Securing Your Mobile Devices

Our mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) are becoming a bigger and more important part of our daily lives everyday. Because of this security concerns are growing and becoming more complex as well. I have written about this before and I am sure I will again as security concerns continue to impact how we use these devices.

The threat to our mobile devices is especially challenging because our smartphones are always connected, and they carry personal data, as well as being equipped with cameras, microphones, and positioning device. Because there are many built-in devices options their operating systems and apps complex. All of this adds up to increasing the way that cybercriminals can take advantage of any security holes.

Here are some things you can do to protect yourself in respect to your mobile devices.

Be careful when “checking in” on social sites: This is one of my personal weaknesses. I love to check in so that my friends can know what I am going. This is because Facebook, FourSquare and other geo-location programs are fun and sometimes you can score some deals for “checking in” at locations. However you should to be cautious of letting people know where you are – especially if you’re away from home.

Don’t remember your passwords: Don’t set user name and passwords to be remembered in your mobile browser or in apps and make sure you always log out of accounts when you access them.

Be careful what you share: Yes it’s fine to stay in touch with our friends and family via social networks, but be careful what you share. Even if your privacy settings are set to only let your friends see the information, it’s best to take the approach that once something is online, it lives forever. Think if you’re really ok with your grandmother or boss to see that update, picture or video.

Don’t text or email personal information: While this might seem pretty basic, we may find we need to share credit card numbers or personal details with another person. But this should be done via a secure site or app or use your mobile’s other function (the phone itself - voice call). Emails and texts can be intercepted and then your information can fall into the wrong hands.

Always remember that legitimate organizations like banks will not ask you to text personal details!

Turn off your Bluetooth: If you’re not using this connection, it’s best to turn it off. Not only will this help save your battery life, but it prevents hackers from accessing your device through this technology.

Microsoft Stores Are Coming!

In news that continues Microsoft's attempt to capture more of the tablet and smartphone market Microsoft Corp. and Best Buy Co. Inc. today announced a strategic partnership to create the Windows Store only at Best Buy. The comprehensive store-within-a-store will be in 500 Best Buy locations across the United States.

Microsoft is about to invade space at Best Buy stores in the USA & Canada. 

 

Ranging in size from 1,500 square feet to 2,200 square feet, the Windows Store will be the premier destination for consumers to see, try, compare and purchase a range of products and accessories, including Windows-based tablets and PCs, Windows Phones, Microsoft Office, Xbox, and more. Each store will feature an innovation space highlighting a variety of Windows scenarios across devices; a showcase section with the latest Windows-based PC form factors such as ultrabooks, convertibles, detachables and all-in-ones — including portable devices; and a standalone area featuring Microsoft Surface.

Microsoft stated that "The Windows Store offers a large-scale, hands-on customer experience that will show customers how Windows and Microsoft devices and services can make it easier for them to work and play," said Tami Reller, chief marketing officer and chief financial officer of the Windows Division at Microsoft. "We're pleased to partner with Best Buy in bringing the latest technologies to consumers at scale in a unique environment where they can explore how Microsoft products fit together across entertainment, travel, music and other scenarios."

What does all this mean? Although Microsoft has stumbled recently with some of their decisions regarding Xbox One they realize one thing. Their presence must be established in the retail market and consumers must be provided the opportunity to try out their products if there is any real hope of Microsoft gaining market share in the tablet, smartphone and gaming markets.

Apple Mirrors Windows 8 Phone?

It looks to me that Apple has moved closer to Microsoft’s design with it's just announed iO7. Apple's upcoming new operating system looks in many ways to have duplicated some of the design elements of Microsoft's Windows phone. Microsoft is working hard to become a serious player in the mobile market. And recent market data suggest that, Windows Phone has grown from about 3% to about 6% in market share. This may seem small, however in a world where Android and Apple dominate and considering where Microsoft was only a year ago there is reason to hope that we won't be forced to live in a mobile world controlled by only two mobile operating systems.

