Posted on Fri, Jun 14, 2013
It's Friday and that means it's time for our weekly feature where we search the Web looking for 5 interesting, funny and poignant links for developers and IT Pros.
If you missed our most recent post, Android versus iOS argument persists, but developers should follow the money, please check it out. Mobile app developers can't afford the luxury of having the passion of the average Android or iOS fanboy. They follow the money. For now, Apple's App store is far ahead of Google Play in terms of developer revenue, but the trend is in Android's favor, and developers should be paying attention.
And without further delay, here we go with this week's links:
The $200,000 software developer: We can build him, we have the technology | ITworld
If you're looking to make top money as a developer, you need top notch skills and a keen understanding of the platforms that are most in demand. This article looks at the attributes and industries that can earn you top dollar.
Security at the edge of the cloud | Cloud Pro
A lucid explanation of the security challenges facing IT in the BYOD and cloud age. The game is changing and the security model needs to change with it.
Employees circumvent IT security when it slows them down | ITworld
It should come as no secret that if you put up too many obstacles for your employees to do their job in the name of security, they will find a way to circumvent your security. That means the more you try to control it, the less actual control you have.
Is your smartphone making you stupid? | guardian.co.uk
It's only natural that as we become more reliant on our smartphones, we offload some of the tasks we used to use our brains for such as memorizing phone numbers or figuring out how to get some place, but whether that's making us stupid or giving us more room to think about other things is still open to debate.
Snowden NSA Case Points Up Security Flaws in Thumb Drives | TechTarget
It's the kind of story IT pros lie awake in bed thinking about at night. Someone walks into your building with a thumb drive and walks out with a cache of company secrets. That's exactly what NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden did and it makes securing your network very challenging indeed.
Photo by Tomma Henckel Used under Creative Commons Share Alike/Attribution License.
Posted on Fri, May 03, 2013
by Ron Miller
Ness Blogger
It's Friday and that means it's time for our weekly feature where we search the Web looking for 5 interesting, funny and poignant links for developers and IT Pros.
If you missed our most recent post, Infographic: The Paradox of Too Many Passwords, please check it out now. With so many passwords to access so many systems, employees may resort to writing them down. This infographic illustrates the too many passwords paradox.
And without further delay, here we go with this week's links:
3D Printing: The Current State of the Star Trek Replicator | Digital Replicator Blog
3D printers have the potential disrupt just about everything. When you can print anything, it completely changes the way we think about the entire economic process from manufacturing to purchasing. This post looks at the state of the art and how far we could be from the Star Trek replicators.
Don't believe the naysayers. The cloud is real. | CSC Blog
If you still believe that the cloud is just a bunch of marketing hype, you really need to wake up because the cloud is taking over every aspect of computing from software to platform services to infrastructure. If you don't believe it, as the author says he'll see you on the unemployment line.
Windows 8 developers wonder, where's the ad revenue? | ITworld
Last month Windows 8 developers, who hope to make money from their apps, got zero dollars in revenue because there were no ads. Up until last month, Microsoft had been buying Bing ads, but stopped those in April, leaving a huge gaping void and Windows app developers wondering if they should be looking for another channel.
Hacking Pacemakers | IEEE Spectrum
As we head into a world of interconnected devices, and not just traditional ones, the idea of hacking medical devices could become a reality. This podcast looks at the security implications of medical devices like pacemakers and if the manufacturers are paying enough attention to that aspect of them.
Brain Computer Interfaces Inch Closer to Mainstream | NYTimes.com
As wearable computers enter the mainstream, some companies claim we not be far from controlling our devices with our minds. Not sure we're quite as close as this article suggests, but it's clearly something companies are working on.
Photo by Ron Miller Used under Creative Commons Share Alike/Attribution License.
Posted on Thu, May 02, 2013
In an effort to protect our systems, we have inadvertently made them less secure. That's because employees sometimes have 10 or 15 separate passwords they have to remember.
What's more, some IT departments force them to change them every 30-60 days.
You may think that's making you more secure, but with so many passwords to remember, users can't possibly track them. When I spoke to Alison Ruge, a Cisco researcher recently, she told me that it's gotten so bad 2/3 of the people she interviewed in a small study reported carrying their passwords on a piece of paper. How much more vulnerable does that make you in the name of protecting your systems?
The data in the inforgraphic below isn't quite that bad with 59 percent saying that they are relying on memory, while 33 percent are using a password manager. The trouble is, can you actually believe them? Are people going to admit they are writing them down?
Regardless, most companies could benefit from some sort of single sign-on tool that reduces the complexity of having all these passwords.
This infographic illustrates some of the issues with managing multiple passwords across a variety of systems.
