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• 

  BQ Aquaris E4.5 is the first official Ubuntu Phone -- will anyone actually want it?

  Publié: février 6, 2015, 7:07pm CET par Brian Fagioli

  

  When it comes to smartphones, it is important to remember that they are not religions. All smartphones have data connections, a display, a web browser and for the most part, a camera. The underlying operating system is the big difference, but even that does not matter much, other than to be secure. In reality, for many consumers, it is simply a means to run apps.

  Windows Phone has a great user interface, but it lacks apps; this is why the platform is unsuccessful. Today, the world's-first Ubuntu Phone device is announced and it will be coming soon. The BQ Aquaris E4.5 is a dual-sim affair with a fairly low price tag. The question is, who wants it? From an app perspective, it will be behind even Microsoft's mobile OS. Other than the absolutely biggest Ubuntu followers, I cannot see an educated consumer making the purchase.

  "The world’s first Ubuntu phone -- the Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition -- will be available across Europe from BQ.com through a series of Flash Sales over the coming weeks. The BQ Ubuntu smartphone, which puts content at the heart of the experience, is the perfect balance between price and specifications and will cost 169.90 Euros. The date, time and URL for the first Flash Sale will be announced through @Ubuntu and @bqreaders on Twitter as well as Ubuntu G+ and Ubuntu Facebook within the next week", says Canonical.

  The company further explains, "the sleek, 8GB Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition comes in black. It features a five megapixel front camera and eight megapixel rear camera with autofocus and dual flash and full HD (1080p) for super-sharp video. The rear camera is also equipped with high-quality BSI sensors and a Largan lens. It features a MediaTek Quad Core Cortex A7 processor running at up to 1.3 GHz and 1GB RAM for a faster experience".

  The BQ made phone has nothing going for it from a hardware perspective -- even at 169 Euros, you can do better with an Android or Windows Phone at the same price.

  The Linux community is so fragmented, that users of other distros would scoff at owning an Ubuntu Phone. Linux users wear their distro as a badge of honor, and a Fedora or openSUSE fan for instance would not likely want a phone bearing the name of a competitor. Don't forget, Android is already representing Linux too.

  

  With all of that said, there are quite a few Ubuntu fans, and maybe they will be interested from a curiosity or developer perspective. Even then, buying the phone won't be easy, as it is being sold in a convoluted European-only flash-sale format that will likely lead to frustration and disappointment.

  Would you buy this Ubuntu Phone? Tell me in the comments.

  
• 

  Lepow Poki 5000 and U-Stone 12000 external battery chargers [Review]

  Publié: février 6, 2015, 5:57pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

  

  Working from home has its perks. I don't waste any time commuting. I get to eat home-made food at lunch. And, among other things, I never have to worry about battery life. If the battery of my smartphone is nearly done, I can always find a charger to top it up again. Life is easy in this regard, until I walk out the door.

  I don't usually plan my trips so that I go out with a fully-charged smartphone. This is the least of my concerns, to be honest. There's always a charger in the car. And, for the times when that is not an option, I carry either a Lepow Poki 5000 or U-Stone 12000 external battery charger. I'll be reviewing both in this piece.

  Before we go any further, I should mention that I received both external battery chargers for review, in early January. I have used them, when needed, since. I will be discussing both to give you a better idea of which size fits you best. Right, now let's move on and kick off the review with the smaller, and more battery looking, of the two, Poki 5000.

  As its name suggests, Poki 5000 has a 5,000 mAh battery inside. Using a 2.1 A phone charger, it is said to take between three and four hours to top up its battery completely. Based on my testing, it seems fairly accurate; that said, I haven't used a timer for more scientific testing (nor have I for U-Stone 12000 for that matter).

  Given that it takes longer to charge than a typical smartphone (be it low-end or high-end), my advice is to leave it plugged in at night -- or another time of day when it's convenient for you. The remaining battery capacity is indicated on a strip on the side, as shown below, which lights up when you swipe across. Nice touch.

  

  Poki 5000 is quite pocketable, and comes with a nice pouch to store it and the USB cable it comes with. It measures 5.04 x 2.54 x 0.52 inches and weighs five ounces, which means it can be carried inside a purse or a (larger) jacket pocket with ease. It's available in black, green, white and yellow; the model that I have received is, as seen in these photos, the green one. Poki 5000 feels decent to the touch. It costs $24.99, at the time of writing this article, on Amazon.

  U-Stone 12000 is bigger in every single way. It's got a 12,000 mAh battery inside, which is said to require seven hours to fully charge (again, with a 2.1 A battery charger). It measures 6.7 x 3.1 x 1 inches and weighs 12.8 ounces. U-Stone 12000 also has an USB cable, which is designed to be carried with it plugged in at both ends. It doesn't come with a pouch, but is shipped in an "oval dinosaur egg" like package, which doesn't look like it may hold an external battery charger inside. I like the grip on U-Stone 12000, which is covered by a textured plastic. It is available in Stone Gray or Khaki Brown. I'm reviewing the latter trim.

  Just like with Poki 5000, given that it takes an even longer time to charge, I recommending charging it over night as to have it ready as you head out the door in the morning. Seeing that it's got a really, really big battery inside, you can get away with charging it every two days (possibly rarer). As shown below, the remaining battery capacity is indicated by just four lights; it's definitely not as precise as with Poki 5000. It costs $34.99, at the time of writing this article, on Amazon (only the Stone Gray model is available new now).

