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BetaNews.Com (8 non lus)

Why are non-iPhone makers so stupid?

Publié: septembre 14, 2015, 9:29pm CEST par Joe Wilcox

The first weekend of iPhone 6s and 6s Plus preorders are behind us, but Apple already looks ahead. This morning, the company presumably sought to quell last week's Wall Street jitters in statements to CNBC, Financial Times, and MarketWatch, among other news services popular with investors. This is perception-management at Apple's finest, and it is metaphor for success selling smartphones and why most competitors flounder by comparison.

I didn't receive the statement and so cannot attest to its veracity. But presuming esteemed financial news services accurately report, misdirection isn't much better than this. Apple doesn't give an exact figure, instead stating: "We are on pace to beat last year's 10 million unit first-weekend record when the new iPhones go on sale Sept. 25". How circumspect is that? Ten million the first weekend two weeks later?

Fearless Aspiration

Apple has good reason to calm storms of doubt about the new devices. During fiscal third quarter 2015, iPhone accounted for 63 percent of the company's total revenue. Future fortunes, and the present, largely depend on the handset's continued sales success. Perception management matters, but it's core to Apple marketing, too.

Look at how the company calls out otherwise mundane features by naming them. Throw a rock. It's the Lake Erie of nomenclature. You can't miss: 3D Touch, AirDrop, AirPlay, Family Sharing, iSight, Lightning, Touch ID, and more. Each of these carries connotations that are aspirational and/or feel good. More importantly, the naming makes the features easier to market and explain to potential buyers. Why no other phone manufacturer effectively imitates the tactic is brain boggling. There are attempts, like Microsoft's Cortana or Google's Android dessert names, but they are fleeting and inconsistent.

Effectively, Apple does in 2015 what it sought with the Macintosh in 1984: To make technology everyday useable and to make it more approachable by imbuing, at least in marketing, human-like qualities. The approach creates positive perceptions about the brand and products bearing it.

That's not enough. Apple's light shines brighter by building, and selling, a lifestyle around its products. No other tech company comes close. There is something elitist about that lifestyle. The marketing communicates that users of iPhone and other Apple products are special. They belong to a community sharing similar values and ideals, and the capability to pay more for it. Behind all is aspiration: If you buy Apple thingy X your life will be better.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus ads leading up to last week's successor launch are superb examples, like the "Shot on iPhone" series, emphasizing the photography lifestyle, or "Loved", using catch-phrase: "If it's not an iPhone, it's not an iPhone". Apple doesn't rattle off features in its marketing but demonstrates what people can do with its products. Additionally, by naming some features, the company makes their benefits easier to identify and remember. My daughter has always referred to webcams as iSight. Perhaps someone you know does the same? Vernacular like that is the marketing gold medal. Wait until some kid in the not so distant future exclaims: "Apple invented the pencil!"

Marketing, Marketing, Marketing

Selling something still requires promotion. Even with iPhone being so successful, Apple keeps brisk advertising pace that no competitor matches. Why the frak is that? I occasionally run live TV in the background some weeknights just to see who advertises what. I might see a dozen commercials, and often more, for Apple products—mostly iPhone, and some from cellular carriers—but few to none for other smartphones. "If it's not an iPhone, it's not an iPhone" is right when consumers see nothing else; like there is only one choice.

The digital lifestyle Apple promotes around its wares is aspirational and compelling. The company creates good feeling about tech and creates community around it. "If you buy Apple Watch, you belong to something"—or Apple Music, Apple Pay, iPhone 6s, or 6s Plus, as several other examples.

Why does no competitor copy Apple and perfect the approach? Samsung used to advertise more, as did Google. If you asked me to identify one feature about the newest Galaxy smartphones, I would say Edge, being part of the product name. But nothing else. However, I remember the Samsung commercials poking fun at so-called Apple sheep standing in long lines to buy new iPhones and what Galaxy handsets offered that iPhone didn't.

The weakness in Apple's marketing is the herd. Belonging isn't for everyone. Many people desire to be individuals; to stand out! Granted, Apple appeals to creatives and others who want to express their individuality, but always within context of the one community bearing the bitten-fruit logo. The Apple Way.

