US says children have easy access to smartphone apps but parents are unaware of privacy risks
US says children have easy access to smartphone apps but parents are unaware of privacy risks
By RICHARD LARDNER.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Who is monitoring the apps that kids use on their phones? The government complained Thursday that software companies producing games and other mobile applications aren't telling parents what personal information is being collected from kids and how companies are using it.
Apps could quietly be collecting a child's location, phone number, call logs and lists of friends, said a report by the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC blamed the companies that make the apps, and the stores that sell them, for failing to explain where that data might be recorded, for how long and who would have access to it.
"As gatekeepers of the app marketplace, the app stores should do more," the report said. "This recommendation applies not just to Apple and Google, but also to other companies that provide a marketplace for kids' mobile apps."
Apple declined to comment on the FTC report. Google, which created the Android software, said it has an "industry-leading permission system" that tells consumers what data an app can access and requires user approval before installation. "Additionally, we offer parental controls and best practices for developers to follow when designing apps that handle user data," Google said in a statement.
The FTC report signals a renewed interest by federal regulators who could pursue legal action against companies they accuse of violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. The law bans collecting and disclosing personal information for children under 13 without their parents' consent.
The FTC is especially aggressive protecting the privacy rights of children. Last year a mobile app developer paid $50,000 last year to settle FTC charges that it violated the children's privacy law.
That company, W3 Innovations, doing business as Broken Thumbs Apps, developed and distributed apps for the iPhone and iPods that allowed users to play games and share information online, according to the FTC. Several of the apps, including Emily's Girl World and Emily's Dress Up, were directed at children and encouraged them to email their comments, the commission's complaint said. The FTC said the company collected and maintained thousands of email addresses from users of the apps.
The new FTC report does not identify any of the apps or software vendors that were part of its survey, which began last year. Using the word "kids," the government searched Apple's App Store and the Android Market and examined promotions for apps for word, math and number games and entertainment purposes. Most said they were for children. Prices ranged from free to about $10. The FTC said it found almost no relevant disclosures about data collection practices or information sharing on Apple's service and only minimal information on just three of the Android promotion pages.
Tessa Donner of Evansville, Ind., bought her teenage daughter a smartphone because she wanted to be sure she could reach her, especially in an emergency. But she didn't know that the mobile apps her daughter is able to download to the phone could act as hand-held spies.
"To know now that it could be unsafe, that is concerning," she said.
Advocacy groups credited the FTC with drawing attention to a problem they said has grown as the market for mobile apps has exploded. In 2008, there were about 600 apps available to smartphone users, the FTC said, and now there are nearly one million that have been downloaded more than 28 billion times.
"There is almost no information on what data is being collected and how it is being shared," said David Jacobs of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
The FTC said most Android apps require children to allow the software to access at least some services on the phone. The government report said Apple relies on its own review process to prevent apps from targeting minors for data collection but added, "The details of this screening process are not clear."
Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group in San Francisco that studies children's use of technology, said privacy is eroding as the mobile app industry grows. More than half of U.S. kids have access to smartphones, tablets and other digital devices, said James Steyer, the group's chief executive. But the mobile app industry, which includes developers, stores and wireless carriers, are not providing the tools and information to monitor and protect a user's privacy, Steyer said.
"While industry lobbyists are concerned about the burden that basic disclosure will place on mom and pop app developers," Steyer said. "we're worried about the burden for real moms and pops."
The FTC urged app developers to describe clearly their data collection practices. Developers should also disclose whether the app connects with any social media services or includes advertisements, the government said.
Associated Press writer Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report.
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17.02.2012. u 07:16 | 0 Komentara | Print | # | ^
Gov't says parents need more info on apps for kids
Gov't says parents need more info on apps for kids
VIA:smh.com.au.
Who is monitoring the apps that kids use on their phones? The government complained Thursday that software companies producing games and other mobile applications aren't telling parents what personal information is being collected from kids and how companies are using it.
Apps could quietly be collecting a child's location, phone number, call logs and lists of friends, said a report by the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC blamed the companies that make the apps, and the stores that sell them, for failing to explain where that data might be recorded, for how long and who would have access to it.
"As gatekeepers of the app marketplace, the app stores should do more," the report said. "This recommendation applies not just to Apple and Google, but also to other companies that provide a marketplace for kids' mobile apps."
Apple declined to comment on the FTC report. Google, which created the Android software, said it has an "industry-leading permission system" that tells consumers what data an app can access and requires user approval before installation. "Additionally, we offer parental controls and best practices for developers to follow when designing apps that handle user data," Google said in a statement.
