courtesy: David Pogue, New York Times
Google, the most popular website on earth, is worried about the second most popular site. That, of course, would be Facebook. Why else would Google keep trying, over and over again, to create a social network of the same type?
Orkut, Jaiku, Wave, Buzz -- Google has lobbed forth one fizzled flop after another. And now there's Google+. It's the latest Google "we wanna be Facebook" project.
The difference is, this one's got a real shot. Instead of throwing open its doors with a big splash, as it did with the hopelessly confusing Wave and the privacy-challenged Buzz, Google is letting Google+ seep into the world virally.
You can't yet just go sign up; you have to be invited by someone who's already a member. Even so, Google+ already has millions of members. That's not quite 750 million (Facebook's current tally), but watch out for the network effect.
At first, Google+ looks like a shameless Facebook duplicate. There's a place for you to make Posts (your thoughts and news, like Facebook's Wall); there's a Stream (an endless scrolling page of your friends' posts, like Facebook's News Feed); and even a little +1 button (a clone of Facebook's Like button), which may be where Google+ gets its peculiar name. But there's one towering, brilliant difference: Circles.
On Google+, you put the people of your life's different social circles into -- well, into Circles. That is, groups. Categories. Google starts you off with empty circles called Friends, Acquaintances, Family and Following (people you don't know, but want to follow, as you would on Twitter). It's a piece of cake to add new ones. They can be tiny circles ("Granny and Gramps") or big ones ("Family Tree "), organisation-based ("Fantasy League Buddies") or arbitrary ("Annoying People").
Creating them is a blast: an array of tiles represents your online acquaintances, which it assembles from Gmail and other accounts. You drag each into an on-screen circle, where they tumble into place. You can drag a person into more than one circle. The lucky encircled friend will know that you've added him or her to a circle, but not which one, thank heaven. From now on, every time you share something - a news item, a thought, a photo, a chat invitation -you can specify exactly which Circles receive it.
In one fell swoop, Google has solved the layers-of-privacy problem that has dogged Facebook for years. Senators embarrassed by their children's drunken party photos. Potential employers reading about your crazy nightlife. Girlfriends learning accidentally about their beaus' proposal plans. All of it goes away with Circles.
You share each item with only the people who deserve to know. And simultaneously, you spare the masses from seeing news of no interest to them; why should the whole world be in on your discussion of this Friday's bowling outing? You're spared, too. You can click a Circle's name to filter the scrolling blurbs. You can view only the work-related posts or only your college buddies' posts with one click apiece.
Facebook has something similar, called Lists. But compared with Circles, it's buried and a lot more effort to use. In Google+, you have to specify who gets each post or each photo (although it remembers your last selections). That's actually a little annoying -- you can't just type an update and hit Enter -- but over all, the benefits outweigh the hassle.
Google+ has a few more attractions, though, besides this clever privacy control feature. There's Sparks, which is like a personal press-clipping service (and akin to Google Alerts). You browse for, or type in, a topic you're interested in, like "Electric Cars," or "Bundt Cakes."
Google+ fills the screen with matching articles, news and videos from all over the Web. It may be the easiest, least threatening news reader in history. The most mind-blowing "Facebook can't do this" feature, though, is Hangouts. Technically, it's videoconferencing. It lets up to 10 people join a chat simultaneously, using their Web cams or laptop cameras.
A row of one-inch tiles, each displaying one participant's video feed, appears below the big screen. Google+ does its best to switch cameras for the big screen automatically, based on whoever's talking at the moment. (You can also click tiles manually.)
A skinny chat window appears on one side for typed remarks, and a YouTube button lets everyone watch YouTube videos simultaneously on the big screen. Slick. It may sound like Skype or iChat (or Facebook's comparatively lame, justannounced, one-person-at-a-time video chat feature). But its integration with the rest of Google+ makes it much better. You can see when one of your buddies is in a video hangout, so you can "drop by." Similarly, when you're feeling social, you can click Start a Hangout, announce its availability to a particular Circle of friends , and let them drop in to visit you.
A video chat doesn't have to be a scheduled, formal deal. It's always on the Web, so you don't have to install a program. It's available to your Circles, so you can whip together a quick chat to organize a party or a tennis match. And it could do just fine for many business meetings (or even business trips). You can share Photos easily by dragging them from your computer right into the box where you'd type your latest news. And you view other people's photos in a beautiful, black-background gallery, with comments off to the right.
If you have an Android phone, even more fun awaits. There are Huddles (instant phone-to-phone group chats with your Circles). And when you take a picture with your phone, it's auto-uploaded to a private holding area on your Google+ page.
Later, you can share them with the appropriate social circles. Now, there are, of course, a few minuses to Google+. Perhaps because of its newness, Google+ feels uncluttered and calm, especially compared to the frenetic, commercial Times Square of Facebook. But Google+ still is, in its way, just as confusing. You keep wondering: What if people in that circle share my private post with their circles?
And what happens if I remove a couple of people from a circle? Can they still see things I've shared in the past? You'll spend a good deal of time fumbling around. No other services (like Twitter or, of course, Facebook) are tied in yet. No games or applications yet.
The members so far are mostly geeks. There are bugs and glitches, although it would be unfair to mention them; the service isn't even public yet. And we can probably look past Google's bizarre promotional/tutorial videos, whose narrators seem to have been hired from the Society for the Advancement of the Inarticulate. (Actual transcript: "And, the friends you have are, kind of the ones you have that, allow you to, like, geek out about the things that you were absolutely passionate about.
And that's the reason you stay friends with them, is not because you're talking about things with them to talk about things that interest them, it's because it interests you and you're absolutely passionate about it and they have enough of a commonality to let you explore it.") But Google calls Google+ a project, and that's just what it is, an unapologetic beginning.