Even if Microsoft could take some weird pride in the fact that Apple may have actually copied elements of their design there can be no resting on their laurels. Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system in many ways is superior to Apple and Android, and Apple's new iO7 demonstrates that clearly.

However Microsoft must continue improving it's App store if there is any hope of hitting double digits in market share. The shame of it is that many of the Windows 8 Phone apps when compared directly to Android or Apple really shine and stand-out. However I hope that Microsoft can grow it's App store.... and soon.

Microsoft is also obviously aware of this "app problem' because it has been rumored that they (Microsoft) have been offering $100,000 or more to companies that will build Windows Phone apps. All told, Microsoft has 145,000 apps and games today. That includes 48 of the top 50 most downloaded, though it still lacks versions of some very popular services such as Sirius Radio, Tivo, LogmeIn, Pinterest and Instagram. If Microsoft is truly offering financial compenstation to software vendors it demonstrates that they (Microsoft) are indeed serious about remaining in the mobile game for a long time.... which is good news for everyone. Yes even for those still attached to their Apple or Android. This is because the result of Microsoft remaining in the game will force competition and that in turn inspires innovation.

Don't Let Social Media Ruin TV & Film

As you know - if you are a dedicated reader that is, I really enjoyed the new Star Trek movie. In fact I mentioned that there were at least 3 real surprises to me during the movie. I had to work really hard to keep myself sheltered from Trek news and movie spoilers for almost an entire year. This was a very difficult task, considering how connected we are all and that everything these days can appear on twitter and Facebook seconds after it has occurred.

My efforts to remain in the dark (pun intended), for "Star Trek Into Darkness" got me thinking about how social media can serious hurt our enjoyment of TV & film.

For example last night HBO aired the season finale of Game of Thrones which resulted in millions of tweeters obviously saying, “Finally! We can talk about this massive event!”

Except not everyone watched the show when it aired. And in the fine tradition those with DVR's or with subscriptions to HBO GO took to social media last night to beseech their friends, acquaintances, or random people on their Twitter feed to please, please, please not talk about the show. And in another fine Internet tradition, people immediately took exception to being told what to do online and began arguing about it.

Riveting television shows, divergent TV viewing schedules, and Internet “discussions” dominated by people who can’t go to bed because someone is wrong are not going to go away. But you don’t have to be sucked into the madness, or suffer spoilers on your favorite TV shows.

Read on for some suggestions on how to avoid the spoiler aspects of social media.

On average spoilers last about one week for movies, and considerably less for TV. What this means is that spoilers will appear on social medial sites very quickly once the TV show or movie has aired. The tweeting for a new movie can go on for a week after premiering and a day or so after a TV episode has aired.

The best way to avoid spoilers on social media is to forsake the social dimension of watching TV, and go offline until you’ve had a chance to catch up. I know this is difficult but it can pay off especially for shows like Game of Thrones & Mad Men.

However, sometimes your job requires you to check in regularly on social media or you just can't help yourself. Even then, the responsibility is still on you to filter out or screen content that you don’t want to see. You can do this by unfollowing people on Facebook or Twitter, hiding people on Facebook, sorting your Twitter feed into lists of people talking about pop culture versus those who don’t, or hiding tweets based on hashtags. Third-party Twitter applications will usually let you create filters that block out specific hashtags.

If all this seems like a lot of work simply do what I did with "Star Trek into Darkness". Whenever you stumble upon comments regarding the episodes of shows you have not watched, stop, don't read the post and move on quickly. This self control can be difficult I admit but it is the most sure way to not spoil your favorite TV shows or upcoming movies.

Finally you must accept the new spoiler situation. Know that filtering by hashtag or blocking streams only works if other people are playing by the rules—and, as we all know, enforcing any rules online is a loser’s bet. Also accept that you will get hit by stray spoilers in any social media space. So find something else to read if the comments are discussing a TV show or movie you have not seen yet.

Facebook and Batteries Do Not Mix

Are you having problems with the battery on your smartphone dying sooner then you think it should?

