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Post by Admin on Feb 6, 2014 11:52:53 GMT -9
Using Google+ Hangouts, enterprises can now enjoy video conferencing at an affordable price.
Hoping to simplify the process of setting up and running video conferences, Google on Thursday announced Chromebox for meetings, an updated version of its Chrome OS computer that has been tuned for video streams, backed by peripherals, Google+ Hangouts, and other Google cloud services.
At a media event at Google's Mountain View, Calif., headquarters, Caesar Sengupta, VP of product management for Chromebooks at Google, touted the system's affordability and potential to foster a more engaged corporate culture.
Citing the difficulty of setting up audio and video conferences and the fact that those attending audio conferences often spend the time playing games or surfing the web, Sengupta said Google believes it can offer something better.
"Many companies try to deal with [the challenge of audio conferencing] by investing in video conferencing systems," he said. "But these are typically expensive, complicated to set up, and require changes in the room. ... Very few people in a company actually get access to these systems."
Chromebox for meetings is available from ASUS in the US today for $999, with Dell and HP offerings coming soon. It will be available in other countries in the months ahead. That cost includes an Intel i7-based Chromebox, a video camera, microphone, speaker, and remote, as well as a year's worth of service and support. Thereafter, the ongoing price is $250 a year. Displays are not included.
"Companies that have not been able to afford the luxury of a face-to-face meeting system can now do so," said Sengupta. "We think there's a big market for this," he added, declining to cite sales projections as a matter of policy.
A company called Vidyo has been working with Google to provide Google+ Hangouts connectivity with H.323/SIP and IP PBX systems from the likes of Cisco, Tandberg, and Polycom. Those who wish to join corporate Google+ Hangouts meetings from their phones can do so through a service called Uberconference.
Sengupta said a number of companies have been beta testing the service and have been pleased with the results. These include: Brady, Costco, CBC, Eventbrite, Lytro, oDesk, Gilt, Premier Foods, Softbank, Woolworths, the State of Wyoming, and Yelp.
A meeting room with a Chromebox can accommodate up to 15 people and Google says multiple rooms can be linked with each other for large group meetings. All this is handled through a central administrative console as part of the paid service.
It's been a busy time in the Chrome OS world. Two new Chromebook models debuted this week. Toshiba released its Chromebook, referred to by the alphanumeric jumble "CB30-A3120," for $299. It features an Intel Celeron 2955U, 2GB DDR3L 1600MHz (max 2 GB), Intel Integrated Graphics, 16-GB SSD with 100-GB Google Drive included (at no cost for two years), 802.11a/g/n, and a 13.3 inch screen.
Weighing in at 3.3 pounds, it comes with a memory card reader, 2 USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, and a battery that's not user replaceable but promises up to nine hours of usage.
Acer meanwhile released a Chromebook with an equally obtuse designation: the C720P-2666 Chromebook, which also lists for $299. It's hardware specifications are very similar, except as follows: one of its two USB ports is USB 2.0 rather than 3.0; it comes with a 32-GB SSD instead of 16 GB; and its battery life is projected to be 7.5 hours as opposed to 9 hours.
What distinguishes Acer's latest Chromebook, however is that, like Google's high-end Chromebook Pixel, it comes with a touchscreen.
Approximately, 2.5 million Chromebooks were sold in 2013, according to research firm IDC, a figure that represents about 1% of the global PC market. The education sector, however, has been quicker to see value in Chrome OS devices. Futuresource Consulting has estimated that Chromebooks accounted for about 19% of the K-12 US mobile market last year.
The growing appeal of Chromebooks is seen as a threat by Microsoft, despite the fact that the devices can work with Office files through Google Apps or via remote access extensions. Microsoft recently extended its anti-Google "Scroogled" marketing campaign to include Google's Chromebook, which it insists are not "a real laptop" because the device doesn't run Office or Windows.
Of course school administrators are looking at options like Chrome OS and Apple's iOS precisely because they don't come with the management costs associated with Windows.
Google's Chromebook hardware partners now include Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG, Samsung, and Toshiba. And Sony’s Vaio VCC11's is expected to ship this spring.
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Post by Admin on Feb 7, 2014 8:08:40 GMT -9
Report: Calif. Bill Would Require Cell Phone Kill Switches BY ANGELA MOSCARITOLO FEBRUARY 7, 2014 10:25AM EST19 COMMENTS Companies that sold phones without the kill switch software would face fines of up to $2,500 for each device.
[MOBILE SECURITY] What To Do When Your Android Phone is Stolen Cell phone theft is a growing problem, but a group of California lawmakers think they have a solution. State Sen. Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) on Friday is expected to introduce legislation requiring all smartphones and tablets sold in the state to contain a so-called "kill switch," which would render the device inoperable if it was lost or stolen, according to a report from The New York Times. The bill, which is sponsored by San Francisco Attorney General George Gascón, would apply to any device sold after Jan. 1, 2015. Companies that sold phones without the kill switch software would face fines of up to $2,500 for each device sold. If passed, the bill would only apply to phones sold in California, though it would likely cause smartphone markers to add the software to all their devices sold in the U.S., the report notes. "With robberies of smartphones reaching an all-time high, California cannot continue to stand by when a solution to the problem is readily available," Leno said in a statement provided to the Times. "Today we are officially stepping in and requiring the cellphone industry to take the necessary steps to curb violent smartphone thefts and protect the safety of the very consumers they rely upon to support their businesses." Leno and Gascón first announced plans to introduce the bill late last year. The move comes after previous efforts to add a kill switch to cell phones were sidelined due to opposition from cell phone carriers. CTIA, the wireless trade association that represents all the major U.S. carriers, said last year that kill switches pose "very serious risks." A disabled device would not be able to make emergency calls, CTIA has said, while those who disable lost phones would have to pay hundreds of dollars for a new device, even if they found the old phone. Apple incorporated a kill switch of sorts for iOS 7 devices; stolen or lost gadgets cannot be reactivated without the owner's Apple ID and password. The approach earned rave reviews from Gascón and New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman. Samsung has also been working on its own option. Cell phone thefts currently account for 30 to 40 percent of all robberies nationwide, and cost U.S. consumers more than $30 billion in 2012, according to Leno and Gascón, citing data from the Federal Communications Commission.