  

  Let's move on to how you can leverage Poki 5000 or U-Stone 12000. Lepow may prefer to advertise the battery capacity in mAh like just about every other company (Apple, for instance, is an exception), but it doesn't give you an accurate representation. I won't bore you with the details, but the main idea is that in order to compare your smartphone's battery to that of an external battery both have to have the same voltage, which is never the case in real life.

  So, for the sake of accuracy, I'll refer to its capacity in Wh instead. With that said, what Poki 5000 can offer is 25 Wh. Similarly, U-Stone 12000 can give you 60 Wh. Now, let me give you some figures for some well-known smartphones. (I'm using flagships because they have the biggest batteries around, and, therefore, would strain the two the most.) Here goes:

  • Apple iPhone 6 -- 6.91 Wh battery
  • Apple iPhone 6 Plus -- 11.1 Wh battery
  • HTC One (M8) -- 9.88 Wh battery
  • LG G3 -- 11.4 Wh battery
  • Motorola Moto X 2014 -- 8.74 Wh battery
  • Nokia Lumia 1520 -- 12.9 Wh battery
  • Nokia Lumia 930 -- 9.19 Wh battery
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 4 -- 12.39 Wh battery
  • Samsung Galaxy S5 -- 10.78 Wh battery

  Now, here are a few tablets for good measure:

  • Apple iPad Air -- 32.9 Wh battery
  • Apple iPad Air 2 -- 27.62 Wh battery
  • Google Nexus 7 2013 -- 16 Wh battery
  • Google Nexus 9 -- 25.46 Wh battery

  Using the figures above, you can mix and match as you please. As an example, you could fully charge a 2014 Moto X and second-generation Nexus 7 from zero percent, but only once, with Poki 5000. Or, you could charge a Galaxy Note 4 twice, fully, also from zero percent using the same external battery charger.

  Meanwhile, a U-Stone 12000 can charge an iPad Air 2 twice, from zero percent, and there would still be some room left to charge a Lumia 930 or Moto X to more than 50 percent. Or, you could charge an iPhone 6 Plus five times or a Lumia 1520 four times, again with some charge to spare. Keep the Wh battery capacities of your mobile devices in mind as you choose which external battery charger to buy.

  (There is also a 10,000 mAh version of Poki, called Poki 10000, in case you like the design but want something bigger. U-Stone 12000 is only available in this capacity.)

  Since there is little that one can say about how external battery chargers work in real life, I will tell you that both Poki 5000 and U-Stone 12000 have performed as expected during testing. There was only one hiccup, when U-Stone 12000 or my iPhone 6 Plus refused to work, using an Apple Lightning cable. It could have been my phone that refused to charge. I couldn't replicate this issue again, however. With other devices, there have been no problems whatsoever. I should note that no Lightning or 30-pin Apple cable is provided. Same goes for a charger; you can use one you already have.

  
• 

  Could artificial intelligence really threaten human existence?

  Publié: février 6, 2015, 5:33pm CET par Barclay Ballard

  

  Last month, a collection of the world’s most renowned scientists and technology entrepreneurs signed an open letter from The Future of Life Institute warning of the potential dangers that unchecked artificial intelligence could bring.

  The institute cautioned that, while AI has the potential to do good such as eradicating disease and poverty, the risks are often being left unconsidered as private companies fund millions of dollars into rapidly accelerating research programs.

  While a Terminator-style apocalypse may seem far-fetched, examples of artificial intelligence are already all around us. Siri and similar mobile personal assistants, virtual agents on customer service websites, and even non-playable characters in video games are all present-day AI applications.

  However, while no one could reasonably suggest that AI is a threat to human existence currently, it is the technology’s unknown future that is concerning, particularly as artificial intelligence becomes more capable. As The Future of Life Institute warns, "Our AI systems must do what we want them to do".

  While it is easy to dismiss talk of the AI threat as misinformed nonsense or scaremongering, it is a view gaining some high profile support. Professor Stephen Hawking recently claimed that AI could "spell the end of the human race", while Bill Gates echoed his sentiment late last month.

  "I am in the camp that is concerned about super intelligence", said the Microsoft founder. "First the machines will do a lot of jobs for us and not be super intelligent. That should be positive if we manage it well. A few decades after that though the intelligence is strong enough to be a concern".

  Already, autonomous machines are being used to aid military campaigns. While the US prohibits fully-automated lethal robots, the Navy is developing semi-automated drone boats that can swarm enemy targets and the US Army is working on automated convoys to deliver supplies in a war zone.

  However, the development of AI weaponry raises a number of moral, ethical and legal problems.

  "Autonomous weapons systems cannot be guaranteed to predictably comply with international law", Prof Sharkey told the BBC. "Nations aren’t talking to each other about this, which poses a big risk to humanity".

  Recently, however, nations have been talking about the issue. The United Nations held a discussion on the matter at its Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) last year, while the subject has also received serious academic debate through a recently released Oxford University paper.

  Aside from the threat of physical violence, the mass deployment of AI robots would have huge socio-economic impacts, the likes of which we are currently unprepared for. Already robots are taking the place of humans in a number of manufacturing roles, but if AI develops sufficiently, we could see the approach taken in other areas of employment.

  However, while we must exercise caution against an AI-dominated future, the present is far from threatening. Artificial intelligence as it stands today often requires human involvement and the prospect of a fully-automated robot having a detailed conversation with a human being is still some way off. That being said, progress in this area is rapidly accelerating.

