9 Year old Anthony wants to send 1000 Christmas cards to our Military overseas! Help us do it!

                Today, CMS Communications learned about a 9 year old boy who created a heartwarming project. Every year Anthony, a third grader, sends Christmas cards to the United States Military who are overseas.  He arranges meetings at schools, businesses, and organizations to ask them if they will fill out Christmas cards. Anthony then collects them and sends them across the pond to our military that cannot make it home for the holidays. He does this through the Red Cross program ‘Mail for Heroes.’

                Let’s think about that for a minute. You are a soldier stationed in foreign land. The weather around you, clothes you wear and food you are eating, in no way remind you of the approaching holiday. Then one day, the mail comes and you get handed a card. The front of the card features a knoll covered in white, crisp snow and a house glowing with a warm fire.  This isn’t your house but the idea reminds you of Home. Memories of joy and laughter flood into your head and push out the feel of combat boots and smell of gunpowder.  For a moment you glimpse the serene happiness you once felt of a holiday season at home. 

You open the card and inside is something handwritten to you. 

“Thank you for everything you are doing and have done for our country! Your courage is appreciated and your character is noble. Even though you cannot be home, I want you to have a great Christmas and know that you are giving the best gift that anyone could give. There are not enough’ Thanks’ any ONE person can give you for your service. I hope you see this card and can at least feel a little bit of Christmas from home!”

You close the card and maybe even tweak a little smile. Maybe for just a second you forgot about the conditions you are in and feel the world you grew up in as a child. The moment you rode your first bike, kissed your spouse or saw your kids open presents under the tree for the first time.

If only for a second, this is what you thought of when you read this Christmas card…then Anthony, the third grader from Missouri, has fulfilled his goal.

At the cost of 5 minutes from your day, we ask you to make or buy a Christmas card, sign it and drop it off or send it to :

CMS Communications Inc

722 Goddard Ave

Chesterfeild MO 63005

Attn: Dan Bowers

We are helping Anthony attain his goal of sending 1,000 Christmas cards overseas this year. Please drop them off by November 26^th so they can arrive overseas by Christmas. 

What a wonderful gesture for our troops!

Will Windows 8.1 renew our faith in Microsoft?

When Windows 8 arrived (paired with the ‘Surface’ release) is was mundane to say the least. It led to confusion as we gathered our ambition to figure out how to navigate the platform. Just like any other new tech there were bugs to work out, fixes to be applied and a sharp learning curve that strayed our perception that this was going to be an easement on functionality. Microsoft plans to quell those issues with their preview of Windows 8.1 (codenamed ‘Blue’) coming June 26^th. However, skepticism is still lingering from their Surface/Windows 8 release. Will their confidence be applauded? Are these new features enough to entice a surge in consumer spending?

The confidence that Microsoft has garnered over the years is abundant. They know they are a major player in tech, but they also know their abundance is due to consumer gratification. They may have sold 100 million Windows 8 licenses but they know they won’t sell more if they don’t tweak their product to our liking. Their consistent consumer base is supported by updates and tweaks. They know this, and they will utilize all their strength to clean every corner.

These tweaks that are implemented in Windows 8.1 aren’t anything grand…but they supposedly help the platform to perform much, much better. Here are some of them:

-          Lockscreen: Now you can use Skype and your camera from the lockscreen

-          LiveTiles: The sizes only allow for Small and ‘Very’ large but you can interchange or add more tiles if needed.

-          Search: Digs deeper and incorporates your SkyDrive account with internet searches.

-          Start Button: It has returned! The start button is back and you can now find things more easily. You can also switch between the ‘LiveTiles’ and Desktop Mode.

-          Snap: a new program that lets you view Apps/Tabs/Windows side by side, instead of one at a time.

Microsoft has realized where it needed to improve Windows 8. They are trying to make good on those issues with Windows 8.1. If they are trying to revitalize the PC market then they are stepping in the correct direction. This update required a decent amount of effort but some were already researched beforethe original release of Windows 8. Microsoft may be a long standing household name but our faith in them is starting to ‘turtle.’ As we approach the preview date of June 26^th I think we may see them become the ‘Hare’ once more in the tech market.

Is the Shine Coming Off Apple?

A report released this week by members of the Senate says Apple "has used a complex web of offshore entities, including three foreign subsidiaries the company claims are not tax resident in any nation, to avoid paying billions of dollars in U.S. income taxes." 

