Extremis by Steven Mautone

One month later...

2011-11-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

In the weeks after Steve Jobs' death, tales of his life, work, and inspiration have surged through the media like a typhoon and continue today, one month later. I've heard people put him on a pedestal as an almost god-like thought-leader, and I've heard people bash him as an overbearing monster who demanded perfection at any cost. I'm not quite sure how I feel about the media spin, but I keep coming back to this one quote:

"One of the hardest things, when you're trying to affect change, is that people like this gentleman are right in some areas. [...] The hardest thing is how does that fit in a cohesive, larger vision that's gunna allow you to sell, uhm, 8 billion dollars, 10 billion dollars, a year. And one of the things I've always found is that you've gotta start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology. You can't start with the technology and try to figure out where you're gunna try to sell it. And I've made this mistake probably more than anyone else in this room, and I've got the scar tissue to prove it, and I know that it's the case. And as we have tried to come up with a strategy and a vision for Apple, it started with 'What incredible benefits could we give the customer? Where can we take the customer?' not starting with 'Lets sit down with the engineers and figure out what awesome technology we have and then how are we gunna market that?' And I think that's the right path to take."

I think this specific quote really shows who Steve Jobs was and what he accomplished. It definitely embodies my impressions and ideas of who he was. He was very calm, collected, and in control of his emotions.This was a man who had incredible passion and had the drive to bring that passion to the entire world. He was confident in his strategies and vision. The magnitude of what companies like Apple, Google, and Microsoft accomplish is so astonishing, regardless of media spin, I hope we can all agree that this was an exceptional man whose life can teach all of us many lessons.

Welcome to Blogger!

2011-10-29T12:07:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to add this post to announce my official move to Blogger. My personal blog, stevenmautone.com, is now supported by Google+Blogger.

Blogger just recently added a new template to their offering called Dynamic Views. I've tweaked it a little with some CSS, but this is a really slick theme for a personal site. There's even a view tailored to showing off your photo galleries.

Check out Blogger and connect to your Google+Profile!

Goodbye to a visionary, leader, and creative genius.

2011-10-06T04:34:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs passed away last night, October 5, 2011. One day after the iPhone 4S was announced by Tim Cook, Jobs' successor.

There are very few technologists who are universally considered "cool." Very few who are truly creative. Very few who are revolutionary ... Steve Jobs is, and will remain, an amazing inspiration to me. As I continue my career on the Web, I will always review my work through his eyes: "how would the user expect this to work?" "how can I improve the user experience?"

Rest in peace, Steve.

Designing a global Web

2011-06-27T03:22:00.000-07:00

I came across this article recently: Cultural Considerations for Global Websites.

It does a great job of stating the obvious... we have a global Web, so let's design for it!

Building a Web site as a global platform adds a whole new level of complexity to the Web development process. Not only does language become a significant factor, but many other cultural issues must be addressed.

I definitely continue to be a strong WordPress advocate, no matter what the scale or scope of a site may be. WPML is a very interesting translation plugin and service that I will do a much deeper dive into in another article.

WordPress for Mobile

2011-03-04T03:30:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of speaking at WordCamp Miami this year and it was an absolutely amazing event! During my presentation we focused on WordPress for Mobile. WordPress is an extremely powerful content management system and its strength can be increased by linking your site to your mobile device. Email, the mobile Web, and of course the official mobile apps provide multiple ways to WordPress while you're mobile.

Check out my presentation slides:

"Rule the Air" with WordPress

2011-02-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

Football fans, and non-fans alike, love to watch the Superbowl for its amazing commercials. They're funny, shocking, and even sometimes confusing, but always entertaining. I've had a really great time lately watching technology-related commercials. They almost seem like mini soap operas... Droids attacking iPhones, T-Mobile embarrassing AT&T (and Apple), and, of course, the classic Mac vs. PC ads. One that really caught my eye wasn't exactly funny or witty, but really made a point: Verizon's "Rule the Air" campaign. With our new mobile devices we can easily publish photos, videos, and articles to the Web... we're all able to be local journalists. Mobile apps for services such as Twitter and Facebook allow us to easily push content out to our social networks. One issue that constantly haunts these Web services is data ownership. Are your contacts yours to take with you wherever you want to go on the Web? What happens to your data when you delete it? These issues all stem from the fact that we're asking someone else to manage our data for us... but it doesn't have to be that way. The first open source app to hit the iTunes App Store (back in 2008) is the key to owning and controlling our own data. WordPress began as a blogging platform, but has grown into a full-featured, Web content management system. With applications for Android, iOS, Blackberry, and even Nokia mobile devices, WordPress can publish your thoughts to the Web, while allowing you to control your own data.