  Last year, it was announced that a computer algorithm had become the first example of AI passing the Turing test. Developed by World War Two codebreaker Alan Turing, the test is a benchmark for machines displaying intelligent behavior indistinguishable from that of a human. Eugene, as the computer algorithm was named, was able to convince 33 percent of judges that it was actually a 13-year-old Ukrainian child. While critics have dismissed this identity as being a lot easier to mimic than a full-grown adult’s, the feat is impressive nonetheless and points towards the technology’s remarkable advancement.

  As with any new and developing technology, scientists are right to postulate on both the good and bad potential outcomes, whether that’s regarding nuclear power, the Internet of Things or AI. As such, the debate surrounding artificial intelligence is an important one, but at this stage of the technology’s development, many will be rightly asking if it is also premature.

  Is artificial intelligence a threat to humanity? Not yet, but it is the responsibility of every scientist, researcher or engineer to ask themselves this question when developing such a transformative technology.

  Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.

  
• 

  Ashampoo reveals Ashampoo ZIP Pro

  Publié: février 6, 2015, 5:32pm CET par Mike Williams

  

  With so many great free archiving tools around for the PC, commercial packages need some seriously powerful features to stand any chance of success. Berlin-based developer Ashampoo has taken the plunge anyway by releasing their $29.99 Ashampoo ZIP Pro -- but does the program have what it takes to win us over?

  ZIP Pro’s Windows 8-like interface gets it off to a good start, pastel-shaded tiles floating over a white-gray background. And if this isn’t quite to your taste, there are a few alternative skins to try out.

  File format support is good. There’s full support for creating and extracting all the main archive types -- ZIP, 7-ZIP, CAB, TAR (TAR, TAR.GZ, TAR.BZ2, TAR.XZ) and LHA -- and it can open more than 30 formats. A Preview tool allows you to view many file types without extracting them, and ZIP Pro doesn’t only have Explorer integration: you can define exactly which right-click options you’d like to use.

  The program’s Encryption Suite similarly delivers much more than you might expect. It supports both ZIP and ZIPX AES 256-bit encryption; can sign, verify, encrypt and decrypt OpenPGP files; comes with a password manager, and has optional policies to set the minimum strength for your passwords.

  There are modules to create self-extracting archives, split massive archives into smaller volumes, repair broken Zip files, or convert archives from one format to another.

  Some tools are so capable they might replace entire applications all on their own. Zip Pro can rip CDs, DVDs and BDs to ISOs, then mount them as virtual drives on demand; a Cloud Browser integrates with your Dropbox, Google Drive, One Drive, Amazon S3, Azure and Box accounts without having to install their regular software; and "ZIP Scripts" help control all this to use the program as an automated backup tool, archiving the files or your choice, burning them to disc, or copying them to network, FTP or cloud destinations.

  We’re not yet sure how robust any of this really is. The most in-depth test we tried is seeing if the "Repair" module could recognize and fix a zip file if we simply zeroed the first two bytes (the "PK" signature): it couldn’t.

  The program does have a free build, but it’s annoying; the vast amount of its functionality is stripped out, and every time you carry out some tasks (create a self-extracting archive) it opens a browser window at the Ashampoo site. If you need a zip repair program then it might be worth a try, but otherwise we’d leave it alone.

  Ashampoo ZIP Pro is much more impressive as a commercial tool, though, particularly with its encryption, cloud storage and automation features. If you’ll use all that functionality, a 40-day trial build gives plenty of time to see if it’s right for you.

  
• 

  Gartner: Businesses are not prepared for the Internet of Things

  Publié: février 6, 2015, 4:12pm CET par Sead Fadilpašić

  

  Even though most IT and business leaders are certain that their business will benefit from smart devices in the next three to five years, very few organizations actually have a clear strategy on how to take advantage of the new market. That’s the result of a survey conducted by Gartner. The company surveyed almost 500 IT and business leaders and found that 40 percent believe the Internet of Things will benefit their business in the next three years, while the other 60 percent believe it will happen in the next five years.

  However, basically nobody has thought of a clear and concise strategy on how to take advantage of the emerging market.

  "The survey confirmed that the IoT is very immature, and many organizations have only just started experimenting with it", said Nick Jones, vice president at Gartner. "Only a small minority have deployed solutions in a production environment. However, the falling costs of networking and processing mean that there are few economic inhibitors to adding sensing and communications to products costing as little as a few tens of dollars", Computing quotes Jones.

  "The real challenge of the IoT is less in making products 'smart' and more in understanding the business opportunities enabled by smart products and new ecosystems".

  Gartner said that senior leaders still don’t have a full understanding of the IoT’s potential, and has singled out banking, education and insurance as areas where even the highest executives know next to nothing about the meaning of IoT for their business.

  Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.

  
• 

  Thanks to Snowden, NSA-GCHQ surveillance data sharing is now legal

  Publié: février 6, 2015, 3:45pm CET par Mark Wilson

  

  A secret UK court has ruled that the UK's intelligence agency GCHQ acted unlawfully by intercepting information gathered by the NSA. Investigatory Powers Tribunal said that because the rules surrounding the UK’s access to the NSA's PRISM and UPSTREAM program data were secret, data sharing between the US and UK was illegal. A case has been brought against GCHQ by Privacy International, Bytes for All, Liberty, and Amnesty International.

