Meet Generation C: The Connected Customer - Brian Solis

274 million American have Internet Access, which is more than double that of 2000.
81 billion minutes spent on social networks and blogs
64% of all mobile phone time is spent on apps.
42% of tablet owners use them daily while watching TV.

For the first time, the numbers of laptops have surpassed desktops within TV homes.

In 2009, I discovered that in social media, women rule. As you can see in Nielsen’s report, women too rule Gen-C.  Specifically, they rule social media and online video and TV viewership.

With smartphones, men and women are tied in adoption.

With tablets however, men rule.

Meet Generation C: The Connected Customer - Brian Solis

BYOD: ‘bring your own device’ How will it impact your company

In case you haven't heard, the Bring Your Own device to work strategy is doing the rounds in the more enlightened corporate IT world and is a very attractive option for Developers, Administrators and other IT geeks of that ilk.

That aside, as a non-geek, BYOD will require serious attention to the infrastructure and support policies within your organisation.

The one really good reason not to let employees use their own smartphone, notebook or tablet at work, is because it creates an IT management nightmare.

Firstly or blatantly, there are inherent security and regulatory compliance risks. Unless you have complete control or have great faith the responsibility of IT geeks to protect their own assets.

Even if you restrict and /or allow certain products or technologies that people can bring and use, it will be next to impossible to make sure everyone keeps their machines updated with the proper OS and application patches.

If you use the argument that BYOD will save the company money on assets, their maintenance and their depreciation, you may be disappointed. Many businesses supporting BYOD expect employees to buy and support devices at their own expense but the boundary between the BYOD asset an dthe infrastructure and security policies behind that may be blurred.

Consequently, there is a high risk of holes opening up in your Securoty, DMZ and Firewall. The money not spent on assets may have to be diverted to protect the infrastructure and will require the development of new IT management policies. Can you say your organization is BOYD ready?

To simplify small and midsize businesses (SMEs) should be prepared to sense BYOD and it's impact in the following ways.

#1: Your technology upgrade cycles will be shorter
Most smartphones are turned over every one or two years, because of carrier contracts. That means employees will be exposed to new features more quickly and be able to keep up with business enhancing features made available on open platforms e.g. Skype, Social media, etc.

#2: You will need to consider supporting or including more devices, not fewer
Even if your company chooses not to let employees bring their own smartphones, consumer tablets or notebooks into their work setting, it will need to consider adding more devices to the menu that allows people to work whilst travelling. Consider this an evolution of your corporate benefits or perks strategies. People should be able to choose their own device for work, even if they don’t own them outright.

#3: You need to rethink how you distribute applications
Thanks to Apple, most of us have become really familiar with the idea that you can download pretty much any application you need from searchable store. Over time, employees will come to expect the same from our IT team. Updates and upgrades will be enforced through alerts, much like the store concept.

#4: You need to raise your game on mobile security
Mobile malware and antivirus software packages exist, but they haven’t been widely used. If you allow people to bring their own mobile device, that needs to change. What’s more, your organisation will need to govern what data can and cannot be downloaded locally. That’s especially true in certain industries, especially healthcare or financial services where the Data Protection Act is very pertinent.

#5: You need to rethink the concept of mobility.
IDC expects the number of mobile workers worldwide to surpass 1.2 billion by 2013. Why would you provision someone with a desktop computer, even if it is a person who traditionally works in a back office position, if there is a chance that he or she might need greater flexibility in the future?

Forrester Research predicts that up to 60 percent of information workers will need to work in some location outside their office during the average workweek. Does that number fit well with your asset projections for notebook computers, media tablets or smartphones in your organisation?

Bring Your Own Device to work certainly has an allure and attraction from an financial asset management perspective and as a motivator for Developers and IT Geeks but have we thought this all the way through and are we, and our organisations really ready to adopt this strategy.

Microsoft PocketTouch - YouTube

The second presentation innovation Microsoft has announced, is called PocketTouch and it is aimed at making smartphones receptive to touch gestures through fabric, such as a pocket, purse, or jacket.