It's online, so Google can and will constantly fine-tune it, add features and beef up the help mechanisms. Until now, Facebook and Twitter have been the Dominant Duo of social networking. But Google's less sprawling, more video-centric, better-controlled new service is already too good to ignore. Now it's the Dominant Duo ...+1.
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
A Facebook warning call: NYT says Google+ gets privacy right
courtesy : Sam Diaz (zdnet.com)
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a complete revamping of Facebook’s privacy settings fairly soon - especially now that the New York Times has given Google+ a one-up over Facebook when it comes to privacy settings.
Privacy still matters - or maybe it’s just control over what gets shared that really matters. That’s something that Facebookers have told founder Mark Zuckerberg time and time again, usually in a revolt when a new feature will come to Facebook and the privacy settings get tweaked in favor of more sharing. Users squawk, Facebook readjusts the settings and issues an apology and all is forgiven. After all, it’s not like there was another Facebook-like place where people could hang out and socialize on the Internet.
Until now.
In less than a month, Google+ has skyrocketed, now at 10 million strong and growing. There’s been quite a bit of chatter on Facebook among the people in my networks. And many of them are starting to show up in Google+, adding me to their circles. Even my wife, who spends a fair amount of time connecting with friends and family on FB, asked about Google+ on Saturday. We set up an account and, by the time Monday morning came around, she was already pushing the 100-person mark in her circles.
My wife, who tends to take her Facebook privacy settings - as well as her friend list - very seriously, was initially hesitant about Google+. She certainly didn’t like the idea of not having to request a friend or approve a friend, nor was she comfortable with just anyone seeing her photos, status updates and other postings.
But then, as she got deeper into Google+, she started to recognize that sharing with specific circles was actually a “better way” (her words, not mine) of posting things. She’s the one who recognized that this Google+ way of sharing was better than having to go in and mess with all of those settings in Facebook.
Now, none of this is to say that Facebook will be heading down a MySpace path anytime soon. My wife has built a strong network of folks in FB and even she commented that, without a few of her core Facebook friends, Google+ was kind of boring. Certainly, she won’t stop logging in to Facebook on a regular basis.
Still, this should serve as yet another warning call to Facebook. Google is sending a strong and loud message that Facebook is no longer the only game in town. And taking time to address the pain points that have long existed in Facebook - such as privacy - will only make Google+ look that much more attractive.
Which brings me back to my prediction that, in the case of privacy settings, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Facebook come up with some sort of simplification of those settings. Sure, that means the leader would be following in the footsteps of the new guy on the block.
But, it’s got to be better than following in the footsteps of MySpace.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a complete revamping of Facebook’s privacy settings fairly soon - especially now that the New York Times has given Google+ a one-up over Facebook when it comes to privacy settings.
Privacy still matters - or maybe it’s just control over what gets shared that really matters. That’s something that Facebookers have told founder Mark Zuckerberg time and time again, usually in a revolt when a new feature will come to Facebook and the privacy settings get tweaked in favor of more sharing. Users squawk, Facebook readjusts the settings and issues an apology and all is forgiven. After all, it’s not like there was another Facebook-like place where people could hang out and socialize on the Internet.
Until now.
In less than a month, Google+ has skyrocketed, now at 10 million strong and growing. There’s been quite a bit of chatter on Facebook among the people in my networks. And many of them are starting to show up in Google+, adding me to their circles. Even my wife, who spends a fair amount of time connecting with friends and family on FB, asked about Google+ on Saturday. We set up an account and, by the time Monday morning came around, she was already pushing the 100-person mark in her circles.
My wife, who tends to take her Facebook privacy settings - as well as her friend list - very seriously, was initially hesitant about Google+. She certainly didn’t like the idea of not having to request a friend or approve a friend, nor was she comfortable with just anyone seeing her photos, status updates and other postings.
But then, as she got deeper into Google+, she started to recognize that sharing with specific circles was actually a “better way” (her words, not mine) of posting things. She’s the one who recognized that this Google+ way of sharing was better than having to go in and mess with all of those settings in Facebook.
Now, none of this is to say that Facebook will be heading down a MySpace path anytime soon. My wife has built a strong network of folks in FB and even she commented that, without a few of her core Facebook friends, Google+ was kind of boring. Certainly, she won’t stop logging in to Facebook on a regular basis.
Still, this should serve as yet another warning call to Facebook. Google is sending a strong and loud message that Facebook is no longer the only game in town. And taking time to address the pain points that have long existed in Facebook - such as privacy - will only make Google+ look that much more attractive.
Which brings me back to my prediction that, in the case of privacy settings, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Facebook come up with some sort of simplification of those settings. Sure, that means the leader would be following in the footsteps of the new guy on the block.
But, it’s got to be better than following in the footsteps of MySpace.
Apple Loss in ITC Case Against Kodak Will Stand, Panel Rules
courtesy : Susan Decker (bloomberg.com)
A ruling that Eastman Kodak Co. (EK)’s digital-camera technology doesn’t violate Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s patent rights will stand, the U.S. International Trade Commission said.
Kodak rose as much as 15 percent in late trading after notice of the decision was posted on the Washington-based trade agency’s website. ITC Judge Robert Rogers found on May 12 that the two Apple patents in the case weren’t infringed, and one of the patents was invalid.
Apple went after Kodak in April 2010, about three months after the Rochester, New York-based camera maker accused Apple and Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM) of infringing a patent related to ways of previewing images. The commission in the Kodak complaint is reviewing a judge’s finding in January that Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s BlackBerry don’t violate the patent.
Kodak Chief Executive Officer Antonio Perez has been seeking to force Cupertino, California-based Apple and Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM to pay patent royalties. Perez has said a licensing deal with the two companies may generate as much as $1 billion in new revenue. A victory for Apple today could have made it harder for Kodak to demand that much in negotiations.