The FTC report signals a renewed interest by federal regulators who could pursue legal action against companies they accuse of violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. The law bans collecting and disclosing personal information for children under 13 without their parents' consent.
The FTC is especially aggressive protecting the privacy rights of children. Last year a mobile app developer paid $50,000 last year to settle FTC charges that it violated the children's privacy law.
That company, W3 Innovations, doing business as Broken Thumbs Apps, developed and distributed apps for the iPhone and iPods that allowed users to play games and share information online, according to the FTC. Several of the apps, including Emily's Girl World and Emily's Dress Up, were directed at children and encouraged them to email their comments, the commission's complaint said. The FTC said the company collected and maintained thousands of email addresses from users of the apps.
The new FTC report does not identify any of the apps or software vendors that were part of its survey, which began last year. Using the word "kids," the government searched Apple's App Store and the Android Market and examined promotions for apps for word, math and number games and entertainment purposes. Most said they were for children. Prices ranged from free to about $10. The FTC said it found almost no relevant disclosures about data collection practices or information sharing on Apple's service and only minimal information on just three of the Android promotion pages.
Tessa Donner of Evansville, Ind., bought her teenage daughter a smartphone because she wanted to be sure she could reach her, especially in an emergency. But she didn't know that the mobile apps her daughter is able to download to the phone could act as hand-held spies.
"To know now that it could be unsafe, that is concerning," she said.
Advocacy groups credited the FTC with drawing attention to a problem they said has grown as the market for mobile apps has exploded. In 2008, there were about 600 apps available to smartphone users, the FTC said, and now there are nearly one million that have been downloaded more than 28 billion times.
"There is almost no information on what data is being collected and how it is being shared," said David Jacobs of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.
The FTC said most Android apps require children to allow the software to access at least some services on the phone. The government report said Apple relies on its own review process to prevent apps from targeting minors for data collection but added, "The details of this screening process are not clear."
Common Sense Media, a nonprofit group in San Francisco that studies children's use of technology, said privacy is eroding as the mobile app industry grows. More than half of U.S. kids have access to smartphones, tablets and other digital devices, said James Steyer, the group's chief executive. But the mobile app industry, which includes developers, stores and wireless carriers, are not providing the tools and information to monitor and protect a user's privacy, Steyer said.
"While industry lobbyists are concerned about the burden that basic disclosure will place on mom and pop app developers," Steyer said. "we're worried about the burden for real moms and pops."
The FTC urged app developers to describe clearly their data collection practices. Developers should also disclose whether the app connects with any social media services or includes advertisements, the government said.
Associated Press writer Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this report.
This story is sourced direct from an overseas news agency as an additional service to readers. Spelling follows North American usage, along with foreign currency and measurement units.
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17.02.2012. u 07:14 | 0 Komentara | Print | # | ^
Apps for kids get poor grades for privacy
Apps for kids get poor grades for privacy
By Cecilia Kang.
The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday criticized the privacy policies of mobile apps aimed at children and Apple's and Google's apps stores, saying a broad range of information about young users could be being collected and parents aren't being adequately informed that it might be happening.
In a report titled "Mobile Apps for Kids: Current Privacy Disclosures Are Disappointing," the FTC said it surveyed apps designed for children and found that data such as geolocation, phone numbers, contact lists, call logs and other "unique identifiers" could be being collected.
But the consumer protection agency said the Apple iTunes store and Google's Android Marketplace failed to disclose the collection and sharing of that data by businesses.
"Companies that operate in the mobile marketplace provide great benefits, but they must step up to the plate and provide easily accessible, basic information, so that parents can make informed decisions about he apps their kids use," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a statement.
Lawmakers and the FTC have been showing much greater interest in the protection of children, from toddlers to teens, online. Children and teens are among the most active users of smartphones and tablets, and scores of apps are targeted directly at them, from teaching them the alphabet to propelling Angry Birds.
The FTC recommended that app developers provide simple and short disclosures on how they collect and share information about users, including whether children's data are connected with social media apps such as Facebook. The agency said parents should be informed if kids' apps have ads - a concern of privacy groups who say games and other youth-oriented apps contain behavioral, and sometime mature, ads hawking everything from soda to concert tickets to children.
App stores such as iTunes and Android Marketplace should also give parents more information about privacy practices of the apps it sells and allows users to download for free.
"As gatekeepers of the apps marketplace, the app stores should do more," the staff report suggested. The FTC noted that apps stores create their own age ratings for apps.
An apps trade group agreed that developers need to do a better job of informing users of the privacy policies. But federal rules are confusing for app makers, who often don't know what their requirements are.
