Want Safe Juice? Better Wear a USB Condom!

Waiting for your flight, your smart phone’s battery is about to die. Or perhaps at a hotel conference or shopping mall. You don’t have your power cable needed to charge your tablet or phone, but you do have a USB cord that can supply the needed power. Then you spot an help: a free charging kiosk.

Didn't think before connecting your phone to this unknown device -- which could be configured to read most of the data on your phone, and perhaps even upload malware? Better consider a USB Condom!

At the 2014 DefCon (a hacker's convention), over 350 attendees (who should be "in the know" about this) plugged their smart phones into a charging kiosk built by Brian Markus, president of Aires Security, and fellow researchers Joseph Mlodzianowski and Robert Rowley. They built the charging kiosk to educate attendees about the potential perils of juicing up at random power stations. To make their charging station more attractive to passersby, Markus and his pals equipped it with a variety of charging cables to fit the most popular wireless devices. When no device was connected, the LCD screen fitted into the charging station displayed a blue image with the words “Free Cell Phone Charging Kiosk.” The screen switched to a red warning sign when users plugged in any devices. The warning message read:

“You should not trust public kiosks with your smart phone. Information can be retrieved or downloaded without your consent. Luckily for you, this station has taken the ethical route and your data is safe. Enjoy the free charge!”

Markus said the comments from those who chose to juice up their phones at the kiosk were the most rewarding part of the project. But that's not all: Anything using USB is totally unsafe. A bold warning from Security Research Labs, given at Black Hat, another hacker con. Basically, any USB device can do anything it wants to your PC or Mac, and there's nothing you can do to stop it, detect it, or remediate it.

The security problems with USB devices isn’t just in what they carry, it is built into the core of how they work. That’s the takeaway from findings of security researchers Karsten Nohl and Jakob Lell. The malware they created, called BadUSB, can be installed on a USB device to completely take over a PC, invisibly alter files installed from the memory stick, or even redirect the user’s internet traffic. ... And the two researchers say there’s no easy fix. ... They spent months reverse engineering the firmware that runs the basic communication functions of USB devices. Read more at Slate...

Why hasn't the Tablet made Magazines Huge?

With the multimedia capabilities, "push" data to refresh content, and a known display platform, you would think tablets such as the iPad would have made magazine apps a win.

In this article, there are several areas that impact magazine apps. One important data point:

Magazines need dedicated readers. But, Nielsen estimated the average mobile user has 41 apps on his or her smartphone. In April, a Flurry study showed the average smartphone user opens only eight apps a day, with the most popular being Facebook, YouTube and game apps. And according to a 2012 report from Localytics, 22 percent of all apps are only opened once.

To overcome this, a magazine app needs to be compelling.

Finding magazine content is not helped by the very nature of mobile apps. Unlike web-based content, magazine articles can neither be indexed or searched on the web when they are locked up in an app. Following a link from Google at best takes readers to an app store, not to the article itself — cutting the magazine out of this important referral service.

Magazine publishers should consider a consolidated content management system to mirror content in both locations -- the web and in their dedicated app.

Subscription models for magazine apps is a tough sell. People are troubled by pay-walls on newspaper web sites. They apparently dislike a similar approach to magazine apps. Think about any successful standalone iPad magazines -- the most assertive attempts, News Corp’s “The Daily” iPad app, closed after two years of operation. The Daily only cost $0.99 a week, but with just a little over 100,000 subscribers, it couldn’t break even.

Perhaps just going with the advert-driven model, with paid ad-opt-out, might solve this? While the future of producing quality content for niches is bright, such content should be presented openly (think social, such as via Facebook and Twitter). The age-old model hasn't really changed: eyeballs, after all, translate into advert revenue.

Read Jon Lun's assessment here.

Apple - Not the Patent Troll You Think

This article at Apple Insider provides an excellent summary of the history of Apple and its attempts to protect its intellectual property. And, by the way, the folks at Cupertino did not steal from Xerox.

