As I have mentioned many times before I am a vendor agnostic technologist. My mantra is “the right technology for the right solution” and this means that I don’t disregard a vendor without a good business reason. That said, I have always been a PC (non-Apple computer) guy in terms of the devices I personally own and regularly implement. Recently this has changed, and I’ll explain both why and how my experience with Apple has affected my perception of computer operating systems.
For years I have lived and breathed Microsoft operating systems. I began my life in computers with MS-DOS 3.0 and ever since have implemented Microsoft-based operating systems at both the server and desktop level. Interestingly, though, I began my programming life in high school by learning Pascal on a Mac Classic. As I progressed through school I had the opportunity to work on both PCs running DOS and Apple IIe computers. Both were similar and had their place, but I felt more at home on the PC. Ever since, I found many more uses for Microsoft-based computers than for Apple computers in the workplace.
At some point a few years ago I had a customer that told me they wanted to replace their current laptop (running Windows XP) with an Apple Macbook Pro. Their needs seem to fit well with the move toward a Macbook so I helped with the migration and they were pleased. Honestly, that was the first time I had taken a real hard look at the Apple operating system (at the time it was OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard). The more I dug into OS X, the more I liked it. Admittedly, I found myself saying, “wow, they really got this user interface element right” when compared to Windows Vista and Windows XP. But, my Apple experience didn’t slow down there.
More of my customers started integrating in or completely switching to Apple computer products so my experience with OS X only grew. Now, at this point the only Apple product I owned was an iPod Touch. When the iPad came out I decided it fit well with my needs for a very portable note taking device so I took the plunge. I was so pleased with how fluid and functional the interface felt. Again, they did so many things right from a user interaction perspective, which is really where Apple shines. I soon added an iPad 2 to my list of devices (sorry Apple, but I’m going to skip the iPad 3 for now) and, at this point, was starting to really buy into Apple products as viable business tools instead of just consumer toys. This brings me to today.
In 2012 I decided to place a focus on growing the custom software development portion of my business and, more specifically, jump into iPhone/iPad app development. As I learned, the iPhone/iPad emulator only runs on Apple computers so if I wanted to work in that space I was going to have to add an Apple computer to my repertoire. By this time OS X 10.7 Lion was out and was exactly what came with the iMac I acquired. Apple added so many wonderful features to Lion that were not present in Snow Leopard. So many, in fact, that I do not have the space to get into them here. But, I will tell you that the Mission Control feature, which is an enhancement to the Dashboard and Spaces features, allowed me to move from a PC with 4 monitors to an iMac with 1 monitor and experience an almost non-existent loss in productivity.
So, today I have an iMac and a Macbook Pro and am in the process of moving away from my PC. I can run every PC-based software tool on my Apple computers using Parallels and an installation of Windows 7. I have yet to find something that I do on a day-to-day basis that absolutely requires a PC and can not be done on an Apple. As a result, I now really consider Apple computers for business projects. Apple, you’ve made a believer out of me.
Those who know me know I am a firm believer in the right technology for every situation. That means recommending an Apple computer over a PC or an Android phone over the iPhone. Whatever works best for the customer to meet their business needs, that is the right solution. To that end, I have an Android phone (the original Motorola Droid) and my wife, an iPhone. Like many of you, my phone is due for an upgrade so I have been weighing the options out there and trying to decide whether to stick with an Android phone or make the switch to Apple. After having some time to play around with Motorola’s latest Android phone, I may have my answer.
Firstly, let me preface this analysis by acknowledging that the Droid Bionic is a Verizon phone. As such, if you are on another provider then take the following information as generic and apply it to the phones your provider offers.