"Many children's education app developers are unaware of existing privacy regulations and how they may be interpreted to prevent seemingly innocuous features," said Morgan Reed, executive director of trade group The Association for Competitive Technology.
Privacy advocates have pushed federal regulators for greater enforcement of privacy violations on kids apps. They lament that parents are often left with little guidance on what kids of data is being collected about their children online and if that data is being shared with third-parties to target the preferences of individual users.
Sometimes, according to public interest group Common Sense Media, ads and inappropriate content are deeply in apps, when users progress levels of a game, for instance.
Parents need to be clearly informed if a puzzle game or other children's apps are connected to social media features such as chat rooms and apps like Google+ or Facebook, the agency said. Such third-parties can also collect data about users without their knowing.
"Consumers, especially children, should not have to contend with mobile phone spies," said Jeff Chester, executive director of privacy advocacy group, The Center for Digital Democracy. "Both Google and Apple, the two leading mobile app companies, must do a much better job protecting children's privacy."
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17.02.2012. u 07:11 | 0 Komentara | Print | # | ^
GSA Prepares For Federal Mobile Push
GSA Prepares For Federal Mobile Push
By Elizabeth Montalbano.
Anticipating the influx of new mobile technology in the federal government, the General Services Administration (GSA) is preparing to simplify the purchase of wireless equipment and services, just as GSA itself is beginning to explore the use of iPhones and Android-based devices.
The GSA, the federal government's chief procurement agency for technology products and services, will soon release a wireless blanket purchase agreement (BPA) under the Federal Strategic Sourcing Initiative (FSSI), according to a GSA blog post by Mary Davie, assistant commissioner for the Office of Integrated Technology Services in the agency's Federal Acquisition Service.
The BPA will allow agencies to purchase wireless service plans, devices, and infrastructure, such as messaging services and devices, according to the GSA. BPAs allow agencies to make repeated buys of certain products and services, simplifying their purchase by reducing time and paperwork as well as allowing them to take advantage of discounts.
The BPA will include requirements to enable enterprise-level management and reporting, and will integrate with planned modifications to the GSA's Telecommunications Expense Management Service (TEMS) FSSI, Davie said. This will allow agencies to manage their mobile inventory and expenses through a single, secure interface.
The GSA also is part of a mobile government, or mGov, team that's examining opportunities in acquisition, inventory, and expense management to further aggregate and leverage what and how wireless products and services are bought, she added.
The move supports a trend across agencies to bolster their use of mobile technologies to improve internal efficiencies and how they do business with partners and customers. It also supports a standard mobile strategy that U.S. CIO Steven VanRoekel is working with agencies on to accelerate the adoption of mobile technologies.
The BPA coincides with a decision by the GSA to join other agencies that will expand its smartphone use, beyond the stalwart BlackBerry, to iPhones and Android-based devices. The agency is giving a small number of its more than 12,000 employees these devices in addition to ones based on Research in Motion's (RIM's) OS, which long has dominated the federal market.
BlackBerry's position has been challenged recently by more widespread adoption of iOS and Android, as well as a bring your own device policy many agencies are instituting, allowing employees to use their own smartphones at work.
Just last week the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it will replace the agency's BlackBerry devices with iPhones, a full-stop move that is more dramatic than the slower transition other departments--like the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs--are taking.
However, a RIM executive told InformationWeek recently that the company's government business remains strong and continues to grow, despite more competition from other smartphones.
Android Fragmentation does not matter to you
By Chris Burns.
If you are an everyday average user of a smartphone that just so happens to use Android instead of iOS or Windows Phone or BlackBerry, you might have heard the word "fragmentation." This is a word that in this case means there are many different kinds of hardware surrounding the Android software and many different versions of Android out there on these devices today. This can pose a problem for developers making apps that, if at all possible, should work on every different Android-laden device. For you though, the problem with fragmentation is this: it's a scare tactic.
When Apple decides to update its mobile operating system iOS for iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, it does so with a precise set of measures that allows for the vast majority of its modern devices to get the update quickly. Google's Android is not in a position to do such a thing, nor will it ever be. You the user purchase an Android handset with a version of the software on it that you pay for as a part of the whole package. When you purchase a laptop, you also get a single version of whatever software that laptop comes with.
Each time Google releases a new version of its software, its biggest aim is to get manufacturers to create new devices that feature that software for the masses. It is not profitable enough for Google to consider creating software that can be adopted instantly by devices that are already on the market.
