It has been a very busy week in tech, as the first full week of the new year had vendors debuting new products, companies dealing with security issues and a deep dive look at the promise of biometrics as a security technology.
In case you weren't able to keep up with the tech news taking place this week, we've put together the top five headlines from the week.
1. Virtual Reality Front and Center
2014 was a big year for virtual reality, culminating in a number of virtual reality headsets being announced at the start of the new year.
Oculus VR is debuting its newest Crescent Moon prototype. The company is behind the Oculus Rift, a highly anticipated virtual reality headset that arguably started many people's interest in virtual reality.
Samsung also announced a new headset developed in partnership with Oculus. The headset is called Samsung Gear VR. Samsung also launched its new Milk VR Netflix-style app for virtual reality content.
2. Chick-fil-A Hacked in Latest Data Breach
Chick-fil-A has disclosed a hack that reportedly took place as 2014 came to a close. While the hack is not confirmed by the company as yet, Chick-fil-A has said it is investigating a potential data breach.
In a statement the company said "payment industry contacts" had reported suspicious activity as of Dec. 19. After those reports the company contacted authorities in an attempt to investigate the situation.
3. Samsung Prepping Mobile Payment Service of its Own
Rumors suggest Samsung is prepping a mobile payment service to rival the likes of Apple Pay.
The company is reportedly working with LoopPay to implement a mobile payment service. More than a few industry watchers are skeptical Samsung can launch a successful service, citing that the company has not been too successful with software mobile services in the past. But as one industry watcher tells Tech Times, there is still room at the mobile payment table for a powerhouse player.
4. Different Biometric Sensors Arriving in Future
Biometric sensors are being hailed as the next generation of security tools, with examples including eye-vein readers, fingerprint sensors and even ear-print scanners.
Some, however, suggest these biometric scanners may not be as secure as previously thought, with fingerprint scanners recently being hacked. For this reason some analysts suggest biometric scanners should be constantly authenticating users. For example, fingerprint scanners could be integrated into the display of a device, authenticating each time a user touches the screen. Find out what else security experts shared about the emerging security technology.
5. Bitcoin May Be on the Rebound
Despite a terrible end of 2014 and beginning of 2015 following a hack, it seems as though bitcoin is on its way back. While it has taken a tumble, bitcoin is currently valued at 20 times what it was in 2013, note experts, and the future isn't as stormy as some may think.