“We are pleased that the commission has confirmed the ALJ’s finding that there is no violation by Kodak,” David Lanzillo, a Kodak spokesman, said in an e-mail.
Kodak rose to $2.89 at 5:01 p.m., after falling 22 cents to $2.52 at the 4 p.m. close of regular New York Stock Exchange composite trading.
Apple Patents
One of the Apple patents covers a way a camera can process several images at the same time and the other invention is for a way to handle multiple processes at once, such as adjustments in balance, color, sharpness and resolution. The complaint targeted the Kodak Z series, M series, C series, and Slice cameras, as well as video cameras including the Playsport.
The case is In the Matter of Digital Imaging Devices and Related Software, 337-717, U.S. International Trade Commission (Washington). The Kodak case against Apple and RIM is is In the Matter of Certain Mobile Telephones and Wireless Communication Devices Featuring Digital Cameras, and Components Thereof, 337-703, USITC.
A ruling that Eastman Kodak Co. (EK)’s digital-camera technology doesn’t violate Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s patent rights will stand, the U.S. International Trade Commission said.
Kodak rose as much as 15 percent in late trading after notice of the decision was posted on the Washington-based trade agency’s website. ITC Judge Robert Rogers found on May 12 that the two Apple patents in the case weren’t infringed, and one of the patents was invalid.
Apple went after Kodak in April 2010, about three months after the Rochester, New York-based camera maker accused Apple and Research In Motion Ltd. (RIMM) of infringing a patent related to ways of previewing images. The commission in the Kodak complaint is reviewing a judge’s finding in January that Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s BlackBerry don’t violate the patent.
Kodak Chief Executive Officer Antonio Perez has been seeking to force Cupertino, California-based Apple and Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM to pay patent royalties. Perez has said a licensing deal with the two companies may generate as much as $1 billion in new revenue. A victory for Apple today could have made it harder for Kodak to demand that much in negotiations.
“We are pleased that the commission has confirmed the ALJ’s finding that there is no violation by Kodak,” David Lanzillo, a Kodak spokesman, said in an e-mail.
Kodak rose to $2.89 at 5:01 p.m., after falling 22 cents to $2.52 at the 4 p.m. close of regular New York Stock Exchange composite trading.
Apple Patents
One of the Apple patents covers a way a camera can process several images at the same time and the other invention is for a way to handle multiple processes at once, such as adjustments in balance, color, sharpness and resolution. The complaint targeted the Kodak Z series, M series, C series, and Slice cameras, as well as video cameras including the Playsport.
The case is In the Matter of Digital Imaging Devices and Related Software, 337-717, U.S. International Trade Commission (Washington). The Kodak case against Apple and RIM is is In the Matter of Certain Mobile Telephones and Wireless Communication Devices Featuring Digital Cameras, and Components Thereof, 337-703, USITC.
To contact the reporter on this story: Susan Decker in Washington at sdecker1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Allan Holmes at aholmes25@bloomberg.net
Apple's third quarter: What to look for
courtesy: Josh Lowensohn (cnet News)
Apple is expected to post strong fiscal third-quarter earnings tomorrow, fueled by sales of Mac computers and iPhones, both of which are expected to get refreshed soon.
Thomson Reuters First Call consensus says Apple will once again outperform its own guidance with $24.75 billion in revenue, and earnings per share of $5.73. That's compared to the $23 billion in revenue and earnings per share of $5.03 offered up by Apple's chief financial officer, Peter Oppenheimer, when announcing the company's second-quarter results in April.
Apple's stock closed at an all-time high at the end of last week, hitting $364.92. The stock is currently in the $374 range in after-hours trading, presumably on expectations of Apple announcing a killer quarter tomorrow.
Here are some things to watch for (by product):
iPhone
Apple sold 18.65 million iPhones in its fiscal second quarter, accounting for a little more than half the company's revenue during the quarter. Some analysts are expecting that number to have edged even higher in this quarter, despite this being the time of year when Apple typically introduces a new iPhone model.
JP Morgan's Mark Moskowitz last week put the firm's estimates of Apple's June quarter sales as hitting 19.6 million units sold, which would be up nearly a million units from the last quarter, and a more impressive 11.2 million units compared with the same quarter a year ago. (Note: the iPhone tally now takes into account CDMA models of the device, which Apple only began offering to customers in February.) Fortune's polling of analysts from last week (which includes Moskowitz) puts the average of Apple's fiscal third-quarter iPhone sales at 16.9 million, with most hovering in the 16 million to 17 million range.
During the call expect analysts to ask the question they know won't get answered: when we'll see a follow-up to the iPhone 4, which is now more than a year old and thus overdue (by Apple's typical schedule) for an update.
iPad
This is the first quarter where we really get to see how well the iPad 2's been pushing sales in a tablet market that's become increasingly crowded. Apple's previous quarterly earnings accounted for just two weeks of sales that included the newer model, which went on sale in early March.
Using the same polling method used for tracking iPhone estimates, Forbes has 39 analysts pegging the iPad sales average around 7.93 million units for the quarter. That's compared to the 3.27 million units sold during the same quarter a year ago (which was the first quarter to include the iPad), and 4.69 million units in the company's fiscal second quarter.
Apple seems to have just now caught up with demand for the device, with PCMag reporting this past weekend that ship times have dropped down to one to three days for the first time since release. At the height of demand, which was just a few weeks after release, the company was taking more than a month to fulfill orders and get iPads on their way.