Google has a line of devices it's created to feature the newest version of the software they produce in its purest form - this line is called Nexus. Though Google's original intent was to create one device, manufactured by them and pushed to all carriers in a country at once, this did not pan out. Instead we've got releases of one device on one carrier followed by the rest of the carriers one by one - the Galaxy Nexus for example was released to Verizon first and will soon be carried by at least one or more other carriers in the USA soon. This device features Google's newest mobile OS Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.
If you purchase an Android device with the latest operating system inside several months of it being released, you are at a bigger disadvantage than every other Android device owner. The reason being that developers must catch up with the software in that period of time, so you may not have access to every app you love until they update their builds for all versions of Android.
When you purchase an Android device, you are not guaranteed anything more than the software it comes with. You shouldn't need anything other than the software the device comes with unless it is found to have bugs, in which case free updates are entitled to you. You get what you pay for.
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17.02.2012. u 07:07 | 0 Komentara | Print | # | ^
Facebook Cites Google+, Mobile Shift Among Potential Risks
Facebook Cites Google+, Mobile Shift Among Potential Risks
Editors: Nick Turner, Dan Reichl, VIA:businessweek.com.
(Updates Zynga share trading in 14th paragraph.)
Feb. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc., the social network that filed for an initial public offering yesterday, listed rivalry with Google Inc., regulatory scrutiny, hacker attacks and the shift to mobile technology among the risks it faces.
Facebook's competition with Google, Twitter Inc. and other social-networking providers could impede growth, the company said in the risk-factors section of its filing. Facebook also said it would face competition in China if it manages to gain access to that market, where it's currently restricted.
"Certain competitors, including Google, could use strong or dominant positions in one or more markets to gain competitive advantage against us in areas where we operate," Facebook said. Their tactics may include "integrating competing social -- networking platforms or features into products they control," the company said.
Facebook, the world's biggest social-networking service, has attracted more rivals as its popularity among users and advertisers soars. The company said it faces "significant competition" in almost every aspect of its business.
The company also cited concerns about its mobile strategy. Almost all of its revenue comes from ads delivered to computers, not phones and tablets. Facebook's mobile software currently generates no "meaningful revenue," the Menlo Park, California- based company said.
Apple, Android
Facebook further cautioned that key mobile devices, such as Apple Inc.'s iOS products and gadgets running Google's Android software, may not feature Facebook in the future. If either of these companies gives preference to another social network -- say, if Google promotes its own Google+ more aggressively -- Facebook's growth could be jeopardized.
Bigger pitfalls could yet emerge, said Kevin Landis, the portfolio manager for the Firsthand Technology Value Fund, which holds Facebook shares. Google, for instance, couldn't have foreseen the emergence of Facebook in 2004, when it went public.
"Let me put it this way: If you go back to Google's S-1 in their risk factors, there's no mention of Facebook," Landis said. Facebook was founded in 2004.
Facebook also has considered entering China, which would bring its own challenges. The country has censorship laws that have kept Facebook and other social-media companies, including Twitter Inc. and Google's YouTube, from operating there.
China Question
"We continue to evaluate entering China," Facebook said. "China is a large potential market for Facebook, but users are generally restricted from accessing Facebook from China. We do not know if we will be able to find an approach to managing content and information that will be acceptable to us and to the Chinese government."
Another risk: Facebook relies on Zynga Inc. for 12 percent of its revenue, according to the filing. San Francisco-based Zynga is the biggest developer of Facebook games, including "CityVille" and "Texas HoldEm."
The revenue comes from Zynga's sales of virtual goods and from direct advertising purchased by Zynga. In addition, Zynga produces a "significant number" of pages on which Facebook displays ads. The dependence goes both ways. Zynga gets more than 90 percent of its revenue from the social network.
"If we are unable to successfully maintain this relationship, our financial results could be harmed," Facebook said of Zynga.
Zynga's Bounce
The IPO filing helped make Zynga investors more bullish on that stock. Zynga shares jumped 17 percent today to $12.39.
Facebook also said it faces pressure from governmental bodies. It's possible that a regulatory inquiry might lead to changes to policies or practices, the company said.
"Violation of existing or future regulatory orders or consent decrees could subject us to substantial monetary fines and other penalties that could negatively affect our financial condition and results of operations," according to the filing.
Facebook agreed last year to settle complaints by the Federal Trade Commission that it failed to protect users' privacy or disclose how their data could be used. The proposed 20-year agreement would require Facebook to get clear consent from users before sharing material posted under earlier, more restrictive terms, and it would include independent reviews of Facebook's privacy practices.
Private Shares
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, meanwhile, is probing transactions involving shares of closely held companies, including Facebook. Secondary exchanges, such as SecondMarket Inc. and SharesPost Inc., have been used to buy and sell Facebook stock ahead of the IPO.