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Post by Admin on Feb 10, 2014 8:31:38 GMT -9
More desktop friendly tweaks show up in Windows 8.1 Update 1 leak, April 8 release expected By Jose Vilches On February 10, 2014, 9:30 AM
Following last week’s public leak of Windows 8.1 Update 1, a newer build has made its way online, revealing even more desktop friendly tweaks in what’s reportedly a near final version of the code. First and foremost, it's been confirmed that this latest build boots to the desktop on non-touchscreen PCs by default, while tablets like the Surface 2 bring up the Start screen by default.
The ability to boot to desktop already exists as an opt-in setting since Windows 8.1, released in January. The change makes sense, though, leaving the touch-optimized interface as default only for actual touch devices.
Elsewhere Microsoft is adding title bars with minimize, close and snap buttons to Modern UI (aka Metro) apps, but they’ll only pop up for a second after launch so you know they are there. You’ll also be able to bring up the Windows taskbar from Metro apps by hovering your mouse along the bottom of the screen, and the taskbar will be customizable with both desktop and Metro apps so you can switch between them or access window previews. You can even activate the taskbar when you’re on the Start Screen by dragging the cursor down to the bottom.
The changes are clearly meant to optimize mouse and keyboard performance as most will only be apparent, or enabled by default, on PCs. As reported earlier, similar improvements are made to the Start Screen, where right-clicking on Live Tiles now produces a context menu with options to resize, unpin, and more, while search and shutdown buttons have been added right onto the Start screen to let users more easily find those options.
Microsoft is also making the default program for pictures and audio files relevant to the device they are being opened on. Whereas it used to be that these files were associated with the Metro-style Photo and Music apps (a big annoyance), pictures and audio files now open by default in the Windows Photo Viewer or Windows Media Player whenever they are opened using a non-touchscreen desktop PC.
Lastly, SkyDrive has been rebranded to OneDrive across the OS, and there’s a new “disk space” option under settings that breaks down individual app sizes as well as file sizes for media such as pictures, videos, and music so it’s easier to get an overview of your biggest storage hogs and clear up some disk space.
According to ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley and her sources, Microsoft's ship target for Windows 8.1 Update 1 has shifted from March to April 2014. The current plan is to use Patch Tuesday to distribute the coming so-called "Spring" update via Windows Update, so her best guess is that release day will be April 8.
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Post by Admin on Feb 11, 2014 9:15:21 GMT -9
Things We Can Learn from The Rise and Fall of Flappy Bird
Flappy Bird, a free, ad-showing smartphone app game created by Dong Nguyen, has been blowing up the media lately. After the game went viral and Nguyen began receiving tons of attention and ad revenue (to the tune of $50,000 per day), he announced that he could no longer take the impact on his previously “simple life”, and then removed the game from app stores. This has many people asking how someone could turn down so much easy money. Others are speculating that this is all a genius marketing ploy. Some believe Nguyen is genuine in his rejection of fame and all the positive and negative feedback that came along with it.
Who knows what Nguyen is really thinking? Not I, but I am interested in what his antics can teach us about the business world as they pertain to entrepreneurship and marketing. Here’s what we can learn from these events.
Flappy Bird isn’t a very sophisticated game. It’s not very easy either. In fact, much of the attention Nguyen received came in response to the game’s obvious influence from old Super Mario games and their extreme difficulty.
Players would try the silly Mario World-esque game and find that this game wasn’t like all the others. This one was really difficult. People like a good challenge, and the game blew up.
What does that mean for business owners? It means that a challenge can spread like wildfire. If you want a marketing campaign to go viral, challenge your target market. Maybe your business has the next McDonald’s Monopoly game on its hands.
Let’s assume that Nguyen is being truthful about his decision to close up shop in the pressure of too much success. He couldn’t take the sudden avalanche of fame and fortune. Why? Why did he create an app that generates revenue from ads, only to limit its availability when he started making $50,000 a day? If it’s truly because he didn’t know how to handle success, this is a mistake we can all learn from.
If Nguyen didn’t know how to handle his success, his mistake was in planning for failure. Rather than considering the possibility that one of his games could become as popular as previous app hits like Angry Birds, he just assumed it wouldn’t.
Start-up businesses encounter the consequences of planning for failure all the time. Rather than believing in the immediate potential of the business, they believe huge success is years down the road. This isn’t always the case. Some start-ups do flop, of course, but some take off like rockets.
I believe the lesson here is to plan for success. Don’t plan on it, or you might make unrealistic decisions. But do plan for it. As the old Boy Scout motto says, “be prepared.” What if your start-up becomes the next Flappy Bird? Woul you ready?
What Else?
If I know something about entrepreneurs and marketers, they’re going to watch Dong Nguyen and his other app games for a while. We’re all eager to find out what Nguyen does next. And whether or not he did this intentionally, he clearly pulled off an amazing publicity stunt, with which he has the power to work as he wishes.
Hats off to Nguyen for putting on a magic show of a business venture, and helping the rest of us learn a thing or two about fame, fortune, and how to handle (and plan for) success.
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Post by Admin on Feb 12, 2014 8:52:00 GMT -9
Google taps VMware to bring Windows access to Chromebooks Summary: The Google Chrome team trumps the value of Desktop-as-a-Service "as the countdown to Windows XP end of life continues."
Rachel King By Rachel King for Between the Lines | February 12, 2014 -- 17:15 GMT (09:15 PST)
Chromebooks are wedging their way further into the enterprise world thanks to a new deal between its maker, Google, and VMware.
Announced amid VMware's Partner Exchange in San Francisco on Wednesday, the virtualization giant's Horizon View desktop-as-a-service has been optimized for Google Chromebooks.
