For Apple's Cook, new products offer a chance to leave Jobs' shadow

For Apple's Cook, new products offer a chance to leave Jobs' shadow
http://yahoonewsdigest-us.tumblr.com/96915297019


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New Samsung phone with side display for holidays

A story from AP Mobile:

New Samsung phone with side display for holidays

BERLIN (AP) - Samsung's new smartphones aren't getting bigger, but one will have a side display for quick access to the flashlight, Twitter, news and frequently used apps.

The Galaxy Note Edge was announced at a trade show in Berlin on Wednesday, alongside the new Galaxy Note 4 phone, which lacks the side screen, and a virtual-reality headset called Gear VR. The handsets are due for relea...

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Nissan LEAF® Electric Car | Charging & Range

This is the future for car innovation.

http://www.nissanusa.com/electric-cars/leaf/charging-range/


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Physicist shows why your WiFi sucks in that one room

An interested discussion about how wifi reception can be confounded by wall refraction ratios and more -- and how to place your router and device to improve reception.

http://www.engadget.com/2014/09/01/wifi-physics-signal-reception/


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Apple lists top 10 reasons APPs are rejected

See this Apple website:
https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/rejections/

Use of 'language of deceit' betrays scientific fraud

The use of writing styles can reveal scientific research fraud.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn26127-use-of-language-of-deceit-betrays-scientific-fraud.html?cmpid=RSS%7CNSNS%7C2012-GLOBAL%7Conline-news

California smartphone kill switch bill signed into law

California governor Jerry Brown has signed his state's smartphone kill switch bill into law. Companies wanting to sell handsets in the state now have to include a remote disabling option that lets you render a stolen device unusable. There are certain exceptions, primarily for incompatible older gear, but manufacturers face fines as high as $2,500 per phone if they don't follow the rules.

 
http://www.engadget.com/2014/08/25/california-kill-switch-becomes-law/

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NASA's New Horizons explorer for a rendezvous with Pluto

(CNN) - NASA's New Horizons explorer is hurtling through space on its way to the outermost reaches of the solar system for a rendezvous with the small, icy "dwarf planet" of Pluto and its five moons.

It's a staggering decade-long, 3 billion mile journey that started with the New Horizons launch in 2006. The space probe is expected to reach Pluto next summer, the only spacecraft to visit it. It's also only the fifth probe to ever journey so far from the sun across such vast reaches of space, according to NASA officials.

http://us.cnn.com/2014/08/24/us/nasa-pluto-neptune-voyages/?hpt=ob_mobilearticlefooter&iref=obinsite

 

The New Yahoo -- on the right path with CEO

CEO Marisa Mayer is doing the right things to make Yahoo successful. Interesting insights from former employee.

http://www.businessinsider.com/a-former-yahoo-defends-marissa-mayer-2014-8?op=1

ITEXPO in Las Vegas, August 2014

See reviews and action at the conference here:
http://itexpo.tmcnet.com/west/photos-lv.aspx

SIP Trunking - The Future of Integrated PBX Communications

An excellent discussion of the advantages, choices in network services and premises equipment, pricing, and more:
http://www.intelepeer.com/downloads/SIP_Trunking_101.pdf

How NSA is Engaged in Internet Colonization

Routine port scans by government spy agencies and other nefarious groups look for your system vulnerabilities:
http://m.heise.de/ct/artikel/NSA-GCHQ-The-HACIENDA-Program-for-Internet-Colonization-2292681.html?from-classic=1


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How Verizon lets its copper network decay to force phone customers onto fiber

This seems to be the trend for the demise of the PSTN and POTS service.  The FCC and PUCs don't seem to be interested in protecting consumers interest in this rush to new technologies.  Granted there are advantages, but there are also major disadvantages such as uninterrupted power from the central office during power outages.  Also regulations are not in place to protect universal coverage and prevent arbitrary price hikes: 

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/08/why-verizon-is-trying-very-hard-to-force-fiber-on-its-customers/

Agile Software Development vs. Waterfall Methid

Agile development for a changing world

The adjective that's used to describe these processes is "agile." There are many different agile development processes, but all retain certain common features. Fundamentally, agile processes are designed around short development cycles, iterative improvement, and the ability to easily respond to change.

Iterative development processes of one kind or another have been around for almost as long as software development itself. The kinds of practices that have come to be known as "agile" proliferated in the 1990s, and the "agile" label was codified in 2001 when a group of developers published the "Agile Manifesto". 

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/08/how-microsoft-dragged-its-development-practices-into-the-21st-century/1/

7 steps to stronger, more secure passwords

A story from AP Mobile:

7 steps to stronger, more secure passwords

NEW YORK (AP) - Rarely does a week go by without news of another hacking incident. On Tuesday, The New York Times reported that a Russian crime ring had amassed some 1.2 billion username and password combinations.  The Times report, based on information from Milwaukee-based Hold Security, called the data "the largest known collection of stolen Internet credentials." Hold's researchers did ...

