Kamal.Talk

Steve Jobs: A Paradigm Shift; A CEO legacy

2011-09-01T02:49:00.000-07:00

Apple’s Steve Jobs has resigned as CEO, but the imprint he left on the company will last for decades to come.

When you think of Jobs you think of four products—the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad—industrial design, control and the idea that integration and ecosystem matters. Some folks would say Jobs was a control freak. Most geniuses are
When you think of Jobs you think of four products—the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad—industrial design, control and the idea that integration and ecosystem matters.

I view Jobs tenure as CEO in two acts:
There’s the Steve Jobs that created the Mac and was a computing pioneer. That Jobs was kicked out of Apple for a few years. All Jobs did in that down time was grow Pixar and start Next, which was later acquired by Apple.
And then there’s the modern day Jobs. This Jobs created the iPod, the iPhone and then leveraged those ecosystems to create the iPad. The iPad pricing was so on point that Apple grabbed more than a year head start. The iPad was Jobs’ crowning achievement.

The Mac taught us what a computer could be. There’s a solid argument that the iPod was pure genius. Jobs reinvented the MP3 player and the music industry. The iPod with iTunes riding shotgun started the entire ecosystem that led to the iPhone and iPad.
Enter the iPhone. The iPhone captured imaginations, took its share of hits early on and became the device that inspired hundreds of similar efforts.

The iPad on the surface is basically a big iPhone. That thinking only lasted a few minutes. In retrospect, the iPad turned out to be the computing paradigm Jobs always wanted. The iPod is a hassle free conduit to the world. With the iPad, Jobs reinvented computing. The form factor of the future is the tablet.

The true test of Jobs legacy may come in the years after he’s gone. Has Jobs’ management DNA been instilled at Apple? Tim Cook has shown he’s very capable and can run Apple well. Meanwhile, Apple’s management bench is deep. The challenge for Cook and the Apple management team will be to keep the company rolling and deliver new innovations going forward.

Five tips for fitting in when you start a new job

2011-08-18T00:21:00.000-07:00

When you begin a new job, it’s easy to get a little carried away trying to impress your boss and coworkers. Here’s some practical advice for getting off to the right start. You just landed a new job, and you’re understandably eager to make a good impression on your boss and your colleagues. First impressions are important — right or wrong, they can determine how you’re perceived for the rest of your days with the company. So take it easy and don’t try too hard. Here are some tips for easing into your new job without alienating anyone.

1: Don’t rush it

There’s an episode of The Andy Griffith Show in which a stranger arrives in town. No one knows him but he knows everything about everyone else. His familiarity toward people freaks everyone out and they turn against him. In the end, everyone learns that he knew all about Mayberry because he had read their town paper while he was in the service and he fell in love with the town. He wanted to belong but went about it the wrong way.

The moral of the story is to take your time getting to know your colleagues. Absorb the culture for a while before you start working yourself into the mix.

2: Don’t come in with all your guns blazing

I don’t mean that literally, although literally it’s not a bad tip either. What I mean is don’t come into your new job with the attitude that you know all the answers. You may have lots of experience, but you run the risk of suggesting things that have already been done. It’s an indirect way of insulting your new employer’s intelligence. Also, no matter how much people age, every group harbors a little of that middle school mentality — there’s not much tolerance for showoffs. And there’s no such thing as instant credibility.

3: Avoid gossiping

When I first started out in the working world, I encountered some office environments where you were treated with suspicion if you didn’t indulge in gossip. But the bottom line is, gossiping can lead to big problems. First, it’s risky to gossip when you don’t even know all the players yet. Second, if you’re good at it, you could get a reputation that is not easy to shake off in the eyes of those who make the promoting decisions.

4: Be a quick study

Take lots of notes when folks are instructing you. Although it’s tempting to act like you absorb information instantly, in the long run people don’t want you coming back and asking the same questions over and over.

5: Take the initiative

Many companies have clearly outlined training strategies in which they schedule you in blocks of time. If you find you have time between appointments, don’t just sit around and drink coffee. Use that time to ask questions about what you’ve already learned or do online research.

6: A good impression

Ultimately, the best advice you can take is to use the first weeks to absorb information about your new company and its processes. You don’t have to make a big splash your first day.

6 Health Secrets from Around the Globe

2011-07-25T01:48:00.000-07:00

From the Japanese to the Russians, the Greeks to the Kuna Indians of Panama, every culture has its own secrets to better health and longer life. These traditional remedies and practices—like drinking a calming herbal tea or cooking with a particular spice—might seem inconsequential, but researchers are discovering that these little things can make a world of difference. Try importing these six habits, all worth bringing home.

Panama

The Secret
Harvard professor Norman Hollenberg, MD, PhD, has spent years studying the Kuna, an indigenous tribe on the San Blas Islands who drink five cups or more of unprocessed cocoa a day. He discovered that compared with residents of mainland Panama, who generally drink nutrient-poor grocery store cocoa, the islanders' risk of cancer, diabetes, stroke, and heart disease is reduced to less than 10 percent. They can likely thank cocoa's flavonoids, powerful antioxidants with a host of cardiovascular benefits.
The PrescriptionFor a heart-healthy beverage, stir a touch of honey and a tablespoon of pure cocoa powder (flavonoids are often removed from processed powders) into a cup of warm milk.

Japan

The SecretThe Japanese live longer than almost anyone else on the planet—and this may be largely because their country has one of the lowest obesity rates in the world. One of their tricks for calorie control is a cultural practice known as hara hachi bu, which means eating until you feel about 80 percent full. At that point, your stomach is likely 100 percent full; your brain just doesn't know it yet.

The Prescription
Try to chew your food 20 times before you swallow. Slowing the pace of your eating makes it easier to recognize that 80 percent full feeling.