Apple has a number of highly unusual accounting strategies and a handful of subsidiaries in Ireland, where it negotiated a tax rate of less than 2%, to reduce its tax bill. The U.S. corporate tax rate is 35%. Apple avoided paying $9 billion in U.S. taxes in 2012 alone.

One Irish subsidiary, Apple Operations International, or AOI, has no employees or physical presence in Ireland. AOI reported $30 billion in income from 2009 to 2012, but its management structure allowed Apple to exploit a gap between U.S. and Irish law to avoid paying taxes in either country.

 Another Apple subsidiary in Ireland, Apple Sales International, had an effective 2011 tax rate of just five hundredths of one percent. Apple also ducked taxes on $44 billion in income by transferring the rights to its intellectual property though cost-sharing agreements with its subsidiaries. 

The California-based company holds more than $102 billion offshore, allowing it to avoid the 35% tax it would pay upon returning the money to the U.S. Apple recently borrowed $17 billion to buy its own stock from shareholders rather than draw on its sizable overseas cash, avoiding U.S. taxes as a result.

"A company that found remarkable success by harnessing American ingenuity and the opportunities afforded by the U.S. economy should not be shifting its profits overseas to avoid the payment of U.S. tax, purposefully depriving the American people of revenue," Senator John McCain said in a statement Monday. 

Apple CEO Tim Cook made no apology on Tuesday for saving billions of dollars in U.S. taxes through Irish subsidiaries and told lawmakers that his company backs corporate tax reform, even though it may end up paying more. Apple is not the first tech company to be investigated for these tactics, as HP and Microsoft had previously been investigated. 

The US has a budget deficit of over $15 trillion, yet Apple has chosen to spend I’m sure considerable time and money on ways not to pay taxes.  While not apparently breaking any laws does this make you question the ethics of America’s most cash rich company?  Lastly Apple backs corporate tax reform, yet it looks they have been doing everything possible to work the loopholes and not pay taxes.  Seems like Cook is talking out of both sides of his mouth. 

BlackBerry Announces Q5

The BlackBerry Q5 is the next phone to run BlackBerry's still young BlackBerry 10 operating system, but don't expect to see it outside of emerging markets. 

The Q5 is a BlackBerry Curve-styled QWERTY keyboard smartphone running on BlackBerry 10. The phone shares the Q10's screen size and resolution, but is designed to be lower cost and aimed at emerging markets. BlackBerry is targeting first-time and youth smartphone owners in those markets and will offer the Q5 in a variety of colors, including: black, white, red and pink, ugh.

BlackBerry continues to get back in the smartphone market with its high-end Z10 and Q10 smartphones, the market reality is that it still sells more legacy BlackBerry devices and it sells them in emerging markets such as Africa, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. These devices primarily sell because they are inexpensive (comparatively) and carriers can bundle data services (such as BBM or BBM and Facebook) for low-cost rates.

With BlackBerry 10, the company's original strategy appeared to focus on the high-end of the market and using legacy devices to support the rest. Unfortunately, as Android handsets get cheaper and cheaper — and alternatives from companies such as Ubuntu and Firefox try enter the emerging market space — BBOS just isn't good enough.

A modern BlackBerry smartphone priced and directed at these markets might be enough to keep those users from jumping ship to a new platform. The big question, of course, is what impact this will have on BlackBerry's bottom line. BlackBerry currently has almost no margin on its BBOS devices (or even negative margin). It's unclear if the company will be able to sell phones at a price and volume required for these markets without taking a serious financial hit.

The Subtle Demise of the QR Code

QR Codes (Quick Response codes) are two dimensional barcodes that have information attached to them. These codes are generally scanned by a smartphone (or other device) which translates the barcode information into a webpage that notifies or persuades you to use a specific product. Its original purpose was to track vehicles during the manufacturing process. Marketers  transmuted them into another way to advertise product. QR Codes can now be found on magazine covers, coffee cups, window displays and even on buildings. How useful are they? The QR hype has ended and with the advent of new technology, trends and failing marketing strategies, they may be fading away into our history books.

These QR Codes are dependent on ‘smartphone’ technology. The camera captures the code; then software computes the data and displays the final form to you. With constant advancements in tech, how will this translate? With wearable technology it would impede your functionality. I really don’t see how Google Glass will want people’s line of sight to be completely disrupted by an advertisement for a new car. Will people make the effort to pull out their tablets, just to scan a code? Will smart watches give enough space to actually see the advertisement? Who knows, maybe QR will transform with the tech.

