What's in your (mobile) wallet?

Taken from: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444180004578016383395015570.html?mod=djem_jiewr_IT_domainid

In this Wall Street Journal technology article it notes:

Leslie Fiet wouldn't mind if her customers paid for their sweet treats with a smartphone instead of cash or plastic. But in the eight months since the owner of Mini's Cupcakes in Salt Lake City installed a device that can accept mobile payments, no one has tried it.

"Nobody really has a mobile wallet," Ms. Fiet said, referring to the digital replacement for traditional credit cards and debit cards that can be loaded into a phone and used for payment.

Ms. Fiet's experience highlights the many hurdles facing widespread adoption of mobile payments. Banks, merchants and technology companies have bet billions of dollars on the technology, but those investments likely will take years to pay off. Even early-stage winners in the race to devise a new standard for mobile payments, such as Google., have barely made a dent in what is expected to be a giant market later this decade.

It is a great technology - the campus uses NFC (Near Field Communication) with the Q-Card, but the jump from a campus with students required to have the NFC / RFID Q-Card to the real world seems to be hard to do.  The new iPhone 5 doesn't have a chip for mobile payments, and that is a deterrent in the move to the mobile wallet concept!!

Microsoft needs more people!!!

Taken from:  http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9231819/Trying_to_fill_6_000_jobs_Microsoft_pitches_10_000_H_1B_visa?source=CTWNLE_nlt_dailyam_2012-09-28


The article notes:

Microsoft says the 6,000 open jobs it has in the U.S is an increase of 15% over the number open last year, and that over 3,400 of those jobs are for researchers, developers and engineers. 

While most of the article is about getting more H1B visas and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) green card visas, it does indicate a great job market for IT graduates!!!

New boss at Yahoo

Taken from: http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/24/14073024-yahoo-employees-to-get-taste-of-new-ceos-radical-transparency?lite

Where Yahoo was a mainstay of my life - say back in 2004 - it barely comes on my radar anymore.  The new CEO is Marissa Mayer, a veteran of Google who is pushing a "radical transformation".  

The article noted: " They have two customers, the consumer and the advertiser, but without the consumer, there’s no advertiser, so she has to make sure the consumer stays,"

So, we wish good luck for Marissa - I think she will need it to bring Yahoo back into relevance again!!!

iPhone 5 Orders top 2M in 24 hours

Taken from: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/personal/story/2012/09/17/apple-iphone-5-pre-orders-topped-2m-in-24-hours/57789680/1?morestories=obinsite

This was just for pre-orders!!!  People also have been lined up to get the new iPhone at Apple retail stores.  It looks like a very successful launch for Apple!!!

Apple pushed back shipping on new iPhone 5

Taken from:  http://www.usatoday.com/tech/story/2012/09/14/apple-pushes-back-shipping-date-for-iphone-5/57781120/1

The article stated that Apple moved shipping dates of iPhone 5 back a few days.  The speculation is that demand is very strong.

Next password??

Taken from:  http://redtape.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/25/14074229-why-your-next-passw0rd-might-not-be-a-password?lite

The article noted that passwords can be a problem.  We need something to secure data and access to accounts, but currently is is something we know.  The article noted that "LINK" is the most common password for LinkedIn followed by 1234.

Biometrics are generally much more secure - but might have some minor problems (cut off my hand and put my finger on the fingerprint reader - or cut out my eye and put it up to the retina scan).

The article noted:

"Text passwords are unsafe, fingerprints and retinas can be faked. So how do you make an unbreakable password? A Canadian inventor is developing a biometric monitor that fits inside a shoe that he says is unhackable. Doors open for you — and nobody else."

The reasoning is that humans eventually develop a walking pattern.  This pattern is both biometric - but something we do.  So, you can cut off my feet and put them up against the door, but it won't open - but if I walk up to the door, it can sense my feet - and my pattern (gait) of walking!!  The concept is: "The system uses a "BioSole" inserted into shoes to assess a wearer’s gait, matching that distinctive pattern against an existing record to verify the person’s identity."

So ... I hope I don't sprain my knee - or have to have crutches, the gate might not recognize my gait!!!

Data storage?

Taken from:  http://gizmodo.com/5946110/this-piece-of-glass-can-store-data-forever

Hmmm ... data that doesn't die?

The article had this:

Data, like all things, eventually dies. Your music, your movies, your documents, your files, your computer. You don't expect it to live forever but... what if it did? Hitachi claims that they've developed a new quartz glass plate that can store data forever.

CDs and hard drives can only last for a few decades or a century at most, this new quartz glass can "endure extreme temperatures and hostile conditions without degrading, almost forever." How does it work? The data is stored in binary form with dots inside a thin sheet of quartz glass. The data is read with an ordinary optical microscope. 

So, if I really want something to last for hundreds of years, I will be putting it on this quartz glass plate (maybe).  I can't think of anything that I might want to last that long!!!  

Taken from: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech#/technology/futureoftech/lifewatch-phone-pocket-sized-doctors-office-1B5946723

The article states:

The phone in your pocket may be smart enough to give directions and play games, but when was the last time it took your temperature? The LifeWatch is a new Android-based phone with the ability to monitor vital statistics like heart rate and blood sugar.

Many people suffer from chronic medical conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure that necessitate frequent checks of their vital signs. Often this is achieved by a dedicated device like a blood sugar detector or heart rate monitor — but the creators of LifeWatch realized these functions could be integrated into a single device.

We have talked about this as a 'gamechanger' - keeping older people in their homes longer by monitoring their vital signs and being able to note changes by health professionals and be able to provide medical services when and where needed.

Apple wins 1 billion court battle with Samsung

Taken from: http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/24/13462559-apple-earns-1-billion-victory-over-samsung-in-patent-case?lite

The article noted:

Apple scored a sweeping legal victory over Samsung Friday as a jury found the Korean company had copied critical features of the hugely popular iPhone and iPad and awarded the U.S. company $1.051 billion in damages.

Apple already is the phone to beat in the marketplace.  With this decision, Apple continues to steam roll over its competition.  Apple has set record prices for its stock, with the courts deciding in its favor, with hot iPhones, iPads, computers, mp3 players, it seems like Apple can do no wrong!!! 

iPhone 5 getting good response

Taken from: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/apples-iphone-5-pre-orders-now-shipping-2-weeks-998863

The article notes from Reuter's news service: 

(Reuters) - Shipment dates for Apple Inc's new iPhone slipped by a week on the first day of sales on Friday, suggesting strong demand for the slimmer, lighter and faster version of the smartphone.
Within an hour of the start of presales, the www.apple.com store was projecting shipments would take two weeks to fulfill, said Cross Research, an independent research house. 

Another article stated:

Made from aluminum and glass, at 112 grams, the iPhone 5 is 20 percent lighter than the iPhone 4S. Thinner too: at 7.6mm it's 18 percent thinner. As the rumors suggested, it looks like a taller version of the iPhone 4S.