Russia

The Secret
Golden root, or Arctic root (a.k.a. Rhodiola rosea)—an herb that grows at high elevations in the harsh environs of the Arctic region—is a traditional Russian remedy used to treat ailments ranging from infections and altitude sickness to depression and nervous system disorders. The extremely resilient plant is known to be an adaptogen, meaning it helps the body adapt to stressors; scientific studies indicate that it can indeed boost endurance and mood while lessening stress and fatigue.

The Prescription:
Pick up the root at a natural foods store and use it to brew a cup of tea whenever you need to de-stress.

Netherlands

The Secret
The Dutch ride bicycles as a form of everyday transportation. Almost one-third of all trips are made on two wheels, and each citizen pedals an average of 1.5 miles per day. A 2010 statistical review of Dutch drivers found that they'd live up to 14 months longer by switching to cycling for short trips on a daily basis, thanks to the extra exercise.

The Prescription
Cycle to work a few times a week, run errands on your bike, or just go for a joy ride. We know that 30 minutes of this kind of moderate physical activity at least three times a week can slash your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.

India

The Secret
A large percentage of Indian meals contain curry powder, and curry contains turmeric—a spice that has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. Now research shows that turmeric may help prevent Alzheimer's disease because of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action and immune-boosting properties—all of which may help to block or remove plaque from the brain. It's not surprising that one of the lowest rates of Alzheimer's ever reported was found in northern India.

The Prescription
Incorporate more vegetable and chicken curry dishes into your diet—at least one a week. And go heavy on the turmeric.

Greece

The Secret
A 2007 study of more than 23,000 Greek adults may have revealed a surprising key to their legendary vigor—the siesta. Compared with those who power through the day, adults who nap for a minimum of 30 minutes at least three times a week have a 37 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease.

The Prescription
If your work schedule doesn't allow you to pencil in a snooze, nap on weekends—every little bit helps.

Top 10 iPad accessories

2011-07-21T23:47:00.000-07:00

Apple's iPad is becoming a familiar feature of business life with organizations increasingly deciding to equip their staff with a tablet device. Always on hand to help, silicon.com's Shelley Portlet tracked down the 10 most useful iPad accessories for businesses to help users get the most out of the iPad.
First up is iPad Hut's 5-in-1 iPad Camera Connection Kit, which allows the iPad to connect with a range of different devices including digital cameras, TVs and monitors. The adaptor has five ports including a USB port, SD card port, microSD card port, 3.5mm DC port and mini USB port, as well as AV leads - allowing you to connect your tablet to other hardware or sideload documents and presentations from all those memory cards and USB sticks knocking around in your bag.

The Sir James iPad floor stand by Arktis can turn the iPad into a presentation aid for conferences and meetings.

The iPad wall mount by Vogel gives easy access to the tablet device with a click-and-release system that allows the iPad to be easily attached and removed.

iPad Hut's waterproof iPad case becomes 100 per cent waterproof when sealed, ideal for protecting the iPad from knocked over cups of coffee at heated board meetings - or pints during 'off-site meetings'.

While winter may seem but a distant memory, the recollection of icy fingers forced out of the warm to operate touchscreens still haunts us. Thankfully, the Isotoner SmarTouch Gloves pictured above have been designed to use on touchscreens so iPad-induced frostbite should become a thing of the past.

The HP Photosmart Wireless e-All-in-One Printer bypasses the need for the iPad to be connected to an office network in order to send documents for print - just email the documents to the printer's email address and wait for the printouts.

The least expensive iPad comes with just 16GB of storage so adding an external hard drive might be a good option. The Seagate GoFlex Satellite wireless external hard drive adds 500GB or storage space which Seagate says will hold up to 300 movies. It can stream to as many as three iPads at a time.

The Elgato Tivizen Mobile TV Tuner allows iPad users to watch TV on the go - handy for those who need to keep in touch with news and other programmes on the move or for making that commute slightly more bearable.

The Macally CARUSB10 2 Port USB Car Charger shown above plugs into a car's cigarette lighter jack and allows the iPad to be charged en route - useful for when your battery fails on the way to that all-important sales meeting.

The Eagle AppsKey Pro Foldable Wireless Shortcut Keyboard also allows you to dodge the tricky task of typing on glass, and its ability to fold in half makes it ideal for those who need a pocket-sized peripheral for use on the move.

And No. 11 as a bonus. Apple's iPad keyboard dock turns the iPad into a stand-in desktop as the full-size keyboard makes typing out long documents easier.

My favorite 7 questions

2011-07-20T03:24:00.000-07:00

Great leaders seem to be able to get key information in a matter of seconds. But most can take hours to root out the same information — if they ever get it at all.

For those of you who can be lost for words when such opportunities arise, here are seven of my favorite questions for getting in touch with staff. Each one can provide more insight than a two-hour meeting with the entire team:

1. What’s the biggest issue on your plate right now? Most people will respond to this. Often it’s nothing more than a complaint or a status report, but it can lead to another question or two that will be enlightening.

2. If I could do just one thing to make you more successful, what would that be? This one often surfaces ongoing issues that are slowing progress. Usually a lower-level individual could resolve it, but that just hasn’t happened.
3. What’s the dumbest thing the company (or department) is doing (or working on)? Ask this question a few times to different people and you’ll soon find one or two things that should be put to death.

4. If you had my job, what would you focus on? Depending on the level of the person you ask, I assure you that you’ll hear some pretty interesting ideas that otherwise wouldn’t have surfaced. But “little” things can make a big difference to a group’s productivity and satisfaction.

5. What’s waking you up at night? This has two benefits: First it shows who is really thinking a lot about issues that need to be fixed. You should spend more time with them. Second, it can make it clear who treats the job as simply a paycheck. Do you really want them around?

6. Do you have the tools and resources you need to do your job in the best possible way? I’m always amazed at how a project can be stalled by something that is widely available elsewhere in the company.

7. How can I help you to be more successful? This is a great bonding question. If you really mean it and the team believes that to be the case; it can rally them. But don’t ask if you won’t deliver on their feedback.

