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How suitable is Windows 8 Metro for business developers?

Publié: mai 4, 2012, 11:01pm CEST par Chris Boss
What is Metro, Windows 8's new user interace motif, really all about? Does it fill all the needs of Windows users? Is Metro for consumers or for businesses? What does this all mean for the legacy desktop? These are some of the questions I hope to answer.

First let me say that I do not dislike Metro, and I don't want to give the impression that the new user interface is somehow terrible or a mistake. Microsoft has put a lot of work into Metro and some of the reasons for it does make a lot of sense. My perspective though as a programmer is based on the fact that the majority of software I have written over the years has been for businesses and not for consumers. Metro may very well be a success with consumers, but what about businesses?

For a start at answering that question and to appreciate what Metro is all about, you really have to watch the following two videos (with slides) from Microsoft's BUILD conference for developers:
- "8 traits of great Metro-style apps"
- "Designing Metro style: Principles and personality"
When you watch the videos, the conclusion is obvious. Metro is definitely geared towards consumers. Why?

What Influences Metro Design?

When Microsoft uses terms like "beautiful", "fast and fluid" and "immersive" to describe Metro, doesn't that sound more consumer-oriented than business oriented? The three influences at the core of Metro are:
- Modern design -- Bauhaus
- International typographic style -- Swiss design
- Motion design -- Cinematography
What does this actually mean? In simpler terms these three actually mean:
- Function is more important that appearance
- Fonts (type) and icons must be extremely clear, crisp, simple and legible
- Movement, especially with type, can exude emotion
Some people who see Metro applications for the first time, may notice certain features that are totally different than ones experienced with desktop applications on Windows 7:
- First is the use of a lot of open space.
- Second is the tendency towards user interface elements being very flat, rather than 3-dimensional.
- Third is the size of user interface elements tends to be much larger than with desktop applications.
- Fourth is the fonts seem to be overly simple to the point of not standing out.
- Fifth, transitions (effects) seem to be a key part of Metro. When you swipe the side of the screen (touch only) and another app takes over, the screen goes through an image transition (effect).
- Sixth, there seems to be a lot of movement in Metro.
If you watch the videos noted above, you will quickly see why this is so.

Personally, I find that while all of this is nice and exudes a bit of emotion, once you get used to it can be a bit fun. It also strongly says "Metro is for consumers". The motif is for tablets, and Metro targets consumers. Likely there will be many apps that consumers will enjoy when Windows 8 is finally released.

Metro Is Wanting When It Comes To Many Business Tasks

Why would I say this? In one video the speaker comments about Adobe Photoshop and explains that "Chrome", as they now refer to the legacy desktop, has a purpose and something like Photoshop really does better as a desktop application. Despite using terms like legacy on MSDN for desktop application development, they are also saying here that the desktop is superior to Metro for certain things, like Photoshop.

The speaker even makes the bold statement that basically the mouse is still the most accurate input device there is for computers and that the keyboard is still the fastest way to input text. Metro is geared towards touch, rather than using the keyboard and the mouse. This may explain why open space in Metro apps, with large user interface elements (ie. buttons) are the rule.

Even the name Metro comes from the idea of easy to read signs when traveling. This is the influence for the very clear type, open space and easy to read interface elements in Metro. The problem with this though is that the design used in travel serves one simple purpose. People are in a hurry when traveling and signs must be large and easy to read or the point is lost. When traveling on the highway, a large clear sign is vital. But a business user working on a computer is not in a hurry and using space effectively on a computer display is vital to productivity. True, font or typestyle clarity is still important, but this has always been the case.

The use of motion, while great for exuding emotion, in business software can often get in the way. This is one reason many Windows users turn off things like transitions (effects) so that the display is more functional, rather than one big animation. Actually the principle of functionality and movement sometimes conflict with each other.

One thing I really don't like in Windows 8 when running desktop apps is how when you scroll in a listbox or listview control, that when you reach the top or bottom of the list, the entire window bounces up and down. Does the user really need this bouncing effect to tell them they reached the top or bottom of the list ? Windows 8 and Metro have been designed to exude a feeling or emotion when using it, but doesn't that sound more like trying to exude emotions like in a movie, rather than working on a computer? Does a business user really need this bouncing effect?

Kinetic Typography

To appreciate what I am saying, try the suggestion the speaker in one video mentioned. Go to YouTube and do a search using the words: "kinetic typography".

The videos I watched were a lot of fun, but how does this translate into doing work on a computer. This may be fun for consumers, but surely it gets in the way when doing work. Yet this is a key influence on Metro, according to the speaker.

So What Should a Business Do?

As a programmer, personally, I would suggest that businesses simply design software that works for them, even if it goes against the design philosophy of Metro. If your software requires using space effectively (like Photoshop does), then stick with building desktop applications for Windows 8. This will also provide backward compatibility on all your computers that use Windows XP, Vista or 7. The mouse and keyboard just cannot be beat when it comes to accuracy and speed of user input.

