Yahuui Blog: May 2014

Saturday, May 31, 2014

Software : Updated: iOS 8 banners deck the halls of WWDC 2014

Updated: iOS 8 banners deck the halls of WWDC 2014

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"Houston, iOS 8 has (almost) landed."

With WWDC kicking off Monday, the signs - literally - are there that we're in for the new version of iOS' reveal.

Peer into San Francisco's Moscone West today and a banner emblazoned with "8" will wink back at you. Just as "7" graced the Moscone's halls before WWDC 2013's iOS 7 reveal, Apple seems to be not so subtly hinting at what we're in for come next week.

The wave background is also reminiscent of banners that teased iOS 6 and OS X 10.9 in years past.

OS X Yosemite

Update: Oh, don't mind the above. It's just a photo of what appears to the El Capitan rock face in Yosemite National Park with an "X" gashed across it also going up at Moscone. "Yosemite" has been rumored as a name for the next version of the Mac OS X, OS X 10.10, and Apple has reportedly trademarked "El Cap."

Join us Monday at 10 a.m. PT/6 p.m. GMT/1 a.m. Tuesday AEST for WWDC 2014's opening keynote where we expect a formal introduction to iOS 8 and a number of other announcements. We'll be liveblogging the whole thing, so grab a coffee/beer and partake in the fun!

Your move, Google IO

In depth: Five steps to keep your Android phone secure

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Introduction

You have in your pockets a snooper's best friend. You take it everywhere: from your office to your bedroom, from the dining room to the lavatory (and hopefully clean it after). It records almost everything you do and can be made to turn against you in a matter of minutes. Believe it or not, the modern day smartphone is a private citizen's worst privacy nightmare.

Think about what you have in there: email addresses and phone numbers from your contacts, calendar appointments, photos, and probably even personal financial information. On top of that, smartphones can continually track your location to build a detailed profile of your whereabouts.

But just because it can doesn't mean you have to let it. Here's five simple steps you can take to control your smartphone security and keep your data, and life, private:

1. Manage your apps

To enjoy all the conveniences of a smartphone you need apps. Unfortunately, apps are the weakest link between your private data and the world. Many access your personal data to 'enhance their experience', leaving you to trust that they will only use this data in a desirable way. Unfortunately, not every app clearly states how they use this information. But there are ways to find out what your app knows about you and to restrict them.

A critical component of your Android smartphone is the permissions system. When you install an app, it notifies you of what it would like to gain access to. You can then install the app, or not. Unfortunately, this system puts a lot of responsibility on the users to know whether these access requests are appropriate.

Android security

Fortunately there are multiple ways of visualising app permissions. BitDefender's free Clueful will scan your apps and categorise them as high risk, moderate risk, and low risk. You can then browse each list and click on an app to find out the features it can access. You should uninstall any High Risk apps as they might be pinching your passwords or reading emails.

There's also Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware mobile app, which scans apps and divides them into categories based on the phone feature they have access to, such as your calendar or contacts, giving you full transparency on what your apps are up to.

2. Protect yourself online

In addition to preventing apps from leaking info, you should also minimise the personal data you put out there, even when sharing something as innocuous as images.

Images can reveal a lot of information about you thanks to the exchangeable image file format (EXIF) data attached to them. If you take an image with a GPS-enabled camera or a smartphone it can reveal your location, the time it was taken, as well as the unique ID of the device.

To strip EXIF information from pictures before sharing them you can use Instant EXIF Remover. This app doesn't have an interface, instead once installed it'll be available as an option in the 'Share' action. When selected, the app will intercept any images you wish to share and delete all EXIF data, before passing them on to the email client or any other sharing app.

Android security

After securing your images it's time to take control of your web browsing activities. Just like any desktop web browser you can install a variety of add-ons to your Android browser.

The Phony add-on can be used to customise the user-agent on the browser and hide the fact that you are on a mobile device. Then there's Self-Destructing Cookies add-on, which will automatically delete all cookies when you close a site.

For more comprehensive control you can use the CleanQuit add-on, which removes all information about the previous session including the browsing & download history and site preferences.

If you want full anonymity, you should switch to the Orweb browser. It's loaded with plugins to disguise your device, gives you control over cookies, prevents loading of Flash content and keeps no browsing history. However, it requires the Orbot plugin and Orbot is Tor for Android, which may not be something you wish to install.

Protect your communications, device and data

3. Control your communications

You can encrypt SMS messages with the open source app TextSecure, which can encrypt SMS stored locally on your phone. However, to send encrypted messages over the air, the recipient must also have TextSecure or they'll receive unencrypted messages.

Before you can send messages you'll have to create a secure connection with the recipient's device by exchanging keys. TextSecure will send a message to the recipient, whose TextSecure app will automatically respond with a message to establish a secure connection. From then on you send and receive encrypted messages.

