Gregarius » BetaNews.Com » juillet 25, 2012

BetaNews.Com (13 non lus)

A 7-inch tablet from Apple would just create more lawsuits

Publié: juillet 25, 2012, 10:55pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

Apple is one of the most important companies in the world of consumer technology and one that has changed the destiny of the smartphone and the tablet. It came as a big surprise when the Cupertino, California-based company announced the iPad more than two years ago. In 2010, Apple made waves with its first tablet generating $9.566 billion in revenue from the iPad alone, and in 2012 it's making headlines again with a smaller, seven inch tablet it hasn’t even announced yet.

In 2010 Apple had the market all to itself, with the iPad dominating 83 percent of the tablet market. Why? The iPad wasn't designed to have the most cutting edge software or hardware in terms of features or speed, but it was conceived to offer easy-to-use software with hardware to match it, wrapped in a good looking package. It sold 14.789 million units in 2010 alone, so it's clear the idea caught on. The original iPad was released in a time when tablets weren't as popular as they are today, and despite previous efforts by Microsoft with the TabletPC, they never caught up. So what's changed?

Now Apple doesn’t have the market all to itself like it did two years ago, and it faces fierce competition from all angles. Considering that the climate has changed significantly in just two years, and today popular tablets are available at a mere $199 compared to a new iPad, which is priced starting at $499. If Apple enters the 7" tablet market, it won't have the same type of first mover advantage it had in the 10" market.

Developing a new product doesn’t happen overnight, and Apple has already had ample opportunity to look at its competition before developing a new product. Being in a privileged market position shouldn’t really cause any concern especially when you’re valued at more than $530 billion, and it doesn't give any reason to go after competing products to make room for their future ones. I believe the saying "pick on someone your own size" is applicable here.

Apple always has a reason as to why it’s asking for injunctions and filing for trials every time it deems it necessary, but this behavior is dangerous and comes as oppressive when the company initiating the dispute has the market advantage as its playing card. Apple sold more than 84 million iPads and that’s a very good number to be ignored. Being in such a position, is it warranted to go after competitors? Despite not being among us anymore, Steve Jobs declared a “thermonuclear war” against Android long before Apple released the sales numbers on the iPad. Is it the right move for the manufacturer that sells so many units to chase smaller players?

Despite claiming that Android is the source of all evil, they can only go after manufacturers. They are focusing their "thermonuclear war" on two Android device manufacturers at the moment: HTC and Samsung, and no combination of those two companies ends up spelling "Google." In the most recent trial of Apple v. Samsung, the Cupertino, Calif.-based corporation managed to obtain an Europe-wide ban for the Galaxy Tab 7.7. The Duesseldorf Higher Court (Germany) ruled that the Samsung-made tablet infringes upon Apple’s design rights while its appearance is too similar to the iPad. The ruling prevents the distribution of the Galaxy Tab 7.7 in the European Union, except in Germany. The decision excludes Germany because there has already been a ban on the tablet since October 2011.

That is going after the direct competition for a 7” iPad. But is the Samsung–made product all that important? Apple went for a Google-endorsed device in the past and failed, as the Galaxy Nexus is still on sale today despite original injunction. But they had to sue Samsung, who manufactures the device, and not Google.

So what does Google have now that is of interest to Apple?

You’ve guessed it: the most important product that’s able to make a dent in Apple sales numbers comes from Google. The Google Nexus 7 is a $199 tablet with a 7” 1280x800 display, 8 or 16GB of storage that’s running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and what’s very important is that it has almost exactly the same quoted battery life as the new iPad. The quad-core Tegra 3 chipset powering the ASUS-made Nexus 7 is very fast and because of the speed no one can complain about being underpowered. It’s a very popular product, which because of high demand even sold out last week. This is the true opponent for a 7” iPad, not the early-to-market Samsung tablet. The low-priced, but nicely specced Nexus 7 could force Apple's design and marketing choices.

Back when the iPad was released, Apple didn’t have direct opposition, and that was one of the key elements to their success. Now, the 7" tablet market is a race between Google and Amazon, and Apple has no momentum in the space.

Based on Apple's litigative track record, with a favorable ruling in Germany that prevents Samsung from selling their tablet in the European Union, the question becomes what Apple's next move will be.

Is suing Asus the next step?

Photo Credit: EmiliaUngur/Shutterstock
Why should I, a Windows user, care about Mountain Lion anyway?

Publié: juillet 25, 2012, 9:47pm CEST par Tim Conneally

As it has been widely reported today, Apple released its latest desktop operating system, OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) to the public. The operating system costs just $20 to download through the Mac app store, and is available to all current Mac users running OS X 10.6 or higher.

But you are a Windows user with no intention of switching over to Mac OS. If you bought a Mac you'd, probably boot Windows on it. You really have no place for Mountain Lion in your heart or mind, so what could anyone possibly say about it that would make you nod your head in agreement that a feature is cool or signifies one trend or another?