Apps enable freedom for personal expression on either Android or iOS, and there, where Apple excels, is identifying categories that matter more—like personal or professional healthcare. Google and its partners must do better.

Think Differently

Android's advantage should be choice and customization. No device is more personal than a smartphone, and that's something competitors supporting Android can exploit. Funny, fanboys get this concept. Why don't over-paid executives?

There's irony here and opportunity for competitors to read and copy the Apple playbook. After Steve Jobs' second coming in the late 1990s, Apple started the "Think Different" marketing campaign. At the time, the herd belonged to Microsoft and its Windows OEM partners. The bitten-fruit company appealed to people wanting to express their individuality and desiring tools that would enable them to do it.

Ironically, in 2015, Apple is the herdmaster, over a vast landscape of iOS users. Android may command larger overall global market share—82.2 percent based on second calendar quarter 2015 smartphone sales, according to Gartner—but Apple presents the only unified mobile platform with significant install base or continuing sales. Android is fragmented, even when considering market leader Samsung, which bleeds share (down nearly 5 points year over year to 21.9 percent; Apple, 14.6 percent. In the United States, Apple leads Samsung as measured by subscriber share, according to comScore—44.2 percent to 27.3 percent for the three months ending in July 2015.

The smartphone market is ripe for someone to do to Apple what it tried against Microsoft: Pitch "Think Differently". Sell Android as the platform for individuality, free expression, and freedom to choose. Renegades. Figuratively raise the rebel flag over Android much as Steve Jobs literally did over the original Macintosh development team in the 1980s.

Marketing must be sharp, creative, and funny—and blast the airwaves and InterWebs as frequently as Apple's, if not more. As I expressed in 2009, iPhone cannot win the smartphone wars. Android's numbers are too great. But Apple can win the mobile platform wars, which ultimately matters more. If the company's users are sheep, competitors are lemmings. They have been jumping off the cliff for too long.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/Brian A Jackson
Why the password is still here to stay

Publié: septembre 14, 2015, 8:39pm CEST par Guillaume Desnoës

With everything from your local takeaway to fashion retailers and airlines now requiring an account, it is expected that within five years we will have, on average, over 200 accounts requiring passwords.

Managing passwords has become a nightmare for almost all internet users. In the face of this, people respond differently. Some of us use the same passwords for all our accounts. This is naïve -- each password acts as a gateway to our valuable personal data and using a single password means that one breach results in vulnerability on all fronts.

The second type of internet user takes a slightly more cautious approach, using four or five different password variations. These users are hoping that their approach is sufficiently secure, without wanting to over complicate their busy lives. The final group are aware of internet security issues, use technology to help them generate strong password and keep their data secure.

Whatever your chosen method, the number of accounts that we manage makes life more complicated. Even when using only a few passwords and varying them slightly, it is difficult for our memory to keep up. We do not always remember what password matches our chosen website and suddenly we find ourselves using the tedious "forgotten password" function, and this is bound to increase as we sign up for more services and more online accounts.

Our first response is to instinctively blame the password (an outdated system used practically since the dawn of time) and advocate replacing them all together. The contenders for the successor to the password are numerous. Biometric identification often makes the headlines as it fascinates us and reminds us of science fiction films.

Online giants like Google, Facebook and Twitter are also making efforts to push their identification solutions, but are failing to success. More recently, we have seen Yahoo propose replacing passwords them with temporary codes sent by phone. The desire to "kill the password" is not new: in 2004, Bill Gates announced the death of the password, yet it is still alive and kicking!

There are many nice ideas in theory, but in practice nothing has established itself as the new standard for online security. Given this, we are likely to continue to use good old fashioned passwords for the foreseeable future and they remain the undisputed standard for 99 percent of online sites. Any new innovative contenders will struggle to change that unless they present the same attributes as the password. Unlike biometric fingerprints, passwords can be changed if they are hacked, and they are also anonymous and shareable. While we get irritated that our passwords are impossible to remember, we are not ready to give up their inherent benefits.

