Cloud computing may backfire

Tech prognosticator Mark Anderson says the tendency to rely on cloud computing may backfire in some high-profile way in the coming year. "It could be a service-outage-type catastrophe or a security-based catastrophe," he says. "It will be the kind of disaster that makes you say, if you're a [CIO]: 'That's why I didn't get involved with the cloud.'"

Cloud computing Relevant Products/Services enthusiasts be warned. Next year, computing services handled remotely and delivered via the Internet may undergo some kind of "catastrophe" that alerts companies and consumers to the risks of relying on the so-called cloud Relevant Products/Services, says Mark Anderson, chief executive of Strategic News Service, an industry newsletter circulated to senior executives at technology Relevant Products/Services companies including Intel, Dell Relevant Products/Services, and Microsoft Relevant Products/Services.

A growing number of businesses and individuals are handing storage Relevant Products/Services and various other tasks to outside providers, from photographers archiving pictures with Yahoo!'s Flickr to companies turning over complicated computing operations to Amazon. Tech prognosticator Anderson suggests that the tendency could backfire in some high-profile way in the coming year. "It could either be a service Relevant Products/Services-outage-type catastrophe or a security Relevant Products/Services-based catastrophe," he says. "In either case, it will be big enough. It will be the kind of disaster that makes you say, if you're a [Chief Information Officer]: 'That's why I didn't get involved with the cloud.'"

The warning on cloud computing is one of a handful of predictions from Anderson, who in December makes forecasts for the coming year. He also says computing wars will intensify in hardware Relevant Products/Services and operating systems, especially in the mobile arena. Growth in netbooks and smartphones and increased reliance on cloud computing will continue to transform personal computing from the market dominated by Microsoft's Windows Relevant Products/Services and to a lesser extent Apple's Mac. "The desktop Relevant Products/Services will seem like a calm island that is surrounded by chaos, where all these opportunities are with no clear winners," he says.

Anderson is particularly bearish when it comes to the cloud. "My hunch is that there will never really be a secure Relevant Products/Services cloud," he says. Businesses will view cloud services more suspiciously and consumers will refuse to use them for anything important, he says.

Cloud computing experts note that high-profile security breaches have already occurred. "Clouds don't make applications fail-safe," says Chris Hoff, director of cloud and virtualization Relevant Products/Services services at Cisco Systems. He points to Magnolia, the social bookmarking service that crashed and lost all its data Relevant Products/Services earlier this year. "There will be other events like these in 2010, as there were in 2009 and 2008," Hoff says.

Still, many companies will conclude that the benefits of network Relevant Products/Services-delivered outweigh the risks. "Even if there is an outage, it won't affect adoptions," says Rich Mogull, an analyst at Securosis, a security research firm. "Providers who compete with the vendor [that) goes down will come around and tell everyone how they're different. There will be some pullback but no dramatic change in adoption of the cloud."

Also on the horizon for the coming year, Microsoft will face multiple operating system challenges, including competition from a resurgent Mac OS, Google's Chrome OS, mobile operating systems from Android, Nokia's Symbian mobile OS, and others. "Two years ago it would have seemed like Windows had this all locked up forever, and now tell me who will win on all those hardware platforms," Anderson says.

Netbooks will gain in popularity and within a couple years will become the biggest segment of the personal computing market, Anderson contends. As netbooks and smartphones and Web tablets take hold, content in all forms will continue to break free from long-held restrictions, becoming substantially more mobile-friendly than ever. First-run TV shows and movies will be as readily available on handheld phones as they have been elsewhere -- for a price.

Apple's iTunes, which sells not only music and TV shows, but also mobile applications, has proven Relevant Products/Services that people are willing to pay for content on their phones, Anderson says. "They'll pay a small amount of money, but they'll happily pay," he says. "Some things will be free, but increasingly they won't be."

Online Content Will Finally Earn Cash

The willingness to pay for mobile content, in turn, will drive adoption of small payments, or micropayments, for content, Anderson says. Those over 35 who perceive value to content will be willing to pay. Those under 35, who are accustomed to getting content for free, won't, he believes. As consumers age, Anderson predicts their attitudes will change.