When canvassing the field of smart phones for potential upgrade options I began with a couple of parameters. Candidate phones must be reliable from a hardware and software perspective, allow me to send/receive email via my Google Apps and Microsoft Exchange accounts, and allow me to receive and update my Google Apps calendar and contacts. Everything else is secondary. The obvious first choice is the iPhone 4. With Apple’s forth iteration of their phone they have produced an extremely reliable platform that fully integrates with both Google Apps (and GMail) and Microsoft Exchange. The user interface is elegant and responsive, which is more than I can say for my current Android phone, the Motorola Droid 1, and the battery life is substantial (casual users can easily get a day and a half usage on a single charge). What the iPhone 4 doesn’t have, though, is 4G Internet. For those that haven’t had a chance to experience 4G Internet, it is truly amazing. Imagine browsing the web at speeds higher than consumer grade DSL and in-line with top tier cable service… on your phone. Also, if you want to use your phone to connect your laptop to the Internet while you are on-the-go, you have to physically tether the phone to the laptop via Apple’s USB cable. Finally, the iPhone 5 is due to be announced in the next week or two with production models expected to hit the shelves within the next 4 to 6 weeks. Buying an iPhone 4 now would be investing in a technology that is already a generation behind (which in smart phone terms is usually half its life). So what about the Droid Bionic?
The Bionic is Motorola’s latest Android based phone. It ships with the latest version of Google’s Gingerbread operating system, runs stock with 16 Gb of internal storage and another 16 Gb of storage via microUSB chip, 1 Gb of RAM, a dual core processor, and 4G LTE Internet service. The Bionic, like the HTC Thunderbolt and others, has moved away from a physical connection for tethering wireless devices such as laptops. Instead, it contains an integrated wireless hotspot that can be enabled and secured to allow up to 5 wifi devices to connect and browse the web simultaneously. While the Internet speed is second to none, that speed does comes at a tremendous battery life cost, though. It also boasts a 4.3 inch screen that dwarfs the iPhone 4′s 3.5 inch screen. The user interface, while similar to the original Android look and feel, is much more responsive thanks to the boost in hardware. This phone “feels” solid and operates like a rock star.
With two great candidates, which one wins out? The iPhone 4 is definitely going to deliver on the reliability component. Its use of iTunes for backups and restores allows a near painless process of restoring already purchased apps and software settings in the event a replacement or upgrade phone is installed. The battery life is the strongest out there. The Bionic has a larger screen, faster hardware, faster Internet, integrated wi-fi tethering, and represents latest generation technology.
All this said, I would recommend looking at a couple of elements before making your decision. Firstly, what phone applications does your organization use that do not come stock with either phone? If you are a 3rd party application heavy business, Apple is probably the stronger partner at this point. Secondly, do your users use their phones as an link to the Internet? If so, the Bionic is the clear winner. For me, I will most likely hold off for another couple of weeks until the iPhone 5 is announced. If it comes equipped with 4G Internet service that might be enough to sway me toward Apple. Otherwise, the Bionic is in my future.
I’ve harped on the value of passwords and password complexity from an end-user perspective, but even the strongest passwords in the world won’t stop a rogue former employee from doing harm to your environment. After all, you should be able to trust those individuals you give access to your systems. But, what about after they leave?
It seems common sense to revoke permission to former employees. This can be as simple as disabling their user account, or can be more complex if the former employee was a member of the IT department with elevated permissions. There are no shortage of stories illustrating the horrors that can become a reality when people with the keys to your digital kingdom use their access for nefarious purposes. In fact, I read this story just this week about a former IT department employee that caused more than $800,000 damage and several days of lost productivity to a company after he was let go. Let’s walk through a few steps that you can take to make sure you cover your bases when an employee leaves the company.
The first thing you should do is change their password then disable the user account. You may think it is easier to simply delete their account rather than disable it, but that is not the truth and here is why. When a user account is created it is assigned a globally unique identifier – or GUID for short. This GUID is not something that you will ever need to reference, but is what the server uses to track access to files, folders, and shares. When you delete an account, that accounts GUID is also removed from the user database and will never be assigned again. That said, if you delete an account and then recreate the account with the exact same name, account settings, etc., the new account will be assigned a new GUID and will not have access to the files, folders, and shares that the previous account had access to. All permissions will have to be reconfigured, which can be a nightmare. With the account disabled, if you hire a new employee to replace the former employee you can simply rename the account, enable it, and the new employee will instantly have access to everything the former had.