These codes were very popular for a while, but the ‘Trend is up.’ It’s been 20 years since the first QR code and I barely notice their existence. Sure they are around but they don’t relay any information without some effort on my part. Due to the effort, my Barcode Reader App is collecting digital dust. For a new trend to sustain itself it must continuously provide a benefit to society. Instead this causes more effort to view something we could already be looking at.

One of the main causes of QR death is the failure of marketing companies (departments) to properly promote the technology. How is a QR code on a moving vehicle going to promote a product if no one can ever scan it? Difficulties ingrained in the marketing have led us to be less enthusiastic unless we get something out of it. Even then, QR code coupons make us debate the effort vs the return on investment. If you don’t make it exciting enough in the first 3 seconds then I’m not scanning it.

There is much evidence that can be garnered to further authenticate the thought that QR codes are dying. Without a major evaluation and renovation of this marketing technology, the QR trend will be simply that…a trend. Advancing technology will soon surpass the need for it, and right now there is not enough popularity to keep it as a viable solution for advertising. QR codes have lost their ‘Fame’ and soon, may be forgotten.

iOS7: The Jony Ive Era of Modernization.

Jony Ive wants to ‘modernize’ Apples’ user interface.  If you don’t already know; Jony Ive is the Industrial Designer in Chief who was responsible, in collaboration with Steve Jobs,  for the hardware designs of the iPod, iPad, iPhone and iMacs.

Jony was originally the hardware designer  but Tim Cook advanced Ives’ position to encompass the user interface (home screen and icons) for the new iOS 7. It is set to preview in June and release around September.

They  plan to ‘Flatten’  and simplify Apples’ current bubbly  realistic looking apps. This means that shadows, reflections, gloss, 3D and texturing of Apps and designs will all be thrown away. Think of a flat colored box with an Application logo in the middle. This is what they are rumored to be doing; streamlining the interface. Current applications are digital representations of their real world counter parts like the ‘Notes’ or ‘Calendar’ App. This is called Skeuomorphism, and Jony wants it gone so the interface can be a simplistic stripped down interface. We can see his hardware designs beginning to form now can’t we?

The Windows Apps are similar to what Jony moving towards.

That is not all that Apple is doing with iOS 7; they are also looking into Gesturing and automotive integration.

Gesturing is the idea of swiping your fingers in a specific direction to get to pointed information. With the simplistic design-work being implemented, gesturing may be a great addition for ‘Glance-able’ information.  The idea is that we wouldn’t have to open the mail app to see our new messages.

The Automotive rumor is based on getting Siri and Maps to seamlessly integrate with your driving experience. The idea is to have iPhone ready hook-ups that would allow Apples’ user interface on the vehicle display. If they ever get Maps right, this would be a great utility. You could even interface with Siri hands free, and not have to worry with looking at your phone ever again.

Hardware changes have really modernized and traversed time since the iPhones inception, but the user interface has barely changed at all. Jony Ive has done so well with the hardware designs, that I can trust the new iOS 7 will be cleaner, modern, simplistic and easier to use. The design work of Ive’s has seemingly overshadowed any rumored technical advancements. This is ok though, because design can mean everything sometimes.

Earth Day is over but your thumb is still Green.

Earth day has passed but that doesn’t absolve you from reducing your carbon footprint until the next Earth day. It stands as a reminder to us all that the world is living and we need to nurture and care for it just as we have our cars, lawns and children. With this in mind, we would like to give you a few easy ways to reduce your carbon footprint and easily live just a little more Green.


Stop Wasting Energy!

Turn off any electronics when not in use: This includes unplugging appliances, chargers, lamps etc. Maybe try putting everything into a power strip for one quick flip of the switch.

Adjust your Thermostat: 68 in the winter and 78 in the summer. Once adjusted, leave it alone. You can always put on warmer or lighter clothes.

Change your light bulbs: Did you know that changing to florescent bulbs (from incandescent) uses 75% less energy and provides equal, greater and longer lasting light?

Washroom items: Most water heaters have something called a ‘vacation’ mode. It provides warm water (not the soothing hot water we like so much) and uses much less energy. Best for use in the summer. Also, instead of using hot water in the washer, try washing everything on ‘cold.’ There isn’t much difference in the cleaning process.

Consumables can hurt!

Buy local and organic foods if available. The distance is much shorter than where your Columbian coffee bean comes from.