News media will also become increasingly willing to charge for content online. In recent months, News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch has said the company will start charging for content on its newspaper sites. "I hate to say it, but Rupert is right," Anderson says. "People who have things of value in the media business damn well better charge for them."

And while software giant Microsoft will continue to dominate on the desktop, Anderson believes the company will lose relevance in the consumer electronics and mobile markets -- except in the gaming arena. "It's time to say it: Microsoft has lost its play for consumers," Anderson says. "This is mostly about the phone."

The most important mobile players will be Apple, Nokia's Symbian, and Google's Android. Microsoft is going to have difficulty finding new revenue streams, Anderson holds. "It doesn't mean its going to stop growing, but it does mean that its growth is going to be pretty moderate and then it may taper off," Anderson says.

How accurate are Anderson's prognostications? Last year he predicted that voice-activated applications would come to smart phones, harnessing computing in the cloud. He forecast that the wireless industry would settle on a technology standard known as LTE, or Long-Term Evolution, for its next-generation technology. And mobile applications such as those on Apple's iPhone, he said, would catch on like wildfire.

Blogger Labels: Cloud,Tech,Mark,Anderson,tendency,catastrophe,disaster,Relevant,Products,Services,Internet,consumers,Strategic,News,Service,industry,newsletter,technology,Intel,Dell,Microsoft,individuals,storage,tasks,pictures,Yahoo,Flickr,Amazon,Chief,Information,Officer,December,arena,Growth,reliance,extent,Apple,island,chaos,Clouds,Chris,Hoff,director,Cisco,Magnolia,data,events,Still,benefits,Rich,Mogull,analyst,Securosis,vendor,adoption,Also,horizon,system,competition,Google,Chrome,Android,Nokia,Symbian,Netbooks,segment,tablets,restrictions,music,money,Some,Online,Content,Earn,Cash,payments,Corp,Rupert,Murdoch,newspaper,People,relevance,consumer,players,Last,Long,Term,Evolution,generation,enthusiasts,providers,operations,predictions,systems,winners,adoptions,platforms,attitudes,prognosticator,outage,didn,hardware,smartphones,desktop

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Cloud computing may backfire

Tech prognosticator Mark Anderson says the tendency to rely on cloud computing may backfire in some high-profile way in the coming year. "It could be a service-outage-type catastrophe or a security-based catastrophe," he says. "It will be the kind of disaster that makes you say, if you're a [CIO]: 'That's why I didn't get involved with the cloud.'"

Cloud computing Relevant Products/Services enthusiasts be warned. Next year, computing services handled remotely and delivered via the Internet may undergo some kind of "catastrophe" that alerts companies and consumers to the risks of relying on the so-called cloud Relevant Products/Services, says Mark Anderson, chief executive of Strategic News Service, an industry newsletter circulated to senior executives at technology Relevant Products/Services companies including Intel, Dell Relevant Products/Services, and Microsoft Relevant Products/Services.

A growing number of businesses and individuals are handing storage Relevant Products/Services and various other tasks to outside providers, from photographers archiving pictures with Yahoo!'s Flickr to companies turning over complicated computing operations to Amazon. Tech prognosticator Anderson suggests that the tendency could backfire in some high-profile way in the coming year. "It could either be a service Relevant Products/Services-outage-type catastrophe or a security Relevant Products/Services-based catastrophe," he says. "In either case, it will be big enough. It will be the kind of disaster that makes you say, if you're a [Chief Information Officer]: 'That's why I didn't get involved with the cloud.'"

The warning on cloud computing is one of a handful of predictions from Anderson, who in December makes forecasts for the coming year. He also says computing wars will intensify in hardware Relevant Products/Services and operating systems, especially in the mobile arena. Growth in netbooks and smartphones and increased reliance on cloud computing will continue to transform personal computing from the market dominated by Microsoft's Windows Relevant Products/Services and to a lesser extent Apple's Mac. "The desktop Relevant Products/Services will seem like a calm island that is surrounded by chaos, where all these opportunities are with no clear winners," he says.