The closest thing in the history of computing to a Prometheus myth is the late 1979 visit to Xerox PARC by a group of Apple engineers and executives led by Steve Jobs. According to early reports, it was on this visit that Jobs discovered the mouse, windows, icons, and other technologies that had been developed at PARC. These wonders had been locked away at PARC by a staff that didn't understand the revolutionary potential of what they had created. Jobs, in contrast, was immediately converted to the religion of the graphical user interface, and ordered them copied by Apple, starting down the track that would eventually yield the Lisa and "insanely great" Macintosh. The Apple engineers-- that band of brothers, that bunch of pirates-- stole the fire of the gods, and gave it to the people.

It's a good story. Unfortunately, it's also wrong in almost every way a story can be wrong. There are problems with chronology and timing. The testimony of a number of key figures at Apple suggests that the visit was not the revelation early accounts made it out to be. But the story also carries deeper assumptions about Apple, Xerox PARC, computer science in the late 1970s, and even the nature of invention and innovation that deserve to be examined and challenged.

So when innovators try to protect their hard work, thieving brigands should beware.

Apple Misses Target, Shares Slip

Some disappointing news for Apple Fandom (well, shareholders). While sales of iPhone and other nifty gadgets continue, some targets are missed. Of course, Tim Cook looks on the bright side:

“No technology company has ever reported these kind of results,” chief executive Tim Cook said in a conference call with analysts after the company reported its earnings for the first quarter of its fiscal 2013 year. “Apple is in one of the most prolific periods of innovation and new products in its history.”

Sorry to be a downer, but I said this *way back* when SJ left/was booted out the first time. Without its leader, a cult, ahem, company has ultimately a hard time avoiding the downwards spiral (the same as Microsoft without Bill Gates, IMHO).

Luckily, SJ started NeXT, and was able to continue development of the BSD-based operating system that powers Macs and iOS today. And he picked up Pixar, which saved Disney, thanks to John Lasseter. And learned an awful lot about life...

But no to be 100% negative -- I think Apple has a WHOLE LOT of smart/creative and driven people. It will continue to be a great company. But without its founder at the helm, stormy seas ahead.

I like the Surface -- signed, iPad

Oprah tweeted about the new Microsoft Surface. Using her iPad.

Of course, the reviews are positive about the Surface. The tile GUI and wide aspect ratio make the tablet stand out. And people love the idea of the integrated cover/keyboard.

I am still waiting for the larger version, so I can get my game on...

Cloud + Mobile = Better Use of Resources, Happier End Users

Telecoms -- part of my core customer base when I launched Bluedog -- have an integral role in cloud computing. Those cloud services have the highest need to have always-on access and users expect a flawless network experience. Verizon's acquisition of private-cloud provider Terremark, for example, highlights the importance of cloud to telcos. Jason Young, vice president of product strategy at T-Mobile USA, during a panel discussion at the Open Mobile Summit remarked, “What we spend a lot of time thinking about, from a network standpoint, is that we’re a highway to the cloud." He went on to explain that basically means just connecting customers to the cloud-based services they want to use. The convergence of cloud and mobile was the topic of discussion at the OpenMobile Summit. With the iPhone and other smart phones becoming ubiquitous, the iPad continues its rapid growth and internet access becomes standard in everything from a TV through to cars, fridges and a host of other devices, the mobile economy is ramping up. As teleco carriers continue to redefine business models and new entrants continue to disrupt existing markets -- and make new ones -- the focus of the role of cloud on mobile will sharpen.

It's the Future, at least for Now

So, are you as confused about which i-thingy to get as I am? I mean, what's the difference between the iPad mini and the iPod touch? Besides the size of the display... which is a Retina display on the iPod, but not on the Mini. Oh, and the camera. Or was that the processor? Maybe this leaked video will help clarify what device to buy -- until the next device comes out.

Has the Newton Come Full-Circle?