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The Patent Process: An Overview for Jurors

Here's an excellent patent process video used for jurors in the Apple/Samsung smartphone patents trial.   This is an introduction to how patents work and the different areas of a patent to apply in the assessment of infringement.

The Patent Process: An Overview for Jurors

What Does the Mobile Phone Unlocking Bill Really Mean?

Many mobile operators in the United States add restrictions to every phone they sell. These "locks" prevent you from being able to use your phone on other networks. If you put an AT&T SIM inside a locked T-Mobile phone, the only phone calls you'll be able to make will be to 911. This lock also applies to international carriers, so travelers will be hit with extensive roaming fees for data, text messages and phone calls.

The vast majority of US carriers have policies that, under specific conditions, will grant you a code to unlock your device. This usually only happens when you're a long-term customer in good standing who has a valid reason for unlocking it (such as military service or lengthy international trips). Problem is, these operators are still in charge and they can decide whether or not they want to give you the code. Under current law, this is your only legal option; if AT&T declines your request, you're out of luck.

Fortunately this Friday, President Obama will sign the bill passed by congress that provides an extension for the policy of unlocking your mobile phone.  This needs to become permanent law but will not be so for now. However, there is general agreement that "the question of locked cell phones has implications for telecommunications policy and that it would benefit from review and resolution in that context."

http://www.engadget.com/2014/07/29/phone-unlocking-bill/

The Secret System Controlling Your Facebook News Feed

No one really knows exactly how Facebook decides what we see when we log in. Reverse-engineering the algorithm behind it could help us find out

WHO controls your Facebook News Feed? We are fed a specially selected diet of jokes, photos and gossip from our Facebook friends, but not by a person. Instead an algorithm does the work – giving it the power to influence us.

 
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22329804.200-the-secret-system-controlling-your-facebook-news-feed.html?cmpid=RSS%7CNSNS%7C2012-GLOBAL%7Conline-news#.U9pP_Ha9Kc0

Citizens Lab - A White Hat group protecting us from spy agencies corrupting the Internet

When it comes to what a "people's intelligence agency" might look like, it's hard to find a better template than the one created by Citizen Lab. And its hacker ethos is reflected in those it calls its allies.

"When you think about hacking as a civic ethic—this idea of lifting the lid and seeing what's beneath the surface—this all comes together," says Deibert. "The idea of hacking and hacktivism seemed to me a really powerful way of motivating people; not hacking and breaking the law, but hacking as the spirit of curiosity about technological systems."

http://arstechnica.com/security/2014/07/inside-citizen-lab-the-hacker-hothouse-protecting-you-from-big-brother/

The 'right to be forgotten' on Google

http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/02/right-to-be-forgotten-explainer/

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Keep the Internet Open, by Vinton Cerf

​Here's the viewpoint from one of the fathers of the Internet:

The Internet stands at a crossroads. Built from the bottom up, powered by the people, it has become a powerful economic engine and a positive social force. But its success has generated a worrying backlash. Around the world, repressive regimes are putting in place or proposing measures that restrict free expression and affect fundamental rights. The number of governments that censor Internet content has grown to 40 today from about four in 2002. And this number is still growing, threatening to take away the Internet as you and I know it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/25/opinion/keep-the-internet-open.html

Mobile Malware Is On The Rise, McAfee Report Reveals - Forbes

When it comes to security, mobile threats are on the rise, according to the June 2014 McAfee Labs Threat Report released today. New mobile malware has increased for five straight quarters, with a total mobile malware growth of 167 percent in the past year alone. Total mobile malware has increased steadily since the first quarter of 2012.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/katevinton/2014/06/24/mobile-malware-is-on-the-rise-mcafee-report-reveals/

IBM's $3 Billion Investment In Synthetic Brains And Quantum Computing

IBM thinks the future belongs to computers that mimic the human brain and use quantum physics... and they're betting $3 billion on it.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3032872/fast-feed/ibms-3-billion-investment-in-synthetic-brains-and-quantum-computing

CEO's view: Microsoft is the productivity and platform company

An interesting view of technology's future by the new Microsoft CEO:  "At our core, Microsoft is the productivity and platform company" says .  His full speech given to Microsoft employees is available below:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/ceo/index.html

The Value of Good Communications in I.T. Projects

Strong communication skills are always an important area to emphasize for project success. Not to be underestimated.

http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2014/06/27/communicating-effectively-in-projects/


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The Next Thing Silicon Valley needs to Disrupt Big Time: Its Own Culture!