"We have received both formal and informal requests for information from the staff of the SEC and we have been fully cooperating with the staff," the company said in the filing.
The company also could suffer if its users' data is compromised by attacks from outsiders.
"Any failure to maintain performance, reliability, security, and availability of our products and technical infrastructure to the satisfaction of our users may harm our reputation and our ability to retain existing users and attract new users," Facebook said.
The media could hurt Facebook as well, by portraying its privacy and product changes in a negative light. The company received a "high degree of media coverage," Facebook said.
The company has 845 million active users. That compares with more than 90 million for Google+, which started last year.
--With assistance from Peter Burrows and Adam Satariano in San Francisco.
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06.02.2012. u 02:29 | 0 Komentara | Print | # | ^
Windows of opportunity
Windows of opportunity
BY CIARA O'BRIEN, VIA:irishtimes.com.
WHEN WINDOWS Phone 7 was unveiled in 2010, it seemed as if Microsoft was competing in a market where it could never hope to catch up. Its predecessor, Windows Mobile, had never really captured the attention of the average consumer – and now there was the twin threat of Google's Android and Apple's iPhone to deal with, essentially turning the smartphone market into a two-horse race.
It hasn't been all bad for Microsoft; more than five million handsets running Windows Phone have been shipped. But its global market share in 2011 was just 1.9 per cent. That is a far cry from Android's 47.4 per cent and Apple's 18 per cent with iOS.
If the research firms are to be believed, however, things will change within a few years. While Windows Phone will still trail Android, iSuppli expects its market share to rise to 9 per cent globally this year, and to 15 per cent in 2013. By 2015, the firm says, Windows Phone will be marginally ahead of Apple, with 16.7 per cent of the smartphone shipments.
They're not the only ones predicting a sharp rise in popularity for Microsoft's operating system. Last April, Gartner predicted Android would surge ahead in the mobile market, to almost 50 per cent by 2015. Microsoft, it said, would have a 19.5 per cent share of the market, pushing Apple to third in the global rankings, with 17.2 per cent.
But there is still some ground to make up. Windows Phone 7 is languishing far behind its Apple and Google rivals, but an increasing number of manufacturers are adopting it for their mobile devices. This week's launch of the Nokia Lumia 800 on the Irish market is the first time most Irish consumers will be exposed to Windows Phone.
With such a crowded marketplace, Microsoft has tried to do a few things differently to help it stand out, for example, the live tiles that update with text and images, and the fact that it has hubs instead of apps that stay completely separate from each other. This allows users to integrate social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter, with Windows Messenger and LinkedIn.
For newcomers to smartphones, Windows Phone has the added benefit of familiarity for many users; the operating system brings elements from the desktop version of Windows – a mobile version of Internet Explorer, Microsoft Office software – along with Xbox Live integration.
At the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas last month, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer was keen to push the benefits of the operating system to attendees and point out Microsoft's different approach to smartphones.
"I think with Windows Phone we're clearly on the right track," Ballmer said. "Windows Phone is the first phone that I think puts people first."
The first major update for Windows Phone 7, Mango, addressed some of the software's shortcomings and delivered many of the functions that might have been expected to be present in the OS from the beginning. Multitasking is a basic Windows function that was closed off to mobile users until the update was rolled out last year.
At CES this year, there were plenty of Windows Phone devices on display, with Nokia, and HTC showing off 4G phones and even a Fujitsu Toshiba Windows Phone to be seen.
Nokia is the first major manufacturer to commit itself in such a big way to Microsoft's mobile operating system. While HTC, LG, Samsung and others have also opted to produce Android handsets, Nokia's primary smartphone operating system will be Windows Phone, with Symbian taking a back seat.
For other manufacturers, there may be an element of hedging their bets. When Google bought Motorola Mobility last year, there was more than a little nervousness in the market. Gloomy predictions abounded that some manufacturers would pull back from Android for fear that Motorola would get preferential treatment from Google.
That was something the Android developer was quick to deny would happen, and so far it has been true to its word. Its new Ice Cream Sandwich operating system was first released on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. But Nokia has decided to commit itself, setting up a partnership that may give both companies a significant boost in smartphone market share. Nokia has already shipped more than one million of the devices since the launch last November.
From the beginning, Nokia promised to bring its skills in hardware design to the platform. Microsoft has certain criteria handsets must meet to use its operating system. The processor has to be at least 1Ghz, with a minimum of 8GB of flash memory and a capacitive touch screen. In the early days, there was also a requirement for a camera and gyroscope, although these are now considered optional, paving the way for cheaper devices.