Are you eagerly awaiting the iPad Mini? An alternative to those so-called dedicated e-readers, with full Apple functionality. Is the Newton re-born?
The Newton was Apple's personal digital assistant (PDA) developed as the precursor to tablets of today. You may remember Palm and others (I had a fascination with the Newton, as well as Sony's own PDA, non-Export ones which I hunted for during many a trip to Japan). Development of the Newton platform started in 1987 and was officially ended by Steve Jobs Jon his return to the mothership in 1998. (I have a Newton-SJ story, see post script below).
During its heyday, the Newton was the benchmark for tablet-like devices. But it was ahead of its time. Famously lampooned, the device didn't live up to its hype. But true believers have been rewarded with the iPhone and iPad, legacy of the lofty goals of the device Steve Jobs loathed.




See the rumors at Apple Insider...
P.S.
When I and my compatriots launched Bluedog as an Application Service Provider (we were partnered with S.A.P. to deliver their offerings in the hosted model, a precursor to the software-as-a-service model we utilize now), we needed a key piece of technology from Apple, a specialized adapter for SAP that worked with WebObjects.
We had a meeting with Steve Jobs and Fred Anderson (arranged by our investor in Dublin), to ask to use the proprietary technology. On the elevator ride up to the conference room at One Infinite Loop, Steve's assistant noticed my Newton MessagePad 2100 (equipped with a Metricom 128kb (!) wireless modem). "Get rid of that thing," she demanded, "Steve loathes them!"
Needless to say, because, back then, the cloud and the ASP model did not "move hardware," we were unsuccessful in our quest for the elusive WO adapter from Apple. In the end, we built our own solution.
Other Steve Jobs stories and tales from the long road of a tech entrepreneur in my forthcoming book.

Apple's Patent Dispute, Simplified

So why is Apple suing Samsung up, down, and all around? As this guy sums it up,

The debate of patents will continue, no doubt. But summing this argument up so succinctly is a great tribute to the king of information depiction.

Classic Attacks Still Work -- that's why they are classic!

The brouhaha over a recent hacker's assault on Apple's walled garden reveals that the classics still rule. Using a "man in the middle" vulnerability in the DNS, the Russian computer jockey spoofed Apple's commerce server, and intercepted in-application purchases.
The iPhone/iPad applications would send payment data through an encrypted SSL channel, but due to a sloppy implementation of public key infrastructure, said apps would trust *any* server with the appropriate reverse lookup host name. The point of the use of certificates is a handshake verification.
The Russian's methods are crude, but in the end, it's the vulnerability of the DNS infrastructure that enables this to work. That, and Apple not using certificates from its commerce server properly. How is a man-in-the-middle attack possible if the PKI certificate from the commerce server is validated by the client (phone/iPad)? As for "clear text", the uid and pw traverse the Internet via an SSL connection; it's that connection that has been compromised.
Read more on ZDNet...
- Posted by Tom/Bluedog

Get Kitted Out for your Home Office Adventure

So a friend asked -- why should I get an iPad over [some Android thing]? That got me thinking about my custom set-up at my secret bat cave location. I will admit, if you don't know already, that I am an unabashed Apple person (been an Apple developer since the 1980s, etc.). I also have been an AT&T person (well, AT&T then Cingular, then back to AT&T) since I gave up on Bell Atlantic/Verizon to move to Nextel (remember Nextel? They won me over with the walkie-talkie feature that nobody ever used).

So let's start with infrastructure. I am a FiOS-from-day-one person. My neighbors hated it when Verizon (wait, didn't I just say I hated Verizon? Well, not when it comes to 25gig up/downstream!) dug up all their front yards just so I could have the fastest fibre optic (only?) on the market. After all, nobody wants a dirt road as the on-ramp to the Information Super Highway (what happened to that appellation?

Now, I serve up my WiFi (one locked-down network for me and mine, and a guest network just because) using an Apple Airport Extreme, mostly because, well, it has the USB connector for shared drive (roll-your-own NAS, anybody?), all the security features needed, and an easy-to-configure port mapping utility so I can pass web and other traffic right through its firewall.

Clearly the AT&T coverage problem needs to be addressed -- hence, the installation of the 3G Microcell. Read (a somewhat older) review here, and you will avoid the no-bar syndrome.