Sometimes companies will want to continue receiving emails to an email address of a former employee until such time as they are able to get the word out that the email address has changed. If you are running an internal email server you will need to configure it to forward emails sent to the former employee’s email address over to a new email address of your choosing. With their user account disabled, they will not be able to receive emails. If you are using a hosted email service they will still continue to receive emails, but it is still a good idea to set up forwarding.
If the former employee was a member of the IT department you need to also change any administrative account passwords that they had access to. Administrative accounts typically have permission to do anything and everything on the network. This includes the ability to create other accounts. If you simply disable the employees account but don’t change the passwords for the administrative accounts, the employee might be able to log in remotely with one of the administrative accounts then create a new administrative account thereby, essentially, creating his/her own back door into your network. As such, it would also be a good idea to disable remote access to all administrative accounts on the network that are not used specifically by the IT staff for remote administration.
This is not a process that should be taken lightly. When an employee leaves the company they may or may not have cruel intentions in their minds; but these steps should ALWAYS be taken to help ensure your organization does not fall prey to former employee attacks through their accounts.
A friend of mine linked me to a comic earlier this week that makes light of how complexity (or bits of entropy) can change the strength of passwords. For those who haven’t seen it, here it is. The reality is that most people don’t randomize their passwords much. This allows for less secure passwords and thus, easily crackable access to whatever is being secured by them. So, what is a reasonable complexity level for your passwords?
That comic is funny and illustrates several issues that play into selecting passwords. The first issue people have to deal with is to decide whether to use the same password for everything or select a different password for each use. From a security perspective it is advisable to use a different password for each use so that if one password (or more likely one site/system/software/etc.) is compromised then the perpetrator(s) will not have a password that will access any of your other sites/systems/software. It is very common for hackers that obtain username/password combinations from one site to try the same combos on popular social networking (i.e. facebook, twitter, linkedin, etc.) and banking sites. However, the obvious downside to selecting new passwords each time is the issue with having to remember all of them. So, the majority of us tend to use the same password, unfortunately.
The second issue people have to deal with when selecting a password is the complexity. This is highlighted in the comic by the illustration of “bits of entropy”. I will save you the rather boring and extremely technical details about bits of entropy and base-2 logarithms, but let’s do look at what comprises complex passwords. We have long passed the era of common word passwords being effective for security. In fact, if you are still using a common word (or common words put together) as your password, you should finish reading this article then IMMEDIATELY change your passwords. Common word passwords are not, repeat NOT secure. Password length does not really matter in the use of common word passwords. For example, “happyislandhawaii” looks secure because it is long. In fact, that password is easily crackable because the complexity is minimal. To add complexity a password should contain both upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. Additionally, it shouldn’t be something that is easily guessed from your profile. In other words, don’t use your birthday, street name, address, phone number, etc. Oh, and stay away from the most common passwords.
