Researchers at MIT develop a tool to identify code that your compiler may inadvertently remove, creating vulnerabilities
Compilers: can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em - at least not if you write code for a living. Compilers are great at taking your hand crafted human-readable program, translating it into machine code and, in the process, optimizing it so it runs as efficiently as possible. Sometimes, though, as new research from MIT points out, in their zeal to optimize your code, compilers can go too far and remove code that they shouldn’t, which can make the system or application more vulnerable.
Four researchers in MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, in a paper which is to be presented next week at the ACM Symposium on Operating Systems Principles, looked at the problem of optimization-unstable code, which is code that gets removed by a compiler because it includes undefined behavior. Undefined behavior is code which can behave unpredictably, such as dividing by zero, null pointer dereferencing and buffer overflows. Unlike other code, compiler writers are free to deal undefined behavior however they wish. In some cases, they choose to eliminate it completely, which can lead to vulnerabilities if the code in question contains security checks.
The MIT researchers studied a dozen common C/C++ compilers to see how they dealt with undefined code. They found that, over time, compilers are becoming more aggressive in how they deal with such code, more often simply removing it, even at default or low levels of optimization. Since C/C++ is fairly liberal about allowing undefined behavior, it is more susceptible to subtle bugs and security threats as a result of unstable code.
Tuesday, 29 October 2013
British man charged with hacking NASA and US military computers
The Briton allegedly worked with others in Australia and Sweden to plant backdoors and steal confidential data.
The U.S. government needs to answer for human rights abuses related to the National Security Agency's massive worldwide surveillance of Internet communications and telephone records, privacy advocates told an international human rights board Monday.
The NSA is conducting surveillance on "hundreds of millions" of people worldwide, said Steven Watt, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union's Human Rights Program, speaking to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), part of the Organization of American States (OAS).
"The government has sought to justify this mass surveillance on national security grounds, yet official reports indicate that the NSA has conducted surveillance of the communications of world leaders , of allied foreign powers, U.N. and E.U. offices, foreign corporations and endless numbers of innocent Americans and foreign nationals," Watt continued.
Press reports this year on the surveillance programs raise questions about unchecked authority and the effect on freedom of speech, added Frank La Rue, special rapporteur on the freedom of expression at the United Nations. Secret surveillance programs will "inevitably" lead to abuses, he said.
"What is not permissible, from a human rights point of view, is that those who hold political power or those who are in security agencies ... decide by themselves, for themselves, what is going be the scope of breaching the right to privacy," La Rue said.
Members of the IACHR asked pointed questions of a U.S. delegation, but Lawrence Gumbiner, deputy permanent representative of the U.S. to the OAS, said the U.S. did not have time to prepare a response for the board. A half-month partial government shutdown earlier in October prevented U.S. officials from gathering the needed materials after they were given notice of the hearing in late September, he said.
The U.S. will respond to the commission's questions in writing, Gumbiner said.
IACHR Commissioner Rodrigo Escobar Gil of Colombia chided Gumbiner for using the government shutdown as an excuse for not responding to the hearing, which was initiated by an ACLU request. The U.S. delegation missed an "important opportunity" to explain its surveillance programs and provide transparency, he said.
Escobar Gil also questioned the scope of the NSA surveillance. Nations have the right to conduct surveillance to project themselves, but they should not have "absolute power to do so," he said. "It must be subject to restrictions, rules, procedures."
Some estimates have the NSA conducting surveillance on 1 billion people, Escobar Gil said. "What are the limits?" he said. "The first question is whether there is actually such broad leeway to be able to surveil such a wide range of people, or are there limits? What are the restraints on that power?"
Five Microsoft services to make any business smarter (including yours)
Device management, basic server infrastructure, SEO analytics, and more are available for affordable subscription prices.
Microsoft's operating system may be the primary engine in most businesses, but there is a world outside Windows. Microsoft offers an array of services that address some of the most common headaches small businesses face and enable them to operate like much bigger organizations. Here are five of the gems.
1. Office 365
You can buy Office 365 Small Business Premium for only $150 per user per year. That's less than the cost of a single Office 2013 Professional license, but it allows you to install the full Office 2013 Professional suite on up to five devices--including iPhones and Android smartphones.
But Office 365 is more than Microsoft Office in the cloud. Office 365 Small Business Premium also includes Exchange, SharePoint, and Lync, which give you a complete business infrastructure without the cost and overhead of buying and maintaining your own servers. Plus, Microsoft manages the server back-end. It's like getting an IT department thrown in for free.
2. Power BI
Data is power. Power BI, Microsoft's business intelligence service, lets you analyze and leverage data through a tool most businesses are already comfortable with--Excel. You can create analytical models, build interactive visualizations, and more.
You can also share insights with other team members, track who is accessing what data, and see which data sets are used most. Power BI is included in an Office 365 subscription.
3. Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials
Many businesses are too small to have a dedicated IT department and lack the skills and resources required to manage Windows Servers. The Catch-22 for these businesses, though, is that their needs exceed the capabilities of the Windows desktop OS as well.
Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials provides an affordable, simple server option for businesses with 25 to 50 users. It's a stepping stone that takes your business from a random group of separate Windows PCs, to a more capable business network. Instead of having individual users back up their own PCs (which is likely a pipe dream anyway), Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials can automatically back up client computers to a central location--a lifesaver in the event that a laptop with crucial information is lost or stolen. You can also easily restore entire PCs or specific files or folders as needed.
You can use Remote Web Access to connect with company data and resources over an encrypted connection from virtually anywhere. The Remote Web Access interface is designed to be a touch-friendly experience, allowing users to connect from any Web-enabled device.
Using Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials gives your business the ability to manage and protect data, implement and enforce policies on endpoint PCs, and more, without requiring a full-time IT administrator or Windows Server guru to run it.
4. Windows Intune
The BYOD movement is particularly advantageous for small businesses, so you need a tool that lets you reap the benefits while mitigating the risks. Windows Intune gives your business a unified platform for managing both PCs and mobile devices running Windows, Windows RT, Windows Phone 8, iOS, and Android. The service lets you implement policies, distribute software, and track device inventory from one Web-based console.
A single license of Windows 8.1 costs $120 in the Microsoft Store. For a little more than that--per year--you can subscribe to Windows Intune with Software Assurance ($11 per user per month), which includes licensing for Windows 8.1 Enterprise (or whatever the current Windows OS is). You can also subscribe to just Windows InTune without the Windows license for $6 per user per month.
5. Bing Webmaster SEO reports
SEO is part science and part dark art. It's also crucial for ensuring your website ranks high and attracts traffic. But understanding search-engine algorithms and mastering SEO can be a full-time job.
Bing Webmaster Tools provides information in a way that non-Web gurus can understand, and lets you see how your Web pages rate. It generates reports based on a set of SEO best practices and helps you fine-tune your website with page-level recommendations. The Bing reports explain any potential issues and show a sample of pages affected by non-compliance with established SEO guidelines.
These five services just scratch the surface of Microsoft's offerings, but using them can save your business money and give you tools to operate more effectively and efficiently. More importantly, they'll put you on level playing field with much larger enterprises, and give your company a strategic edge over the competition.
Microsoft's operating system may be the primary engine in most businesses, but there is a world outside Windows. Microsoft offers an array of services that address some of the most common headaches small businesses face and enable them to operate like much bigger organizations. Here are five of the gems.
1. Office 365
You can buy Office 365 Small Business Premium for only $150 per user per year. That's less than the cost of a single Office 2013 Professional license, but it allows you to install the full Office 2013 Professional suite on up to five devices--including iPhones and Android smartphones.
But Office 365 is more than Microsoft Office in the cloud. Office 365 Small Business Premium also includes Exchange, SharePoint, and Lync, which give you a complete business infrastructure without the cost and overhead of buying and maintaining your own servers. Plus, Microsoft manages the server back-end. It's like getting an IT department thrown in for free.
2. Power BI
Data is power. Power BI, Microsoft's business intelligence service, lets you analyze and leverage data through a tool most businesses are already comfortable with--Excel. You can create analytical models, build interactive visualizations, and more.
You can also share insights with other team members, track who is accessing what data, and see which data sets are used most. Power BI is included in an Office 365 subscription.
3. Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials
Many businesses are too small to have a dedicated IT department and lack the skills and resources required to manage Windows Servers. The Catch-22 for these businesses, though, is that their needs exceed the capabilities of the Windows desktop OS as well.
Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials provides an affordable, simple server option for businesses with 25 to 50 users. It's a stepping stone that takes your business from a random group of separate Windows PCs, to a more capable business network. Instead of having individual users back up their own PCs (which is likely a pipe dream anyway), Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials can automatically back up client computers to a central location--a lifesaver in the event that a laptop with crucial information is lost or stolen. You can also easily restore entire PCs or specific files or folders as needed.
You can use Remote Web Access to connect with company data and resources over an encrypted connection from virtually anywhere. The Remote Web Access interface is designed to be a touch-friendly experience, allowing users to connect from any Web-enabled device.
Using Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials gives your business the ability to manage and protect data, implement and enforce policies on endpoint PCs, and more, without requiring a full-time IT administrator or Windows Server guru to run it.
4. Windows Intune
The BYOD movement is particularly advantageous for small businesses, so you need a tool that lets you reap the benefits while mitigating the risks. Windows Intune gives your business a unified platform for managing both PCs and mobile devices running Windows, Windows RT, Windows Phone 8, iOS, and Android. The service lets you implement policies, distribute software, and track device inventory from one Web-based console.
A single license of Windows 8.1 costs $120 in the Microsoft Store. For a little more than that--per year--you can subscribe to Windows Intune with Software Assurance ($11 per user per month), which includes licensing for Windows 8.1 Enterprise (or whatever the current Windows OS is). You can also subscribe to just Windows InTune without the Windows license for $6 per user per month.
5. Bing Webmaster SEO reports
SEO is part science and part dark art. It's also crucial for ensuring your website ranks high and attracts traffic. But understanding search-engine algorithms and mastering SEO can be a full-time job.
Bing Webmaster Tools provides information in a way that non-Web gurus can understand, and lets you see how your Web pages rate. It generates reports based on a set of SEO best practices and helps you fine-tune your website with page-level recommendations. The Bing reports explain any potential issues and show a sample of pages affected by non-compliance with established SEO guidelines.
These five services just scratch the surface of Microsoft's offerings, but using them can save your business money and give you tools to operate more effectively and efficiently. More importantly, they'll put you on level playing field with much larger enterprises, and give your company a strategic edge over the competition.
Sunday, 27 October 2013
Damn the scammers! Don’t help that ailing, dying ‘stranger’
Compassion-that’s a word scammers thrive on. The thought of an unknown stranger dying in a hospital is enough to thaw the iciest of hearts. But when the bait is an orphan being left behind with a huge inheritance, there must be something unbelievable about the story or you are greedy enough not to notice.
Here’s an amazing tale from a so called ‘Felicia Luna’:
(The ailing stranger)
“Dear Beloved One,
This is Miss Felicia Luna from Trinidad & Tobago. I am writing from the hospital in Ivory Coast , therefore this mail is very urgent, as you can see that I am dying in the hospital. I was told by the doctor that i was poisoned and has got my liver damaged and can only live for some months.
(The temptation)
I inherited some money ($3.5 Million) from my late father and i cannot think of anybody trying to kill me apart from my step mother in order to inherit the money, she is an Ivorian by nationality.
(The bait)
I have a little orphan child called who has been with me, named Martins Henry, my step mother and her children are after him and because of that he ran far away where he is hiding now, so I want you to help him out of this country with the money
I want you to contact Martins with this information below:
Orphan Martins Henry.
Address: Rue De La Princess L/G 152 , Cocody ,
Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire.
Email: martinshenry1996@yahoo.co.jp
He will give you the documents of the money and will direct you to a well known lawyer that I have appointed, the lawyer will assist you to change the documents of the money to your name to enable the bank transfer the money to you.
This is the favour I need when you have gotten the money :
* Give 20% of the money to Martins as he has been there for me throughout my illness and I have promised to support him in life. I want you to take him along with you to your country and establish him as your son.