I go with the iPad as my personal media consumer device (and occasional workhorse for writing, of course) because, well, the iOS interface is the ne-plus-ultra of touch screen navigation. I also like the thin form factor and excellent battery life. Finally, apps, apps, apps. Safari on the iPad renders web sites much nicer, IMHO. The aspect ratio of the screen, the pure beauty of the Retina display, and the overall form factor are big reasons why people choose to watch videos, read books or surf the web from the Galactus of the tablet universe.

Clearly, the app market is a big differentiator -- but why has it gotten that way? This guy has a good position -- developers like to stick with what they know. I can say, from my own experience, that the single OS platform (OS X, iOS) based on NeXTStep/BSD Unix is compelling for a variety of reasons: its been around a long time; Objective-C is not a bad language for development, the WebKit interface provides easy entree into iPhone/iPad apps; and I love the core services both operating systems offer.

When it comes to sharing data, of course you've got your DropBox account, right? But did you know that iCloud (the successor to MobileMe) gives you oh-so-many synchronization opportunities? For example, bookmarks between your MacBookPro and your iPad and iPhone? Or calendars, or whatever? I know, "But Tom, I use GoogleWhatevers for all that." Well, more power to you. But I'll stick with iCal and all the other Apple crap that just plain works.

iCloud service looks much like the original iTools in some ways. This Internet service is free (well, for now)and may offer an e-mail address with iOS 6, I think. Plus, it features the updated core applications evolved from .Mac and MobileMe offerings. But iCloud is forward looking, as Apple seeks to unify offerings and better integrate the cloud into evolving new ways that Apple customers are using iPhones, iPads, and Macs.

Don't forget AirPrint and AirPlay… you want to get that awesome PDF into hard copy format, while listening to Pandora on your gigantic speakers, right?

Surface tablet Less Zune, more "meh"?

With business-class apps such as Numbers or Pages (or Office?) on iOS, why would the iPad not be a suitable device for general business use?

Plenty of business apps on iPad show up regularly in the App Store. I'm fond of writing, so I use a Bluetooth keyboard/case combination like this.

Getting a finished product from an iPad for me means an Acrobat PDF. With the NeXT-era display postscript legacy, NeXTStep, cough cough, OS X, ahem, iOS does plenty with PDFs.

To all those waiting for MS to unseat Apple, it doesnt take an MBA to figure out: the App Store is the iPad secret sauce. Integrated hardware is the Apple trademark. Gesture-based navigation is the legacy of Hartmut Essslinger/frog.

-- posted from one of my six iPads, three iPhones, two Newton MessagePads, or my obsolete Nokia web appliance

Augmenting Reality As the Ultimate Knowledge Management Tool

Hands-free means more than just phone calls while jogging, or sipping your latte while reading your iPad. Other ways of merging multiple data sources based on your geo location (i.e., context-aware mapping of information) are emerging. As usual, Google is out in front with Information Architecture. So what does Google's Glass look like? Well, press photos show a spare-looking frame that sits above the wearer's right eye -- not terribly fashionable, meant more like a HUD (heads up display) found in military-style helmets, some automobiles, and in many computer games. This interesting info graphic gives a better idea of what the functionality is, since you won't be winning any fashion awards for the pre-production prototype. Unlike other systems, Google's doesn't overlay data completely in front of the wearer's entire field of vision. Instead, datagrams appear only in one’s peripheral vision -- relevant to what the wearing is looking at. Of course, the Project Glass video is a marketing effort as much as a look at the product -- which, after all, doesn't exist yet. But opening eyes to the possibility of augmented information displays is certainly a way to motivate the competition. You've got such data mashups on the iPhone already. One example is WorkSnug, an iOS app that helps you locate a place to work. It identifies Wi-Fi hotspots and potential workplaces -– from coffee shops to professional rent-a-desk office space. Combining social media (user reviews cover power provision, atmosphere, noise levels and even the quality of the coffee), this is a cool way to find what you need on the go. It's clear that the future promises the continued blending of technology and the eye (such as Google’s project glass) and other amazing emerging optical technologies on the very near horizon. Graphic from Zenni Optical.