Ok, let’s say the password you want to use is “dukesofhazzard”. The first thing we want to do is introduce upper case letters in there. You can do this with “DukesOfHazzard”, but that is a fairly common use of capitals in that password. If I was guessing your password I would try both “dukes” and “Dukes” since that is the most common way to capitalize it. A better use of capitals would be something more random like “duKesofHazZard”. We’ll go with that for now. The next element we want to introduce into the password is numbers. This can be done by substituting letters for somewhat associated numbers. In other words, the letter “o” becomes a zero, the letter “e” becomes a 3, the letter “a” becomes a 4, etc. To see a chart of these substitutions, click here. We will add a few of these to our password. By substituting the “e” in dukes for a “3″ and a “4″ for the first “a” in hazzard, we now have “duK3sofH4zZard”. Lastly, we need to add at least one special character. These are the characters that are accessed by holding down the shift key and selecting one of the numbers along the top of the keyboard. Additionally, punctuation marks fall into this category. Please note, some special characters like quotation marks, apostrophes, ampersands, and commas are not allowed in some cases, so I would stay away from those. Let’s change the “s” in dukes to a “$”. Now our password looks like this, “duK3$ofH4zZard”. That is a much more secure password than we started with, but let me add one more element to this. The complexity of that password is high and will be difficult to crack, but we are still using some commonality in there by substituting letters for numbers in a fashion that is typical (there is actually a term for that substitution called “leet speak”). As such, it would be a good idea to add one additional level of complexity to that password. We can accomplish this by adding a single special character in the middle somewhere. If we add an “!” in between the “o” and the “f” in “of” our final password becomes “duK3$o!fH4zZard”. Because the exclamation point is placed in an uncommon way the complexity of our password just essentially doubled.
After reading all of this you are probably saying to yourself, “no way am I going to remember something as messed up as that”, and you would not be alone. However, that also aids in why so many people have their identities compromised. My recommendation to you would be to start by creating a complex password using the method above and use it for your online banking site. Once you get comfortable with it, switch a couple of characters around or add some numbers to the end then use the new password for another site that stores your personally identifiable or other sensitive information.
On a slightly different note, if you haven’t done so already, I would HIGHLY recommend you sign up with an identity theft protection service such as LifeLock. The cost is nominal and the protection is well worth it.
If you own a fairly new TV (LCD, LED, Plasma, DLP, etc.) then you probably have heard of HDMI. Years ago you would connect your DVD player or cable/satellite receiver to your TV with analog RCA cables (you know… the one with the red, white, and yellow connectors). Nowadays, everything has moved to a digital signal and the cable everyone should be using is called an “HDMI cable”. Seems fairly straight forward; so why the frustration?
It would be wonderful if you could go to the nearest electronics store, pick up a TV and DVD player, then head over to the cable aisle and have only one cable selection to connect them together. Makes sense, right. Actually, it makes WAY too much sense. What we are left to deal with is choosing between HDMI cables that all physically appear the same, but under the proverbial hood are substantially different. Please allow me to clarify.
There are several different standards in the HDMI specification and they are listed, for brevity, as 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4. The latest standard is 1.4, and is the only option you have if you want to watch 3D movies on your 3D TV. For the most part, you will only find HDMI 1.3 and 1.4 cables on the market now, as the other standards have been outdated since 2006. If you are running non-3D movies, then either 1.3 or 1.4 will work just fine. However, if you want prepare for the future, you will definitely want to get a 1.4 cable to connect your devices. It wouldn’t be a problem if the manufacturers would simply state which standard the cable operates under, but at least for now that is rarely the case. To ensure you are getting a 1.4 cable you need to understand a few key elements that 1.4 offers over 1.3.
The first is 3D. The HDMI 1.3 standard is not certified for 3D operations so if you see “certified for 3D” or something along those lines, it should be a 1.4 cable. The second is resolution. At best, HDMI 1.3 cables only support resolutions up to 2560×1600. The 1.4 standard now supports resolutions up to 4096×2160. You may see this resolution referenced on packaging as “supports 4k”. The third feature supported by the 1.4 standard is called “ethernet over HDMI”. The 1.4 standard now provides a dedicated channel for data transfer up to 100 Mbps. This is not supported by 1.3 or eariler. If you see “ethernet support” then you are assured that the cable supports the 1.4 standard.
It would be nice if manufacturers could get together and package their products similarly so as to take the confusion out of buying when it comes to choosing the right product for the right system. In the mean time though, you’ll have to continue to tune in here as we seek to make sense out of technology chaos.