  But while the IPT said that accessing this information breached human rights laws this is no longer the case. Why? The illegality of sharing data collected through these surveillance programs centered on the very fact that they were secret. In blowing the whistle about what the NSA was doing, Edward Snowden unwittingly made this data sharing legal. Whoops.

  The IPT's ruling states that GCHQ's access to NSA data was illegal before December 2014, but after this time the documents revealed by Snowden has brought the sharing of gathered intelligence to the public attention -- it is now legal. The activities of the NSA are now something we are all too aware of. This is largely thanks to the revelations made by Snowden which led to a massive surge in public interest about government monitoring of web usage.

  Few would have suspected, however, that the documents leaked by Snowden would end up making the activities legal. The new ruling says that

  ...prior to the disclosures made and referred to in the Tribunal's Judgment of 5 December 2014 and this judgment the Prism and/or Upstream arrangements contravened Articles 8 or 10 ECHR, but now comply.

  So when we didn’t know about what was going on, it was illegal. Now that we do know about it, it's legal. The ethical and legal rights and wrongs of the surveillance have been questioned by many, and today's ruling will do little to silence those opposed to what is going on. Deputy director of Privacy International, Eric King, said:

  The only reason why the NSA-GCHQ sharing relationship is still legal today is because of a last-minute clean-up effort by Government to release previously secret 'arrangements'. That is plainly not enough to fix what remains a massive loophole in the law, and we hope that the European Court decides to rule in favor of privacy rather than unchecked State power.

  Privacy International and Bytes for All are now calling for the deletion of all data collected before December 2014. The two groups will also continue to fight against GCHQ access to NSA-gathered information, and the ruling is seen as being very bittersweet. James Welch, Legal Director for Liberty, said:

  We now know that, by keeping the public in the dark about their secret dealings with the National Security Agency, GCHQ acted unlawfully and violated our rights. That their activities are now deemed lawful is thanks only to the degree of disclosure Liberty and the other claimants were able to force from our secrecy-obsessed Government [...] The Tribunal believes the limited safeguards revealed during last year's legal proceedings are an adequate protection of our privacy. We disagree, and will be taking our fight to the European Court of Human Rights.

  Photo credit: Bocman1973 / Shutterstock

  
• 

  The Acme Made Charge case for iPhone 6 [Review]

  Publié: février 6, 2015, 2:40pm CET par Mihaita Bamburic

  

  I have never used a case with any of my smartphones. When the back is all plastic and there is no metal in sight, the added width and thickness that a case adds is not something that I can justify just to cover some superficial scratches that are not off-color. But then I got an iPhone 6.

  With nothing but metal surrounding the 4.7-inch display, I soon had a feeling I would be getting a case after all. On iPhone 6, scratches would look terrible, especially on my Space Gray model. I haven't found it to be as slippery as my colleague Joe Wilcox has, but this has also been of concern, more so than with any of my previous smartphones. Enter Acme Made Charge for iPhone 6.

  I received the case for review less than a month after I got my iPhone 6, in late-October. (There is also a version available for iPhone 6 Plus.) In the meantime, I purchased the black Apple Leather Case, which I have used until Acme Made Charge came to my door. The two are not designed to match the same needs, but there are some worthwhile observations to be made along the way.

  What makes Acme Made Charge interesting is the fact that it packs a short Lightning cable with it and has a kickstand. The cable is hidden behind the kickstand, and I think the design is quite nice, all things considered.

  Given that there is a Lightning cable and kickstand, Acme Made Charge is thicker than, say, Apple's Leather Case. It's also much heavier. It comes in at 138 x 67 x 7 mm (5.4 x 2.6 x 0.3 inches) and 100 grams (3.52 ounces). The iPhone 6 Plus version is even bigger, but, apparently, just as heavy.

  At the same time, it is also much more versatile. The former is made of matte plastic, which feels quite nice to the touch. Only the kickstand has a glossy finish. I quite like what I'm seeing.

  The kickstand is easy to deploy, requiring little effort to pull the bottom end from its place. It's spring-loaded, so there's just one position you can use it in. It can be quite useful when you're at a desk, as the display is angled just right so you can see notifications, make video calls and so on. You can use the kickstand both vertically and horizontally, although it's clearly designed more for the former scenario.

  

  At the same time, because the kickstand is off-center, tapping on your iPhone will see it rock slightly on a flat surface. It's to be expected, really, but it is something that you should keep in mind if you do a lot of typing like this.

  As I mentioned earlier, the Lightning cable is under the kickstand. It is held firmly in place, so it will not fall once the kickstand come out. The design works well. It is easy to remove when you need it, and easy to put it back once you're done syncing data or charging. It fits a bit too snugly for my taste at both ends, but it works as expected.

  Given that the Lightning cable is shorter than the length of iPhone 6 (I have not tested the iPhone 6 Plus version of the case, but I'm assuming it's a tad longer), you'll be keeping your iPhone very close to your laptop and charger. It's not much of a problem in the former case, but if you use a wall charger you won't like it. However, it'll work just fine with an external battery.

  

  Now, how well does it protect the iPhone 6? I am sure that the Lightning cable and kickstand are awesome to have, but the main goal of the case is, after all, to keep your iPhone intact in case of drops and scratch-free on the back. And I have to say that it is well designed in this regard. Fortunately for you, unfortunately for me, I accidentally dropped my iPhone 6 twice with Acme Made Charge on.