Anderson is particularly bearish when it comes to the cloud. "My hunch is that there will never really be a secure Relevant Products/Services cloud," he says. Businesses will view cloud services more suspiciously and consumers will refuse to use them for anything important, he says.

Cloud computing experts note that high-profile security breaches have already occurred. "Clouds don't make applications fail-safe," says Chris Hoff, director of cloud and virtualization Relevant Products/Services services at Cisco Systems. He points to Magnolia, the social bookmarking service that crashed and lost all its data Relevant Products/Services earlier this year. "There will be other events like these in 2010, as there were in 2009 and 2008," Hoff says.

Still, many companies will conclude that the benefits of network Relevant Products/Services-delivered outweigh the risks. "Even if there is an outage, it won't affect adoptions," says Rich Mogull, an analyst at Securosis, a security research firm. "Providers who compete with the vendor [that) goes down will come around and tell everyone how they're different. There will be some pullback but no dramatic change in adoption of the cloud."

Also on the horizon for the coming year, Microsoft will face multiple operating system challenges, including competition from a resurgent Mac OS, Google's Chrome OS, mobile operating systems from Android, Nokia's Symbian mobile OS, and others. "Two years ago it would have seemed like Windows had this all locked up forever, and now tell me who will win on all those hardware platforms," Anderson says.

Netbooks will gain in popularity and within a couple years will become the biggest segment of the personal computing market, Anderson contends. As netbooks and smartphones and Web tablets take hold, content in all forms will continue to break free from long-held restrictions, becoming substantially more mobile-friendly than ever. First-run TV shows and movies will be as readily available on handheld phones as they have been elsewhere -- for a price.

Apple's iTunes, which sells not only music and TV shows, but also mobile applications, has proven Relevant Products/Services that people are willing to pay for content on their phones, Anderson says. "They'll pay a small amount of money, but they'll happily pay," he says. "Some things will be free, but increasingly they won't be."

Online Content Will Finally Earn Cash

The willingness to pay for mobile content, in turn, will drive adoption of small payments, or micropayments, for content, Anderson says. Those over 35 who perceive value to content will be willing to pay. Those under 35, who are accustomed to getting content for free, won't, he believes. As consumers age, Anderson predicts their attitudes will change.

News media will also become increasingly willing to charge for content online. In recent months, News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch has said the company will start charging for content on its newspaper sites. "I hate to say it, but Rupert is right," Anderson says. "People who have things of value in the media business damn well better charge for them."

And while software giant Microsoft will continue to dominate on the desktop, Anderson believes the company will lose relevance in the consumer electronics and mobile markets -- except in the gaming arena. "It's time to say it: Microsoft has lost its play for consumers," Anderson says. "This is mostly about the phone."

The most important mobile players will be Apple, Nokia's Symbian, and Google's Android. Microsoft is going to have difficulty finding new revenue streams, Anderson holds. "It doesn't mean its going to stop growing, but it does mean that its growth is going to be pretty moderate and then it may taper off," Anderson says.

How accurate are Anderson's prognostications? Last year he predicted that voice-activated applications would come to smart phones, harnessing computing in the cloud. He forecast that the wireless industry would settle on a technology standard known as LTE, or Long-Term Evolution, for its next-generation technology. And mobile applications such as those on Apple's iPhone, he said, would catch on like wildfire.

Blogger Labels: Cloud,Tech,Mark,Anderson,tendency,catastrophe,disaster,Relevant,Products,Services,Internet,consumers,Strategic,News,Service,industry,newsletter,technology,Intel,Dell,Microsoft,individuals,storage,tasks,pictures,Yahoo,Flickr,Amazon,Chief,Information,Officer,December,arena,Growth,reliance,extent,Apple,island,chaos,Clouds,Chris,Hoff,director,Cisco,Magnolia,data,events,Still,benefits,Rich,Mogull,analyst,Securosis,vendor,adoption,Also,horizon,system,competition,Google,Chrome,Android,Nokia,Symbian,Netbooks,segment,tablets,restrictions,music,money,Some,Online,Content,Earn,Cash,payments,Corp,Rupert,Murdoch,newspaper,People,relevance,consumer,players,Last,Long,Term,Evolution,generation,enthusiasts,providers,operations,predictions,systems,winners,adoptions,platforms,attitudes,prognosticator,outage,didn,hardware,smartphones,desktop