To keep your calls safe you can use free RedPhone app for free, which makes encrypted calls over the internet. There's also SilentPhone, which is developed by Phil Zimmerman (who gave us OpenPGP for securing email and ZRTP protocol for securing VoIP calls). The SilentPhone app works on multiple mobile platforms but comes with a $10 (about £6) subscription fee.

Both these solutions create encrypted calls. However the person at the other end of the line must be using the same app.

Android security

To encrypt email messages on your mobile device you need the Android Privacy Guard (APG) app, which is an open source implementation of OpenPGP. You'll also need the K-9 email app, which integrates seamlessly with APG.

To use these apps, first launch K-9 and configure it to connect to your email server. Then launch APG and tap the menu button, which brings up the option to manage private keys and public keys. You can export these keys from the desktop and import them into APG. Once the keys are imported, K-9 will display the option to sign and encrypt messages when you write a new email. Conversely it will let you decrypt emails when you receive a new encrypted message.

For encrypting instant messages, you'll need the open source ChatSecure app. The app uses the OTR protocol to enable secure chat sessions over XMPP accounts. Using the app you can have secure chats with your friends over popular networks including Google Talk and Facebook on any OTR compatible client including Pidgin, Adium, and Jitsi.

4. Secure your device

Locking your phone is one thing, but it doesn't help when you want to hand over an unlocked device to someone but still keep some things private.

You can use Screen Locker to lock your screen before handing the phone to someone else. The app disables all forms of inputs and prevents the users from viewing anything other than what's on the screen. You can then enter a preset pattern to unlock the device.

Privacy Master Free will lock access to apps and can also fake a crash to prevent an app from launching. You can also block the task manager as well as USB connections.

Samsung Galaxy S5

AppLock app has, along with the ability to block access to apps, two separate vaults where you can hide photos and videos. The app can also prevent toggling of settings such as WiFi. One of the best features is its ability to create lock profiles. So you can create a list of apps you want to lock when you in the office, and another set when you're with the kids. You can trigger the locks based on time or location.

Applock can also randomly rearrange its numeric keyboard to prevent others from figuring out your password by following your fingers. It also allows you to hide the app from the application drawer to keep its existence on your device a secret.

5. Encrypt your data

The key to securing your phone against any sort of surveillance is end-to-end encryption. Encryption safeguards data against any kind of snooping by making it unintelligible to anyone without the correct decryption keys.

However, there are some caveats involved with the process. For one, encryption is a one-way process, which is to say that once turned on there's no mechanism to turn off the encryption. You'll have to reset your phone to factory settings and lose all your data. Make sure you securely back up your data before initiating the encryption process and don't interrupt the process - if you do you'll lose the data and render the device unusable.

Android security

When using the standard Android encryption service make sure you have already set up a lock screen PIN or password. Android will use it as your decryption key. To begin encryption, head to System Settings > Security > Encrypt device. When it's done you'll have to enter the PIN or password each time you boot your phone.

Instead of encrypting the whole device, you can also choose to encrypt selected files. One of the best apps for this purpose is SSE Universal Encryption. The app has three modules: the Password Vault module allows you to safely store passwords and organise them into folders. The Message Encryptor module encrypts snippets of text. But the most interesting option is the File/Dir Encryptor module. It lets you pick a file using the built-in file browser and then encrypts it.

It's not just your mobile that's insecure - your web browser is too.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Apple : iOS 8 split screen is apparently coming, but won't be ready for WWDC showcase

iOS 8 split screen is apparently coming, but won't be ready for WWDC showcase

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The rumoured split screen multi-tasking mode for iPad will not be featured during Apple's expected iOS 8 reveal at WWDC, according to a New York Times reporter.

Respected tech journalist Brian X. Chen claims Apple is indeed working on the heavily-requested, Microsoft Surface-aping feature, but it is not quite ready for the bright lights of the annual developers conference.

Chen tweeted: "I've been told that the split-screen feature for iOS 8 isn't ready yet and won't be shown at WWDC. Still a work in progress."

The lack of a side-by-side multi-tasking feature, as populised by Microsoft's Windows 8 'Snap' feature, has been identified by some as a weakness, preventing the iPad becoming a true 'Post PC' device.

Microsoft, certainly, has mocked Apple mercilessly in its advertising materials for failing to offer such a feature.

Rectify

Apple is apparently planning to rectify that with iOS 8 by allowing users to operate two apps at the same time, while the iPad is in landscape mode.

It is thought the feature may make it easier for users to share links and content between two apps, rather than the current awkwardness of having to completely exit one app before entering the other.

Reports have speculated the feature may only be available to iPad Air users at launch, a device which has both the power and screen resolution necessary to handle the task.

