http://www.informationweek.comInformationWeeken-usCopyright 2011, United Business Media.2012-05-16T09:00:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/240000447?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsWhen Facebook stock goes on sale later this week, investors will be banking on open source. What other key technology pieces will Facebook use to grow its business?<!-- Image Aligning right --> <!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/slideshows/preview/232600506/use-facebook-apps-to-woo-customers-6-examples"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/737/HSN_full.PNG" alt="Use Facebook Apps To Woo Customers: 6 Examples" title="Use Facebook Apps To Woo Customers: 6 Examples" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">Facebook Apps In Action</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <!-- / Image Aligning right --> When Facebook stock goes on sale later this week, investors will be making a bet on open Web technologies and open hardware infrastructure. <P> Three years ago, Google <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/google/217700418">declared the Web had won</a>. The Web, Google's Vic Gundotra said, had become the dominant software platform. But the subsequent ascendance of Google's Android mobile operating system complicated matters. Google is now a company with divided loyalties. <P> That leaves Facebook as the largest technology company to go "all in" on the Web. Unlike Apple, Google, or Microsoft, Facebook has no native software platform or hardware business. Like non-profit Mozilla, Facebook is betting everything on the Web and open technologies. <P> "Facebook, as big as it is, it is also nimble and can move quickly and adapt quickly," said <a href="http://www.carlosicaza.com/">Carlos Icaza</a>, a former software executive and adviser to several startups and Fortune 500 companies, in an email. "The one thing that Facebook has, it's that it is not platform-specific. That is, after all, what gives it its edge." <P> <strong>[Learn more about how Facebook prepares for its stock offering. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/privacy/240000348?itc=edit_in_body_cross">As Facebook Preps For IPO, Privacy Tweaks</a>.]</strong> <P> Facebook relies on and contributes to a number of open source projects that form its technological spine. With open source tools, user data, and its social advertising platform, the company earned <a href="http://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1326801/000119312512034517/d287954ds1.htm">$3.7 billion in revenue last year</a>. That's anywhere from 10 times to 30 times less than Google, Microsoft, and Apple each earned in 2011, but Facebook aims to narrow that gap. Having the attention of some 845 million users every month could help it do so. <P> Facebook has the opportunity to succeed. The question is whether the company has the technology and talent to turn user attention into ad revenue. Here are 11 technologies that Facebook will be using to grow its business. <P> <strong>1. HTML5</strong><br /> Google and Facebook have both been pushing to advance HTML5. But advancing HTML5 standards is particularly important to Facebook because so many of its users play Web-based games. Most of those games still rely on Adobe's Flash technology, but Facebook partners like Zynga and <a href="https://developers.facebook.com/html5/blog/post/2012/04/17/making-a-speedy-html5-game/">Gamzee have been testing HTML5-based titles</a>. With <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/mobility/240000159">Facebook's new App Center</a>, Web apps will become even more important to Facebook. <P> <strong>2. Facebook Platform</strong><br /> Facebook's collection of APIs and infrastructure is open to third-party developers to build on. Companies like Zynga have taken their businesses to new heights by standing on the shoulders of Facebook, and many smaller companies are pursuing the same path. <P> <strong>3. Facebook Credits</strong><br /> Facebook last year made an estimated $470 million from Facebook Credits, according to research firm eMarketer. That's more than three times the $140 million it made from its virtual currency in 2010. Facebook's virtual currency technology appears to be technology that will pay for itself and then some. <P> <strong>4. Facebook Apps</strong><br /> Facebook's Apps, like Messenger, Photos, and Groups, tend to be overlooked as technological assets because Facebook's value as a platform for third-party developers is so much more obvious. But over time, if Facebook can keep users engaged, the company's own applications are likely to become key assets for user retention. Just as some people are reluctant to venture away from the familiar confines of Microsoft Office, there will be a subset of Facebook users who prefer the Facebook UI, apps, and platform over other online services. And Icaza expects Facebook will push this further by introducing its own file storage and sharing service similar to Dropbox, Google Drive, and iCloud.