Feedback is a big factor in the impact of the ongoing success of these hallway conversations. The best leaders get back to the individual who gave the ideas — if you can’t do it personally then send an email or make a call to show that you responded to their suggestion or comment.

Introducing the new Apple iCloud

2011-06-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs handled the iCloud announcement himself. iCloud is Apple's new cloud storage solution that handles everything from documents to media syncing.

iCloud will take over the syncing of mail, contacts, and calendars over multiple iOS devices.

Unlike MobileMe, iCloud will be free.

Steve Jobs introducing the new iCloud icon, on the far right.

iCloud will offer wireless backup of all your phone's settings. This includes contacts, purchased music, apps, and books, camera roll, device settings, and app data.

iCloud offers 5GB of free storage for mail, documents, and backup. Purchased music, apps, and books don't count against the 5GB.

Steve Jobs introduces iTunes in the cloud, a service that lets you have access to all your iTunes music in the cloud on all iOS devices.

You can enable automatic downloads, that will automatically push new music to all your iOS devices once it's purchased.

iTunes Match will pair the songs up with the iTunes library, and upgrade them to 256kbps AAC DRM-free. However, iTunes Match will cost $24.99 a year.

5 insanely cool robots

2011-05-05T22:39:00.000-07:00

The SUGV (Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle) is a tactical mobile robot developed by

iRobot and Boeing that gathers intelligence while humans are a safe distance away.

The 320SUGV at work.

The SeaGlider is a submarine robot that can work underwater for up to 7 months. It can be controlled from an iPad.

The SeaGlider measures temperatures, salinity, and other qualities of the ocean then uses

a satellite phone to send in the data.

The configurable Warrior is basically a Lego Mindstorm for those with Bill Gates’s or Uncle Sam’s budget.

It can even be used as a plow. How would you like that for the winter in the north?

The PacBot has been around for a while - saving many lives in Iraq. It's thermal camera will provide images in complete darkness, smoke obscured areas and battlefields.

The 80-inch arm extender lets the operator examine potential dangers from a relatively safe distance.

The Negotiator is a smaller robot that can sneak into tight spaces.

Monitoring the progress of the Negotiator

Yuri Gagarin's historic space flight

2011-04-18T02:59:00.000-07:00

On April 12, 1961, an almost unknown 27-year-old became the most famous man on the planet. Yuri Gagarin, in an 108-minute orbital flight aboard the Vostok 1, became the first human into space. Today is the 50th anniversary of Gagarin's flight, and though the Soviets were very quickly outclassed in the space race, that accomplishment a half-century ago is one that will live forever in the minds of most space enthusiasts.

Riding a converted ICBM, Gagarin lifted off in the cockpit of the Vostok 1. His flight lasted just 108 minutes, and it was only a month before the Americans' first manned space mission, but on April 12, 1961, no one was riding higher than Gagarin and the entire Soviet space program.

This reprint of "The Huntsville Times" heralds Gagarin's accomplishment.

The Vostok 1 capsule, which is said to have been difficult to get to separate
from the final stage of its rocket, nearly causing catastrophe.

Each year, Gagarin is remembered with a series of special events held at locations the world over known as Yuri's Night.

In this photo from 1965, Gagarin is greeted warmly by members of the American
Gemini 4 program at the Paris International Air Show.

Here, we see Gagarin in his spacesuit.

This is the control panel of the Vostok 1.

According to NASA, "Dr. George M. Low, acting administrator of NASA, presented to the USSR on January 21, 1971, a plaque in memory of Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin who made the first flight into space on April 12, 1961. Accepting the plaque at the Moscow ceremony was Soviet Gen. Kuznetsov, commander of the USSR's Star City space base, where cosmonauts have been training since 1960."

Although Gagarin gets all the ink, much of the praise for the Soviet Union getting a man into space first should go to Sergei Korolev, the father of that country's space program.

2010 Smartphone Survey

2011-04-04T20:47:00.000-07:00

Apple tops customer satisfaction; Motorola, HTC No. 2; RIM hits bottom

According to the smartphone customer satisfaction rankings, Apple remains top dog, but Motorola and HTC are nearly tied for the No. 2 spot. In other words, HTC and Motorola—two of the flagship Android brands—are improving. Here’s the scorecard:

A few items worth noting:

Motorola and HTC are equals in customer satisfaction, which may reflect more on Android commoditizing hardware.
Research in Motion is in trouble and at the bottom of the JD Power rankings.
Palm is in the middle of the pack and that may mean HP could get a smartphone foothold.
Samsung also rated near the bottom. That ranking is a bit surprising given the good reception for the Galaxy franchise.
J.D. Power said the ability to use social media on smartphones was a key factor in customer satisfaction. Smartphone users that used Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook on their phones had satisfaction averages 22 points higher than folks that didn’t use their devices socially.

Apple reveals the iPad 2

2011-03-06T23:26:00.000-08:00

The dimensions of the iPad 2.

Jobs opens the event with Apple success stories from the past decade.

The iPad 2 is officially official. At first look, the iPad 2 doesn't look much different from the original iPad.

The iPad 2 will be thinner than even the iPhone 4. Jobs says the new edge will be easier to handle.

The iPad 2 killer detail may be the price tag - same as the original iPad.

Here are some of the upgrades from the original iPad.

Jobs touts how the original iPad is already dominating the market

The smart cover is a bendable flip that sticks to the side.

the iPad 2 will come in white and black. The polyeurothane case comes in five colors and the leather case also comes in five colors.

Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iOS Software, takes the stage to talk about iOS 4.3. Improvements to AirPlay now include photo slideshows, and video and audio from apps to other devices.

Apple beefs up MacBooks

2011-02-28T03:11:00.000-08:00

Apple updated its MacBook Pro line with next-gen processors, graphics and I/O technology dubbed Thunderbolt.

The new MacBook Pros have a FaceTime HD camera, a multi-touch trackpad, and a 7-hour battery.

