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itunes and targeted scams

Please take a moment if you are an itunes user and read this article...
http://usat.me?39845800

Ten Game Changing IT Technologies

Ten Game-Changing IT Technologies
July 2010
Randy Muller, Global Knowledge Instructor

In the past few years, there has been an explosion of new technologies to hit the marketplace. These technologies have had a huge impact on how we work, how we play and how we communicate. We can keep in touch with others and interact with computers in ways not even thought of a few years ago. Here is a look at some of the most prominent new technologies that have proven to be "Game Changers."

Tablet/iPad - If there is one device that has the potential to radically change how we perceive the use of computers and computing devices, it would be Apple's iPad. But before the iPad can lay claim to this title, it must first prove that it has the capacity and viability to replace laptops, net books, and tablets. One of the unique features of the iPad (for now at least) is the use of a touch-screen display. The iPad has the potential to finally advance the acceptance of the multi-touch screen and perhaps even push it ahead of the ubiquitous mouse interface in use for the past few decades.
What the iPad must do is prove that it is not a niche product used only by geeks and those who wish to be technology trend setters. The iPad also must overcome the fact that it lacks many commonly accepted features found on laptops including a physical keyboard, USB ports, and a Webcam. If Apple can do this, then the iPad will truly become an IT game-changing product. For the time being, however, many people see it more as a glorified iPhone or a substitute for Amazon's Kindle than as a true laptop replacement.

Cloud Computing - In its simplest state, cloud computing is the delivery of hardware and application services over the internet on demand. This is done as an alternative to hosting and maintaining your own servers and application software. In cloud computing, businesses only pay for the resources that they consume; think of your electricity bill, you only pay for what you use. Businesses that host services and applications in the cloud improve overall computer utilization rates, as servers are running at or near full capacity from clients connecting remotely. Cloud computing offers several models:

1. Software as a Service (SaaS) - Providing an application that clients can access through the internet.
2. Utility computing - Where storage and server computing power available when required
3. Web and Platform Services - Providing a platform where developers can create applications that can be accessed by clients through the internet. Instead of using your own server infrastructure, you use these remote servers. Microsoft's Azure platform provides just such an environment.

Unified Communications - We live in a highly connected world (perhaps too connected at times) with numerous communication technologies all competing for our attention. These disparate communications technologies were all developed and have grown into commonly accepted use separate from one another. In order to use these technologies, we may have had several accounts: one for conferencing, another for email, a third for instant messaging, and yet another for voicemail, and perhaps even other accounts. Each of these systems most likely had separate user names and passwords. In order for users to access them, they would have had to remember them (or write down). Network and telephony administrators had to keep these different systems working, sometimes with limited success and much difficulty.
Unified Communications combines these different systems together into a single communications platform. Now your telephony system can not only handle your voicemail, but send you an email letting you know that you have a voicemail. Conferencing is no more than a click away from a contact in an email. You can see if a colleague is available by checking their on-line presence. You can also receive IM's from outside clients on your internal IM system. A single communications platform - makes it easier for users to keep in contact with others and easier for administrators to maintain.

Virtualization - Virtualization the art and science of having a single physical server host several virtual server roles. The virtualization of server farms is accelerating as IT managers have to realize the economic benefits derived from having fewer physical boxes (electrical, cooling, deployment, green computing, and software deployment). There are several virtualization products including Microsoft's Hyper-V and VMware.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) - Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (or Interface) is another method to provide centralized management and deployment of user virtual desktops. Users will require a constant connection to a network as they will access their own personal desktop remotely. This improves the user's desktop flexibility, gives IT staff an integrated management and assists with business continuity. Virtualization and cloud computing is where much of the IT infrastructure is headed.

Electronic Readers - Amazon's Kindle, Barnes and Noble's Nook, Sony's Reader, take your pick. They all have ability to store hundreds or even thousands of books and documents. The typical user will mainly use these devices to read books, newspapers or other such periodicals. The electronic readers with larger screens can be readily used for technical references. What makes these such alluring devices and a game changer for 2010 is their capacity, battery life and small footprint. Businesses could pass out electronic readers for meetings in-lieu of paper documents; reference material for a product could be accessed through an electronic reader. While these are not going to herald in the "paper-less office," it is changing how we read and maintain documents and books.

Smart Phones - There are three smart phone platforms that have the majority of the market share: Apple's iPhone, the BlackBerry and Google's Android. Smartphones represent the fastest growing market share for hand-held devices - everyone wants to have a smartphone (whether they actually use most of the features or apps for their smartphone is another matter). What is going to be the deciding factor amongst these smart phones for users is their ease of use, flexibility and apps (applications downloaded and installed on the phone to enhance their functionality and customization). Smart phone deployment and usage in the enterprise environment will be decided by such factors as security, email and messaging simplicity, document management, navigation and web conferencing. The smart phone is evolving and will continue to change how we view mobile communications and connectivity. In many parts of the world, people are dispensing with their landline (if they even had one) and only using a smartphone.

Social Networks and Networking - or the power of the Tweet. It is a serious mistake to underestimate the power of social networks (whether it be IMs, tweets or the "old school" email). Social networks have been used to help free people who have been incarcerated overseas, organize popular social and music events and even keep in touch with family and friends. Social networks have tremendous power and influence - far more than most people realize (and probably want to accept either). The "traditional" workplace is quickly changing - more people are working from home or from other locations and want and even need this contact. This does not mean the real-time interaction of the bricks-and-mortar work place environment have been lost - just changed. If you are curious - tweet a friend and ask.
People keep in contact through Facebook or other social sites, blurring the line between work and social boundaries. The use of Microsoft Office Communicator will allow users to have both business and personal contacts in one IM interface. Business and IT leaders will have to learn to use these as the in order to accelerate the business-decision process and maintain relevance with workers. Customers will expect immediate answers to questions and employees can accomplish more through these communications.