It helps Microsoft set a standard for its hardware, but it also resulted in an early crop of Windows Phone 7 handsets that all looked rather similar, regardless of manufacturer.
But now things have broadened slightly, something Microsoft was keen to demonstrate at CES. On stage at Ballmer's keynote address, Windows Phone executive Derek Snyder said the breadth of choice" was one of Windows Phone's attractions, before going on to show off a range of phones from different manufacturers in different colours, with different screen technologies, but all running the same software.
Hardware will only get you so far, however. A large part of growing Microsoft's market share will be convincing consumers that there are the applications on the platform which they need. In its second annual developer survey, technology analyst Ovum said there was growing interest in Windows Phone among developers.
"The growing momentum behind Windows Phone indicates that Microsoft has managed to convince developers that its platform is worthy of investment; its challenge now is to persuade consumers," it said.
"A smartphone platform's success is dictated not only by the pull of consumers and the push of handset vendors and mobile operators, but also by a healthy economy of applications delivered by third-party developers."
One thing that could help is Windows 8, the new desktop operating system that is based on the same style interface as the mobile device software. The Metro interface is the future, according to Ballmer. Microsoft plans to use the graphical interface, based on tiles such as Windows Phone 7 across all its operating systems – tablet, mobile and desktop.
With Windows 8 set to become a feature of everyday life, it could be the weapon in Microsoft's arsenal that boosts Windows Phone in the mobile market.
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06.02.2012. u 02:25 | 0 Komentara | Print | # | ^
Technology-Driven Trends for 2012
Technology-Driven Trends for 2012
VIA:huffingtonpost.com.
No matter what industry you're in, your company can't survive without technology. And these days, even non-technical employees know that technology goes way beyond desktop computers and networks. From smart phones and tablet computers to mobile apps and cloud-based technology, there's a plethora of technological advancements to not only keep track of, but also to profit from. To stay competitive, your organization needs to anticipate the future technology trends that are shaping your business and then develop innovative ways to implement them in your organization.
Now that 2012 is well underway, be ready for the following 20 technology-driven trends to continue to create both disruption and opportunity in the business world. But rather than just react to them, be pro-active to future known events and plan how your company will profit from them now. That's the only way you'll gain competitive advantage in the coming years.
1) Rapid Growth of Big Data. Big Data is a term used to describe the technologies and techniques used to capture and utilize the exponentially increasing streams of data with the goal of bringing enterprise-wide visibility and insights to make rapid critical decisions. High-speed analytics using advanced cloud services will increasingly be used as a complement to existing information management systems and programs to tame the massive data explosion. This new level of data integration and analytics will require many new skills and cross-functional buy-in in order to break down the many data and organizational silos that still exist. The rapid increase in data makes this a fast growing hard trend that cannot be ignored.
2) Cloud Computing and Advanced Cloud Services will be increasingly embraced by business of all sizes, as this represents a major shift in how organizations obtain and maintain software, hardware, and computing capacity. As consumers, we first experienced public clouds (think about when you use Google or Apple's MobileMe and now iCloud). Then we saw more private clouds and hybrid clouds from businesses such as Flextronics, Siemens, Accenture, and many others, all using the cloud to cut costs in human resources and sales management functions. This was only the beginning, as cloud services enable the rapid transformation all business processes.
3) On Demand Services will increasingly be offered to companies needing to rapidly deploy new services. Hardware as a Service (HaaS) joins Software as a Service (SaaS), creating what some have called "IT as a service." All will grow rapidly for small as well as large companies, with many new players in a multitude of business process categories. These services will help companies cut costs as they provide access to powerful software programs and the latest technology without having the expense of a large IT staff and time-consuming, expensive upgrades. As a result, IT departments in all industries will be increasingly freed to focus on enabling business process transformation, which will allow organizations to maximize their return on their technology investments.
4) Virtualization of Storage, Desktops, Applications, and Networking will see continued acceptance and growth by both large and small businesses as virtualization security improves. We will continue to see the virtualization of processing power, allowing mobile devices to access supercomputer capabilities and apply it to processes such as purchasing and logistics, to name a few.
5) Consumerization of IT Increases as the source for innovation and technology continues to be driven by the consumer thanks to rapid advances in processing power, storage, and bandwidth. Smart companies have recognized that this is a hard tend that will continue and have stopped fighting consumerization. Instead, they are turning it into a competitive advantage by consumerizing their applications, such as recommending safe and secure third party hardware and apps. Encouraging employees to share productivity enhancing consumer technology will become a wise strategy.