WWDC is just a weekend away. Here's what we expect

Apple's smart home moves may simply extend Made for iPhone program

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Apple's foray into the burgeoning smart home device market may be a simple extension of the Made for iPhone program, not the full software platform that was rumored on May 26.

That earlier report said Apple is preparing to unveil a software platform for smart appliances like thermostats and refrigerators that would let those gadgets interact with iOS devices.

That may still be the case, but now Gigaom says Apple's smart home initiative may be little more than a set of standards for those devices that would be integrated with Apple's existing MFi program for game controllers.

The site didn't identify its sources, but said they claimed to have knowledge of and/or involvement with the project.

First air conditioners, then the world

This doesn't mean you won't be able to control your home's temperature and lighting from an iPhone or iPad, but it does seem Apple may not in fact be working on an entire platform for those gadgets.

Apparently the program will focus on creating a Wi-Fi-based ecosystem for connecting smart devices and may include Bluetooth-based voice controls, but "it won't have some sort of software-based automation layer controlled by Apple that supersedes the original apps."

Nevertheless, much like with iOS game controllers, users shopping for smart home gadgets will reportedly be able to look for the MFi label and know their system will be connected and compatible.

In fact, Apple already dropped its MFi stamp on a smart air conditioner from Chinese company Haier during CES 2014, according to CNET. The appliance is easy to connect to iOS devices, and that could be an indication of what's in store for the future of this initiative.

That June 2 WWDC announcement we've been hearing about is likely to include a slew of additional home devices that will be stamped with MFi certification, but we'll have to wait and see to be absolutely sure of that.

Don't miss TechRadar's MacBook Air review

Software : HTC One Wear tipped as smart watch rival to Moto 360

HTC One Wear tipped as smart watch rival to Moto 360
It's goodbye to Android as Samsung Galaxy Gear Tizen update arrives
10 CRM systems small businesses should know
Microsoft has reportedly built an iOS and Android-friendly watch with Kinect skills
Samsung Galaxy S5 Active breaks cover in full gallery

HTC One Wear tipped as smart watch rival to Moto 360

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Wearables are all the rage with consumer electronics companies these days, and HTC isn't about to sit on the sidelines and watch (pun intended) the likes of Motorola or Samsung bask in all the glory.

TK Tech News filed a report from Taiwan today, with sources there revealing the extent of HTC's ambitions to jump squarely into the ever-crowded smartwatch market with a device tentatively known as One Wear.

Expected to launch in late August or early September of this year, the gadget was apparently demonstrated to the lucky folks at TK, who described it as featuring a round design similar to Motorola Mobility's upcoming Moto 360.

Furthermore, HTC appears to be planning to release both "polycarbonate and metal flavors" of the One Wear, an approach that seems to be working out well for the Taiwanese manufacturer with its HTC One (M8) smartphone line.

HTC One Wear spy shots

What to Wear?

Although the initial report stopped short of revealing what HTC's smartwatch might actually look like, SlashGear did some additional digging and turned up the images above.

One appears to show part of a metallic wristband presumably attached to the One Wear, while the other shows a trio of icons for notebook, music and camera apps, although they curiously seem to be formatted for a square display.

While it seems unlikely HTC would incorporate an actual camera lens into the One Wear as Samsung did with the Galaxy Gear, the report suggests the icon could indicate some kind of "remote shutter button," presumably capable of controlling the camera of a connected HTC smartphone.

Last but not least, the followup report claims HTC One Wear will be powered by Google's fledgling Android Wear software platform - not a big surprise, given everyone but the world's largest Android hardware maker Samsung appears to be jumping on that bandwagon.

There's never a bad time to reflect upon our Samsung Galaxy S5 review!

It's goodbye to Android as Samsung Galaxy Gear Tizen update arrives

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Samsung has followed through on its pledge to rid the original Galaxy Gear smartwatch of the Android operating system by updating the device with the home cooked Tizen software.

The update, which as already started to roll out, will bring those early swartwatch adopters up to speed with the current crop of Gear 2 , Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit devices, which arrived on Tizen out of the box.

This will mean original Galaxy Gear owners (it's not so Galaxy-ish now, of couse), will have access to many of the features present on the second-generation models.

That means it'll earns a sleep mode, which measures your sleeping patterns and an exercise mode which'll track your movement thanks to the pedometer (no heartrate tracker though).

Back up first

Tizen 2.2.0 also brings a stand music app, a privacy lock, new font sizes and styles, new clock-faces and wallpapers and easier access to key settings.

SamMobile, which got an early preview of the update has warned that installing Tizen will wipe all data from the wearable and will prevent some of the third party apps from working.

Users will have the opportunity to back up before installing the update via Samsung's Kies platform.

