Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Software : Microsoft updates February's security bulletins with Internet Explorer patch

Software : Microsoft updates February's security bulletins with Internet Explorer patch

Microsoft updates February's security bulletins with Internet Explorer patch

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Microsoft updates February's security bulletins with Internet Explorer patch

Microsoft has updated February's security bulletins for its Windows and Office products.

Four of the bulletins are rated 'critical', the three others 'important'. Three of the critical bulletins, affecting Internet Explorer, Direct2D and VBScript, are advised by the company to be implemented immediately, as they fix remote code execution vulnerabilities.

Among the issues covered by the updated patches is the fixing of possible exploits in Internet Explorer and vulnerabilities in scripting engines across the entire range of Microsoft operating systems.

Additionally, the three important-rated bulletins cover vulnerabilities in IPv6, .NET Framework and XML services at the core of Microsoft Windows.

Hashed out

Two of the patches arrived recently, suggesting that issues were found in testing last minute by Microsoft engineers.

This fact is compounded due to one of the two bulletins concerning Internet Explorer. The browser, before its conspicuous absence from February's first bulletins, had been updated monthly for over a year.

A total of seven bulletins have been released so far in February, targeting client and server versions of Microsoft Windows, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Security Software and the Microsoft .Net Framework.

Microsoft has also issued an update that deprecated the use of MD5 hash algorithms, which are now restricted in the root certificate program.

Interview: How predictive marketing might give flight to Amazon's 'anticipatory shipping' service

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Interview: How predictive marketing might give flight to Amazon's 'anticipatory shipping' service

Retail giant Amazon recently attracted attention for its plans to ship goods to customers using bird-like robotic drones.

Collective brows raised even higher when a patent revealed plans for an "anticipatory shipping" service, designed to send customers shipments of items based on the time they'd spent browsing products, their visits to a listing, previous purchase habits and other metrics.

Paul Gibson, Regional Director EMEA at marketing and analytics software company AgilOne, talks to TRPro about the technology that Amazon might use to achieve this seemingly psychic feat.

TechRadar Pro: What do you make of Amazon's recent patent announcement?

Paul Gibson: Amazon is one of the best users of predictive marketing, and utilise their vast resources and budgets to achieve a great understanding of their customers behaviour, and therefore deliver relevant, effective messaging.

This patent is yet another example of the impressive way they utilise this powerful medium, and would certainly overcome the often criticized delay between ordering and receiving goods. However, it could open the door for abuse, if people realize they can get free product just by browsing on the site.

TRP: Why is Amazon always leading the way on predictive marketing?

PG: Having vast budgets and resources has enabled Amazon to fully harness all the elements of predictive marketing, and has lead to them becoming experts in customer retention.

They have built systems, and algorithms that are able to collect data at every instance, from every touch-point, using a variety of campaigns logging your actions when you: search for something, purchase something, abandon your cart, send something back and even unsubscribe from their emails.

Amazon are then able to understand your preferences, behaviour and likely next steps and then turn all this information into personal messages tailored to your responses. This gives them a unique place in the market, as traditionally this has been out of the reach of smaller businesses.

TRP: Can other companies use predictive analytics to do this?

PG: Right now, yes, and this is really exciting! Few companies have the budget and resources of Amazon, so this capability has traditionally been out of reach for all but the largest enterprises.

However, due to the recent advancements in SaaS Predictive Marketing technologies, it is now possible for any-sized retail organisation - including those with a mix of on-line and traditional bricks and mortar operations - to harness this level of sophistication.

This helps them to gain a consolidated 360-degree view of the multiple customer touch-points and delivering unrivalled data science, which in turn leads to more effective marketing, loyal repeat buyers and ultimately improved bottom line.

TRP: Is software-as-a-service (SaaS) predictive marketing technology expensive to run?

PG: On the contrary, Cloud technology is helping to bring predictive marketing within reach of most businesses.

Companies do not need to have vast data centres, nor do they need to spend years developing new technology, and adoption of true customer insight and relevance now takes weeks, rather than months or years.

Historically, combining multiple data sources, and adding the required science was a time consuming, manually intensive and costly exercise, but SaaS predictive marketing solutions do all the heavy lifting, allowing marketers to concentrate on marketing.

TRP: How useful do you think the technology being used by Amazon will be to consumers?

PG: Of course, the actual idea behind delivering something someone has not yet purchased could confuse, and maybe even scare off a potential buyer who may simply be comparing and having already purchased the goods elsewhere.

But, in terms of receiving products which someone might need, for example if a retailer knew your printer cartridge needs replacing, this technology could prove to be very useful to consumers. It would mean you would never run out of a product which needs regular replacement.

TRP: What is the difference between SaaS predictive marketing and product recommendations?