It is easy for anyone (not just professional Web developers) to set up their own Web server and WordPress. Automattic, the company behind WordPress, offers both WordPress.com, a free Online service that helps you build a personal blog, and WordPress.org, the free, open source WordPress Web system. WordPress.com makes setting up a personal blog as easy as creating a Facebook profile... maybe easier. WordPress.org has a famous, 5 minute installation process. With WordPress, you can manage your own data, while connected to your mobile network, and learn to truly "Rule the Air."

WordPress has two different options:

WordPress.com, where the Automattic team hosts and configures your WordPress, and
WordPress.org, where you can download the WordPress system and host it on your own Web server.

The WordPress project is a great example of successful and efficient open source development. Providing the two WordPress options allows users of any technical skill level to utilize the power of the WordPress system. The combination of an open source system and a managed Web service allows Automattic to advance WordPress through the analysis of both the user's and the developer's perspective.

Automattic has created a great tutorial site that helps get people started with WordPress. Learn.WordPress.com can take someone from "zero to hero," readying them for blogging success. But the power of WordPress doesn't end with blogging... that is merely where the story began. WordPress has evolved into a robust system that can manage all kinds of content on the Web. Extending the system with plugins or redesigning the system with themes allows WordPress to be molded into pretty much anything that your imagination will allow the Web to be. Once your WordPress is set up, you can connect it to your mobile device in a number of flexible ways. In addition to the WordPress for Mobile apps, WordPress allows you to email posts into your blog. There is even a mobile version of the WordPress.com Dashboard that provides a lot of the WordPress functionality on any mobile browser.

WordPress is truly my mobile power app. I value the openness of the project and the ways it allows me to take my data with me wherever I might end up on the Web. It has been amazing to watch the WordPress project evolve over the past 7 plus years and I'm excited to see where it will go in the future. With all of the discussion about data ownership and control of the Cloud, it's great to see open, standards-based projects like WordPress empower us.

Individuality vs. Conformity

2011-01-28T05:25:00.000-08:00

I wasn't really happy with my first Android, the HTC MyTouch 3G on T-Mobile, but now we've seen quite a bit of progress on the device. My main complaint was the processor speed, and that has been totally upgraded in their newer versions of the MyTouch. Now I think that the HTC MyTouch brand is a great example of how Android supports more individuality and competition in the mobile market, while the iPhone is simply one player.

I see the Genius button as exactly what the Android project is all about... a common operating system and app platform, but customized design and implementation targeted towards specific users. The Genius button is essentially a rebranding of Google Voice Search, but by calling it the 'Genius button' it allows T-Mobile to market the feature in a different way and explain how it can help specific types of users in their daily lives. It's features like these that allow the Android platform to provide more individuality for its users than those who are focused on the Apple iPhone closed platform. I argue that Android fragmentation can be a good thing for the market... albeit a more difficult situation for consumers to know what their getting.

Today, Sarah Perez, a writer at ReadWriteWeb.com, published a great article that documents her move from iPhone to Nexus. The Nexus S is currently the only phone on the market that runs Google's latest version of their mobile operating system, Android 2.3 Gingerbread. I think this article is a great explanation about the differences between iPhone and Android. The question is whether you want the ability to customize and control your device or whether you think Apple's got the right idea and gives you exactly what you're looking for without requiring much customization.

iPhone to Android: Making the Nexus S Do Your Bidding by Sarah Perez

Need to upgrade? Swappa Android for a new model

2011-01-26T07:03:00.000-08:00

Every few months there are new Androids with amazing, state of the art features that completely outdo the old model that your carrier has you tied to. Upgrading can be extremely costly, plus, you'll end up with a bunch of old phones that you no longer use. That's where Swappa.com fits in... "Swappa makes it easy for anyone to buy and sell fully functional, gently used Android devices." So now you can upgrade to a new model by swapping with someone who can give your old Android a new home.