  Snapping my iPhone 6 on was easy, but removing it took a bit more effort. That's because the plastic basically has no give. Once your iPhone 6 is in, it stays there. The lateral sides are taller than the height of the device, so the display is protected when laid face-down on a table, which is great.

  Needless to say, all the ports and buttons are easily available, and the camera and flash work as if the case isn't even on. In this regard, it's better than Apple's own Leather Case, as the lovely tactile feel of the buttons isn't lost by snapping the case on.

  Now, on to the drops! The first time I dropped my iPhone 6 with Acme Made Charge on I had the misfortune of being in a place where the pavement isn't flat. The taller sides couldn't help. This resulted in a small chip in the middle of the screen. The case was perfectly fine though, proof that it's quite durable. I expect it to age well, assuming no such drops are involved.

  Being the lucky person that I am (well, that's not quite the right word, but I'm going with it anyway), I also had the opportunity to see how Acme Made Charge fares in a much more severe drop (again, accidental), from a few stories high. I have to tell you, the case looked much better than my iPhone 6 when I picked it up.

  There is a slight dent in the bottom right corner, scuff marks on the sides and the upper corners, but that's pretty much it (catching the marks with my camera is pretty tough, as it's black and I have no macro lens to show them off from up close).

  

  My iPhone 6, on the other hand, had a shattered display, and was very much bent. Hey, at least the back was still free of any scratches! I believe that, no matter how durable Acme Made Charge is, it couldn't have helped protect the display in such a high fall.

  Acme Made Charge did hold my iPhone 6 firmly in place. That said, the smartphone was bent right where I expected it to -- around the volume buttons, an area known to be structurally weaker from all the iPhone 6 bend tests. This explains why I "switched" to an iPhone 6 Plus, by the way. (I had insurance, which proved to be wise. Since the iPhone 6 model I had wasn't in stock, I was given the option to get an iPhone 6 Plus that was.)

  So, should you buy an Acme Made Charge case for your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus? Well, as always, it depends on what you're looking for. I think the kickstand and the hidden Lightning cable are awesome to have. Having the cable always on you will come in handy, trust me. When few people around you have iPhones, you can use it to charge your device using any USB charger -- Lightning cables are not easy to come by, after all. If, on the other hand, you drop your iPhone more often and Lightning cables are easy to come by, then you might want to look for a different case. It costs $49 for the iPhone 6 model, which is also something to consider. The price, however, is not bad, if you consider the features.

  (At the time I took these pictures, I only had my iPhone 6 to snap photos, which explains why it's not seen with the case. I planned on taking some nicer pictures later, but, sadly, the final accident ruined my plan.)

  Photo Credit: Mihaita Bamburic

  
• 

  Emojis and video -- how smartphones should be evolving the way brands communicate

  Publié: février 6, 2015, 2:00pm CET par JF Sullivan

  

  The emoji heart was, perhaps not surprisingly, the most used "word" of 2014. It’s the first time that the Global Language Monitor has awarded the title to a symbol, a significant moment for the English language.

  New digital formats continue to change communications; text speak was the first widespread digital vernacular and, although it might be out of fashion now, we still use words derived from that language today. We live in an era of images and video, where Pinterest, Vine and emoticons are prevalent in our lives. If people do use words at all, they communicate in 140 characters. Social and digital tools have also made people see symbols differently. Before the smiley face emoticon first appeared in a post to Carnegie Mellon University Computer Science General Board, from Professor Scott E Fahlman in 1982, or indeed prior to this in a public appearance in Puck magazine in 1881, would our brains have recognized the punctuation pictorially? Probably not. However, digital technology has taught us en masse to recognize the position of the open parenthesis relative to the hyphen and the colon.

  Smartphones Driving Digital Language

  Smartphones have been key drivers of a change towards visual language and the "smiley face" is just one example of this. Messaging services and apps, as well as the inherent nature of communicating "on-the-go" using a mobile device, means that images, emoticons and stickers are being used widely, as users turn to pictures to tell their story in short form, and quickly.

  The brands that embrace these mobile formats to speak the language of their customers will have a far better engagement mode, which is considered authentic and relevant. Brands’ marketing needs to evolve with these consumer trends.

  Innovations including over-the-top (OTT) communication mean that brands can reach audiences more directly and visually. With an OTT message, brands can get right into a customers’ pocket in a highly targeted manner, capturing their attention quickly with the ability to start a tailored conversation. This is highlighted in a survey by Intelligent Environments last year, which found that more than six in ten (61 percent) bank and building society customers aged 18 to 30, the equivalent of nearly seven million people, would like a WhatsApp-style messaging service from their bank.

  Brands can also use WebRTC technology to give customers the opportunity to "click to communicate", providing customer experiences through video, voice and instant messaging straight from a web browser or mobile app. By instilling real-time and visual calls to actions using rich media, brands can make services more personal and bring back the element of human interaction that sometimes is completely missing from digital communications. This is convenient for the customer and echoes the personal approach they would receive from brands face to face.

  The Language of Sharing -- If It’s Not Worth Sharing, Is It Worth Saying?

  Another element of digital language is shareability. People are now rolling out more content, from more sources, with more people, via more channels, more often, and more quickly than ever.