Let's see if I can at least raise your eyebrows or make you scratch your head. I tend to think of myself as a "general computer user" rather than an OS-specific entity, and there are a couple of things about Mountain Lion that fall into my "noteworthy" bin about OS evolution.

Convergence is a bit more gradual in OS X

The difference between "mobile" and "desktop" operating systems grows even smaller as Apple incrementally adds iOS features to OS X.

Apple's Marketing SVP Phil Schiller openly proclaimed the iPad was inspiring Mac OS development last year when OS X Lion debuted, including, most notably the "Launchpad" app menu.

In Mountain Lion, there's now a mobile-inspired notification center along the top of the screen, where calendar invites, app updates, and general alerts appear as they roll in. It is executed in a fashion not unlike Ubuntu's pop-up notification system.

Additionally, Apple has included Game Center in Mountain Lion, which is a social gaming hub where users can check leaderboards, achievements, and invite other users to play games. Game Center debuted in iOS 4 around two years ago.

Apple's convergence path is actually much more conservative than Microsoft's has been. In Windows 8, Microsoft will take a huge plunge into the touch-based "Metro" interface and gamble on a new style of tablet/notebook computing with Surface. Meanwhile, in OS X 10.8, it's still mostly the same interface, just with more mobile-style features thrown in.

Sharing everything with everything [Apple] is the future

This is a different type of convergence. This is the convergence of content which will eventually make everything available everywhere. Mountain Lion includes a "share to" feature in a number of its system apps, such as Preview and Safari. By clicking the share button, users will be able to send content (photos, videos, links, or documents) to their email client, to the new message center, to AirDrop file sharing, to Twitter, Vimeo, Facebook, and other social networks.

But when it comes to sharing content with other devices, Apple continues to act like a protective gatekeeper.

Mountain Lion includes AirPlay mirroring which allows users to share their Mac screen with their HDTV. Of course, to do that, they have to puchase a $99 Apple TV. But when they have one, they can essentially use any size HDTV as a wireless monitor. If you're like me, you've entertained the idea of hanging a 52" HDTV in front of your desk to use it as a giant, theater quality monitor for your daily computing tasks. Heck, maybe you've even done it. Mac users now have that option packed into their OS, and wireless detection of Apple TVs is automatic.

Pardon the pun, but not everything is strictly Apples-to-Apples. The new desktop iMessage application lets users communicate in an encrypted BlackBerry Messenger-like fashion with iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches with iOS 5 or later, as well as with other Mountain Lion-equipped Macs. It includes group messaging, video chat, support for various instant messaging clients between Apple devices, but it includes the ability to send messages to phone numbers and email addresses not associated with an Apple ID.

China is a strong PC growth market

With this OS update, Apple has included a whole set of upgrades geared specifically toward the Chinese market. Much of this is based upon language, including an improved handwriting recognition engine that recognizes nearly 30,000 characters, new Chinese fonts, fuzzy Pinyin text input that can better recognize regional spellings and pronunciations, and multi-language typing that recognizes Pinyin and English words in a single keyboard.

But language isn't all, China's Mountain Lion package is integrated with the most popular Chinese web services like Baidu for search, Sina Weibo for microblogging, Youku and Tudou for video sharing and uploading, and QQ Mail and 126 for e-mail.

Early in 2012, it was shown that Apple's total sales were increasing globally, but sales were disproportionately faster in China. In North America, Mac sales increased by 25 percent, while in China they grew a whopping 76 percent.

Catering to the Chinese market is, while growth rates remain high, a major priority.
ON AIR Skypes music details as you listen

Publié: juillet 25, 2012, 9:24pm CEST par Mark Wilson

Most people are keen to share their unquestionably excellent musical taste with everyone they know, and what better way to go about it than through a chat client. ON AIR is a plugin for Skype that enables you to share details of the music you are currently listening to by having your Skype status message automatically changed whenever a new track plays.

As well as track information, your Skype status can also be customized through the use of text, links and emotions. The plugin includes an extensive history section that keeps a record of all of the tracks you have been listening to.

There is currently support for 33 different media players, so unless you are using something fairly obscure, you should find that you are able to make use of ON AIR. If you are concerned about broadcasting details of everything you play in your media players, it is possible to choose to have the plugin ignore those of your choice. In this way it is possible to have ON AIR monitor what you’re playing in, say, VLC, but ignore the more embarrassing music you may choose to play in Windows Media Player.

In addition to changing your Skype status, ON AIR also proves to be useful at a more local level. Whenever the currently playing track changes, a pop up will appear with details of exactly what it is. You can then click this pop up to view more details about the artists, such as lyrics to songs, discography details and more.

You can find out more and download a copy of the free plugin by paying a visit to the ON AIR review page.

Photo Credit: CREATISTA/Shutterstock
Malware infects three-quarters of the world's top banks

Publié: juillet 25, 2012, 9:10pm CEST par Ed Oswald

File this story in the "Who do you trust with your money?" category.