The Galaxy Gear was somewhat of a commercial and critical failure, but for the limited number of people who jumped on board with the wearables era early, at least your smartwatch gets a new lease of life with this update.

Smartwatch showdown: Gear 2 vs Gear 2 Neo vs Galaxy Gear

10 CRM systems small businesses should know

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CRM systems SMBs should know

Customer relationship management isn't something that only large enterprises can afford to do. No matter how many workers you employ, leveraging data to ensure your customers are happy - and that your workers are productive – is essential. We've put together a list of CRM systems for small and mid-size businesses in order to help you be more informed during the implementation process.

Batchbook

Price: Starts at $20 per month for unlimited users. A free 30-day trial is available.

As a cloud-based CRM social platform, Batchbook keeps track of important customers and deals. Batchbook Social CRM features contact details management, social integration, a to-do list, advanced searching, list building and reporting tools.

CRM systems for SMBs

Batchbook provides users with multiple ways to learn about customers, how they relate to each other and what additional steps must be completed in order to close the deal. Batchbook's Task System assigns tasks to team members, identifies contacts that haven't corresponded in awhile and notifies the team about who's reaching out to contacts to avoid redundant communication.

Perhaps Batchbook's most useful feature is its easy access to communication history with customers. Users can automatically record emails, attach notes to a conversation and chat with colleagues about contacts.

Capsule CRM

Price: Most basic plan is free. Professional plan is $12 per user per month.

Capsule CRM's straightforward, clean and user-friendly interface is a great option for the new CRM customer. With just five icons, users can view upcoming tasks, new contacts, the sales pipeline, open cases and calendars.

Capsule CRM's integration with Google Apps is flawless. When a user adds a contact to Capsule CRM, their details will automatically get added to the Google address book. Additionally, Capsule CRM keeps a record of communications between the user and a lead or existing customer. With Google Apps, users can either utilize the Gmail gadget provided by Capsule to save communications, or send the email within Capsule.

ContactMe

Price: BizPro for small business starts at $7.42 per month. A free 14-day trial is available.

Web-based ContactMe is an intuitive, easy-to use CRM solution. It offers a variety of useful features including notes and email forwarding, calendars, reminders, and reporting tools such as graphs and data charts.

With many small business owners juggling emails, spreadsheets and other documents in order to manage contacts, ContactMe allows users to easily consolidate and sort contacts. Users can update their contact lists from one location and organize contacts into categories such as lead, potential and existing customer.

Infusionsoft

Price: Starts at $199 per month for up to three users.

Infusionsoft offers a long list of perks for small businesses. Infusionsoft combines management, CRM, marketing automation and e-commerce into a single online system, making it an easy way to grow sales.

Need to get organized? Infusionsoft allows users to keep track of contacts, appointments and tasks and in one place. Users can also access Infusionsoft from any computer with an Internet connection and work from anywhere.

Infusionsoft also streamlines processes by automating lead capture and email follow-up, helping users attract more leads and turn them into customers. Ecommerce tools also manage online stores, inventory, fulfillment and billing from a single system, ensuring customers are satisfied with their transactions.

Insightly

Price: Most basic plan is free. Standard plan is $7 per user per month. A 14-day trial is available.

Insightly is a powerful tool that helps users manage contacts, organizations, partners, vendors and suppliers. Users have access to contacts' background, email history and event calendars. Insightly's integration with social media also allows users to identify all social media profiles related to a contact's email address.

Mobile Insightly apps allow users to add tasks, view contact details, log calls, or check a project status of a project. Android and iOS apps are available in addition to native mobile applications that do not require a download.

#6-10

Netsuite CRM+

Price: $129 per user per month. Free trials are available.

As the only cloud solution that delivers a real-time 360-degree view of the customer, Netsuite CRM+ offers a seamless flow of information across the customer lifecycle – from lead to opportunity, sales order, fulfillment, renewal, upsell, cross-sell and support.

NetSuite CRM+ powerful dashboard provides quotes, order management, sales forecasting and integrated Ecommerce capabilities. Plus, it's versatile. Android, BlackBerry and iPhone users can access the latest business reports and calendars. On social media, NetSuite CRM+ integrates with solutions such as Yammer and Qontext using its Suite Social Platform. Microsoft Outlook and Google Apps are also supported within NetSuite CRM+.

Nimble

Price: Business plans start at $15 per user per month. A free 14-day trial is available.

As the social butterfly of small business CRM, Nimble aims to help users manage social, team and customer contacts on one screen. All online conversations, including email, Twitter, Skype and Facebook, are easily visible with Nimble's lightweight platform.

Nimble's team collaboration feature allows users to see pending tasks and who is working with each contact. Users can also view all conversations that have occurred with a contact and team member, making it easy to delegate and schedule tasks and meetings.