The pipeline is designed to provide access to legacy Windows-based applications, data and desktops via a Web-based application catalog on Chromebooks thanks to VMware's Blast HTML5 Desktop Access software.
Rajen Sheth, director of product management for the Google Chrome team, explained in a blog post on Wednesday morning how Desktop-as-a-Service on Chromebooks can not only serve to bridge old and new technologies -- but eventually replace them altogether.
As the countdown to Windows XP end of life continues, deploying Chromebooks and taking advantage of a DaaS environment ensures that security vulnerabilities, application compatibility and migration budgets will be a thing of the past. Google Enterprise chief Amit Singh boasted separately in prepared remarks that Google Chromebooks could save businesses about $5,000 per computer when compared to traditional PCs."
The integration is already available now for VMware Horizon View 5.3 and Google Chromebook customers, delivered as an on-premise service. VMware will be responsible for delivering and fully managing the package deal and subscription for cloud and hybrid environments.
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Post by Admin on Feb 14, 2014 8:40:39 GMT -9
Google celebrates Valentine’s Day with love stories
Do you remember your first love? Google is celebrating Valentine’s Day with real love stories in the format of popular radio show “This American Life.”
Friday’s Google Doodle is of the iconic Valentine’s Day candy hearts with messages like “First Kiss” and “Puppy Luv.” When clicked, each heart opens up an animation and plays stories that range from crushes to eternal love.
“Like in a movie or in a dream, and everything’s spinning really quickly and just the one spot where you’re standing stays still,” a woman says, describing a moment leading up to a missed opportunity for a first kiss.
In another story a young boy talks about a middle school crush that turns into puppy love. The most poignant story comes from a newlywed man in love, who describes the fear of losing his husband.
“This will end someday. This will end,“ he says.
“I thought, yes, my dear,” his husband says. “That’s true. One of us will die. Then the other will die. And it will be over, but we have now.”
To all the lonely hearts and merry lovers out there, happy Valentine’s Day!
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Post by Admin on Feb 17, 2014 8:26:35 GMT -9
Smartphone theft reaches pandemic proportions (and you are a target) Summary: The spread of smartphone theft is off the charts. Some US senators have a plan to solve it, but the carriers don't agree. Is the Senate plan a bad idea, or are carriers just trying to bilk their customers out of insurance fees? It's an ugly story no matter how you look at it.
David Gewirtz By David Gewirtz for ZDNet Government | February 17, 2014 -- 15:17 GMT (07:17 PST)
What's smaller than a slice of bread, worth hundreds of dollars, and carried by almost anyone? If you guessed "smartphone," you'd be right on the money. In fact, it's the relationship between money and smartphones that is causing the problem.
"Carriers are rejecting a technological solution so they can continue to shake down their customers for billions of dollars in (theft) insurance premiums." — San Francisco's District Attorney As we all know, smartphones are small, portable, jewel-like, and quite expensive. They are extremely portable and easily resold. These characteristics make them ideal targets for criminals, and those who carry smartphones ideal targets for robbers.
iPhones, for example, have become a form of hard currency. As BusinessWeek reports, an iPhone bought here in the US for $815 (with tax) is worth about $1,130 in Italy. That's a $315 profit on a legitimate purchase. Using numbers from the BusinessWeek story, unlocked iPhone 5S devices cost about $700 on average in the US and can be resold for $971 (in France) to $1,196 (in Brazil).
Going back as far as 2009, smartphones have even contributed to the funding of terrorist organizations. In this four-year-old Department of Justice announcement, terrorist suspects were caught in an FBI sting trying to buy stolen smartphones that would eventually be laundered into purchases of "anti-aircraft missiles (FIM-92 Stingers) and conspiring to possess machine guns (approximately 10,000 Colt M4 Carbines)."
In another variant of criminal activity, the State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General announced last March that they had filed criminal charges against a criminal ring trafficking in $4 million worth of smartphones. Their scheme was to send homeless and indigent people into carriers to buy smartphones at the subsidized rate (with no intent of paying the monthly fees), and then resell the devices for as much as ten times the cost in places like Hong Kong.
Our own David Morgenstern points out that Apple Stores are also a major target for smartphone theft. Last December, he documented a string of Apple Store robberies.
Consumer Reports estimates that 1.6 million smartphones were stolen in the United States in 2012. Given the incredible growth rate in smartphone sales from 2012 to 2013, we can expect that number to have been significantly higher in the last year.
While that statistic alone is disturbing, where things really begin to stand out is in the percentage of criminal activity overall that is related to smartphones and smartphone theft. According to the FCC, as reported by CNET, nearly one-in-three robberies involve smartphone theft. Half of all robberies in New York and San Francisco involve smartphone theft, and in Oakland, California, that number reaches 75 percent.
Reaching pandemic proportions The difference between an epidemic and a pandemic is the spread of the disease. While an epidemic can impact a widespread section of a population, that population is generally contained within a regional area. If smartphone thefts were confined in the main to, say, New York City, it would be an epidemic. But since smartphone theft is now a national problem (and a worldwide problem), that pushes the problem into pandemic proportions.
Murder he wrote And it's not just robbery. As the Huffington Post reports, smartphone thefts can lead to murder. The author, Gerry Smith, points to the case of Hwangbum Yang, a Korean-born immigrant who was shot in the Bronx by a for his iPhone. The alleged killer (the case is awaiting trial), one Dominick Davis, left Yang's wallet on the body, but later listed the phone for sale on Craigslist for $400.
The kill-switch plan Law enforcement and government officials have taken notice of the problem and have a plan for a solution. Their solution is a smartphone kill-switch that they want to force the carriers to implement. The way it would work is that if your phone was stolen, you could immediately log into your carrier's service and permanently brick your phone, thereby eliminating its value on the resale market.
In June, this effort started as a "Secure Our Smartphones" initiative put forth by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón. The carriers, however, don't like this idea and in December nixed the plan, asserting that a central database of stolen smartphones might be a better approach.