The demand seems strong.  The iPhone 5 is thinner, faster and larger screen - and it is LTE (i.e. 4th generation).  Maybe not a game changer, but definitely interesting!!!

 The tough question for consumers might be - switch early (and pay extra), wait until your contract is up; or ... just ignore the hype!!

Getting off the upgrade treadmill

Taken from: http://lifehacker.com/5942915/how-to-get-off-the-upgrade-treadmill-and-stop-wasting-money-on-new-tech

So, yes, Apple has introduced a new iPhone 5 (finally some say); Amazon has a new Kindle Fire HD; and a new Barnes and Noble Nook to be released soon - let alone a new laptop, new gaming device, new ABC and new XYZ!!!

In the article, Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon states:

We don't need you to be on the upgrade treadmill. If we made our money when people bought the device, we'd be rolling out programs left and right to try to get you to upgrade. In fact, we're happy that people are still using Kindle Ones that are five years old. They're still reading on them, and every time they buy a book, that's good for us. That's alignment.

They (Amazon) can still make money even if they don't sell you a new device - as they tie it back to you buying a new e-book from them (or many new e-books).

Americans have followed a "keep up with the Jones" philosophy - do you want to look out-of-step if you don't have the latest and greatest phone, device, tablet, computer?

Many of the upgrades are really only incremental changes - faster, slimmer, uses less power.  But, not quite the dynamic 'game changer' event.   Is an new iPhone or whatever going to make a significant difference for you?  The article noted: "an iPhone 4 is still a fantastic phone capable of running the same apps the new iPhone 5 can."

3D printing

Taken from:  http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2012/09/09/opinion/doc504bbb80f0bdd642456513.txt

Say I’m in California and you’re in New York. And I send you a valve to replace the one in your car that broke; or a pair of corrective eyeglasses customized to your specifications, when all you’ve given me is the prescription; or — yes, this is being explored — they transmit a body organ to replace one of yours that is defective.

That is the promise of 3D printing - an exciting development if you stop and think about it.  The airplane needs a part to fly - zap - the part is sent electronically and printed in the machine shop / storage area of the airport and immediately put into service.  As the article suggests, you need a kidney - and an appropriate donor just died in remote Montana.  Zap - the kidney is sent to the printer (not printing with ink and paper, but with cells, DNA, and whatever materials.  (Seemingly still a ways off).

(Hmmm ... it's Saturday night and your party has run out of beer.  Set up your 3D printer and print more!!! )

End of E-Readers???

Taken from: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/new-era-e-readers-or-beginning-end-985032

So, Amazon has announced a new Kindle - Kindle HD 8.9 - with 8.9" HD Display, Dolby Audio, Dual-Band Dual-Antenna Wi-Fi, 4G LTE, 32GB or 64GB

This Kindle - is so much more than a e-reader, but a real tablet (with a real tablet price!!) - and with real tablet functions.  Is this the end of the e-reader - the device that makes printed books go on the endangered list.  

My bias is that there is room for high-end tablets, and some low-end tablets (that are really more e-readers).  

We will see!!!

Microsoft Office 365 -

Taken from: 

http://www.cio.com/article/714948/Office_365_Earns_High_Marks_in_Education_Struggles_in_Enterprise

With the push for 'Cloud Computing" - why not have almost everything you need in the cloud?  Microsoft thinks so with Office 365.  With your computing device, you can log on to the Microsoft cloud and use Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc. etc. just as if they were on your computer.  (Talk about 'thin client'!!!).  Store your files on the Microsoft cloud and go from there.

The article indicates that higher education (i.e. college) has adopted Office 365 (and why not - students on the go - maybe even using tablet / iPads - and need to write a paper, do an analysis create a slide show - and can get there from almost any device.

But, for the Enterprise, (i.e. major corporate businesses), the move has not been overwhelming.  There might be a distrust for the cloud (and privacy, data protections); as well as not having programs on you own devices.  

My guess is - within a few years (5 to 10?) the standard will be something like Microsoft 365 (or ... (gasp) Google office) - and computers as we know them, will become almost dumb terminals!!!  (again)

SONY with a new tablet!!!

Taken from:

http://www.cio.com/article/715023/Sony_Introduces_New_Xperia_Phones_Tablet

Just when I thought the tablet market was going to come down to the iPad (Apple), Nook (Barnes and Noble), Kindle (Amazon), Surface (Microsoft), Galaxy(Google), [and ... maybe a few others] comes this announcement - SONY wants in the game.  

"Sony is an extraordinary company going through difficult times and that forces us to make difficult decisions," Kaz Hirai, CEO of Sony, said during a news conference. "I am determined to do that with a laser-like focus."

The first tablet to carry the Xperia brand name will be the Xperia Tablet S. The tablet, called "the next phase of tablet evolution" by Hirai, is thinner and lighter than previous models and has a splash-proof case.

The Xperia T has a 4.6-inch display and 13-megapixel camera. It will be promoted through a tie in with the upcoming James Bond movie, which is being made by Sony Pictures.

So, if James Bond can use the SONY phone - and the SONY tablet - who am I to question SONY's direction!!!

A $200 Microsoft Surface Tablet???

Taken from: http://blogs.cio.com/hardware/17325/windows-rt-surface-tablet-200-too-good-be-true?source=CIONLE_nlt_insider_2012-08-20_default

A $200 Microsoft Surface tablet???  That is the premise of this article.  Can it be???  Sure there are rumors - but the reality is that Microsoft couldn't make any money on a $200 tablet.  Amazon and Barnes and Nobel can lose money on their tablets - but make it up by selling books and more for the tablet.  The article suggests that it should cost Microsoft about $226 to make the device - and that selling it for $200 would also hurt relationships with the tablet makers that will be using the new Microsoft 8 Operating Systems.

So ... if you can get a $200 Microsoft Surface tablet - be surprised!!!

Mark Zuckerberg is a bad role model for an IT career

Taken from: http://www.cio.com/article/709844/Why_Mark_Zuckerberg_is_a_Bad_Role_Model_for_Aspiring_Tech_Execs?taxonomyId=3123

The opening comment is:  "Want to run a successful high-tech company? Don't drop out of college."

The article notes: "The myth of the brilliant Ivy League student who starts a business in his dorm room, drops out of school, and goes on to run a successful high-tech start-up for many decades to come is essentially just that: a myth. Despite a few high-profile exceptions - such as Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates - the vast majority of CEOs running successful U.S. high -tech firms have college degrees, and more than half have at least one graduate degree."

So ...get your degree!!!

14 tips to help new college grads get an IT job

Taken from:

http://www.cio.com/article/709289/14_Tips_to_Help_New_College_Grads_Land_a_Good_IT_Job

Some of the 14 tips included:

• Programming!!!
• Google yourself (your employers will - so clean things up)
• Get a professional email address (beerdrinker@hotguys.com might be cute to your friends, but not employers)
• Adjust your Facebook status to private (they might be able to find your name, but not much more)
• Do your homework - know about the company and what they do
• Network, network, network!!!!