I've owned several Androids in the past few years. I started with an HTC MyTouch 3G, but only a short time later the Nexus One caught my eye. I was really excited to test out the newest version of Android (since it was the first phone to feature Android 2.2 Froyo). For the same reason, I have recently upgraded to the Nexus S... which was the first phone to run Android 2.3 Gingerbread. Android 3.0 Honeycomb hasn't even been launched yet, but I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve anxiously waiting to open new presents. I will surely purchase one of the first tablets released with the new Android system. This would be a very expensive obsession... except for the help of services like Swappa. Swapping out my old Android allows me to recoup most of my costs and help pay for my new upgrade. And, just as the Swappa.com logo suggests, it's a great way to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

There is a lot of buzz on the Web about how horrible eBay is. Personally I think it's ridiculous how they charge you for your listing and then pretty much force you to use their payment service (PayPal) that takes yet another percentage of your sale. Swappa is different. Swappa.com charges set fees for your Android sales... and right now (for a limited time) they're reducing all sales fees to just ten bucks! With great prices like that, I wouldn't even consider using craigslist.org. Swappa allows buyers and sellers to use their Facebook account to list and buy items... this helps make Android recycling a social experience that connects you to a great, Android-focused community.

As we see new Androids with dual-core processors, NFC technology, 3D displays, and even biometric scanners... it's great to have a resource that allows us to recycle the old as we find the new features needed to improve our mobile lives. Today, Swappa has just launched a new feature on their site: Want to Buy (WTB) listings. Now you can post a listing for the very Android you are hoping to find and the site will notify you (via email) when it becomes available. It can't get much easier than that!

Swappa (Android), buy and sell gently used Android devices.

Coming Soon: 3D displays in mobile devices

2011-01-25T04:17:00.000-08:00

There's no denying that in 2007 the iPhone created a new world in the mobile market. Both the hardware and software revolutionized what a mobile device should be. Since then, we've seen Windows Phone and Blackberry each get complete overhauls and we've seen Android explode onto the market. Back in June of last year, I wrote about how Android phones surpassed the iPhone with the launch of the HTC EVO for Sprint. At that time, Android innovated the market with video conferencing through a front-facing camera. Then, with the release of the Nexus S on December 16th, 2010, Android pushed the limits again by releasing NFC (Near Field Communications) with hopes of turning your mobile device into an electronic wallet. Apple is again following Android by announcing NFC for the iPhone 5, later this year. No matter which company is announcing the "next big thing," we can be sure that strong competition in the mobile market is bringing us some very exciting innovations.

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), this year, announced over 25 Android tablets that are expected in 2011. The Motorola XOOM is the flagship Honeycomb Android tablet, but LG is said to release the T-Mobile G-Slate shortly after. The current news is that the G-Slate will push the mobile market towards 3D. 3D is nothing new to us. Nor is it new to the mobile market. In fact, this time around Nintendo was the leader... the Nintendo 3DS was announced with a glasses-free, 3D display and 3D camera almost a year ago.

The question is whether 3D displays are a passing phase or if they're the next big innovation that's brining us towards the future that George Lucas promised. NVIDIA has said that new processors will make 3D displays the norm for our mobile devices.

What do you think? Are you hoping for a 3D display on your next phone, tablet, or gaming device? Do you think this new mobile 3D craze is just a Hollywood explosion or is it here to stay? Leave your opinion in the comments!

Finally, printing on the go

2011-01-24T06:11:00.000-08:00

Today, Google announced an absolutely amazing new feature... something that is crucial to leading the mobile life that we love so much: Google Cloud Print for Mobile.