During the quarter, the iPad got competition from a handful of new tablets, like Acer's Iconia Tab, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, the BlackBerry PlayBook, the HTC Flyer, and the 7- and 10-inch models of Samsung's Galaxy Tab. Expect analysts to poke Apple for a take on the competition, which will soon include Microsoft's Windows 8. During the quarter Microsoft took the wraps off how it intends to fit the software, which will run on ARM processors, into tablets better than it's done with previous versions of the OS.
iPods
As noted last week by Forbes' Philip Elmer-Dewitt, sales of the iPod have been on the decline since hitting a peak in 2008. According to 43 analysts the outlet polled to get an estimate on how much Apple's iPod sales would drop during this quarter (which has historically been a slow one given the company's September refresh and holiday sales push), the consensus was sales of 8.39 million units. That represents a 7.2 percent drop from the same quarter in 2010.
Macs
This time last year, Apple set a new quarterly record with 3.47 million Macs sold. An estimate from brokerage BGC Partners pegs Apple at selling 4 million units during the quarter, due in part to what the group says is first-time buyers picking up a Mac after buying an iPhone, iPod, or iPad.
"The halo effect from the iPhone, iPod, and iPad is driving new users into Macintosh computers as seen by the company citing that one out of two Macintosh computers sold in Apple stores are to new users," said BGC technology analyst Colin Gilis in a note this morning."Computer sales are a key driver for Apple's results as the items command high selling prices and there is ample room to take market share."
Apple COO Tim Cook said something similar in the previous quarter's earnings call, though he was making mention of the iPad driving sales of the Mac to enterprise buyers.
During the quarter, the only Mac to be upgraded was the iMac. Apple introduced new versions of the all-in-one desktop with Thunderbolt I/O technology and faster Intel processors in May.
Miscellaneous things to keep an eye out for:
• The next major version of Apple's Mac OS is widely expected to be released later this week. While the company is unlikely to spend time taking focus away from the numbers by announcing a release date, expect analysts to press the company's executives on it during the conference call.
• Expect another question about Samsung. The topic was broached in the Q2 earnings call, which was less than a week after Apple filed suit against the company for "copying" its devices. Since then Samsung's sued Apple back, and the two have traded numerous blows in court.
• Patent talk. Apple's a part of a consortium that paid $4.5 billion for 6,000 patents and patent applications from Nortel's auction last month. That sale was technically made after Apple's fiscal third quarter, but there could be questions about Apple's stake in that purchase.
• Expect another question about Apple CEO Steve Jobs' health. Jobs remains on medical leave from the company. Despite announcing that change in January, Jobs gave the keynote address at the iPad 2 unveiling in March and at WWDC in early June.
Stay tuned for a full breakdown of Apple's third-quarter earnings, which hit tomorrow around 1:30 PT
Apple is expected to post strong fiscal third-quarter earnings tomorrow, fueled by sales of Mac computers and iPhones, both of which are expected to get refreshed soon.
Thomson Reuters First Call consensus says Apple will once again outperform its own guidance with $24.75 billion in revenue, and earnings per share of $5.73. That's compared to the $23 billion in revenue and earnings per share of $5.03 offered up by Apple's chief financial officer, Peter Oppenheimer, when announcing the company's second-quarter results in April.
Apple's stock closed at an all-time high at the end of last week, hitting $364.92. The stock is currently in the $374 range in after-hours trading, presumably on expectations of Apple announcing a killer quarter tomorrow.
Here are some things to watch for (by product):
iPhone
Apple sold 18.65 million iPhones in its fiscal second quarter, accounting for a little more than half the company's revenue during the quarter. Some analysts are expecting that number to have edged even higher in this quarter, despite this being the time of year when Apple typically introduces a new iPhone model.
JP Morgan's Mark Moskowitz last week put the firm's estimates of Apple's June quarter sales as hitting 19.6 million units sold, which would be up nearly a million units from the last quarter, and a more impressive 11.2 million units compared with the same quarter a year ago. (Note: the iPhone tally now takes into account CDMA models of the device, which Apple only began offering to customers in February.) Fortune's polling of analysts from last week (which includes Moskowitz) puts the average of Apple's fiscal third-quarter iPhone sales at 16.9 million, with most hovering in the 16 million to 17 million range.
During the call expect analysts to ask the question they know won't get answered: when we'll see a follow-up to the iPhone 4, which is now more than a year old and thus overdue (by Apple's typical schedule) for an update.
iPad
This is the first quarter where we really get to see how well the iPad 2's been pushing sales in a tablet market that's become increasingly crowded. Apple's previous quarterly earnings accounted for just two weeks of sales that included the newer model, which went on sale in early March.
Using the same polling method used for tracking iPhone estimates, Forbes has 39 analysts pegging the iPad sales average around 7.93 million units for the quarter. That's compared to the 3.27 million units sold during the same quarter a year ago (which was the first quarter to include the iPad), and 4.69 million units in the company's fiscal second quarter.
Apple seems to have just now caught up with demand for the device, with PCMag reporting this past weekend that ship times have dropped down to one to three days for the first time since release. At the height of demand, which was just a few weeks after release, the company was taking more than a month to fulfill orders and get iPads on their way.
During the quarter, the iPad got competition from a handful of new tablets, like Acer's Iconia Tab, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer, the BlackBerry PlayBook, the HTC Flyer, and the 7- and 10-inch models of Samsung's Galaxy Tab. Expect analysts to poke Apple for a take on the competition, which will soon include Microsoft's Windows 8. During the quarter Microsoft took the wraps off how it intends to fit the software, which will run on ARM processors, into tablets better than it's done with previous versions of the OS.
iPods
As noted last week by Forbes' Philip Elmer-Dewitt, sales of the iPod have been on the decline since hitting a peak in 2008. According to 43 analysts the outlet polled to get an estimate on how much Apple's iPod sales would drop during this quarter (which has historically been a slow one given the company's September refresh and holiday sales push), the consensus was sales of 8.39 million units. That represents a 7.2 percent drop from the same quarter in 2010.