Reusable items: Grocery bags and water bottles. Find reusable items for your regular needs. Plastic water bottles and bags are thrown away at an alarming rate. Many aren’t even recycled. Reduce this by getting a reusable grocery bag or only using one water container that can be re-filled.

Composting: I didn’t understand this concept until my wife started yelling at me! But it helps. Starting a compost pile reduces the amount of waste you throw away and creates perfect soil for a garden (eventually).

Why do we need to Drive everywhere?

Did you know that back in the day, they didn’t have automobiles? No really! They didn’t. People walked, rode bicycles, or rode on horseback.  I’m not saying you should go get a horse, but if you have an errand that is near your home; try walking instead of driving. It lowers pollution and is healthy exercise for your body and mind.

These are just a few ways (out of the millions) you can reduce your waste. It’s imperative that we at least make an effort to reduce, reuse and recycle because there are only so many resources available to use. Over manufacturing and consumption may be the ruin of us. So if the monitor you are reading this on is failing miserably; give us a call and we will dispose of it for you in our E-waste plant.  If you want to save the world call us today to recycle your electronics!

LifeSize ClearSea: Merging Office Conferencing with Mobility.

In the past if your headquarters wanted to video conference with your overseas or cross country offices, they would have integrate an expensive solution in each office. With the surge of worldwide BYOD policies people have begun using programs like Skype, Facetime and Google+ Hangouts for inter-office conferencing. Many businesses still require in office attendance, but employees that are unable can rely on mobility for a solution. The problem is how do you merge the two technologies to work congruently? LifeSize has created a new product called Clearsea which has your answer.  It is a video conferencing solution that you can use with any device, has innovative features and saves your company money in the long run. Think of it as, ‘one Video Conferencing Solution to rule them all!’

ClearSea can be deployed as a server in your system or as loadable software. Once loaded you are able to add any devices you wish. Anything that supports video can be used for conferencing. Supported are PC’s, Mac’s, along with Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. So if you are home sick and need to conference in; all you need to do is pick up your tablet and dial the ClearSea conference number to seemingly be right at work. It is completely interoperable and has powerful collaboration tools so that it is simpler than ever to connect.

This solution has many features that are unlike its predecessors and enhance your HD conferencing experience.  ClearSea supports up to 1080p for laptops (720p for mobile devices), accepts calls from any H.323/SIP device, provides ‘Clustering’ for scalability, comes as a hardware appliance or virtual software, has a built in Firewall and allows Far-end camera control. All the components of  HD Video conferencing made especially for mobility.

Flexibility is also an important note for installations. Choosing between hardware and software versions allows you to easily manipulate your network to adapt to the ClearSea platform. Licensing plans are available which allow for smooth budget planning and the built in Firewall will save you time and money for additional hardware and IT resources. With increasing BYOD policies you will find ClearSea will also save you cost on buying new equipment.

With LifeSize ClearSea you are able to combine personal and professional conferencing devices. This is an excellent way to provide cost saving and simplicity in your business model. Not many companies offer these evolving solutions. They bridge the gap between technologies and make it more comfortable to work from anywhere. LifeSize is adapting to modern technology in order to save you time, pain and money. Utilizing their products will not only help you, but your company’s’ pockets as well.

How to Futureproof your Voice and Data Networks.

Prior to convergence, a business had two separate networks that supported communication requirements. The voice network was specifically designed to deliver the real-time voice requirements with a point-to-point platform. This creates a physical dedicated path for every phone which ensures that voice packets travel in order, on time and with no interference. A data network on the other hand is distributed with no standardization. This platform came as a result of the network switch limitations. Businesses with many users created this platform which was acceptable for the near-time demands of data. Waiting for a data file to open is acceptable as packets are disassembled, travel over the many switches and reassembled before being opened at the desktop. A one, two, or three second delay does not create alarm or concern about your network efficiency.

Does it make sense that customers are forced to abandon a proven reliable point-to-point network and instead layer voice on a distributed data network that has no standard platform built specifically for requirements of data? Networking switch manufacturers created the methodology without fully appreciating the complexities they created for customers, IT staff and those who serve them.