* Give 30% of the money to handicap people and charity organization. Note; This should be a code between you and Martins in this transaction “Hospital” any mail from him, the barrister he will direct you to, without this code “Hospital” is not fro m the barrister, Martins, the bank or myself as I don’t know what will happen to me in the next few hours.
* The lawyer’s name is Mc Lambert Adams. And Let Martins send you his International Passport as he has no passport to be sure of who you are dealing with. Martins is so little, therefore guide him.
And if I don’t hear from you, I will look for another person or an organization.”
This email is a scam. It would be for your good if this person gets another person or organization!
Saturday, 26 October 2013
10 job search tips for introverts
Even for the most outgoing, extroverted types, a job search can be a stressful time riddled with anxiety, For an introvert, the process can be downright paralyzing.
Even though introverts are often creative, thoughtful and work well with others, it often seems that extroverts have the edge in the job search process. But introverts can make the job search easier and more successful by focusing on their best traits and emphasizing their strengths to prospective employers.
Here are 10 tips to overcome - and even take advantage of - your shy, reserved nature.
1. Be honest about yourself and your strengths
This doesn't just apply to introverts. Every job seeker should candidly assess his or strengths, weaknesses, successes and failures when job hunting.
The most important tip? Don't pretend to be someone you're not, says Rona Borre, CEO and Founder of IT hiring, staffing, and consulting firm Instant Technology.
In interviews, be up front and honest about how intimidating the process is, and how it's difficult to break the ice with new people, Borre says. It can actually help you forge a connection with whomever you're speaking to.
2. Emphasize your strengths as an introvert
While you don't have to label yourself as an introvert, make sure you understand and can emphasize the strengths that introverts often share creativity, focus, dedication, and an ability to work well with others are all common traits of introverts, and all of these traits can make you a great employee. Another tip: let your passion for your work shine through, Borre says.
"One way to ease the pressure and anxiety of a job interview is to shift the focus from the personal to the professional," says Borre.
"Try and steer the interview toward talking about your work, what you've created, and your accomplishments rather than talking about yourself, and your passion and your love for the work you do will shine through," she says. Having a professional portfolio also can help give you some concrete examples to point to, and some instant talking points if you're feeling nervous, Borre says.
3. Focus on finding work that will energize, not drain you
There are plenty of examples of introverts working in sales and other customer-facing positions, but for most introverts, these kinds of jobs are mentally and physically draining, Borre says. Focus on searching for work that will let you use your intrinsic strengths and that's more introvert-friendly.
Especially in the IT field, many introverts find they've had to hone their business communication and collaboration skills to foster close working relationships across departments, says Borre, and that's a great area to highlight to potential employees, she says.
4. Use the Web to research companies and people
Do your homework. Online research can go a long way toward easing the anxiety of applying and interviewing for a job, says Borre. You'll show up for the interview prepared with talking points, questions, and with a better sense of whether the job would be a good fit for you.
"This is a great way to discover if there's a shared interest or common technology," says Borre. "Then, you can go into the interview with common ground and something to talk about, which can help break the ice and put you at ease," she says.
5. Strengthen Your Web presence and use it to network
6. Plan and rehearse questions, conversations
For most introverts, the fear of not being prepared for these kinds of interactions is the most overwhelming part of interviewing. So, plan out and rehearse small talk, conversation starters, even interview questions and your responses, says Borre.
By practicing in advance, you remove some of the stress of coming up with a response on the spot, she says.
"Practice makes perfect. Everyone needs an interview to get a job, right? By practicing small talk, questions that might be asked, and your responses, you can figure out how to steer the conversation. You can even get a friend to help you go through possible scenarios and questions ahead of time," Borre says.
7. Consider working with a mentor, a recruiter, or both
Borre suggests that working with a recruiter and/or mentor can help overcome both the stress of the overall job search, the initial contact with potential employers and to set up interviews.
While it's not an option for every type of job, it could help give you more confidence, and get your foot in the door without cold-calling or networking. "And once you have a mentor or recruiter, they also can help coach you in interviews and follow up contacts," Borre says.
8. Give yourself time to recharge between meetings or interviews
Multiple, back-to-back interviews can be torture for introverts, who tend to need a fair amount of alone time to recharge, says Borre. If you can, try to leave some time between meetings to rejuvenate - you can do this in your car, in the restroom, by taking a short walk outside, or even on public transportation, she says.
9. Use Your thank-you note to clarify points
If, despite your best efforts, you feel you've flubbed a question or part of an interview, don't worry. You can use your thank-you note to address the issue, and give yourself a second chance to make that great impression.
10. Work on new skills
There's no set-in-stone rule that introverts can't be great conversationalists, salespeople or public speakers, says Borre. Even if you don't love doing these kinds of things, you could excel at them. And if you feel you're lacking in certain relevant job skills, take a class, read a book, or research and learn tips and tricks online. And make sure you highlight your continued learning in your resume, so potential employers can see that you're trying to improve.
Even though introverts are often creative, thoughtful and work well with others, it often seems that extroverts have the edge in the job search process. But introverts can make the job search easier and more successful by focusing on their best traits and emphasizing their strengths to prospective employers.
Here are 10 tips to overcome - and even take advantage of - your shy, reserved nature.
1. Be honest about yourself and your strengths
This doesn't just apply to introverts. Every job seeker should candidly assess his or strengths, weaknesses, successes and failures when job hunting.
The most important tip? Don't pretend to be someone you're not, says Rona Borre, CEO and Founder of IT hiring, staffing, and consulting firm Instant Technology.
In interviews, be up front and honest about how intimidating the process is, and how it's difficult to break the ice with new people, Borre says. It can actually help you forge a connection with whomever you're speaking to.
2. Emphasize your strengths as an introvert
While you don't have to label yourself as an introvert, make sure you understand and can emphasize the strengths that introverts often share creativity, focus, dedication, and an ability to work well with others are all common traits of introverts, and all of these traits can make you a great employee. Another tip: let your passion for your work shine through, Borre says.
"One way to ease the pressure and anxiety of a job interview is to shift the focus from the personal to the professional," says Borre.
"Try and steer the interview toward talking about your work, what you've created, and your accomplishments rather than talking about yourself, and your passion and your love for the work you do will shine through," she says. Having a professional portfolio also can help give you some concrete examples to point to, and some instant talking points if you're feeling nervous, Borre says.
3. Focus on finding work that will energize, not drain you
There are plenty of examples of introverts working in sales and other customer-facing positions, but for most introverts, these kinds of jobs are mentally and physically draining, Borre says. Focus on searching for work that will let you use your intrinsic strengths and that's more introvert-friendly.
Especially in the IT field, many introverts find they've had to hone their business communication and collaboration skills to foster close working relationships across departments, says Borre, and that's a great area to highlight to potential employees, she says.
4. Use the Web to research companies and people
Do your homework. Online research can go a long way toward easing the anxiety of applying and interviewing for a job, says Borre. You'll show up for the interview prepared with talking points, questions, and with a better sense of whether the job would be a good fit for you.
"This is a great way to discover if there's a shared interest or common technology," says Borre. "Then, you can go into the interview with common ground and something to talk about, which can help break the ice and put you at ease," she says.
5. Strengthen Your Web presence and use it to network
6. Plan and rehearse questions, conversations
For most introverts, the fear of not being prepared for these kinds of interactions is the most overwhelming part of interviewing. So, plan out and rehearse small talk, conversation starters, even interview questions and your responses, says Borre.
By practicing in advance, you remove some of the stress of coming up with a response on the spot, she says.
"Practice makes perfect. Everyone needs an interview to get a job, right? By practicing small talk, questions that might be asked, and your responses, you can figure out how to steer the conversation. You can even get a friend to help you go through possible scenarios and questions ahead of time," Borre says.
7. Consider working with a mentor, a recruiter, or both
Borre suggests that working with a recruiter and/or mentor can help overcome both the stress of the overall job search, the initial contact with potential employers and to set up interviews.
While it's not an option for every type of job, it could help give you more confidence, and get your foot in the door without cold-calling or networking. "And once you have a mentor or recruiter, they also can help coach you in interviews and follow up contacts," Borre says.
8. Give yourself time to recharge between meetings or interviews
Multiple, back-to-back interviews can be torture for introverts, who tend to need a fair amount of alone time to recharge, says Borre. If you can, try to leave some time between meetings to rejuvenate - you can do this in your car, in the restroom, by taking a short walk outside, or even on public transportation, she says.
9. Use Your thank-you note to clarify points
If, despite your best efforts, you feel you've flubbed a question or part of an interview, don't worry. You can use your thank-you note to address the issue, and give yourself a second chance to make that great impression.
10. Work on new skills
There's no set-in-stone rule that introverts can't be great conversationalists, salespeople or public speakers, says Borre. Even if you don't love doing these kinds of things, you could excel at them. And if you feel you're lacking in certain relevant job skills, take a class, read a book, or research and learn tips and tricks online. And make sure you highlight your continued learning in your resume, so potential employers can see that you're trying to improve.
Friday, 25 October 2013
8 tricks to speed up your workflow
Who doesn't wish for more time to tackle the myriad tasks vying for our attention? You don't need more hours in the day, though, only minutes. Tuneup your workflow with these time-saving tricks and you'll find yourself getting more done in less time.
Use voice recognition
If you input a lot of data and you're not a particularly fast typist, use voice recognition. A fairly mature technology, voice recognition has been built into the Windows operating system since Windows Vista and can be enabled from the Ease of Access applet found in the Control Panel.
You can also use a third-party app like Dragon NaturallySpeaking, which packs additional algorithms to leverage the context of the entire sentence for greater accuracy. Advanced features like the ability to launch applications, switch between them, or even initiate an Internet search allows you to navigate the desktop without having to lift a finger.
Synchronize your life
Be sure to configure your PC and devices to sync with each other so you can switch between them without missing a beat. Cloud storage services such as Dropbox, SugarSync, and SkyDrive make files accessible from any device with an Internet connection, while Web browsers such as Chrome and Firefox can keep your bookmarks and browser settings synchronized between laptops, desktops, and mobile devices.
Use a business card app
Those business cards you amassed at your last conference aren't going to enter themselves into your address book. Fortunately, you don't have to manually type each one in. Instead, you can use a business card scanner to capture the data in your contact list. If you don't network enough to justify splurging on a dedicated card scanner, check out the many smartphone and tablet apps--such as CamCard and WorldCard HD--do the same with the built-in cameras found on mobile devices.
Upgrade to a solid state drive
If you're still using a PC powered by a traditional hard disk drive (HDD), do yourself a favor and upgrade to the speedier solid-state drive (SSD). Your productivity--and blood pressure--will thank you for that, as you launch apps and move files around without a lag. As a bonus, physical bumps and jolts that would normally damage the spinning platter in a HDD are unlikely to have an affect an SSD. Of course, the flash memory chips inside an SSD works differently than a HDD though, so be sure to take proper care of it.
Put your laptop to sleep
Rather than manually powering your laptop off and on between appointments, set it to go into "Sleep" mode instead. This keeps power flowing to the system RAM to maintain the state of the PC, allowing it to power up fully in seconds. In general, the power drain on a modern laptop in sleep mode is sufficiently low that it isn't a consideration for regular commutes.
To set this, go to Control Panel and click on Power Options. From there, select "Change advanced power settings" to bring up the "Power Options" dialog shown below.
Don't ignore the fingerprint scanner
Many business-class laptops come with an integrated fingerprint reader, which unfortunately sits unused most of the time. If your laptop has one, it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to configure it to recognize your digits using its preinstalled fingerprint management software. Being able to authenticate yourself using your fingerprint saves you precious seconds from not having to type your password every time you log into your laptop.
Get a second monitor
If you've never used a dual-monitor rig, you don't know what you're missing. Having additional desktop real estate allows you to position windows so that they are readily accessible without having to hunt through your taskbar for the app that you need. An alternative would be to go for a single-display setup with an ultra large screen measuring at least 27-inches. The additional space will allow you to line up more windows without too much overlapping.
Master your shortcut keys
Getting the hang of some common shortcut keys can help you get things done much faster. The most basic shortcuts would be CTRL+C, CTRL+V and CTRL+X, which are used for copy, paste, and cut, respectively. CTRL+Z and CTRL+Y allow you to undo and redo your last action, which is particularly useful in productivity apps such as a word processor.