The idea is that sometimes people want to quickly interact with a smartphone without having to pull it out. Microsoft refers to PocketTouch as an “eyes-free” solution. Here’s the description:

PocketTouch enables a rich set of gesture interactions, ranging from simple touch strokes to full alphanumeric text entry. Our prototype device consists of a custom multitouch capacitive sensor mounted on the back of a smartphone.

Similar capabilities could be enabled on most existing capacitive touchscreens through low-level access to the capacitive sensor… Our results suggest that PocketTouch will work reliably with a wide variety of fabrics used in today’s garments, and is a viable input method for quick eyes-free operation of devices in pockets.

PocketTouch are evolutionary steps of a larger effort by Microsoft Research to investigate the unconventional use of touch in devices to extend Microsoft’s vision of ubiquitous computing.”

It’s terrific to see Microsoft innovating on multitouch since it’s obviously a critical element of the future of computing. However, Microsoft Research has a track record of showing off lots of cool stuff that never comes to market.

They need to follow the lead of IBM’s prolific research devision, which is much better at commercializing and productizing its best innovations — or at least maybe IBM only shows off stuff that has a reasonable path to becoming a real product. Still, in this case, it looks like Microsoft has a couple innovations that aren’t just cute ideas.

India launches World's cheapest tablet

India has already churned out the world's cheapest car and is now launching what's billed as the world's cheapest 7-inch touchscreen tablet.

The result of efforts by India's Ministry of Human Resource and Development to develop a low cost computing device that could be used by students across the country.

Aakash, or "sky" in Hindi, is set to be sold to students at the government's subsidised price of US$35.

The regular retail price of the tablet is expected to be around US$60 when the unit hits the shelves as a commercial version called the UbiSlate 7.

Wonder how many 'students' will sign up for this one!

What's the best mobile anti-virus app?

Anti-virus App Options

The first step in choosing the best mobile anti-virus is to discover what compatible products offer the features you want. This brief primer will give you an idea of some of the major players in the mobile anti-virus protection market.

Typically, anti-virus programs are available for purchase with an annual subscription charge that includes regular updates, for free (which may have limited functionality) or free to try for a limited time:

Norton Mobile Security -- One of the big names in PC anti-virus protection, Norton offers mobile device security, too. In addition to anti-virus and malware protection, Norton Mobile Security has a lock-out option for unwanted calls and messages, remote find and remote locking if your device is stolen.

There's also a wipe feature to remove all your data from a stolen device. It works with Android 2 or later and requires 1.8 MB of storage. It's also available in a free LITE version [source: Norton Symantec].

Kaspersky Mobile Security -- Provides real time virus protection, spam protection, data encryption, anti-theft features, firewall protection and parental controls. Kaspersky Mobile Security 9 works with BlackBerry: 4.5 through 6.0, Symbian^3 (or Series 60 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.4), Android: 1.6 -2.2 and Windows Mobile 5.0 - 6.5.

This one isn't free, though. If Kaspersky is running a promotion, their mobile package can cost as little as $15. Otherwise, you'll pay around $30 for protection [source: Kaspersky Lab].

BitDefender Mobile Security -- With install and on-demand scanning, an event viewer, anti-theft protection and an application audit function that will alert you to potential software charges, BitDefender Mobil Security is a useful and easy to use mobile security app that's gentle on your battery. It's free in BETA and works with Android devices.

ESET Mobile Security -- ESET offers a comprehensive mobile package with principal and portable memory scanning and evaluation of files loaded via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or infrared. It includes firewall, remote wipe and spam guard features. It also has a neat set of general tools like file quarantine and a disk space and battery level checker.

ESET Mobile Security requires 1 MB of free memory and supports Windows Mobile 5.0, 6.0, 6.1 and 6.5; Symbian S60 3rd Edition Feature Pack 1 or 2; Symbian S60 5th Edition and Symbian^3. It's a little pricy at $59.99, but you can check out all the useful features for 30 days before you buy [source: ESET].