6) Gamification of Training and Education will fuel a fast moving hard trend using advanced simulations and skill-based learning systems that are self-diagnostic, interactive, game-like, and competitive, all focused on giving the user an immersive experience thanks to a photo-realistic 3D interface. Some will develop software using these gaming techniques to work on existing hardware systems such as the Xbox and PlayStation. A social component that includes sharing will drive success.
7) Social Business takes on a new level of urgency as organizations shift from an information age "informing" model to a communication age "communicating and engaging" model. Social Software for business will reach a new level of adoption with applications to enhance relationships, collaboration, networking, social validation, and more. Social search will increasingly be used by marketers and researchers, not to mention Wall Street, to tap into millions of daily tweets and Facebook conversations, providing real-time analysis of many key consumer metrics.
8) Smart Phones & Tablets Become Our Primary Personal Computers, and the Mobile Web becomes a must-have capability. An Enterprise Mobility Strategy becomes mandatory for all size organizations as we see mobile data, mobile media, mobile sales, mobile marketing, mobile commerce, mobile finance, mobile payments, mobile health, and many more explode. The vast majority of mobile phones sold globally will have a browser, making the smart phone our primary computer that is with us 24/7 and signaling a profound shift in global computing. This new level of mobility will allow any size business to transform how they market, sell, communicate, collaborate, educate, train, and innovate using mobility.
9) Tablet Computers with Enterprise-Level Web Apps will be used to transform sales and service support and then move to purchasing, logistics, just-in-time training, and much more.
10) Intelligent Electronic Agents using natural language voice commands takes off with Apple's Siri, rapidly followed by Android, Microsoft, and others all offering what will become a mobile electronic concierge on your smart devices including your phone, tablet, and television. Soon retailers will have a Siri-like sales assistant, and maintenance workers will have a Siri-like assistant. The possibilities are endless.
11) Digital Identity Management will become increasingly important to both organizations and individuals as new software allows users to better manage their multiple identities across business and personal networks. Next generation biometrics will play a key role in both identity management and security.
12) Visual Communications takes video conferencing to a new level with programs like Skype, FaceTime, and others giving us video communication on phones, tablets, and home televisions. Visual communications will be integrated with current video conferencing systems, fueling this as a main relationship-building tool for businesses of all sizes.
13) Enhanced Location Awareness will accelerate the number of business-to-consumer apps for smart phones and tablets that will take geo-social marketing and sales to a new level of creative application, driving rapid growth.
14) Geo-Spatial Visualization combines geographic information systems (GIS) with location-aware data, RFID (radio frequency identification), and other location-aware sensors (including the current location of users from the use of their mobile devices) to create new insights and competitive advantage. Early applications include logistics and supply chain to name a few.
15) Smart TV Using Apps will get a major boost in the marketplace, fueling a major shift in home viewing. Ever wonder how you could have over 500 cable or satellite channels and nothing to watch? You didn't have apps on your TV allowing you to personalize the experience. This is the beginning of a major shift that will take place in living rooms globally. Look for Apple to introduce the iTV (living room size iPad).
16) Multiple App Stores for all smart phone, tablet, and television operating systems (Android, Blackberry, Windows, and others) will take off, creating an abundant distribution and sales ecosystem for all. This will cement the revolution versus evolution that apps software represents. We will see business app stores for the enterprise starting this year.
17) 3D Displays for Smart Phones and Tablets will be the breakthrough that will drive wide-scale consumer acceptance of 3D computing. 3D computing for the enterprise will grow rapidly for military, medicine, fashion, architecture, and entertainment applications.
18) eBooks, eNewspapers, and eMagazines Pass the Tipping Point due to the abundance of smartphones with readable displays, tablets that provide a full color experience, and publishers providing apps that give a better than paper experience by including cut, copy, paste, print, and multimedia capabilities. In addition, eBook readers will have high quality with a low enough price to bring in the masses.
19) Interactive Multimedia eTextbooks will finally take off thanks to Apple's iBook Author and other competing tools, freeing new publishers to create compelling and engaging content, and freeing students from a static, expensive, and literally heavy experience.
20) Wireless Machine-to-Machine applications such as two-way meter reading, surveillance, vending machine, and point-of-sale solutions take off thanks to faster wireless data networks.
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06.02.2012. u 02:19 | 0 Komentara | Print | # | ^
Smartphone Security: Keeping your personal information safe
Smartphone Security: Keeping your personal information safe
VIA:9wsyr.com.
Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - You call it a smartphone. A hacker calls it a computer, or an opportunity to steal your personal information.
For many people, a smartphone is a must-have, whether it's an iPhone, a BlackBerry, or an Android phone.