For window management, the Windows Key+E combo brings up the Windows File Explorer, while ALT-F4 closes the current window. Finally, if you're using your Web browser, holding on to the CTRL key while scrolling your wheel mouse zooms in and out of your document or browser window.
Use voice recognition
If you input a lot of data and you're not a particularly fast typist, use voice recognition. A fairly mature technology, voice recognition has been built into the Windows operating system since Windows Vista and can be enabled from the Ease of Access applet found in the Control Panel.
You can also use a third-party app like Dragon NaturallySpeaking, which packs additional algorithms to leverage the context of the entire sentence for greater accuracy. Advanced features like the ability to launch applications, switch between them, or even initiate an Internet search allows you to navigate the desktop without having to lift a finger.
Synchronize your life
Be sure to configure your PC and devices to sync with each other so you can switch between them without missing a beat. Cloud storage services such as Dropbox, SugarSync, and SkyDrive make files accessible from any device with an Internet connection, while Web browsers such as Chrome and Firefox can keep your bookmarks and browser settings synchronized between laptops, desktops, and mobile devices.
Use a business card app
Those business cards you amassed at your last conference aren't going to enter themselves into your address book. Fortunately, you don't have to manually type each one in. Instead, you can use a business card scanner to capture the data in your contact list. If you don't network enough to justify splurging on a dedicated card scanner, check out the many smartphone and tablet apps--such as CamCard and WorldCard HD--do the same with the built-in cameras found on mobile devices.
Upgrade to a solid state drive
If you're still using a PC powered by a traditional hard disk drive (HDD), do yourself a favor and upgrade to the speedier solid-state drive (SSD). Your productivity--and blood pressure--will thank you for that, as you launch apps and move files around without a lag. As a bonus, physical bumps and jolts that would normally damage the spinning platter in a HDD are unlikely to have an affect an SSD. Of course, the flash memory chips inside an SSD works differently than a HDD though, so be sure to take proper care of it.
Put your laptop to sleep
Rather than manually powering your laptop off and on between appointments, set it to go into "Sleep" mode instead. This keeps power flowing to the system RAM to maintain the state of the PC, allowing it to power up fully in seconds. In general, the power drain on a modern laptop in sleep mode is sufficiently low that it isn't a consideration for regular commutes.
To set this, go to Control Panel and click on Power Options. From there, select "Change advanced power settings" to bring up the "Power Options" dialog shown below.
Don't ignore the fingerprint scanner
Many business-class laptops come with an integrated fingerprint reader, which unfortunately sits unused most of the time. If your laptop has one, it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes to configure it to recognize your digits using its preinstalled fingerprint management software. Being able to authenticate yourself using your fingerprint saves you precious seconds from not having to type your password every time you log into your laptop.
Get a second monitor
If you've never used a dual-monitor rig, you don't know what you're missing. Having additional desktop real estate allows you to position windows so that they are readily accessible without having to hunt through your taskbar for the app that you need. An alternative would be to go for a single-display setup with an ultra large screen measuring at least 27-inches. The additional space will allow you to line up more windows without too much overlapping.
Master your shortcut keys
Getting the hang of some common shortcut keys can help you get things done much faster. The most basic shortcuts would be CTRL+C, CTRL+V and CTRL+X, which are used for copy, paste, and cut, respectively. CTRL+Z and CTRL+Y allow you to undo and redo your last action, which is particularly useful in productivity apps such as a word processor.
For window management, the Windows Key+E combo brings up the Windows File Explorer, while ALT-F4 closes the current window. Finally, if you're using your Web browser, holding on to the CTRL key while scrolling your wheel mouse zooms in and out of your document or browser window.
16 traits of great IT leaders
Being an exceptional leader is about more than getting the job done. You've got to balance your team's need with your goals and objectives as well as your emotions. You've got to think about things from other people's perspective and sometimes do things that, while are in the best interest of the team, might not be great for you. While there a number of different leadership styles, the best leaders share some common traits.
Managing People in IT is Different
What it means to be an IT leader today is different from what is was 10 years ago. The command-and-control way of thinking has given way to an era of employee empowerment and engagement. Leaders need to understand that no one person can do it all, that the people they surround themselves with and how they manage them are the keys to their success.
While experts agree that most of what they do is part of people management 101, there are differences when it comes to IT. There aren't many other areas that evolve as quickly as IT does and that can create unique challenges for an IT leader.
One example that is distinctive to IT, according to Pamela Rucker, chair of the CIO Executive Council's Executive Women in IT is the need to know your employees. "The pace of change in technology means that you always have some segment of your staff that wants to learn the hottest new tools, and you need to keep them out front so that they stay engaged. On the other hand, you have other leaders that tire of always having to learn a new technology and really want to focus on the business aspect of technology delivery. It's important for you to know how to manage both types of people and have the right blend of staff members to keep you technologically savvy and business-focused," says Rucker.
Today's IT Challenges
Allen Boardman, international vice president of ISACA and chair of ISACA's Credentialing and Career Management Board knows how demanding the tech world can be. There are a multitude of major challenges that today's senior IT leaders face, according to Boardman. These include the following:
The rate and pace of change.
The complexity and massive integration of systems, processes and applications, which often result in major outages and instability issues.
Ongoing pressure to cut costs year after year, despite having to meet increasing pressure from the business to innovate.
Threats to the business, particularly cybersecurity and privacy-related issues.
Being swamped in responding to regulations and audit issues, rather than getting on with helping the business make money and gain competitive advantage through its technology and information systems.
Still having to deal with legacy systems (many organizations are still on Windows XP because it's complicated to move forward).
Not being in control, particularly with the rapid rise in outsourcing and cloud services.
"While there are some things one cannot change about individuals, some leadership traits can be learned. There are very few people who are natural leaders - leadership is something people have to work at. Knowing what your shortcomings are, and recognizing them as such, is half the battle," says Boardman.
Both leaders and managers within IT who don't continue to hone their craft will be left behind. Whether you're the CIO, an IT manager or a developer incorporating the traits listed here will help you grow personally, professionally and ensure your continued success in IT.
They Always Deliver Results
This one, most would say is a no-brainer. In order to be a solid leader or manager for that matter you've got to consistently do what you say you're going to do. "You don't even get consideration if you don't deliver results, "says Robert Reeg, president of MasterCard Technologies & Operations (MTO).
They Are Self-Aware
To be a self-aware leader you must know who you are, before you can look at yourself in the context of your company or in the context of your peers. "I don't believe you can be an effective leader without emotional intelligence and self-awareness. Understanding yourself and your own limitations -- what you're good at, what you're not good at, is critical to ensure you are surrounding yourself with the right people that maybe leverage your weaknesses or enhance your strengths," says Dan Brodie, CIO of BuildDirect.
Emotional intelligence is knowing your strengths and weaknesses as well as your emotional triggers. Knowing this will allow you to better focus on the people you interact with, so that you can recognize and interpret what's happening within them, and manage your interactions with them based on their emotions.
This is very difficult to do, according to Rucker, especially in heat of a corporate battle. "It's absolutely vital, though, because emotional intelligence accounts for 80-90% of the difference between average and outstanding leaders, and is twice as important as IQ. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen this played out in real-life. Effective leaders know how to gauge the environment and the players, and manage their communication so that the listeners get what their emotions are telling them they need."
They Continue to Learn and Grow
There are always fires to put out and deadlines to meet, but when you don't have a lot of extra time, setting time aside to learn can be difficult. However, professional development and continued growth are the only surefire ways to make sure you don't get left behind in the tech world. Whether you're talking about technical skills or business skills, you've got to continue to evolve.
"The demands of leadership roles often make it easy keep your head down and focus on solving problems for your organization. There's always another challenge or another threat, and you can build an entire image around solving problems and managing risk. Unfortunately, if you continue to do that, you will find yourself behind the eight ball, because the world continues to move and develop, even if you do not," says Rucker.
How should you get started on the road to being a better leader? Robert Hewes, senior partner at Camden Consulting Group, recommends targeting a particular area where you feel like you need to grow such as communication, strategic thinking or conflict and decision-making just to name four. Then finding a venue to make it happen, whether it's college courses, reading a book, going to seminars or whatever it takes. "Professional development is key in this fast-paced world. Honing and expanding one's capabilities should be ingrained. It is a matter of staying value-added," says Hewes.
They Work Through Other People and Delegate
The scope and depth of IT means that no one person can know it all. IT leaders need to surround themselves with people who complement their strengths and weaknesses. "Working through others is the only way to scale. If you don't make this shift, you will hamper yourself and more importantly the entire organization. If this applies to you, you should intently and intensely focus on making directing and delegating a key change for you," says Hewes.
They Have Great Communication Skills
Communication is fundamental skill needed to be a great leader or manager. As an IT leader you will likely work with people from all departments and walks of life. You must be able to clearly articulate your message.
Effective leaders know how to gauge the situation they're in and determine what and how they need to communicate. They master their presentation style, their email, their negotiation skills and even their water-cooler conversation because they realize that communication is a part of their brand, and sends a message about their ability," says Rucker.
You can't have great communication skills if you're not a good listener. "Remember, communication is a two-way street and listening is as important as "telling." Great IT leaders listen incredibly well and ask great questions," says Hewes.
They Are Authentic
"Leaders must know their own personality, style and values, and deliberately choose to lead with those instead of trying to be a poor imitation of someone they admire," says Rucker. Trying to play the part of a great leader is both exhausting and distracting, so it's better to be yourself.
"The most important aspect of my leadership style is to be myself versus what a textbook CIO might be. And while my team might have to put up with my sixth grade sense of humor, it means that I bring a positive attitude and a passion to work for the company, my team and my role and I hope that it's infectious for my team, " says Brodie.
They Are Decisive
You don't always have the luxury of time. In some situations you will need to make quick decisions that could impact the entire organization. The easiest answer isn't necessarily the right one and a good leader has to be thoughtful of the impact of each decision he/she makes especially when the chips are down. "An IT leader needs to be decisive. They need to make both quality and timely decisions," says Hewes.
They Create a Safe-to-Fail Environment
Creating an atmosphere where employees are encouraged to take chances and are safe to fail gives workers the confidence to try new things and can spur innovation. "Knowing that something good can come out of a failing effort makes people less likely to shy away from difficult projects, and more apt to try something new. I've seen this work time and again," says Rucker.
Creating this type of an environment is important, but it is hard to pull off, according to Hewes who says, "Often times we hear, 'of course, we encourage people to take risks, but we don't get enough of it.' Why? It can be due to the consequences of what happens when something doesn't work. If it is called out in a bad way, people will shy away from risk taking. Now, you don't want people taking risks willy-nilly. Rather, it should be calculated risks in consciously chosen areas. The leader needs to help define the boundaries and act in the right way when a 'failure' happens. This takes vigilance over time," says Hewes."
They Are Adept at Problem Solving
If you've come up through the ranks of IT to be a leader, than you are likely a problem-solver at heart. This is one aspect that people who live and work in IT are pretty good at, according to experts. If that's not you then don't beat yourself up. The key is for the leader to recognize that problem-solving is not his/her strong suit and to rely on the problem solver on the team to rise to the challenge. "People often feel like they need to have all the answers. In reality you just need to know the right questions to ask," says Brodie.
They Create a Collaborative Environment
Many IT pros who climb the ladder to leadership often stop being individual contributors. This means that they need to get their work done through other people. "Strong collaboration skills allow leaders to work with others to exploit synergies and deliver far more than they ever would be capable of delivering alone. Also, I think the leaders that are best at collaboration are those that have invested heavily in developing their internal and external networks. For instance, it's far easier for me to work with people when I haven't let a relationship go cold, instead of dropping in and asking for help when it's only in my best interest," says Rucker.
Collaboration is one of "those skills that technical people can look down upon," according to Hewes. However, many great ideas and decisions come about because great minds worked together on a problem. That is collaboration. "To push on it - and say why? Simply put, no one has all the answers, especially to the most difficult challenges. A great IT leader will encourage collaboration at the right moments," says Hewes.