BullGuard Mobile Security 10 -- Provides virus and spyware protection and monitors your calendar and contact list for suspicious activity. This one also includes a phone tracking and wiping function, spam guard, firewall and parental controls. It supports BlackBerry, Motorola Nokia, Sony Ericsson, HTC, Samsung and others.

Firewall and spam filter options are only available on Symbian and Windows Mobile platforms. You can try BullGuard Mobile Security 10 free for 15 days. After that, a yearly subscription will cost $30 [source: BullGuard].

AVG Mobile Anti-Virus -- This one is a free Android app that will check for and clean out viruses, schedule automatic scans and use GPS to locate a lost or stolen phone and remotely lock or wipe its content.

It's an AVG anti-virus product, so if you've been using AVG on your desktop or notebook, you'll feel right at home. For under $10, you can upgrade to their AntivirusPro, which contains anti-spam and anti-phishing functions, too. Droid Security is compatible with Android devices [source: AVG Mobilation].

AhnLab Mobile Security -- From AhnLab, this mobile security software offers protection from worms and viruses. It provides real time anti-virus monitoring, anti-spam and URL filtering. Currently, AhnLab does not provide a free version or trial version of this product. AhnLab Mobile Security is compatible with Symbian, Windows Mobile, and Palm OS platforms [source: AhnLab].

This list isn't exhaustive. If you don't see something you like, you might also want to check out: Antivirus Free (by Creative Apps for Android), GuardX Free Antivirus (by QStar for Android), Lookout Mobile Security Free (for Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile) and NetQin Mobile Antivirus (for Android, Windows Mobile and Symbian).

The best mobile anti-virus app on the market can still leave you vulnerable to new threats if you don't develop safe practices when using your mobile devices. Like locking your car door or engaging the emergency brake on a hill, some precautions should become habits you don't have to stop to think about.

Consider developing these safe practices:

• Avoid installing pirated software.
• Update your anti-virus software regularly.
• Be on the lookout for anti-virus patches and upgrades.
• Be careful of any app, app update, email attachment or other download that comes from an unknown source.

Now that you understand a little about the mobile anti-virus products on the market, check your mobile device to clear up any potential compatibility issues and compose your wish list. There are quite a few free options, and even if you have to pay a nominal fee for protection, this is one bargain you can't afford to pass up.

Johnny Lee - YouTube video on remote screen

Automatic Projector Callibration with Embedded Light Sensors - Johnny Lee

The Year of E-Commerce - Dr. Hansjörg Leichsenring

Click on the image to read the full report in PDF format

SIX Interbank Clearing – The payments hub

SIX Interbank Clearing operates the payment systems SIC and euroSIC in Switzerland and across its borders.

It thereby enables banks worldwide to handle their payments in francs and euro rapidly and securely. Interconnected with the primary players in the Swiss financial center, it also provides other economically vital payment traffic services.

Read More

Don't bank on your phone: Too easily hacked

Alex Fidgen of MWR InfoSecurity, one of the biggest cybercrime-busting outfits in Britain came out with a very scary statement this week.

It's normal line of business is to legally hack into computers to test and improve their company's security. More recently MWR has turned its attention to smartphones and found that it can crack open every new handset it sees.

"The mobile phone industry is not fit for purpose, especially for financial transactions," says Fidgen. "The evidence is irrefutable. You cannot be assured of security with modern smartphones. As soon as the handset is compromised, then any data is up for grabs."

Fidgen says the fault lies with the handset manufacturers rather than the network providers or banks. In the race to bring new phones and new features to the market, many have left security low on the agenda.

Yet modern smartphones are in effect PCs with phones attached and, particularly when they are used in public Wi-Fi hotspots, they can become fatally compromised.

Trojans can enter a smartphone in many devious ways. All you have to do is click on a link or attachment that contains the virus, and within seconds it can secretly seize control of the phone. That link might be a tinyurl in Twitter. The attachment could be a vCard, the standard format for sending a business card to a phone.