The article indicated that there are hot IT jobs - but you have to be ready to go for them!!!

Technology for senior healthcare

Taken from:

http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/09/12643646-gadgets-that-help-seniors-stay-independent?lite

Such gadgets include: motion sensors, panic buttons, bed sensors, large video chat devices (like Skype?), medication reminders, GPS devices in shoes (especially for Alzheimer patients who wander off - to find them), and more.  

Other more specialized devices might be easy to use (with direct report) blood pressure, blood sugar, pulse, etc. that can trigger a visiting nurse if the readings are out of an acceptable range.  There are stoves that shut off if not used with in a certain period of time (my mother once left a pan on the stove that eventually triggered a smoke detector and the fire department showed up).  

The trend is to more such devices.  The cost of a nursing home is so much more than the cost of living at one's house / apartment.  If technology can keep a person living comfortable at their own home longer, it is better for all of us.

More on the Apple, Google, Microsoft War in the works

Taken from: http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/battle-plan-apple-vs-microsoft-vs-google-854664

(To readers - you really do need to follow the link - my review will not be as indepth as the article)

This article looks at the big three Apple - Google - Microsoft in their push to dominate.

Apple 'owns' the consumer side - especially the iPad and iPhone.  The article suggests that they might be too pricey and the operating environment might be getting old and needing tweaking.  But ... that is who Google and Microsoft have to fight against.
Apple's moving away from Google - especially Google Maps.  The article states: "But Google is getting the cold shoulder as Apple moves to its own maps and tries to get users to ask Siri instead of Google."


Google is trying with a new tablet - and with more products.  The article suggests that the Android operating system is too fragmented to be viable - with 10 different versions of Android by 10 different devices.  If Google can round things up better, with a stronger OS, they can be a player.


Microsoft is playing catch-up (again).  This time especially in the phone market.  Windows phone 8 - with the Windows 8 operating system could be the 'ace in the hole' - as desktops, laptops, phones, tablets will sync with each other and function in an expected fashion.  Microsoft has a product that it also figures will tip the balance - the XBox (as well as TV).  So, according to the article, an integrated approach for tablets, phones, computers, XBox and television is what Microsoft wants to do.


Again, (seems I write this a lot) - we shall see what transpires!!!

Smaller iPad on the way?

Taken from:  http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/rumor-smaller-ipad-coming-time-holidays-868362

The article makes sure that this is a rumor (not disproven, but a rumor).  The concept is intriguing - a tablet the size of the Amazon Kindle / Fire; Barnes and Noble Nook, and even the new Google tablet (and who knows where the Microsoft Tablet will fit).  

Apple is the brand name that is hard to put down - and easy to speculate about.  My guess is that it is relatively true that a smaller iPad will appear in the fall - and consumers will flock to it at $270 - which is significantly more than the Fire or Nook - but it will be an Apple (thus appealing to a strong consumer market).

We shall see if this does happen!!!

Google's move to a cheap tablet device (might be costly)

Taken from: 

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9228479/Google_s_Nexus_7_tablet_move_could_be_costly

Google has supported tablet devices for the past several years - but ... the reality is that nobody is really challenging Apple's iPad.  Amazon's Fire, Barnes and Nobel's Nook are weak sisters in the tablet field - but definitely cheaper at about $199 as compared to Apple's $499!!

The article notes:

"Computerworld - A $199 Nexus 7 tablet from Google would raise the stakes for Amazon's Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble's Nook tablet, which sell at a similar price and screen size.
But since the 7-in. touchscreen device is reportedly a quad-core tablet with other costly hardware, the Nexus 7 might also in some ways compete with the popular Apple iPad or perhaps the Microsoft Surface tablets unveiled last week. The iPad starts at $499; pricing for the Surface has not yet been announced.
To offer high-end features at a low cost with the Nexus 7, Google seems to be acknowledging that the Android strategy of having third-party companies make tablets hasn't worked. And that means Google must take aggressive pricing steps to make up the difference.
"If Google wants to jump-start the Android tablet market, which has been weak to date, then a low-priced, high-quality device could do that," said Jack Gold, an analyst at J. Gold Associates. "Google certainly has an incentive to make the Android tablet a competitive product in the market, and maybe driven more by wanting to capture a bigger share of the pie, than by supporting its OEMs.

"The big payback to Google from selling a $199 tablet would come from the sales of apps and the ads that Google sells for its search tool, analysts noted. "Considering that the tablet ecosystem war is getting heated now with Microsoft having a bigger role, Google might feel the need for a more aggressive [pricing] strategy," said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Gartner.

 So ... it sounds like Google is willing to sell their tablet cheaper than they can make it - but make up the difference through sales of apps and service.  


Can Google be a player in the tablet market?  Can Microsoft with the Surface also make a dent in the iPad world.  Seemingly if the cost is low enough, features are high enough, these tablets and strategic plans can level the playing field.  And ... will Apple - who has been enjoying record high profits from tablet sales - be forced to compete?  The battle has begun - and it will be very interesting to watch!!!

Microsoft to buy Yammer

Taken from: http://www.information-management.com/news/microsoft-yammer-esn-social-ballmer-10022761-1.html?ET=informationmgmt:e3326:2262124a:&st=email&utm_source=editorial&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=IM_Daily_062612


The article notes:

June 25, 2012 – Microsoft said it will pay $1.2 billion in cash for Yammer, the emerging enterprise social network provider it plans to sync up with its Office, Skype and cloud offerings.

Yammer enables on-demand portals to create and join private, in-house social networks with related analytics and collaborative tools. Microsoft, in a statement on the proposed deal, said it would continue to develop Yammer’s offerings as well as connect them to its own collaboration features for SharePoint, Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics and Skype, the video-phone provider which it purchased in the fall of 2011 for $8.5 billion.

Technology is fun - and it is fun to notice the various positions of the major players.  Facebook is the social media leader (at least in the United States); Google has tried Google Plus; Apple has a good lock on tablets and consumer devices; Microsoft just introduced its Surface tablet and a Microsoft phone (with the common operating system that is touch compatible).  So, getting a subsidiary that has "on-demand portals to create and join private, in-house social networks" would seem to be a natural thing for Microsoft to do!!!

Europe's IT jobs stagnating

Taken from:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9228323/European_IT_spending_growth_grounds_to_a_halt_says_Forrester?taxonomyId=10

The article noted:

"IT spending in Europe will virtually grind to a halt this year and next due to economic uncertainty over the euro currency, according to a Forrester Research report released Thursday.
"The most likely result is either near-zero growth or economic recession in 2012, depending on the country," Forrester analyst and lead report author Andrew Bartels wrote. "The worse case is a possible collapse of the euro and a resulting depression."

Americans who have been following the economic crisis in Euro (while stressed by Greece, and Spain and others - and bolstered by Germany) - can see some very difficult times in the Euro zone.  That will impact almost everything - including IT jobs

More on IT jobs (retention of staff)

Taken from: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9227908/John_Reed_Invest_in_your_IT_talent_it_s_the_key_to_retention


The article noted: 

If you want to attract top IT talent to your company, you'll need to offer meaningful professional development opportunities. The best IT workers no longer just want employers to invest in their growth; they're starting to expect them to do so.