A Sense of Humor
Morale and productivity are closely related. As a leader it's your job to motivate your troops and give them the tools they need to be effective, and a sense of humor can go a long way towards doing that. A joke from the boss can make difficult times less tense and help foster a feeling that you are all in it together.
"I have noticed that some IT folks can take life a little too seriously. It's important to loosen up sometimes. The most important traits are to respect others and to have a good sense of humor. Also, a leader should demonstrate that he/she has outside interests because it is important to show a healthy balance of work, outside activities and family," says Boardman.
They Have Integrity
Integrity is defined as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. People are only as good as their word and as a leader all eyes are on you. You've got to do what you say and be able to admit when you're wrong.
"Leaders must display a strong moral character, such that their teams and peers can believe in them and trust what they say. When enterprise transformations and people's careers are at stake, everyone needs to know that you aren't operating in your own best interest, but that you are truthful in the things you say," says Rucker.
Part of integrity is accountability. If you want to be a great IT leader you've got to be responsible for your actions and hold other people accountable for theirs. You can't play favorites or pass the buck.
They Are Empathetic
A great leader has to be able to metaphorically put himself/herself in others people places to understand their point of view. Doing so will give you a deeper connection into both your employee's and customer's needs.
"Empathy is like walking in someone else's shoes and understanding what the root cause is to get to the heart of the problem instead of just providing band-aid solutions. This allows us to provide a solution that has true value to the organization," says Brodie.
They Know Their Customers
"You've really got to have the mindset that everyone is a customer," says Reeg. That means whether you're providing an internal tool to the marketing department or building a customer-facing mobile app, you've got to understand what your customers need and what they expect.
Hewes agrees. "Not doing this well is an issue that has been around for decades -- usually stated in terms like, "IT just doesn't understand what we need." Listening and understanding what an internal or external customer actually needs is the trick. Listening and understanding customers should be a well-honed capability that a leader exhibits and gets his or her organization to exhibit."
They Think Strategically
As a leader in IT, people will look to you to figure out how technology can help solve problems and help the business grow. In order to do that, you've got to know about more than just the technology. You've got to understand customer needs, the market, the competition and more.
"A great leader always needs to have the bigger picture in mind and keep an eye on the overall mission, vision and objectives. Aligning IT with the enterprise's objectives and strategies helps create value and trust in information systems, while achieving the overall goals," says Boardman.
They Know Their Leadership Style
Leadership style sets the tone and influences behavior that workers are going to imitate. A bad leader can cause your organization to suffer long after they are gone.
"We can all name incredible leaders who were known for their individual style -- Jack Welch, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Ronald Reagan, etc. Some people were outgoing and charismatic, others were straight shooters, laser focused, whatever. The point is, they not only knew their personal style, but they knew how to use it to help others be successful. For me, that's the key. It's not just about how to use my style to make me successful, but how I use my style to help others achieve their goals," says Rucker.
Managing People in IT is Different
What it means to be an IT leader today is different from what is was 10 years ago. The command-and-control way of thinking has given way to an era of employee empowerment and engagement. Leaders need to understand that no one person can do it all, that the people they surround themselves with and how they manage them are the keys to their success.
While experts agree that most of what they do is part of people management 101, there are differences when it comes to IT. There aren't many other areas that evolve as quickly as IT does and that can create unique challenges for an IT leader.
One example that is distinctive to IT, according to Pamela Rucker, chair of the CIO Executive Council's Executive Women in IT is the need to know your employees. "The pace of change in technology means that you always have some segment of your staff that wants to learn the hottest new tools, and you need to keep them out front so that they stay engaged. On the other hand, you have other leaders that tire of always having to learn a new technology and really want to focus on the business aspect of technology delivery. It's important for you to know how to manage both types of people and have the right blend of staff members to keep you technologically savvy and business-focused," says Rucker.
Today's IT Challenges
Allen Boardman, international vice president of ISACA and chair of ISACA's Credentialing and Career Management Board knows how demanding the tech world can be. There are a multitude of major challenges that today's senior IT leaders face, according to Boardman. These include the following:
The rate and pace of change.
The complexity and massive integration of systems, processes and applications, which often result in major outages and instability issues.
Ongoing pressure to cut costs year after year, despite having to meet increasing pressure from the business to innovate.
Threats to the business, particularly cybersecurity and privacy-related issues.
Being swamped in responding to regulations and audit issues, rather than getting on with helping the business make money and gain competitive advantage through its technology and information systems.
Still having to deal with legacy systems (many organizations are still on Windows XP because it's complicated to move forward).
Not being in control, particularly with the rapid rise in outsourcing and cloud services.
"While there are some things one cannot change about individuals, some leadership traits can be learned. There are very few people who are natural leaders - leadership is something people have to work at. Knowing what your shortcomings are, and recognizing them as such, is half the battle," says Boardman.
Both leaders and managers within IT who don't continue to hone their craft will be left behind. Whether you're the CIO, an IT manager or a developer incorporating the traits listed here will help you grow personally, professionally and ensure your continued success in IT.
They Always Deliver Results
This one, most would say is a no-brainer. In order to be a solid leader or manager for that matter you've got to consistently do what you say you're going to do. "You don't even get consideration if you don't deliver results, "says Robert Reeg, president of MasterCard Technologies & Operations (MTO).
They Are Self-Aware
To be a self-aware leader you must know who you are, before you can look at yourself in the context of your company or in the context of your peers. "I don't believe you can be an effective leader without emotional intelligence and self-awareness. Understanding yourself and your own limitations -- what you're good at, what you're not good at, is critical to ensure you are surrounding yourself with the right people that maybe leverage your weaknesses or enhance your strengths," says Dan Brodie, CIO of BuildDirect.
Emotional intelligence is knowing your strengths and weaknesses as well as your emotional triggers. Knowing this will allow you to better focus on the people you interact with, so that you can recognize and interpret what's happening within them, and manage your interactions with them based on their emotions.
This is very difficult to do, according to Rucker, especially in heat of a corporate battle. "It's absolutely vital, though, because emotional intelligence accounts for 80-90% of the difference between average and outstanding leaders, and is twice as important as IQ. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen this played out in real-life. Effective leaders know how to gauge the environment and the players, and manage their communication so that the listeners get what their emotions are telling them they need."
They Continue to Learn and Grow
There are always fires to put out and deadlines to meet, but when you don't have a lot of extra time, setting time aside to learn can be difficult. However, professional development and continued growth are the only surefire ways to make sure you don't get left behind in the tech world. Whether you're talking about technical skills or business skills, you've got to continue to evolve.
"The demands of leadership roles often make it easy keep your head down and focus on solving problems for your organization. There's always another challenge or another threat, and you can build an entire image around solving problems and managing risk. Unfortunately, if you continue to do that, you will find yourself behind the eight ball, because the world continues to move and develop, even if you do not," says Rucker.
How should you get started on the road to being a better leader? Robert Hewes, senior partner at Camden Consulting Group, recommends targeting a particular area where you feel like you need to grow such as communication, strategic thinking or conflict and decision-making just to name four. Then finding a venue to make it happen, whether it's college courses, reading a book, going to seminars or whatever it takes. "Professional development is key in this fast-paced world. Honing and expanding one's capabilities should be ingrained. It is a matter of staying value-added," says Hewes.
They Work Through Other People and Delegate
The scope and depth of IT means that no one person can know it all. IT leaders need to surround themselves with people who complement their strengths and weaknesses. "Working through others is the only way to scale. If you don't make this shift, you will hamper yourself and more importantly the entire organization. If this applies to you, you should intently and intensely focus on making directing and delegating a key change for you," says Hewes.
They Have Great Communication Skills
Communication is fundamental skill needed to be a great leader or manager. As an IT leader you will likely work with people from all departments and walks of life. You must be able to clearly articulate your message.
Effective leaders know how to gauge the situation they're in and determine what and how they need to communicate. They master their presentation style, their email, their negotiation skills and even their water-cooler conversation because they realize that communication is a part of their brand, and sends a message about their ability," says Rucker.
You can't have great communication skills if you're not a good listener. "Remember, communication is a two-way street and listening is as important as "telling." Great IT leaders listen incredibly well and ask great questions," says Hewes.
They Are Authentic
"Leaders must know their own personality, style and values, and deliberately choose to lead with those instead of trying to be a poor imitation of someone they admire," says Rucker. Trying to play the part of a great leader is both exhausting and distracting, so it's better to be yourself.
"The most important aspect of my leadership style is to be myself versus what a textbook CIO might be. And while my team might have to put up with my sixth grade sense of humor, it means that I bring a positive attitude and a passion to work for the company, my team and my role and I hope that it's infectious for my team, " says Brodie.
They Are Decisive
You don't always have the luxury of time. In some situations you will need to make quick decisions that could impact the entire organization. The easiest answer isn't necessarily the right one and a good leader has to be thoughtful of the impact of each decision he/she makes especially when the chips are down. "An IT leader needs to be decisive. They need to make both quality and timely decisions," says Hewes.
They Create a Safe-to-Fail Environment
Creating an atmosphere where employees are encouraged to take chances and are safe to fail gives workers the confidence to try new things and can spur innovation. "Knowing that something good can come out of a failing effort makes people less likely to shy away from difficult projects, and more apt to try something new. I've seen this work time and again," says Rucker.
Creating this type of an environment is important, but it is hard to pull off, according to Hewes who says, "Often times we hear, 'of course, we encourage people to take risks, but we don't get enough of it.' Why? It can be due to the consequences of what happens when something doesn't work. If it is called out in a bad way, people will shy away from risk taking. Now, you don't want people taking risks willy-nilly. Rather, it should be calculated risks in consciously chosen areas. The leader needs to help define the boundaries and act in the right way when a 'failure' happens. This takes vigilance over time," says Hewes."
They Are Adept at Problem Solving
If you've come up through the ranks of IT to be a leader, than you are likely a problem-solver at heart. This is one aspect that people who live and work in IT are pretty good at, according to experts. If that's not you then don't beat yourself up. The key is for the leader to recognize that problem-solving is not his/her strong suit and to rely on the problem solver on the team to rise to the challenge. "People often feel like they need to have all the answers. In reality you just need to know the right questions to ask," says Brodie.
They Create a Collaborative Environment
Many IT pros who climb the ladder to leadership often stop being individual contributors. This means that they need to get their work done through other people. "Strong collaboration skills allow leaders to work with others to exploit synergies and deliver far more than they ever would be capable of delivering alone. Also, I think the leaders that are best at collaboration are those that have invested heavily in developing their internal and external networks. For instance, it's far easier for me to work with people when I haven't let a relationship go cold, instead of dropping in and asking for help when it's only in my best interest," says Rucker.
Collaboration is one of "those skills that technical people can look down upon," according to Hewes. However, many great ideas and decisions come about because great minds worked together on a problem. That is collaboration. "To push on it - and say why? Simply put, no one has all the answers, especially to the most difficult challenges. A great IT leader will encourage collaboration at the right moments," says Hewes.
A Sense of Humor
Morale and productivity are closely related. As a leader it's your job to motivate your troops and give them the tools they need to be effective, and a sense of humor can go a long way towards doing that. A joke from the boss can make difficult times less tense and help foster a feeling that you are all in it together.
"I have noticed that some IT folks can take life a little too seriously. It's important to loosen up sometimes. The most important traits are to respect others and to have a good sense of humor. Also, a leader should demonstrate that he/she has outside interests because it is important to show a healthy balance of work, outside activities and family," says Boardman.
They Have Integrity
Integrity is defined as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. People are only as good as their word and as a leader all eyes are on you. You've got to do what you say and be able to admit when you're wrong.
"Leaders must display a strong moral character, such that their teams and peers can believe in them and trust what they say. When enterprise transformations and people's careers are at stake, everyone needs to know that you aren't operating in your own best interest, but that you are truthful in the things you say," says Rucker.
Part of integrity is accountability. If you want to be a great IT leader you've got to be responsible for your actions and hold other people accountable for theirs. You can't play favorites or pass the buck.
They Are Empathetic
A great leader has to be able to metaphorically put himself/herself in others people places to understand their point of view. Doing so will give you a deeper connection into both your employee's and customer's needs.
"Empathy is like walking in someone else's shoes and understanding what the root cause is to get to the heart of the problem instead of just providing band-aid solutions. This allows us to provide a solution that has true value to the organization," says Brodie.