  Millennials (more so than any other generation) shape their identities through digital consumption, and the rich content that they share online is a strong indicator of brand affiliation. According to Customer Insight Group (CIG), 73 percent of millennials process information more deeply, thoroughly and thoughtfully when they share it and 85 percent say reading other people’s responses helps them understand and process current events. As a result, to make an impact amongst this influential generation, it’s crucial for brands to get involved in this digital language and to build shareability into their communications. For example, brands should ensure images are a regular part of their engagement strategy as a study found that more than two-thirds of tweets involving images receive a retweet, compared to just 30 percent of tweets that do not feature an image.

  Communications across mobile are a perfect way to trigger that sharing mentality, and the results speak for themselves; brands can capitalize on the fact that people are sharing 20 billion photos and 35 million selfies on Instagram, for example. In addition, a research report from ShareThis cites that millennials are twice as likely to purchase products they share or have been shared, so speaking the language of sharing will ultimately garner results for brands.

  Use Data to Inform Communications with Customers

  The leap forward in language and content sharing is also leading to new marketing and monetization opportunities. For example, according to Analysts Viktor Mayer-Schonberger and Kenneth Cukier "mining information about social media as it integrates, yields a goldmine for businesses and will structure business sales’ strategies going forward". Whether we are discussing a trending topic, commenting on a photo or sending an emoji or sticker, the noise we omit can be harnessed for targeted marketing.

  Astoundingly, 90 percent of the world’s data has been generated over the last two years. This exponential growth is as awe inspiring as it can be bewildering for brands and their marketers. As businesses turn from decisions based on instinct toward data-driven campaigns, they must surround themselves with the right partners to mine these insights effectively so that they can nurture the data and translate it into customers.

  With help, brands can evaluate today’s digital language, and therefore better understand customer behavior for targeting. However, marketing must not become lost amongst the reams of content already being produced. By using technologies like WebRTC brands can stand out with human interactions which are not only convenient, but are more direct, tailored and personal and build brand loyalty. A generic approach doesn’t cut it anymore; just as brands, and even consumers, change their communications style across their differing social media and digital channels, they must also address the languages and methods of engagement made popular via the mobile and now smartphone. Custom made, personalized and relevant content driven communication will make the mobile and millennial generation feel they are recognized, understood, valued and rewarded.

  Image Credit: igor.stevanovic/Shutterstock

   JF Sullivan is Acision’s CMO & EVP Strategy

  
• 

  Best Windows apps this week

  Publié: février 6, 2015, 1:18pm CET par Martin Brinkmann

  One-hundred and seventeen in a series. Welcome to this week's overview of the best apps and games released for Windows in the past seven days.

  Microsoft released preview versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint on systems running the latest official Windows 10 Technical Preview build. The company optimized the universal apps for touch and mobile use, and first reports indicate that they run fine on all devices regardless of screen size.

  On to the apps and games. As always, if I missed an app or game that has been released this week that you believe is particularly good, let me know in the comments below or notify me via email instead.

  Discounts this week

  The following games and apps are discounted by at least 50 percent in the coming seven day period.

  • exZeus 2, a 3D shooting game for $3.49
  • Text-O-Matic, typographic app for $2.49
  • Sound Meditation, relaxing sound app for $0.99
  • Rush for Gold: Alaska (full), strategy game for $1.99
  • Amadeus Melody Puzzle, a puzzle game for $1.49
  • Quoridor 3D, a 3D puzzle game for $0.99
  • Essential Anatomy 3, anatomy app for $9.99
  • Live Interior 3D Pro, interior design app for $9.99

  App of the week

  The Tribez

  

  The Tribez is a building game in which you develop your village from humble beginnings to a metropolis.

  Control and hire workers, the backbone of your village. You can use workers for a variety of tasks that include constructing new buildings, operating buildings and gathering resources.

  Quests are given to you on a regular basis which act as guidance and offer rewards on completion.

  Most activities require resources, workers and take a certain amount of time before they complete which means that you there are times where you cannot do anything but sit back and wait for tasks to complete.

  Your workers need food for example which you produce on fields or by gathering resources from bushes.

  Some tasks take hours to complete and you can either wait out the time or use premium currency to speed things up.

  Other apps

  Grand Theft Seagull

  

  Take control of a seagull in this endless running, or shall I say flying, game.

  You control the seagull much like you control runners in similar games. Swipe to the left or right to change lanes, up to fly higher and down to fly lower.

  In addition to that, you can shoot at things in front of you which comes in handy in later stages of the game when other seagulls and birds attack you or get in your way.

  You collect coins and earn experience while you are playing the game which you can invest in the build in store to gain access to various improvements.

  Achievement Art

  

  If you have connected your Xbox One account to the device you can install the application to display unlocked Xbox One achievements.

  In addition to browsing all your achievements you can furthermore download achievement art to the local system and set it as your lock screen image directly from within the application.

  Jewel Star

  

  If you like match-3 type of games you will definitely like Jewel Star as well.

  You are tasked with the usual in each level: reach a score threshold, bring objects to the bottom of the level or clear all ice.

  While that is still exciting if you like match-3 type of games, there is not anything new that the game adds to the concept.

  The game is well designed  and if there is one thing to criticize it is that it appears harder to distinguish between diamonds if you compare it to other games of its types.

  Selffina

  

  This is a basic income and expense tracking application. You can use it to manage one-time and recurring income as well as expenses.

  Transfers are linked to accounts which you can add and manage in the app as well. It ships with two accounts, bank and wallet, and options to add more accounts, a second bank account for example, as well.