One day, perhaps there will be the perfect solution that will simplify the issue of identification online, without losing the many benefits of passwords. In the short term, we must continue to use many passwords and people need to pull their heads out of the sand. At the moment, this realization only really occurs after a user has been hacked and prompts them to think properly about their online welfare and security.

If the human brain cannot memorize everything, then people have to make better use of password managers, tools created for this exact purpose. Too many people remain ignorant, until of course the next hack comes along...

Guillaume Desnoës is head of European Markets, Dashlane.

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

Photo credit: shutteratakan / Shutterstock
Hackers are after our automobiles -- you can help Intel fight them, and win a new car too!

Publié: septembre 14, 2015, 8:10pm CEST par Brian Fagioli

Computers in cars have created wonderful advances in safety, navigation and performance. Of course, this makes automobiles far more complicated. By making vehicles internet-connected, however, we have opened them up to remote hackers. This is not just a theoretical vulnerability either; there have been actual proof-of-concept attacks on some Jeep models.

Unfortunately, this trend will likely continue. As long as cars are internet-connected, they will always be vulnerable to remote hackers. Today, however, Intel announces a plan to protect us from those evil-doers. You see, it has created the Automotive Security Review Board (ASRB).

"We can, and must, raise the bar against cyberattacks in automobiles. With the help of the ASRB, Intel can establish security best practices and encourage that cybersecurity is an essential ingredient in the design of every connected car. Few things are more personal than our safety while on the road, making the ASRB the right idea at the right time", says Chris Young, senior vice president and general manager of Intel Security.

Intel explains that it will "provide the ASRB with its automotive advanced development platforms on which to conduct research. Findings will then be published publicly as part of an ongoing process. To motivate the ASRB researchers, Intel will award a new car to the member who provides the most significant and impactful cybersecurity contribution that can be implemented on Intel's automotive platform".

If you want to join the ASRB, you can apply here. If you provide the best contribution, you could win a brand-new car (or the cash-equivalent if you don't need one). Unfortunately, the make and model of car is not yet known. With that said, however, the real reward is protecting society from cyber-criminals -- your submission can literally make the world safer.

Will you apply for the ASRB? Tell me in the comments.

Photo Credit: Vava Vladimir Jovanovic/Shutterstock
The best methods for transferring data between computers to ensure an efficient migration

Publié: septembre 14, 2015, 7:18pm CEST par Thomas Koll
There are currently more than 600 million personal computers in use that are at least four years old and ready to be replaced, according to research from Intel. That is a huge number of people who are going to buy new computers in the near future, and they will all need to migrate their applications and data to their new PC. However, moving into a new PC can be a challenge. Most users have spent years shaping a comfortable PC environment -- its "personality". Getting a new PC similarly configured and setup, with all the applications and data, can be a daunting task -- one that is time-consuming and often difficult for non-technical consumers.

The good news is that migrating data and applications between computers doesn’t have to be an arduous, dreaded, fear-ridden process. A new computer typically means faster computing speed, more memory and enhanced new features. It also represents an opportunity to start fresh by organizing your computer’s content (i.e. archiving old files and cleaning up folder structures) before the transition. Transferring files and data between systems or via the same platform doesn’t have to be a complicated undertaking if you know the proper steps to take. Here are the three stages of an efficient and convenient migration.
1. Preparation
Before the actual migration, there are a number of important questions every user should ask. First, what applications do I want to use on my new PC? Chances are that you will have a number of applications on your old computer that you forgot about and/or don’t want. Migration is a great opportunity to clean house. For the applications you do want to keep, check to see if they are compatible with the operating system on your new PC. You also want to check if the software vendor recommends new versions of its software. You may have to upgrade applications to ensure compatibility.

Another key question is, "what data do I need on my new PC?" Again, don’t waste your effort transferring data that you do not want. Start your computer’s new life without clutter. Once you have organized the data that you do want to transfer, make sure your old PC is free of malware. It’s a good idea to run multiple anti-malware scans, in order to avoid transferring infected files or malware to your new PC.