Eighteen of the top 24 banks in the world have malware problems, security firm Lookingglass says on Wednesday. Even three-year old worms that have long had patches and fixes to address them continue to infect the PCs of banks, including Conficker, found (gasp) in the IT deployments of 10 of the top 24.

Other virus and malware of note found on these computers included DNS Changer, Gameover Zeus, BlackHole Exploit Kit, and Fake AV among others, the security firm says.

It is not clear what the extent of infection is, or how it may be affecting bank customers. "We don't have evidence that the infected systems are actively infecting other systems, but most of the types of malware involved are designed to infect as many other hosts as possible", chief scientist Jason Lewis tells BetaNews.

"There is a strong likelihood that the computers in question have infected other hosts", he continues. Lewis would not identify the banks in question, saying Lookingglass wanted to give these institutions time to address the problem.

Reinfection is also an issue. While these banking institutions apparently attempt to address their virus problems, the issues continue to come back due to unclean portions of their networks affecting cleaned areas. This could be due to large companies by nature being slow to apply updates and important patches that would otherwise close the holes malware exploits in order to spread itself, Lewis tells us.

"If hosts are cleaned, but not patched and nothing further is done to prevent reinfection, an endless loop occurs. Just cleaning a malware infection is not enough -- steps to prevent further exploits have to occur", he explains. "In some cases, the operating systems involved no longer have support from Microsoft, which means they will never be protected".

The latter is an obvious reference to the enterprise's insistence on hanging on to aging platforms. Take, for example, Windows XP: while Microsoft still issues security updates for the platform and will do so through 2014, it's likely many of these companies will continue to use it well past that date, or have not update to SP3, which is necessary to receive those updates.

Or even Windows Server 2003, which is no longer supported. Again, if the customer is not on the newer R2 version, they're unprotected too.

"The biggest take away from this research is that no one is safe", Lewis concludes.

So here's the big question: if the banks have such a serious malware problem, is our financial data really that safe? Enterprising attackers likely already know this, and may have already exploited these holes to their advantage.

Photo Credit: Oxlock/Shutterstock
BitTorrent: Entertainment's future is free, and includes RealPlayer

Publié: juillet 25, 2012, 8:55pm CEST par Martin Brinkmann

How do you monetize a technology that is hard to monetize? BitTorrent, the company behind all things torrent and the uTorrent client has several answers for that. Not long ago it began to offer the uTorrent Plus client that added features like antivirus protection, a build-in media player or a media converter for a price to the uTorrent program.

But that did not really solve the question that artists and other members of the entertainment industry were asking: how are they going to monetize their content using BitTorrent?

The Present

Today BitTorrent answers the question, by adding RealPlayer. You may ask what BitTorrent, artists and RealPlayer have in common? Well, BitTorrent's idea is simple: provide users with free media bundles that include an optional offer to download and install software. If you now think that this resembles how some companies and software developers distribute their free programs, then you are not entirely mistaken.

Adware may not be the appropriate term for the BitTorrent Bundle that is currently offered by the company, but it uses the same mechanics to monetize contents offered for free.

If you visit the website where the bundle is offered you land on a page that offers information about the bundle's contents.

You get 3 tracks from DJ Shadow's "Hidden Transmissions" album, photos and related items, which is a pretty good offering provided you like this kind of music. The page also lists RealPlayer software -- for PC users -- as an optional download and this is where it gets interesting.

Once you click on the download link you get another window that explains the concept and gives you the option to either include RealPlayer in the download or not.

Interestingly enough, all you get either way is a link to a torrent that you need to load into a torrent client on your system. Once you do that you will notice that RealPlayer is among the files that you download.

You'd still have to run the RealPlayer download on the system to install the software. If you ignore the download, you still get all the benefits without installing the media player on the system. According to the announcement on the official BitTorrent website, the company gets paid every time a user "downloads the free software offer packaged with the DJ Shadow Bundle". It is not clear if the initial web client download is meant by that, or the download of the full application after the user has launched the installer on the system. It is, however, very likely that the latter is the case.

The future

When you look at the idea from a top-down perspective you have to wonder if this is really a model that could work on a larger scale. The biggest issue here is that paid-to-install software offers are limited, and only work once for each user PC. What happens when the media offerings reach hundreds or even thousands? Will all include the same offer to install RealPlayer or another software program on the system, or will they all offer different applications that users would have to install to support artists?

Eric Klinker on behalf of BitTorrent notes that this is just one of a "number of new advertising experiments" the company will be testing in the near future.

Do you think that this is a substantial business idea, or something that may work with select bundles but not on a larger scale?
Free Wi-Fi comes to London in time for the Olympics

Publié: juillet 25, 2012, 8:19pm CEST par Wayne Williams

Virgin Media has already introduced free Wi-Fi to selected Underground stations -- with more to be added by the end of the year -- and now O2 is doing its bit to transform London into Europe’s largest free Wi-Fi zone with a roll out of hotspots at numerous landmarks across the city.