The kill-switch solution escalated again on Thursday, when four Democratic US senators — Amy Klobuchar, Barbara Mikulski, Richard Blumenthal, and Mazie Hirono — proposed the Smartphone Theft Prevention Act. Here's the press release from Senator Klobuchar (who apparently is also very much in love with bold and italic formatting styles — this release wins the "Most Like Early PageMaker" award for press releases).
But is a kill-switch a good idea? The carriers don't think so, claiming there's an increased potential for hacking. But San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón doesn't think that's the case. In fact, he claims, "Carriers are rejecting a technological solution so they can continue to shake down their customers for billions of dollars in (theft) insurance premiums."
I did an analysis of the value of carrier protection programs last June, and determined that the value wasn't really there for consumers. Worse, carriers would often replace lost or stolen phones with inferior, used, and refurbished phones, substantially increasing their profits overall.
So there may be some merit in DA Gascón's claim. After all, when have the carriers really acted in the best interests of their customers over profits?
Even so, I can see two sides to the kill-switch idea. Clearly, if the ability to resell phones is stopped in some way, their theft value will plummet, effectively killing the reason for this pandemic crime. However, the idea that the hardware won't be hackable is unlikely, even if a kill-switch is implemented.
Second, I share some concern with the carriers over increased hackability if a back-door is embedded in each device. That said, we know that there are all sorts of management back doors embedded in the device, all the way down to the very weak firmware OS that runs under the smartphone OS of most phones.
I also have some concern that if smartphones can be killed remotely, that gives government a way to instantly shut off communications -- but one could counter that argument with the fact that governments can shut off communications at the hub and don't have to brick millions of smartphones to get the job done.
My one final concern is that the term "kill-switch" might prove sadly prophetic. If users are given the opportunity to brick their phones after they're stolen, then criminals will simply stop users from exercising that option using extreme prejudice. I'd hate to see more people like Hwangbum Yang lose their lives just because some scumbag wants to make some money off the resale of these pocket-sized nightmares.
What do you think? Is a kill-switch the solution against smartphone theft or is there a better idea? You are the folks who would know, so share your thoughts.
By the way, I'm doing more updates on Twitter and Facebook than ever before. Be sure to follow me on Twitter at @davidgewirtz and on Facebook at Facebook.com/DavidGewirtz.
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Post by Admin on Feb 18, 2014 12:57:51 GMT -9
Samsung’s New Galaxy Is Said to Feature Bigger, Sharper Display By Jungah Lee and Marie Mawad - Feb 18, 2014 Samsung Electronics Co. (005930)’s new high-end smartphone will have a larger 5.2-inch screen and a sharper display than the current Galaxy S4, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter.
The new phone, with an improved battery and camera, will be released about the same time as an upgraded Galaxy Gear smartwatch, the person said, asking not to be identified because the specifications aren’t public. Samsung may start selling the new phone for less than previous models in the S series after encouragement by at least one wireless carrier, said a second person familiar with the matter.
Samsung is adding features to the latest version of its most-popular device as it tries to counter slowing demand for premium smartphones, new models from Apple Inc. (AAPL) and a plethora of Chinese competitors selling devices for as little as $100. The world’s biggest smartphone maker is releasing its new phone, which may be called the S5, after sales of the predecessor S4 unveiled last year fell short of analyst estimates.
Related: Samsung Plans Galaxy S5 by April as Eye Scanner Studied
“For me, better specs don’t cut it,” Roberta Cozza, an analyst at Gartner Inc., said in an interview. “They need to find a way to get users to pick the Samsung brand across different types of devices to better compete with Apple.”
Asia’s biggest technology company plans to debut the device at the Mobile World Congress next week in Barcelona. It has invited journalists to an event called “Unpacked5” scheduled for 8 p.m. on Feb. 24.
Eye Scanner
Sul Jung In, a Seoul-based spokesman for Samsung, declined to comment on specifications of the device.
Samsung studied the possibility of using eye-scanner technology in the new phone for the first time, Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of the mobile business, said in a Jan. 6 interview. Sales of the company’s marquee S4 slowed after the September release of Apple’s iPhone 5s, which includes a fingerprint-identity sensor.
The Suwon, South Korea-based company will focus its advertising for the new phone on improved security features, an upgraded camera and integration with wearable devices like the Galaxy Gear, one of the people said. Samsung wants to position the phone on the high end of the market against competitors including HTC Corp. (2498) with its One series, the person said.
Samsung hasn’t given carriers a selling price yet amid a debate about whether the new phone should be cheaper than previous S models. A Galaxy S4 device with 16 gigabytes of memory sells for $199.99 at Verizon Wireless with a two-year contract, according to the carrier’s website.
Cheaper Price?
Vodafone Group Plc. (VOD) in the U.K. offers the S4 from 99 pounds ($165), depending on the service plan. A version of the S4 is available in Hong Kong through China Mobile Ltd. (941) for a subscription price of HK$4,580 ($591), according to its website.
Samsung, which sells about one of every four mobile phones globally, saw its shipments and market share fall in the fourth quarter of 2013 from a year earlier, according to IDC data released Jan. 27. Samsung shipped 112 million mobile phones in the quarter, down from 113.6 million units a year earlier.
Its shipment market share declined to 22.9 percent in the fourth quarter from 23.5 percent a year earlier.
Since its release in April, Samsung has sold 63.5 million units of the S4, which features a 5-inch screen and 13-megapixel camera, according to the median estimate of three analysts surveyed by Bloomberg News. That compares with 65.6 million for the predecessor S3, according to the analyst survey. Samsung doesn’t disclose shipment data for individual devices.
Marquee Device
Apple sold 51 million iPhones in the December quarter after new versions went on sale in September. Last month, the Cupertino, California-based company started selling phones through China Mobile, the world’s largest carrier with 767 million subscribers.
Lower sales of Samsung’s marquee device contributed to its slowest profit growth since 2011 in the three months ended Dec. 31, with net income rising 5.4 percent to 7.22 trillion won ($6.8 billion). Operating income at the mobile unit, the company’s biggest profit driver, was 5.47 trillion won, little changed from a year earlier and down from a record 6.7 trillion-won profit in the quarter ended Sept. 30.