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Google takes another step towards competing with Microsoft office

Google reportedly will pay about $25 million for DocVerse, whose Microsoft Office plug-in enables document sharing similar to Google Docs. DocVerse would complement Google's acquisition of Appjet and may give Google two Microsoft veterans. Microsoft is already moving to counter Google Docs with new features in Microsoft Office 2010.

Google is moving in on yet another acquisition. This time the search giant reportedly has its eye on a plug-in that lets people collaborate around Microsoft Relevant Products/Services Office documents.

According to published reports, Google is acquiring a San Francisco-based startup called DocVerse for about $25 million. The acquisition could undergird Google's recent Appjet purchase. Appjet is the maker of Etherpad, which also offers Microsoft Office collaboration Relevant Products/Services capabilities.

DocVerse officially launched on Oct. 28 to serve the 600 million Office users looking for a better way to edit and share Microsoft documents. DocVerse is a plug-in for Microsoft Office that turns the suite of productivity Relevant Products/Services applications into web-enabled collaboration tools and allows real-time sharing and simultaneous group editing of documents.

Grabbing MS Talent?

With DocVerse, Google would not only pick up a product to help its users bridge the Office gap. It could also pick up two Microsoft veterans, Shan Sinha and Alex DeNeui.

The duo founded DocVerse in 2007 to eliminate the constant back-and-forth e-mail attachments required to share and edit Word, PowerPoint and Excel documents. Sinha oversaw Microsoft's product strategy for the $1.6 billion SharePoint business and $3 billion SQL Server business while DeNeui oversaw Microsoft's SQL Server web strategy.

Sinha is no stranger to entrepreneurship. He cofounded two venture-backed startups, one of which has already been acquired. He also has fund-raising skills. DocVerse raised its first round of investment in 2008, $1.3 million from Baseline Ventures, Naval Ravikant, and Harrison Metal Capital.

DeNeui also brings experience to the startup. Before his tenure with Microsoft, he founded a Kleiner Perkins-backed enterprise Relevant Products/Services software company delivering IT Relevant Products/Services automation Relevant Products/Services services. It's not clear whether the duo will join Google or move on to another startup if their company is acquired.

Microsoft Fights Back with Office 2010

Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence, called the reported acquisition "interesting." Although DocVerse was founded by ex-Microsoft talent, he said, the application's philosophy, with its cloud Relevant Products/Services and collaboration capabilities, is very much consistent with Google Wave and Google's efforts with its Apps and Docs suites.

"This also seems like a tool that will make Google Docs and Apps more useful in recognition of the fact that most people for the foreseeable future are going to be using Microsoft Office," Sterling said. "Yet this speeds the transition to the cloud and provides a bridge of sorts between Microsoft Office and Google Docs."

Of course, Microsoft is also moving into the cloud with its Office 2010, which will combat Google Docs. Microsoft released the beta version of Office 2010 in November with hopes that millions of people would download and test the product and offer feedback.

Microsoft is rolling out several new features in Office 2010 to sharpen its chances against an aggressive Google. One key new offering is the Outlook Social Connector, which brings communications Relevant Products/Services history, business collaboration, and social-network Relevant Products/Services feeds directly into Outlook, with support Relevant Products/Services for Windows Relevant Products/Services Live and SharePoint server Relevant Products/Services.