With a smartphone, you can text, play games, access the Internet, or make calls.
Rule 1: Treat your smartphone like a computer
Users need to be aware that a smartphone is more than a phone. A general rule of thumb is to treat the device like a computer – and experts say that rule should apply whether you're an iPhone user, or an Android user.
Apple users might be under the impression that they don't need to worry about security on their devices because hackers are more likely to author malware for PC-based devices. Information security engineer Griffin Reid makes his money testing environments for data security. He warns that iPhone users should exercise the same caution that Android users have become accustomed to.
"That right there is a huge misconception," said Griffin Reid, an information security engineer. "The fact that Apple users think they're not susceptible to viruses and malware, it's completely false."
Rule 2: Do not connect to open WiFi
Free WiFi is not your friend. What might appear to be secure connection, could be a front.
A WiFi hotspot can be called whatever its creator wants to call it. What appears to be Starbucks, may not be. If you are browsing on one of these connections shopping using a smartphone app can be a dangerous. Each time you enter a password or credit card number, you may be exposing it to hackers.
Rule 3: Never save passwords in a text document
You should never save sensitive data or passwords to a text document on your phone.
Reid recommends an app called 1Password, which is available for purchase on most platforms.
1Password stores your passwords and confidential information - including web accounts, credit card data, and personal data - in one secure place and protects it with one strong password -- the only one you need to remember.
Rule 4: Know your app
Before you download an app, you should know what you're getting into.
You should always download apps from trusted sources. One way to research an app is to read reviews on it before downloading.
Rule 5: Equip your smartphone with protection
Tim Kirk of the US Secret Service also suggests that smartphone users contact their provider to download free or low-cost malware and virus protection. He also says that the customer should utilize passwords to protect their networks. That said, password users should not assume a password cannot be guessed or bypassed.
Finally, you should always leave your smartphone someplace safe. The simplest form of data theft isn't done by hacking, but by simply turning on your phone.
Hackers should be warned that criminal use of smartphones can lead to Federal charges of wire fraud, computer fraud, identity theft, or other violations that can lead to fines and considerable Federal prison sentences.
Copyright 2012 Newport Television LLC All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Angelic "Steve Jobs" loves Android in Taiwan TV ad
By Jonathan Standing
(Reuters) - He may have derided Android devices in real life but in the afterlife Apple Inc founder Steve Jobs is glad he can use one -- or at least that's the story a Jobs look-alike tells in a recent TV commercial for a Taiwanese electronics company's new product.
In the ad, Taiwanese comedian and impersonator Ah-Ken, dressed in Jobs' trademark black turtle neck sweater and blue jeans and sporting white angel's wings and a halo, extols the virtues of Action Electronics Co.'s combined tablet PC and multi-language dictionary, which runs on Google Inc's Android.
"Introducing the new generation of the pad," says the "Jobs" character, whipping the Action Pad out of his back jeans pocket, wings flapping as he shows off the dictionary functions on a giant screen behind a darkened stage furnished with a sofa and small table.
"Thank God I finally get to play other tablets," the character adds in the 20-second commercial's final scene, a broad grin on his face as he taps away on the device on the sofa. The ad is subtitled in English throughout, a nod to the device's dictionary function.
Jobs, who died in October 2011, famously referred to Android as "shit," according to his biography, and was quoted in the book as saying he was going to "destroy" Android and was prepared to go to "thermonuclear war" over the product.
"Steve Jobs always promoted things that were good for people, Apple products, so his image can also promote other things that are good," said Chelsea Chen, a spokeswoman for Action Electronics, a maker of electronic gadgets including portable DVD players and Internet devices.
The commercial does not use Jobs' name or refer to him or Apple in any way, but has drawn some sharp reactions on YouTube,
with some branding it distasteful and disgusting and one even calling for a boycott of the company. The video is at: (here)
Chen didn't see any adverse reaction from Apple.
"It's just an impersonator, not Jobs," she said.
"We have no choice but to use Android, we can't use iOS," she added, referring to Apple's mobile device operating system.
It's not the first time Jobs' image has been used in Taiwan to promote products, a measure of his fame in the wired, tech-exporting island whose companies make most of Apple's products. Last year a drinks company had a Jobs look-alike promoting a green tea drink.
Jobs has also been featured by Taiwanese satirical news video maker Next Media Animation, which once portrayed him knocking the helmet off "Darth Vader" Bill Gates of Microsoft with a light saber and then wearing it himself and ruling the tech universe from an office in a Death Star.
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06.02.2012. u 02:10 | 0 Komentara | Print | # | ^