Why my MacBook hates my iPad

I find myself writing as much as coding these days. Since most of my coding is split between Java (WebObjects) and Objective-C (for iPhone/iPad), I have a tendency to lag when it comes to operating system upgrades. Nothing causes more headaches than your dev environment's Java version getting rev'ed right in the middle of a big project.

So when I'm writing proposals, working on my next book, blogging, or just working on a cool D&D campaign idea, I find myself using my iPad more and more. Of course, a keyboard/case combo helps quite a bit, but nothing beats a nice screen (easy on the eyes), light weight, and long battery life.

I wouldn't give up my MBP for anything, except maybe a MBA. Not that MBA, but the super-cool lightweight workhorse that I'll be developing Workbench 2.1 on.

Web browser vs Android - analogous fragmentation?

Mobile developer Kyle Miller doesn’t see what all the fuss is about Android fragmentation, arguing that web browsers are much more fragmented than Android.

I disagree, in that web browsers indeed represent sometimes dispirit ways of rendering HTML (and not always successfully), but they utilize the same back end system (if a web app) or render the same codebase (be it HTML/CSS or JavaScript). Android apps have to be designed and compiled for differing versions of the OS, and even the devices may impose restrictions based on features implemented.

So developing for Android doesn't mean just supplying a few alternate CSS files or using some code tricks to make the app work on different handsets or mobile devices. You have to maintain separate code base sets (here's a good description of several approaches).

Groundhogs, snakes and half-way through winter

To wisdom I call out, wisdom I invoke
Wisdom I embrace, wisdom that once spoke
in every wheeling star,
in every sturdy oak.
Show you face, again, Bridgit
Remove your shadow cloak!

Happy Imbolc, people! It's time to see if the groundhog (or snake) decides to stay warm-and-cozy, or if spring will arrive early. Imbolc is an Irish holiday ("Oimelc" - ewe’s milk), the precursor to the end of winter when the ewes are nursing their newly born lambs. Spring and the planting season are right around the corner. To the Romans, Imbolc is halfway between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox (Lupercalia). Thong-clad men ran through the city, whacking people with bits of hide -- those struck were fortunate indeed. This is one of the few Roman celebrations that is not associated with a particular temple or deity. Instead, it focuses on the founding of the city of Rome, by twins Romulus and Remus, who were suckled by a she-wolf.

It's my goal to get out and encourage people to fully embrace technology and to completely integrate it though-out every aspect of business: from marketing, to how you work with and interact with clients and other stakeholders, to how you manage your business.

Mobile platforms (specifically, iPhone/iPad) enable you to integrate and take advantage of all the benefits that today’s technologies have to offer:  virtual events and social media, data management with cloud computing and any other aspect of technology that will help increase efficiency, productivity, and profitability. 

At this, the mid-point of the winter of 2012, choose mobile technology because this will be a ‘game-changing’ year for how business is conducted -- mobile is having significant impact on the way we live and the way we interact. 

Win8 is good for the Cloud? Tom Calls BS!

In this article, Greg Pierce claims the Windows 8 tablet is the best solution to speed up cloud adoption... because... "Beneath the “shell” is a full-featured version of Windows." He goes on to state that "Several problems that have plagued tile versions of Windows in the past, including required hardware, power consumption and especially interface, have been addressed." That's a hoot... how is Microsoft supposed to police makers of Win tablets, to ensure hardware, power consumption and other integration problems truly are solved? I would be very surprised to see a single code base run across processors and platforms seamlessly. ;-)

Greg's focus is clearly MS-centric, as he claims not seeing someone's Exchange calendar on an iPad is a deficiency of that device. Only if you care about Exchange. Cloud adoption, by definition, ends vendor lock-n. If Exchange's proprietary calendar interface won't work with HTML 5, who is to blame? As my da used to say, it's a poor carpenter who blames his tools for crappy 'implementation' (last word is my version, sorry).