Posted on Fri, Apr 26, 2013
by Ron Miller
Ness Blogger
It's Friday and that means it's time for our weekly feature where we search the Web looking for 5 interesting, funny and poignant links for developers and IT Pros.
If you missed our most recent post, 5 Things You Need to Know About Massive Announcements that Might Reshape the Mobile Web, please check it out. Earlier this month, there were two major mobile announcements that had to the potential to rock mobile developer's world...but did they?
And without further delay, here we go with this week's links:
Designing Apps with Automation in Mind | Mendix Blog
Sure, all developers start a project with the goal of creating a great application, but some are more successful than others at achieving this. And whether your users really love your application can pivot on design decision on how to automate certain processes for them. This article looks at five key areas you should paying attention to as you design and application.
How to build applications your users will hate | mrc's Cup of Joe Blog
What? Why would I want build an application my users hate? Well, of course you wouldn't and this post looks at some ways you could be doing just that -- and by understanding what to avoid, you can build applications that people will love.
The New API Gold Rush | ReadWrite
There's a lot happening around Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) as evidenced by Intel's recent purchase of Mashery. Trying to manage APIs is not always a simple matter and this article explains some of the issue involved.
10 Non-Computer Network Security Dangers | Smartbear
Remember Murphy's Law? This writer did and he applies it to network security. Sure, you're watching the obvious security holes, but as Murphy would point out, if it can go wrong it will, and you need to be prepared for as many eventualities as possible.
Christopher Haag, Hamster Chase, developer | APPetite App Marketing podcast
Listen and learn how this game developer released his new game and achieved 10,000 downloads in just 8 days. What strategy did he employ to achieve this? Listen and find out.
Photo by Ron Miller Used under Creative Commons Share Alike/Attribution License.
Posted on Wed, Apr 17, 2013
by Glenn Gruber
Ness AVP Travel Technologies and Mobile Solutions
That Android devices are much more susceptible to malware attacks than Apple iOS devices is not breaking news. This has been a trend for quite some time. There have been many reasons proposed for this: Android’s “openness,” or perhaps Android users are generally less tech-savvy, or just because of the large target on Android’s back because of it’s leading global market share position.
.jpg)
Photo Credit: Carlos Varela on Flickr. Used under CC 2.0 license.
Ultimately, the real reasons are not important in the grand scheme of things. But companies must be at least cognizant of this fact when deciding whose mobile technology to deploy -- or when they let their users choose their own phones. For years, security was what made Blackberry the darling of IT departments everywhere.
Security, and the desire to penetrate corporate accounts is also what is driving Samsung’s Knox platform, though I do not like the schizoid manner in which they have implemented it.
So I wasn’t surprised when I saw that Apple hold 58% share of enterprise mobile deployments. What surprised me was the breakdown of mobile device adoption by industry compiled by Citrix.
Image link: http://fortunebrainstormtech.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/screen-shot-2013-04-14-at-6-54-03-am.png
In Citrix’s Enterprise Mobility Cloud Report Q4 2012 (pdf), they question whether companies should be issuing malware-friendly devices to employees.
What jumped out at me was that Transportation was one of the few industries where Android had the majority share. While it’s impossible to tell exactly how Citrix defines “Transportation”, it at least should make airlines, hotels and other travel companies look at the strategies they have taken.
American Airlines is one of the most aggressive companies in the use of tablets for their workforce, issuing about 10,000 iPads for their pilots and about 17,000 Samsung Galaxy Notes for their flight attendants and 6,000 Galaxy Notes as in-flight entertainment devices as well as used by maintenance crew.
In an interview with CITEworld, Lisa Canada, American’s Managing Director of Operations Technology noted that Samsung’s SAFE - Samsung for Enterprise - platform (which incorporates Knox) was a key reason in their decision:
Photo Credit: Ron Miller
"SAFE was one of several factors that influenced our selection of the device. The product provides increased administrative features and integration with MDM providers that can be used in our development and management of the device," Canada told CITEworld.
These types of mobile devices are likely to be used increasingly in the travel industry as companies look for innovative ways to serve customers quickly and efficiently. While Samsung's approach to security on Android devices certainly isn't the only one, if a company is taking American's approach and distributing a single device to certain employees, then it's one that could be a useful tool for transportation industry users.
But it's worth noting that Samsung's approach only works on Samsung devices and if you are going for a broader approach to mobile, then you need to explore other ways of securing your devices.
Posted on Fri, Mar 29, 2013
by Ron Miller
Ness Blogger
It's Friday and that means it's time for our weekly feature where we search the Web looking for 5 interesting, funny and poignant links for developers and IT Pros.