And

In the recent downturn, the best companies held on to their most valued IT workers during the downturn by providing employees with technical training, supporting their efforts to pursue continuing education and giving them challenging assignments.

The article goes on to suggest:

• ask staffers what they want
• allow for autonomy and promote teamwork
• help workers develop other skills'

In today's IT job market, it is the smart employer who helps employees get master's degrees in IT; allow for flexible (or work from home if reasonable) time; and pays for training and certifications.

Best IT places to work (2012)

Taken from: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9227166/100_Best_Places_to_Work_in_IT_2012

The top ten best IT places to work according to the article:

1. USAA - (I've seen USAA at conferences - and have been impressed - plus $10,000 tuition reimbursement
2. Career Builder
3. Commonwealth Financial Network
4. General Mills
5. Quicken Loans
6. Verizon Wireless
7. Lehigh Valley Health Network
8. Salesforce.com
9. Chesapeake Energy
10. Securian Financial Group

From visiting interns this summer, the prime aspect of who to work for is 'attitude' (in my opinion, of course).  If you like working for the particular company, you like your boss, your associates, the environment - go with it!!!  I love what I do - and I do what I love!!!  (which is partially my attitude)

You do get to choose your attitude - and you can work in a lousy place (and love it - see the FISH video from the Pike's Place Fish Market) or in a great place (and hate it).

Data Center Fabric

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_center_fabric

From Wikipedia:

Fabric computing or unified computing involves the creation of a computing fabric consisting of interconnected nodes that look like a 'weave' or a 'fabric' when viewed collectively from a distance.
Usually this refers to a consolidated high-performance computing system consisting of loosely coupled storage, networking and parallel processing functions linked by high bandwidth interconnects

There are times when I know it all (after all, I have been in IT for over 30 years).  But, then <pow> I learn something new - like "fabric computing" - (wow - where did that come from).  In many respects, it is an extension of the virtualization concept  - combining servers - but also combining nodes, switches, routers, etc.  

Where once the hardware world was 'buy from the same company / supplier' - it now is following the BYOD (bring your own devices) concept to the data center.  Integration is the key!!!!

A new tablet (ho hum) ... except this one is from Microsoft

Taken from: http://www.gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/technology/gadgetbox/microsoft-announces-surface-tablet-834465 and http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9228216/First_look_Microsoft_Surface_tablets?source=CTWNLE_nlt_dailyam_2012-06-19

You knew it was coming, that it had to happen.  Now it is here (well ... almost here) - a Microsoft Tablet called the Surface.  It seems bigger than the iPad, with an almost real keyboard (yeah!!).

I think the author of one of these articles nailed it when he(she) said:

I think much of the success of these tablets will come down to price and how well users like Windows 8, either the Pro edition or in Windows RT. Nothing in the design is a fatal flaw. But unfortunately, I can't say that they're dream machines, either.

Yes, Windows 8 - the touch screen interface from Microsoft is out soon - and could be the ultimate for cross platform usage (especially if you are a regular Microsoft user).

I think I'll have to keep my eye on this.  Will this be like the HP Galaxy - a tablet that lasted only a few months - or will it be a 'keeper' in the new Tablet race?  Microsoft can sometimes be slow in releasing - but can do a good job with their products - or .. it can also make big mistakes.  We shall see!!! 

Storage devices

Article is from: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9228126/Hybrid_drives_already_passe_as_SSD_sales_skyrocket?source=CTWNLE_nlt_dailyam_2012-06-15

It wasn't all that long ago that storage (aka 'memory' was on internal hard drives - with a read/write head and with disks that rotated underneath the read/write head to pull in information (or .. to write information).

Now, as this article suggest, SSD - solid state devices (aka - things like USB memory sticks) are in - faster, more reliable, no moving parts, and more capacity.  

Think of your own music storage devices - from cassette tapes; to CD rom; to MP3 players - talk about disruptive (or innovative) technologies.  So ... faster, cheaper, more reliable ... what's NOT to like in SSD devices!!!  While not quite appropriate, think of Moore's Law in a parallel university of storage!!

Linked In security breach - revisited

Taken from:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9228122/Have_LinkedIn_s_security_woes_permanently_damaged_the_social_network_

The author(s) wrote:

Computerworld - After hackers last week breached the LinkedIn site, stealing more than 6 million user passwords, analysts are debating whether the attack will cause long-term damage to the social network.

In the attack, users' passwords were posted publicly to a Russian hacker forum. The incident garnered a lot of headlines, both in the trade and mainstream news media, and LinkedIn was accused of using lax security and having nothing more than light encryption to safeguard its users' data.

What is interesting is that LinkedIn makes its money in data - about people, executives, positions, networking - and yet, they didn't protect that most important asset to their business adequately.

I don't think that it will permanently damage LinkedIn, but it should cause them to step back and secure what they have quickly!!!

Nook passes Fire in Tablet Wars

Taken from:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9228143/Nook_passes_Fire_in_Web_traffic_in_June

The article notes:

Computerworld - The Barnes & Noble Nook tablet's Web traffic overtook that of the Kindle Fire for the first time in early June, while Apple's iPad maintained its overall dominance of the market, according to Chitika, an online ad network and data analytics firm.

The Chitika report is based on a study of hundred of millions of ad impressions (where a user visits a page with an ad) on several tablets from June 4 to June 10.

Chitika found 91.7% of tablet Web traffic comes from iPad devices. The June iPad total is down from the 94.64% that Chitika found in May.

Meanwhile, Nook users accounted for 0.85% of all tablet Web traffic in the June study, ahead of the Fire's Web traffic share of .71%. 

Now ... point 85 (0.85%) is less than 1 percent and is larger than point 71 (0.71%) - but really insignificant as compared to the 91.7% coming from iPad devices.  To say that Nook passes Fire in tablet usage is likened to saying "More elderly people in Howard South Dakota [population about 1,000] read the Sioux Falls Argus Leader as compared to the New York Times"  it isn't very relevant ... yet.

COBOL Brain Drain

Taken from:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9227263/The_Cobol_Brain_Drain

While I don't like to take longer quotes, here is a long quote from the article:

Computerworld - David Brown is worried. As managing director of the IT transformation group at Bank of New York Mellon, he is responsible for the health and welfare of 112,500 Cobol programs -- 343 million lines of code -- that run core banking and other operations. But many of the people who built that code base, some of which dates back to Cobol's early days in the 1960s, will be retiring over the next several years.

"We have people we will be losing who have a lot of business knowledge. That scares me," Brown says. He's concerned about finding new Cobol programmers, who are expected to be in short supply in the next five to 10 years. But what really keeps him up at night is the thought that he may not be able to transfer the deep understanding of the business logic embedded within the bank's programs before it walks out the door with employees who retire.