With Google Cloud Print you can connect your home printer to your Google account and then print to it from every device you have no matter were you are; Android, iPhone, iPad, or even your desktop and laptop. 'Print' has been added to the menu on both Mobile Google Docs and Mobile Gmail. This is a huge improvement to a workflow on the go! You can print documents while you're thinking about them and then have them waiting for you when you return home. Right now it requires a Windows PC as your home computer (in order to set up the connection to your printer), but Mac and Linux versions are coming soon. Check out the Help Center for any questions or necessary information.

Eric Schmidt wasn't kidding when he said 2011 was all about mobile at Google. I can't wait to see what's in store!

Nexus S: The S stands for "slick"

2010-12-16T06:02:00.000-08:00

Back in 2007, I was lost in a huge crowd of people waiting in line for my very first iPhone. Maybe it was that long wait that made me almost cry when I dropped the phone and shattered the screen (or maybe it was the lack of insurance on the phone). One year later I went through the exact same experience upgrading to the iPhone 3G, but after standing in line for 5 hours I vowed to never do that again. There were so many people that the line lasted for days (possibly weeks!). People were lined up down Fifth Avenue, wrapped around 58th Street, and then back up Madison Avenue. The crowds were almost as amazing as the revolutionary smartphone itself. Today, three of us stood outside BestBuy ready to upgrade our Nexus from One to S. Google doesn't quite have the cult following that Apple does, but in my opinion their technology is advancing much faster. The Nexus S is a truly amazing device.

The best word to describe the Nexus S is "slick." There are only two hardware buttons on the device: volume and power. Even the four standard Android buttons are virtual and disappear when you turn off the screen. The Nexus S is the first device to feature Android 2.3, Gingerbread; Gingerbread adds to the slick style of the Nexus S. The Android UI has been updated to add countless details that make the interface extremely polished. Most noticeable, the notifications bar has been changed to black, which makes the edge of the screen flow stealthily into the black phone casing. The menus have also been changed to black (and slightly transparent), which has the same effect on the edges of the screen. When the App Drawer is open, it looks as if the icons are placed right on the black face of the phone. The Nexus S with Gingerbread is a true unification between hardware and software.

There are two new default icons added to Gingerbread: Downloads and Tags. Downloads seems like a minimal file browser, allowing easy access to the folder where the browser will save any downloaded files. Tags is the initial NFC app that will allow tagging locations using the new Near Field Communication technology.

Froyo added a lot of functionality, and Gingerbread has now added style and polish. Android continues to raise the bar on mobile devices and the "pure Google" of Nexus S is a great example of Android's progress.

Android (with Chrome)

2010-12-10T03:38:00.000-08:00

If you asked C3PO or R2D2, I'm sure they'd both agree that every Android needs a little Chrome... and I think that's exactly what Google plans to give us. The current version of Android, version 2.2 Froyo, is absolutely amazing for mobile devices, but Google has announced that it's not ready for tablets... with the recent announcement of version 2.3 Gingerbread, along with the Google TV announcement, I started thinking about what Google could be cooking into Android 3.0 in order to "get ready" for tablets.

Android 2.2 is capable of all the latest mobile features (which is why it's running away with the mobile market). It's outpaced Blackberry and is sprinting towards the finish line before Windows Phone 7 even hit stores. Android 2.3 will bring us new mobile technology to take Android to yet another level (Near Field Communication, NFC, to help connect the real world with the virtual one). I'm willing to say that anything the iPhone can do, Android can do... likewise, anything the iPad can do, Android can do as well. Both 2.2 and 2.3 can even do some things the iOS devices can't yet (like creating a mobile WiFi hotspot and allowing us to tap a storefront with our phone to "check in" and read ratings and reviews). With all the amazing features that came in the small upgrades from 2.1 to 2.2 and 2.2 to 2.3, it's hard to imagine what could be added to Android to warrant the graduation from the 2.x branch. I think the question is about a dramatic interface overhaul and I think Google TV has some answers!