Having trouble juggling important dates and deadlines? Nimble's Daily Digest helps keep your days on track, informing users of new social engagement opportunities related to birthdays, job changes and upcoming meetings.

Sage CRM

Price: Starts at $39 per user per month. A free 30-day trial is available.

Specifically designed for small- to medium-sized businesses, Sage CRM is easy to install, manage, learn and maintain. With more than 12,000 organizations users in 70 countries, Sage CRM is a popular solution for businesses.

The interactive dashboard helps sales teams monitor their opportunities, manage calendars and tasks, and identify networking opportunities from LinkedIn. In addition, Sage CRM's analytical tools help users identify the sales opportunities that exist within the customer database.

Sage CRM's native apps for iPhone and Windows 8 devices provide real-time data to help users manage business and customer relationships from anywhere.

Salesforce

Price: Packages start at $25 per user per month. A free 30-day trial is available.

Popular CRM provider Salesforce offers the same high quality solution for small business as it does for the large enterprise. Salesforce Small Business CRM provides an easy-to-use interface to manage leads, prospects and existing customers. The fully customizable Salesforce Dashboard gives users a comprehensive view of their sales processes and activities.

The Salesforce Contacts feature allows users to organize contacts and keep a detailed history of all interactions. From the moment a contact is added to the system, users can simply click on an individual's name to bring up contact details and histories. The pipeline section helps sales teams visualize where contacts are in the sales process.

Zoho CRM

Price: Free for entrepreneurs. Starts at $12 per user per month for other small businesses.

Zoho CRM is a flexible solution for small business owners focused on identifying and winning new customers with features such as sales tracking and social profiles. For users on the go, Zoho CRM is available in a mobile edition for iOS, Android and Blackberry operating systems.

The Opportunity Tracking Tool provides a detailed explanation of where a customer is in a sales cycle, past deal sizes and contact histories. Competitor information is also available and can provide vital insight on how to retain customers.

Google service synchronization is also available with Zoho CRM. Small businesses using Google Apps and Google Drive can easily synchronize Google Mail in addition to accessing other information within the Zoho CRM system.

Global CRM market shows strong growth in 2013.

Microsoft has reportedly built an iOS and Android-friendly watch with Kinect skills

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Microsoft plans to stake its claim for a slice of the rapidly-expanding wearables pie, possibly as soon as this summer, with a multi platform-friendly smartwatch, if reports on Thursday are to be believed.

Forbes has received a heads up from its sources, claiming a wrist-mounted device that'll play nice with Android, iOS and Windows Phone is at an advanced stage of development.

According to the report, the computing giant has enlisted the Kinect engineering team to spearhead the device, which will feature a continuous heart-rate monitor, among many advanced sensors.

Interestingly, the unnamed insiders claim, the watch's display will be placed on the inside of the wrist in order to make it easier for users to keep their notifications to themselves.

Gum stick

That display size, the report asserts, will be the size of "half a stick of gum," while the battery will last for two days.

The Kinect team has also developed software to harness the data served up by those health and fitness sensors, perhaps not to dissimilar to Samsung's newly-announced, open source Simband platform.

Forbes said the timescale for release is unclear but claimed a summer 2014 launch is possible as it seeks to beat Apple and its rumoured iWatch or iBand to the punch.

While it has been rumoured Microsoft has been working on a wearable for quite some time, the prospect of a device compatible on all of the major platforms would be big news and would increase the chances of success exponentially.

Perhaps this will be the first indication of new CEO Santar Nadella's plans for a much more inclusive Microsoft with services that are available on a much wider array of devices?

Wristy business: Why Microsoft could win at wearables

Samsung Galaxy S5 Active breaks cover in full gallery

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Looking to pick up Samsung's latest flagship smartphones but concerned the fragile plastic casing might not be able to keep up with your active lifestyle? There appears to be a new model on the way that promises to be as rugged as you are.

Famed gadget leaker @evleaks posted a new gallery full of images for the as-yet unannounced Samsung Galaxy S5 Active, which appears to be a variant of this year's Galaxy S5 with additional protection for owners who spend more time outdoors.

The gallery of seven images reveal just about everything a potential buyer would want to know about the Galaxy S5 Active, right down to the familiar AT&T branding which seemingly confirms the second-place US carrier will be a launch partner for the device.

If this all sounds familiar, it's because Samsung has pretty much ripped a page right out of the Korean manufacturer's own 2013 playbook, which saw the more rugged Galaxy S4 Active follow closely on the heels of last year's flagship model.

Rugged good looks

In the case of the Galaxy S4 Active, Samsung cut a few corners such as reducing the quality of the camera, but offered a sturdier, water-resistant casing in trade for those compromises.