Greg makes his point clear: "Software providers will be given a tablet platform in which their full-featured applications will work out of the box. In order to tailor the app for Windows 8 tablets, there will be GUI changes to make the tactile experience easier – but the app does not need to be re-written." Don't re-write to leverage the platform, but stick with your old, hackney code.

No, thanks. Objective C development on the iPad and iPhone has yielded amazing new apps, not possible in the previous MS-centric world. Building true service-oriented enterprise solutions opens the door to platform flexibility. Few would argue that the iOS interface is the benchmark for touch on a mobile device; slapping some oversized icons on Windows is not a solution. Re-thinking your approach to integration of enterprise, mobile user needs, and freedom of data is a way forward... IMHO.

Today, the Settling of Grievances

The day after Xmas (or perhaps, on Festivus itself), the airing of grievances is a regular event in the Termini household. This corresponds with Wren's Day (St Stephen's day), when kids mark betrayal by the tiny wren…

So I'm marking today with a list of tech issues I'd like to see addressed in the coming new year.

• Apple TV. No, not this one, I mean a forthcoming Apple TV. Will I be speaking to my TV, instead of fumbling with remotes? In the Termini house, we use a Mac Mini connected to a Visio tv to get our info-tainment. I got to sample the above-mention AppleTV over Xmas, and mostly liked it. But still too limiting (filtered access to YouTube?? Really, Apple).

• Kill off NetBooks already. As regular readers know, I did make an initial foray into the NetBook world while ago (well, ok, maybe I dabbled in Hakintosh). And quickly abandoned it (well, re-gifted to my daughter) when I started developing for the iPad. If you look at the apps available for iPad that are business-savvy (Pages, Keynote, Bento), the battery life, the form-factor, you'd agree. NetBooks are a dead-end branch of the PC tree.

• Speaking of killing off, get rid of the wallet! In Japan, you pay for many things with your mobile phone. Google is in the forefront with their approach. I have attempted a kludge approach myself. Come on VISA and MasterCard, get on board to end the tyranny of plastic cards.

• Cyber-criminals. Please, people, lock up your data! At least encrypt peoples' login/password or other vital data, so when the inevitable Chinese or Russian hacker snatches your data, they can't run up credit card bills.

Finally, in concluding the tradition, I'll end with a happy thought, instead of a b*tch. I enjoy working in the tech field -- I get to meet lots of people, I feel like I'm frequently solving problems and making some small part of peoples' lives easier, and I get to tackle unusual problems. As much the above complaints might nag me, I am thankful to be in this field, making good use of my talents.

yikes… all tablets are not created equal

So you think one tablet is the same as another? I did get to pick up an HP tablet with WebOS a few months ago at fire-sale prices (mostly out of curiosity, but also to give my son a Flash-based platform for BubbleBox.com games). You know what -- he hated it. He said, "Da, I can do without the Flash games, I'd rather have an iPad." Well, Damon, maybe Santa will come through for you since your father dropped the ball.

Certainly others are finding that the Kindle is no iPad replacement. Can it be that the GUI on other tablets, designed by software people, just isn't up to snuff?

Some complaints:

...few of their many complaints: there is no external volume control. The off switch is easy to hit by accident. Web pages take a long time to load. There is no privacy on the device; a spouse or child who picks it up will instantly know everything you have been doing. The touch screen is frequently hesitant and sometimes downright balky…

So what does this mean? Well, getting the interface right is at least as important as the hardware platform that the operating system runs on. Seems intuitive, but obviously a substantial challenge, nevertheless.

Tablets have been in the sights of futurists for awhile

In 1994, publisher Knight-Ridder produced a video showing a tablet device with many of the elements embodied in the iPad (and, well, the World Wide Web). Some of the functionality -- like flagging items of interest -- appear in app such as Flipboard or Zite. However, Knight Ridder did nothing to make this vision a reality.

On the other hand, Apple had a clear idea a long time ago...