They Know Their Customers
"You've really got to have the mindset that everyone is a customer," says Reeg. That means whether you're providing an internal tool to the marketing department or building a customer-facing mobile app, you've got to understand what your customers need and what they expect.
Hewes agrees. "Not doing this well is an issue that has been around for decades -- usually stated in terms like, "IT just doesn't understand what we need." Listening and understanding what an internal or external customer actually needs is the trick. Listening and understanding customers should be a well-honed capability that a leader exhibits and gets his or her organization to exhibit."
They Think Strategically
As a leader in IT, people will look to you to figure out how technology can help solve problems and help the business grow. In order to do that, you've got to know about more than just the technology. You've got to understand customer needs, the market, the competition and more.
"A great leader always needs to have the bigger picture in mind and keep an eye on the overall mission, vision and objectives. Aligning IT with the enterprise's objectives and strategies helps create value and trust in information systems, while achieving the overall goals," says Boardman.
They Know Their Leadership Style
Leadership style sets the tone and influences behavior that workers are going to imitate. A bad leader can cause your organization to suffer long after they are gone.
"We can all name incredible leaders who were known for their individual style -- Jack Welch, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Ronald Reagan, etc. Some people were outgoing and charismatic, others were straight shooters, laser focused, whatever. The point is, they not only knew their personal style, but they knew how to use it to help others be successful. For me, that's the key. It's not just about how to use my style to make me successful, but how I use my style to help others achieve their goals," says Rucker.
Scientists create a data storage material with a million year lifespan
Storage capacity may have grown but the method of saving it has not.
It's still magnetic media that can be easily magnetized, zapped, erased
or subject to decay. A CD-ROM will disintegrate. A hard disk platter can
be wrecked by a speck of dust. And paper burns. That's why
anthropologists have to settle for reading stone carvings and painted
hieroglyphics, since the library of Alexandria has been dust for
millennia.
However, MIT Technology Review reports a scientist named Jeroen de Vries at the University of Twente in the Netherlands and his team have designed and built a disk capable of storing data for more than one million years without the media decaying, and they’ve performed accelerated ageing tests to prove it.
Data is stored on media in 0s and 1s and there must be an energy barrier between each digit. When this barrier is breached, data becomes corrupted. de Vries and his team did calculations based on some science and math beyond most of us mere mortals and determined they would need 63 KBT (a measure of thermal energy) to make the barrier last a million years, or 70 KBT to last a billion years. “These values are well within the range of today’s technology,” said de Vries.
The disk is simple in concept and not dissimilar to how things are done now. The data is stored in the pattern of lines etched into a thin metal disc, which is how it works today, then covered with a protective layer to prevent the barriers from being breached.
The metal used in etching is tungsten, which they chose because of its high melting temperature (6,191 degrees F) and low thermal expansion coefficient. The protective layer is silicon nitride, which they chose due to its high resistance to fracture and its low thermal expansion coefficient.
As a test, they made QR codes with lines of data 100nm wide. They then heated the disks at various temperatures to see how the data fared. In theory, a disk capable of surviving a million years would have to survive 1 hour at 445 degrees Kelvin (341 degrees F), a test that the new disks survived with no problems.
Still, Technology Review points out that the average house fire would destroy the disc. But its use isn't so much in terms of storing data around the house or office. It would likely be used in secured storage vaults, or maybe on deep space satellites like the Voyagers. We sent those into space in the 1970s with audio recordings on gold pressed 33 1/3 rpm records.
This would be the key to immortalizing our civilization. With so much knowledge lost from past civilizations, we're left to guess or speculate, and hucksters like the cast of characters on "Ancient Aliens" can make up some really great fiction. In the absence of knowledge, misinformation thrives. So perhaps when archeologists dig up these discs in 10,000 years, assuming they can play them, they will know just what we were like.
However, MIT Technology Review reports a scientist named Jeroen de Vries at the University of Twente in the Netherlands and his team have designed and built a disk capable of storing data for more than one million years without the media decaying, and they’ve performed accelerated ageing tests to prove it.
Data is stored on media in 0s and 1s and there must be an energy barrier between each digit. When this barrier is breached, data becomes corrupted. de Vries and his team did calculations based on some science and math beyond most of us mere mortals and determined they would need 63 KBT (a measure of thermal energy) to make the barrier last a million years, or 70 KBT to last a billion years. “These values are well within the range of today’s technology,” said de Vries.
The disk is simple in concept and not dissimilar to how things are done now. The data is stored in the pattern of lines etched into a thin metal disc, which is how it works today, then covered with a protective layer to prevent the barriers from being breached.
The metal used in etching is tungsten, which they chose because of its high melting temperature (6,191 degrees F) and low thermal expansion coefficient. The protective layer is silicon nitride, which they chose due to its high resistance to fracture and its low thermal expansion coefficient.
As a test, they made QR codes with lines of data 100nm wide. They then heated the disks at various temperatures to see how the data fared. In theory, a disk capable of surviving a million years would have to survive 1 hour at 445 degrees Kelvin (341 degrees F), a test that the new disks survived with no problems.
Still, Technology Review points out that the average house fire would destroy the disc. But its use isn't so much in terms of storing data around the house or office. It would likely be used in secured storage vaults, or maybe on deep space satellites like the Voyagers. We sent those into space in the 1970s with audio recordings on gold pressed 33 1/3 rpm records.
This would be the key to immortalizing our civilization. With so much knowledge lost from past civilizations, we're left to guess or speculate, and hucksters like the cast of characters on "Ancient Aliens" can make up some really great fiction. In the absence of knowledge, misinformation thrives. So perhaps when archeologists dig up these discs in 10,000 years, assuming they can play them, they will know just what we were like.
PHP.net compromised and used to attack visitors
Visitors to the official website for the PHP programming language over the past couple of days might have had their computers infected with malware.
Hackers managed to inject malicious JavaScript code into a file on the php.net site called userprefs.js. The code made requests to a third-party website that scanned visitors' browsers for vulnerable plug-ins and executed exploits that, if successful, installed a piece of malware, said Daniel Peck, a research scientist at Barracuda Networks.
One of Barracuda's research tools detected and captured attack traffic from php.net late Tuesday evening, according to Peck.
The exploits served during the attack came in the form of malicious SWF files, so they most likely targeted vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player. However, Barracuda's researchers are still conducting their analysis and haven't identified yet exactly which vulnerabilities were targeted, Peck said.
It's also not clear what the program installed by the exploits does or if it's part of a known malware family. The only thing Peck could say about it is that it tries to connect to around three dozen different command-and-control servers around the world and successfully establishes communication with four of them.
The php.net site was blacklisted early Tuesday by Google Safe Browsing, a service used by Google Search, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox to prevent users from visiting malicious websites. As a result, Chrome and Firefox users who tried to access php.net over the course of several hours Thursday were warned that the site contained malware.
The PHP Group, which maintains the php.net website and the PHP distribution packages, initially thought the warning was the result of a Google Safe Browsing detection error. "It appears Google has found a false positive and marked all of http://php.net as suspicious," Rasmus Lerdorf, the creator of PHP, said on Twitter.
But a more in-depth investigation revealed that the userprefs.js file had been modified repeatedly as a result of an intrusion, the PHP Group said in a message on php.net. "We are still investigating how someone caused that file to be changed, but in the meantime we have migrated www/static to new clean servers," the group said, adding that there's no evidence of the compromise extending to the PHP distribution files.
Barracuda Networks released a packet capture file that includes the exploits and malware distributed during the attack so that other researchers can also analyze them.
Hackers managed to inject malicious JavaScript code into a file on the php.net site called userprefs.js. The code made requests to a third-party website that scanned visitors' browsers for vulnerable plug-ins and executed exploits that, if successful, installed a piece of malware, said Daniel Peck, a research scientist at Barracuda Networks.
One of Barracuda's research tools detected and captured attack traffic from php.net late Tuesday evening, according to Peck.
The exploits served during the attack came in the form of malicious SWF files, so they most likely targeted vulnerabilities in Adobe Flash Player. However, Barracuda's researchers are still conducting their analysis and haven't identified yet exactly which vulnerabilities were targeted, Peck said.
It's also not clear what the program installed by the exploits does or if it's part of a known malware family. The only thing Peck could say about it is that it tries to connect to around three dozen different command-and-control servers around the world and successfully establishes communication with four of them.
The php.net site was blacklisted early Tuesday by Google Safe Browsing, a service used by Google Search, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox to prevent users from visiting malicious websites. As a result, Chrome and Firefox users who tried to access php.net over the course of several hours Thursday were warned that the site contained malware.
The PHP Group, which maintains the php.net website and the PHP distribution packages, initially thought the warning was the result of a Google Safe Browsing detection error. "It appears Google has found a false positive and marked all of http://php.net as suspicious," Rasmus Lerdorf, the creator of PHP, said on Twitter.
But a more in-depth investigation revealed that the userprefs.js file had been modified repeatedly as a result of an intrusion, the PHP Group said in a message on php.net. "We are still investigating how someone caused that file to be changed, but in the meantime we have migrated www/static to new clean servers," the group said, adding that there's no evidence of the compromise extending to the PHP distribution files.
Barracuda Networks released a packet capture file that includes the exploits and malware distributed during the attack so that other researchers can also analyze them.
Microsoft grows earnings, revenue in Q1, helped by server software
Microsoft's revenue and earnings per share grew more than 15 percent each in its first fiscal quarter of 2014, during which enterprise server software products sold particularly well, the company said Thursday.
Microsoft generated revenue of US$18.5 billion in the quarter, ended Sept. 30, up 16 percent compared with last year's first quarter and topping the $17.8 billion consensus estimate of Wall Street analysts polled by Thomson Financial.
Net income came in at $5.2 billion, or $0.62 per share, up from $4.5 billion, or $0.53 per share, in last year's first quarter. That comes out to about a 17 percent increase in earnings per share.
These numbers include the deferral of $113 million of revenue primarily related to Windows 8.1 pre-sales, the company said. Meanwhile, last year's first-quarter report included the deferral of $1.4 billion of revenue related to several Windows and Office offers and pre-sales.
On a pro forma basis, which excludes certain one-time items, earnings per share were $0.63, down 3 percent year on year but exceeding the consensus expectation of analysts by 9 cents.
"Our devices and services transformation is progressing and we are launching a wide range of compelling products and experiences this fall for both business and consumers," said CEO Steve Ballmer in a statement.
Ballmer, who is slated to retire at some point in the coming 10 months or so, was referring to the company's ongoing effort to reinvent itself from a provider of packaged software into a provider of hardware devices and cloud-hosted services.
In this quarter, Microsoft is introducing a new financial reporting format for breaking down its revenue and profits. The format splits the company's business into two main buckets: Devices & Consumer and Commercial. The first bucket in turn has three subcategories, and the other one has two subcategories.
Devices & Consumer revenue grew 4 percent to $7.46 billion. Microsoft highlighted that in this category Windows OEM revenue fell 7 percent year on year, while revenue from the company's Surface tablets grew to $400 million, including an increase in revenue and units sold compared sequentially with the fourth fiscal quarter of 2013. Search advertising, provided via websites like the Bing search engine, grew 47 percent year on year.
In the Commercial category, revenue grew 10 percent to $11.2 billion, helped by strong sales of server software products like SQL Server, Lync, SharePoint and Exchange, as well as by a jump of more than 100 percent in revenue from enterprise cloud services.
When it announced the new reporting format last month, Microsoft said that it would provide more transparency and clarity into its business. The company also said the new format better represents the company's transformation into a provider of hardware devices and cloud services.
Microsoft generated revenue of US$18.5 billion in the quarter, ended Sept. 30, up 16 percent compared with last year's first quarter and topping the $17.8 billion consensus estimate of Wall Street analysts polled by Thomson Financial.
Net income came in at $5.2 billion, or $0.62 per share, up from $4.5 billion, or $0.53 per share, in last year's first quarter. That comes out to about a 17 percent increase in earnings per share.
These numbers include the deferral of $113 million of revenue primarily related to Windows 8.1 pre-sales, the company said. Meanwhile, last year's first-quarter report included the deferral of $1.4 billion of revenue related to several Windows and Office offers and pre-sales.