Finally, make sure you have an updated complete backup (or image) of your old PC. This is absolutely critical. You can find off-the shelf software that will create an exact copy of your hard drive as an archive, which means if something goes wrong with the migration, you have a fail-safe.

After addressing these questions, you can confidently begin the process of moving to the new PC.
1. Set-Up
The first step of your set-up is to be sure all Windows Updates are applied. Then the actual transfer can begin. While everyone can use a simple file transfer to get their data across, the process of using a cloud backup to sync files to a new PC can be very long, and data is easily lost along the way.

The smarter strategy is to use automated migration tools. Automated migration tools give you the ability to transfer all your data, settings, and even applications to the new PC; setup usually takes just a few minutes. While it is always a good idea to read the manuals, the tool handles the heavy lifting.

The transfer of data could take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on the amount of data on the old PC, and the age and speed of the hard drive. For longer transfers, just let them run overnight. Once the transfer is done, your new PC will have all the goods and personality you want. It can really be that easy.

When choosing a tool, check if it can filter out applications that are found to be incompatible with the new OS, especially coming from Win XP or a 32bit Windows. You also want to make sure the transfer of antivirus programs can be blocked. In general, antivirus software creates hardware-related drivers that are very specific to the old PC and operating system. This means that it’s important to update your antivirus protection.

Transferring your data and applications does not mean that the installed data or applications on your new PC will be overwritten. Rather, the old PC will simply be added to the new PC. There are some tools that allow the transfer to be rolled back, allowing for a "restart" of the migration, if you need. However, if the target PC has a different operating system than the old PC, then restoring an image of the old PC usually does not provide a workable migration because the old image overwrites everything on the new PC. Again, migration tools are the exception to this rule.
1. Post-Migration Clean Up
The last step in the new PC setup process is to deal with the old PC. First, be sure that applications now on the new PC are uninstalled from the old PC (as required by the software license you purchased.) If your old PC is being given away to others or disposed of, the hard drive should be securely erased to make sure the data cannot be recovered. Formatting the hard drive or deleting files is not sufficient here. Again, it’s a smart idea to use a professional tool to ensure that deleted data cannot be recovered, which could result in identity theft.

There are a couple of options for giving away your PC. Ask local recycling/refurbishing companies whether they are interested in your computer. And if the old PCs is in good working condition, you may be able to donate it to a charitable organization, and possibly get a tax deduction.

Getting a new computer is an exciting moment. You have a clean slate, a fresh start for your digital life. Start it off on the right foot with an efficient, protected, and easy migration.

Photo Credit: phoelix/Shutterstock

Thomas Koll joined Laplink in 2003. He is a former Chairman of the Board for Infowave, where he was involved in interfacing with the global business and financial communities. Thomas also served as Infowave's Chief Executive Officer from February 2001 to April 2002. Prior to joining Infowave, Thomas was Corporate Vice President of Microsoft's Network Solutions Group where he was responsible for Microsoft's worldwide business with telecommunication companies. Thomas was instrumental in developing Microsoft's vision for the communications industry and led the development of strategic partnerships in mobility, broadband and hosting. Prior to this, he was General Manager of Microsoft's Dedicated System and also their Worldwide Business Planning and Strategy. Thomas holds a Master's degree in Political Science from the Free University of Berlin and looks back at seven years of teaching in the field of International Politics at the Otto-Suhr-Institute.
Leaked Windows 10 build 10537 release notes show Microsoft's slow progress

Publié: septembre 14, 2015, 7:07pm CEST par Mark Wilson
Wzor has come up with the goods once again. After leaked screenshots of Windows 10 build 10537 earlier today, we've been treated to a follow-up of release notes and ISOs. This build has not been officially released by Microsoft so you won’t be able to download it through Windows Update, but we're sure that you'll be able to track down a copy if you're particularly keen to try it out.

We've already mentioned some of the changes that are to be found in this latest build (MICROSOFT.WINDOWS.10.CLIENTPRO-CORE.TH2.10537.X64.OEMRET.ENGLISH.DVD) but the official release notes go into more detail. Dating back to 2 September, the release notes detail not only the new features and changes, but also the bug fixes. But, perhaps more importantly, it shows that progress has slowed over at Microsoft.