Blogger Labels: Google,Microsoft,office,DocVerse,Docs,acquisition,Appjet,features,Relevant,Products,Services,documents,reports,Francisco,maker,Etherpad,collaboration,suite,tools,Talent,product,bridge,Shan,Sinha,Alex,DeNeui,Word,PowerPoint,Excel,strategy,SharePoint,Server,stranger,entrepreneurship,investment,Baseline,Naval,Ravikant,Harrison,Metal,Capital,tenure,Kleiner,Perkins,enterprise,automation,Back,Greg,analyst,Market,Intelligence,Although,philosophy,Wave,efforts,Apps,tool,recognition,fact,transition,version,November,feedback,chances,Outlook,Social,Connector,communications,history,Live,users,attachments,skills,suites,million,veterans,billion

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FIVE RULES FOR MEN TO FOLLOW TO A HAPPY LIFE:

 

1. It’s important to have a woman, who helps at home,
Who cooks from time to time, cleans up and has a job.
2. It's important to have a woman, who can make you
Laugh.
3. It's important to have a woman, who you can trust
And who doesn't lie to you.
4. It's important to have a woman, who is good in bed
And who likes to be with you.
5. Its very, very important that these four women
Do not know each other.

Blogger Labels: FIVE,RULES,LIFE,woman,Laugh

Complete BlackBerry Device Management Utility

BlackBerry Master Control Program (MCP) is a power tool for management of BlackBerry devices designed for basic, moderate and advanced users. With MCP you can easily load/save/erase any module you want, take screenshots of your device, turn the radio on or off, synchronize the time on your device to your PC, reset to factory settings (remove IT policies), perform a handheld wipe, factory reset, load, save and erase modules and many more features.

 

The Operating System Management page allows you to completely manage and optimize any OS you want to install on your device.

Features of MCP

• Manages multiple USB Devices.
• Performs ALL Java Loader commands and ALL Java Loader options – 100% – graphically.
• Upgrade/Downgrade to any device OS that is installed on your computer – without having to uninstall other OS’s.
• Relocates OS files to the same locations as CrackMem, so you can switch between MCP or CrackMem at will.
• MCP is available via Windows Control Panel after installation.
• Easy to access shortcuts to the most common BlackBerry tools.
• Available in PortableApps and Stand Alone version.
• Backup & Restore 3rd Party Apps
• Create ALX/JAD files

This tool is also available in portable version, so that carry in USB drives.

Blogger Labels: Complete,BlackBerry,Device,Management,Master,Control,Program,tool,devices,module,radio,factory,features,System,Java,Loader,commands,Upgrade,Downgrade,computer,files,CrackMem,Panel,installation,Easy,tools,Available,PortableApps,Stand,version,Backup,Apps,Create,users,policies,modules,options,locations

 

 

 

Online File Scanning

Although the safest way to protect from viruses is to install a antivirus software on your PC, sometimes you would want to cross check your downloaded files with online virus scan. We have covered online antivirus tools like Virus Total and NoVirus Thanks. Here is another tool called Filterbit which can scan your files online using different antivirus tools. Filterbit can also scan, analyze and individually identify multiple files contained within a file archive such as Winzip, WinRar, PKZip and other types.

Filterbit uses antivirus scan provided by AVG, Kaspersky, ClamWin, CA, McAfee VirusScan, Norman and others. You need to upload your files for scanning and Filterbit facilitates rapid detection of viruses, trojans, worms and other malware that may be contained within your uploaded files.

Blogger Labels: Online,File,Although,files,virus,tools,Total,NoVirus,Thanks,Here,tool,Filterbit,archive,Winzip,WinRar,PKZip,Kaspersky,ClamWin,McAfee,VirusScan,Norman,detection,viruses,antivirus

 

 

Online Security

Today, you need to worry about security for your PC in a whole different way. Spyware, adware, viruses and trojans are lurking online, waiting to infect your computer.
Here is a list of top 10 security threats that you should be aware of, for preventing any such attacks to your PC.
SOCIAL ENGINEERING

The number one threat to your computers security is you! Use common sense.
Dont take programs from strangers, dont go to crackz and torrents web sites, and if your security software pops up a warning, READ IT before you click.
IDENTITY THEFT

Its not just about your computer when they use your credit cards, divert your paycheck, and change your vehicle registration. A full-powered security suite should block all computer-related avenues for identity theft.
SPYWARE/TROJANS