Or it could be that you are accessing a website in a cafe. At Wi-Fi hotspots, fraudsters create bogus gateways, known as "evil twins", to which the latest mobile phones will automatically connect.

As the Guardian revealed in April, once a connection is established, all the information passing through the gateway can be read directly or decrypted, allowing fraudsters to harvest user names, passwords and messages.

Until now, these attacks have been rare but now experts say that's just because smartphones are still taking off. "We're walking into a minefield," says Fidgen, who has been warning about the risks of mobile banking for several months, "but nobody's bloody listening."

Mobile Malware threats increasing

New mobile malware threats increased 46 percent in the fourth quarter 2010, compared to a year ago, according to McAfee’s quarterly report on emerging threats.

Not surprisingly, hackers are following popular platforms e.g. email spam continues to decline as usage drops.

Only 80 percent of email traffic was spam in the fourth quarter, the lowest mark since the first quarter of 2007. I do hope it doesn't surprise you that 80 percent of all email is spam and that it's really good news.

Instead of focusing on email, cybercriminals are moving to mobile devices and platforms. McAfee notes “a steady growth in the number of threats to mobile devices.” Key targeted platforms include Android.

SymbOS/Zitmo.A and Android/Geinimi were the two headliner malware threats for mobile. Symbian remains the most targeted for malware—largely due to market share.

McAfee said:

This quarter presented some of the most interesting changes of the year. In the past three months we saw the lowest spam volumes since 2007, but at the same time we identified attacks on new devices such as smartphones using the Android operating system. Mobile malware and threats have been around for years, but we must now accept them as part of the mobile landscape, both in awareness and deployment.

Other key odds and ends from the McAfee report:

• Auto run malware, banking Trojans and downloaders are the most favoured malware in the fourth quarter.
• Botnets delivered via spam appear to be dormant for now, but that could change.
• 51 percent of the top 100 daily search terms lead to malicious sites. These search engine attacks are likely to target mobile devices in 2011.
• Adobe’s Acrobat continues to be the most favoured software to exploit.

The Unwritten Laws of Luddite Technology

What are the Basic Luddite PC Tech Laws?

Let's start with the so-called 'Brains of the Outfit', the 'Nerve Centre' - The PC, Laptop, Mac or 'computer'

• Law 1: For every fix that a Windows Update patch fixes, the update will break two other things on your PC
• Law 2: The risk that Windows will need to automatically install time-sucking critical updates on your PC, is directly proportional to your need to get your PC started
• Law 3: The hard drive always fails just before you were going to back it up.
• Law 4: Your data will get corrupted just before you plug in your new backup external drive or will be corrupted when plugging in your backup device..
• Law 5: Your backup plan is only as good as your last successful restore.
• Law 6: The number of USB ports on your PC or Mac will always be one less than you need at any given time.
• Law 7: Feeling the time pressure on you to fix a computer quickly, will cause you to take longer.
• Law 8: If you close the PC case and tighten all the screws before testing it, it won't work; If you test it before closing the case, it will be OK.

What are The Luddite Tech Support Rules?
Now that you've mastered the basic technology traps, you think you're ready to move on to Tech Support.

• Law 1: If you fix a computer for a friend or family member, you'll be their tech support for life.
• Law 2: If you Build a computer for someone else, then he/she also owns you for life!
• Law 3: Recommend a product that you've used with no problems, and the friend/family member who buys it will immediately descend into some sort of product return hellhole of retribution.
• Law 4: Show any smart or handy IT skills at work, and your company's IT department will start referring all their difficult coworkers to you, the Mr Fixit Guru Guy!
• Law 5: If it's broken and you call tech support, it will immediately fix itself while you're on hold or are still trying to press the correct buttons to get through the responding call centre's phone system.

What are The Luddite Internet Ordinances?
You can find a world of trouble online.