If there are advantages of building a Metro application (ie. touch on a tablet), then consider the principle of functionality as more important than some of the other principles of Metro design. If a 3D-look for user elements improves the experience, then use it. While leaving more open space than desktop applications, still try to use space effectively. Avoid all the fancy transition effects, since they look nice initially, but in the long run they get tiresome. Fancy effects do not make software better or more productive.

Use commonsense when designing software. If it makes sense, serves a real purpose and improves productivity, then build it the way you prefer, rather than feel forced to follow the Metro design style. If anyone questions your choice, then simply point out the first principle of Metro design, which is functionality. Also remember, functional does not mean it has to be bland or without design. Button controls that are 3D rather than flat, may stand out better and serve a purpose. Colors have meaning in the real world, so use colors effectively in your software. Don't be afraid to emulate something from the real world either, even if it does not fit into the Metro style of flat and bland.

In all the years I have worked on software for businesses, one thing stands out: Ease of use and functionality have always been vital. Color when used effectively can significantly improve the ease of use in software. One should design software so it does a task well and so it can quickly be learned. Don't feel forced to design software that looks and feels like everyone else's software. Design it for a reason. Use common sense. Be practical. If it works well use it, even if it does not look like a typical Metro application.

Chris Boss is an advanced Windows API programmer and developer of 10 year-old EZGUI, which is now version 5. He owns The Computer Workshop, which opened for businesses in the late 1980s. He originally developed custom software for local businesses. Now he develops programming tools for use with the PowerBasic compiler.
Half of enterprises waste money on social CRM initiatives

Publié: mai 4, 2012, 9:36pm CEST par Ed Oswald

Is your business getting good value from customer relationship initiatives, or are you even able to quantity it? Gartner says unlikely. Only half of all Fortune 1000 companies are expected to see a positive return on investments in social CRM through the end of the year. The findings call into question the effectiveness of using the social web to further business objectives, or whether companies even have the capability to measure success.

Of those failing to achieve positive ROI, only one-fifth can actually measure these failings. That means an overwhelming majority of enterprises are losing revenue through failed social initiatives and don't even know it, the analyst firm argues.

"Social data, such as numbers of fan pages and weekly Tweets, is not enough to correlate with the contribution of top business objectives", Gartner research director Adam Sarner argues. "ROI, measurable business value and budget justification for social projects are becoming unavoidable topics for many organizations".

Gartner says the next two years will be vital. If companies are unable to tie true business objectives to social ones, it may spell trouble for the social CRM industry. That's why the firm expects over three-quarters of new social CRM initiatives that are funded will be tied to some form of measurement that can ensure positive ROI. As this need has increased, so has the demand for CRM services and software.

The worldwide market for such services and software will total $2.1 billion this year, up from $850 million in 2011. Also behind this increase is an expansion outside of the typical marketing uses for the social web: companies are increasingly using social initiatives to better sales and customer support initiatives. B2B relations also make up an increasing portion of these revenues: Gartner says by 2015 such uses will account for 30 percent of social CRM spending by 2015.

This presents a challenge for the social CRM vendors themselves, who will be challenged to think outside the box when it comes to development. "Vendors that can assemble a full set of social CRM functions and make progress in two or more areas, such as marketing and customer service or sales and marketing, will be best-positioned for success", Sarner says.

Photo Credit: nokhoog_buchachon/Shutterstock
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 review

Publié: mai 4, 2012, 8:48pm CEST par Clay Hamilton
I really like reviewing products, but don’t have the time or patience to measure battery life or benchmark the CPU, etc. I'm more interested in how a product like Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 fits in the scheme of things. How it suits real people.

So far, I think this tablet has gotten an unfair shake among major media. But the reviews at shopping sites tell the real story. This is a nice little tablet. The price is right, too, and it comes with Android 4.0 (aka Ice Cream Sandwich).

A Real Delight

Inside the standard white, tight-fit Samsung cardboard box there are no surprises. You get the unit, a charging cable, and an AC adapter. No headphones. I prefer it that way, as I have a nice set of headphones, and I’d rather take the cost out of the unit. There’s a manual, but I imagine it’s a giant cut and paste of everything the lawyers made Samsung put in the box. Leave it in the box with the receipt from the store or Amazon.

I’ll get right to the bad news, probably the worst thing I can tell you about the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. I don’t think other reviews mentioned this (see list later on). Samsung preloads the tablet with a lot of software. A LOT. And pre-loaded software, unlike a PC, can’t be deleted. It can only be disabled, which is simple to do. So when you open up the Storage section of the Settings you are going to discover the 8GB on the box translates to 4.5GB of free memory. Yep, 3.5GB is tied up by Samsung’s stuff, and there’s not really anything you can do about it.

So you need to understand that if you are going to carry this thing around and use it where there is no WiFi you’re going to have to pick up one of these, too, to expand the storage. So add $25 to the price of the unit to have a healthy amount of space to work when disconnected. If you are going to be in WiFi most of the time you’re in luck. You get 50GB of free Dropbox space for a year with this unit. Google Music allows you to load 20,000 songs that can be downloaded on demand.

Just be sure and turn the machine off and on every other week, and you’ll be fine.

Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 has a front VGA camera and a back 3-megapixel camera. The software shutter button has almost no lag at all, which is a big improvement over the Tab 8.9. Photo quality is good enough for web work but not astounding. Don’t buy this tablet to replace your camera (why would you anyway?) but it does a fine job at what I use Galaxy Tab cameras for, mostly for reference shots and copying things I’m too lazy to write down, or grabbing a business card on the go so I can impress the person handing me the business card by handing it back.

The camera also is great for catching moments when there’s nothing else to shoot with. It improves dramatically when the amount of light increases. The camera also has a lot of the standard Samsung perks, like the ability to take a panorama picture, which is great for getting the inside or outside of a business.

A Fine Heritage

Before I go on with the rest of the review, let me drag you through a brief history lesson. It's important context for Galaxy Tab 2 7.0's size.

The first tablet I can think of is the Newton. At the time it was awesome, but nobody could afford it, until it failed. That’s when I got mine. I had it about 3 days, then realized for the time being paper and pencil were safe. Pinnacle of tech between then and now was the Palm Pilot, which abandoned recognizing handwriting for teaching you a new way to write. The small size and the fact that it ran for a month on a pair of AA batteries made Palm Pilot great. If you were a hardcore user you eventually lost the ability to read your own handwriting.

But like the Newton, Palm Pilot primarily did one thing -- it was a day planner. It beeped when you were supposed to do something and put your Outlook calendar in your pocket.

Sometime in the past the mini-tablet leapt to the phone, and while Windows versions were excessively complicated and Palms were hopelessly underpowered that created the vacuum for the iPhone to emerge. It raised the bar.

Which leads to the iPad. The first words out of my mouth when I saw the iPad? "It’s too big" A wave of Steve Jobs' Jedi hand and use of the word "magical" and I bought one anyway. It was too big.

It really still is. Don’t get me wrong, iPad is a great lap tablet. When you're nestled in something that supports you to support it, it’s fine. When you have to tote, retrieve and work with it all day long, it gets unwieldy at times.

The Right Fit

Samsung decided to try to capitalize on this shortcoming and released a 7-inch tablet, the Galaxy Tab. It was the perfect size but had basic problems. It was too heavy, wasn’t that comfortable to hold and had iPad-style square edges. It had a version of Android prone to freeze ups, and when the Gallery app went South you just couldn’t fix it with a reset or anything. At least that’s how it went for me.

Still Galaxy Tab was the right size. Fortunately Samsung didn’t give up and today we have the Galaxy Tab 2 7.0. Let’s hit the high points. The curved plastic back solves two problems: The device feels better in your hand, and it’s lighter.

Some people have problems with the plastic back but let me tell you, build quality on this unit is nice. The back feels solid and the switches and buttons, too. This unit is built to last. Given the volatile nature of technology, this tablet will outlast its relevance and will be handed down (rather than thrown away) to make way for newer tech.

Ample Resolution

The screen is the same resolution as previous 7-inch GTs, WSVGA (1024 x 600), and that is plenty for much of what you would use a book-sized tablet for. It’s okay for reading a book. Okay to use as a day planner. Okay to watch a movie or TV show. Irrelevant when listening to music. Honestly, no tablet needs to be super high-resolution for one obvious reason: your fingers can only be so small. At some point if the resolution is high enough you can’t tap something with any certainty. I experienced that first hand with the new iPad when I had a heck of time tapping between specific letters.

The color fidelity of the screen is good and because it’s 7-inches with WSVGA, it has a good apparent resolution. It’s not pixel invisible like the “resolutionary” new iPad but it’s very close to the 100DPI limit the eye can perceive and you are not trying to schlep 3.1 megapixels when you just want to see the next headline on Feedly.

It only took a few seconds with the store demo unit to realize the screen was going to be fine for everyday use.

Now about speed. I never had or used a Galaxy Tab 7 Plus, which is supposedly faster but I did have a Galaxy Tab 8.9, and this feels much faster than it. The page flips in the launcher are fast and my true speed test worked just fine. I load Autodesk Sketch Plus and draw a long continous swirl as fast as I can. If the screen tracks and there are no skips in the line - it passes. The Tab 2 handled my speed test just fine. All of the apps I loaded performed better than on the 8.9 and no real noticeable lag even with a Bluetooth keyboard.

Ice Cream Sandwich

It’s hard to review a device that has an OS without talking a bit about the OS.

This, I believe, is the first Samsung to ship with Ice Cream Sandwich. Ice Cream Sandwich, which is different than Honeycomb (Android 3.x) but I don’t care what the OS technically is, I care about what it does. It still has soft buttons at the bottom of the screen, instead of hardware buttons and overall seems to run faster.

The first Galaxy Tab I owned ran Froyo (Android 2.20, which was pre-Gingerbread (Android 2.3). It was only two years ago but seems like the Stone Age. For the most part the apps back then were mostly Java-based layouts, and while they would capture the data the UI was kind of Fisher Price My First Tablet looking. Add that apps crashed a lot, and it was a labor of love to like the unit, especially with the ridiculous overly ambitious 3-D wall Gallery app that choked on your Picasa photos (by the way I do not recommend syncing your photos to your tablet; use the Dropbox autoupload instead). Most apps made your Galaxy Tab 1 look like a big freaking phone.