Spyware spies on everything you do and steals private infor-mation.
Trojan horse programs pretend to be useful but can turn your computer into a spam-spewing zombie.
Antispyware plus anti-malware should keep out these threats.
VIRUSES

A computer virus is a dangerous computer program with the characteristic feature of being able to generate copies of itself, and thereby spreading.
Additionally most computer viruses have a destructive payload that is activated under certain conditions.
Modern antivirus programs like Kaspersky and NOD32 are quite good in preventing viruses.
ADWARE


Simple adware pops up ads that get in your face while browsing net can destroy your computer.
Most of the adwares records your online activity, phones numbers, contacts and produces ads for you when you go online..
Up-to-date antispyware is the solution.
WEB EXPLOITS

Some Web sites include malicious code to exploit vulnerabilities in your browser or operating system.
Just visiting the site can infect or damage your system if the vulnerability hasnt been patched, so keep Automatic Updates always on.
HACKER ATTACK

A hacker is a person who accesses computer files without authorisation, often destroying vast amounts of data.
Expert hackers dont have times to attack each computers individually.
They might broadcast a network virus or release a Trojan, but a personal attack is highly unlikely.
Your security suites, firewall and malware protection should keep you
WIRELESS ATTACK

These attacks attempt to penetrate a network by using wireless or evading WLAN access control measures, like AP MAC filters and 802.1X port access controls.
If youre not careful, anybody in range can mooch bandwidth from your wireless network and can rum-mage through your files, because they are inside your network.
Your routers WPA/WEP encryption can stop the mooching but you have to use it.
PHISHING MAIL

Phishing attacks use both social engineering and technical subterfuge to steal consumers' personal identity data and financial account credentials.
Phishing messages pretend to be from eBay, PayPal, your bank, or the like.
If you log in to their fake sites, they steal your username and password and youre sunk. However, both IE7 and Firefox 2 have phishing detection built in.
SPAM MAIL

Spam by e-mail is a type of spam that involves sending identical or nearly identical messages to thousands (or millions) of recipients.
Addresses of recipients are often harvested from Usenet postings or web pages, obtained from databases, or simply guessed by using common names and domains.
By definition, spam is sent without the permission of the recipients.

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Anti-forensics tool promises to inhibit popular law enforcement software

By Tim Wilson
DarkReading

A pair of hackers says it has developed a defense for a popular computer forensics tool used by many law enforcement agencies.

The anti-forensics tool, which is called DECAF, is designed to obstruct Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor (COFEE), a cybercrime forensics tool that is broadly distributed by Microsoft for use by law enforcement agencies.

"DECAF provides real-time monitoring for COFEE signatures on USB devices and running applications," the hackers say on their Website. "Upon finding the presence of COFEE, DECAF performs numerous user-defined processes, including COFEE log clearing, ejecting USB devices, drive-by dropper, and an extensive list of Lockdown Mode settings. The Lockdown mode gives the user an automated approach to locking down the machine at the first sign of unusual law enforcement activity.

"DECAF is highly configurable, giving the user complete control to on-the-fly scenarios," the Website continues. "In a moment's notice, almost every piece of hardware can be disabled, and predefined files can be deleted in the background. DECAF also gives the user an opportunity to simulate COFEE's presence by sending the application into a 'Spill the cofee' type mode. Simulation gives the user an opportunity to test his or her configuration before going live."

The two hackers plan to enhance DECAF over time, the Website says. "Future versions will have text message and email triggers, so in case the computer needs to enter into lockdown mode, the user can do it remotely," the site says. "It will also have notification services where in the case of an emergency, someone can be notified. DECAF's next release is going to be available in a more lightweight version and/or a Windows service."

One of the hackers attempted to explain the rationale for DECAF. "We want to promote a healthy, unrestricted free flow of Internet traffic and show why law enforcement should not solely rely on Microsoft to automate their intelligent evidence finding," the hacker told a reporter in an article published by The Register.

Some of the source code for COFEE was reportedly leaked to the Web last month, and experts expressed concern that hackers would reverse-engineer the tool and develop defenses against it.

DECAF is free, but users who want to download it must agree to a license stating they will not use it for illegal purposes.