Windows Insiders have insatiable appetites for new builds of Windows 10, and Microsoft has been slow to deliver the goods recently. With a build number jump of just five from the last official release, it would perhaps be foolish to expect anything major to be included in build 10537 -- although stranger things have happened -- but the list of changes is notably short. In fact, just three new features are mentioned:
- Faster Start menu navigation using group header letters.
- New color options for the taskbar, titlebars, Start menu, and Action Center.
- A tweaked context menu for the Start menu.
In terms of bug fixes, just nine are listed and this particular build also introduces a number of new problems and issues. It is no longer possible to load EdgeHTML from Internet Explorer 11, and a problem with facial recognition sensors means that Windows Hello does not work properly. The lock screen may exhibit issues, and there are also a range of problems with the Narrator feature.

Check out the release notes in full over on Wzor's website.

Photo credit: Suzanne Tucker / Shutterstock
Microsoft throws the Windows 10 touch UI baby out with the bathwater

Publié: septembre 14, 2015, 5:47pm CEST par Randall C. Kennedy

With major changes in the Windows touch interface in version 10, it’s worth looking at how Microsoft’s approach to on-screen input has evolved since the release of Windows 8. For example, whereas previous versions essentially forced a touch-first UI onto users, Windows 10 features a more adaptable UI that changes based on the user’s input method. Whether or not this constitutes an improvement for most users will depend on which platform they are migrating from.

If a user is switching to Windows 10 from a mouse-and-keyboard centric UI, like Windows 7, chances are they’ll find Windows 10 to be more familiar and welcoming than Windows 8 or 8.1. This is mostly because of the former’s inclusion of a (heavily modified and "evolved") Start Menu, for which many Windows 7 users have shown a particular affinity. However, if a user is approaching Windows 10 from a touch-centric environment -- for example, Windows 8.x running on first generation tablet PC, like an ASUS VivoTab or Dell Venue 8 Pro -- they’ll no doubt find the new UI model a bit jarring and, in many cases, counterproductive.

In fact, there is a real sense among Windows 8.x enthusiasts that Microsoft has somehow thrown the "baby out with the bathwater" -- that in its effort to appease Windows 7 users, the company too quickly dismissed many of the positive and functional aspects of the Windows 8.x touch interface.

Case in point, the Start Screen. For desktop users who interact with their PCs primarily though a mouse and keyboard, the Start Screen was an unwelcome burden. Being forced to navigate what was clearly a touch-centric UI paradigm using non-touch input methods was a significant challenge, and the loss of the emblematic Start Menu further cemented user resistance to the change.

But for those who experienced Windows 8.x primarily through touch, the Start Screen was a revelation. Not only did it let them organize their most frequently used apps for quick access, it made accessing the full breadth of installed apps and programs a single swipe affair. For these users, transitioning to the bifurcated Tablet Mode UI of Windows 10, with its cramped list of installed applications, requires significant mental readjustment along with a healthy dose of motor memory retraining.

Similarly, the decision to drop the controversial "Charms" menu in favor of various Android and iOS-like "hamburger" buttons (so called because of their distinctive icons with three horizontal lines) was well received by Windows 7 users but lamented by users of touch-centric Windows 8 devices. These latter users must now hunt for the much smaller "Start Button" icon, often using both hands (one to hold the tablet, the other to tap the icon) in order to invoke the new Tablet Mode Start Menu (which replaces the Start Screen on Windows 10). By contrast, under Windows 8 this same action involved a simple swipe from the right edge of the screen followed buy a tap of the Windows logo -- something most users could accomplish with just their thumb and without having to lift their hand from, or otherwise shift their grip of, their tablet device.

In fact, there are many areas in which Microsoft seems to have chosen desktop usability at the expense of touch fidelity. The swipe gestures from the Modern version of the IE app are nowhere to be found in the new Edge web browser. Even the core system UI seems to have been reengineered in a way that shortchanges touch users. Instead of continuing the development of Windows 8’s Modern OneDrive app to create a full-blown Explorer replacement, Microsoft dropped the app entirely in Windows 10. In its place, a new UI policy whereby legacy apps (including Explorer windows) are run full-screen when the OS is in Tablet Mode.