<!-- Image Aligning right --><!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/slideshows/232602613"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/759/slide1_full.jpg" alt="6 Social Sites Sitting On The Cutting Edge" title="6 Social Sites Sitting On The Cutting Edge" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">6 Social Sites Sitting On The Cutting Edge</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <!-- / Image Aligning right --> <strong>5. Open Compute Project</strong><br /> By backing the <a href="http://opencompute.org/">Open Compute Project</a>, Facebook can leverage community knowledge to improve its data center infrastructure while lowering data center costs. <P> <strong>6. Hadoop</strong><br /> Hadoop is an open source framework for running distributed applications. Derived from Google technologies and initially developed by Yahoo engineer Doug Cutting, Hadoop has become critical infrastructure for a number of large technology and media companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Yahoo. Facebook claims to run <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/paul-yang/moving-an-elephant-large-scale-hadoop-data-migration-at-facebook/10150246275318920">the largest Hadoop cluster in the world</a>, pegged at 30 petabytes in March 2011. <P> <strong>7. The LAMP Stack</strong><br /> Facebook was built with Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP, among other technologies. Like Google, Facebook opted for open source technologies to control its destiny and to minimize costs. The open source memory caching system known as <a href="http://memcached.org/">Memcached</a> should probably be included here too, even if its function is to augment the performance of Facebook's LAMP systems. <P> <strong>8. Scuba</strong><br /> Facebook has released a lot of its technology as open source. One project it hasn't made available is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook-engineering/under-the-hood-data-diving-with-scuba/10150599692628920">Scuba</a>, a system for doing real-time, ad-hoc analysis of arbitrary datasets. Scuba was developed because traditional approaches to querying MySQL databases were too slow at scale. When you have as much data as Facebook, performance at scale matters. <P> <strong>9. HipHop For PHP</strong><br /> PHP doesn't perform that well at scale. <a href="https://github.com/facebook/hiphop-php/wiki/">HipHop for PHP</a>, open sourced in 2010, transforms slower PHP code into optimized C++. Using HipHip for PHP, Facebook reports that its code requires about 50% less CPU usage and that its API infrastructure can service twice as much traffic with about a third less CPU usage. <P> <strong>10. Scribe And Thift</strong><br /> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=32008268919">Scribe</a> is an open source framework for collecting log data, originally designed to interface with Facebook's servers. It's built atop <a href="http://thrift.apache.org/">Thrift</a>, a system for creating and coordinating software-based services in multiple programming languages. Using Scribe and Thrift, Facebook can log billions of system messages daily using a diverse set of modules written in PHP, Java, Python, or C++ code. <P> <strong>11. Phabricator</strong><br /> Released last summer as open source, Phabricator is a suite of Web applications for creating and managing software projects. It includes tools for managing workflow, bug tracking, and communications management. The <a href="http://phabricator.org/">Phabricator website</a> offers this gem of a description: "Facebook engineers rave about Phabricator, describing it with glowing terms like 'okay' and 'mandatory.'" <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i>The <a href="http://e2conf.com/boston?_mc=E2IWKPREM">Enterprise 2.0 Conference</a> brings together industry thought leaders to explore the latest innovations in enterprise social software, analytics, and big data tools and technologies. Learn how your business can harness these tools to improve internal business processes and create operational efficiencies. It happens in Boston, June 18-21. Register today! </i>2012-05-15T09:04:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/240000362?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsMicrosoft pushing the idea that cloud services offer more cost-effective security for SMBs than the alternative.