Shares of Samsung rose 0.8 percent to 1,295,000 won in Seoul trading yesterday, paring its decline this year to 5.6 percent. The stock dropped 9.9 percent last year, its first annual decline since 2008.
To contact the reporters on this story: Jungah Lee in Seoul at jlee1361@bloomberg.net; Marie Mawad in Paris at mmawad1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Michael Tighe at mtighe4@bloomberg.net; Kenneth Wong at kwong11@bloomberg.net
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Post by Admin on Feb 19, 2014 11:52:23 GMT -9
Google: How not to be a 'Glasshole' Doug Gross, CNN By Doug Gross, CNN updated 12:03 PM EST, Wed February 19, 2014 | Filed under: Mobile Google is offering Google is offering "do's" and "don'ts" for wearing its Glass connected eyewear. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Google is offering tips for Google Glass etiquette Company encourages users to ask permission to shoot photos, video Also? Don't be a "Glasshole," it says Glass connected eyewear is expected to hit the market by the end of the year
(CNN) -- Google has heard all the concerns about Glass, its digital headset expected to hit the market by the end of the year. They've heard people's fears they'll be secretly recorded by a Glass-wearing creeper. They know somebody's going to be stupid and drive while using them. And, yes, they know that some people might think you're a "Glasshole." So, now, they're serving up a list of "do's" and "don'ts" to avoid those awkward moments and get the most out of what may be the most high-profile entry in the emerging wearable-tech market. On its website for Glass, Google has posted advice for testers in its current Explorer program and, presumably, the folks who will be entering the world of Glass when the headset goes on sale to the public. 'Google Glass' more chic, less geek Google Glass: view from a firefighter Judge tosses Google Glass driving ticket Here's a breakdown of some of our favorites. DO: Ask for permission "Standing alone in the corner of a room staring at people while recording them through Glass is not going to win you any friends," Google says. "The Glass camera function is no different from a cell phone so behave as you would with your phone and ask permission before taking photos or videos of others." Fears about privacy around Google Glass have been one of the device's biggest hurdles on its path toward acceptance. Restaurants have banned them, and complete strangers have confronted testers because of the device's ability to shoot photos and video. Easing those fears will be important for Google as it moves forward. DON'T: Be creepy or rude (aka a "Glasshole") Yes, Google itself used the derogatory term "Glasshole" (although it's been massaged into a description of bad behavior, as opposed to its broader meaning as a slur, voiced by some critics, used to describe anybody wearing the headset). This is the flip side of the first entry. "If you're asked to turn your phone off, turn Glass off as well," Google writes. "Breaking the rules or being rude will not get businesses excited about Glass and will ruin it for other Explorers." DO: Take advantage of the Glass voice commands This is the real advantage of a lot of wearable tech. You don't have to fiddle around with it like you do a smartphone. But we mostly just like Google's hypothetical scenarios here: "Glass can free your hands up to do other things like golfing, cooking, or juggling flaming torches while balancing on a beach ball." DON'T: Glass out Google is pushing Glass as a way of getting quick updates or performing quick actions, as a complement to other mobile devices instead of a replacement. "If you find yourself staring off into the prism for long periods of time you're probably looking pretty weird to the people around you," the post reads. "So don't read War and Peace on Glass." DO: Use screen lock Once you've customized your Glass, bad guys who get their hands on it will have access to your e-mail and other sources of personal information, just as if they'd snagged your phone or laptop. DON'T: Wear it and expect to be ignored Google is treating its Explorers (many of whom forked over $1,500 for the right to say they were first) as walking billboards for the product. They don't want those billboards acting like ... well ... Glassholes. "If you're worried about someone interrupting that romantic dinner at a nice restaurant with a question about Glass, just take it off and put it around the back of your neck or in your bag," says Google. Around the back of your neck? That sounds like a fashion faux pas -- and another "don't" to us.
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Post by Admin on Feb 20, 2014 8:41:17 GMT -9
Microsoft renames Office Web Apps to Office Online Ketan Pratap, February 20, 2014
Microsoft has announced that it is renaming its Office Web Apps to Office Online, which includes the online versions of its popular Word, PowerPoint and Excel apps. Microsoft announced the news on its Office blog, which said, "First, we're renaming Office Web Apps to Office Online, so you know where to find our free online experience."
Further, the blog by Microsoft's Amanda Lefebvre said that the main reason for dumping the Office Web Apps was because of user feedback: "We heard from customers that the inclusion of Apps in our name was confusing. Are they something I install? Do I go to an app store to get them? No, to use them all you need is a web browser."
The blog post also explains that now users can go to Office.com and start using the Microsoft Word Online, Excel Online, PowerPoint Online and OneNote Online starting Wednesday. Users just need a Microsoft Account for using the Office Online.
Some of the new changes in the new Office Online include new free Word, PowerPoint and Excel templates.
The blog post said, "A lot of you don't know that we have an online version of Office because you just couldn't find it. If you're already using Office Online on OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) or on SharePoint at work, great. We're glad you found it there. You can still use Office Online just like you always have. But we're making it easier to find for the rest of you by introducing Office.com, a discoverable and shareable web page so that you can start using Office Online right away."
Microsoft also promises that the new release will bring more cohesive Microsoft Office experience, which will make it easier for users to share and work together online with Office, OneDrive and Outlook.com.
Microsoft has also added Word Online, Excel Online, PowerPoint Online and OneNote Online in an app switcher which will allow users to switch between email, storage and the files without navigating in and out of the online services.
Microsoft has also asked the Office desktop applications users to give Office Online a try.
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Post by Admin on Feb 21, 2014 8:13:12 GMT -9
Google’s Project Tango: Five things you could do with a phone that maps your room
By Hayley Tsukayama, Updated: Friday, February 21, 5:49 AM
Google is pushing into a new world of smartphone hardware, with a new prototype phone that can create a 3D-map of a room. The prototype phone , a 5-inch device codenamed Project Tango, was revealed on Thursday. Its sensors can read a room by tracking the motion of the device itself and simultaneously mapping the environment around it with “a quarter million 3D measurements every second.”