Fast forward to the Tab 2 7.0 and you have a very different experience. There are lots of newer apps with a much nicer interface and are more intuitive to use. They look better on the screen (Samsung has installed a Helv Neue font on this device) and there is no apparent performance penalty. I don’t know if this is because apps are more HTML 5 and less Java these days or not but regardless you’ll have a much better experience using this and other ICS device(s).

One minor annoyance, and I don’t know if this is ICS or Samsung’s Launcher, you can only use a subset of the screen for icons and widgets in the Launcher, which is a square portion of the screen that is the same portrait or landscape. In portrait mode there are two fairly large pieces of unused screen above and below your widgets and icons -- mildly annoying to me because I like to try to jam everything on the main screen (yep OCD). Because the Launcher is so fast on the Tab 2, and I want to preserve as much space as possible on the primary SD, I initially didn't load Go Launcher EX. When I did, it was slower than TouchWiz -- uninstalled.

Probably the ICS nicest perk: You can download and install Chrome for Android beta from Google Play store. This gives you the ability to sync your bookmarks in the background as well as have your open tabs move. Along with Google Drive, this makes any Android tablet a much better work device.

I need to point out the difference between Android and iOS as well.

You can write an application on your PC or Mac and install it on your Android device and run it. No developer fees. You can copy over a ton of material to a MicroSD card and load it into your device and watch, listen or read it. You don’t have to cloud it anywhere. It just goes straight from your PC to your Tablet. No trips to Cupertino, Calif. to get to Collinsville, MS.

That’s a big deal.

I can’t tell you how good a 3-D gamer machine this I don’t play them. I suspect it’s not the Droid you want in that department.

The Price is Right

So let’s talk about the most important feature of this unit. It’s the price. $249 USD. That’s really a deal. Subtract the $99 worth of Dropbox you are getting for free (which takes the sting out of the 4.5GB thing I opened with) and it’s actually less than the Kindle Fire ($199 USD). Let’s break that price down a bit.

The Tab 2 costs:
- 60 Big Macs
- 35 high-end domestic beer 6 packs
- 1.5 college textbooks
The new (too big) iPad -- that's the $499 one -- costs:
- 118 Big Macs
- 3 college textbooks
So it only takes 2 months of Ramen to pay for your Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.

This price point and the feature set make this, IMHO, the perfect wired campus companion. It’s also the perfect tablet for the person who goes home to a WiFi’d house from an open or guest WiFi’d workplace. It’s a great coffeshop device, too. It’s a good tool to get your life organized. Those are things that really appeal to me about this unit.

When the Kindle Fire came out at $199 price point, I was ecstatic -- finally a device that was affordable to lot more people. It only took reading the specs a few minutes to realize this was a shopping cart that played movies, books, music and selected games. It was a closed environment that required being in the Amazon App store to market to. It was the Apple model all over again.

Now with the Galaxy Tab, we have a device at a price point that is a smidge higher but with a lot more potential. It’s more open. If this is not the device that kills the textbook, then its next iteration will. This is what we need for education, and education is what we need to make the world a better place (steps down from his soapbox).

Closing Thoughts

Galaxy Tab 2 7.0's smaller size means littler hands can type on it easily in portrait mode. It’s light enough and comfortable enough to hold for a while. The applications available are good enough to manage your life, and even start an Internet business with (with the occasional help of a borrowed desktop). With Chrome and Google Drive installed, your stuff moves with you making anywhere you can get to Chrome -- desktop, laptop, Chromebook; Windows, OS X, Chrome OS.

You could easily create a USB flash drive Linux computer, install Chrome and carry everything with you in a sandwich bag. As an aspiring minimalist that has big appeal.

There are apps that allow you to create documents (you can even pair a Bluetooth keyboard), and you can code on it with an app like Droid Edit. You can remote into Windows and OSX machines with an app like PocketCloud if you needed to.

So when you first look at the storage and see you are down 3.5GBs out of the gate, you quickly get over the heartburn as you use the unit and see it still has plenty of room for more stuff. The performance of the unit is solid and it feels good in the hands. With moderate use I get two days between charges (see the other reviews for actual test).

Spot checking Amazon reviews, it gets 4 stars and many buyers echo my sentiments. The pros don't necessarily agree. Some of their reviews:
- PCWorld
- PCMag
- Cnet UK
- The Verge
- Engadget
Among these five reviews, you can find your deep geek questions answered in full. In the interest of full disclosure I read most of them before buying my Galaxy Tab 2 7.0.

I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this device and, yes, someone will announce a new and better tablet 2 weeks after you buy this one. Don’t let that stop you. Galaxy Tab 2 7.0 will be quite useful for a very long time.

Photo Credits: Clay Hamilton

Clay Hamilton is a web producer, educator and writer.
What do Yahoo's CEO, MIT's dean of admissions, Miss Virginia and a Buddhist monk have in common?

Publié: mai 4, 2012, 7:54pm CEST par Tim Conneally

A: They all lied on their résumés.

Scott Thompson, who was named chief executive of Yahoo at the beginning of 2012, has come under fire for putting false résumé information on documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Thompson's degree from Stonehill College is a BS in accounting, yet the information filed with the SEC said he also held a degree in computer science.