PG: Many smaller retailers have taken the first step, which is great, by adopting product to product recommendations (such as, you purchased those red shoes, so if I give you 20% discount, you might buy this red belt). But this is really scratching the surface of what is possible.

True predictive marketing looks beyond what product someone is interested in, and understands the customer themselves, their behavior, and based on this understand things like their propensity to buy, driving more effective messaging.

For instance, if you know the person buying the red shoes has a propensity to buy additional products anyway, you don't need to offer a discount, just tell them about the product, saving 20% margin on that sale.

By combining data from every touch-point (email, web, transactions, POS, call centre, etc) you gain true customer insight and understanding and go far beyond simply reacting to what product they browse or buy.

TRP: Do you think more retailers will use predictive models to send customers freebies?

PG: Although this is very much a possibility, the suggestion that if a customer has not bought, they will get the product free of charge seems a dangerous precedent, as this may train a consumer to browse and not buy, thinking they will get a freebie….and indeed if one doesn't then arrive, may feel the retailer doesn't appreciate them.

TRP: Do you think potential buyers will be scared off by the thought that they might have products turning up at their front door if they view a certain page?

PG: I think it could have an impact on some consumers, such as those already concerned with "big brother" watching their every move, and it would definitely make you consider where you click.

However when the technology is used at the point just before you make the decision to buy, such as recommending you buy something when you need or want it, it should be very positive both for the consumer and for the retailer.

Twitter tests major profile redesign, looks rather similar to Facebook Timeline

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Twitter tests major profile redesign, looks rather similar to Facebook Timeline

There's been a lot written about how Facebook has continued to adopt Twitter-like features such as hashtags and trending topics, but now it appears the latter is taking a page from the former's design playbook.

Judging by an experimental version of its profile page, currently being tested on a small sample of users, Twitter seems to have taken a shine to the love-it-or-hate-it Facebook Timeline and wants it for its own.

First noted by a Mashable staffer, the redesigned profile page appears to take on many aspects of Zuckerberg's biggest revamp in recent times.

From its non-linear layout and focus on content cards rather than a list of text-based tweets, to the positioning of the profile photo, background photo and toolbar, the similarities are quite startling.

It's all about 'Me'

While it's not certain whether Twitter ever plans to roll this version of the 'Me' page to all users beyond this experimental stage, its appearance comes shortly after a tweaked page rollout out to all members.

That particular update, which brought a cleaner, clearer and lighter look, was tested for months, so don't expect Twitter to roll-out this Timeline-like update any time soon.

So far the company hasn't responded to requests for comment.

Windows Phone 8.1 leak reveals more features, ties to Windows RT

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Windows Phone 8.1 leak reveals more features, ties to Windows RT

More than a year after its launch, Windows Phone 8 will finally get its first major update in the form of Windows Phone 8.1.

Now that the update's release is imminent, developers have started getting their hands on the new version's software development kit, and they're reporting on the improvements Microsoft has made.

The biggest news is that one important Windows Phone 8.1 change points to the possibility that the smartphone operating system may finally be merged with the tablet OS Windows RT.

It seems WP8.1 includes support for universal apps built using a shared HTML and JavaScript language that can be used between Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8, one developer revealed on Reddit - most likely breaking his or her NDA in the process.

The first step is most important

In addition, with Windows 8.1 Microsoft will begin using the same .appx package for apps that Windows 8 apps already use.

Although it's not a full unification yet, this could be the first step toward merging the operating systems for good.

If Windows Phone and Windows RT are using the same apps, there's little reason to keep them separate, after all.

And if iOS and Android can be more or less the same between smartphones and tablets, then so too should Windows be able to.

The Windows Phone is 'a changing

The unification of Windows Phone and Windows RT may be the most exciting part of these Windows Phone 8.1 leaks, but there are plenty of other features being revealed by developers too.

For example, Windows Phone 8.1 appears to let users choose different default messaging apps for the first time.

There's also a "Battery Power Sense" feature to monitor battery life, VPN support, a "Storage Sense" feature for installing apps to SD cards, newly separate video and music apps, a new podcast app, and the rebranding of SkyDrive to OneDrive.

Multitasking is different in Windows Phone 8.1 too, according to this developer. Pressing the back button now sends apps into the background instead of closing them, while swiping downward closes them, much like Windows RT. The camera app has a new layout as well.

Finally the browser has been updated to Internet Explorer 11, Facebook account and photo integration appears to be gone (though Twitter is still present and iCloud has been added), and there's support for on-screen buttons, possibly to accommodate future phones without physical buttons.

Notably, two important Windows Phone 8.1 features are missing from this SDK: the new "action center" notification center and the "Cortana" virtual personal assistant and Siri rival.

But those are expected to appear before Microsoft sends the final version of Windows Phone 8.1 to developers around April.

  • Before there was Windows Phone 8.1, there was Windows 8.1!
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