The company has added indoor maps to its mapping products before, but this project comes from the firm’s Advanced Technology and Projects group and takes that concept to an all-new level.
For a full look at Project Tango, take a gander at the video the firm released about the phone:
<iframe width=”606” height=”341” src=”//www.youtube.com/embed/Qe10ExwzCqk” frameborder=”0” allowfullscreen></iframe> Google is partnering with 16 companies and organizations, including The George Washington University, to work on the technology and is asking for more institutions to sign up to work on prototype applications.
It sounds pretty cool, but what would you actually want to use a 3D map of your room for? Here are some ways the phone could help you in your daily life.
Shopping: Google mentions on the Project Tango page that the device could have big implications for shoppers, whether they’re shopaholics or folks who just like to get in and out as quickly as possible. Having an indoor map of the store in your hand could make shopping trips more efficient by leading you directly to the shelf you want.
The firm also mentions that you could use the phone to map the inside of your own room before heading out to buy furniture. IKEA already has an app like this, but this would presumably work for those adults who’ve moved beyond flatpack furniture.
Directions: By extension, one could also see Project Tango working at other times when you need directions inside a building or structure that current mapping solutions just don’t provide. How many times have you tried to get to a government building, for example, only to be dropped off at some imposing front door with no idea how to get to the right room inside the building? Indoor directions on this scale could cut down on the time you’re wandering in hallways to get you to your appointments on time.
Help for the visually-impaired: The phone also has great implications for the visually-impaired community — something Google mentions explicitly in its video and on its Web site. For example, the visually-impaired could use the phone to map out the room and use some kind of software to get alerts about obstacles — giving them an easier way to navigate through unfamiliar territory.
Emergency response: Those working on Google’s Project Glass have already looked into ways to use that technology to help emergency response workers such as firefighters find their way through buildings by projecting the blueprints onto the screen that hovers over the eyes of Glass users.
Using something like Project Tango to map out a room as it is — not only how it’s supposed to be — has the potential to provide valuable information in situations where knowing the exact layout of a room can be a matter of life or death.
Augmented reality gaming: Google also devotes a bit of space on its Web site to postulating what this sort of device could do for gaming, particularly if one could combine the room-mapping with augmented reality.
“Imagine competing against a friend for control over territories in your own home with your own miniature army,” Google said on its Project Tango Web site. Mapping in-game textures onto your real walls — either through the smartphone or a wearable device such as Glass — would arguably produce the best game of Cops and Robbers in history.
Related stories: The Switch: The 34 cities that may be awarded Google Fiber by year’s end The Switch: Google tells Glass users to stop being ‘glassholes’ Follow The Post’s new tech blog, The Switch, where technology and policy connect.
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Post by Admin on Feb 23, 2014 14:05:23 GMT -9
I know it's Sunday, but I had to share this right away. Goes to show that APPLE is still the biggest security hole in any network, which is one of many reasons I don't recommend their products. The Evil Empire is still quietly fooling many while lulling them into a false sense of security. From slave labor in China to not caring that their customers' personal information is secure, Apple is the worst product to purchase.
Apple Potential Security Flaw Added by Hammad Ali on February 23, 2014. Saved under Apple, Hammad Ali, Technology Tags: apple, top Apple
Apple is working to correct a potential security flaw that was identified in many of its products. The flaw could allow hackers and unauthorized personal to gain access and intercept email ids and passwords. This bug was identified in the iOS 7 system of the products.
The bug makes the SSL/TLS coding vulnerable and open for anyone to see. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer whereas TLS stands for Transport Layer Security. Generally both of these have the same function where they protect the transfer of data between a device and the company’s server. They both ensure that the transfer of data remains private and encrypted. The bug however makes it impossible for the server to differentiate between an authentic device and an unauthorized user. For this reason the data can easily be intercepted and obtained.
Apple products that experienced the problem includes iPhone 4 and above, the fifth generation iPod touch and the second generation iPad. Apple stated that these devices would update automatically and that the possible threat would be eradicated. Multiple online experts were able to identify the cause of such a security breach. It was revealed that an addition in the products authentication code forced the device to bypass all other authentication protocols. This meant that emails and passwords that are normally encrypted can now be easily intercepted by hackers. Apple’s security flaw quite literally opens up the way for any potential third party user to gain access to a personal device.
Cybercrime and hacking has existed ever since technology was first introduced. Cases of unauthorized access are not unheard of and have grown exponentially over the years. Everyone is familiar with the potential damage it can inflict and countless measures have been taken to minimize the effects. This bug would not only allow hackers access to email ids and passwords but also let them steal bank information should a user be unlucky enough to enter it. Malicious software and malware can also be externally installed into the device which would continuously transfer personal information to the hacker.
Apple’s spokerperson Trudy Muller said that they were unaware of such a bug or that it even existed. They however assured their customers that a fix was already developed and that it would soon be integrated into the product’s existing code. Muller however did urge the users not to connect to any public WiFi or enter any site which would allow unauthorized access to the device till the situation was completely under control.
The gravity of the situation can be understood from the fact that developers of the system were not even ready to give away details about the bug. Users might be a bit troubled to find out that he issue has persisted for over a year and that little was done about it.
Computer writer Kim Komando advised all apple users to immediately update their phones if a new update was made available. Users using the iOS system are advised to update to the latest version of the software that is 7.0.6 as developers claim the issue has been fixed in the update.
Such a breach might call into question Apple’s ability to keep their users safe and secure. Apple however maintains that users should rest easy and know that the situation is well under control. Only time will tell whether the potential security flaw has truly been fixed or whether Apple users still remain vulnerable and exposed.