Given the current Galaxy S5 is already water-resistant out of the box, the S5 Active would appear to be stepping up its game, courtesy of a frame that ditches the curvier look of its predecessor for sharper edges and construction that offers a better grip in the hand.

Judging from the latest leak, the Galaxy S5 Active also features raised, more rugged navigational buttons, including a "convenience key" that can be customized for quick access to almost any function the user desires.

Other rumored specs tick off most of the Galaxy S5 feature list, right down to a 1080p HD AMOLED display, quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor and a 16MP rear-facing camera, leaving only pricing and a firm release date left to the imagination.

Galaxy S5 or iPhone 5S? See what Apple has to offer in our full review!

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Apple : OS X Mavericks beta code hints at new iMac models

OS X Mavericks beta code hints at new iMac models

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Apple has slimmed down and beefed up its iMac desktops in recent years, and now the Cupertino company may have let slip that new models are on the way.

Three new (and previously unreferenced) iMacs have been spotted in the code of the beta version of OS X Mavericks.

The first one listed is called iMac 15,1, while two more share the name iMac 15,n. Apple's current 21.7- and 27-inch models are listed there as 14,1 and 14,2 respectively.

You won't be able to take a look for yourself though as Apple has pulled 10.9.4 beta from the Mac App Store and Developer Center without giving an explanation, suggesting that they probably weren't meant for public peepers.

Imminent iMac?

It's possible that Apple will show off new iMacs at WWDC next week, particularly as shipping estimates for models have slipped from 24 hours to 3-5 days in both the US and UK Apple online stores.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi- Kuo predicts that a lower-cost iMac will debut at the event and could appear alongside iOS 8 and OS X 10.10, MacRumours reports. Multiple reports have pointed to the possibility of ARM-based iMac models powered by the company's 64-bit processors.

The iMac was last refreshed on September 24 with Intel's Haswell processor, a more powerful GPU, 8011.ac WiFi and faster PCI flash storage options.

What to expect from Apple in 2014

Software : How marketing and IT can win together

How marketing and IT can win together

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Not too long ago, I headed up marketing for a company where the CIO said to me on my first day, "If we both do our jobs, we'll never have to talk to each other again." It should be little wonder, then, that that company is no longer in business. If marketing and IT are not working together or are working against each other, your company simply will not be able to compete in today's marketplace.

Over the last three decades, my teams have used the following best practices for working cohesively and cooperatively with IT for better outcomes (one of which is a happier workplace).

1: Learn how you each contribute to the business and where you can improve

Once marketing and IT start talking to each other and compare notes, it's often remarkable at how much they have in common. Both departments are responsible for improvements to the bottom line, process optimization, and enhanced productivity. The key here is to figure out where those items intersect.

For example, I recently implemented marketing automation software at SiteSpect. Our IT department and various software owners helped make that happen, and I could not have done it without them. But I also tried to do as much on my own as possible, knowing that we're a thrifty, agile company with not a lot of overhead. By respecting those parameters and working within our culture, I helped contribute to the business by not creating additional burden on our technical resources.

2: Align goals, roles, and procedures

There was a time when marketing came up with the strategic and creative execution of its programs and relied on IT to do the heavy lifting on infrastructure and technology. Today, so much marketing technology exists that marketers are investing their time, budget, and staff on using tools that enable them to get the job done on their own.

At the same time, this creates an imperative to work even more closely with IT to ensure that security, privacy, and other corporate IT standards are met. A good example of this happens every day with our customers, some of the world's largest online businesses who use SiteSpect's Web and mobile optimization software to improve conversion rates and revenue.

At the start of every SiteSpect implementation project, we figure out and agree ahead of time what we need to achieve, who should do what, and when and how those things would get done. It was as close to flawless execution as you can get because we align goals, roles, and procedures ahead of time. You can do this for any project, plan, or day-to-day task: it's the easiest and most efficient way to minimize interpersonal conflict and confusion in the workplace.

3: Take joint responsibility for wins and failures

The obvious place where marketing and IT win or fail is marketing technology. If you are not making processes more efficient across the board and creating better experiences for customers, you're not winning. And neither department can do this alone. The only way you can win is together.

That's why it's more important than ever for marketing and IT to be in alignment and collaborating on a regular basis. Whether it's building a new website, mining data, creating a better e-commerce flow, or rolling out new apps, both marketing and IT have their role to play, individually and together.

Kim Ann King is the Chief Marketing Officer of web and mobile optimization firm SiteSpect

IBM attempts to conquer the cloud with plans to introduce 20 new industry-specific tools

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IBM has created 12 industry-specific subscription-based cloud solutions, the company said May 29. The releases include specific healthcare, mobility, asset management, customer data and predictive asset management tools.

IBM's cloud-based healthcare solution is designed to help institutions improve patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs by integrating care management, analytics and patient engagement. IBM's mobility management cloud-based tool will include mobile accelerators, designs and development models to help organizations across all verticals improve mobile application and site development.