Macs
This time last year, Apple set a new quarterly record with 3.47 million Macs sold. An estimate from brokerage BGC Partners pegs Apple at selling 4 million units during the quarter, due in part to what the group says is first-time buyers picking up a Mac after buying an iPhone, iPod, or iPad.
"The halo effect from the iPhone, iPod, and iPad is driving new users into Macintosh computers as seen by the company citing that one out of two Macintosh computers sold in Apple stores are to new users," said BGC technology analyst Colin Gilis in a note this morning."Computer sales are a key driver for Apple's results as the items command high selling prices and there is ample room to take market share."
Apple COO Tim Cook said something similar in the previous quarter's earnings call, though he was making mention of the iPad driving sales of the Mac to enterprise buyers.
During the quarter, the only Mac to be upgraded was the iMac. Apple introduced new versions of the all-in-one desktop with Thunderbolt I/O technology and faster Intel processors in May.
Miscellaneous things to keep an eye out for:
• The next major version of Apple's Mac OS is widely expected to be released later this week. While the company is unlikely to spend time taking focus away from the numbers by announcing a release date, expect analysts to press the company's executives on it during the conference call.
• Expect another question about Samsung. The topic was broached in the Q2 earnings call, which was less than a week after Apple filed suit against the company for "copying" its devices. Since then Samsung's sued Apple back, and the two have traded numerous blows in court.
• Patent talk. Apple's a part of a consortium that paid $4.5 billion for 6,000 patents and patent applications from Nortel's auction last month. That sale was technically made after Apple's fiscal third quarter, but there could be questions about Apple's stake in that purchase.
• Expect another question about Apple CEO Steve Jobs' health. Jobs remains on medical leave from the company. Despite announcing that change in January, Jobs gave the keynote address at the iPad 2 unveiling in March and at WWDC in early June.
Stay tuned for a full breakdown of Apple's third-quarter earnings, which hit tomorrow around 1:30 PT
Microsoft offers transfer tool to Google Health users
courtesy: Jay Greene (cnet News)
For the seeming handful of people who signed up to use the soon-to-be-shuttered Google Health online medical records service, Microsoft has an answer: join its service.
Microsoft released a tool today that lets Google Health customers transfer their personal health information to a Microsoft HealthVault account. To protect patient privacy, the tool uses the Direct Project messaging protocols established by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT that authenticate and encrypt the data, sending it only to known, trusted recipients.
On June 24, Google announced plans to euthanize the three-year-old Google Health. The company said it will shut down the service on January 1, though users will have until January 1, 2013, to transfer their data out of the system before it gets deleted entirely.
The idea behind both Google Health and Microsoft's HealthVault is to create one repository for medical information so that doctors could track patient health and plan their care. It was also designed to ease appointment check-in and hospital registration. And it can help prevent dangerous prescription drug interactions by giving pharmacists relevant details of a patient's history.
Consumers, though, haven't taken to the services. Privacy is clearly a concern. What's more, the benefit isn't readily apparent. Physicians, who guide so much of medical care, haven't steered their patients to the services. Not enough hospitals connect to the services. And the more than 300 applications that connect to HealthVault--everything from tools to manage diabetes to software that tracks pregnancies--don't appear to have made it a major draw.
Microsoft's data transfer tool may be more marketing than a practical feature. Clearly, Google abandoned its health records service because it had few customers. And certainly many of those who tried the service likely kicked the tires rather than dove deep into it. And for those who did enter large amounts of health data, some may have chosen Google's product over Microsoft because of brand loyalty.
The transfer tool, though, does show that Microsoft intends to stick with its service, even in the face of Google's move away from Google Health. That may have less to do with any success with the project than it does with Microsoft's commitment to building out its health care technology business. Microsoft also offers Amalga, technology that gives health care systems the ability to centralize the vast pockets of digital information they collect. The four-year-old HealthVault is a piece of that broader business, which is why Microsoft seems likely to continue to support it.
Microsoft Hotmail Adds Anti-Hacking Protection Features for Emai
courtesy: Fahmida Y. Rashid (eweek.com)
Hotmail will let users report hacked accounts, and prevent them from setting weak passwords that make them vulnerable to being hacked in the first place.
Microsoft announced two new features to protect Hotmail users from email account hijackers as well as from malicious email and spam.
Microsoft July 14 announced new security features designed to track down when user accounts were compromised and to make passwords more secure. The "My friend has been hacked!" feature has been added under the "Mark as" menu in Hotmail to let users notify the email provider if their friends' accounts appear to have been compromised.
Microsoft will soon start evaluating passwords selected by users to decide if they are strong enough. Weak passwords will be rejected, according to the company.
Users often receive strange email messages from their friends, such as the ones claiming they are stranded in a foreign country and need money as soon as possible or an odd one- or two-line note about some product or service accompanied by a link.
It's usually the case that the friend's email account has been compromised because they chose a weak password or reused the password across multiple services, Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant, wrote on the Naked Security blog.
"At Hotmail, we know that account hijacking is a big problem, and we continue to work hard to prevent it," Dick Craddock, the Microsoft group program manager responsible for Hotmail, wrote on the Inside Windows Live blog.
Recipients of emails from clearly compromised accounts can report the messages and the sender as part of the "My friend's been hacked!" feature, Microsoft said. Even messages stored in the Junk folder can also be used to flag hacked friends. What's even "more warming," according to Cluley, was that the feature would work even if the sender was not a Hotmail user because the provider would be sharing information with Gmail and Yahoo Mail.
"Our compromise-detection system is always working in the background to detect unusual behavior," Craddock wrote, adding that accounts are flagged whenever bad behavior is detected. "It’s a bit like your credit card company putting a hold on your account when they detect suspicious activity," he said.
Hotmail rolled out this feature because when a user's Webmail account is compromised, friends are generally aware the account has been hacked long before the original user is, Craddock said. The report is combined with the other information collected by the detection engine to determine whether the account really has been hijacked, according to Craddock.