Free to access and use, irrespective of what network you’re on, the hotspots are already available at Oxford Street, Regent Street, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Parliament Square, with Covent Garden to be added soon. The first time you connect you’ll need to register your details, but after that you’ll be automatically connected whenever you get within range of a signal. Assuming, of course, that O2 doesn't suffer another network disruption like the one it experienced recently.

Speaking of the O2 initiative, which will remain free even after the Olympics have finished, Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, comments: "With millions of extra people coming to town for the Games, we want to ensure we showcase the capital as the best city in the world to work and visit, and the addition of free Wi-Fi to some of our most popular landmarks is crucial in helping to maintaining that reputation.”

But while free Wi-Fi is spreading throughout London -- Sky also offers hotspots at Overground stations -- the International Olympics Committee (IOC) has banned personal and private wireless access points from the games, going so far as to include them and 3G hubs on the list of items that will get you barred from any venue, alongside guns, knives, explosives, CS sprays, and toxic materials.

People will still be able to take smart devices like Android phones and iPads in with them though, and with the events drawing very large crowds it will be interesting to see how they intend to identify and stop people setting up their own hotspots should they choose to.

Photo Credit: London 2012 Olympic Games
Qualcomm unleashes the fastest (and most expensive) Android tablet yet

Publié: juillet 25, 2012, 6:52pm CEST par Mihaita Bamburic

NVidia, Samsung, you can keep your Tegra 3 and Exynos. There’s a new champion in the Android world of tablets.

There are people that only settle for the best products, so if you’re after the fastest tablet running Android you’re in luck: Qualcomm has the answer for you with the Snapdragon S4 Pro Mobile Development Platform (MDP) tablet. So how fast it is? Let’s just say that there is no Exynos or Tegra 3 that can keep up with this "evil" creation from Qualcomm.

A quad-core 1.5Ghz Krait CPU powers the tablet, together with 2GB of RAM and the Adreno 320 GPU, making for an incredibly fast system. A 13 megapixel camera with 1080p video recording, meanwhile, runs the show on the back. The tablet comes with Android 4.0.4 out of the box, but a Jelly Bean upgrade is not out of the question.

Currently, the tablet is being labeled as an "MDP," which means that it only targets developers. That should come as no surprise to anyone if we’re going to be seeing the Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset in future smartphones and tablets from known manufacturers.

So what should we expect from the Qualcomm chipset? The Snapdragon S4 Pro is targeted at smartphones and tablets, being available as both dual- and quad-core Krait CPUs with an Adreno 320 GPU. 1080p video recording and an up to a 20 megapixel camera is supported. The biggest news comes from 4G LTE support: quad core CPU and LTE wasn’t a popular combination due to the lack of support from chipset manufacturers.

So what’s the damage? BSQUARE has the tablet on offer for $1,299, which is a rather shocking price for consumers, but Qualcomm is aiming at developers and vendors to buy this tablet, which is only logical considering that it’s an MDP tablet.

The dual-core Snapdragon S4 that’s available today in the very popular Samsung Galaxy SIII and HTC One X (One XL internationally) when not paired with a battery-hogging LTE radio is an excellent performer in terms of endurance, with the quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro likely to offer similar performance when it comes to battery life.

Is it the cheapest tablet around? No, but it’s the fastest, and its point today is to show manufacturers and platform developers what it’s capable of.
Research in Motion isn't in a 'death spiral'

Publié: juillet 25, 2012, 6:24pm CEST par Derrick Wlodarz

The conjured term "death spiral" has been so overused in discussions about Blackberry-maker Research in Motion that one must ask: Are the tech pundits crying wolf too often, too soon? Do a targeted search for "Research in Motion death" on Google and you will easily see that this rush to judgement started all the way back in early 2010. Like the doomsday naysayers of yesteryear, RIM's date of decease has anything but solidified (to some pundits' shock.)

The short-term future for RIM is a rocky road indeed. With its face-saving Blackberry 10 OS release being pushed back another quarter into early 2013, the smartphone giant has little glitz to match the other big boys temporarily. Samsung's instant-hit -- aka the Galaxy S3 -- has already touched down. Google's got its latest iteration of Android, Jelly Bean, cooking for its flagship devices including the Nexus and the S3. And the iPhone 5 rumor mill just can't take a week off as of late.

Let's also not overlook the fact that RIM has announced upwards of 5,000 layoffs of its core staff to help trim costs and restructure internally. But does all of this add up to a near term death notice for the BlackBerry goliath? I doubt it - unless things get much worse, much faster, that is.

Perfection First, Market Release Second for Upcoming BB 10 OS

There's no denying that RIM's overzealous approach towards the development cycle of its most profound OS update to date is hurting its PR game. But even so, let's face it: RIM's never been a marketing genius and likely never will be. Their products fill gaps that Android and Apple devices have yet to fully figure out, and it's why RIM has a big shot here with their OS 10 reboot.