For the past few years, Google has been working on two operating systems: ChromeOS and Android. Android has been much more public until recently, since we've seen all of these great Android phones and tablets hit the market (yes, there are Android tablets, even though Google has said they're not ready!). The big buzzword in mobile today is apps, and Android version 2.x does apps really well (with the ability to auto-update apps, update all apps at once, and store your apps on your SD card). ChromeOS was born out of the idea that the browser is the most important app to modern computing. Chrome has become a stable, fast browser, and ChromeOS aims to simplify your computer down to nothing but that amazingly fast browser.

Chrome is Google's example of an application hierarchy, and I think Google TV's design is another example. Google TV is developed on Android, yet it has a new homepage menu system that essentially sits above the standard Android 'Application Launcher.' This TV homepage is essentially a list of super apps: Chrome (Web), Broadcast (television), OnDemand (apps). Google TV has shown us how Chrome can be added to Android... the operating systems don't have to compete, but rather can work together to build a more complete computing experience. The weird thing is that Android doesn't have a Chrome app in the Market yet! The Google-default browser app is called 'Browser,' and, while it's based on the same technologies as Chrome, it is its own project with its own development team... until now! Google TV is running Android and it has the official Chrome browser included; This is a great example of how separate teams at Google come together to unite their work into larger, universal projects.

I think the big interface update that will get Android ready for tablets will be in the same form as the "homepage for your TV" that Google showcases on their Google TV page. (on a side note: I'm sure it's not a coincidence that the Google TV page is built in Adobe Flash, gotta love Google humor). And I'll say this first... I hope Google doesn't get any crap about copying the Windows Phone 7 tile-based home screen when Android gets updated... but it's just a natural progression that Google must add to Android, and it is already seen with the Google TV Androids... Android needs a better "homepage" that will let users toggle between full sized apps like Chrome, Google TV, and possibly other "super apps" in the future (Such as Google Earth, once it's more integrated with Maps and all the mini-Maps projects such as Latitude, Places, HotPot, OpenSpot, and Maps Editor).

Adding Chrome to Android will allow us to have the Chrome Web Store on our mobile devices... therefore cleaner management of our mobile Web apps, and simplified synchronization between all of our devices. Here's hoping for an Android tablet with enough Chrome to make droids proud.

UPDATE: ...just wanted to add this preview video of Andy Rubin showing off Android 3.0 Honeycomb; looks like there are quite a few UI improvements (lots), although many of them are descended from Gingerbread:

Nullsoft... a blast from the past!

2010-10-22T04:50:00.000-07:00

Here at Extremis, I try to focus on innovative mobile devices, peripherals, and apps that help us stay connected, efficient, and away from our desks! Even though it might not make you more productive, I had to post this shout-out to Winamp, one of my favorite apps of all time... now mobile:

Winamp, the Ultimate Media Player, is now available in beta on Android™ (Android 2.1 OS and above). It offers a complete media management solution by seamlessly syncing with the Winamp desktop library. In addition to high quality playback and persistent player controls, Winamp for Android offers wireless desktop sync with your Winamp desktop application (Winamp 5.59 beta required). Standard USB syncing also available.

You can search for Winamp in the Android Market, or download it directly by scanning Nullsoft's QR code.

Here's the official announcement. It's nice to see a well known competitor to iTunes join the Android community! It's a little ironic that WINamp came to Android before WINdows Phone 7 (and just after the big WP7 announcement)... I wonder if that will be foreshadowing of what's to come for the Windows Phone 7 platform.

Winamp is truly a well designed mobile music player. It will quickly replace the default Music app on my Nexus One. I had been playing with ³, another innovative Android music player, but Winamp has more than just nostalgia putting it at the top of the Android music player list. Winamp is intuitive and smooth, and the addition of wireless desktop sync is absolutely killer!

Stay connected to your Android with OpenWatch

2010-09-15T05:29:00.000-07:00

In an increasingly mobile world, I've been looking for ways to be connected to my communications without being that rude guy in the corner of a meeting staring at his phone. For my Nexus One, the OpenWatch app is just that connection. OpenWatch is an Android application, found in the Market, that utilizes Bluetooth technology to send notifications from my Android to my wrist. A casual glance at the time allows me to see my Gmail, SMS, calls, alarms, calendar appointments, and many other notifications from several applications on my Android. OpenWatch connects to many Bluetooth watches on the market. The specific watch that I have been using is called the MBW-150 from Sony Ericsson, but OpenWatch also supports a few other Bluetooth models from Sony Ericsson, as well as a few from other manufacturers such as the LG Prada.