<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/smb/mobile/232700514"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/773/01_Android_tn.jpg" alt="10 Everyday Android Apps For SMBs" title="10 Everyday Android Apps For SMBs" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Everyday Android Apps For SMBs</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> If cloud computing were marketed as a medicine, it would be a wonder drug. Its healing powers would be so great that the cautious consumer might suspect quackery. <P> But Microsoft insists the cloud can cure a bleeding wallet, a perennial concern among small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs). <P> The company's Trustworthy Computing Division recently <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/download/presskits/security/docs/051412SMBCloud.pdf">surveyed SMBs</a>--companies with between 100 and 250 PCs, some who use cloud computing, and some who don't--in the United States, India, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. <P> Among the U.S. organizations surveyed--93 cloud, 94 non-cloud--Microsoft found that SMBs relying on cloud services feel three to five times better about IT costs, IT value, and IT security than those who shun the cloud. <P> But it's more than a feeling: Microsoft's cloud-using respondents report spending 32% less time managing security than those who don't use cloud services. <P> <strong>[ Get a roadmap for your move to the cloud. See <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/hardware_software/232602694?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Anatomy Of An All-Cloud SMB</a>. ]</strong> <P> "The security benefits of the cloud are there to see," said Adrienne Hall, general manager of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing Group, in <a href="http://blogs.technet.com/b/trustworthycomputing/archive/2012/05/14/barrier-or-benefit-study-challenges-cloud-computing-security-perceptions-for-small-to-mid-size-businesses.aspx">a blog post</a>. <P> In the past three years, according to Microsoft's findings, SMBs in the U.S. that favor cloud services were five times more likely than their tradition-minded counterparts to have decreased their managed security spending as a percentage of their overall IT budget. And they were six times more likely to have reduced IT security spending overall. <P> Among cloud-positive SMBs, 45% reported easier systems integration, 38% reported spending less time managing security, 35% said they believed their business was more secure, and 34% expressed more confidence in their company's regulatory compliance. <P> <a href="http://www.skywiremedia.com">SkyWire Media</a>, a mobile content delivery provider, reports positive results from a Microsoft cloud injection, in the form of <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windowsintune/try-and-buy.aspx">Windows Intune</a>, Microsoft's cloud management service. <P> Thomas Castleberry, chief operating officer of SkyWire Media, said in an email that his company had previously used a variety of Windows update services and anti-malware products. Each such system required its own server, software license, support contract, and IT administrator, he explained. <P> SkyWire Media also had different Microsoft Office and Outlook versions, which Castleberry characterized as "a bit of a headache." By selecting Intune, he said, "we were able to take a unified approach to deploying software, removing unwarranted software, and creating a reliable communications platform." <P> "We were additionally able to repurpose the hardware (or eliminate it all together), and reassign an IT person to other internal development projects, decreasing the need to hire an additional staff member, and reducing our overall IT overhead while improving our ability to service our internal customers," Castleberry said. <P> The net result, according to Castleberry, was more than $90,000 in equipment and personnel savings. <P> Gartner concurs about the benefits of the cloud, sort of. The research consultancy has concluded that <a href="http://blogs.gartner.com/neil_macdonald/2012/03/31/cloud-computing-can-be-more-secure/">cloud computing can be more secure</a> than on-premises software, sometimes. A recent <a href="http://www.alertlogic.com/wp-content/uploads/alertlogic%20state%20of%20cloud%20security%20spring2012.pdf">security survey by Alert Logic</a> offers a similar assessment. The cloud has a lot to recommend it, but it's not a panacea for every IT concern. <P> "Whether in the cloud or an on-premises environment, effectively securing IT infrastructure is largely about the quality of management," Alert Logic's report concludes. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i>High-profile breaches against cloud-based services have forced tougher security and closer scrutiny of what to put in the cloud. In our <a href="http://www.darkreading.com/CloudSecurity/util/6156/download.html?k=axxe&cid=article_axxe">Dark Side Of The Cloud</a> report, we explain the risks. (Free registration required.)</i>2012-05-14T15:08:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/240000345?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsAvailability of new processors and sharper screens, price drops on existing Mac models, point to an upcoming Apple product line revision.