VictorOps improves collaboration for development teams
With its collaborative platform for DevOps teams, Colorado-based VictorOps aims to combine the power of people and data to solve IT problems in real time.
VictorOps builds on the concept of a live timeline of alert data, platform intelligence and team interaction to create IT situational awareness. In addition it seamlessly orchestrates incident identification, escalation, notification, and remediation among team members regardless of their physical location or the time of day.
Pebble smartwatch comes to AT&T
Following Samsung's Galaxy Gear, another smartwatch enters AT&T's portfolio. The US mobile operator has announced that its customers will be able to pick up the Pebble, one of the most popular devices of its kind. It will be available starting tomorrow, September 27, from AT&T's online store and "select" retail locations.
Unlike the Galaxy Gear which costs $299, AT&T will sell the Pebble for $150 which is the same amount that users would have to pay when buying it from the official website. For the money, buyers get a smartwatch which works in conjunction with Android and iOS handsets via a Bluetooth connection. As one of the first devices to gain traction on the market, the Pebble has an attractive ecosystem developed around it: there are various apps and ways to customize it.
Microsoft trawls Google complaint forums to make Office 365 look better
Microsoft is going on the offensive trying to demonstrate that Office 365 is better than Google Apps. A series of tweets sent out via the Why Microsoft Twitter account link to articles on the Why Microsoft website in which Office is compared to Google's offering in various scenarios. This latest campaign appears to be not just an exercise in advertising Office 365, but in actively putting down Google Apps.
A series of infographics draw comparisons between using the two tools in different professions. Things kicked off with a look at the life of a sales rep but there are other scenarios including the daily activities of a teacher and Microsoft is also keen to point out how different a company it is to IBM.
Australian decision management software comes to the US
Australia-based software company Hexigo is set to bring its cloud-based decision management tool to the US. But rather than just jumping on the collaboration bandwagon, this software is slightly different from the raft of project management and business social network tools we've seen of late.
Launched in Australia in February/March 2013 and already in use by a number of large organizations including government agencies, Hexigo is a decision tool. It brings people together from across business units, or even across companies, and creates a centralized decision history. This means that once a decision is reached there's a trail showing all of the discussions leading up to it. This helps with knowledge retention when employees leave or move on to other roles. The information can be used to educate new team members, guide strategic planning and keep projects on track.
Review: Acronis True Image 2014
If you like your backup software to be feature-rich, then Acronis True Image 2014 will have instant appeal. There’s support for backing up files and folders, as well as creating images of partitions or entire hard drives. You can back up data on demand, according to a schedule, or automatically, as files are created or changed. And your backups can be saved to local drives, across the network, or to your own online storage space.
But that’s just the start. You also get a folder synchronization tool. A "Try & Decide" module lets you make changes to your PC in a virtual workspace, and roll them back if anything goes wrong (as long as you’re not using a GPT disk, anyway). There’s a boot manager, a Clone Disk wizard, secure deletion options, various disaster recovery tools, and the list goes on.
Microsoft’s new Surface commercial aims to show off the tablet’s versatility
What, you were expecting dancers and clicking covers? No, it turns out having tried and failed to sell the original Surface in that way, Microsoft has decided to take a different tack for the follow ups, with an advert that actually highlights -- at speed -- some of the reasons why you might want to consider buying the updated tablet.
The 30-second spot, titled "Surface 2: Thinner. Lighter. Faster" focuses on (can you guess?) the tablet’s dimensions, weight and speed, but also very briefly shows the revised kickstand’s two angles and Surface’s choice of clickable covers, including a backlit one.
Google Chrome to ban the Netscape Plug-in API -- in 2014
Back in the 90s, while everyone was watching Melrose Place and listening to Pearl Jam, internet usage was exploding. At the time, the Netscape Navigator browser was all the rage -- it was the most popular way to access the web. One of the most innovative features of Netscape was the introduction of plugins. You see, this ushered in the era of web-based multimedia. For example, while it is almost extinct now, the Realplayer plugin was mind blowing -- you could stream video in a web browser; amazing at the time. This was all thanks to the Netscape Plug-in API (NPAPI).
Of course, all things must end, and Netscape Navigator is just a memory; a no longer developed piece of software. However, despite that particular web browser's demise, the NPAPI lives on. Unfortunately for NPAPI, Google Chrome and the Chromium project have just put it on death row -- lethal injection in 2014.
Twitter Alerts delivers the information you need in emergencies
Twitter announces details of its new Twitter Alerts service which will make it possible to disseminate information when other methods fail or when large groups of people need to be notified about something. What does this mean? In times of national emergency, crisis or natural disaster, Twitter Alerts could be used to provide details about what is happening and what steps are being taken by authorities.