More than 50 years after Cobol came on the scene, the language is alive and well in the world's largest corporations, where it excels at executing large-scale batch and transaction processing operations on mainframes. The language is known for its scalability, performance and mathematical accuracy. But as the boomer generation prepares to check out of the workforce, IT executives are taking a fresh look at their options.

In a recent Computerworld survey of 357 IT professionals, 46% of the respondents said they are already noticing a Cobol programmer shortage, while 50% said the average age of their Cobol staff is 45 or older and 22% said the age is 55 or older.

As a former Cobol coder  - the language is not all that difficult to learn and master the real importance of Cobol is the embedded business logic - and the clarity of that logic.  COBOL was originally an acronym - "Common Business Oriented Language" - and that was its best claim.  When you look at a statement:  Multiply HOURS-WORKED-IN by RATE-OF-PAY-IN giving GROSS-PAY - you really understand what is going on.  Business logic can be convoluted - with mergers / acquisitions / special accounts, and more - the late fee for regular accounts is X, but for preferred accounts, the late fee is Y, but for accounts that we acquired from the XYZ company, the late fee is Z, etc.

The Cobol programmers have a wealth of business knowledge - and that is what is walking out the retirement door.

At Citibank, we kidded that the accounts receivable application would stop if Bob Bivor would retire.  Bob was the architect, the person who KNEW the system inside-and-out; the go-to-guy for problems.  Yes, the application could be written in Java or C++ or some other programming language, but the business expertise is the important part!!

New Macbook Retina Display

Taken from: http://www.gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/technology/gadgetbox/growing-pains-macbook-pros-new-retina-display-825138

The new Macbook has a retina display similar to what is on the iPad and iPhone.  Now, I like the display on my iPad and iPhone - so ... why are people not necessarily liking the retina display on the Macbook?

The article notes:

The OS X desktop is a considerably more complicated and varied environment than iOS, and early reports suggest early adopted might face a slightly uneven experience.

The complications arise, ironically, because of Apple's decision to hide the complications of a higher resolution from the user.

The result? Websites look great in Safari, but (as of this writing) highly pixellated in Chrome. And some games, for instance "Diablo III," let you select the highest resolution available, while others don't even detect it. And who can say what will happen with the myriad programs available for download all over the net, many of which don't have graphics teams to address these issues? For power users, it could be something of a minefield.

The article suggests (actually good advice) that using version 1 of a new product sometimes is a little rough - and while we all need version 1 of things, being on the 'leading edge' (or 'bleeding edge') sometimes means that not quite everything is perfect!!!

A new approach to Gmail

Taken from:
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9227899/Fluent_review_An_innovative_new_interface_for_Gmail

While my primary email is Microsoft Outlook - for Campus Email.  (And ... my contacts, calendar, groups, archives, etc.).  My secondary email - for non-professional communications is GMail by Google.

Now, to me, gmail is functional - it seems to filter out a whole lot of spam (you should check the spam folder periodically for junk - and for recipes for using SPAM - the spiced ham / meat product).  Okay ... not flashy - but functional.

This article talks of three Google employees who left Google and have developed "Fluent" as a new interface for Gmail:

The second you get into Fluent, you see Gmail in a whole new way. Fluent shows your messages as a stream of conversations, making the experience more like browsing through Facebook than trudging through email. While Gmail requires you to click on a message to open it before replying, Fluent's Reply box is right on the Inbox screen, akin to a comment thread on a Facebook post.

You never have to open a message to view responses or add your own response.
Gone are the increasingly superfluous functions Google has tacked onto Gmail, such as "Invite a friend," Google+ functions, etc. -- not to mention the ads. In their place, Fluent provides a minimalistic gray navigation bar on the left of the screen and a simple white toolbar on top.

According to the article, there is  a two month wait to be able to get the interface and it seems like a nice approach (as they say more like Facebook, than email).

Maybe I can try it out (get on their list for two months first).

There's an app for that (ACLU app for stop and frisk)

Taken from:
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/08/12124572-app-records-reports-controversial-police-stop-and-frisk-practice?lite

Various police and law enforcement groups have used "stop and frisk" activities to identify potentially troublesome problems.  On the other hand, various civil liberties group feel these are unlawful.  Now there is a new app (on Android - soon for iPhone) to record such stop and frisk events.

The article notes:

Believe you are witnessing an unlawful police stop and want to record the moment? There's an app for that, courtesy of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

The group released a free smartphone application on Wednesday that allows people to record videos of and report police “stop and frisk” activity, a practice widely denounced by civil rights groups as unjustified stops that they say mostly target minorities and almost never results in an arrest.

The app was thoroughly criticized by the New York Police Department, which said that the tool might prove useful for criminals.

What do you think?  The questions of security and personal privacy are always going to be at odds.

Apple / Google War - heats up

Taken from:

http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/apples-war-google-heats-820591

Two of the biggest names in technology are battling.  Google is the leader in the Search Engine area; and Apple the leader in consumer electronics.

Apple is hosting its annual software developers conference - with expectations for its new Apple mapping utility (as compared to Google Maps).  Likewise a tighter ecostructure with Apple (and other apps) more tightly conjoined - and also interfacing with Apple's iCloud storage.

Apple is noted for having a lot of control over its products - like only selling 'approved' apps from the Apps Store (and keeping 30% of the revenue).  Google's environment is much more open - find an app - get it.  

The article notes:

"It's all about loyalty and basically leveraging the opportunity of selling more to them," she said. "I don't think the consumers in the mass market are necessarily tied into the Android ecosystem in the same way that consumers on the Apple side are."

Battling in many arenas, the rivals employ different weapons. Apple's vise-like grip on its ecosystem — with the closely managed app store and its seamless integration with the hardware — stands in sharp contrast to Google's free-for-all approach. 

The open system approach, reminiscent of Microsoft's hugely successful strategy of creating standard-setting software that runs on a variety of hardware, has allowed Android to capture the market lead in smartphones (albeit with nothing close to Apple's profit margins).

So ... the battle is on - with strengths in different areas - and appealing to consumers!!  

My opinion, is that eventually Google's strategy will ease ahead.  Apple's pricing is almost always at the high end (my wife wanted an iPhone when she upgraded a month ago, and was swayed by the lower price and faster processor and features of an Android phone).  

LinkedIn Security Breach

LinkedIn - professional networking site - has reported that they may have lost up to 6 million passwords.

