible platforms, from vehicles to the home, all by the hand of the user interface called Material Design, a product that resulted of years' work by Matías Duarte. This time, during the Google I/O 2015, we continue to see how Material Design is in the spotlight. In the event's official web (through which you may register to later purchase tickets), the entire interface has been adapted to this style, which makes us think, in the end, that Material could be found everywhere, including Chrome completely, something which would be spectacular. As always, this year we expect surprises for Maps, Gmail, Street View and Chrome, in addition to knowing more about what the future hold for Google+ and Google Glass, two of the company's projects that have been ignored for many months. On another hand, perhaps they'll give us a pleasant surprise by announcing something new for Android. The 28th and 29th of May are Google days. Let's make a note of these in our calendars.

It's one of the most promising categories in today's market, or at least that's what the manufacturers want us to believe. We, as many other users, continue to disbelieve that smartwatches offer, today, differential features, but platforms like Android Wear have been in the market for merely a few months, so we must give it some time. One study by the consulting firm Canalys reveals that since the appearance of the first devices with Android Wear, 720,000 of these smartwatches have been distributed (not necessarily meaning "sold"). The figure is ridiculous compared with smartphone sales, but is not too bad when we observe other platforms like Pebble, which in the same period managed to distribute about 600,000 of its own devices. If we include, furthermore, the meter watches and the aforementioned Pebble watches, as well as other wearables from this segment, like the Sony Smartwatch 1 and 2, for example, the increase is noteworthy. The Canalys report reveals that 4.6 million units were distributed in 2014, though without specifying the most popular ones. This evaluation is, however, presented for the segment of watches with Android Wear, of which the Moto 360 "was clearly the leader", which seems to prove the relevance of a good design for these devices. In fact, this may be even more important right now than its functionalities. This figure is quite modest, but 2015 could be the definitive takeoff for a market that is awaiting a very special guest: the Apple Watch, for which J.P. Morgan has already given an initial estimate of units sold in 2015 of 26.3 million units. If the forecast proves true -a priori it seems too daring to bet on figures without knowing even what the Apple watch will do- then no doubt the smartwatches based on Android Wear will have to face up to very stiff competition. Moreover, that's without even mentioning those based on Pebble or even Tizen.

The boys over at Xiaomi started off the year fiercely, though over the last few days their unstoppable pace of moves and presentations had calmed down a bit, perhaps awaiting the event that the Chinese company has prepared in the United States. It was the first time that Xiaomi senior management visited the U.S., led by Hugo Barra as the Silicon Valley insider. Although we all expected an announcement of this manufacturer’s official deployment in the North American market, the truth is that Xiaomi has settled for merely showing off figures. No doubt they have their reasons for this, given that Xiaomi has experienced a revolutionary year, jumping from one success to another, always with its eyes set on first place on the global podium of manufacturers increasingly within reach, but must first wait the official arrival of Xiaomi to international markets. For now, the successful Chinese manufacturer announces that its Android-based software platform, MIUI, is already used by over 100 million persons worldwide. It also helps that the ROM is compatible with 347 devices from 96 different manufacturers. Xiaomi has grown 135% in 2014, with 61 million devices sold and revenues of about $12 billion, and though it is estimated that the company is already worth about $45 billion, it continues considering itself a startup that now acknowledges its real interest in expanding its markets. For now, there is no data about when we'll find Xiaomi devices on the shelves of the United States or Europe, but given this Chinese manufacturer's numbers, it will come as no surprise to have more news about this before the end of 2015.

The ambitious and to date successful commitment to mobile payment solutions by Apple continues its course of continuous growth and counts with new partners that become platform members each week, proving that Apple Pay is one of the company's most successful products. Last Friday the 13th, Tim Cook, within the framework of the cybersecurity summit summoned by the government of President Barack Obama, the CEO of Apple revealed major advances for its payment platform, amongst which we may find support for payments of the United States government. Last Friday's announcement mentions that Apple Pay will be compatible with debit and credit cards issued for veterans, as well as for those receiving social security payments, making it possible to include these and all cards issued by the federal government in the Apple Pay platform for making wireless payments using Apple devices. On another hand, it will also be possible to pay with an iPhone or Apple Watch using Apple Pay at national parks of America, which added to the transactions using federal payment cards, we are speaking of over 87 million transactions equivalent to $26.4 billion annually. This is a strong vote of confidence in favor of Apple on behalf of the government, which has mentioned that Apple Pay is a safe and reliable means for transactions, given that compared with traditional credit cards, Apple Pay neither reveals the complete card number to businesses, nor stores records of purchases. Tim Cook mentioned: "We wish to imagine that in a not too distant future the wallet will become a thing of the past. A future in which our passport, driver's license and other important documents may be digitally stored in a safe way and be easily accessible for everyone." It is expected for this support to be available next fall.

Manufacturers of all kinds, as part of their DNA, always have projects underway that in the end never materialize into a final product. This is what could happen with Project Titan, as revealed by the WSJ according to internal sources at Apple. The American newspaper assigns a name to an idea that comes as a surprise: Apple is developing an electric vehicle. Without this implying a plan for offering consumers its own vehicle, it is not strange that one of the products that should be important in upcoming years is on the mind of this company in Cupertino. For this project, Apple is establishing a team composed of engineers and persons intimately related with and experienced in the world of vehicles. Amongst these is found one of the most recent recruits in the motor industry, no less than the most recent R&D manager for Mercedes. Directing a team of about 1,000 persons is, according to the WSJ, Steve Zadesky, current Vice President of Design at the company in Cupertino, who used to be a part of Ford. The crossing over of workers from the motor world (as occurs in fashion or health), constantly occurs in recent years at Apple. Project Titan is for now a project in its very initial developmental stages, and for the time being, would be a type of electric transport vehicle. But, if we needed to fuel the fire or rumors about synergies between Apple and Tesla, here's some more. And pay attention because it's not just about the electric vehicle: the future of energy for the home using renewables, on which Tesla is working even more intensely than on the vehicle, should be of interest to all major companies.