OpenWatch is actively developed by smartmadsoft.com. Smartmadsoft originally created this phone-to-watch application for Windows Mobile devices (as smartWatchM), but currently maintains versions capable of connecting Bluetooth watches to Windows Mobile, Android, iOS, Blackberry, WebOS, PalmOS, J2ME, Maemo, Linux, and even Windows. In recent years, there has been a lot of discussion about the "death of the wristwatch," but I argue that with Bluetooth connectivity like this, the wristwatch can again become a classy, stylish way to access our information. Here's a great article on computerworld.com that explains how advancing technology will revitalize the wristwatch.

Scan this QR Code (provided by AndroidZoom.com) to directly locate the OpenWatch app in the Android Market:

Mobile Browsers Compared: pocketnow.com exclusive video

2010-08-24T06:14:00.000-07:00

In a story posted yesterday evening, pocketnow.com has released a video on YouTube that compares the default browsers of iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 7. It's not a completely fair comparison due to the fact that they've used the latest versions of both iOS and Android, yet the Windows Phone 7 system is not scheduled for official release until October of this year. Regardless, the new Internet Explorer Mobile looks pretty good!

The interface of the new IE Mobile does not look like anything new or groundbreaking. I actually think they've wasted a lot of space on the display with toolbars and icons, similar to Mobile Safari. The beta release of Firefox Mobile on Android is still the most impressive interface because it incorporates the ability to slide the page left and right to gain access to bookmarks and tabs, leaving the full screen for the actual Web page; Dolphin Browser followed suit with this style in an update released shortly after Mozilla's beta. Comparing the interfaces for the default browsers of iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 7, Android is the cleanest, focusing on the Web content itself. I guess this should be expected from Google.

I would say that the three browser's are very similar in terms of speed and page load times. iOS seems to load page content on demand as you scroll, so you get a slight blank checkerboard when you scroll quickly. Overall, there are going to be very negligible differences between the three systems, but Windows Phone 7 finally brings Microsoft back into the mobile race with Apple and Google (and RIM is still struggling to compete).

Android 2.2 - Froyo

2010-07-04T01:25:00.000-07:00

Google announced, on June 28th, 2010, that the Nexus One would begin to get Android 2.2 as an over-the-air update. Well, this morning I finally got the update!

Android 2.2 fixes everything that was becoming a bit frustrating on my Nexus One. The home screen has been slightly redesigned... now, instead of only one permanent icon (to open the application launcher), there are three permanent shortcuts to the Phone application, Application Launcher, and Browser application. The AM/PM marker on the notification bar clock has been slightly shrunk, and the home screen pages are much more responsive and have a slight bounce to them. This increased home screen speed is extremely welcomed and makes the Nexus One much more competitive with the iPhone 4 processing speed.

Of course, the long awaited Adobe Flash is now available. It does not come as an automatic install with 2.2, but instead must be installed separately through the Market. I loaded up www.2advanced.com (a full Flash site) and everything worked perfectly, just as I would expect on my desktop. The concerns about interacting with Flash hover-states opposed to clicks was not at all a problem; tap to interact. I then loaded the www.sho.com video page. This page utilizes a standard Brightcove video player. I was able to watch the video in page; the same as my desktop experience. Multitouch still functions properly in the browser window, and double-tapping the video player area instantly zoomed in to the page to watch the video at the full width of my Nexus One screen.

Now, with all the Flash discussion aside, the main reason I was waiting for this 2.2 update was the feature to move applications to my SD card. This feature has to be enabled by the application developers, rather than simply on the core OS itself, and so out of the 70 + apps that I have on my Nexus One, it was only available on a few. A simple time-waster game called Toss It can be moved to the SD card, but most others that I have installed can not. I'm really surprised that Google hasn't updated all of their apps before releasing 2.2, but it seems that only Google Sky Map and Places Directory have the new feature. Google Browser, Calendar, Earth, Finance, Gesture Search, Gmail, Googles, Listen, Maps, My Maps Editor, Panoramio Uploader, Search, Shopper, Translate, Voice, and the Market itself still do not. This isn't a full list of Google's applications, but definitely more can not yet use the feature than those that can.