Hotmail's new feature is designed to also make it quicker and easier for rightful owners to reclaim their compromised accounts. Hotmail can use the warning to determine if the account needs to be suspended and work with the original owner, Cluley said. Reported accounts are generally returned to the user within a day, according to Craddock.
Hotmail will also now prevent users from creating weak passwords, according to Craddock. If a customer tries to select one of the common passwords, just as "password," "ilovecats," "gogiants" and "123456," the system will reject the selection.
Blocking weak passwords appears to be a good idea, as proven by Gawker, HB Gary Federal and the Justice Department. All those breaches took advantage of the fact that users are still using weak and easy-to-guess passwords. Users also are often reusing the same password across multiple sites, so if an account is compromised, all the sites with the same password become vulnerable.
Hotmail will let users report hacked accounts, and prevent them from setting weak passwords that make them vulnerable to being hacked in the first place.
Microsoft announced two new features to protect Hotmail users from email account hijackers as well as from malicious email and spam.
Microsoft July 14 announced new security features designed to track down when user accounts were compromised and to make passwords more secure. The "My friend has been hacked!" feature has been added under the "Mark as" menu in Hotmail to let users notify the email provider if their friends' accounts appear to have been compromised.
Microsoft will soon start evaluating passwords selected by users to decide if they are strong enough. Weak passwords will be rejected, according to the company.
Users often receive strange email messages from their friends, such as the ones claiming they are stranded in a foreign country and need money as soon as possible or an odd one- or two-line note about some product or service accompanied by a link.
It's usually the case that the friend's email account has been compromised because they chose a weak password or reused the password across multiple services, Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant, wrote on the Naked Security blog.
"At Hotmail, we know that account hijacking is a big problem, and we continue to work hard to prevent it," Dick Craddock, the Microsoft group program manager responsible for Hotmail, wrote on the Inside Windows Live blog.
Recipients of emails from clearly compromised accounts can report the messages and the sender as part of the "My friend's been hacked!" feature, Microsoft said. Even messages stored in the Junk folder can also be used to flag hacked friends. What's even "more warming," according to Cluley, was that the feature would work even if the sender was not a Hotmail user because the provider would be sharing information with Gmail and Yahoo Mail.
"Our compromise-detection system is always working in the background to detect unusual behavior," Craddock wrote, adding that accounts are flagged whenever bad behavior is detected. "It’s a bit like your credit card company putting a hold on your account when they detect suspicious activity," he said.
Hotmail rolled out this feature because when a user's Webmail account is compromised, friends are generally aware the account has been hacked long before the original user is, Craddock said. The report is combined with the other information collected by the detection engine to determine whether the account really has been hijacked, according to Craddock.
Hotmail's new feature is designed to also make it quicker and easier for rightful owners to reclaim their compromised accounts. Hotmail can use the warning to determine if the account needs to be suspended and work with the original owner, Cluley said. Reported accounts are generally returned to the user within a day, according to Craddock.
Hotmail will also now prevent users from creating weak passwords, according to Craddock. If a customer tries to select one of the common passwords, just as "password," "ilovecats," "gogiants" and "123456," the system will reject the selection.
Blocking weak passwords appears to be a good idea, as proven by Gawker, HB Gary Federal and the Justice Department. All those breaches took advantage of the fact that users are still using weak and easy-to-guess passwords. Users also are often reusing the same password across multiple sites, so if an account is compromised, all the sites with the same password become vulnerable.
Microsoft struggles to get Hyper-V drivers in Linux kernel
Courtesy: John Brodkin ( networkworld )
Microsoft isn't exactly dumping Windows for Linux, but it has become one of the busiest contributors to the Linux kernel. Microsoft's attempt to get Hyper-V drivers into the Linux kernel has taken longer than expected, having begun in July 2009, so Microsoft is apparently trying to speed up the process.
THE L-WORD: Microsoft: 'We love open source'
Microsoft was the fifth-largest corporate contributor to Linux kernel version 3.0, open source author and computer scientist David Wheeler writes in his blog.
"This work by Microsoft was to clean up the 'Microsoft Hyper-V (HV) driver' so that the Microsoft driver would be included in the mainline Linux kernel," Wheeler writes.
The Hyper-V submission is in the Linux kernel staging tree, and can be moved to the main portion of the kernel once Microsoft addresses some issues, according to Linux driver project leader Greg Kroah-Hartman, who responded to questions from Network World via email.
Kroah-Hartman says "further cleanups and changes" are needed to get Hyper-V into the mainline Linux kernel, but he doesn't know how close the task is to being achieved. The work is being done to ensure that Linux distributions can run on the Microsoft virtualization platform.
When asked why it has taken this long, Kroah-Hartman responds: "The changes were not being submitted that frequently."
The staging tree where Microsoft's drivers are today "is used to hold stand-alone drivers and filesystems that are not ready to be merged into the main portion of the Linux kernel tree at this point in time for various technical reasons," Kroah-Hartman explained in a blog post in 2009. "It is contained within the main Linux kernel tree so that users can get access to the drivers much easier than before, and to provide a common place for the development to happen."
The Hyper-V folder within the Linux staging tree contains two dozen files including a "todo" list with the issues that must be addressed.
The list shows Microsoft must "fix remaining checkpatch warnings and errors"; audit the VMBus to verify it is working properly; audit the network, block and SCSI drivers; and see if the VMBus can be "merged with the other virtual busses."
Microsoft began contributing Hyper-V code to the Linux kernel two years ago after Linux community members pointed out that Microsoft was violating the GPL software license by using open source components within a Hyper-V driver.
But Microsoft could benefit by making it easier for Linux enthusiasts to run Linux guest operating systems on Hyper-V. Microsoft's Hyper-V team is supporting CentOS Linux, and is in talks with Canonical about extending Hyper-V support to Ubuntu.