So far, they seem to be hitting the mark. Even the most hesitant analysts give BB 10 some high marks for first impressions of the new platform. BB 10 ditches the Java backbone of most BlackBerry OS versions to date and opts for the stable and steady Unix spine that comes with the new QNX-powered ecosystem that RIM purchased a short time ago. This upheaval in the underlying architecture will bring numerous functionality changes, like an arguably best-in-class modern touch keyboard.

Multi-tasking is also being taken to a new level with what RIM calls "Flow view" integration that tears down the walls when it comes to using different apps at the same time. From everything RIM has shown off thus far, BB 10 will hopefully meet our hefty expectations. It's good to see that their recent BB 10 preview at BlackBerry World in May lifted more than a few brows.

In RIM's defense, however, this begs the question: what's so wrong with getting their new BB 10 devices in perfect order before rushing to market? The Apple legions won't admit it, but by all realistic means, Siri has been a fluttering mess since release. Apple's own cofounder didn't hesitate to provide his own thoughtful lip service as to the sub-par effectiveness of Siri.

And the company has started defending itself against what is likely the first of many lawsuits surrounding misleading claims on what Siri can truly do. And should we even get into specifics about the sour taste left in everyone's mouths from the short-lived MobileMe? Being first to market is great - as long as you have a quality product to back up the fanfare.

All Doom and Gloom? The Numbers State Otherwise

No, I'm not delusional. I'm fully aware that RIM's current financial situation isn't anything to brag about, nor is their now stagnant BlackBerry 7.1 device offering. But outside of the circle of raw marketshare numbers for all the smartphone brands, RIM's outlook isn't as bleak as some make it out to be. For example, BlackBerry has continued its strong hold on the British market and actually topped two years in a row as the leading seller of smartphones in the United Kingdom.

RIM likewise recently announced that it hit 78 million subscribers globally (up from 70 million in September 2011.) And a recent interview by CNET with RIM's managing director for the USA, Richard Piasentin, brought to light the fact that RIM is still in clear control of smartphone sales to 90 percent of Fortune 1000 companies. Companies which, according to Piasentin, are very loyal to RIM.

The US Government is also hesitant on Android- and iOS-based devices due to the stringent security needs that only BlackBerry has been able to provide thus far. The DOD a short time ago approved many BlackBerry 7 devices for official usage, and the governments of Australia and New Zealand followed in similar fashion. If BlackBerry is safe enough for the leader of the free world, RIM still has some decent hope left for the ride into BB 10 next year. While government purchases don't see the kind of consistent sales upswings that smartphone makers need to stay viable, this relatively secure source of solid income for RIM should help keep the company's coffers afloat until BB 10 reignites the brand.

And while the US market may be a tough region for BlackBerry as of late, other parts of the world still admittedly flock to RIM's devices. Just over a week ago a report came out from SRG that placed BlackBerry Playbook tablet in second place only to "weakening" iPad in Canada. The Middle East is giving RIM a nice push as well, with a reported 140-percent increase in subscribers compared to a year ago. One of the primary reasons for RIM's continued success in the Middle East is consumers' love of BBM, the integral messaging service that was only recently replicated by Apple in the form of iChat.

RIM believes in the BlackBerry brand so heavily in its AMEA markets that it recently announced opening its own BlackBerry stores across the regions. Dubai will get a store, as well as Kenya, Nigeria and roughly 4,000 locations in Indonesia alone. Apple already has a budding presence in these territories, but if RIM holds to its word, it could outpace Apple's own mastered retail strategy.

BlackBerry Still Capitalizes on Core Strengths: Battery Life, QWERTY Keyboard, Messaging Heaven

People call me crazy when they find out what kind of smartphone I use. "Are you stuck in the dark ages?" That's probably one of the best responses as of late when I mention that I proudly carry around a BlackBerry Torch 9810. Am I really alone in the characteristics I adore in a smartphone? A physical keyboard, excellent battery life, best-in-class messaging, and portability that doesn't kill the pocket in my pants?

Outside of the Verizon-specific Motorola Pro+ Android phone, no one has realized that there is still a class of users that don't care much for horizontal sliding keyboard phones or pure touchscreens. Nor do I have much appetite for what is on the top-10 free apps list of Apple's iTunes Store. I live in my email, Evernote, mobile web browser, and the occasional Pandora. The rest is all a nicety, and BlackBerry handles my core needs without issue.

It's quite entertaining to place the question back on friends who flash their iPhones or big-screen Androids, but are endlessly stuck on power cords recharging when my BlackBerry's battery is just ticking down to about 50-percent empty. My computer repair company FireLogic depends on my ability to be 100-percent mobile & available when on the go, and I can't worry about when I'll be next to a power outlet.

And to those who think I've never given the other side a try, I actually did. I spent about a month on an iPhone 3GS a bit over a year ago and was not heavily impressed. Everything I relied upon for my daily work needs was slower or felt clunky. I guess in the end I still had access to oodles of free games from the App Store, something which Blackberry's App World can't touch in terms of raw numbers. And seeing how even Apple's flagship 4S still lacks 4G access of any sort, my HSPA+ capable BlackBerry Torch 9810 is still leagues faster when it comes to data rates. To top it off, no US version of the iPhone can even offer me WiFi-Calling like all the BlackBerries I've owned in the past 3 years. Apple's iPhone offering in my eyes is nothing but 'old hat.'