On a pro forma basis, which excludes certain one-time items, earnings per share were $0.63, down 3 percent year on year but exceeding the consensus expectation of analysts by 9 cents.
"Our devices and services transformation is progressing and we are launching a wide range of compelling products and experiences this fall for both business and consumers," said CEO Steve Ballmer in a statement.
Ballmer, who is slated to retire at some point in the coming 10 months or so, was referring to the company's ongoing effort to reinvent itself from a provider of packaged software into a provider of hardware devices and cloud-hosted services.
In this quarter, Microsoft is introducing a new financial reporting format for breaking down its revenue and profits. The format splits the company's business into two main buckets: Devices & Consumer and Commercial. The first bucket in turn has three subcategories, and the other one has two subcategories.
Devices & Consumer revenue grew 4 percent to $7.46 billion. Microsoft highlighted that in this category Windows OEM revenue fell 7 percent year on year, while revenue from the company's Surface tablets grew to $400 million, including an increase in revenue and units sold compared sequentially with the fourth fiscal quarter of 2013. Search advertising, provided via websites like the Bing search engine, grew 47 percent year on year.
In the Commercial category, revenue grew 10 percent to $11.2 billion, helped by strong sales of server software products like SQL Server, Lync, SharePoint and Exchange, as well as by a jump of more than 100 percent in revenue from enterprise cloud services.
When it announced the new reporting format last month, Microsoft said that it would provide more transparency and clarity into its business. The company also said the new format better represents the company's transformation into a provider of hardware devices and cloud services.
iPad Pro coming soon from Apple?
Apple's recent name change for the iPad to iPad Air may mean that an iPad Pro is on the way, according to USA Today.
The name is fueling speculation that Apple may be developing a high-end tablet called an iPad Pro for work tasks that are currently performed on PCs.
"The name change is likely intentional. Everything that Apple articulates it does for a reason," says Will Power, an analyst at RW Baird. "Developing an iPad that is better designed for productivity is something that could very well make sense."
Apple already makes this distinction with its line of laptop and notebook computers, calling the slimmer version the MacBook Air and the more expensive, heavier-duty model the MacBook Pro. It also offers a Mac mini, a small desktop computer, and uses that word to describe the 7.9-inch iPad.
More at USA Today
There have been a lot of rumors about a 13-inch iPad, so that fits in with this speculation by USA Today. Many expected a larger iPad at the recent iPad event, but we'll probably see it sometime next year.
Ars Technica Review of OS X Mavericks
Ars has a very detailed review of OS X Mavericks. It's twenty four pages long, and has its own table of contents. Wow.
All of this is a roundabout way of getting to the essential question of any OS review: should you upgrade? OS X is (still) not iOS. The upgrade risks are greater, and there is no easy iCloud-based backup and restore for your Mac to save you if things go awry. If you're currently running Mountain Lion, is there anything in Mavericks that makes it a must-have upgrade?
If you're using a Mac laptop, I'd say yes. A potentially multi-hour increase in battery life will likely improve the quality of your life as a Mac user far beyond the price—in terms of time, not money this year—of upgrading to Mavericks.
If you have a desktop Mac, I still recommend upgrading if any of the features that you've read about made you mentally exclaim, "Finally!" For me, there are several. Over the past three years, each successive release of OS X has found its way onto all of my Macs in less time than its predecessor. This year, I may have already gone Mavericks-only across my whole household by the time you read this. Barring any unforeseen bugs or compatibility issues, Mavericks seems like a no-brainer upgrade to me. But you can be sure I'll have a fresh set of backups—and you should too.
Microsoft Bashes iWork
A Microsoft executive pulled no punches when he smacked around Apple's iWork software.
"Seems like the RDF (Reality Distortion Field) typically generated by an Apple event has extended beyond Cupertino," wrote Frank Shaw, Microsoft's vice president of communications. "So let me try to clear some things up."
"Now, since iWork has never gotten much traction, and was already priced like an afterthought, it's hardly that surprising or significant a move," Shaw said. "So, when I see Apple drop the price of their struggling, lightweight productivity apps, I don't see a shot across our bow. I see an attempt to play catch up."
More at CNN
iWork may not be as deep as Microsoft Office, but it's now free. Anybody who buys a Mac or iOS device will get the iWork (and iLife) apps free of charge. That has clearly made Microsoft very unhappy and probably more than a little bit worried.
It's tough to sell software for high prices when one of your largest competitors is giving it away free.
The name is fueling speculation that Apple may be developing a high-end tablet called an iPad Pro for work tasks that are currently performed on PCs.
"The name change is likely intentional. Everything that Apple articulates it does for a reason," says Will Power, an analyst at RW Baird. "Developing an iPad that is better designed for productivity is something that could very well make sense."
Apple already makes this distinction with its line of laptop and notebook computers, calling the slimmer version the MacBook Air and the more expensive, heavier-duty model the MacBook Pro. It also offers a Mac mini, a small desktop computer, and uses that word to describe the 7.9-inch iPad.
More at USA Today
There have been a lot of rumors about a 13-inch iPad, so that fits in with this speculation by USA Today. Many expected a larger iPad at the recent iPad event, but we'll probably see it sometime next year.
Ars Technica Review of OS X Mavericks
Ars has a very detailed review of OS X Mavericks. It's twenty four pages long, and has its own table of contents. Wow.
All of this is a roundabout way of getting to the essential question of any OS review: should you upgrade? OS X is (still) not iOS. The upgrade risks are greater, and there is no easy iCloud-based backup and restore for your Mac to save you if things go awry. If you're currently running Mountain Lion, is there anything in Mavericks that makes it a must-have upgrade?
If you're using a Mac laptop, I'd say yes. A potentially multi-hour increase in battery life will likely improve the quality of your life as a Mac user far beyond the price—in terms of time, not money this year—of upgrading to Mavericks.
If you have a desktop Mac, I still recommend upgrading if any of the features that you've read about made you mentally exclaim, "Finally!" For me, there are several. Over the past three years, each successive release of OS X has found its way onto all of my Macs in less time than its predecessor. This year, I may have already gone Mavericks-only across my whole household by the time you read this. Barring any unforeseen bugs or compatibility issues, Mavericks seems like a no-brainer upgrade to me. But you can be sure I'll have a fresh set of backups—and you should too.
Microsoft Bashes iWork
A Microsoft executive pulled no punches when he smacked around Apple's iWork software.
"Seems like the RDF (Reality Distortion Field) typically generated by an Apple event has extended beyond Cupertino," wrote Frank Shaw, Microsoft's vice president of communications. "So let me try to clear some things up."
"Now, since iWork has never gotten much traction, and was already priced like an afterthought, it's hardly that surprising or significant a move," Shaw said. "So, when I see Apple drop the price of their struggling, lightweight productivity apps, I don't see a shot across our bow. I see an attempt to play catch up."
More at CNN
iWork may not be as deep as Microsoft Office, but it's now free. Anybody who buys a Mac or iOS device will get the iWork (and iLife) apps free of charge. That has clearly made Microsoft very unhappy and probably more than a little bit worried.
It's tough to sell software for high prices when one of your largest competitors is giving it away free.
Computer criminals continue to vex IT groups
CIOs and IT security teams generally aren't keeping up with technology attacks from around the world, which are growing in number and severity. Figuring out how to manage trouble directed at cloud computing and consumer technologies, in particular, vexes corporate IT groups, according to the 11th annual Global Information Security Survey magazines.
Overall, organizations are spending more on IT security, with an average budget of $4.3 million this year compared to $2.8 million last year. But computer criminals keep coming. The number of attacks the average organization detected in the past year increased 25% to 3,741, up from 2,989 last year, according to the survey of more than 9,600 C-level executives, vice presidents and directors worldwide.
The average loss per incident climbed, too--by 18%. And large-scale losses grew even faster: Incidents costing more than $10 million are up 51% from two years ago.
Overall, organizations are spending more on IT security, with an average budget of $4.3 million this year compared to $2.8 million last year. But computer criminals keep coming. The number of attacks the average organization detected in the past year increased 25% to 3,741, up from 2,989 last year, according to the survey of more than 9,600 C-level executives, vice presidents and directors worldwide.
The average loss per incident climbed, too--by 18%. And large-scale losses grew even faster: Incidents costing more than $10 million are up 51% from two years ago.
'Running battle': How Google hopes to beat countries cracking down on Internet freedom
The company that revolutionized Internet search is now unveiling a sort of online underground tunnel — a way for people in restrictive countries like Iran and Syria to get around digital censorship and surveillance.The idea behind the tool — essentially a button for browsers — called uProxy, is simple: People in countries such as the United States provide their trusted friends a secure connection so that they can see and use the unrestricted Internet.
Google showed it off earlier this week at a conference called “Conflict in a Connected World.” Google also rolled out technology to map cyberattacks around the world, including by repressive governments.
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The innovations, from a division of the company called Google Ideas, come at a time when the Internet, and social media in particular, is playing an increasing role in popular upheaval around the world, most notably in the Middle East.
Ebrahim Noroozi / AP file
Iranians surf the Internet at a cafe in Tehran, Iran, on Sept, 17, 2013. The joy of Iran's Facebook and Twitter fans was short-lived as authorities restored blocks on social networks after filters were lifted for several hours overnight. The brief access was a "technical glitch" that was quickly rectified, according to communications official Abdolsamad Khoramabadi, from the board overseeing Internet in Iran.
“These are going to be useful additions to the activist toolkit,” said Philip Howard, a professor at the University of Washington who has written about the impact of social media on political change.
“Authoritarian governments have started figuring out how to use social media to spy on activists and control political conversation,” he said. “Any new tool that lets people network with family and friends in a secure way is likely to have a political impact.”
In the two-year civil war in Syria, efforts by opponents of President Bashar Assad to inform the world were met by “unrelenting online repression,” according to the free-information group Reporters Without Borders.
Iran has intensified surveillance and jammed Internet lines during periods of unrest. China has censored touchy keywords, including “democracy” and “human rights.” Similar but smaller repression took place during uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.
And just in June, Turkey tightened its grip on Twitter, which it accused of helping people spread lies about the government and terrorize society. It also sought to target “provocateurs” on social media, without giving details.
The uProxy tool essentially provides a mask for dissidents. They can establish a secure connection with someone across the world, in a free-Internet country, whom they trust, and read and post online without surveillance or blocking.
Chinese citizens already use similar connections to get around what is known as the Great Firewall — the government’s blocking of much of the Western Internet, including social media sites.
Google calls its way “a safer path to the Internet.” David Drummond, a senior vice president at the company, told the conference Monday that Google “was founded on the belief that access to information is a social good.”
“More information in more hands means more education, more economic opportunity, more accountability,” he said. “Access, in short, is good. And it’s why the Internet’s so freeing.”
In an initiative called Project Shield, Google is also offering to host websites that come under politically motivated shutdown attacks. That initiative is still in testing but has already been endorsed by a popular Persian-language news website.
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Google, a company with a market value north of one-third of a trillion dollars, says it’s about free expression, not a business interest — in fact the projects are targeted toward many countries under economic sanctions.
It’s an interesting move because Google, at least its Ideas division, “sees censorship as Internet damage and wants to route around it,” said Danny O’Brien, executive director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit digital rights group.
The drawback is that it may lead countries to target Google more explicitly, he said.
The tool deliberately avoids Google servers, he said — individual computers act as the middlemen, getting packets of information from repressive countries like Iran and China out to the world.
“But if you put a big Google label on a service like this, you might expect to get blowback,” said O'Brien.
A Google spokeswoman declined comment on this concern.
Howard, from the University of Washington, cautioned that getting around Internet censorship is not as simple as building a virtual tunnel. Whether Google’s ideas have an equal impact in all repressive regimes remains to be seen, he said.
The Chinese government, for example, has negotiated special treatment from search companies before, and has plenty of money and power to build its own Internet tools. And Russia has poured money into keeping the Internet from being free there.
During the Arab Spring, he said, “We saw how a handful of democracy advocates could use digital media to catch dictators off-guard.” But it wasn’t long before governments figured out how to use social media for surveillance and censorship.
“It’s a running battle,” he said.