The 13-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,199 and features Intel’s Core i5 and Core i7 processors up to 2.7 GHz.

The height of the 15-inch MacBook Pro is 0.95 inches and the width is 14.35 inches. It weighs 5.6 pounds.

The ports include a Thunderbolt port (up to 10 Gbps), MagSafe power port, Gigabit Ethernet port, FireWire 800 port (up to 800 Mbps), and Two USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps).

Apple also gave a "Developer Preview" of its next Mac OS X version named Lion.

The Evolution of the Windows Start menu

2011-02-22T02:30:00.000-08:00

In the early days of development of what would become the Windows 95 operating system, there were three buttons on the lower left part of the screen called System, Find, and Help. The System button had a Windows flag icon and was considered to be the main menu. The icon on the Find button was an eye looking into a magnifying glass, and the icon on the Help button was a question mark along with the letter I for information.

In its final form, Windows 95’s Start menu retained the Windows flag on the button with the addition of the word Start. And, you can see that Help, Find, and Programs were all put on the menu along with Run and Shut Down commands. Also added were Documents and Settings.

Soon after Windows 95’s debut, Windows NT 4.0 made its appearance and it too featured the new Start menu. As you can see it has the same base items, but its name is emblazoned vertically along the side with a colored gradient background.

When Windows 98 hit the streets, its Start menu indicated its tight integration to the Internet via the Windows Update button at the top of the menu and a duplicate of Internet Explorer’s Favorites menu right after the Programs menu. You can see that the Log Off command became a main part of the Start menu.

In Windows 2000, we saw a shift back to cleaner Start menu. Favorites were gone and the Log off command now appeared in the Shut Down Windows dialog box. (However, you could put the Log off command back on the Start menu, if you wanted.)

The Windows Me Start menu basically looked and worked just like the Windows 2000 version.

When Windows XP made its debut, it was immediately apparent that the developers had radically modernized the Start menu. So much so that they provided the option to switch back to the Classic Start menu, so that those who were not ready for a new start menu could go back to something familiar. The Classic Start menu looked and worked like the one from Windows 2000 and previous versions of Windows.

After 6 years of Windows XP, the developers of Windows Vista decided to shake up the user interface with Aero and made many changes to the Start menu. The most obvious was the Start button, which changed from a box with the word Start on it to a glassy orb sporting only the Windows flag. The next major new feature was the Start Search box, which served as the main Search interface for the entire operating system.

The most recent version of the Start menu, in Windows 7 is almost identical in appearance and functionality to its predecessor’s Start menu. However, you’ll notice that the Shut down button has changed back to words and the lock icon is gone. All shut down options appear on a small menu adjacent to the Shut down button.

Google's Android Honeycomb buzzes

2011-02-14T02:19:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday Feb. 2, Google offered an in-depth look at Honeycomb, also known as Android 3.0.

Notifications pop up in the lower right hand corner.

You can view your notifications and read, look up or delete them.

There's a customziation tool to set up your home screen.

You can easily view your music apps.

You can use 3D customization tools such as this one for anatomy. Using this you can better describe your symptoms when talking to a doctor, for example.

You can take pictures or videos with the camera app.

CNN is very excited about Honeycomb.

Here's the beginning of a transaction. Again, it's easier to purchase items.

10 things network administrators need to know about Windows Phone 7

2011-02-03T01:01:00.000-08:00

Microsoft has spent a fortune on marketing Windows Phone 7, but there are some areas in which the system just doesn’t measure up.

1: The interface takes a little getting used to

Windows Phone 7 uses a new interface that is completely different from anything Microsoft has ever created before. This new interface requires you to use several touch gestures and can take a bit of getting used to. While some areas of the interface are completely intuitive, others may leave you scratching your head.

2: Some of the hardware is optional

Although Microsoft made phone manufacturers adhere to a strict set of hardware requirements, some components are optional. In other words, the Windows Phone 7 OS will support these components, but the manufacturers are not obligated to include them in the phone. Some of the optional hardware components include:

Wi-Fi (802.11g and 802.11n)
Bluetooth
Expandable storage
A hardware keyboard

3: Some ActiveSync policy settings are missing

Unlike Windows Mobile 6.1, Windows Phone 7 supports only some of the ActiveSync policy settings that are offered by Exchange Server. These Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) policies include:

Password Required (applicable only to Exchange 2003 SP2)
Minimum Password Length
Idle Timeout Frequency Value
Device Wipe Threshold
Allow Simple Password
Password Expiration
Password History

There are a few other EAS policy settings that are technically enabled, but that will always return a value of True. These include:

Disable Removable Storage
Disable IrDA
Disable Desktop Sync
Block Remote Desktop
Block Internet Sharing

All other EAS policy settings always return a value of False.

4: Managing certificates is more difficult

Windows Mobile 6.x had a built-in applet for managing certificates. Microsoft has done away with this applet in Windows Phone 7. Windows Phone 7 devices have built- in trusts for well-known commercial certificate authorities, but there is no interface for managing certificates that were issued by an in-house enterprise certificate authority.

In spite of the fact that the Certificates applet is gone, all is not lost. I have found that you can install a certificate by emailing it to yourself and then opening the attached certificate through the phone. When you do, the mobile operating system will install the certificate.

5: There’s no access to the file system

For as long as I can remember, Windows Mobile operating systems have included an applet called File Explorer that allows you to navigate the device’s file system. This applet has been removed from Windows Mobile 7, and the underlying file system is no longer directly exposed. Unfortunately, it seems that navigating the device’s file system through a PC when the device is connected to a USB port is not an option either.

6: The initial build is incomplete

Less than a month after the Windows Phone 7 launch, Microsoft announced that an update would soon add copy and paste functionality to Windows Phone 7. Since that time, there have been rumors that a much larger update is on the horizon that may add support for HTML 5 and app multitasking.

