Foul Tech Sours

At this point, I am pretty sure that most people are not unfamiliar with iOS: Apple’s mobile platform. Generally, from release to release, the platform has stayed the same, adding a few enhancements at a time.   On June 10, 2013, iOS 7 was publicly unveiled at the Worldwide Developer Conference. This version of the platform is supposed to go beyond the mere additions and enhancements we are used to seeing from Apple, and is supposed to introduce something “different”. Considering Microsoft’s flop after trying to be “different”, it is safe to say that people do not like change and “different” is a gamble. Although Apple hype beasts (that’s what I call them) might be excited to have an iOS 7 download party in the fall just because it’s new, some of us that are a bit more tech savvy (or have common sense anyways) might be a bit more skeptical before just upgrading from iOS 6 to iOS 7.   To prepare this group of people, Apple provided some of the major differences that users ...

Since the release of the new BlackBerry Z10 in late March, BlackBerry (formerly known as Research In Motion or RIM) has taken a huge leap back into the competitive world of smart phones. While the BlackBerry Z10 has several new features that are considered foreign on previous BlackBerry devices, there are several features that remain on the device that are unique to BlackBerry.  Specifically, BlackBerry Messenger, or BBM, is a popular messenger tool used by millions of active users everyday.  I personally believe that it was probably one of the best features provided on older BlackBerry devices. It has been announced that BBM will become a multi-platform, stand alone application on iOS 6 and Android Ice Cream Sandwich devices beginning this summer.  The improved BBM application on the new BlackBerry 10 platform is rather impressive, offering new modern features such as video chat, screen sharing, voice capability over wifi connections, and social application integration...

While the bottom line (net revenue) is important to a businesses finances and success, several companies realize that in order to increase this number it is important also important to increase efficiency.  Having an impact on overall efficiency begins from the bottom up: the employees must be satisfied with not only themselves, but their work environment. While providing benefits, flexible schedules, and relaxing dress codes have been common ways to make employees "feel good", a new method is slowly but surely beginning to enter the business world. Formally, Bring Your Own Device (known as BYOD) policies allow employees to bring their personal mobile devices, such as laptops, smart phones, or tablets, to access company information and data in the work environment. BYOD is beginning to have an impact on several companies in the United States and around the world.  While this trend may appear intimidating and currently raises ...

As consumers, there are several things that we look for when considering the purchase of a new technical device.  Specifically, when looking to purchase a smart phone generally users prefer something that is fast and efficient, relevant, up to date, and useful. Specifications such as screen resolution, speech recognition capabilities, keyboard preference, etcetera are all based upon individual preferences, but there are usually several standard key features that smart phone users usually look for. Smart phones as we know it usually meet the same standard criteria. But, what if smart phones were no longer considered just smart, but instead were more "intelligent"? The Knowledge Navigator is a concept created by former Apple CEO John Sculley. Although the idea now seems pretty antiquated, when the idea was presented in 1987 it was an idea that seemed so far fetched, but is now practically the basis for the Apple iPhone. Sculley originally describes his concept in his...

The concept of a web search engine is nothing new to the society in which we live. The first Internet search engines go back as far as the early 1990's, and have evolved into what they are today: software code that is designed to find user input string on the world wide web. While we think of common search engines, like Google  and Bing , as useful and friendly resources there are less common search engines that can be used to cause harm and exploit poor security. Specifically, the search engine Shodan  searches the "back channels" of the world wide web.  The search provides data about devices linked to the Internet, such as traffic cameras, printers, web cameras and routers. A simple search can pick up on nearly any device connected to the Internet.  Several demonstrations of the search have been performed, and it has been around for approximately three years. Searches using Shodan have presented results that include command and control systems fo...

In one of my previous blog posts, Android: The New Home for Facebook , we learned that the company Facebook planned to host a media/press event on April 4th. Distributing invitations that only said "Come see our new home on Android", this stirred up several resources and Facebook fanatics.  People (again) got amped up about the possibility of a Facebook phone. That time has come and gone, and Facebook unveiled it's "new home" on the Android OS. While is it not a cell phone, it is a major leap in Facebook's mobile capability. If you own an iPhone, an older Android phone, or Blackberry, I am sure you know the feeling of frustration that is stemmed from the limited capability of the Facebook mobile app. The new launcher (called Facebook Home) is a home screen application that will sit on top of, not replace, the Android OS. It is designed to work with apps already installed on your device, and also features a family of associated applications. The goal of the...

Yesterday Twitter  relaunched a site called Business for Twitter .  Several Twitter users may use the site strictly for micro-blogging purposes: posting song lyrics, location updates, rants, etc. For those of us that tend to think more broadly, Twitter is a great tool to advertise and market yourself, businesses, and brands. The content on the site is not necessarily new to users that utilize Twitter on a more professional basis. However, the content is more organized making it easy for even the most unfamiliar business user to get what they need out of Twitter.  The website includes examples of businesses that are already using twitter to market, advertise and reach out to consumers such as Porsche, and Bonobos. The most impressive features on the site include articles that explain "everything you need to know to get up and running on Twitter". Several people probably think it is easy to just start sending tweets. But, from a professional perspective, it is necessary...