Sheldon Himelfarb, director of the PeaceTech initative at the United States Institute of Peace, a nonprofit created by Congress to prevent conflict abroad, surveyed the reaction from activists online and said it was positive — “a lot of excitement tempered by mistrust.”
He cited the uproar over National Security Agency surveillance programs and doubts about whether the Google initiatives could further open the door for the United States to gather information.
While it’s important to remember the risks that come with the new technology, he said, he believes it looks like “good news for Internet freedom.”
BBM for Android caught in fake app reviews row; BlackBerry denies activity
BlackBerry seems to be on seventh heaven after the cross platform version of its BBM or BlackBerry Messenger app recorded 10 million downloads and positive reviews. However, it looks like a large number of positive reviews, at least on the app's Android listing on the Google Play store, appear to be fake or 'astroturfed' (paid or a PR effort).One of the reasons for doubting the intent behind the BBM for Android reviews was that they featured the same text complete with grammatical errors, and a five star rating. The text said, "Thank you so much Blackberry team. I was waiting this app. It is really great user friendly and smooth." These reviews were first spotted by Matt Baxter-Reynolds who posted a screenshot on Twitter.
Interestingly, one review started with the text, "Please post the following comment on the new BlackBerry Messenger Android APP. 'Thank you so much black berry team...'" followed by the same positive review. This review could even be someone's mischief, but on the face of it, it looks like the reviewer posted the suspected complete message sent by BlackBerry (or a related agency) management verbatim. This review was spotted by Terence Eden.
BlackBerry issued a statement (via The Verge) saying it has no knowledge of how these reviews were created or populated and that it doesn't approve of this practice.
Here's the complete text of the statement:
"We have been made aware of a number of potentially fake reviews of BBM for Android on Google Play, with ratings anywhere from one to five stars. We have no knowledge of how these reviews were created or populated. We do not approve of or condone such activities. There are also many genuinely great and useful reviews from our new BBM users on Google Play. We would like to encourage our fans and users to continue to provide true assessments of the BBM experience through the proper channels."
The fake reviews could certainly tarnish the image of the Waterloo based company which is struggling to win consumers back, after putting itself up for sale. A number of companies have been accused of fake reviews including Samsung, which was even fined in Taiwan for allegedly paying bloggers to write against HTC.
Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Blackberry sees 10 million BBM downloads in 24 hours
Blackberry says its new app that opens up the proprietary BBM messaging platform to Android and Apple users was downloaded 10 million times in just over its first 24 hours of availability.The free app was launched Monday morning.
Using it, people with Android and iOS can exchange messages with friends and colleagues using the BBM system. The system notifies users when each message has been read and indicates when someone is in the process of responding. Files and photos can also be shared over BBM.
There are around 60 million active monthly users of BBM.
The launch of BBM on Android and iOS is about more than just making it easy for people to message Blackberry users.
"We intend to be the leading private social network for everyone who needs the immediate communication and collaboration of instant messaging combined with the privacy, control and reliability delivered through BBM," said Andrew Bocking, Blackberry's executive vice president for BBM, in a statement.
But to do that, Blackberry is up against stiff competition from companies like Yahoo, AOL and Google, which have operated open instant messaging networks for years. It will not only have to convince people of their need for a new platform and to download the app, but it will also have to get people used to exchanging a BBM "PIN," an alphanumeric code each user has that identifies them, instead of their email address.
Blackberry has struggled to keep a foothold in the competitive smartphone market ever since it delayed an update to its OS. Over the last few years, the company's handsets didn't keep up with innovations in the market.
That changed earlier this year with the launch of Blackberry's OS 10, which was critically praised. But the earlier delay now has Blackberry battling a perception that it's an also-ran in the market.
Earlier this year, Blackberry said it was exploring its options and has been in talks with several parties that are interested in acquiring the company.
Nokia hopes camera tech will give its Lumia 2520 Windows RT tablet a boost
Nokia has added a tablet and two large-screen smartphones to its Lumia
family, and is once again counting on its camera technology to attract
buyers.
The Lumia 1320 and Lumia 1520, revealed at the Nokia World event in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, both have 6-inch screens. The 1520 is the high-end model, with a full HD screen, LTE and a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor. The device has 32GB of storage, which can be expanded by another 64GB using a microSD card slot, something that has been missing from recent Nokia smartphones.
Nokia is leaning on its camera technology to differentiate its products from rivals. The Lumia 1520 has a 20-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization. Nokia has also developed a new app called Camera that lets users access settings more easily, the company said.
The Lumia 1520 will start shipping this quarter in Hong Kong, Singapore, the U.S., China, the U.K., France, Germany and Finland. The price will be US$749 before taxes and subsidies.
The Lumia 1320 will be cheaper at $339 before taxes and subsidies, but only has a dual-core processor and 720p screen resolution. It also has a simpler 5-megapixel camera, but users can still access the Internet using LTE. Nokia expects to start shipping it in the first quarter of 2014 in China and Vietnam, followed by other Asian markets, India and Europe.
The lower price will make the smartphone a good fit for the Chinese market, according to Pete Cunningham, principal analyst at Canalys.
Both devices will run a new version of Windows Phone 8 called General Distribution Release 3, to which Nokia has added enhancements such as its Camera app. The software will also be offered to users of existing Lumia devices via an update called Black.
Instagram and Vine will soon be available on Lumia devices too, Nokia announced. App availability is still Windows Phone's Achilles heel, but the availability of those two third-party apps is a step in the right direction.
With these two large-screen smartphones, Nokia is entering a competitive market, up against devices including the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and the HTC One Max.
But the company faces an even bigger challenge with its first tablet, the Lumia 2520, which runs Windows RT 8.1.
The Lumia 2520 has a 10-inch full HD screen and is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 processor. It has a 6.7-megapixel camera that can take pictures in low light conditions, unlike those on other tablets, according to Nokia. The screen is also bright enough to be read in sunlight, the company said.
Nokia has developed a keyboard with an integrated battery that can add up to five hours of extra life after the integrated 8000 mAh battery has given up. Unlike Microsoft's Surface 2 tablet, the Lumia 2520 has LTE as well as Wi-Fi.
Apple's free OS is no threat to Linux at all, Torvalds says
Apple's move to offer its latest desktop operating system, OS X Mavericks, for free isn't going to affect the Linux operating system at all, its creator Linus Torvalds said.
Linux has been giving its OS away for 22 years, said Torvalds during a question-and-answer session at LinuxCon Europe in Edinburgh on Wednesday. But Apple's decision to offer its OS for free as of Tuesday is entirely different from Linux' philosophy, he said. In fact, one of the reasons Torvalds uses the term open source instead of free software because there is a difference between open and free, he said.
While Apple's Mavericks update might be free it is not open source and people still need expensive hardware to use the OS, he said. "The fact that Apple gives the OS away is completely irrelevant," Torvalds said. "I don't think that it impacts Linux at all."
Torvalds is not thinking of retiring at all, he told the audience when asked what needed to happen for him to retire. "It needs to get not interesting and that hasn't happened yet," he said. But he would probably stop if he gets the feeling that he can't code anymore or the doctor tells him to quit.
While Torvalds doesn't tend to do a lot of programming these days, he still likes what he does, he said. "People just know who I am," he said. And while developers according to Torvalds can have "the attention span of slightly moronic woodland creatures" he likes to be responsive to developers and maintainers of the kernel who reach out to him. Nevertheless, he said, part of his role is to be able to say, "No, this is not how we do things."
Even if Torvalds gets hit by a bus, Linux will have no issues going on, he said. There are thousands of people involved with Linux for more than 20 years of which some from the beginning are still around, he said. "We have an incredible deep set of developers."
"I'm the person who people know and they know how I work. That means that they may not always like what I do and how I present things but they can trust that I act in a certain way and that is important," he said. "But there are other people that are impolite and can take patches," he added, referring to his flare-ups.
Torvalds said he has no idea where Linux will end up in five years. "I never had a plan. I still don't have a plan. It is kind of evolution in biology: there is no end plan. It is just that what works survives," he said. Linux will keep on evolving and improving in the same way, he said.
"I don't know which direction we'll improve in, but I don't feel I need to worry about that," he said.
Linux has been giving its OS away for 22 years, said Torvalds during a question-and-answer session at LinuxCon Europe in Edinburgh on Wednesday. But Apple's decision to offer its OS for free as of Tuesday is entirely different from Linux' philosophy, he said. In fact, one of the reasons Torvalds uses the term open source instead of free software because there is a difference between open and free, he said.
While Apple's Mavericks update might be free it is not open source and people still need expensive hardware to use the OS, he said. "The fact that Apple gives the OS away is completely irrelevant," Torvalds said. "I don't think that it impacts Linux at all."
Torvalds is not thinking of retiring at all, he told the audience when asked what needed to happen for him to retire. "It needs to get not interesting and that hasn't happened yet," he said. But he would probably stop if he gets the feeling that he can't code anymore or the doctor tells him to quit.
While Torvalds doesn't tend to do a lot of programming these days, he still likes what he does, he said. "People just know who I am," he said. And while developers according to Torvalds can have "the attention span of slightly moronic woodland creatures" he likes to be responsive to developers and maintainers of the kernel who reach out to him. Nevertheless, he said, part of his role is to be able to say, "No, this is not how we do things."
Even if Torvalds gets hit by a bus, Linux will have no issues going on, he said. There are thousands of people involved with Linux for more than 20 years of which some from the beginning are still around, he said. "We have an incredible deep set of developers."
"I'm the person who people know and they know how I work. That means that they may not always like what I do and how I present things but they can trust that I act in a certain way and that is important," he said. "But there are other people that are impolite and can take patches," he added, referring to his flare-ups.
Torvalds said he has no idea where Linux will end up in five years. "I never had a plan. I still don't have a plan. It is kind of evolution in biology: there is no end plan. It is just that what works survives," he said. Linux will keep on evolving and improving in the same way, he said.
"I don't know which direction we'll improve in, but I don't feel I need to worry about that," he said.
Open source needs more tech savvy lawyers, Linux Foundation says
To avoid legal difficulties when managing intellectual property for open source projects, more tech savvy lawyers are needed, according to the Linux Foundation.
Educating lawyers, however, is not the only solution, argued other open source insiders at the LinuxCon Europe conference in Edinburgh this week.
Open source software adoption is outstripping the legal knowledge of parties involved in open source projects who have difficulty dealing with copyright, patent, licensing and compliance issues, said Linux Foundation Executive Director Jim Zemlin. During the conference's opening speech on Monday, Zemlin said the open source community needs more lawyers who have an understanding of the technology and how open source collaboration works.
Having lawyers with a better understanding of the technology involved in open source projects would indeed be a way to overcome legal difficulties, said Deb Nicholson, community outreach director of the Open Innovation Network (OIN).
"I would agree that having more tech savvy lawyers that understand open source legal issues would be good," Nicholson said. "Smaller companies are desperate to find someone who can advise them," she said, adding that even if they can pay them, finding an attorney who understands the issues can be difficult.
The problem is that most free and open source software projects are becoming more legally complicated, said Catharina Maracke, a lawyer and associate professor at Keio University, in Japan, who focuses on intellectual property law and policy as well as standardization efforts for public licensing plans.
For one thing, open source projects often call for separate agreements for copyrights and patents, Maracke said. Copyright and patent issues are different, and this can cause communication problems for developers and lawyers negotiating related agreements.
Being a lawyer with a consulting practice herself, Maracke sometimes has trouble understanding what developers try to tell her, while there are similar problems the other way around, she said.
This lack of understanding can lead to friction between parties who are trying to manage intellectual property for open source projects, and protracted negotiations can drive up the legal costs, Maracke said.
Educating lawyers isn't the only option, though. To bridge the gap, standardization of legal terms could also be an important step, Maracke said.
While public licenses such as Creative Commons, the GNU General Public License or other free and open source software licenses have emerged as relatively easy-to-use standardized copyright agreements, more work can be done to make licensing easier, according to Maracke.
Educating lawyers, however, is not the only solution, argued other open source insiders at the LinuxCon Europe conference in Edinburgh this week.