7: It won’t work with all mobile networks

I have used Sprint as a cellular carrier since the mid-90s, and my last several phones have had Windows Mobile operating systems. Imagine my shock and disappointment when I learned that the only carriers in the United States that support Windows Phone 7 are AT&T and T-Mobile. It is worth noting, however, that there are rumors circulating about an upcoming CDMA version of Windows Phone 7 that will work on Sprint and Verizon networks. In fact, I recently discovered a Web site that allegedly shows a picture of a soon-to-be-released HTC device from Sprint running Windows Phone 7.

8: It’s really a consumer device

When you read about the missing ActiveSync policies, you might have wondered why so many policy settings aren’t supported by Microsoft’s latest mobile operating system. Microsoft’s official answer to this question is that Windows Phone 7 was developed primarily as a consumer device, not an enterprise device. However, Microsoft hints that more enterprise features may show up in future phone updates.

9: Cell providers can block updates

Many of the smartphones on the market can technically be updated, but many of the mobile carriers have a history of taking measures to block updates. After all, it is in a mobile carrier’s best interest to sell you a new phone, not to extend the life of your existing phone.
When Windows Phone 7 was introduced, Microsoft decided to follow in Apple’s footsteps and provide updates to the phone. However, it has recently been revealed that mobile carriers will have the right to block Microsoft updates for their customers, at least for a while. Microsoft’s corporate vice president and director of Windows Phone Program Management, Joe Belifore, was recently quoted as saying, “We build updates for all Windows Phone users but must certify them with the carriers. They’ll happen on a regular cadence like they do on the PC. If a carrier wants to stop an update, they can. But they will get it out on the next release.”

10: The emulator is broken

In recent years, Microsoft has provided an emulator as a part of the Software Development Kit for Windows Mobile. In the case of Windows Mobile 5 and 6.x, the emulator was an exact replica of a physical Windows Mobile device.
Although Microsoft has released an emulator for Windows Phone 7, it has locked the emulator so that most of the operating system’s features are hidden. Almost immediately, someone hacked the emulator and released a patch that will unlock it. Even so, some areas of the emulator are still inaccessible. For example, the options to set up email accounts and social networking accounts do not seem to do anything.

Play Fun Online Games !

2011-02-01T19:43:00.000-08:00

Hey guys...you can now play online mini games while reading my blog.

It's just a click away.(see the Games Arcade in toolbar below)

New LED bulbs for indoor, outdoor use

2011-01-30T21:51:00.000-08:00

Two companies, in the LED technology space have come out with new products this week: one, a street lamp for roadway and outdoor area lighting, like you would see in your local community. The second is a prototype of a bulb intended to act as a replacement for the 60-watt incandescent products that we all think of when someone says the word, “lightbulb.” Both of the bulbs are based on technology from LED leader Cree, which is based in Durham, N.C.
Here is the rundown on each of these options:

The new Dialight StreetSense Series LED Street Light (pictured above) contains new performance optimization and thermal management technologies. The luminaire acts as a replacement for the HID fixtures that probably line the streets of your neighborhood. They can output up to 75 lumens per watt, while maintaining 70 percent of those lumens over the 60,000 hour anticipated lifespan of the bulb. Because I know this is a big deal to most of us, the fixtures can be dimmed and they contain a photocontroller, which means they can respond from dusk to dawn according to the lighting conditions.

The other LED bulb that is being talked about is one that has a much larger potential impact. It uses Cree’s TrueWhite technology, which is a big deal because that has been one of the biggest complaints about 60-watt incandescent replacements, that they don’t cast the sort of light that we have become used to expecting. The Energy Star-rated prototype that Cree is showing off right now is being described as a “no-compromise” replacement that is dimmable (we all love our mood lighting dimmers, don’t we?)

As far as specs go, Cree says the prototype delivers more than 800 lumens while consuming less than 10 watts. Says the company’s vice president of technology, Rob Glass:

“This is the first standard LED A-lamp that combines high output with a very high efficiency, in a small form factor, without the additional cost and complexity of active cooling or other design compromises.”

King of the iPhone clones

2011-01-28T03:12:00.000-08:00

It’s time for Macworld 2011 here in San Francisco. The MacGeeks descend in droves to show how real their love is. Be it scary or exciting, there is nothing fake about this crowd.

But a different kind of fake is causing a stir: The SoPhone is being touted as the best iPhone knockoff ever created - and sold, for the low low price of around $209.

That’s 1380 Chinese yuan - yes, this beauty is indeed Made In China. There is even a white version.

At first glance, the SoPhone looks exactly like the iPhone 4. That’s because in this instance, imitation is literally intended to be the sincerest form of flattery. The SoPhone company says that the device is a tribute to Steve Jobs.

This new video landed SoPhone the title of King Clone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4Vo8Og2_by8

Attack of the Clones

Online Chinese tech news media are of the opinion that the video led to last week’s crackdown on China’s huge “shanzhai,” or counterfeit, cell phone industry. However, Liu Sheng owner of the country’s biggest shanzhai phone news website told Shanghai Daily, And as everyone knows, a good secret comes with a 7-day warranty. SoPhone measures in at 115.2 x 58.6 x 9.3mm, which is - amazingly - exactly the same size as Apple’s iPhone 4. Drop your SoPhone on the ground on your way to Macworld 2011? No problem if you bought a bumper case - all iPhone 4 accessories fit the fake like a glove.

10 predictions for Windows 8

2011-01-27T23:33:00.000-08:00

Although there have been numerous rumors regarding what we can expect from Windows 8, Microsoft has revealed very few concrete details. So I wanted to take the opportunity to present my predictions.

1: ARM support

The one firm detail that Microsoft has released is that Windows 8 will support the ARM architecture. ARM processors are common in various consumer electronics devices, and it seems clear that Microsoft is positioning itself to allow Windows 8 to run on PCs, tablets, and cell phones.