When you purchased your cell phone it is likely that you had little to no care about whether it supported EV-DO, 3G, 4G, GSM, HSDPA, or all/none of the above. I give you those abbreviations and acronyms to illustrate my point – it is confusing and doesn’t mean much to the average consumer. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t important to understand what they mean and why you should choose one over the other.
4G stands for “Fourth Generation” and for the purpose of this article describes a cellular wireless standard. This standard is just starting to emerge in the national realm and not all providers have upgraded their existing network to fully support the technology. But what is it and why is it important? Let’s look at how it compares to the current standard, also known as 3G.
Currently, cellular carriers support 3G service. You may have heard such keywords as “EVDO”, CDMA2000, or UMTS, just to name a few. All of these are names that refer to revisions within the 3G standard, but for all intents and purposes, just know that they are 3G. As technology evolves the quality of service and offerings within cellular phone services evolve. Aspects such as call quality and drop rates improve, but what most people see as the defining improvement between the standards is the bandwidth and download speeds that increase. For example, within the 3G arena the realistic download rate is up to 3.1 Mbps (megabits per second). This is similar to the low side of a standard speed DSL circuit. While that sounds fairly fast, and in theory it is, actual download speeds are contingent on a variety of factors including location, proximity to cell towers, and interference from the surrounding environment. In Houston I see actual download speeds closer to the 1-1.2 Mbps range. This is fast compared to the older dial-up speeds of years past, but it is still time consuming to pull up large files and/or stream video.
Enter the latest standard, 4G. With this standard the numbers climb considerably. Theoretical download speeds are north of 100 Mbps and actual download speeds have been realized in the 6-10 Mbps. I am always hesitant to mention speed numbers because they are entirely contingent on your location and carrier. Have you heard AT&T’s claim to have “the fastest 3G network”? They are saying that in the realm of the 3G standard, they are faster than other 3G carriers. The same is true for 4G. Sprint’s 4G network will not perform the same as T-Mobile’s, Verizon’s, and Clear’s. What this means is that 4G will offer consumers a faster technology, but the true speed increase will vary from carrier to carrier and location to location. Another point to remember is that 4G is still considered and “emerging technology” and in lay business terms that should be read, “don’t jump to purchase”.
So with all this said, how does 4G play into the decision to purchase a cell phone and/or cell service? My recommendation would be to wait another six to nine months if you can. Verizon is rolling out their 4G network but won’t have a line of phones that support 4G until the end of Q1 2011. AT&T won’t be pushing their 4G network mainstream until 2011, either. T-mobile has their 4G network out now and phones that support it, but their cellular coverage is no where near that of AT&T and Verizon. This is also true of Sprint. The bottom line here is that 2011 will be the year of 4G, but as is my recommendation with all new technology, I would let it play out for at least six months so the true limitations and “gotchas” show up. By then we should have plenty of reviews on 4G phones and service providers to allow us to make a much more informed decision.
It seems as though it was yesterday when I was carrying my bag phone in my car and considering myself amongst the elite. That was an eternity ago… okay, it was 1993. Cellular phones have come a long way since then. The latest generation phones pride themselves on not only keeping you in verbal touch with those around you, but also providing you real-time access to emails, contacts, and the Internet. When there was only the Apple iPhone, or a few Blackberry models to choose from, it was all about user interface and functionality. Now, with a million different options which phone is the best?
Okay, I confess. I am not going to answer that question because at the end of the day, the “best” smart phone is the one you “like” the best. However, I can point out a few items of importance to consider when choosing a smart phone.
Firstly, you need to understand the major players in the smart phone operating system market. I know there are many, but the main five providers of smart phone operating systems are Apple (iPhone OS), Google (Android), Research In Motion (Blackberry), Microsoft (Windows Mobile), and Palm (Palm OS/Garnet OS). Please understand that these five companies produce smart phone operating systems, or the software with which the smart phones operate. Apple, Research In Motion, and Palm all produce software that runs on a limited or proprietary line of devices; whereas Microsoft’s and Google’s software runs on a host of devices. For example, you will only find Apple’s iOS software running on the iPhone, which is also made by Apple. This is important to know since you will likely hear some phones referred to as the operating system they run. An example of this would be the phone I use (Motorola Droid) which runs the Android operating system.