To be sure, this is better than dropping the user into the decidedly touch-unfriendly Windows desktop (i.e. the Windows 8.x approach). However, it still feels to many users like a half-measure. And if Microsoft hopes to continue fending-off iOS and Android in the enterprise productivity space, half-measures just won’t cut it.

Bottom Line: In its effort to woo Windows 7 users to upgrade to Windows 10, Microsoft overcorrected by bolstering desktop usability at the expense of touch functionality. The company needs to address the very real concerns of disaffected touch-first users by improving the behavior of Windows (perhaps in the upcoming "Threshold 2" release) on non keyboard/mouse driven systems. In the meantime, IT decision makers need to factor in the cost of additional training and migration assistance for users transitioning from Windows 8.x to Windows 10. Generally speaking, operational knowledge gained on the former does not translate to the latter.

Photo Credit: Tatyana Vyc/Shutterstock
Microsoft Excel: 7 top tricks that you should know [Infographic]

Publié: septembre 14, 2015, 5:46pm CEST par Sam Pudwell

Microsoft Excel has been around for 30 years, it’s one of the most popular programs in the world and it’s likely that most of us at some point or other have used spreadsheets at work.

Recent reports show that, 78 percent of middle-skill jobs require digital literacy and 67 percent of office roles require expertise in Microsoft Excel. So sharpening up your Excel skills really can help improve pay and job prospects.

But is your knowledge up to scratch? Luckily, Best STL has created an infographic to help you become and Excel master, with all the key bases covered.

The guide covers Charting (data presentation), Conditional Formatting (highlighting points of interest within datasets), Quick Analysis (easier when working with small datasets), Autofill (follows patterns to fill in rows or columns automatically), Power View (data exploration and visualization), Pivot Tables (to quickly summarize large sets of data) and Vlookup (collating data from different sheets).

The full infographic can be found below. Go forth and become and Excel master.

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.
Could Bitcoin-powered micro-payments help reduce piracy and ensure artists get paid?

Publié: septembre 14, 2015, 12:27am CEST par Mark Wilson

The likes of Adam Ant and Billy Bragg are among the names backing the Free At What Cost? project. Launched by British composer Hélène Muddiman, the idea behind the campaign is to ensure that artists and content creators get a fair deal by charging for online views and listens.

The basic idea is to protect content against free viewing in an extension of the idea of simple DRM. While the logistics are still to be fully detailed, one of the proposals is to use a Bitcoin-like payment system to enables people to pay artists directly for access to their content.

Muddiman is keen to help find a way to ensure that content creators get paid for their work, saying "Theft is theft. There is no difference between stealing digital content and stealing from a shop, other than, at present, it's easier." She is already working on developing the technology that will be needed and, as reported by the Guardian, says that it could "change the economics of the web". It's an idea that has been toyed with before, but it now seems that great strides have been made both in terms of development and support.

There has been a long-running argument that the scales are currently tipped too far in favor of content consumers at the moment. Ease of access to online content and the popularity of torrent sites means that an entire generation has become used to the idea of gaining access to just about anything free of charge; a complete mindshift will be needed to turn things around. Muddiman points to the unfair way in which revenue is currently shared with artists:

YouTube only shares 55% of advertising revenue with those who achieve over 700,000 views per upload in a quarter, so it is in YouTube’s interest for multiple people to upload the same content to dilute the viewers so they pay out less money to creators.

While it can be argued that YouTube has provided more people with a way to monetize content, there is plenty of scope for better deals to be struck. Any solution that is proposed will need to minimize the burden on individuals, sites, and ISPs if it to be successfully adopted, but few people would argue that the time has come for things to change.

Check out the Free At What Cost Trailer? below:

https://youtu.be/DV0HHAM8FoQ

Photo credit: Rashevskyi Viacheslav / Shutterstock