Excellent discussion about the failings of Silicon Valley's hiring and work culture. Having experienced that culture myself during my tenure there, I am in whole-hearted agreement:


http://qz.com/225782/the-next-thing-silicon-valley-needs-to-disrupt-big-time-its-own-culture/

The Business Value of SIP Trunking

An excellent explanation of the business case for SIP TRUNKING in PBX configurations:

 

http://www.slideshare.net/fullscreen/lhollmeyer15/atc-businessvalueofsiptrunking/2

History of Android O/S -- an Amazing Evolution and Development Strategy

Quite interesting to look at the history and amazing evolution of this O/S.  See the link below for full article.

"Ron Amadeo - June 15 2014, 6:00pm PDT   Android has been with us in one form or another for more than six years. During that time, we've seen an absolutely breathtaking rate of change unlike any other development cycle that has ever existed. When it came time for Google to dive in to the smartphone wars, the company took its rapid-iteration, Web-style update cycle and applied it to an operating system, and the result has been an onslaught of continual improvement. Lately, Android has even been running on a previously unheard of six-month development cycle, and that's slower than it used to be. For the first year of Android’s commercial existence, Google was putting out a new version every two-and-a-half months.

The rest of the industry, by comparison, moves at a snail's pace. Microsoft updates its desktop OS every three to five years, and Apple is on a yearly update cycle for OS X and iOS. Not every update is created equal, either. iOS has one major design revision in seven years, and the newest version of Windows Phone 8 looks very similar to Windows Phone 7. On Android, however, users are lucky if anything looks the same this year as it did last year. The Play Store, for instance, has had five major redesigns in five years. For Android, that's normal..."

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/06/building-android-a-40000-word-history-of-googles-mobile-os/

Apple Unveils iOS 8

The latest edition of this amazing O/S is described as the biggest release since the launch of their App Store. Here's the first part of this article (click on the link below for the full text).

"SAN FRANCISCO―June 2, 2014―Apple® today unveiled iOS 8, the biggest release since the launch of the App Store℠, giving users incredible new features and developers the tools to create amazing new apps. iOS 8 delivers a simpler, faster and more intuitive user experience, including iCloud® Photo Library, allowing you to enjoy your photos and videos more easily across your devices; new Messages features to easily share voice, video or photos with just a swipe; and an entirely new Health app that gives you a clear overview of your health and fitness data all in one place. iOS 8 also includes predictive typing for Apple’s QuickType™ keyboard; Family Sharing, the easiest way to share purchases, photos and calendars within the same household; and iCloud Drive™, so you can store files and access them from anywhere..."

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2014/06/02Apple-Unveils-iOS-8-the-Biggest-Release-Since-the-Launch-of-the-App-Store.html

Wi-Fi networks are wasting a gigabit—but new multi-user beamforming will triple the current speeds

We will soon be seeing triple the current high speeds of the WiFi standard.   Here's the first part of this article (click on the link below for the full text).

"Jon Brodkin - May 20 2014, 6:00am PDT -- Wi-Fi equipment based on the new 802.11ac standard—often called Gigabit Wi-Fi—has been on the market for nearly two years. These products offer greater bandwidth and other improvements over gear based on the older 802.11n specification, but they don’t implement one of the most impressive features of 11ac.

It was simply too complicated to deploy all the upgrades at once, hardware makers say. As a result, 11ac networks actually waste a lot of capacity when serving devices like smartphones and tablets. This shortcoming should be fixed over the next year with new networking equipment and upgrades to end-user devices. Once everything is in place, Wi-Fi networks will be better able to serve lots of devices at once, particularly the mobile devices that every single person in the US seemingly has in his or her hands every minute of the day.

It's hard to imagine a single smartphone or tablet needing to receive more than 433Mbps of data. But the fact that MU-MIMO-powered Wi-Fi will be able to serve more users simultaneously could bring huge benefits to large-scale wireless networks, like those in airports, convention centers, and sports stadiums. Real-world throughput will end up being something lower than 433Mbps to each user because of networking overhead and other limitations.

'Traditionally, access points have been equipped with omnidirectional antennas, which are so named because they send energy in all directions,' wrote Wi-Fi expert Matthew Gast in the book, 802.11ac: A Survival Guide. (Gast also oversees development of the software that powers Aerohive Networks’ equipment.) 'An alternative method of transmission is to focus energy toward a receiver, a process called beamforming. Provided the AP [access point] has sufficient information to send the radio energy preferentially in one direction, it is possible to reach farther.'

The first 11ac products implemented single-user beamforming, sending one transmission to a single receiver. Multi-user beamforming, coming in the next wave of 11ac products this year and next year, enables MU-MIMO and its simultaneous transmission to multiple devices.

'Don’t get me wrong, 433Mbps is nice,” Gast told Ars in a phone interview. “But there's an unused capacity because the AP is capable of transmitting three 433Mbps streams, but my phone can only receive one. You lose two-thirds of the capacity when this happens.'”

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/05/wi-fi-networks-are-wasting-a-gigabit-but-multi-user-beamforming-will-save-the-day/