If you missed our most recent post, How to migrate Windows without killing the CTO, please check it out. Migrating to a new version of Windows can be a painful experience for an organization, but with planning, you can ease the transition.
And without further delay, here we go with this week's links:
10 Tips to Improve Mobile Security | Internet Evolution
This post offers some tips for securing your mobile device, something we should all pay more heed. A recently-released Cisco Partners survey found 39 percent of users don't even password protect their phones. Chances are they aren't doing many of these either and if your company has a BYOD policy, you need to start educating people.
Writing Open Source Software? Make Sure You Know Your Copyright Rights | Smartbear
If you're writing code for an open source project, you can't leave the copyright to chance or you could risk your hard work. This article delves into some practical copyright matters and it's well worth your time.
The Four BYOD Integration Challenges | Tom's IT Pro
BYOD is a double-edged sword for organizations. On one hand it frees IT from trying to keep up with a constantly changing market, but it also presents challenges on several fronts, especially in finding ways to balance access to enterprise data and user freedom.
Roll Your Own Hardware and The Disruption of the Enterprise Server Market | Redmonk
With the rise of the cloud and availability of open source, we've seen many firms rolling their own software solutions, but we could soon see roll-your-own server move from the realm of mega players like Facebook and Google and become more the norm in the enterprise -- and we are seeing the impact on hardware vendors already.
The 3 Phases of Owning a Computer - The Oatmeal
I think you'll probably recognize your own experience in this Oatmeal cartoon. As the saying goes, it's funny because it's true.
Photo by Ron Miller. Used under Creative Commons Share Alike/Attribution License.
Posted on Sun, Mar 17, 2013
by Glenn Gruber
Ness AVP Travel Technologies and Mobile Solutions
Software played a dominant role in Samsung’s booth at Mobile World Congress recently where the main focus was Knox (as in Fort), Samsung’s answer to enterprise security and being business friendly.
I completely understand the need to make business feel that Samsung phones won’t be a security hold given the extent of malware attacks on the Android ecosystem. But the manner in which they approached this surprised me. Knox essentially creates a schizophrenic environment on your mobile phone – one personality for work and one for your personal life.
Certain documents, applications and other data are locked-down within the Work persona, ostensibly by your friendly neighborhood IT department. Then with a click of a button you are transported into your personal space where the color schemes, themes and apps are all completely different. Oh joy. You can’t even see your business calendar in the Personal zone. So helpful when you are trying to make an appointment for your child’s Parent-Teacher conference.
Personally I would NEVER be able to operate like this. On my phone I go between business and personal items all the time. The cognitive dissonance in switching between the two personas and forced interruption would be maddening. What’s funny is that this is exactly the same concept that was pilloried when Blackberry debuted it last month during the launch of BB10. I wonder whether Samsung will be given any grief at all.
And while elements of Knox is based on AirWatch’s technology , it’s not anywhere near as elegant a solution.
Further it completely flies in the face of some of Samsung’s most recent ads where a guy, mocking a Blackberry user, says he can work on his spreadsheet, while watching a basketball game (see clip below). Perhaps he just happens to have a sports-crazed IT department.
In trying to position Samsung as business-friendly, they also launched their Samsung Enterprise Application Partner program. They had several companies showing Knox-certified apps in the Samsung booth, including SAP and Dropbox. But at least in talking with a representative from Dropbox, the Dropbox for Teams app isn’t specific to Android or Knox. The same functionality is available on iOS.
What I wonder is whether Knox as a security layer will evolve into some sort of fork of Android. It’s unclear if a Knox-certified app will run unaltered on a Motorola, HTC or LG Android phone. I’m sure that there are marketing advantages to being a part of the SEAP program though. But if it requires maintaining a separate code-base I don’t see how it gets much traction. If it doesn’t, why bother?
What’s your thoughts? Am I being too harsh? Am I missing something?
Photo Credit: Ron Miller
Posted on Fri, Mar 01, 2013
by Ron Miller
Ness Blogger
It's Friday and that means it's time for our weekly feature where we search the Web looking for 5 interesting, funny and poignant links for developers and IT Pros.
If you missed our most recent post, Suddenly Everbody Wants to Follow Apple's Integrated Hardware-Software Model, please check it out. What do Google, Microsoft, Samsung and Amazon all have in common? They are trying to emulate Apple's successful software-hardware integration strategy -- but do these competitors have the chops to pull it off?
And without further delay, here we go with this week's links:
Mentoring Developers | Software Development Video and Tutorials
Mentoring younger developers helps them increase their skill levels and can make the whole company better as a result. This video provides some insight on how to be a good mentor.