2: Separation from the server

Before the days of Windows XP, Windows Server and the Windows desktop clients were two completely different operating systems. In recent years, Microsoft has tried to cut development costs by designing its desktop and server operating systems to use the same kernel. Even so, I think we may see Microsoft make a departure from the strategy.

3: OS on a diet

For as long as I can remember, people have complained that Windows is an overly bloated operating system. Since Microsoft is going to design Windows 8 to run equally well on PCs and devices with ARM processors, I think that it will have no choice but to trim down the operating system.

4: Goodbye to 32-bit support

Even though there are rumors to the contrary, I expect Microsoft to do away with 32-bit support in Windows 8. Every PC that has been manufactured in the last several years includes a 64-bit processor. There is absolutely no reason why a brand-new operating system needs to continue to support legacy 32-bit hardware.

5: Virtual plug-ins

Believe it or not, I think that Windows 7 was actually a model for Windows 8 in some ways. As you will recall, Microsoft offers something called Windows XP mode in some editions of Windows 7. With Windows XP mode, Windows XP runs as a virtual machine, but in a rather unique way. Users can either use the Windows XP desktop or they can run applications transparently through the Windows 7 desktop, even though those applications are actually running on Windows XP.

6: Heavy reliance on the cloud

This past summer at TechEd in New Orleans, Microsoft placed extremely heavy emphasis on cloud computing. I don’t expect Microsoft to completely abandon its cloud focus just because it has a new desktop operating system on the horizon. Instead, I look for Windows 8 to include heavy cloud integration. For example, I think that Windows 8 will probably provide the ability to make cloud applications appear to users as if they are installed and running locally.

7: Native support for virtualized apps

I think we can expect Windows 8 to offer native support for virtualized applications. Among these applications, I think Windows 8 will be designed to run Internet Explorer in a sandbox. This would help put an end to all the security issues that Microsoft has previously had with the browser, because virtualizing and sandboxing Internet Explorer would prevent malicious Web sites from infecting the core operating system. It may even be possible to reset Internet Explorer to a pristine state after each use.

8: A bigger distinction between consumer and enterprise versions

Ever since Windows XP, Microsoft has offered different editions of its desktop operating systems with at least one version geared toward consumers and another toward businesses. I think that in Windows 8, we will see a greater distinction between the consumer and enterprise editions than ever before.

9: Using hardware to drive sales

One thing that was abundantly clear from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year is that the PC is in real trouble. Consumers have begun to shy away from purchasing desktops and laptops in favor of purchasing tablet devices. As a result, I look for Microsoft to use native operating system support for specialized hardware to try to woo customers back to the PC. For example, I think we will see an adaptation of Microsoft Kinect for the PC, which will allow interacting with the PC via hand gestures. Just how practical it will be to work with a PC in this manner remains to be seen, but I think it will make a great marketing gimmick.

10: Name change

Even though everyone has been using the name Windows 8, I don’t think that will be the official name of the new operating system. At the moment, Microsoft has a serious image problem. It’s perceived by many as being out of touch and late to the party. While other companies are focusing on tablets and mobile devices, Microsoft is still writing software for the PC. I think that in an effort to lose its dated image, Microsoft may rebrand Windows as something completely different. It might even lose the name Windows.

Microsoft's battle plan vs. iPad

2011-01-26T23:16:00.000-08:00

Wonder how Microsoft is planning to counter the Apple iPad phenomenon? Take a look at this leaked slide presentation. Then, give us your thoughts on Microsoft’s approach.

Microsoft is planning its 2011 attack against the Apple iPad, which is running roughshod over the tablet market with 95% market share and starting to eat away at the sales of low-end Windows netbooks and laptops. According to a leaked presentation obtained by ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft is focusing its tablet strategy on five key areas that it considers iPad weaknesses:

Enterprise security and compliance
IT manageability
Integration with Microsoft apps and platforms
User choice
Content creation

Larry Page as Google CEO: His top 5 challenges

2011-01-24T22:48:00.000-08:00

Google has a new CEO as co-founder Larry Page steps up to the plate. Eric Schmidt hangs around as Chairman to deal with strategy and government relations and the big picture. Page’s other half Sergey Brin will focus on products. And that’s where things are going to be interesting.

Thinking quarterly. A CEO’s success is measured three months at a time. Google hasn’t had to worry about that too much since the search giant makes gobs of cash—at least enough to invest heavily in data centers, big buildings in New York City and bonuses to keep people. Page was largely insulated from that song and dance. As CEO, it’s distraction city. Page will have to talk to media, government types and Wall Street analysts. That’s a bit different than “the spend 10 percent of your time motif Google has going on.”

Putting doubts to rest. Schmidt inadvertently put a lot of pressure on Page. On an earnings conference call, Schmidt said:
I want to say very clearly that I believe Larry is ready. He has been working on this area for a long time. His ideas are very interesting and clever, and it is time for him to have a shot at running this and doing it, and I’m sure he will do a fantastic job. It is interesting that a decade goes by very fast when you work in a partnership as wonderful as this has been, and I’m quite sure that this partnership will continue. We are friends. We are coworkers. We are computer scientists. We have a common vision. I don’t anticipate any material change in any of our strategies or anything. We tend to agree on pretty much everything. But I do believe that as a result of this, we will operate and execute the business even better.

Schmidt’s shadow. Adding to this pressure on Page is the fact that Schmidt is still there. In Google’s history, Schmidt was the grown-up manager to the two co-founders/visionaries. However, Page is like a CEO who still lives at home. Schmidt’s shadow remains. It would almost be easier if Schmidt weren’t hovering.

Page’s presence. Page may have been involved in the day-to-day operations, but he hasn’t really had the big stage to himself. How will Page carry a keynote? Schmidt had a veteran’s view and a lot of presence based on experience. Page’s persona is a work in progress.

Finding Google’s next act. Schmidt alluded to Page’s “clever” ideas. Page will have to deliver a few of those. Why? Google’s biggest threat may be Facebook. Facebook could be an ad threat and be as meaningful to the Web ecosystem as Google.