There are a few other updates on Android 2.2, Froyo. The Phone application has been slightly tweaked. The Call log now groups consecutive calls with the same contact. The Messaging app has a very nice facelift, changing to a more readable white background for the message list as well as a few new settings. The Gmail application also has a slight facelift; I don't notice any significant new features, but the design and menu system are slightly updated, and now there is a button in the upper left that allows for much easier switching between multiple accounts (but still no way to change the 'send as' address; a feature that is very useful for productivity in Gmail). The Keyboard has also been updated with an easier way to add words to the user dictionary.

Overall, Android 2.2 is an excellent update, mainly for the speed and responsiveness of the operating system. It's nice to see Google releasing this update just after the iPhone 4 hit the streets (and after the EVO and new Droids have been released).

This changes everything?

2010-06-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today Apple launched the iPhone 4 and marked the day where Android officially took over as the leader in mobile devices... I'm sure we all remember Apple throwing a bunch of patents around, saying that HTC has been copying their iPhone, but now Apple is following HTC.

On June 4th, Sprint officially launched their new phone, the Sprint EVO 4G by HTC with Google, which immediately broke Sprint's one-day sales record. The EVO is the newest and best Android on the market. It has a 4.3 inch, 800x480 pixel display, 1 Ghz Snapdragon processor, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera for video conferencing and an 8.0 megapixel primary camera, support for a micro SD card of up to 32 GB of space, stereo Bluetooth, as well as the ability to share its Internet connection through Sprint 4G and Wi-Fi; not to mention GPS Navigation and other Google services.

Flash forward three days... and Apple is launching their iPhone 4 on AT&T with a slogan of "This changes everything. Again." What does it change? This is three days after everything's already been changed! Front-facing camera for video conferencing? We've already seen that, Apple. Multitasking? We have definitely seen that for a while now.

So what new technology did Apple actually announce with the iPhone 4? Retina Display... FaceTime... hardly valid reasons to upgrade your 3GS. Retina Display is definitely an advancement that we can give to Apple's credit. The iPhone 4 will have a display that has a higher pixel density than the human eye can perceive (although with a little bit of controversy); 960x640 resolution that makes "text and graphics look unbelievably crisp and sharp." FaceTime, a new Apple video conferencing app that borrows a lot from iChat Video Calls, is a great new Apple app. But we've had video conferencing apps for a long time... Skype is still the leader in that market and Verizon's Droids have had Skype for months. Is a nice, new screen and clean, new video conferencing app enough of a reason to upgrade your iPhone? Is it a valid enough reason to stick to Apple instead of moving to the open source Google Android?

I think the most shocking part of Apple's launch today is that they have finally integrated 'Categories' and some of the other "Bests of Cydia." So not only is Apple falling behind in hardware, they are officially copying the coders who they have shunned from their AppStore. How does this follow the company slogan "Think Different"? It looks more like Apple is playing catch up, rather than leading the pack. But this should be expected... we've seen the release of at least three powerhouse Androids this year and only this one new iPhone.

UPDATE: just wanted to include a few links and images.

Are you kidding me, Apple?

Even your marketing is ripping off Android now?

By the way... does eyeOS break a trademark on iOS? Uh Oh... but wait, does Apple iOS break a trademark on Cisco iOS? (apparently Cisco has given the OK). Has the tech world run out of creativity and reverted to just stealing each others project names?

Google throws PAC-MAN a 30th birthday!

2010-05-21T04:23:00.000-07:00

Google continues to bring things to the next level. Today's Google Doodle is a great example...