Many company's are attracted to the business and financial benefits of having a Unified Communications platform. However, they also expect what they always had from their voice experience. They want voice quality-of-service regardless of data network loads, they want reliable networks with voice continuity (even when the data network fails), and for the IT staff; they want a simple network to manage that ensures the effective delivery of both voice and data. The hope is that it will  result in good user experiences that drive the adoption of value added applications


In 2009, Phybridge introduced the award winning UniPhyer that is solving many of the complexities around optimizing the LAN for convergence. The premise is based on leveraging; not abandoning the point-to-point platform of the voice infrastructure that creates an IP network path which compliments and extends the existing data network while optimizing it for voice and data convergence. To do this a special network switch needed to be invented to deliver Ethernet beyond the 300 ft.  That power needed to be delivered over a single pair. The Phybridge UniPhyer was designed specifically to handle the real-time requirements of voice leveraging and the existing point-to-point voice solution. The UniPhyer is the only network switch to deliver Ethernet and Power over Ethernet (POE) over a single pair of wire with reach of 1,200 ft. Combining your new and old systems has never been easier.

Facebook Home is Not a Phone...yet.

What many people are calling a ‘Facebook phone’ is actually the HTC First. It is a mid-range Android that sells for $99. What is unique about this is that it’s the first handset to have Facebook software ingrained in its system (instead of an App or Apps). Facebook cut a deal with Android (Google) to implement new software for the home screen so they could better reach their global market and simplify interaction.

Let’s talk about the HTC First, It is nothing special. It has a 4.3 inch screen, runs 4.1.2 stock Android (Current is 4.2), has a 5 MP camera, 16 GB storage and a 1.4Ghz Dual Core chip. This phone will work for your average person who doesn’t use the phone for much more than calls and checking a few sites or emails. In comparison to today’s top of the line phones this really is a POS, but it will work if you want to give it to your 13 year old for their first phone.

The only kicker here is that it has Facebook Home. Home has basically collected the Facebook, messenger, and notification apps and built them together as a home screen for your phone called 'Cover Feed'. What this means is when you wake up your phone, you will automatically be able to see your Facebook Newsfeed and begin interacting with your friends.  Each update will show as a full page article and you can comment/like or scroll to the next article without having to open up any applications. Any messages you receive will pop up something called a ‘Chat Head’ that shows a little bubble of the friend who is contacting you. This leads us to notifications which show up as a rectangular box and can easily be moved with gesture controls. One advantage of Home is that it has integrated all of your notifications with its 'Cover Feed’ so that you never miss anything.

You can still access your Android app’s by tapping the menu screen. You can even turn off Home and just use the phone as the stock handset it truly is. However, the reason you would buy this handset is to better integrate your real life with your online life. It allows you to check and update much more efficiently than the application does and offers you a clean look to your ‘feeds.’ This is the prototype model and it may need to bake a little longer, but for now it is an interesting new user interface that promotes sharing in the online community.

What are Bitcoins?

Lately the world has been conversing about Bitcoin and its soaring prices. I kept hearing about it and kept wondering what it is, until finally I decided to do my research and figure this out. What I discovered was a digital-only form of currency that has been around since 2009. It can be spent, traded and sold just like stocks. There is no central bank or government that can regulate it and you can buy or ‘Mine’ it for free. The only catch is that it is digital currency which is tempting for hackers.

Satoshi Nakamoto is the pseudonymous person or group of people who designed and created the original Bitcoin software, a community of developers runs Bitcoin as a free open source project. It relies on an internet based peer to peer network and the ‘money’ is automatically given to ‘Bitcoin Miners’ who confirm transactions as they are added to a transaction log (every 10 minutes). The log is authenticated by digital signatures.

Every 10 minutes, 25 new Bitcoins are generated. In 2017 this quantity will be halved to 12.5 and every four years after, the same will happen until all 21 million Bitcoins have been ‘mined’ and put into circulation(around the year 2140). At today’s date there are over 11 million active Bitcoins with a worth of over $2.3 billion.

You can obtain Bitcoins either by trading, buying or mining them. Purchasing is the easiest way but it comes at the expense of your hard earned cash. In order to buy, you will have to sign up for an online service like MyWallet, Coinbase or Instawallet (no longer active). You link your bank account to your online wallet (much like PayPal) and from there you can buy or sell coins at the market price.

 Mining takes computer processing power and often bears little fruit unless you are part of a mining group or have a small farm of supercomputers. Mining involves running software on your computer to solve the complex mathematical equations that make up the Bitcoin transactions. The miner gets a payout for this service and is then allowed to sell. The issue is that your computer is up against groups of computers that will probably mine the coin before you. So you will want to join a mining group that splits the rewards of coin transaction. It may take time to build your Bitcoin fortune but it’s free.