Open source software adoption is outstripping the legal knowledge of parties involved in open source projects who have difficulty dealing with copyright, patent, licensing and compliance issues, said Linux Foundation Executive Director Jim Zemlin. During the conference's opening speech on Monday, Zemlin said the open source community needs more lawyers who have an understanding of the technology and how open source collaboration works.
Having lawyers with a better understanding of the technology involved in open source projects would indeed be a way to overcome legal difficulties, said Deb Nicholson, community outreach director of the Open Innovation Network (OIN).
"I would agree that having more tech savvy lawyers that understand open source legal issues would be good," Nicholson said. "Smaller companies are desperate to find someone who can advise them," she said, adding that even if they can pay them, finding an attorney who understands the issues can be difficult.
The problem is that most free and open source software projects are becoming more legally complicated, said Catharina Maracke, a lawyer and associate professor at Keio University, in Japan, who focuses on intellectual property law and policy as well as standardization efforts for public licensing plans.
For one thing, open source projects often call for separate agreements for copyrights and patents, Maracke said. Copyright and patent issues are different, and this can cause communication problems for developers and lawyers negotiating related agreements.
Being a lawyer with a consulting practice herself, Maracke sometimes has trouble understanding what developers try to tell her, while there are similar problems the other way around, she said.
This lack of understanding can lead to friction between parties who are trying to manage intellectual property for open source projects, and protracted negotiations can drive up the legal costs, Maracke said.
Educating lawyers isn't the only option, though. To bridge the gap, standardization of legal terms could also be an important step, Maracke said.
While public licenses such as Creative Commons, the GNU General Public License or other free and open source software licenses have emerged as relatively easy-to-use standardized copyright agreements, more work can be done to make licensing easier, according to Maracke.
Spec showdown: Apple iPad Air vs Samsung Galaxy Note, Sony Tablet Z
Apple CEO Tim Cook spent a bit of time dissing the competition while he
was on stage at Apple's iPad Air launch event on Tuesday, but how does
Apple's newest tablet stack up against the competition?
Here's a quick look at some of the main features of the iPad Air, Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 and Sony's Tablet Z.
The Display
The display is the feature users spend the most time with. Apple has a 9.7-inch "Retina" display in its iPad Air that shows 2,048 pixels by 1,536 pixels. That works out to 264 pixels per inch, which is good because the higher the resolution and closer together the pixels are packed, the sharper and crisper the display appears.
Both competing tablets have a slightly larger, 10.1-inch display, and there's a big difference in resolution. While Sony's screen is capable of 1,920 pixels by 1,080 pixels -- a respectable resolution that matches high-definition video -- Samsung's screen beats both competitors. It has a 2,560 pixel by 1,600 pixel resolution.
The Camera
It's probably true that few people buy a tablet for the camera. It's a clunky way to take photos, but sometimes it's also the most convenient thing on hand. The iPad Air's 5-megapixel camera lags the 8-megapixel sensors on both the Samsung and Sony, but this is a tricky area to compare with just megapixels. Apple has put a lot of work into developing the features of its iSight camera so things are probably much more closely matched.
Physical Dimensions
Apple made a big deal of shrinking the size and weight of the iPad and that is a big deal for users. It also places the iPad Air competitively against its two big rivals. At 469 grams (1.03 pounds), the iPad Air beats both the 495 gram Sony Tablet Z and the 540 gram Samsung Galaxy Note, but it's not quite as thin as the Sony tablet.
The Tablet Z is just 6.9 millimeters (0.27 inches) thick versus 7.5mm on the iPad Air and 7.9mm on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014. But the Galaxy Note is about the same length and width as the iPad Air, while the Sony tablet is a little longer and just slightly wider.
The Battery
Each tablet maker is going to base its battery life claim on a different set of core tasks, so a direct comparison is difficult but they're all claiming fairly comparable battery life.
The iPad Air will ship with a battery that Apple says provides "up to 10 hours" of Web surfing on Wi-Fi, watching video and listening to music. Sony's "Stamina mode" is said to shut down apps running in the background when the screen goes off, to extend the life of its battery. The capacity isn't listed, but it is said to be capable of 10 hours of video and 8 hours of Web browsing over Wi-Fi. Samsung's Galaxy Note comes right in between with 9 hours of Wi-Fi use and up to 10 hours of video.
Here's a quick look at some of the main features of the iPad Air, Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 and Sony's Tablet Z.
The Display
The display is the feature users spend the most time with. Apple has a 9.7-inch "Retina" display in its iPad Air that shows 2,048 pixels by 1,536 pixels. That works out to 264 pixels per inch, which is good because the higher the resolution and closer together the pixels are packed, the sharper and crisper the display appears.
Both competing tablets have a slightly larger, 10.1-inch display, and there's a big difference in resolution. While Sony's screen is capable of 1,920 pixels by 1,080 pixels -- a respectable resolution that matches high-definition video -- Samsung's screen beats both competitors. It has a 2,560 pixel by 1,600 pixel resolution.
The Camera
It's probably true that few people buy a tablet for the camera. It's a clunky way to take photos, but sometimes it's also the most convenient thing on hand. The iPad Air's 5-megapixel camera lags the 8-megapixel sensors on both the Samsung and Sony, but this is a tricky area to compare with just megapixels. Apple has put a lot of work into developing the features of its iSight camera so things are probably much more closely matched.
Physical Dimensions
Apple made a big deal of shrinking the size and weight of the iPad and that is a big deal for users. It also places the iPad Air competitively against its two big rivals. At 469 grams (1.03 pounds), the iPad Air beats both the 495 gram Sony Tablet Z and the 540 gram Samsung Galaxy Note, but it's not quite as thin as the Sony tablet.
The Tablet Z is just 6.9 millimeters (0.27 inches) thick versus 7.5mm on the iPad Air and 7.9mm on the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014. But the Galaxy Note is about the same length and width as the iPad Air, while the Sony tablet is a little longer and just slightly wider.
The Battery
Each tablet maker is going to base its battery life claim on a different set of core tasks, so a direct comparison is difficult but they're all claiming fairly comparable battery life.
The iPad Air will ship with a battery that Apple says provides "up to 10 hours" of Web surfing on Wi-Fi, watching video and listening to music. Sony's "Stamina mode" is said to shut down apps running in the background when the screen goes off, to extend the life of its battery. The capacity isn't listed, but it is said to be capable of 10 hours of video and 8 hours of Web browsing over Wi-Fi. Samsung's Galaxy Note comes right in between with 9 hours of Wi-Fi use and up to 10 hours of video.
'Russian Facebook' CEO Durov disses Zuckerberg, but loves Edward Snowden
Pavel Durov, the CEO of the Russian social networking site VK, does not think very highly of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Edward Snowden instead is his personal hero.
"Mark underestimates VK," Durov said Tuesday, addressing dismissive remarks Zuckerberg previously made about VK. "He doesn't use it very much," Durov said.
"VK is faster, easier to use, and has more functionality," he said.
VK is a giant site in Russia -- offering many features similar to Facebook -- and is regarded as the second-largest social network in Europe after Facebook. Durov made his comments at the GMIC mobile Internet conference in San Francisco, an event that drew multiple thousands of attendees from across the world.
The Russian social networking site gained some attention this past summer for offering a job to Edward Snowden, the former U.S. National Security Agency contractor responsible for numerous leaks concerning government surveillance programs such as Prism. Russia has given asylum to Snowden, who is evading capture by U.S. authorities.
At GMIC, Durov spoke out on the issue of privacy, and why it's important that more companies, like Facebook, think harder about strategies like encryption and keeping their users' data safe.
In this area, VK has been developing its Telegram messaging service, which it claims is more secure than rival WhatsApp's messaging, partly because it offers end-to-end encryption and also self-destructing messages.
During a discussion with TechCrunch co-editor Alexia Tsotsisv, Durov called Snowden a personal hero for helping to bring more attention to privacy.
"He's had to sacrifice a big part of his life to let us know that we're being spied on," Durov said.
Some conservative or patriotic Americans may see Snowden as a traitor, Durov said. But Durov pointed out that he knows what it feels like to be spied on.
Durov was at the center of an alleged hit and run incident earlier this year and is no stranger to government investigations. "I'm not happy that my rights were violated without me knowing it," he said Tuesday.
When asked about whether Zuckerberg should incorporate more encryption into Facebook, Durov said that would be great, "but he might have other priorities."
"Mark underestimates VK," Durov said Tuesday, addressing dismissive remarks Zuckerberg previously made about VK. "He doesn't use it very much," Durov said.
"VK is faster, easier to use, and has more functionality," he said.
VK is a giant site in Russia -- offering many features similar to Facebook -- and is regarded as the second-largest social network in Europe after Facebook. Durov made his comments at the GMIC mobile Internet conference in San Francisco, an event that drew multiple thousands of attendees from across the world.
The Russian social networking site gained some attention this past summer for offering a job to Edward Snowden, the former U.S. National Security Agency contractor responsible for numerous leaks concerning government surveillance programs such as Prism. Russia has given asylum to Snowden, who is evading capture by U.S. authorities.
At GMIC, Durov spoke out on the issue of privacy, and why it's important that more companies, like Facebook, think harder about strategies like encryption and keeping their users' data safe.
In this area, VK has been developing its Telegram messaging service, which it claims is more secure than rival WhatsApp's messaging, partly because it offers end-to-end encryption and also self-destructing messages.
During a discussion with TechCrunch co-editor Alexia Tsotsisv, Durov called Snowden a personal hero for helping to bring more attention to privacy.
"He's had to sacrifice a big part of his life to let us know that we're being spied on," Durov said.
Some conservative or patriotic Americans may see Snowden as a traitor, Durov said. But Durov pointed out that he knows what it feels like to be spied on.
Durov was at the center of an alleged hit and run incident earlier this year and is no stranger to government investigations. "I'm not happy that my rights were violated without me knowing it," he said Tuesday.
When asked about whether Zuckerberg should incorporate more encryption into Facebook, Durov said that would be great, "but he might have other priorities."
Network Solutions reports more DNS problems
Network Solutions said Tuesday it was trying to restore services after another DNS (Domain Name System) problem.
The latest issue comes two weeks after a pro-Palestinian hacking group redirected websites belonging to several companies whose records were held by Network Solutions, owned by the company Web.com.
Efforts to reach a company spokesperson were not immediately successful.
"We apologize for the issues our customers have experienced as a result of an incident on the Network Solutions DNS," the company wrote on Facebook. "We're in the process of restoring services, and we appreciate your patience as we work toward resolution."
The DNS is a distributed address book for websites, translating domain names such as idg.com into an IP address that can be called into a Web browser. In the past few months, hackers have targeted companies that register domain names and their partners.
A successful DNS hijacking attack can cause thousands of Web surfers to a high-profile website to be redirected to another site even though they've typed in or browsed to the correct domain name.
Avira, a security company affected by the attacks two weeks ago, said hackers gained access to its Network Solutions account via a fake password-reset request. Claiming responsibility was a group calling itself the "Kdms Team," which also attacked the hosting provider LeaseWeb about two days before.
In a separate problem, Network Solutions said Monday some customers could not send email after it was blacklisted by a security company, Trend Micro, and other anti-spam services.
The latest issue comes two weeks after a pro-Palestinian hacking group redirected websites belonging to several companies whose records were held by Network Solutions, owned by the company Web.com.
Efforts to reach a company spokesperson were not immediately successful.
"We apologize for the issues our customers have experienced as a result of an incident on the Network Solutions DNS," the company wrote on Facebook. "We're in the process of restoring services, and we appreciate your patience as we work toward resolution."
The DNS is a distributed address book for websites, translating domain names such as idg.com into an IP address that can be called into a Web browser. In the past few months, hackers have targeted companies that register domain names and their partners.
A successful DNS hijacking attack can cause thousands of Web surfers to a high-profile website to be redirected to another site even though they've typed in or browsed to the correct domain name.
Avira, a security company affected by the attacks two weeks ago, said hackers gained access to its Network Solutions account via a fake password-reset request. Claiming responsibility was a group calling itself the "Kdms Team," which also attacked the hosting provider LeaseWeb about two days before.
In a separate problem, Network Solutions said Monday some customers could not send email after it was blacklisted by a security company, Trend Micro, and other anti-spam services.
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