CES 2011: The biggest winners and losers

2011-01-16T20:23:00.000-08:00

The Consumer Electronics Show is the biggest and most anticipated events in terms of electronics and tech industry that take place every year. It is also the stage which hosts industry tech giants to showcase their masterpieces. As it happens annually, it brings out some clear winners and losers alike. Here is this year’s scoreboard.

WINNERS

Motorola Mobility

Motorola Mobility the new Motorola spinoff that went live as a separate entity on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday of CES week. This new company focuses entirely on consumer devices and their first CES couldn’t have been scripted any better. In partnership with Google and Verizon they officially announced the new flagship Android tablet, the Motorola Xoom. They announced one of the first high-powered smartphones running on Verizon’s LTE 4G network, the Droid Bionic. And, to top it all off, they unveiled the breakthrough product of CES 2011, the Motorola Atrix, a smartphone that doubles as a legitimate PC replacement with both desktop and laptop docks.

Verizon Wireless

In the past, Verizon Wireless has saved most of its big product announcements for some of the telcom-specific trade shows or its own private announcements. This year, the company came to CES with both guns blazing. On the heels of the successful US launch last month of its 4G LTE network — which is, arguably, now the world’s most advanced 4G Internet experience — Verizon had LTE live in Las Vegas and ready to show off the world’s largest annual crowd of technology enthusiasts. The network performed like a champ. And, on the official opening day of CES, Verizon held press conference announcing 10 LTE devices — smartphones, tablets, and hotspots — that will launch during the first half of the year. It was an impressive roster of devices from leading vendors such as Samsung, Motorola, HTC, and LG. The Motorola Xoom tablet and the HTC Thunderbolt were especially impressive. I spent 25 minutes using the Thunderbolt and was blown away by the speeds generated by the combination of its high-end hardware paired with Verizon LTE.

NVIDIA

The company that was seemingly everywhere at CES 2011 was NVIDIA. Specifically, the dual core NVIDIA Tegra2 was the processor du jour, showing up in many of the new smartphones, tablets, and even car-tech announcements. At CES, NVIDIA announced that it is partnering with ARM to launch its own high-performance CPU cores the size of a dime. This is the long-rumored “Project Denver” that NVIDIA has been working on and it will likely position the company as a leading powerhouse in the next generation computing, since ARM processors power nearly all of the smartphones and tablets coming to market and are now scaling up to run PCs and servers as well. NVIDIA looks like it could become the Intel of the next great wave of computing.
HONORABLE MENTION: Samsung

LOSERS

Microsoft

This is beginning to sound like a broken record, but I’m still waiting to hear any hint of Microsoft’s vision of where it sees the computing world headed in the decade ahead and how Microsoft plans to take us there. We didn’t get it at CES 2011 even though Microsoft once again had the biggest stage — the opening keynote the night before the official opening of CES. Microsoft squandered its opportunity to set the agenda of the tech industry. Instead, it simply trotted out its standard stump speech on “Windows everywhere” and replayed many of the same demos from its 2010 product launches. Then, once the show opened, many of Microsoft’s traditional PC partners spent CES spotlighting their tablets instead of new netbooks or laptops running Windows 7. Microsoft’s newly-launched Windows Phone 7 devices got completely overshadowed as partners HTC, Samsung, and LG put their new Android smartphones front-and-center. And, at a show dominated by the launch of new tablets, we heard nothing from Microsoft about its tablet plans. Even Microsoft’s long-time partner Intel criticized Microsoft’s missing tablet strategy.

Sony

Sony’s CES story is not unlike Microsoft’s. Where’s the leadership? Where’s the vision? Sony has traditionally been the biggest name in the consumer electronics industry. It should dominate CES. But, when’s the last time you heard about a breakthrough product from Sony? When’s the last time you heard about a market-leading product from Sony? Its competitors have been running circles around it, and it was no different at CES 2011. Sony put on some glitzy presentations, but lacked the product leadership. Much of that was due to the fact that Sony focused most of its energy on the wrong thing — 3D TV. While Sony had perhaps the most impressive 3D television at CES, that’s a dubious distinction akin to having the nicest house in a neighborhood scheduled for demolition. Contrast that to what Samsung did at CES. It delivered thin, high-quality, reasonably priced (non-3D) TVs — the ones people actually want to buy. But, TVs weren’t Samsung’s only story. They unveiled exciting new smartphones, tablets, and PCs, including one of the most innovative new products at CES, the Sliding PC 7, a hybrid laptop/tablet.

Intel

One of the major trends at CES 2011 was the acceleration of the world to mobile computing. With the unveiling of dual core smartphones, over 80 new tablets, smartphones that also serve as PCs (the Motorola Atrix), and an emerging new category of hybrid tablet/laptops, it’s clear that technology companies are rising to meet the demands of users, who are spending more and more of their computing time using mobile devices instead of traditional PCs. If you look closely at this army of new devices — which were the headliners of CES — almost none of them are running Intel processors. Practically the whole fleet of these devices are running ARM processors in general and the dual core NVIDIA Tegra2 specifically. Intel has known that this trend was coming. I remember Intel presenting a slide at the 2008 Intel Developer Conference showing how sales of mobile devices were going to rapidly overtake traditional PCs in the years ahead. Intel attempted to meet this trend with its Menlow and Moorestown processors for “Mobile Internet Devices” (MIDs), a category that it tried to create with its hardware and software partners. However, Intel’s chips couldn’t match the low-power efficiency of ARM chips and rise of smartphones crowded MIDs out of the market. Instead of going back to the drawing board and making a more power-efficient class of mobile chips, Intel continues to fall behind. While NVIDIA chips were powering nearly all of the tablets and high-end smartphones at CES, Intel played up its “Sandy Bridge” chips for multimedia PCs. This focus on high-end chips feels like a tacit admission that Intel has no answer in mobile.