The crisis in Cyprus, economic uncertainty in Europe, increased media coverage and a lack of faith in traditional currencies has led to the rise in alternative currencies. Bitcoin value has gone up and down. In 2011 the USD to BTC exchange rate plummeted from $33 to $2.51 and has taken until February to recover. Since February of 2013 though, Bitcoin value has gone from $30 all the way up to $210 as of April 9^th. In the past, power outages and hacks have devalued the coin and this rapid rise has fueled concern that it is experiencing a bubble that could pop at any time.
 

For now, it would be good to think of Bitcoin like Facebook credits. You purchase them to buy goods and play around but you wouldn’t want to put your savings into it would you? If you wish to transfer small amounts of money without government regulations/taxes then Bitcoin is your market. Just be carefull not to put all your coin in one basket, this is virtual not brick and mortar.

Coming Soon: improved voice quality over your phone.

For the first time in recent years the mobile telephone industry will be offering a feature that actually applies to speaking over the handset. Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T will begin rolling out HD Voice (better known as Wideband Audio) on their services. HD Voice provides a more ‘true life’ voice quality that is fuller and more natural sounding with a reduction in background noise. Here are some examples of how it will affect you:

• Background noise is dampened.

• It improves the ability to hear faint talkers.

• Clearly defines double talk (or when more than one person is speaking at the same time.)

• Speakerphone clarity is improved.

 The service companies will begin rolling out the feature this year but the handset makers (like Apple/Samsung) have already deployed the ability to use HD Voice on their newer handsets like iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S lll. Surprisingly HD Voice is not a new concept. Radio Broadcasters have been using high quality audio broadcasts (such as sporting events) for years.

The telecommunications hardware provider Polycom has already implemented these features into previous and current models. They have utilized wideband and patented their Acoustic Clarity Technology for use with their conferencing phones to cancel echo, reduce noise and process advanced voice quality. These advancements in Polycom models make you feel like you are in the same room with the other participants on the call.

HD Voice can only be used with another handset that is equipped to capture and transmit the higher quality sound. VoIP and Voice over LTE are the only technologies where this will matter. Initially you will have to be on the same network to notice the difference, but that will change if wideband audio becomes a standard.

Despite its reputation for poor audio, the mobile telephone industry is beginning to make progress in voice quality. So far this service is widely available in parts of Europe, but the United States is catching up. Implementing HD Voice is like switching from AM radio to CD quality audio and is a major benefit for telecom companies and consumers. Voice quality has been lacking as of late, and it is a about time we did something to actually advance the depth of speaking over the phone.

Issues and Apples

 

 

 

                               

Apple once stated that there was no such thing as a virus for the Mac. That thought process bled over to all its devices and nowadays they are eating their words. They may be a well-oiled machine but they don’t get make statements like that anymore.

One of the recent hacks gets a user in by having Siri call a number and then opening the SIM card (taking it out), thus gaining the user access to photos and contact info.

Constant iOS updates have been implemented to fix bugs and patch security holes. The 6.1.3 update, which was meant to fix these security hacks, has now given us issues with Wi-Fi connectivity and battery drains. It seems every time they fix one issue they cause another. Frustrating, to say the least.

A major issue to consider is the virus Trojan.Yontoo.1. There are many avenues it can use to install; the preferred method is showing up as a movie trailer (in Adspace) that requires you to download a new media player or install a plug-in. Once clicked you are directed to a site and the virus downloads itself on your browsers (all of them) and copies your information as you work or browse data on your device. This is only the most recent of the larger viruses to attack an Apple OS and as they grow bigger Apple will find many more.

Finally, this last piece is not really virus or hack related but a call to action to improve iCloud. For everyday consumers iCloud works seamlessly. We download and upload to the cloud and feel safe that our data is stored. Well, consumers find it useful but App Developers have been wrestling with it for some time now.

Did you know that in order for Apple to promote a developers new App they must have the data stored in the iCloud? The problem is that Apple has an issue with Database syncing. When a developer tries to sync the new app to the cloud, data goes missing, and devices stop working. There has been no comment from Apple on this issue besides past statements of upgrading iOS. Hopefully iOS7 will offer a fix.

Until all is solved, we must realize that no technology is impenetrable. Every device can be hacked, destroyed or eavesdropped upon and it’s in our best interest to enhance our security and privacy as well as possible. The fact is that Apple, Microsoft and Google will always have issues with their software and should never make statements that make them seem hypocritical.

 

 

 

BlackBerry not safe enough for British government security agency.