Numbers Don't Paint the Whole Picture

Research in Motion still has plenty of game left in it. It's sailing on a ship gone slightly astray for the past few years, but with BB 10, I think they've got what it takes to get back on the right course. Let's not make the RIM survival discussion merely about numbers alone. Apple has been in this same position as RIM before, lest we forget.

Its own unsavory little anniversary is coming up on August 6 - the day in 1997 that Microsoft helped keep Apple afloat with a generous $150 million investment. And look how far Apple has come since those dark days, when everyone thought they were otherwise done for in the wake of a Windows-powered world. If history has anything to say about this mess, I'm not counting RIM out just yet.

Derrick Wlodarz is an IT professional who owns Park Ridge, IL (USA) based computer repair company FireLogic. He has over 7+ years of experience in the private and public technology sectors, holds numerous credentials from CompTIA and Microsoft, and is one of a handful of Google Apps Certified Trainers & Deployment Specialists in the States. He is an active member of CompTIA's Subject Matter Expert Technical Advisory Council that shapes the future of CompTIA examinations across the globe. You can reach out to him at info@firelogic.net.
OpalCalc can make anyone, even you, a math whiz

Publié: juillet 25, 2012, 5:14pm CEST par Mike Williams

If you’re not comfortable with math then most scientific calculators will seem a little intimidating, packed as they are with complex functions which you’ll rarely, if ever use.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. OpalCalc is a very powerful calculator with some near spreadsheet-like functionality, yet it’s also presented in a way that makes it very accessible to even the most math-phobic of potential users.

The program opens with a simple, plain text interface, for instance. Type an equation in the left hand pane -- 2 + 50 * 12 / 8, say -- and the answer appears on the right: easy. The multiline interface also means it’s straightforward to edit and reuse some previous equation, which alone could justify your using the program over a conventional desktop calculator.

You don’t have to worry particularly about how you enter a calculation, either, as OpalCalc will do its best to figure out what you mean. Consider these lines, for example.

$80 + $400 for food and hotel
$350 for travel costs
$100 + 15% tax for room hire
$75 as £
total

It’s all very natural to read and write, yet OpenCalc has no problem with this. The program will add the figures together in the first line, work out the percentage in line three, even access current exchange rates to convert $75 to British pounds, before adding all four values together to give a total.

If you remember one or two OpalCalc keywords then you can take the program further still. “As”, for instance, is ideal when you need to convert a mixed set of units into a single measurement system, like “4inches + 75cm + 2metres as cm”.

Or if you place an @ sign at the start of a line then you can take advantage of OpalCalc’s date and time-related math: @11:00 to 13:51 as minutes, @today – 7 days, @17th August 2012 + 35 days + 8 hours, and so on.

And if you’re comfortable with math anyway then you’ll be pleased to see that OpalCalc has a lot of functions you can use here, covering trigonometry, statistics and more (click the Pi icon to the right of the toolbar to view the full list), which you can extend further with your own variables, functions and more.

One potentially significant problem here is that the free demo version of OpalCalc won’t perform calculations on more than five lines. Which means you’re not going to be able to create lengthy spreadsheet-like lists.

With a little thought, though, there’s still a considerable scope here for getting a lot of work done. And if you do want to upgrade, it need not be as expensive as you might think, because the author is currently allowing users to pay whatever they think OpalCalc is worth (the suggested range for home users is $5-$25, but the actual payment is up to you). Click “Upgrade OpalCalc” from the main menu to find out more.

Photo Credit: Joachim Wendler/Shutterstock
RipTunes converts YouTube videos to MP3s

Publié: juillet 25, 2012, 3:40pm CEST par Nick Peers

YouTube is a great source of music videos and with the large number of privately filmed videos it is a great resource for tracking down live performances by your favorite band or artist. When you are at your computer, there is nothing to stop you from visiting YouTube whenever you want so you can listen to your favorite songs whenever you want, but RipTunes is a free utility that enables you to convert videos into MP3 files that you can add to your offline music library. It's legit software, too, unlike scammers' video-to-mp3 converter security researcher Cameron Camp wrote about earlier today.

In many regards this is not out of the ordinary, but the way things have been implemented here make RipTunes more than worthy of mentioning. The app itself can be used to search YouTube without the need to visit the site itself, and as you search for artists and bands, you can start a musically tour of discovery as related or similar artists are suggested to you.

RipTunes features a built in player so you can check that particular tracks are what they say they are, and then simply double click to download. There are no complex settings to concerns yourself with as downloads are automatically converted into MP3 ready to be copied to the music player of your choice or just left on your hard drive. There is also the ability to create ringtones thanks to the inclusion of a simple audio editor.