Microsoft's submission of code to the Linux kernel stalled almost immediately, with Kroah-Hartman saying in September 2009 that "the Microsoft developers seem to have disappeared."
Microsoft has not responded to a request for comment this week.
Microsoft isn't exactly dumping Windows for Linux, but it has become one of the busiest contributors to the Linux kernel. Microsoft's attempt to get Hyper-V drivers into the Linux kernel has taken longer than expected, having begun in July 2009, so Microsoft is apparently trying to speed up the process.
THE L-WORD: Microsoft: 'We love open source'
Microsoft was the fifth-largest corporate contributor to Linux kernel version 3.0, open source author and computer scientist David Wheeler writes in his blog.
"This work by Microsoft was to clean up the 'Microsoft Hyper-V (HV) driver' so that the Microsoft driver would be included in the mainline Linux kernel," Wheeler writes.
The Hyper-V submission is in the Linux kernel staging tree, and can be moved to the main portion of the kernel once Microsoft addresses some issues, according to Linux driver project leader Greg Kroah-Hartman, who responded to questions from Network World via email.
Kroah-Hartman says "further cleanups and changes" are needed to get Hyper-V into the mainline Linux kernel, but he doesn't know how close the task is to being achieved. The work is being done to ensure that Linux distributions can run on the Microsoft virtualization platform.
When asked why it has taken this long, Kroah-Hartman responds: "The changes were not being submitted that frequently."
The staging tree where Microsoft's drivers are today "is used to hold stand-alone drivers and filesystems that are not ready to be merged into the main portion of the Linux kernel tree at this point in time for various technical reasons," Kroah-Hartman explained in a blog post in 2009. "It is contained within the main Linux kernel tree so that users can get access to the drivers much easier than before, and to provide a common place for the development to happen."
The Hyper-V folder within the Linux staging tree contains two dozen files including a "todo" list with the issues that must be addressed.
The list shows Microsoft must "fix remaining checkpatch warnings and errors"; audit the VMBus to verify it is working properly; audit the network, block and SCSI drivers; and see if the VMBus can be "merged with the other virtual busses."
Microsoft began contributing Hyper-V code to the Linux kernel two years ago after Linux community members pointed out that Microsoft was violating the GPL software license by using open source components within a Hyper-V driver.
But Microsoft could benefit by making it easier for Linux enthusiasts to run Linux guest operating systems on Hyper-V. Microsoft's Hyper-V team is supporting CentOS Linux, and is in talks with Canonical about extending Hyper-V support to Ubuntu.
Microsoft's submission of code to the Linux kernel stalled almost immediately, with Kroah-Hartman saying in September 2009 that "the Microsoft developers seem to have disappeared."
Microsoft has not responded to a request for comment this week.
Thursday, 14 July 2011
I don't know what to do !
Hmmm.. well, it's been three days since I started this blog and I'm not really understanding what to do. I'm totally bored and have zero ideas right now. There's this book called " 1000 Wonders of Nature " which I came across. Although it has some really cool wonders, it has some disgusting bacterial, viral facts too !
Hehh.. Not a bad book. I still havent gone through all the books but it has got a lot of facts about evrything that happens on and around this earth. Get what I'm trying to say ? ;)
Everything !! \m/
About Heart attacks
This is a very good article. Not only about the warm water after your meal, but about Heart Attacks. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals, not cold water, maybe it is time we adopt theirdrinking habit while eating.
For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by theintestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.
Common Symptoms Of Heart Attack...
A serious note about heart attacks - You should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be theleft arm hurting . Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.
You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nauseaand intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive.
For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by theintestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.
Common Symptoms Of Heart Attack...
A serious note about heart attacks - You should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be theleft arm hurting . Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.
You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nauseaand intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive.
Fun Facts [4]
************************************
************************************
************************************
************************************
************************************
************************************Fun Facts [3]
************************************
************************************
************************************
************************************
************************************
************************************
Fun Facts [2]
Fun Facts [1]
************************************
************************************
************************************
************************************
Cyber Laws of India
The basic thing while going around using your CISE ( Certified Information Security Expert ) or CEH ( Certified Ethical Hacker ) skills are that you hav to follow the basic cyber laws of your country. I came across this complete print of the cyber laws of India. I will try my best to gather more information about cyber laws in other countries too.
But for now please check out the cyber laws of India, if you are an Indian by downloading the .pdf file that I provided below. It is very important that you know them so that you will know if someone tries to frame you in some kind of cyber fraud.
>>>> DOWNLOAD HERE <<<<
or click below:
Cyber laws of India - 2.3 MB
But for now please check out the cyber laws of India, if you are an Indian by downloading the .pdf file that I provided below. It is very important that you know them so that you will know if someone tries to frame you in some kind of cyber fraud.
>>>> DOWNLOAD HERE <<<<
or click below:
Cyber laws of India - 2.3 MB
Art works by Julian Beever [7]
Julian Beever is an english artist who’s famous for his art on the pavement of england, France, germany, usa, australia and belgium. His images are drawn completly different which gives a 3D image when viewed on the right angle … see for yourself it’s amazing !!!
Art works by Julian Beever [6]
Julian Beever is an english artist who’s famous for his art on the pavement of england, France, germany, usa, australia and belgium. His images are drawn completly different which gives a 3D image when viewed on the right angle … see for yourself it’s amazing !!!
Art works by Julian Beever [5]
Julian Beever is an english artist who’s famous for his art on the pavement of england, France, germany, usa, australia and belgium. His images are drawn completly different which gives a 3D image when viewed on the right angle … see for yourself it’s amazing !!!