• Law 1: Within a month of agreeing to be "friends" with your boss on Facebook you will regret it, big time.
• Law 2: The crappier the Web site, the sleazier and sketchier the ads.
• Law 3: When entering "Captcha" verification codes on a Web site, you'll always type in the numeral 1 when the site wants a lowercase L, and a capital O when the site wants the number 0.
• Law 4: Just before taking out the boss in a WoW raid, your Internet connection will die.
• Law 5: The difficulty involved in redeeming a rebate is directly proportional to the monetary value of the rebate.
• Law 6: The safe draft of a nasty e-mail, will always somehow find its way to the (unintended) recipient.

What are The Luddite Precepts of Mobile Tech?
Desktop technology isn't the only source of inevitable woe in your life. All those shiny mobile devices can cause pain, too, since the freedom of untethered technology doesn't extend to immunity from rank on rank of frustrating unalterable laws.

We report 10 master Luddite Mobile Laws here.

• Law 1: The charger for your current cell phone will not work with the next cell phone you buy.
• Law 2: Your laptop's charger weighs half of what your laptop weighs and doesn't fit easily into the laptop carry bag.
• Law 3: A laptop battery will drain at twice its normal rate whenever you leave home without your power cord.
• Corollary: Your laptop's battery life is inversely proportional to the amount of work you need to get done on a single charge.
• Law 4: Your iPod or iPhone will be on its last burst of power just as the plane door shuts.
• Law 5: A replacement battery charger will cost 70 percent of the original purchase price of the whole device, including the laptop bag. For phones, the figure is 140 percent!
• Law 6: Your cell phone will inevitably break before your two-year contract is up, forcing you to overpay for a new, less-cool model.
• Law 7: The proprietary charging plug (cost to produce: 50 cents) for your device will disappear within two weeks and will cost you $40 to replace.
• Law 8: On any vacation, a) the memory card for your digital camera will be safely lodged in the card reader on your desk at home. b) The camera's proprietary re-chargeable battery will be dead, with the charger sitting next to the card reader.
• Law 9: A cup of coffee or fizzing drink on your desk, is guaranteed to render your laptop utterly useless.
• Law 10: Your MagSafe adapter will always come unplugged precisely when you need to charge your Mac laptop's battery.

What are The Luddite Software Statutes?
Finally, if entanglements with hardware principles don't leave you bound and gagged, there are always software standards to render you helpless.

• Law 1: Your software provider's online support pages contain explicit instructions for troubleshooting every conceivable problem, except yours.
• Law 2: Nine times out of ten, tinkering with your Registry to fix a system issue will create a new and more severe problem. Did you back it up before you started? Unlikely!
• Law 3: Ten times out of ten, downloading a spyware product will create hidden processes/services more insidious than the original malware/adware encroachment you set out to stop.
• Law 4: The performance increase you can expect from running a Registry cleaner can be calculated as z(n + y), where n is the number of Registry entries cleaned, y is your system CPU's clock speed in gigahertz, and z = 0, or near to it.
• Law 5: The larger the number of people who want your attractive iPhone app, the likelier Apple is to reject it.
• Law 6: iTunes will crash. That's it. No, really.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) - Replace or Repair PCs and Laptop

We are all faced with the questions; when to re-invest in our computer equipment and how long should we continue to support obsolete models, given the high cost of support, out-of-warranty repairs and the acquisition /depreciation overheads.

It is especially relevant in these difficult times. The cost of finance is high, to sustain the finance industry and to claw back lost revenue. Whereas, the cost of computer power is dropping and negotiations and deal-making has never been so readily available, in an effort to stay competitive and afloat.

Consolidation versus Growth
The questions are equally relevant if you are trying to dig in and consolidate your resources to protect you from the growing storm or whether you are going for future growth and looking to launch your company with greater capabilities, when times improve or allow. We are all looking for and waiting on, that breakthrough moment.

Costs versus Benefits
Clearly everyone's company is unique and they have particular circumstances to take into consideration but the overall Cost v Benefit argument is similarly simple in most cases. Hopefully the illustrations here will give you some constants in a question of variables.