If that’s the case, the Facebook app could be the cause. In most cases your Facebook app is never truly going to sleep and then terminating like a good app. As a result, it’s using up CPU time, and a lot of your battery.

Facebook is able to do this because it meets the criteria for two types of apps that Apple allows to run in the background: audio apps and voice over IP apps. Facebook apps are operating under these two backgrounding apps privileges, and, as such, are actively chewing up your battery time.

With any luck a fix will be released soon. Until then, there are only two options.

You can delete the Facebook apps from your iPhone or iPad, and then just use the web version of Facebook, or you can force-quit the app when you’re not using it by double clicking the home button, tapping and holding the Facebook icon in the multitasking bar, and then tapping the little red minus icon. This turns off Facebook completely, until you launch it again.

Facebook can eat up battery life on any smartphone, not just Apple devices. When you have notifications turned on, the app is always reaching out and looking for posts, comments, messages etc. This takes up valuable battery life. Unless your really need to receive Facebook activity immediately on your smartphone I reccomend turning notifications off. You can usually do this in the settings area of your Facebook app for Android, Windows and Blackberry devices.

Revisting "Cosmos"

Maybe it is because my youngest child has recently graduated from college that has me once again thinking about time and our place in the universe. And without a doubt when I reflect on the mysterious cosmos I cannot help thinking about Carl Sagan. Carl Sagan has been a major influence of mine since I first watched his TV series "Cosmos" way back in 1980 when I was only 16 years old.

Cosmos is filled with powerful & thought provoking ideas which are rendered simply, so that they are understandable, even if you are only a 16 year old nerdy kid (like I was at the time). That's why Sagan is such a revered figure to not just me -- he gave us a simple way to experience awe and wonder. Even now that I have outgrown the nerd in me - and I am flowing with awesome coolness Sagan's outlook on our universe continues to engage. And it's not just his TV show that continues to inspire people but his 20+ engaging books that transverse everything from evolution to space coloniziation that offer thought provoking commentary to those of us looking for it.

Anyway getting back to "Cosmos". One of his most powerful notions (in that series) is the "cosmic calendar" in which he puts the entire span of human history (which seems like a long time to us humans) into the perspective of the universe. From that perspective, human history is just the blink of an eye and somehow with my youngest graduating college recently Sagan's "cosmic calendar" actually has me feeiling......well..... young again. You can watch this segment below.

Sadly we lost Carl Sagan on December 20, 1996 and our universe has not quite been the same or as optimistic since. You can learn more about Carl Sagan here.

Surface vs. iPad

I have been using a Microsoft Surface tablet running Windows 8 Pro for several months now and I am just as impressed with it now as I was on that first day. There really are not many limits to what the Surface can do when compared to an iPad. Sure Windows 8 does not have as many apps as Apple's iPad but because the Surface tablet runs Windows 8 Pro the actual programs can be used in place of "apps". Or in cases where the website is available simply use the website. For example my bank has an iPad "app" but sadly there is not one (yet) for Windows 8. No problem however, because I can simply go to their the website when I need to access my bank.

I am also happy to see that Microsoft has taken the gloves off and is committed to showing that Windows 8 tablets are superior to the iPad (in many ways). We have already seen one commercial make its way to your television screen and now the company is launching an iPad vs Windows 8 comparison site to keep the momentum going.





Microsoft has constructed a site that lets you put several popular Windows 8 tablets in a side-by-side comparison of the iPad. The idea being, obviously, that the Windows 8 tablets are superior to the iPad in nearly every way. Of course, Microsoft does leave out one metric where the iPad would always win, resolution, but when you build the site, you can slant it however you like.

Besides resolution, Microsoft includes several categories including thinness, battery life, weight, display size and more to help the consumer size up the iPad to their Windows 8 comparable.

It’s a bit refreshing to see Microsoft actually come out and be direct with their advertising and directly calling out other platforms shortcomings. While Windows 8/RT is certainly not perfect, it can hold its own against the market leader, Apple.

You can head on over to the comparison page here to see how many existing tablets compare to that of the latest generation iPad.