  Survival Games Season 1 ($9.99, free trial available)

  

  Mindcraft meets deathmatch, that is probably the best way to describe Survival Games Season 1.

  It is an online game in which you compete against up to 15 other players. Besides fighting, it is also necessary to keep a constant eye on your stamina, food and sleep meters.

  As far as combat is concerned, you can equip melee and ranged weapons as well as armor. In addition to using these weapons, you can also lay traps or explosives on the map.

  You can customize your character to your liking and select character perks that give you an edge in one way or the other.

  The tutorial that you can play through is quite confusing as it is gives you contradicting instructions on what to do next. There are signs that describe how you would use a game controller to perform an action while overlaying instructions how to use the keyboard.

  Orb Trials

  

  Remember Marble Madness? Orb Trials plays fairly similar to the classic dexterity game.

  You control an orb that you need to guide to the level exit. You lose if you fall off the map but can restart it if that is the case.

  The game introduces new mechanics, switches, elevators or extending bridges in later stages to add to the complexity of the game.

  Orb Trials is a fun challenging game that you can play with the keyboard or touch.

  
• 

  Big names lined up for the Wearable Technology Show

  Publié: février 6, 2015, 11:46am CET par Wayne Williams

  

  If CES is any indication, wearable technology is going to be huge this year, so it’s no surprise that the Wearable Technology Show has doubled in size for its second outing.

  Boasting twice as many exhibitors and product launches as last year, the UK show moves to a new home at ExCeL in London, and will be co-located with the Augmented Reality Show, an event dedicated to AR, VR and smart glasses.

  There will be more than 80 exhibitors including Intel, Jawbone, Misfit, Samsung and Withings, and the show will be divided up into four different zones -- Innovation; Fitness and iHealth; Smart Textiles and Fashion; and Wrist Innovation.

  A conference program will feature over 200 speakers and nine dedicated tracks including Innovation and IOT; Wearable Start Up; Augmented Reality; Smart Textiles and Fashion; Connected Living; Medical, Performance Sports; Products, Payments and Retail; and Enterprise and M2M.

  "Last year, we launched the Wearable Technology Show when wearables had just started to enter most people’s consciousness and curiosity was on the up. The whole idea of wearables was new and fresh and inviting", comments John Weir, COO, Wearable Technology Show.

  "This year, we return with the Wearable Technology Show to a market bursting with new launches. Many have earmarked this year as the year the wearable market will prove itself. And I couldn’t agree more. The innovation and creativity hasn’t stopped. But now designers, futurists and start-ups have an even better idea of functionality and are creating products that solve real problems and make our lives easier, more efficient and more enjoyable".

  The Wearable Technology Show takes place at ExCeL, London, on the 10-11 March 2015. You can find out more at www.wearabletechnologyshow.net.

  Image Credit: gst/Shutterstock

  
• 

  Control PC user accounts with Quick User Manager

  Publié: février 6, 2015, 11:31am CET par Mike Williams

  

  If your PC has several users -- or you’re checking its security -- then you might occasionally want to examine or tweak its user accounts. You can do this from Windows, but it’s far from easy. Information and options are scattered across several applets, sometimes buried in the Registry, and it can take quite some time to find what you need.

  Quick User Manager is designed to simplify user management by making all the important details and settings available from a single interface.

  The program arrives as a portable executable, under 400KB in size. There’s no payload of any kind, no nag screen, not even a "Donate" button unless you click "About this app": it’s all very functional, ready to run and use wherever you are.

  On launch Quick User Manager displays a list of all your user accounts in the left hand pane. Click any of these and key settings and options appear in the right-hand pane.

  You can change a user account name, for example, or adjust its privileges (Guest/ Standard User/ Administrator). You’re able to set/ remove a password, choose new security rules (password can’t be changed/ never expires), or have an account automatically log on. And you can create or delete a user account directly from the program.

  Quick User Manager also gives access to settings that are more difficult to find in Windows itself. For example, when setting a picture you can define whether it’ll be centered, cropped or stretched to fit the account box. And if you want to keep an account private then you’re able to remove it from the Welcome screen with a click.

  There’s nothing revolutionary here, but if you’re tired of waiting for Microsoft to fix the regular Windows user account tools then Quick User Manager could still be very welcome. Take a look.

  
• 

  5 ways your business is at risk from a cyber-security attack

  Publié: février 6, 2015, 11:31am CET par Anica Oaks

  

  The Internet has changed the way that you do business. No matter what industry you are in, you value what your cyber network does for you in terms of connecting with clients and staying efficient.

  But, with advances in cyber technologies come more cybercriminals. No matter how sophisticated cyber security technologies and firewalls get, it seems that there is still a more sophisticated hacker capable of breaching your systems and stealing sensitive data. Believe it or not, three-quarters of businesses surveyed have reported that they have experienced a security breach in the last 12 months. As you can see, you are more vulnerable than you might think, and here’s how:

  You Fail to Invest in Encryption

  Hackers attempt to break through firewalls in an effort to steal information. From bank accounts and routing numbers, to social security and credit card numbers, businesses have a lot of sensitive data that they have to protect.

  When these attackers steal information, they can affect your reputation and cost you money. If you have failed to encrypt your data with full-disk encryption tools, your data may be vulnerable.

  You Are Not Wi-Fi Protected

  Did you know that it is much easier for cyber attackers to gain access into a network when you have a Wi-Fi network?