IBM's asset management tool is designed to provide clients that haven't invested deeply in asset management the opportunity to maximize returns. IBM will also release a customer data tool that will leverage analytics in order to help IBM clients maximize marketing return on investment, and a predictive asset tool that is geared toward enabling proactive analysis.

Additional releases

IBM has also announced customer analytics, fraud prevention, digital commerce, adaptive learning, emergency management, marketing management, and real estate management tools. Each of which is designed to provide businesses with the tools necessary to manage data regardless of industry or specific cloud-based need.

IBM also plans to introduce eight cloud-based solutions that will be rolled out throughout 2014. It is unclear what the additional solutions will focus on or when during 2014 they will be announced.

TP Vision is a beta user of IBM's customer data solution. Albert Mombarg, Director of Smart TV at TP Vision, said via statement that IBM's solution allows the company "to provide[s] an economic, more flexible way to create new services for our viewers, driving ongoing business innovation."

IBM's cloud vision

IBM has invested more than $7 billion in 17 acquisitions to accelerate its cloud initiatives. In March, IBM completed its acquisition of database-as-a-service (DBaaS) provider Cloudant. The purchase is intended to further IBM's interests in big data and analytics, cloud computing and mobile.

Last week, IBM said it will provide OpenStack integration and cloud virtualization and management capabilities across IBM's server portfolio. The service is designed to enable organizations to more easily adopt and integrate the cloud with their existing IT infrastructure.

Earlier this year, IBM said it would commit $1.2 billion to expanding its global cloud footprint through an increased network of data centers. As part of the plan, 15 new data centers will be opened by the firm worldwide.

A recent IBM study revealed most organizations are unprepared for emerging technologies, and plan to increase IT spending as a result.

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Software : Microsoft demos 'near real-time' language translation for Skype voice calls

Microsoft demos 'near real-time' language translation for Skype voice calls
Facebook shuts the door on auto-sharing all your activity
Spotify recommends Android app update after single user's data snagged
World Cup boost for Windows Phone fans as ITV Player lands in time for Rio

Microsoft demos 'near real-time' language translation for Skype voice calls

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Since the dawn of humanity our propensity to speak in different tongues has limited our ability to fully communicate with everyone we encounter, but Microsoft reckons it might have sorted all that.

At the Code conference on Tuesday, the firm demonstrated 'near real-time' language translation for voice calls for Skype, which works just like having a real interpreter as part of the conversation.

Amazingly, the English-to-German Skype Translator demo from CEO Satya Nadella wasn't just your average proof of concept envisioning the tech of tomorrow either.

A beta app expected to land for Windows 8 users before the end of 2014, with a commercial roll out possible within a couple of years. Microsoft is also working on adding more languages and says the feature may come at a cost for users.

Resolving the mismatch

Microsoft said the project required a number of breakthroughs from its Machine Translation Team and researchers and engineers across the company in speech recognition and translation.

"The interesting thing about this project," project leader Arul Menezes says, "is we've got these two fairly complex technologies coming together for the first time to provide this end-to-end user experience."

The key breakthrough came in 2010 when the team developed a system for real-time speech-to-text and speech-to-speech translation of voice calls.

Since then the firm has been analysing conversational data, the way people speak on social media and the differences between how people write and talk in order to fine tune the technology.

"That's one of the things over the last year that my team's been doing, resolving the mismatch between the way people talk and the way they write," Menezes added on the Microsoft Research blog.

"If your translation system is focused on written text, it works very poorly with spoken language."

The firm says its efforts over the last few years have come close to solving what it had previously considered "an impossible task."

It's certainly an example of how Microsoft, with its vast resources and knowledge can take an established property like Skype and take it to unheard of levels. We're excited to give this a try.

Find out how Skype is matching Google Hangouts

Facebook shuts the door on auto-sharing all your activity

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Facebook is changing everyone's News Feed to feature fewer auto-shared posts, including what Spotify songs their friends are listening to and images they like on Instagram.

In a move to reduce auto-shared spam, the social network promises users' third party apps will post fewer stories on their behalf. Additionally, apps that auto-share your activity, such as Socialcam and Viddy, will need to prompt users with an option to opt out before apps can post the video to their timelines.

However, Facebook isn't doing away with sharing from third-party apps completely. In a developer update, the social network wrote it's prioritizing explicitly shared stories over automated posts.

By doing so, Facebook users should feel less confused by activity that shows up seemingly on its own. Meanwhile, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief knowing their News Feeds won't be flooded with "implicitly" shared posts all the time.

This time it's personal

Automated sharing helped build Facebook into an aggregator that allowed users to post practically everything they saw and did online.