In times of emergency, it is very common for people to turn to the internet. But as we know all too well, the internet is home to a wealth of misinformation so this could end up to be less helpful than it should be. A number of international organizations have already signed up to be part of Twitter Alerts including the American Red Cross, FEMA, the World Health Organization, and various police and fire departments. Other interested organizations are invited to take part.
15-percent of the US don't want to connect with the rest of us
Not to call out my parents, but neither is online -- they do not own a computer or tablet and, only last week, my mom was rather forcefully pushed into the smartphone world thanks to an aging flip phone. I can at least partially forgive them -- they are not young and these new-fangled gadgets lose them, though others in the same age bracket seem to have moved along with the times.
At any rate, the couple is not alone according to a new report announced by Pew Research. A full 15-percent of Americans are offline and, of those, 94-percent plan to stay that way.
Using Mailbox for iOS? There's a JavaScript security hole to beware of
A potentially serious security flaw in iOS email app Mailbox is being investigated. Michael Spagnuolo, an Italian computer engineer writes about discovering that the app automatically executes any JavaScript that might be embedded in the body of an email.
Michael has recorded a video demonstrating a few proofs of concept which leaves iPad and iPhone users open to potential attack. His example scenarios are purposefully harmless -- he has opted to show how opening an email could lead to an app being opened without permission or instigate a tweet or SMS (although it is not sent without confirmation) -- but the security hole is going to make many users feel uneasy.
New York State drivers to get cell phone texting zones
Distracted driving is not a new phenomenon. Even before cell phones, drivers could be seen putting on make-up, shaving and eating during their daily commute. However, the cell phone and ultimately text messaging has seemingly exacerbated the dangerous practice. You see, according to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, there has been "a 365 percent increase in tickets issued in summer 2013 compared to summer 2012 for distracted driving".
In an effort to reduce this, the Governor explains, "in addition to tougher penalties, new detection methods for State Police and ongoing public outreach efforts, we are now launching special Texting Zones to allow motorists to pull over and use their phones. These Zones will be identified with signs along the Thruway and State Highways, reminding drivers that there is a nearby opportunity for them to legally and safely use their phone. With this new effort, we are sending a clear message to drivers that there is no excuse to take your hands off the wheel and eyes off the road because your text can wait until the next Texting Zone".
Windows Phone is the least usable mobile OS in the world
The release of iOS 7 seems like as good a time as any to reassess the mobile operating system market, and this is precisely the thinking of Pfeiffer Consulting. The firm pitted Android, Blackberry 10, iOS 7, iOS 6 and Windows Phone 8 head to head (to head to head to head), comparing the aspects of the OS that have direct impact on user experience. Rated in four key areas, Windows Phone 8 came bottom of the list in terms of overall usability.
The results are quite damning. Looking at what the report terms "cognitive load" (how easy it is to pick up the OS), Windows Phone 8 actually fared well, receiving the same rating as iOS 7 and being praised for its "streamlined user interface". However the OS is criticized for reducing the overall user experience and efficiency.
NirSoft’s new NetworkConnectLog tracks everything that connects to your network
The ever-productive Nir Sofer has announced another NirSoft freebie, NetworkConnectLog, which monitors your network and logs each device as it connects and disconnects.
The end results can be informative if you’re curious about network usage, or perhaps are just wondering whether anyone else is illicitly accessing your wireless network. Check the NetworkConnectLog table occasionally and you’ll see a list of everything that’s connected to or disconnected from your network, including its computer name, workgroup, MAC address, IP address, network adapter manufacturer and connect/ disconnect time.
Yahoo gifts me the keys to someone else's life -- and details relating to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Three months ago, Yahoo announced plans to recycle email addresses. The addresses, which the tech giant said had all been inactive for 12 months or longer, were to be offered on a first come first served basis. In covering the story, my colleague Brian Fagioli pointed out some worrying privacy flaws, but Yahoo said it was confident its plans would not compromise user security.
Despite the fact I already have five email addresses I use on a regular basis, and a couple more I dip into occasionally, I applied for one of these recycled addresses, and at the end of August Yahoo emailed me to say "Great news! The username you wanted is yours". I was surprised and delighted, then promptly forgot all about it until yesterday when I logged into my new email account for the first time and… OMG!
Companies must refocus privacy efforts says Gartner report
According to a survey by research company Gartner only 43 percent of organizations have a comprehensive privacy program in place whilst seven percent admit to only doing the bare minimum to address privacy laws. The results are based on 221 organizations surveyed in April and May 2013 in the US, Canada, UK and Germany.
"More than a third of organizations still 'consider privacy aspects in an ad hoc fashion' and it is surprising that so many companies are saying that they are not conducting privacy impact assessments before major projects. Sixty-two percent do not scan websites and applications, or conduct an organization-wide privacy audit every year. Organizations must put these activities on their to-do list for 2014," says Carsten Casper, research vice president at Gartner.
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