Yahoo stated the information was an "inadvertent error," and that it does not affect Thompson's qualifications in any way. All Things D's Kara Swisher pointed out this "inadvertent error" has been on Thompson's résumé for more than a decade.

While it is another black mark on the reputation of long-struggling Web pioneer Yahoo, it is believed that over half of all résumés contain false information of some sort, and these sort of high-profile "résumé shamings" are shockingly common.

Eleven months after assuming role of CEO of Bausch and Lomb, Ronald L. Zarella admitted in 2002 that his résumé contained false information about his education. He attended NYU from 1972-1976 while working at Bristol-Myers but didn't actually graduate. He admitted he had no MBA.

In 2006, Radio Shack CEO David Edmondson admitted that he "misstated" his educational history, claiming he had two degrees. Edmondson claimed to have a degree in psychology and a degree in theology from Pacific Coast Baptist College in California, when in reality he had none. He resigned after almost eleven years with the company.

Washington, DC Fire Chief Ronnie Few was found to have committed "significant deception" when applying for his job, according to a report released by the D.C. inspector general's office. In addition to listing a college degree he did not have, his résumé also listed two "chief of the year" awards he did not receive.

In 1998, Former Bloomberg News editor Jeffrey Rothfeder was about to be named CNBC's first managing editor, when CNBC officials charged him with padding his résumé. According to people familiar with the situation, Rothfeder's résumé listed that he attended University of California at Berkeley, and got a BA in English. Both statements, independent of one another, were true, but Rothfeder didn't graduate from UC Berkeley, and instead got his degree from New York State's Empire College.

MIT's Dean of Admissions Marilee Jones was forced to resign in 2007 after the school confirmed an anonymous tip that she had lied about her education on her résumé. She attended college for only one year, as a part-time student at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1974, but claimed to have earned both bachelor's and master's degrees from RPI. She also claimed to have received a degree from Albany Medical College, which was false.

Even a revered Buddhist monk, the Venerable Jigwang, lied on his résumé. In 2007 it was discovered that the monk, who grew a temple in Seoul from just seven members to over 250,000, had lied about holding a degree from the Seoul National University.

The Society of Human Resource Management, a trade association in Alexandria, Va., has found that the rate of false information on résumés has fluctuated between 40 percent and 60 for the last decade, and beyond false educational background, the false information includes fake work experience, and even fake references.

The practice is so common that business risk assessment company Marquet International keeps a tally of notable résumé fraud in a site it calls the "Résumé Liar's Club."

Looks like Marquet can add Scott Thompson to the club.
WinOptimizer Free 1.0 packs in 20 tools

Publié: mai 4, 2012, 4:29pm CEST par Nick Peers

Ashampoo GmbH has launched a free, cut-down version of its Windows optimizing and tuning suite. Ashampoo WinOptimizer Free 1.0.0 contains a subset of the functionality found in Ashampoo’s paid-for WinOptimizer 9, providing 20 separate tools for cleaning, optimizing, tuning and securing Windows machines.

Ashampoo WinOptimizer Free also provides a one-click optimizer, scheduling functions for automatic maintenance and performance optimisations and a scan tool for recommending tweaks.

As a cut-down version of Ashampoo’s paid-for product, there are a number of prompts to upgrade during the setup and initialization process, but users don’t have to activate or register for a free license code, enabling them to use the software from the off.

On first run, the user will be presented with a tool offering to scan for recommended fixes. These can then be reviewed and acted on if wished. The user can also jump to the Modules section and perform a one-click optimisation using all available tools, or browse the collection of 20 tools, divided into six categories: Clean up system, Optimize performance, Privacy & security, Tune system settings, Diagnosis and information, and File tools.

Highlights of Ashampoo WinOptimzer Free include a predictive disk defragmenter with the ability to defrag system files at boot time, an AntiSpy module for controlling whether or not applications can send information over the internet, context menu manager for tweaking the options that appear when right-clicking, plus a number of improved cleaning tools, Favorites tab for accessing popular tools and a number of new tweaking tool options.

Other interesting tools include a system benchmark, startup tuner, advanced process manager plus a selection of file tools, including undelete, secure erase, encryption and splitter/joiner utilities. All changes are monitored and backed up, allowing the user to undo major changes should problems arise, as can happen when using the Registry cleaning tools.

Features missing from the free version of WinOptimizer include a live tuning tool, which is designed to actively keep the system optimised and cleaned in the background, plus more extensive features in various unspecified modules.

Ashampoo WinOptimizer Free 1.0.0 is a freeware download for PCs running Windows XP, Vista and 7.Ashampoo WinOptimizer 9 is also available as a time-limited trial download – the full version can currently be purchased for $31.99 through the Downloadcrew Store, a saving of 20 per cent of the MRSP.

Photo Credit: studio online/Shutterstock
Norton 2013 beta supports Windows 8 Metro

Publié: mai 4, 2012, 3:11pm CEST par Mike Williams

Symantec has released the first 2013 public betas of Norton Antivirus,Norton Internet Security and Norton 360.