However, in the last year the company has been trying to reinvent itself as a more mature and conscientious social network with revised privacy controls. By combing down the News Feed to promote explicitly shared content, Facebook wants to pull only the most interesting and personal stories from the web.

"In general, we've found that people engage more with stories that are shared explicitly rather than implicitly, and often feel surprised or confused by stories that are shared implicitly or automatically," Facebook's Peter Yang said in a blog post.

While auto-sharing helped Facebook grow as the internet's boombox, it's actually hurt the thumbs-up firm; Yang wrote that the number of implicitly shared stories has declined as people have come to associate these posts with spam.

Facebook does care! About your privacy, that is.

Spotify recommends Android app update after single user's data snagged

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Spotify has revealed it's the latest tech firm to fall victim to a security breach, with hackers accessing internal company systems and data.

The streaming giant claims only one user's data was accessed during the incident, which didn't include any passwords or credit card information.

Regardless of the minimal collateral damage, Spotify is logging everyone out at some point over the next few days and will ask them to re-enter their passwords.

As an extra precaution, the Swedish company wants users of its Android app to update to a new version, which it will guide them towards this week.

General precaution

"We take these matters very seriously and as a general precaution will be asking certain Spotify users to re-enter their username and password to log in over the coming days," wrote Spotify CTO Oskar Stal in a blog post.

"As an extra safety step, we are going to guide Android app users to upgrade over the next few days. If Spotify prompts you for an upgrade, please follow the instructions. At this time there is no action recommended for iOS and Windows Phone users."

Stal also advised Android users may have to re-download their offline playlists once the app is installed, which is infinitely better than identify theft, but a nuisance nonetheless.

The hack comes at an inopportune time for Spotify (not that there's a good time, of course) following the drama surrounding the much more substantial eBay security breach last week.

Spotify has been around forever, but check out our newly-updated review

World Cup boost for Windows Phone fans as ITV Player lands in time for Rio

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Rejoice, football-loving Windows Phone 8 users! The ITV Player app has just landed on your platform allowing you to leave the house more often during the World Cup.

The catch-up app arrives just a couple of weeks before the tournament begins in Brazil, offering live streaming of ITV1 ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV.

That means users will be able to tune into ITVs live games from the tournament without being glued to their (or their local pub's) television set.

As well as live content, users will also be able to catch up on the last 30 days of programming on demand.

Full house for Windows Phone

The arrival of ITV Player on Windows Phone 8 and 8.1 devices like Nokia's Lumia range now means users of Microsoft's mobile OS can access the full quota of catch up services from the UK's terrestrial broadcasts.

BBC iPlayer, 4oD and Demand 5 were previously available. However, the platform is still without Sky Go and Virgin's TV Anywhere.

Rumours the CITV portion of the ITV Player app may be streaming a special hosting a panel show featuring children analysing England's poor defending during the World Cup are yet to be confirmed.

Speaking of ITV, what's the latest on Apple's rumoured iTV?

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Apple : iMac shipment delays align with rumors of new, cheaper models

iMac shipment delays align with rumors of new, cheaper models

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Is that iMac on your desk looking old and crusty? Apple could have new models on the way, judging from how long it's taking for current orders to get shipped from the company's online store right now.

AppleInsider reported Monday that inventory for the current 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac models appear to be dwindling, suggesting Apple may be planning to unveil new versions at next week's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco.

Constrained inventory for older Apple product is historically a good indication that a new model may be launching soon, and the stars appear to be aligning with speculation last month claiming "a new low-cost iMac" may be in the cards.

That April prognostication came straight from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who also predicted Apple would boost this year's iMac sales to 4.8 million shipments, a 23 percent increase that could likely only be possible with the arrival of a new model.

Slipping dates

For months, iMac ship times from the US Apple Online Store have been holding steady at "within 24 hours," a timeframe that switched to "three to four business days" over the long Memorial Day weekend.

Buyers hoping for custom configurations such as a faster processor or more RAM are seeing even longer times, with shipping estimates of five to seven business days or as much as 10 business days in many cases.

And it's not just Apple: Many authorized resellers such as MacMall are also showing limited inventory, while e-tailer Amazon.com is completely sold out of the latest models, although third-party Marketplace vendors have limited stock at this writing.

Apple's last major redesign of the iMac came in late 2012, followed by an internal spec bump the following year; the Mac maker also slashed the base price of its MacBook Air alongside a similar spec bump last month, lending credence to the possibility of a cheaper iMac to come.

Will we also see a new iPhone 6 at WWDC? Follow the latest news to find out!

Software : iMac shipment delays align with rumors of new, cheaper models

iMac shipment delays align with rumors of new, cheaper models

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Slipping dates

Will we also see a new iPhone 6 at WWDC? Follow the latest news to find out!