Art works by Julian Beever [4]
Julian Beever is an english artist who’s famous for his art on the pavement of england, France, germany, usa, australia and belgium. His images are drawn completly different which gives a 3D image when viewed on the right angle … see for yourself it’s amazing !!!
Art works by Julian Beever [3]
Julian Beever is an english artist who’s famous for his art on the pavement of england, France, germany, usa, australia and belgium. His images are drawn completly different which gives a 3D image when viewed on the right angle … see for yourself it’s amazing !!!
Art works by Julian Beever [2]
Julian Beever is an english artist who’s famous for his art on the pavement of england, France, germany, usa, australia and belgium. His images are drawn completly different which gives a 3D image when viewed on the right angle … see for yourself it’s amazing !!!
Art works by Julian Beever [1]
Julian Beever is an english artist who’s famous for his art on the pavement of england, France, germany, usa, australia and belgium. His images are drawn completly different which gives a 3D image when viewed on the right angle … see for yourself it’s amazing !!!
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Apple's new OS
OS X Lion. The world’s most advanced desktop operating system advances even further.
The Mac App Store is available only to persons age 13 or older in the U.S. and many other countries; see www.apple.com/support/mac/app-store/ww/ for a list of countries. Requires compatible hardware and software, and Internet access; broadband recommended (fees may apply). Terms apply.
Apps are available on the Mac App Store. Some applications are not available in all areas. Application availability and pricing are subject to change.
TM and copyright © 2011 Apple Inc. 1 Infinite Loop, MS 96-DM, Cupertino, CA 95014.
All Rights Reserved / Keep Informed / Privacy Policy / My Apple ID
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Prevent use of Plastic Bags
Oh well, use of plastic bag should be strictly avoided if you are an ardent shopper. Most of the branded stores avoid using them as plastic bag is totally not allowed here from now on. I read many articles on plastic related stuff and thought that "Saying NO to Plastic" should be the first thing that a shopper should do. Because, shopping is quite fun and all, but we dont want to hurt other beings with the litter we get out of shopping now, do we ?
It is said that the ancient carry bag while shopping was a cloth bag or jute bag. When plastic was invented, it was considered as an "Invention of the Millenium" because of it's cost of production, light
weight, strength, easy process of manufacture, and availability.There is nothing wrong with plastic as a material. Man has simply not put the plastic to the right use/ or using it without taking proper care of other related norms of usage.
However, many stores are going for eco-friendly or recyclable plastic,as they call it, which is much more safer and might be legal if it has a recyclable stamp on it.
Check out this mailer that was sent by Shoppers stop. Click Here.
Use of Plastic in India is illegal. The indiscriminate use of plastic bags poses huge threat to the environment and poses serious health hazards for life on the earth.
So the next time you go shopping, be sure to carry your own cloth bag or request for one. Do not go around carrying Plastic shopping bags even if they are fancy, cause you might be fined for goin around that way ! :P
Have a safe shopping ! ;)
It is said that the ancient carry bag while shopping was a cloth bag or jute bag. When plastic was invented, it was considered as an "Invention of the Millenium" because of it's cost of production, light
weight, strength, easy process of manufacture, and availability.There is nothing wrong with plastic as a material. Man has simply not put the plastic to the right use/ or using it without taking proper care of other related norms of usage.
However, many stores are going for eco-friendly or recyclable plastic,as they call it, which is much more safer and might be legal if it has a recyclable stamp on it.
Check out this mailer that was sent by Shoppers stop. Click Here.
Use of Plastic in India is illegal. The indiscriminate use of plastic bags poses huge threat to the environment and poses serious health hazards for life on the earth.
So the next time you go shopping, be sure to carry your own cloth bag or request for one. Do not go around carrying Plastic shopping bags even if they are fancy, cause you might be fined for goin around that way ! :P
Have a safe shopping ! ;)
About ME.
Well.. I never thought i would blog in my life. But here I am Blogging about my favorite past time.. SHOPPING !!! I can shop any time of the day and like any damn thing that I find. So I could easily consider myself a shopaholic.
A lot of my friends think they are the best shoppers.. or should I say, Vicious. But shopping is like an Art. One should have a good taste as well as a passion for shopping. It is like this - Good taste "and" Passion. Not any one of them.
Well, in Hyderabad, I would suggest a lot of places for shopping. Every shopping mall offers something or the other. But, not every shopping mall has that perfect ambience which makes you wanna stay there.
My favorite list of shopping Malls in Hyderabad are:
1. Inorbit Mall
2. GVK Mall
3. City Center Mall
4. Hyderabad Central
5. and the rest of their kind.
I specifically mentioned these malls in the order of my priority. Inorbit Mall stands in the first place because it has everything that a shopaholic like me could possibly want. GVK, City Center and Central are not bad enough either. ;)
Well, since these are my initial posts about shopping, I do not have much to say. But I will definitely be back with loads of information about shopping, shopping malls and haute stuff !! ;)
until then, safe shopping one and all !!!
A lot of my friends think they are the best shoppers.. or should I say, Vicious. But shopping is like an Art. One should have a good taste as well as a passion for shopping. It is like this - Good taste "and" Passion. Not any one of them.
Well, in Hyderabad, I would suggest a lot of places for shopping. Every shopping mall offers something or the other. But, not every shopping mall has that perfect ambience which makes you wanna stay there.
My favorite list of shopping Malls in Hyderabad are:
1. Inorbit Mall
2. GVK Mall
3. City Center Mall
4. Hyderabad Central
5. and the rest of their kind.
I specifically mentioned these malls in the order of my priority. Inorbit Mall stands in the first place because it has everything that a shopaholic like me could possibly want. GVK, City Center and Central are not bad enough either. ;)
Well, since these are my initial posts about shopping, I do not have much to say. But I will definitely be back with loads of information about shopping, shopping malls and haute stuff !! ;)
until then, safe shopping one and all !!!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)