While there are few significant changes in the new builds, the interface has seen plenty of activity: security is provided by new Metro apps when installed on Windows 8 Consumer Preview; the interfaces generally have been optimized for use on touch systems; and new support for hardware acceleration should see the products become a little more responsive.

The new builds also offer small improvements in their various protection technologies. The Insight file reputation database will now see more rapid updates, for instance; Insight has also been incorporated into the firewall to “improve the ability to detect and block malicious network activity”; SONAR is able to monitor the behaviour of your applications, even when you’re running in Safe Mode; and the 2013 range are ready to work with the Windows 8 Early Launch Anti-Malware scheme, which means they’ll be launched before other boot drivers and so be better able to protect you against rootkits and other low-level malware.

Another small but welcome benefit this time around sees the 2013 packages download and install Norton Power Eraser during their setup process. And so if a scan completes, and you follow the “If you think there are still risks, click here” link, you’re not left to manually fetch the program yourself, as currently: Norton Power Eraser will be immediately on hand to try and hunt down any remaining threats for you.

Symantec also highlights what they call “bandwidth monitoring”, which “will help consumers avoid costly data overage fees by limiting non-critical updates on bandwidth sensitive networks”. In other words, if you’ve a particularly expensive connection then you’ll now be able to switch the program to “Economy” mode, and it’ll only access the web when absolutely necessary to download the most critical program and virus updates.

The major benefits here seem to be reserved for Windows 8 installations, then, but there are also a few useful improvements for everyone else, and if you’re interested in Norton tools in general then it may be worth taking a look. Keep in mind that they are betas, though, with plenty of bugs -- the Known Issues list has just a few - so don’t install them on anything that doesn’t have a full and complete system backup.

And if that’s not put you off, register at the Norton Beta Centrer to obtain a product key for your chosen package, then download your copy of Norton Antivirus, Norton Internet Security or Norton 360 2013 and take a closer look.

Photo Credit: alexskopje/Shutterstock
Is iPhone 4S obsolete?

Publié: mai 4, 2012, 2:51am CEST par Joe Wilcox

I repeatedly ask you questions in headlines, because I ask myself. This one is top of my mind following today's Samsung Galaxy S III announcement. My eyes bugger at the differences in size, features and most importantly benefits -- the majority of those coming from Samsung skinning Android 4 into seeming oblivion. It's hard to discern a way that Galaxy S3 isn't superior to iPhone 4S. If iOS 5 looked antiquated before, and it surely did, Samsung's TouchWiz-modified Ice Cream Sandwich makes it suddenly ancient.

But the question is bigger than hardware or software. Samsung isn't the world's No. 1 handset maker overall and in smartphones by lark. Apple is known for focusing on delivering benefits that matter, sometimes at the expense of hardware capabilities, and truly aspirational marketing. Galaxy S III evokes these qualities, with something more: real benefits without sacrificing hardware capabilities while using software to enrich the human experience. Then there's the aspirational marketing, as seen in the embedded video. Samsung does something Apple-like, only better.

Note: When I first started writing this post, I embedded the commercial from Samsung's YouTube; since, the video was made private. Fortunately, other people grabbed the video and uploaded to their YouTubes.

The Hardware

Colleague Tim Conneally serves up Galaxy S III basics in today's news report. I want to drill down a wee further looking at them in context of iPhone 4S -- and Galaxy Nexus, too. I include the other Android phone, as it's the only pure Ice Cream Sandwich model available, Google now sells it direct and in context of GN I asked last year: "Are iOS 5 and iPhone 4S already outdated?" Today's question goes further.

Let's start with the hardware, which also sets the bar for iPhone 5.

Galaxy S III: 4.8-inch Super AMOLED display (306 ppi) with 1280 x 720 resolution; 1.4GHz quad-core processor; 1GB RAM; 16GB or 32GB storage (64GB in future), expandable with microSD card; HSPA＋ 21Mbps (850/900/1900/2100), 4G LTE, GSM/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900); 8-megapixel rear-facing and 1.9MP front-facing cameras; LED flash; zero shutter-lag; 1080p video recording; accelerometer; ambient-light sensor; gyroscope; GPS; proximity sensor; digital compass; NFC, Bluetooth 3.0; WiFi N; 2100 mAh battery; carrier locked; Android 4.0 and TouchWiz "nature" UI. Measurements: 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm, 133 grams.

iPhone 4S: 3.5-inch multitouch display (326 ppi) with 960 x 640 resolution (800:1 contrast ratio); 1GHz dual-core processor; 512MB RAM; 16GB, 32GB or 64GB storage; UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz); 8MP rear-facing and VGA front-facing cameras; LED flash; image stabilization; 1080p video recording; accelerometer; ambient-light sensor; gyroscope; GPS; proximity sensor; digital compass; Bluetooth 4.0; WiFi N; 1432 mAh battery; carrier locked; iOS 5. Measurements: 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3 mm, 140 grams.