Brian Kelly, Chief Security Officer at Quinnipiac has this to share:

Many media outlets are reporting over 6 million passwords were stolen from the social network site Linked In.While Linked In has said affected customers will also receive a note from LinkedIn with more information on what happened, please consider changing your Linked in password as soon as possible.
We have analyzed the publicly available table of compromised Linked in passwords and found some of our own passwords.
To change your password on Linked in· Log into Linked in from a web browser
· click your name in the upper right hand corner of the browser· Select "Settings", then Account Settings,
· and finally "Change Password"

Good advice (and advice that I took yesterday and did change my LinkedIn password.

any.do

Taken from:

http://blogs.cio.com/iphone/17141/anydo-do-app-android-makes-noteworthy-ios-debut

The article noted:

Even if you're already using a to-do app on your iPhone or iPod touch, you'll want to check out Any.DO thanks to its slick interface and attractive price tag: Free.
Pretty soon, I'm going to need a to-do list app to keep track of all the to-do list apps available for iOS and Android.You may already have a favorite, such as Cultured Code’s Things, which I’ve used for several years and recommend. But Things isn’t cheap. The iPhone and iPod touch app is $10; the separate iPad app is $20; and the Mac app is $50. And it has limitations. For example, you can sync to-do items between all the various apps—as long as your devices are connected on the same Wi-Fi network.

So ... this might be my next app - we'll see.  I do need to make 'to do' lists periodically (like:  [1] Grade papers; [2] grade papers; [3] create new assignments; [4] grade papers)  I've used Microsoft Outlook most of the time for real time reminders to do things on my 'to do' list.  

Check back in a week - to see if I've tried this new (and free) app!!!

Firefox13 arrives - to challenge Chrome

Taken from:
http://blogs.cio.com/browsers/17135/firefox-13-arrives-snazzy-features-rival-chrome

The author notes:

"There are three things in this release you ought to know about:

• The new start page, which has a bunch of useful gadgets on it.

• The "load tabs on demand feature" that will save you from a crash if you’re one of those folks that leaves scads of tabs open.

• The new tabs page, which looks a lot like the one in Chrome, but is still a worthwhile change.

In addition, I’ve noticed that Firefox, which had been notoriously crash prone in the past, has been getting more stable. For instance, it used to be that when I closed Firefox for some reason while Mozilla’s Thunderbird email client was running, Firefox wouldn't open again unless I went into the Windows control panel and stopped the process manually, or rebooted the whole machine. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case."

While that seems significant - I'm not sure I"m going to try it.  I have Firefox on my computer - and open it (maybe) once every other month.  I use Chrome most of the time and resort to Internet Explorer (especially as I can't get the right look of "Words with Friends" from Facebook in Chrome - and I don't want to disappoint my sister by not making my plays!!!)

Chrome loads fast, has a spell checker (which helps as I write these blogs postings), and is part of the Google Empire - and it seems like that is where I am at more and more.  I used Google Sites for student webpages, I use Google Docs and Google Music - and (of course) Google Blogger.  So ... Firefox has a new release - woo - but not all that exciting to me!!!

So ... who is checking my video

Taken from: 

http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/airtime-yes-we-look-your-video-chats-your-own-good-816686

The article notes:

It's shiny, new and created by Napster co-founders Sean Parker and Shawn Fanning. It's also prone to taking snapshots of your video chats and sending them to trained Airtime employees, who review them for inappropriate content.

So, Airtime takes snapshots of your video chats?  Why?  Seemingly on a similar site (Chatroulette), there was some issues: "The trouble with Chatroulette, of course, was that many users — ahem — exposed themselves on camera."

So ... chatting is good, but ... more than chatting might not be so good!!! 

Google Chrome OS Devices

Taken from:
http://blogs.computerworld.com/20242/google_chrome_os_devices

Since 1982 my main computer has relied on a Microsoft Operating System - from MS-DOS - to Windows, to Windows NT to Vista to Windows 8.  BUT ... I have loved working with Google Chrome on the Internet - Chrome is favorite and default browser.

Now Google is coming out with new Chromebooks (laptops / notebooks).  The article suggested the price is too high - but ... that Google has a 'dirty little secret':

Here's the dirty little secret, though: Google isn't going after the individual consumer with its Chrome OS Chromebooks. Not at those prices. Sure, the G-Team will be delighted when an average consumer decides to pick up its product -- and for some of us, the value will be worth the cost -- but the true target here is almost certainly the world of business and education.
While the $450 to $550 cost may seem steep from a consumer perspective, for businesses and schools, the Chromebook is part of a bigger package. Full support -- both hardware warranty and 24-hour phone service -- and enterprise management tools are available for $150 per device for businesses and $30 apiece for schools. That's an eye-catching proposition: thirty dollars per system, with practically no training required and no need to worry about virus protection or labor-intensive software updates 

Now ... think about that ...full support - hardware, warranty, enterprise management - that could cut corporate support and corporate IT / help desk staffs down.  That is an attractive offer for education ($30 for full support - wow).  That can be a game changer for IT staffs.

Will it work - not immediately, but it can be attractive in the long run (and Google gets a larger foothold in the hardware area).

Threat to iPad?

Taken from:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9227586/Asus_Transformer_Infinity_Pad_tablet_to_ship_in_a_month

The article notes:

IDG News Service - Asus' highly anticipated Transformer Pad Infinity TF700T tablet, a challenger to Apple's new iPad, will become available in late June or early July, a company spokeswoman said on Wednesday.
The tablet has a 10.1-inch display that shows images at 1920-by-1200 pixels, which is among the highest resolution screens offered on Android tablets today. The tablet will come with the Android 4.0 OS and optional 3G/4G mobile broadband connectivity.
With its powerful processor and high-resolution screen, the Infinity Pad is being pitched as a multimedia powerhouse. The tablet will come with a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 chip for models focused on gaming and multimedia or a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 chip for models with 3G/4G LTE connectivity

It has a bigger display, a quad-core processor - focused on gaming and multimedia.

So, is it a threat to the Apple iPad?  Probably not.  Apple's marketing, Apple's brand name, the iTune / Apps Store are so established, that the word "iPad" is getting to be the generic for "Tablet".  The technologies can be superior, but buying an "Asus" is going to be hard in today's consumer world against buying an "Apple"!!!

Microsoft updates

Taken from:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9227470/Microsoft_s_upgrade_avalanche_a_challenge_for_IT_pros

Software companies (like Microsoft in this article) need to update software products almost continually.  The first reason to update is to deliver better, faster, more robust products; the second reason to update is to fix mistakes and the third reason (okay, my opinion) is to make money!!!  Companies like Microsoft only make money when somebody buys the product - no new products, no new income!!!  

The article notes:

"IDG News Service - Microsoft is in the midst of an unprecedented, massive upgrade cycle for its enterprise software products, a refresh wave that represents a major challenge for CIOs and IT managers responsible for charting their companies' technology strategy.

Not only is Microsoft working on a major revamp of its flagship Windows operating system, but significant upgrades are coming to its Office products, the Explorer browser and a range of back-end enterprise products

BUT ... massive upgrades are tough on IT staffers.  Having to install, push out, tweak for the enterprise, set security and other parameters can be a challenge to IT staff.  Also IT mangers / CIO's need to see if the upgrade is really important - or can they still get by on the older versions?  Colleges seem to get the newest and fastest (sometimes at great prices in the Microsoft Academic Alliance) - but businesses may not want to spend their money for upgrades / updates unless they are convinced it is worth it.