BlackBerry’s new BB10 software has been rejected by a British government’s Communications Electronics Security Group (CESG) as not secure enough for sensitive government work. The most recent version of BlackBerry software (version 7.1) passed the rigorous CESG guidelines up to ‘restricted’ status which is two levels below ‘secret.’ While they have negated the use of the BB10 software for now, their decision could change to approve the new platform in the future.

The UK Company’s decision comes despite BlackBerry’s efforts to add new security measures like ‘Balance’ which partitions work, personal data, and applications that lets users carry out encrypted communications. Balance has won over US and German government agencies recently but this deferral from the UK agency could put a snag in BlackBerry’s future.
In response to this BlackBerry stated,” We have a long established relationship with the CESG and we remain the only mobile solution approved for use at ‘Restricted’ when configured in accordance with the CESG guidelines. “

BlackBerry has confirmed the CESG’s decision but has not offered a revision date for software compliance. In a statement to The Guardian, BlackBerry did say, “We are continuing to work closely with CESG on the approval of BB10 and we’re confident that BlackBerry 10 will only strengthen our position as the mobile solution of choice for the UK Government.”

This is a large blow to a hopeful BlackBerry who is relying on their security based devices to win back government and corporate customers. Apparently the problem is not as much a software issue as much as an process issue. There is a re-structuring of the approval process due to the Government Protective Marking scheme review and the new CESG Commercial Product Assurance scheme which impact the BB10 timeline to receive similar levels of approvals. With any luck the security software will be approved which will them strengthen their position in the mobile solutions market.

What is a Firewall and how does it work?

Cisco recently released their 2013 Annual Security report and the numbers are contradictory to what most people think. Cisco found that riskier links were not found on ‘shady’ sites but actually found more often on regular safe-looking sites such as search engines or online shopping sites.  In fact Cisco says that a person is 182 times as likely to download malware on a ‘safe’ site’s advertisements as opposed to a site promoting pornography. 

Have you ever asked yourself, “What prevents malware, viruses, or hackers from accessing my computer or device?” No? Well you are probably thinking about that now, and the answer is a ‘firewall.’ A firewall is a program or device designed to prevent unauthorized access to or from a private network or computer. All information passes through the firewall which examines each piece of data and blocks those that do not meet security criteria. 

There are two kinds of firewalls: Software and Hardware. A software firewall is a program you install on your computer. Software firewalls protect the individual PC it is loaded on. Each PC or laptop should have a software firewall operating on it as a safeguard. It is important for it to be loaded onto a PC because it is a secondary line of defense that protects the PC from malware or viruses that might be on flash drives or files that get thru the hardware firewall via emails.

A hardware firewall is a software driven device that is integrated into the network structure of a coporations' network. It is a physical device that works with your router and is the primary line of defense against invasions. It also gives the IT department the ability to apply restrictions on users to allow or limit access to different software programs, features sets of the software, company servers and limit access to the internet.  

Firewalls use one or more of the following methods to control traffic going in and out of your network:

Packet Filtering: The system filters each packet that enters or leaves the network and will allow or reject it based on the criteria you set for the firewall. This can be difficult to configure and is susceptible to IP spoofing (impersonating another computer system).

Circuit level gateway: This applies security mechanisms for TCP and UDP connections. Once connected packets can be transferred without additional checks.

Proxy Server: A proxy server is an intermediary between clients. Instead of one machine talking to another directly they go through the Proxy (Think of two friends that won’t speak to each other but use you to relay messages). The Proxy can be configured to have firewall capabilities and only allow certain types of traffic to pass. The only downfall is that it may slow network performance by analyzing the traffic.

Web Application: This type of firewall is a software filter that blocks data from within. For instance; Windows 7 and Vista have software firewalls that are built into the operating system. They notify you of malicious sites and downloads.

Stateful Inspection: This compares key parts of each packet to a database of trusted information. Info traveling from the firewall to the outside is monitored for defining characteristics, and then incoming info is compared to these characteristics. If the comparison reasonably matches, the info is allowed through, otherwise it is discarded.

Many firewalls use two or more of these techniques, because of the numerous ways viruses or threats can hack your system. Your firewall is considered a first line of defense in protecting private information. You need a firewall because once you are online your computer is continuously connected to the internet and identified by your IP address. It’s potentially visible to anyone on the network and malicious users may be able to gain access to it. There are many firewall options available to you so be sure to find out which one is best suited for your needs. Firewalls are a cheap way of ensuring security on your network and continuous access to the internet. Without such devices our networks would be highly susceptible to hacks and viruses, leading us to buy new systems altogether.