Galaxy Nexus: 4.65-inch Super AMOLED display (315 ppi) with 1280 x 720 resolution (100,000:1 contrast ratio); 1.2GHz dual-core processor; 1GB RAM; 16GB or 32GB storage; HSPA+ 21Mbps/HSUPA (4G LTE from Sprint or Verizon), 5.76Mbps (850/900/1900/1700/2100), EDGE/GPRS (850/900/1800/1900); 5MP rear-facing and 1.3MP front-facing cameras; LED flash; zero shutter-lag; 1080p video recording; accelerometer; ambient-light sensor; barometer; gyroscope; GPS; proximity sensor; digital compass; NFC; Bluetooth 4.0; WiFi N; 1750 mAh (HSPA+), 1850 mAh (LTE); carrier unlocked; Android 4.0. Measurements: 135.5 x 67.94 x 8.94 mm, 135 grams.

From a straight hardware perspective, Galaxy S3 outclasses iPhone 4S in most ways. Faster processor, LTE, front camera HD recording, memory expansion and more. Difference are much less compared to Galaxy Nexus or newer Androids, however.

Galaxy Nexus and iPhone 4S are available now. Galaxy S III launches on May 29 in Europe and over the summer in other geographies. Americans waited a long time for Galaxy S II. Samsung best not repeat later launch here and in China. Apple offers iPhone 4S through 230 carriers in 100 countries. Samsung promises 296 carriers in 145 countries. Distribution is everything -- well that, perception and marketing. Much depends on how quickly S3 launched globally compared to Apple releasing iPhone 5 -- or whatever it's called. New iPhone wouldn't surprise now, given third-generation iPad naming.

Almost Human

Apple and Samsung are engaged in a bitter patent dispute, with the iPhone maker alleging, among other things, copying. Not that Apple is a stranger to this. From a mid-1990s cofounder Steve Jobs interview: "Picasso had a saying, he said: 'Good artists copy, great artists steal'. We have, you know, always, ah, been shameless about stealing great ideas". I preface this next section such, because of what Samsung has done remarkable here to out-Apple, well, Apple.

The original iPhone stood apart from all other phones, not just smart ones, for its humanness. Touch, and its intimacy, and the way the handset responded to your proximity gave it a human quality. Suddenly the phone wasn't an inanimate object but more living thing. Apple extended humanness with each new model. Siri is best representation in iPhone 4S. Samsung seeks to bring this quality to Galaxy S III, and it's centerpiece to the product marketing. These human characteristic also derive from Ice Cream Sandwich and Galaxy Nexus.

(Well, hell, when I got to this point writing, Siamak Masnavi submitted: "5 things you should know about Samsung Galaxy S III". He draws out much of what I planned to here, but in different way. His story, as background for you, actually helps me to focus more on what these things mean in context of increased humanness.)

Other than Siri, Apple did little to add humanness to iPhone 4S. Still, Siri provides personality and responsiveness for those people who use it. Samsung promises much more, by extending different sensors' functionality around stunning software enhancements. Galaxy S III responds to your movements, seemingly anticipating your needs.

Responding to You

During today's launch event, Samsung Mobile tweeted what succinctly describes the product design and marketing approach. Galaxy S III "is effortlessly smart and intuitively simple, and is a phone that sees you, listens to you and understands what you want". I'll highlight just a few examples, many from the commercial embedded up top.

Smartphone proximity sensors turn off the keyboard when the device approaches the face, a capability that set apart iPhone in June 2007. It's standard feature everywhere now. Galaxy S III adds new responsiveness. For example, the front camera detects whether the user is looking at the phone and keeps the screen lit. How many times has your display gone dark while reading a website or ebook. The phone also can automatically turn on, if recognizing your face.

These is two related capabilities would make tech headlines everywhere, if introduced by Steve Jobs. They also add the kind of human responsiveness that once set iPhone apart from every other handset.

Something else: The feature, called "Smart Stay", is real innovation, not Samsung copying Apple. It's also stark example of Samsung out-Appling Apple by focusing on features that offer real benefits -- that are magical and truly useful rather than making a checklist of hardware components priority. Software development is an Apple hallmark, a differentiator coupled to hardware design. Samsung can do, too.

Another example: You're in the middle of texting someone and decide to call instead. Lifting the phone to your face places a call to the recipient. Or perhaps you take a photo of someone, Galaxy S III enhances your social life using facial recognition capabilities to identify friends and link to their social networking account. Right, Facebook and Twitter.

There's much more, but I'll end with S Voice, which is as close to a Siri competitor as you'll find right now -- and it understands 8 languages! You can wake the phone by voice command ("Hello, Galaxy" is changeable default). Sure Apple could, ahem, copy Samsung add something similar to iOS. But it's little touches to detail like this one that once defined Apple design.

Demos are one thing, real world usage is another. But from the perspective presented today, Samsung makes the S3 more human, more responsive to you, all while adding practical benefits useful to you and the people important to you. What's iPhone done for anyone since App Store opened in July 2008?

Photo Credits: Samsung
5 things you should know about Samsung Galaxy S III

Publié: mai 4, 2012, 12:41am CEST par Siamak Masnavi
Earlier today, Samsung unveiled the newest member of its Galaxy S family of Android-based smartphones, the Galaxy S III, at London's Earl's Court Exhibition Center at a press event dubbed "Samsung Mobile Unpacked 2012". Was it the disappointment that some people predicted? Hell, no! Not to me, at least. And I am going to tell you why.