Some of the features that the article mentions are:

• new operating systems - include a touch system (like for smartphones, tablets)
• new version of Microsoft Explorer Browser (to be able to use the touch tools)
• updated Microsoft Office programs - including the Office 360 - which can be used on the web as a cloud application
• and more (like Sharepoint, SQL Server and other backend products)

So ... if you were the CIO of a major company - when would you update software in a tough economy?

Taken from:
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/05/google-glasses-patent-hints-at-speech-to-text-display-for-deaf-users/

Google is unveiling it's "Google Glasses" project.  This is definitely an interesting project - and potential a 'game-changing' technology (or ... 'disruptive technology').  As you approach somebody and think "Yes - I remember that person - what is his name" - Google glasses have used facial recognition and on the lens printed "John Doe" - so you can say "Hello John" when you get closer to him.  Theoretically it can have more on "John Doe" - "John is a financial officer at XYZ bank, you know him from a graduate class in summer 2008 where he got an "A" and wrote his final paper on RFID chips in bank notes")

The article referenced here goes in another direction - for the hard-of-hearing / deaf individuals - it can identify noises and obstacles that they wouldn't hear - "the phone is ringing" / "bang - crash - there was a car accident just to your right", etc.

The article notes:

Perhaps most interestingly, one patent shows Google is working on a system to help hard-of-hearing and deaf users detect and interpret nearby sounds. The glasses' heads-up display would show arrows and flashing lights to indicate the direction and intensity level of the sound, and even display the words nearby people are speaking. 

So, while the deaf won't quite 'hear', they can 'see sounds' - and that can be a very positive move for them!!! 

HP to cut 27,000 jobs

Taken from:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9227417/HP_to_cut_27_000_jobs

The article states:

The computer field is constantly changing - 'stay current' is the keyword here.  With the growth of BYOD (bring your own device), HP laptops, notebooks - and the failed HP tablet are struggling against the Apple products

IDG News Service - Hewlett-Packard will trim 27,000 employees as part of its long-term restructuring plan, the company said Wednesday when it announced quarterly financial results.
The company will shed about 8% of its workforce through a combination of layoffs and retirement offers that started last Oct. 31 and will continue through the end of its 2014 fiscal year, HP said. Employee reduction plans vary by country.

The computer field is constantly changing - 'stay current' is the keyword here.  With the growth of BYOD (bring your own device), HP laptops, notebooks - and the failed HP tablet are struggling against the Apple products

Facebook IPO not getting good reviews

Taken from several sources.

So, Facebook finally did their 'initial public offering' (IPO) - at $38 a share and currently (Wednesday May 23rd) down 18%.  

The hype was significant - but ... not the follow through.  Even the speculators who jumped in thinking they would sell after a few hours at a big gain were (obviously) disappointed.  

Trying to double guess the stock market and particular stocks is a real challenge (and why we have many stock brokers and financial experts).  This one may have surprised the experts!!!

Helicopter cameras to watch for terrorists during Olympics

Taken from:
http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/23/11757294-terror-suspects-eye-color-flying-cameras-to-spy-during-olympics?lite

The article notes:

LONDON -- Helicopter-mounted cameras capable of identifying the color of a suspect's shoelaces on the ground from almost a mile away have been unveiled as a key weapon for security officials preparing of this summer's London Olympics.

I have followed the facial recognition technologies which, although not mentioned in this article are probably going to be a part of the security at the Olympics. If you can tell a suspect's eye color, shoelaces, and more from a mile away is pretty exciting technology.

With some artificial intelligence (like the person eyes are flicking back and forth and avoiding cops) - and other mannerisms - it might be that security can 'anticipate'

I have also talked of "Big Brother" is watching you over time.  What if similar cameras are watching campus or local streets - from a mile away.  Like Red Light Cameras - but farther away, could tell who ran a light or who made a right turn on red - when the signage says "no turns on red".  What if you jaywalk?  Or ... spit on the sidewalk or similar.

There is a trade-off between security and protection from terrorists.  There is a need for good balance!!

Big Brother knows a lot about you (or ... your credit bureau does)

Taken from:
http://www.cio.com/article/706457/Equifax_Eyes_Are_Watching_You_Big_Data_Means_Big_Brother

The article states:

Says Equifax CIO Dave Webb: "We know more about you than you would care for us to know."

This pile of more than 800 billion records is sliced, diced, analyzed and indexed into 26 petabytes of data. That's more data than the FBI's Investigative Data Warehouse, said to be the single biggest repository at the agency, with its relatively measly 1 billion unique documents. In all, Equifax has data on 500 million consumers and 81 million businesses worldwide. 

Credit bureaus do have a lot of data - and that data can be worth a lot of money to their customers.  They sell the data to customers who want to know how risky is granting an individual a loan.

Talk about data mining - it is lucrative for Equifax!!! 

New iPhone to have a larger screen

Taken from: http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/next-iphone-will-have-4-inch-screen-report-775519

The article states:

The new iPhone screens will measure 4 inches from corner to corner, one source said. That would represent a roughly 30 percent increase in viewing area, assuming Apple kept other dimensions proportional. Apple has used a 3.5-inch screen since introducing the iPhone in 2007. 

 It goes on to this:

Apple's decision to equip the next iPhone with a larger screen represents part of a competitive response to Samsung.

Samsung unveiled its top-of-the line Galaxy smartphone with a 4.8-inch touch-screen and a faster processor earlier this month.

With consumers becoming more and more comfortable using smartphones for tasks they once performed on laptops, like watching video, other smartphone manufacturers have also moved toward bigger displays. 

As a smartphone user, I think I would be excited to have a larger screen.  Since I rarely use my phone for phone calls - having a larger screen would be better for my apps!! 

Google Search reads your mind????

Taken from: 

http://www.gadgetbox.msnbc.msn.com/technology/gadgetbox/google-search-basically-reads-your-mind-now-775019

Thanks to what's called Knowledge Graph, Google Search results will now include a little sidebar which allows you to choose from the various meanings of the term you searched for.

Some words have various (and diverse) meanings.  The article used "bears" - so ... do you want the animal; the Chicago football team; the investors who want to sell stocks; or the singular - bear left, bear with me, and more.  (When I searched for "bears", the seventh search result was for 'bears' - images - and the first three were my family - taken at "Three Bears Falls" - on Maui!!!)

So, Knowledge Graph will attempt to clarify what you are looking for.  It should be interesting.

While this article didn't go into "artificial intelligence", there is a wealth of knowledge that would suggest that if you have searched for football teams in the past, and have never looked for animals, then ... the Chicago Bears is probably the best search result.

GM dropping Facebook advertising

Taken from

http://marketday.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/15/11719848-gm-to-drop-all-advertising-on-facebook-report?lite

According to the report, the auto giant's marketing executives "determined their paid ads had little impact on consumers."
GM marketing chief Joel Ewanick told the Journal that the automaker "is definitely reassessing our advertising on Facebook, although the content is effective and important."
The automaker will continue to use free options on Facebook.
The largest American automaker spends about $40 million to maintain Facebook presence, the Journal reported, with about $10 million in paid ads.