The Mobile Browser Wars

2010-05-07T04:15:00.000-07:00

Last week, Mozilla launched their plan of attack as one of the newest armies fighting in the mobile browser war. With application marketplaces such as Apple's iTunes App Store and Google's Android Market, there seems to be quite a bit of visibility for a large number of browsers in the mobile space. There are several big players and I wanted to compile a list, so that we can understand the scope of this new browser war:

Google Android Browser
RIM Blackberry Browser
Dolphin Browser HD
Mozilla Fennec
Microsoft Mobile Internet Explorer
Apple Mobile Safari
Opera Mini
Skyfire

(Please add any I've missed in the comments.)

UPDATE August 24, 2010: pocketnow.com has released a video comparing the browsers of iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 7.

Fennec on Android

2010-04-29T08:39:00.000-07:00

I've been anxiously awaiting this app for quite some time and finally yesterday I was able to install Fennec, Firefox Mobile, on my Nexus One. A mobile browser built with ingenuity... it is clear that Mozilla will extend their vision of making the Internet public, open, and accessible onto the mobile, touch platform. With Fennec, they took their time and built an intuitive and well thought out mobile browser that is true to the Mozilla ideals.

Fennec on Android is instantly the best mobile browser on the market today. It came with some pretty specific "warnings and caveats," but overall, it is a great explanation of what's to come in the more mature releases. The interface is clean and simple, yet the browser has incredible capabilities. When you first open Fennec, you'll see the standard interface for mobile browsers: location bar and homepage. The fennec location bar also acts as a quicksearch bar, utilizing default search engines: Google, Amazon, Twitter, and Wikipedia. Just as Firefox normally defaults to the Firefox Start page, Fennec defaults to the Fennec Start page. This page seems very similar in design and in function to the Firefox Start page, providing information about the browser, such as recently closed tabs as well as add-ons preferences.

The way Fennec handles tabs is where I see its true power. Simply swipe the current page to the right to reveal the tabs pane, which utilizes page thumbnails for each of your opened tabs. This method of tab selection allows Fennec to switch tabs with just one tap (swipe), rather than two or three taps to switch tabs through the menu systems of the Google Android Browser or Apple Mobile Safari, or even Opera Mini. (UPDATE: Dolphin Browser HD on Android has decided to copy this tab management system). Of course, the added bonus of Fennec's excellent tab management is that Mozilla's Weave project allows the syncing of open tabs between computers. I installed the Weave addon-on without any trouble (even on this very early beta) and it's great to be able to pass my Web work from my PC to my Android, so that I can continue my train of thought from the office to home.

Bottom line, Fennec is a great mobile browser, but without the ability to set it as the default browser it just can't compete with the default Android browser (or Dolphin HD or Skyfire). Im sure this will be resolved in the first non-beta, public release... so until then...

Security in Dynamic Web Content Management Systems Applications

2009-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

The processes behind corporate efforts to create, manage, publish, and archive Web information has also evolved using Web Content Management Systems (WCMS). WCMS allow teams to maintain Web content in a dynamic fashion through a user friendly interface and a modular application approach. This dynamic "on-the-fly" content creation provides Web site authors several advantages including access to information stored in databases, ability to personalize Web pages according to individual user preferences, and the opportunity to deliver a much more interactive user experience than static Web pages alone.^(reference) However, there are distinct disadvantages as well. Dynamically generating Web content can significantly impact Web server performance, reduce the scalability of the Web site and create security vulnerabilities or denial of service.^(reference) Organizations are adopting information technology without understanding such security concerns.^(reference) Moreover, as Mostefaoui points out, even though many attempts have been made to understand the security architecture, a generic security framework is needed. Recent research amplifies the concerns and benefits of security in open source systems.^(reference) However, there is a need for organizations to understand how to evaluate these open source systems and this paper highlights how an evaluation technique in terms of security may be used in an organization to assess a short list of possible WMCS systems. This article focuses on security issues in WCMS and the objective is to understand the security issues as well as to provide a generic security framework.

The contributions of this paper are to:

Integrate the goals of security with eight dimensions of WCMS,

Specify how to secure the eight dimensions of WCMS,

Formulate a framework of security using this integrated view of security goals and security dimensions,

Address the security of the Web architecture at WCMS software application level using the framework and evaluate security features in popular WCMS used in the industry.

Communications of the ACM: Volume 52, Issue 12