By Hammad Ali
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Post by Admin on Feb 24, 2014 8:55:57 GMT -9
The Ubuntu Phone is official: Let the madness begin! By Jack Wallen February 21, 2014, 2:50 PM PST
Email Alert RSS Jack Wallen responds to the Canonical announcement for the upcoming Ubuntu Phone. Are you fan enough to read on?
Ubuntu phone Canonical founder Mark Shuttleworth recently held a press conference for a major announcement regarding the companies that will soon be in the insanely competitive smartphone market.
Up until now, the only way to test a Ubuntu Phone is to have the right hardware (typically a Nexus device), plenty of time, and access to a charger (as the developer devices had horrendous battery life). Late 2014 will see all of that change, as Canonical announced that two major global players in the smartphone hardware business have stepped up to the plate to partner with Canonical to produce the first consumer-grade Ubuntu Phones.
The partners are BQ and Meizu.
You’re probably thinking “Big deal! It’s only two companies.” Yes, but when you realize that Meizu is a giant in China and creates some amazing devices (such as the MX2) and BQ also has a number of sexy offerings (including the S37), then you know that there just might be something to this announcement.
Most everyone with their fingers on the pulse of the mobile industry knew the Ubuntu Phone would eventually come to fruition. Many were (and are) certain the device could very easily cause a major stir in the pot currently dominated by iOS and Android.
Think about it -- both Android and iOS have a serious stranglehold on the market, one that few will ever have a chance to break. But along comes an open source company, one mostly known for a Linux desktop, and heads are slowly starting to turn.
Why?
Canonical has done this the right way. By adopting Unity early on, Canonical has managed to get the user interface out into the wild. This means the Ubuntu Phone won’t have nearly as many users wondering how to manage the new mobile UI. Another intelligent move on Canonical’s part was their plan for one code base to rule them all. Even now, the Ubuntu Phone shares 90% of the same code as the Ubuntu desktop. By release date, that number will be 100%. That’s right -- the code for the Ubuntu desktop, the tablet, and the phone will be 100% the same. How do they do this? HTML5. Canonical will be using the same code strategy as Google -- Apache Cordova (a cross-platform mobile development platform). According to Shuttleworth, “Anything that works on Android or iOS should work on Ubuntu.”
That might be the best news yet. By adopting HTML5, the Ubuntu Phone shouldn’t suffer the same plight that haunted the Windows 8 Phone -- a ghost town of an app store upon introduction. When the Ubuntu Phone launches, Shuttleworth said the top 50 apps from both the Apple and Android app stores should be available.
No, Ubuntu Phone users won’t find apps like XBill and XSnow filling the app store. Instead, they’ll be treated to the likes of Grooveshark, Weather Channel, Twitter, and a host of other third-party apps.
Sounds to me like Canonical has a plan -- one that could mean almost immediate success for the Ubuntu Phone. That doesn’t, of course, mean the Ubuntu Phone is going to join iOS and Android for a picnic in the park. Bringing a new platform into the mobile-sphere is going to be an almost insurmountable journey. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your point of view), Ubuntu (and Linux in general) is accustomed to scratching and clawing its way to the top of the heap. To me, that translates to the Ubuntu Phone being in this for the long haul. Even if the Ubuntu Phone doesn’t come out a raging hit, Canonical will keep plugging away until it is.
My prediction, however, is that the Ubuntu Phone will be a huge hit -- even if only for the devoted Linux fans across the planet. And they are devoted. The Linux community has been clamoring for their own mobile device for years. Linux die-hards will be tossing their current carriers and phones like Windows installer disks to finally see their wish come to fruition. Those same users will be more than happy to make word of mouth Canonical’s best friend.
Passion is on the side of Canonical. A large cross-section of people desperately want this device. If you’ve ever questioned the rabid relationship consumers have with their phones, hang out at a carrier store for a while and chat with one of the employees. Now, imagine one of those stores filled with long-time Linux users about to have their first taste of the open-source platform on an official mobile device.
We’re talking cats and dogs living together levels of madness! And now, by the end of 2014 (as I predicted at the beginning of the year), those fanboys and fangirls will get their wish.
What do you think? How can a brand new contender manage to hold its own in a market dominated by two power houses? And what challenges should Canonical and the Ubuntu Phone expect along the way?
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Post by Admin on Feb 25, 2014 8:37:43 GMT -9
Hands On With the Samsung Galaxy S5 BY SASCHA SEGAN FEBRUARY 24, 2014 22 COMMENTS Samsung's new flagship phone tones things down a little, but just a little. Samsung Galaxy S5
BARCELONA—Samsung's Galaxy S5 steps back just a touch from the UI excess of the Galaxy S4, but Samsung just can't help itself; the phone is packed full of features old and new, especially focused on camera improvements and health tracking. It's still going to be the everything phone. I got to spend some time with the Galaxy S5 in advance of the announcement, and I came away impressed. Here's some of what I saw. Physical Features, Processor and Networking The S5's body isn't its best feature. Let's get that out there. About the same size as the S4 at 5.6 by 2.8 by 0.31 inches (HWD) and 5.1 ounces, it's still plasticy, still bezel-y, with a chintzy chromed plastic edge. Samsung describes it as "modern and glam," but it's going to need to change its materials palette to really get there. The back is now a textured plastic with a stipple pattern, like you find on the Galaxy Note 3. On the bottom, a plug covers the big USB 3.0 port; this phone is water-resistant and can be dunked, Samsung says. On the top, there's a little IR blaster. VIEW ALL PHOTOS IN GALLERY The screen, on the other hand, is truly beautiful. This is still a 5.1-inch, 432 ppi 1,920-by-1080 Super AMOLED display, very similar to the S4's screen. But Samsung put a custom image chip in here that dynamically adjusts the color gamut and contrast based on ambient light. It's a big step up from the standard automatic brightness control, and it makes the colors really pop under different lighting conditions. Below the screen there's a big home button, and yes, it's a fingerprint scanner. This scanner doesn't just log you in; it can also pay for things with PayPal, and Samsung will have an SDK so third parties can use it for authentication as well. I didn't get to try it. I did get to try the heart-rate monitor, which is on the back next to the camera flash. Rest your finger on it, and it measures your heart rate. It worked within a few seconds, feeding the data into the S Health app. MWC Bug Art Under the hood, we have a 2.5GHz, quad-core Qualcomm MSM8974 processor and a lot of new networking technologies. There's 802.11ac with MIMO for very fast Wi-Fi performance, and LTE/Wi-Fi aggregation, which can download the same file over both networks for really fast performance. (If your LTE is capped, you can turn that off.) The LTE modem supports 21 frequency bands, so there's a chance we'll see a common device across several U.S. carriers, like the iPhones. The phone has 2GB of RAM and comes in 16 and 32GB storage models, and yes, there's a MicroSD memory card slot, expandable to 128GB. The battery clocks in at 2,800mAh.