This is interesting in that in a few days Facebook with have their IPO - initial public offering of stock - which is expected to raise a significant amount of money for Facebook.  But, Facebook's primary source of revenue is advertisements - and if GM pulls out - and others as well, it will make a big difference in the value of Facebook.  If "their paid ads have little impact on consumers" in GM's case, it may be true on other consumers as well!!

CIO mobile apps - part II

Taken from: 
http://www.cio.com/slideshow/detail/38602?source=ciointcpt_bizapps_ss#slide7


While I am taking these pretty much straight from the article, they do seem to be a great set of materials - and most are free!!!

AirWatch MDM Agent 

Developer: AirWatch LLC

Price: Free

Yes, it’s another mobile device management application, this one from AirWatch. In addition to all the usual MDM features (i.e., IT policy enforcement, over-the-air enrollment, remote lock and wipe, etc.), AirWatch also features GPS tracking and mapping, intelligent notifications, and centralized, over-the-air configurations management.

BoardVantage Collaborate 

Developer: BoardVantage

Price: Free

BoardVantage isn’t just any collaboration app: It’s a collaboration app for boards of directors. That means it has more extensive security policies to meet regulatory requirements, and is thus SAS70 Type II-certified. If you’re a CIO looking to buy iPads for other higher-ups in the company, this is an app you’ll definitely want to explore. Although the app is free to download, it does require a subscription to use.

Dropbox 

Developer: Dropbox

Price: Free

Ah, who doesn’t love Dropbox? Your employees will be happy to upload any documents, presentations, pictures and videos onto Dropbox where they’ll be able to access them from anywhere. The app automatically saves any documents you’ve created onto any device that has Dropbox installed, so when you change something at home it will appear that way when you go to work the next morning.

MicroStrategy Mobile for iPad 

Developer: MicroStrategy Inc.

Price: Free

MicroStrategy Mobile is a business intelligence app that comes with all the usual fixings, including access to business reports, KPIs, documents and dashboards. This particular version has been customized for the iPad’s multitouch screen, thus giving users the ability to use multitouch when editing graphs, charts, maps and other key visual aids.

Spotfire 

Developer: TIBCO Software

Price: Free

Spotfire specializes in helping users visualize large and complex volumes of data by letting them aggregate and plug it into a filter to create bar charts, scatter plots, tree maps, box plots, map charts and any number of different visuals depending on your needs. The app can directly access corporate data sources such as spread sheets, meaning you won’t have to manually enter in data for all the nice charts you’re designing.

Twenty business apps for every CIO (part I)

Taken from: http://www.cio.com/slideshow/detail/38602?source=ciointcpt_bizapps_ss
Thinking that the new iPad for your employees means they will be playing Angry Bird, Words with Friends or other games - 
"Well fear not!!  While the iPad gets all sorts of attention for its consumer applications it also has a rich selection of productivity apps that deliver a multitude of key functions, including sales force support, cloud storage, business intelligence and more."

• Salesforce.com - Salesforce is a popular mobile app that helps company salespeople create and keep track of their records and transactions. The app also acts as personal organizer with its calendar and contact list features. (free)
• BIRT - BIRT, which stands for “Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools,” is a business intelligence app that gives workers access to business reports, KPIs, documents and dashboards that they’d typically access through their desktop computers (free)

• Salesforce.com - Salesforce is a popular mobile app that helps company salespeople create and keep track of their records and transactions. The app also acts as personal organizer with its calendar and contact list features. (free)

• BIRT - BIRT, which stands for “Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools,” is a business intelligence app that gives workers access to business reports, KPIs, documents and dashboards that they’d typically access through their desktop computers (free)

• MobileIron MyPhone@work - 
This app gives users access to MobileIron’s Virtual Smartphone Platform, which lets them quickly connect to their corporate network, test local connection speeds and report connectivity problems to IT. From an IT department’s perspective, the Virtual Smartphone Platform lets them enforce enterprise mobile data policies such as encryption and remote wipe, and also to screen third-party applications by publishing a list of recommended apps while simultaneously blocking known malicious apps via a blacklist. (free)

• ZP MDM
 Zenprise specializes in developing mobile device management platforms that give users secure access to corporate email, contacts and calendars while giving IT departments an efficient way to manage mobile devices. The ZP MDM also lets users access corporate intranet services by utilizing VPN capabilities and lets users remotely lock and track any lost devices.(free)

• VMWare View for iPad - gives you access to the local desktop 

So ... the iPad can be a business platform device!!!!

BYOD Policies out-of-date?

Taken from:  http://www.cio.com/article/706338/Is_Your_BYOD_Policy_Out_of_Date_

This blog has posted on BYOD - bring your own device for some time now.  But, companies may need to think their way through the policies on BYOD.

The article points out that during the first few days of NCAA's Men's Basketball Tournament (aka "March Madness"), with streaming live games to Android devices.  Some companies had 74% more bandwidth usage during those times than during normal operation.  

So, you are trying to run a business and <suck> your bandwidth has dropped significantly between the first round game between a local favorite team - that is tapped into the corporate WiFi system.  Routine transactions are taking longer (with the decreased bandwidth ), employee productivity is decreased as well as they are listening to the game.  

Maybe a policy on blocking streaming media might keep some productivity going in the company.  (Or ... continue to allow for a few days of limited bandwidth and limited productivity.)

A tool every techie needs!! (??)

Taken from:
http://blogs.cio.com/peripherals/17075/digital-swiss-army-knife-every-techie-should-own



Now, the Swiss Army Knife is famous for being - a compact knife with many blades - but with "a USB flash drive with biometric fingerprint sensor, a Bluetooth presenter for the occasional PowerPoint presentation and a laser pointer" it is quite a bit more!!  


So, ... .a tool that every technie would love!!!  (Even McGyver would like it!!)

New Intel Chips to ship

Taken from: 

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9226893/First_Ivy_Bridge_Chips_Emerge?source=CTWNLE_nlt_pm_2012-05-07

Computerworld - The first batch of Intel processors based on the company's Ivy Bridge microarchitecture -- 13 quad-core chips designed to run high-end desktop and laptop PCs -- were finally unveiled late last month.

The new quad-core chips are the first products in the long-awaited third generation of the Intel Core processor family to ship.

We have talked about Moore's Law frequently - here is Moore's Law in action - by the company (Intel) that Moore helped found!!!


Also, in the past, Intel has been criticized for not getting into tablet computers faster.  This article didn't address that, but Intel is working on it (see below):


(related - from another article: - October 2011)
http://venturebeat.com/2011/04/11/can-intel-atomize-arm-with-new-tablet-chips/

Intel is taking on arch rival ARM today with the launch of new Intel Atom chips for tablet computers.

The Atom is a low-power version of Intel’s computer chips, and it is aimed squarely at tablets, netbooks, and smartphones. It represents the chip giant’s best chance to catch up with ARM, which dominates the mobile space with its power-efficient chip architecture and dozens of chip design partners.