Any of the files you have downloaded can be converted into a ringtone -- MP3 for Android users and M4R for iPhone owners -- and all you need to do is to select the portion of a track you would like to use. You can then choose the volume at which you would like the ringtone to be played and you’re done. At its heart RipTunes is a simple tools built on a simple idea, but it is a well-polished tool that gets the job done with panache.

You can find out more and download a free copy of the program by paying a visit to the RipTunes review page.

Photo Credit: olly/Shutterstock
Simply set up Parental Controls with Kurupira Web Filter

Publié: juillet 25, 2012, 2:43pm CEST par Mike Williams

If you’ve tried setting up parental controls before, you’ll know this can often involve a lot of work. You may need to create accounts for each one of your children, for instance, before defining in very precise detail exactly what sort of content they can access, and what they really shouldn’t.

And so we were very surprised to see how straightforward the free Kurupira Web Filter was, by comparison. No “per user” settings, no lists of content types, no real need to set up any web filtering options at all: the program automatically blocks “inappropriate” websites just as soon as it’s installed, without you having to take any additional actions.

Obviously this presents some challenges in terms of flexibility. If your kids are 14 and 15, for instance, you may want to allow far more content than if they were 4 and 5, yet there’s no option within Kurupira Web Filter to take account of this: the one setting somehow has to suit everyone (although you can turn it off temporarily for yourself, if you enter the program password).

This approach does ensure the program is very easy to set up, though. And if you decide the default web filter doesn’t suit your needs, then you can always try a different setting. There are options to block only sites you’ve specifically blacklisted, for instance, or grant access only to websites you’ve flagged as acceptable. Or you can even turn this aspect of the program off entirely.

Of course there’s more to Kurupira than web filtering. Browse its menus and you’ll find options to set time-based limits for your child’s use of the internet, for example.

And if you explore the Applications menus then you’ll find tools to define which programs your kids can run (and when), and which are out of bounds.

But if all this is sounding just a little too strict then you can always leave them to access the system as normal, then simply use Kurupira’s report tools to keep an occasional eye on their activities. Click the History tab, for example, and you’ll see the programs they’re using, the websites they’re visiting, the internet searches they’ve entered, and more.

And if you decide a program has been abused then it’s easy to take action. Just right-click the process name, select “Add title to blocked list”, and they won’t be able to run that application again in future.

Kurupira Web Filter is still a very blunt instrument, and its “one size fits all” protection strategy could be a problem. It’s extremely easy to set up, though, has a good feature set, and you can’t beat the price: if you’re looking for simplicity above all else then Kurupira merits half an hour of your time.
Scam sites lure victims with fake YouTube-to-mp3 converters

Publié: juillet 25, 2012, 6:35am CEST par Cameron Camp

Want to access the music tracks of YouTube.com videos on your iPod but don’t want to pay? You’re not alone. Recently, a crop of websites have popped up offering to convert the audio from videos to .mp3 files that you can then download at no charge. Sounds great, right? The catch: scammers are trying to capture the popular click traffic and redirect users to scam websites, where you might get more than you bargained for, in the form of free malware and other unpleasantness as a bonus.

Recently, we hosted a “cyber boot camp”, teaching high school students to attack and defend networks. One of our presenters, John Moffat, who often delivers security awareness seminars to teenagers and stresses the dangers of the “free” Internet, referenced this scam in his presentation. While Mr. Moffat doesn’t claim to be a malware expert, he knows a scam when he sees one, and does his best to help others avoid falling prey.

So what happens if you fall for one of these types of scams? Below we follow the trail of one example, with screenshots of what you might see.

In this example, I clicked on a highly ranked Google search results link, which pointed to a YouTube video itself, purporting to give instructions on how to convert their videos to .mp3’s.

When I did, it showed a non-video screenshot inside their video player, which directed me to visit a website directly. The video description came completely stuffed with keywords in the description to inflate rankings. Here’s a screenshot of what I was presented with:

When I typed the URL into a browser that the “video” recommended, I was taken to a site heavily laden with javascript (which my browser blocked with a plugin), third party content providers and Google Analytics, that said I had to complete a survey to get my “$500 Best Buy gift card”, which would also unlock the download of the free video-to-mp3 converter. Since I’d like a $500 gift card as much as the next guy, I clicked on that link.

I chose the Best Buy gift card offer. When I clicked on it, it took me to a page that shows that I could get a $1,000 gift card, even better!

I also noticed that the page wanted to use extensive javascript and third party content, triggering an ESET Smart Security warning that a website was blocked that was trying to send me tracking cookies. I also notice the site used significant bandwidth trying to load all its goodies, presumably to enable the successful completion of my 3 questions to get the $1,000 gift card right?