Camera and Software The S5's 16-megapixel main camera is the bit I'm most hoping to check out further. It's very fast; Samsung said it has 0.3-second autofocus, making sharp pictures feel instant. It's also the first phone we've seen with live HDR preview, so you can see what the popular HDR effect will do to your images; it works for videos, too. There's also a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. Like the Galaxy Note 3's camera, this one records 4K video at 30 frames per second. Samsung really simplified the camera modes here, which I found hugely relieving. A whole bunch of them have now been lumped under "Shot & More," while controls for HDR and "selective focus" (blurring the background or foreground) are right on the main shooting screen. The S4's camera was vastly overburdened with modes, so this is a big step forward.
Samsung backed off a little on the custom software, but not too far. While this is Android 4.4.2, it's nowhere near stock Android. Let's start with S Health, which will be a big deal this year. It has a pedometer, heart rate tracking, a sleep tracker, blood glucose tracker, activity tracker, and more. There's Easy Mode, which simplifies the interface for older adults, and Kids Mode, which restricts it for young children. The settings screen is customized; ditto the dialer, the contact book, and the calendar. There's no Google Now, but there's still S Voice. My Magazine is Samsung's version of Flipboard; Samsung Apps is still preloaded; at least Samsung Hub, Samsung's lackluster media store is gone. When the phone gets low on power, it drops into a monochrome power-saving mode, which doubles the remaining battery life. So What Do I Think? I really liked the Galaxy S4, in all its excess, and so did a lot of people; it was a big hit. The S5 isn't going to change any minds. I'm excited by the new camera features, the health tracking, and the eye-popping screen. The 2.5GHz processor in here promises glorious performance, and I like touches like Easy Mode, Kids Mode, and the low-power mode. I'm also happy to see Samsung is trying to find some way to use fingerprint ID beyond just unlocking the phone. Check Out the Best Photos From MWC 2014! Samsung phone owners love their phones' features and performance and can overlook the oddly cheap-feeling body materials. No, it isn't made of metal and glass, and the S5's interface doesn't have the clean elegance of a Nexus 5 or Moto X. I'm still suspicious of S Voice, which has never worked as well as Google Now for me. But especially if that camera pans out, the Samsung S5 will be an amazing way to track your own life and the world around you. The Samsung Galaxy S5 will be available "globally" in April, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, MetroPCS, and U.S. Cellular in the U.S.
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Post by Admin on Feb 26, 2014 9:12:23 GMT -9
Are Apple iOS, OS X flaws really backdoors for spies?
Possibility of cyber-espionage raised by crypto expert Bruce Schneier and FireEye security researcher
By Ellen Messmer, Network World February 26, 2014 12:28 PM ET Sponsored by:
Network World - San Francisco -- Two recently-discovered flaws in Apple iOS and Mac OS X have security experts openly asking whether the software vulnerabilities represent backdoors inserted for purposes of cyber-espionage. There's no clear answer so far, but it just shows that anxiety about state-sponsored surveillance is running high.
One line of code -- was it an accident or enemy action? — Bruce Schneier, CTO at Co3 System “One line of code—was it an accident or enemy action? I don’t know, but it’s the kind of bug I’d put in,” remarked Bruce Schneier, chief technology officer at Co3 Systems, about the flaw in Apple OS X SSL encryption that was revealed last week. Schneier, a cryptography expert, alluded to the Apple SSL flaw during his presentation on government surveillance Tuesday at the RSA Conference in San Francisco. The point, he says, is that the U.S. National Security Agency as well as other governments involved in aggressive mass surveillance are going to take any means necessary, including finding ways to put backdoors into commercial products, such as by code tampering.
+ Also on Network World: Apple encryption mistake puts many desktop applications at risk | New iOS flaw increases risk of spying on enterprises +
Security vendor FireEye Tuesday revealed yet another Apple software flaw that it says allows for key-logging of iOS devices such as iPhones. Was this just a simple coding mistake or something more sinister, such as a backdoor purposefully put into iOS 7.0?
“We have no evidence but we suggest this is a possibility,” said Tao Wei, senior staff research scientist at FireEye, which discovered the vulnerability associated with non-jailbroken iOS 7.0 devices.
The tech industry is raising this issue more often in the light of the Edward Snowden revelations of the past year that indicated the U.S. government, through the NSA, does pursue placing backdoors in products when it can, however it can. In his keynote address at the RSA Conference, RSA executive chairman Art Coviello acknowledged this indeed is what appears to have happened in terms of a crypto algorithm created by the NSA that was included in an RSA encryption-toolkit product. The NSA exploited “its position of trust,” he said.
But in his presentation, Schneier emphasized that it isn’t just U.S. government surveillance that needs to be considered. He noted countries like Russia and China are also in the surveillance game.
“We’ve already seen China doing the same things NSA did,” he pointed out, saying the world now is basically stuck in a bad situation. “If someone’s going to spy on you, better the U.S. than Russia. I hate that bit and I wish it wasn’t so.”
But he concluded the situation now calls for individuals and the high-tech industry to simply keep fighting back against government mass surveillance by demanding it end.
Ellen Messmer is senior editor at Network World, an IDG website, where she covers news and technology trends related to information security. Twitter: MessmerE. E-mail: emessmer@nww.com
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