How to sell in 2013.

The recession hasn't left us just yet. It's on the way but we still have hurdles to bypass and sales goals to meet. With the advent of new technology and social media, clients have become more savvy and resourceful. Demonstrations and presentations are still prevalent but selling has become more sophisticated and challenging. Here are some ways to you can evolve your methods for 2013 and beyond.

1. Transitioning

In this connected online world, people expect results fast. It's time to expedite your implementation process. Whether that means processing orders faster or running a quick and smooth installation, you have to show your clients that you can efficiently take orders and implement them without hassle. This compels people to buy faster and with more confidence.

2. Sympathize with their Business model.

They want to hear how your product can positively impact their business. Clients get enough salespeople clogging their phone lines with pitches but do you really understand how your product can help them? Sure you want to make a sale and think your product is beneficial, but clients can find that anywhere these days. A sales pro needs to research the company and provide specific examples of how their product can save time, money and make the end users’ work day more efficient through your product. You shouldn't try to sell to a company if you don't know what they do or who they are, it’s just ignorant.


4. Be honest

Clients don't want to talk to a stranger who is trying to sell them something. They view you as a used car salesman, but instead of them coming to you (most of the time) you are calling them. Instead of offering your pitch from the get go give them the truth. Ask if they have a minute to speak, tell them this is a sales call and let them know you aren't trying to waste their time. They will respect your honesty and give you the same back. Being honest is a sure sign that you are a professional that understands the clients’ schedule. At the end of your introduction tell the client you don't want to waste anyone’s time calling every so often; you should ask for an appointment. If they say no then you don't have to waste your time leaving unanswered voicemails. If they say yes you have made a good impression. If they are finicky (or don't know a good time) tell them when you have available and respectfully ask for an opportunity to further the solution process. Any way you do this, you will have a definite answer and will be able to spend your time doing more productive activities.

5. Be Consistent and Smart

Many of us call over and over once we have had the introduction and then never hear from the client again. Stop doing that. Consistency in sales means you are utilizing all the facets of communication to keep your company fresh in the mind of the client. You have multiple communication tools within your reach like voicemail, email, texting, video calls, social media connections and (if you still have one) fax. Be persistent in your communications but don’t beat the horse to death. Social media has become a default requirement in the sales world. Be inventive in your means of communicating with your clients.

6. Be genuine and show it through content.

Attempts at mixing friendships with selling may fall flat. A salesperson who genuinely listens to their clients will win more business than those who hear but keep to their sales pitch. When contacting them you can add content about yourself by giving them your blog address, newsletter or social media sites. Companies appreciate the value of providing helpful content to potential buyers.

These are just some of the advances the modern salesperson could benefit from. There are plenty more ways to enhance your methods and strategies. The main point of this list is to let the sales rep know to be faster, intuitive, caring, honest, creative and consistent if they want to survive in this new world of social media and technology. Times are changing and sales must adapt with them. The more adept you become at these characteristics the better your relationships with your clients will be.

BlackBerry Success has not been Confirmed just yet.

Blackberry has followed a detoured road to its recovery, which may disrupt their plans for bouncing back into the market. It seems their goal isn’t to catch up with iOS and Android but to survive to fight another round. International sales are supposedly doing well but the US market hasn’t been hit yet. The Z10 is set to come out on March 2 and the Q10 a couple of months later. Amidst their own statements of smashing sales records we still don’t know official numbers until they report 4^th Quarter results on March 28^th.

What it really boils down to is perception and interest. Blackberry is no longer clamoring solely to businesses; it is individual consumers who hold the majority of buying decisions. With this in mind, people are skeptical of Blackberry due to poor performances of the past. They needed to revitalize their company, their brand and their image in the public eye. Kevin Burden, an analyst at Strategy Analytics says, “Unfortunately, BlackBerry has gone a great number of years where users have built their own perceptions of what BlackBerry is, and in many cases it’s a negative connotation...” 

The end of March/beginning of April will tell us whether BlackBerry has failed, maintained its survival or brought itself back to its once honored position in the smartphone market. Their products are on par with other smartphones and operating systems, but that may not be enough. Their delays and prior damaged image may halt their growth or lead to their demise. They are seeing an intense rise for pre-orders but growth from rock-bottom isn’t saying much. This is the time to prove their worth. So far things look positive but there are a lot of relationships that still need mending, will Blackberry be there to answer the bell for the next round?