But surprise, after I completed the last question, I then had to enter my email, presumably to get the gift card. When I entered a fake email, I was then taken to a screen where I had to enter much more personal information, including my physical address, age, sex, and phone number. I also had to consent to being called by third parties about magazine subscriptions, etc:

Once you click ‘continue’ you get the next screen:

At this point, I notice that the original password that was promised to unlock my video converter download never materialized. It seemed clear that this rabbit trail I was following would not likely end any time soon, so I exited the websites, and finished up this article, hoping this accounting of what happens if you take the bait would dissuade others from falling for similar scams.

What’s the payoff for scammers? For some time now they have continually adapted their scam platforms to match new potential streams of traffic, and this is no exception. By gaining high search rankings through BlackHat SEO (BHSEO), every time a user clicks, their search popularity rankings, and associated ad revenue, goes up. Even if the user doesn’t fall for installing a “free premium .mp3 player” (laden with malware) or some such because they’re the “lucky one thousandth viewer” of the website, the scam website still makes money by cashing in on the traffic.

And many users might be convinced to download a premium, java-based player, with free malware as a bonus.

But to recount, this scam (so far) has attempted to send things that were blocked by ESET Smart Security, wanted to silently run questionable javascript on multiple pages, harvest my email address, along with physical address, age, sex, phone number, and get me to signify that I was over 18 years of age, and consent to the whole process. That doesn’t sound very close to free, it sounds like the beginning of a long string of nastiness.

At that point, I went to my favorite reputable .mp3 vendor and purchased a great blues track from yesteryear for 99 cents, and decided to forego the personal information harvest “for free”.

Photo Credit: Lasse Kristensen/Shutterstock

Reprinted with permission; screen captures courtesy ESET.

Cameron Camp is a researcher for global security provider ESET and has played a critical role in building the ESET North America Research Lab. Cameron has been building critical technology infrastructures for more than 20 years, beginning as an assembly language programmer in 1987 and eventually becoming an evangelist for Linux and open-source technologies with an emphasis on the security sector. Prior to joining ESET, he founded Logical Web Host in 1998, a data-driven web services company.
IDC Appcelerator survey reveals what app developers love and hate the most

Publié: juillet 25, 2012, 1:33am CEST par Patrick Roanhouse

International Data Corporation (IDC), in partnership with mobile platform company Appcelerator, announced results of a global survey of Appcelerator developers on Tuesday, The survey created a detailed profile of developers' outlook on the market, with a particular focus on development for enterprise.

At a high level, the survey showed that developers believe Apple is leading the charge in the enterprise mobile deployment; see Android only as a consumer opportunity; are excited about remote cloud service integration; and are cautiously optimistic about Windows 8 and Windows RT tablets; but see Windows Phone as disappointing.

iOS in Enterprise

A significant 53.2 percent of developers believe Apple iOS will "win" in the enterprise market, versus 37.3 percent of developers who believe Google's Android platform will. The most common reason for this belief is the already regular adoption of the iPad as a tool by both executives and workers. Also noted are the IT challenges of dealing with Android fragmentation and potential malware. Lastly, the survey found that enterprise developers question the value of Android deployment outside of traditional business verticals, such as in machine to machine communications.

They want Windows 8 to be good, but...

Most developers are polled as being cautiously optimistic about Windows 8, and find Microsoft's Metro UI to be especially compelling. An impressive one-third of all developers say that they are very interested in Windows 8 tablets. Yet devs have voiced concerns about the move to ARM platforms with Windows RT tablets. Developers, the IDC report notes, have distinct needs when porting ARM-based mobile apps to x86-based devices like Windows 8 tablets, which include the ability to support consistent user experiences and the ability to reuse as much code as possible, with tools to assist porting between architectures. If Microsoft can not provide this, Windows on ARM might be a bad venture for them.

Windows Phone *yawn*

Another hard fact from this report is that developer interest in Windows Phone has dropped sharply. The amount of developers "very interested" in Windows Phone has dropped from 37.0 percent in first quarter of 2012 to 25.0 percent in the second quarter of 2012. This was not unexpected, given disappointing WP7 handset sales to date and Nokia's recently reported competitive challenges. But they might have wiggle room to turn it around based upon the loss of developer favor for Android. In any case, turning around that sharp drop will take massive efforts on Microsoft's part.

The cloud is crystal clear

Mobile developers are committed to the cloud, and 83 percent of all developers in the survey plan to use cloud services in some capacity for their applications. For back end deployment, 50.4 percent of developers say they will use Apple's iCloud, and 49.1 percent say they will use Amazon's cloud platform. Microsoft's Azure trails with somewhat colder interest; yet another sign of Microsoft's weak mobile presence.

Tools of the trade

The survey reveals that two thirds of mobile application developers use multiple platform development tools to build apps now. This is mostly due to the sheer number of mobile operating systems in use. Most developers do not have the resources to develop a different version of their application for multiple platforms, so finding an all-purpose development toolset is paramount.

Therefore, significant momentum has been made for mobile HTML5-based apps that can be used on any platform. Using HTML5 allows for easy development of cross-platform apps that still support native push notifications, social integration, and authentication for cloud services.

Photo Credit: kentoh/Shutterstock