Next, a major factor in selection should be based around your email service. If you are running Google Apps or Google GMail as your primary email account, you should highly consider going with an Android-based phone. They will tightly integrate with Google’s email/calendar/contact offerings and provide a very seamless experience. If you work for a company that hosts their own email/calendar/contacts then check with the IT department to see what connectivity they support. Some organizations utilize Blackberry’s Enterprise Server software which allows Blackberry-based devices to tightly integrate with the corporate system. Others may offer Microsoft Exchange synchronization through the server which would tightly integrate with the Microsoft-based devices.
Another factor in selection should be the intended functionality that you desire. For example, some smart phones do not ship natively with the ability to modify Word documents. If this is a feature you will need, make sure to research the available third-party applications that provide the needed functionality for the phone you are looking at.
Lastly, of course, is the user interface. When you find multiple phones that all provide the functionality you desire, it will all come down to which phone looks the best and works the best for you. I can make a tremendous case for going with an Android-based phone but if you like the way the iPhone works the best, you will go with an iPhone over an Android-based phone every time. That said, make sure to spend some time in stores testing out the way the phones work.
Don’t let anyone tell you that one phone is absolutely better than another without having them explain why they feel that way. In my experience, each smart phone operating system has its place where it makes the most sense. It can easily be overwhelming trying to determine which phone would be best for you in your situation and if you need help in your decision, don’t hesitate to ask.
When looking for a vendor to provide a solution, it is common to consider larger vendors that can provide all components of the project as the best direction to go. However, smaller vendors can sometimes provide a more personalized experience on projects. So which direction is best?
The decision to move forward with a large organization that can provide multiple, or all components to a project is usually driven by the perception of simplicity. One vendor, one point of contact, one bill to pay. In addition, the vendor may offer some level of discount when bundling services together for a project. Contrast that to using smaller vendors. Multiple vendors are needed to provide the entire solution. You will need someone close the project, usually internally, to manage the vendors and ensure the solution is followed through to fruition. Also, because the vendors are only providing one or two elements to the project, discounts may be less. Seems like a slam dunk for the one-stop vendor. Right? Maybe, but there are a few aspects to consider before making your decision.
First, make sure to do your due diligence on the vendor so you know who you are dealing with. How long have they been in the industry? What projects have they completed that are similar to yours? Are they a member of the BBB and if so, what is their rating? If they are a publicly traded company go online and pull their most recent annual financial statements. Are they in the red? If so, why? Get at least two or three references from the vendor that can vouch for their services.
Second, determine how the project will be managed. Will the vendor provide a project manager or is that a role that you will need to play? How will add orders be addressed and tracked? What is the process if you have any questions or need to put a hold on the project for any reason. Do they require payment up front, in draws/phases, or upon completion? What is the warranty period, if any, and how will you go about addressing warrantable issues?
Lastly, consider the size of your project from the vendor’s perspective. I hate to admit that this is an issue, but unfortunately some larger vendors, if even unintentionally, will apply customer service quality based on the size of the project to them. The larger the project, the better the service. If you are a smaller project on their docket you may find yourself challenged to get the same post-project service that you receive before the vendor has been paid in full. Quite honestly, this one element has been a main driver for many companies to select smaller vendors that will treat them like royalty.
I’m not against large, one-stop vendors that can provide complete solutions and I’m not against the smaller vendors that are specialized. I am, however, for selecting the right vendor for the right project. In my experience, there is no hard and fast rule for vendor selection. Understanding the vendors for a project as well as considering these ancillary elements will help to ensure you select the right one for your project.
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