Five tips for managing employee Internet access

2011-01-12T00:24:00.000-08:00

There’s a fine line between being Big Brother and keeping employees from wasting too much time on the Internet. And as we all know, there are plenty of ways to waste time on the ‘net: Facebook, Twitter, chatting, shopping, scores… you name it. But how do you manage control of your employees — and what type of control do you extend over them?

1: Try Packetfence

Packetfence is one of the most powerful network access control tools available. It’s an open source tool that can easily be installed and administered on either Red Hat Enterprise Linux or CentOS. You can also install on Ubuntu or Debian, but it’s not nearly as easy. With this tool, you can manage who has access to what, what time they have access, and how much they have access to. Packetfence helps keep unwanted users/devices from accessing your network, too. If you are serious about controlling your network, this tool should be at the top of the list of those you want to test.

2: Try OpenDNS

OpenDNS is an industry-leading Web content/security/DNS tool that is completely Web based. With OpenDNS, you can filter content, prevent phishing, block page bypass (Enterprise only), protect against malware (Enterprise only), delegate administration (Enterprise only), and much more. You will have detailed daily reports as well as archived logs and statistics. With content filtering, you can select from more than 50 categories and prevent the use of proxies for bypassing filters. There are different plans, ranging from Free to Enterprise. Pricing can be found on the OpenDNS Web site.

3: Monitor network usage

If you are less inclined to do a catch-all prevention of certain Web traffic, you might want to look into tools that will monitor network usage. With tools of this nature, you can keep tabs on what your users are viewing online and then act accordingly. This is a much less Big Brother approach to managing what your employees are viewing. By handling this task this way, you are more inclined to have a lower attrition rate from employees not wanting to work in a controlling environment. A tool like Net Spy Pro allows you to monitor employee Web usage from a single desktop. This particular tool even allows the administrator to view employee bookmarks and favorites. Although some think this a better approach than implementing policies and preventing access to certain (or all) Web sites, many people view this quite the opposite. As I said earlier, it’s a very fine line.

4: Make sure you have a clear access policy

Instead of employing controlling software, it might better suit your environment and employees to have clear policies in place that prevent the usage of certain Web sites during work hours. This method does call upon the honor system (unless you are using a monitoring tool), which gives your work environment a more relaxed feel. The problem with this method arises when you discover an employee abusing the policies and you do not react. If you lay out a clear policy and do not punish those ignoring it, you may as well throw that policy out the door and forget about having any control whatsoever.

5: Give a little now and then

Along with having clear policies, you have to be willing to offer some flexibility. During the holiday season, employees are going to shop online. During March Madness, employees are going to check basketball scores. You must be willing to give or you will find yourself with some upset employees. If you are never willing to bend on your policies, the attrition rate may rise during certain times of the year or with certain cross sections of employees. (Older employees may be less apt to take issue with such policies than younger employees.)

Finding the balance

The saying “Everything is relative” applies here — as does “Everything in moderation.” The real problem with employees surfing the Web happens when it interferes with actual work. This could be too much browsing or browsing to unsafe or inappropriate sites. You, as an employer (or manager) must tread that fine line between too much and too little control over what employees can do with their Web browsing.

Photography Tips

2011-01-10T01:17:00.000-08:00

Perk Up Pets Pictures:

BigC- my Pomeranian

Everybody loves to photograph their pets -- but few know how to get the most out of their furry friends. Following any or all of these tips can improve your pet photography

1) Get down and dirty. You usually see Rover and Fluffy from above, but that's not the best angle for a portrait. Instead, flop down on the floor and meet them at eye-level; this presents them as equals in the photo and reveals their personalities.

2) Light it right. Direct on-camera flash will give your pet a killer case of green-, yellow-, or blue-eye. Try to avoid direct flash: If you can, bounce the flash off the ceiling or a wall, or move the flash off-camera. Or just ditch the flash and try available light, both indoors and out.

3) Fill the frame. You've heard this one before. Fill the frame with your subject to make it prominent and to crop out any distractions.

4) The eyes have it. You might find yourself shooting with a shallow depth of field, so whatever else you do, make sure the eyes are in focus. The windows to the soul must be kept clear!

MyFord Mobile smartphone app

2011-01-09T19:53:00.000-08:00

Ford's new MyFord Mobile app will let owners of the Focus electric car get a variety of telematics functions, from the basic, such as remote door unlock, to trip planning software that takes the car's remaining range into account.

MyFord Mobile includes smart charging settings. Ford worked with Microsoft to develop a system that takes advantage of low electricity rates. The system asks owners when they expect to need the car, then picks a period of time when electricity is cheap to charge up the batteries.

MyFord Mobile uses MapQuest to find charging stations. It shows the car's current location and nearby charging stations. It also indicates which charging stations are in range.

The trip planning feature lets drivers enter multiple destinations, indicating if the car has enough range to reach all of them. Drivers can decide on different routes based on how much range the car has left.

The app gives tips to help drivers maximize their range. For example, it checks the outside temperature and suggests pre-heating or running the air conditioning while the car is plugged in, so the climate control system does not impact range as much.

The symbol of the rivalry: Steve Jobs and Bill Gates

2011-01-06T03:05:00.000-08:00

Microsoft versus Apple has long been the marquee rivalry of the technology industry,
but the two companies also have a long history as frenemies. Here are their 10 greatest collaborations.

10. Microsoft launches Outlook for Mac in Office 2011

9. Apple and Microsoft spurn Blu-ray for digital downloads

8. Apple makes Safari available for Windows

7. Snow Leopard connects to Exchange

6. Boot Camp installs Windows on Mac hardware

5. Microsoft licenses Exchange Activesync for iPhone

4. Microsoft invests $150 million in Apple

3. Internet Explorer becomes the default browser on Mac

2. Apple makes iPod compatible with Windows

1. Microsoft develops Word for the original Macintosh