  Most security experts recommend that businesses connect to the Internet with a wired network, but if you do have a Wi-Fi network, then you need to have a complex password complete with special characters, numbers, and capital letters.

  Leaving Computer and Mobile Devices Vulnerable

  Not all cyber-attacks involve hacking into the network. Actually, a large portion of businesses who are targeted by "cyber" criminals are those who have had their computing devices stolen.

  If your business laptops, cell phones, tablets, and other devices are stolen, it is easy for the burglar to gain access into your network and find important personal and account information on you and your clients.

  Having special physical locks to secure devices can deter burglars looking for a quick score.

  Failure to Focus on Mobile Security

  The cyber infrastructure is turning mobile, and many companies have not developed a strategic plan to keep up with the growing popularity of mobile computing.

  If you use smartphones for conferences or tablet devices for estimates, your network could be at risk of an attack.

  Mobile threats are becoming so common that accredited institutions like Norwich University have developed an online master’s in information security that trains MS graduates how to stay ahead of these damaging threats. Mobile security needs to go to the forefront of your security planning.

  Employees Are Not Properly Trained

  You do not have to be a large corporation just to implement employee training programs that will prepare everyone to follow good security practices.

  You should teach your employees how to make strong passwords, how often to change passwords, how to spot a threat and how to avoid sites that make the company network vulnerable.

  By doing this, you can prevent potential attacks.

  There will always be the threat of cyber attackers as long as the Internet is around.

  While the threat is there, there are also ways to make your business more secure and less vulnerable. Brush up on security and be sure your company is equipped to survive.

  Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.

  
• 

  Could the FBI be involved in the Pirate Bay revival?

  Publié: février 6, 2015, 8:28am CET par David Curry

  

  The Pirate Bay re-launched last week to much fanfare after two months offline following a raid on the server room by Swedish authorities, but the new owners have revealed very little about the plan going forward.

  What started off as curiosity quickly became finger pointing. Twitter user 'TheAnonMessage' claimed users should stop using The Pirate Bay, due to CloudFlare integration and potential FBI IP bugs.

  Nobody knows who really runs The Pirate Bay, but the old moderation team were all removed as part of the relaunch. The Pirate Bay now allows people to 'report' malicious torrents instead of having a moderation team.

  Some claim the FBI re-launched The Pirate Bay or had connections to the owners, implanting IP bugs on all torrent’s uploaded for investigation.

  The Pirate Bay has denied these accusations, claiming CloudFlare is only a temporary measure to help with the influx of traffic on the torrenting site.

  CloudFlare is a cloud server provider, but is based in the US. Many privacy advocates claim CloudFlare is not a safe tool, due to the potential warrant-less searches from the FBI and other US agencies.

  On the topic of working with the FBI, The Pirate Bay has not responded, but TorrentFreak claims the accusations are "complete nonsense" but said that "general security concerns of using a US-based service are legitimate".

  The three original owners of The Pirate Bay are either in prison or disconnected from the service, leaving new mysterious admins in charge of the show.

  The Pirate Bay is still the most popular file sharing site on the web, but new services taking the 'Pirate' and 'Bay' name are being used by Isohunt and other torrent providers, to reap some of the benefits of two months offline.

  The FBI has not commented on The Pirate Bay rumor.

  Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.

  
• 

  Microsoft is fighting Ebola and other diseases with Kinect and Windows 8.1

  Publié: février 6, 2015, 4:12am CET par Brian Fagioli

  

  While the hype of Ebola is no longer the focus of the mainstream media, it remains a threat nonetheless. With that said, it is not a danger to the United States, as we are far removed from it. Even when it did come here, it did not cause pandemonium. Why? Because it is not easily spread; especially when safety precautions are followed.

  All human beings deserve to be healthy, regardless of the country in which they reside. In other words, even though a horrible disease isn't in your neighborhood, you should still care. Microsoft, an American company, is indirectly helping to fight Ebola globally, thanks to an unlikely tool -- Kinect. Yes, the same camera accessory for the Xbox One (and Windows developers) is also a tool in the fight against a virus.

  "Kinect's gesture-enabled interactions can be entertaining (think games), profitable (think marketing), or educational (think kinesthetic learning). And sometimes, they can be potentially lifesaving! Such was the case when the British Army asked CDS, a communications-solution company based in the UK, to create a touch-free interactive kiosk for use by possible Ebola victims. Part of a government-sponsored mission named Operation Gritrock, the kiosk will use video to provide critical information to people possibly infected by the deadly virus", says The Kinect for Windows Team.

  The team further explains, "having investigated the technological options, CDS selected the Microsoft Kinect for Windows v2 sensor to deliver a sensory, gesture-driven solution. This involved developing a customized Windows 8.1 application using the Kinect application program interface (API). The Microsoft UK Developer Experience team fully supported CDS on the development of the kiosk solution, which was slated to be field tested in January 2015.".

  Think about that for a moment -- technology being used to save lives, rather than play games and other nonsense. The kiosk can educate those that are possibly infected, while Microsoft's accessory helps keep the kiosk from becoming contaminated. Kinect's potential here extends beyond just Ebola, as other diseases are transmitted through body fluids like sweat and blood too. The innovative camera is very versatile.

  Heck, I want to see an ATM powered by Kinect -- the buttons on those are probably loaded with germs!

  Photo Credit: Albert Ziganshin / Shutterstock