Data Snapshot: Mobile World Congress | Mixpanel
While it's not surprising that data usage increased dramatically in Barcelona during the Mobile World Congress, it is interesting that MWC transformed Barcelona for several days from an Android stronghold to an iOS one.
How to Interview Users to Find Out What They Really Want | Smartbear
How do you know what your users want? Ask them, but make sure you probe like an investigative journalist to be certain you're really getting the information you need to build applications with the features that users really need because for whatever reason, they are not always forthcoming.
The Android enterprise dilemma: why isn't it more popular? | CITEworld
While Android is extremely popular elsewhere, it still faces some obstacles in the enterprise, even in companies that encourage Bring Your Own Devices. That's because IT, rightly or wrongly, believes that Android fragmentation makes it difficult to manage and Google's hands-off approach to Google Play means unsafe apps can sometimes get on a device.
White House debating actions to retaliate against foreign cyberattacks | The Hill's Hillicon Valley
There have been a slew of high profile attacks on US-based companies over the last several months with many believing that these are based in China. The government is weighing what actions it will take against cyber-attackers to discourage them from doing it again.
Photo by Ron Miller. Used under Creative Commons Share Alike/Attribution License.
Posted on Fri, Feb 22, 2013
by Ron Miller
Ness Blogger
It's Friday and that means it's time for our weekly feature where we search the Web looking for 5 interesting, funny and poignant links for developers and IT Pros.
If you missed our most recent post, A mobile platform is only as successful as its app store, check it out now. Apple and Google have the most robust app stores, and consumers and developers alike pay attention. It will be hard for competitors to break that success cycle.
And without further delay, here we go with this week's links:
Why You Need to Hack Yourself | Mendix Blog
It may seem counter-intuitive, but you should be trying to find your system's weaknesses before real hackers find them. That's why self-hacking should be part of every company's security auditing process.
Why developers should start choosing conscience over profit | VentureBeat
In a world where engineers and software developers are in such great demand, they can sell their skills to the highest bidders, this writer thinks it might be time to analyze your priorities and make your craft a priority over profit.
Linux, Windows, and security FUD | ZDNet
You would think at this point in the history of open source when it is used widely across different sectors that would be well past the FUD stage, but apparently not. At least one company is dragging out the old and tired security arguments in an effort to frighten the market.
The computer that never crashes - | New Scientist
Imagine a computer that never crashes -- ever. That's because it has the ability to diagnose any problem as it happens and reprogram itself to fix the problem on the fly before crashing. Scientists are working on prototypes of just such a machine.
Future Proofing: Ten Ways Big Companies are Staying Agile | Web Strategy by Jeremiah Owyang
As companies grow, it becomes much more difficult for them to react to changes in the market than smaller, more agile companies. Jeremiah Owyang looks at some ways big companies can maintain that small company agility and stay vital as the market changes around them.
Photo by Ron Miller. Used under Creative Commons Share Alike/Attribution License.
Posted on Thu, Feb 14, 2013
It's Friday and that means it's time for our weekly feature where we search the Web looking for 5 interesting, funny and poignant links for developers and IT Pros.
If you missed our most recent post, A mobile platform is only as successful as its app store, check it out now. Apple and Google have the most robust app stores, and consumers and developers alike pay attention. It will be hard for competitors to break that success cycle.
And without further delay, here we go with this week's links:
How to turn living cells into computers | Nature
This article looks at creating "genetic circuits" inside living cells. Some interesting things could happen when scientists combine electrical engineering with cell biology. Fascinating read.
How to Compromise Getting the Software Done “Right” With Getting It Done Fast | Mendix Blog
You've always heard that you can have it fast or you can have it right, but sometimes you have to make a choice when a project absolutely has a trigger event that is a drop-dead deadline. In those cases, there are steps you can take to ensure you're getting the best software you can in the time allotted.
Mobile app security: Always keep the back door locked | Ars Technica
When you are rushing to crank out that next great mobile app, don't leave security as an afterthought. Instead build it into the architecture of the application and make sure those back-end processes are protected.
Gelsinger and Meyer: Two CPU Designers Who Changed the World | Smartbear Blog
Sure everyone has heard of Gordon Moore, famously known for Moore's Law of chip innovation, but fewer have heard of two equally important individuals in the annals of CPU development. These two men were key figures in the development of x86 architecture.
Enterprises dropping BlackBerry support in favor of the iPhone | InfoWorld
These are hard times for enterprise stalwart, BlackBerry as more companies move toward Bring Your Own Device and BlackBerry's market share has plunged. Now comes news that more companies are likely to support Windows 8 Phone than BlackBerry. Ouch.
Photo by Tomma Henckel. Used under Creative Commons Share Alike/Attribution License.