Touch Screen Computing - What comes to mind now when we think of touch-screen computing? The iPad, of course. There will be even more touch screen devices released this year as other manufacturers release products to compete with the iPad. In some cases, a gesture, not a touch or a mouse-click will control computers. New game consoles (Microsoft's Kinetic, where you are the controller) will be released this fall. They don't rely on the movement of a hand-held device, but gestures made towards the receiver. This type of technology will aid those with physical challenges as well as make for much smaller physical footprints required for computers.

Solid State Disks - The ubiquitous hard drive (and other storage devices for that matter) is undergoing radical changes these days. The capacity of hard drives is increasing, but the basic technology has not changed; you still have magnetic disks and motors. Solid state drives are reaching a capacity that makes them a viable option for most laptop users. The solid state drive is a large flash memory device that does not have any moving parts. This results in devices that use much less energy, run much cooler and faster, and are much lighter.

net neutrality

This is one of the better articles that explains net neutrality and it's issues
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-rose/net-neutrality-versus-the_b_634467.html

Keep in mind... providers currently have the "means" and ability to throttle down some services (for instance, the classic comcast case where they throttled down a customer's use of a particular "app")...... When and if the FCC re-classifies telecom providers, net neutrality and enforcement of it becomes a possibility.

ALA has done an excellent job of keeping us all informed of progress on efforts, but it's still a little unclear to some as to what the subject matter is. Hopefully this article will clear up some of the gaps in understanding.

AT&T Confirms iPad 3G Security Breach | Wireless Week

AT&T security breach leaks ipad owners email addresses. But... most everyone agrees, ipad, iphone, etc. are no more vulnerable to attack or breach than anything else. It made the national headlines regardless so I'm sharing....

Check out this article on Wireless Week: http://www.wirelessweek.com/News/2010/06/Devices-ATT-iPad-3G-Security-Breach-Computers/

FierceWireless story: tcs

tcs thought you would be interested to read this story from FierceWireless.

Apple sells 2M iPads in 60 days
by Sue

Sales of Apple's (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPad tablet topped 2 million less than 60 days after the device went on sale in U.S. retail stores. The iPad, which made its debut April 3, is now available in

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Ipad as an e-book reader and much more

I've been reading many many books on the ipad in the last couple days. ibooks and Amamzon kindle books are a pleasure to read on the device. As with any backlighted device, there is some eye strain if read a lot or too long, but it is worth it. It is very easy to obtain a book, and use it right away. And it is very easy to navigate within the apple ibook application. Ipad as an ebook reader is simply amazing. I've used three ebook readers and this by far is my favorite.

Lastly, I see where ipads are being implemented in point of sale situations, medical labs and hospitals, and every school kid wants one of course.

In my opinion, this is to the pc what a pc was once to a typewriter (what?).... they'll just improve these devices and competition will make even better ones available, and we'll all end up with new revolutionary "computer" tools in the very near future. Envision this in every car, in every restaurant, in every doctor's office, and what you'll read your morning newspaper on.

Seriously, in my opinion, with newspapers and magazine subscriptions at a historical low... this is the media you'll soon get your daily newspaper on and monthly magazines on, etc! And your tv and movies too! Some are ALREADY available in record time.

This will be pervasive technology. It explodes the new era that already had begun... blended media

Ipad is really nice!

The Apple Ipad was released earlier this month and after testing, it is found to be a very useful, although NOT a pc, tool!

I use it to surf the web, do light documents with Apple's proprietary document kit (Pages, Numbers, Keynote). These documents are compatible with MS Office.

The Ipad is feature rich and fun. It is NOT a pc. In other words, there is no removable media capability, i.e. no thumb drive port, no zip disk, no cd/dvd drive, and no "real" hard drive (it uses flash drive).

If you have or have had an ipod or itouch, or even iphone, you will know instantly how to use the Ipad. It does require you to "dock" to a pc / mac computer to initialize and register the device then again for any future file transfers (pictures, documents, videos, movies, etc. Apple calls this a synch.

Short report.... summed up, my family needed an additional "laptop" mainly for internet and quick documents. This fits the bill and is very FUN to use!! Better yet, the ibooks e-reader is fantastic and free! And you can download ibooks from their store or from Amamzon's kindle store. All the books are there on kindle, but magazine and newspapers not yet available for the ipad.

Trends - New Horizon Report for K-12's has relevance for libraries

http://www.convergemag.com/edtech/2010-Horizon-Report-for-K-12-Released.html

National Broadband Plan

http://www.broadband.gov/plan/goals-action-items.html

Gartner Report - predictions

According to Gartner estimates:
The total number of PCs in use will reach 1.62 billion units in 2012, all of which are capable of Internet access, even if some are not connected.
By 2012, the combined installed base of smartphones and browser-equipped enhanced phones will exceed 1.69 billion units. From 2012 onwards, this combined installed base will be greater than the installed base for PCs.
Nevertheless, most users in 2012 will use a PC as their primary Web access device and their phone as a secondary access device. However, as use of smartphones spreads globally, they will overtake the PC as the most common primary device for Web access sometime in 2015.

tcs has forwarded a page to you from FierceBroadbandWireless

tcs thought you would like to see this page from the FierceBroadbandWireless web site.

New SIM card turns 3G phones into HSPA/WiFi routers
by lluna

Smart card company Sagem Orga and Telefonica plan to roll out a new SIM card that features integrated WiFi, allowing any GSM phone to act as a universal and interoperable HSPA/WiFi router and

Click here to read more on our site

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