Right up to today's launch event, there were many rumors/predictions saying that we would see a device with a 4.6 - 4.8 inch Super AMOLED screen, Samsung's new quad-core processor (Exynos 4420) running at 1.4 GHz, 1GB of RAM, and 4G connectivity (at least in markets that currently support it). All of these predictions came true. But there's more -- five things that set Galaxy S III apart from other Samsung smartphones and those from competitors.

But, First the Hardware

In terms of S3 hardware features, here's what Samsung announced today:
- 1.4 GHz quad-core Exynos processor supported by a new graphics processing unit (reportedly around 65-percent faster than the GPU on the Galaxy S II)
- 4.8 inch (720p) HD Super AMOLED screen with a scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 2 coating
- Very light (133g, or 4.7 ounces) and slim (8.6mm) design
- Fast, 8-megapixel rear-facing camera with back-side illumination for better low-light performance, as well as 1.9-megapixel front-facing camera
- Plenty of storage options in the form of versions with 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of on-board storage as well as a microSD slot (which should allow as much as an additional 64GB of storage)
- Removable 2100mAh battery
- NFC (Near Field Communications) for mobile payments
- WiFi Direct (offering device to device file transfer speeds as high as 300 Mbps even in places where there is no cell signal or WiFi network)
- Bluetooth 4.0 (which uses less power than Bluetooth 3.0)
- Finally, HSPA+ connectivity for most of the world but 4G LTE connectivity for certain markets (initially in North American, Japan, and Korea)
How do these specs compare to the Galaxy Nexus, this phone's closest sibling? Well, most notably, the Galaxy S III is faster (1.4 GHz quad-core processor vs. dual-core 1.2 GHz processor in addition to a faster GPU). Furthermore, it is slimmer (8.6mm vs. 9mm), and lighter (133g vs. 135g) despite having a larger display (4.8 inch vs. 4.65 inch). On a more subjective level, I would say that it has a better, more ergonomic design (supposedly inspired by the shapes of pebbles and leaves) and higher build quality.

Now on to those 5 Things

But the real focus of today's presentation was on Samsung's software innovations.

1. Samsung introduced a new interface called "TouchWiz Nature UX" on top of Android 4.0, which tries to be more Zen-like than its predecessor (TouchWiz 4.0), using sounds and visuals inspired by nature, such as a pond-like live wallpaper used for the lock screen.

2. The new phone tries to predict the user's intentions by using the camera, microphone, accelerometer and proximity sensor to perform clever tricks such as:
- Keeping the screen awake while the user is looking at it (a feature known as "Smart Stay")
- Allowing Siri-like voice control (a feature called "S Voice") for doing things such as searching for information, getting weather information, or organizing schedules)
- Alerting the user to missed calls or text messages when the phone notices that there is a call coming from the person who has been trying to reach you
It is too early to tell how well all these new features will work in practice, but just like Apple's Siri, they are features that are sure to make the Galaxy S III stand out in a very crowded market and that were designed to vow potential buyers in very Apple-like TV commercials (and that's meant as a compliment rather than criticism) which we will be seeing very soon.

3. New features make sharing with friends and colleagues easier. For example:
- "Social Tag" recognizes the faces of your contacts in photos
- "Buddy Photo Share" recognizes faces in a photo and offers to send that photo via MMS or email to everyone in that photo
- "AllShare Cast" uses WiFi Direct to mirror the phone's display to a compatible TV (ideally from Samsung), and if you don't have one of those, you can use the "AllShare Cast dongle" to achieve similar results to what you would get with AirPlay if you have an Apple TV
- "Group Cast" allows for collaborative work with people on the same network
4. There is renewed emphasis on expanding good, curated ecosystem, such as Game Hub, Video Hub and Music Hub apps. Music Hub is the most interesting since it offers scan-and-match functionality similar to what Apple offers with iTunes Match.

5. Samsung is serious about supporting the enterprise by offering better device management and on-device encryption.

Additionally, Samsung introduced a nice set of hardware accessories, such as a wireless charging station (similar to the Touchstone Charging Dock Palm introduced three years ago), flip cover, and car dock.

Samsung packed a lot into today's one-hour presentation. If you hate Android, what Samsung showed today won't win you over and persuade you to go out and buy a Galaxy S III. But Samsung fans and, in general, Android fans who are always hungry for the latest and greatest phones are likely to forgive the Galaxy S III's PenTile display and appreciate its impressive set of hardware and software features.

As for the majority of users out there who just want a really nice smartphone but don't care whether it is using iOS or Android, they are highly likely to be seduced by the very sexy Galaxy S III.

Photo Credit: Samsung

Siamak Masnavi received his PhD in computer science (from University of London) in 1992. Since then, he has worked as a research scientist and technical author for IBM and Canon, respectively, and as a software developer for Symbian, JPMorgan Chase and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He has also done some work as a freelance journalist for publications in United Kingdom and Russia. Since January 2009, he has been writing apps for iOS, webOS and Android.