<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/hardware/handheld/232602774"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/761/01_Figure0_tn.jpg" alt="New iPad Teardown: Inside Apple's New Tablet" title="New iPad Teardown: Inside Apple's New Tabletr" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">New iPad Teardown: Inside Apple's New Tablet</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> With Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference less than a month away, new Mac hardware is expected. Apple is believed to be finalizing an imminent update of its MacBook Pro laptop line, according to two Apple news websites. <P> One, <a href="http://9to5mac.com/2012/05/14/apple-readies-revamped-15-inch-macbook-pro-retina-display-ultra-thin-design-and-super-fast-usb-3-3/">9-to-5-Mac</a>, reports that "trusted sources in Apple's supply chain" claim that a new 15-inch MacBook Pro model with a Retina display, a new Intel Ivy Bridge series chip, and USB 3.0 support has entered production testing. <P> Apple made its high-resolution Retina Display the primary selling point of its third-generation iPad, launched earlier this year. A Retina Display on a MacBook Pro would certainly appeal to the graphics professionals and media creators who favor Apple's higher-end hardware. <P> Another Apple news site, <a href="http://www.macrumors.com/2012/05/14/unreleased-2012-macbook-pro-and-imac-models-showing-up-in-benchmarks/">MacRumors</a>, reports finding references to an unreleased MacBook Pro model in data shared with Geek Bench, a computing performance benchmark testing service. <P> Apple does not comment on unannounced products, but it's widely believed that Apple had been waiting on the introduction of Intel's Ivy Bridge chips in late April to revise its hardware. <P> <strong>[ Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/mobility/232900993?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Apple iOS 6 Wishlist: 10 Features We Want</a>. ]</strong> <P> A report published by <a href="http://www.cultofmac.com/166747/best-buy-drops-prices-on-all-macs-new-models-coming-soon/">Cult of Mac</a>, another Apple news website, indicates that Best Buy has cut Mac prices. Computer retailers commonly do this to clear old inventory when new models are expected. <P> Apple's current MacBook Pro line, designated with the model identifier <em>MacBookPro8</em>, was introduced in February 2011 and then updated in October 2011. So a product update in the next month or two would be consistent with Apple's recent product release pattern. <P> The MacBook Pro revision is expected to do away with the internal optical drive, a move that would help accelerate the shift toward digital software distribution. As the owner of the highly successful iTunes Store, Apple stands benefit from this transition: more digital downloads mean more software sales fees for Apple. <P> Like the MacBook Air, the MacBook Pro should support an optional external SuperDrive, since many users still need to be able to access DVDs and CDs on their computers. <P> Apple might also use its developer conference to launch a new Mac Pro model. Desktop workstations are increasingly regarded as dinosaurs in the mobile era: Most of Apple's sales in recent quarters have involved mobile iOS devices or portable OS X devices. The fact that Apple last updated its Mac Pro workstation in August 2010 has only heightened concern that the company has lost interest in the professional graphics market. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i> Cloud Connect is expanding to the Windy City. Join 1,200+ IT professionals at2012-05-14T09:39:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/240000284?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsCompetition happens, unless you can avoid it. From Microsoft Windows RT to Google Chrome, here's how today's giants safeguard their turf.<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/cloud-computing/platform/232901088"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/787/slideshow001_tn.jpg" alt="Google Drive: 10 Alternatives To See" title="Google Drive: 10 Alternatives To See" class="img175" /></a><br/> <div class="storyImageTitle">Google Drive: 10 Alternatives To See</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> The funny thing about the tech industry is that everyone talks about competition but no one wants to compete, at least not on a level playing field. <P> Today's tech giants are fine with competing on their own terms, terms that give them an advantage. They're not so keen to participate in a fair fight. <P> Usually, tech companies rely on the legal system to insulate themselves from competition. When Apple sued HTC two years ago, then-CEO Steve Jobs condemned HTC for infringing Apple's patents. "We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours," he said. <P> Microsoft said as much protesting the European Commission's <a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/04/382&format=HTML&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">2004 finding</a> that the company had abused its PC industry dominance. As a remedy, the European Commission required that Microsoft disclose its interface documentation to allow non-Microsoft servers to work with PCs. <P> <strong>[ Think you're working too hard? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/compensation/240000265?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Automate Your Way To One-Day Work Week</a>. ]</strong> <P> Microsoft objected to this requirement. "[T]he compulsory license will allow competitors to replicate Microsoft's technologies such that their products would be indistinguishable from Microsoft's products in important respects," the company <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/legal/european/EU_Competition_Overview.mspx">said</a>. "This outcome will largely eliminate incentives for these companies to develop alternative or better technologies--precisely the opposite of what competition law is intended to achieve." <P> Occasionally, a company will acknowledge wanting to avoid competition. AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, for example, recently suggested that <a href="https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120504/01472218773/att-argues-that-more-competition-is-bad-you-leads-to-higher-prices.shtml>competition hurts prices</a> and makes markets less efficient. <P> But more often than not, companies claim to embrace competition, even as they take steps to limit it. Below are 10 examples of how eight major technology companies safeguard their edge. <P> <strong>1. Microsoft's Windows RT</strong><br /> Twelve years ago, Microsoft was almost broken up by the U.S. government for its antitrust violations. Three years ago, the European Union forced Microsoft to stop tying Internet Explorer to Windows. Now Microsoft has decided that only its own Internet Explorer software can access certain APIs in Windows RT, the version of Windows 8 for ARM chips. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/operatingsystems/240000169">Google and Mozilla object</a>, knowing that their browsers can't compete on Windows RT devices without access to those APIs. <P> Harvey Anderson, general counsel for Mozilla, said Mozilla isn't presently pursuing the issue with the Federal Trade Commission or the Justice Department. "We will continue to evaluate and see if that will be the appropriate mechanism to get the resolution that we seek," he said in an emailed statement. <P> <strong>2. Apple's iOS</strong><br /> Apple has not been shy about using patents and copyrights to limit competitors. But it also relies on contracts to constrain developers and makers of peripherals that interface with Apple products. In some circumstances, Apple couples contracts with technological barriers. Apple's rules prevent the use of writable, executable memory pages, except for its own Safari browser. Apple, in other words, is imposing the same kind of restriction as Microsoft is in Windows RT to preclude the possibility of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just-in-time_compilation">JIT compilers</a>, which are essential for the operation of modern browsers. <P> Mozilla is less bothered by Apple's barriers, presumably due to its traditional focus on desktop browsing. "The similarities to iOS don't justify an outcome on Windows that deprives users of choice, reduces competition, and hurts innovation," Mozilla's counsel Anderson said. "The difference here is that Microsoft is using its Windows monopoly power in the OS market to exclude competition in the browser market. Microsoft also published commitments to users, industry, and software developers ... that in essence said Microsoft would design Windows to allow choice and provide a level playing field for third-party applications like the browser. These factors create a situation that is materially different than iOS." <P> Perhaps, but the situation is not so materially different that we have Firefox or Chrome for iOS. <P> <strong>3. Google's Chrome OS</strong><br /> How do you avoid competing with other browser makers? Make an operating system with a built-in browser. Chrome OS supports only Google's Chrome browser. That's the way it was made. When Microsoft tried that, the European Commission forced Microsoft to stop bundling its operating system and browser. But Google has gotten away with it, largely because so few people are using Chrome OS devices. Why worry that the playing field isn't level if Google's team is the only one that showed up for the game?<strong>4. Facebook's Social Graph</strong><br /> For years, Facebook helped users import their contacts from email services like Gmail without providing a reciprocal export capability. In late 2010, Google began <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/11/05/us-google-facebook-idUSTRE6A455420101105">preventing Facebook from grabbing Gmail contacts</a> because Facebook didn't offer an export option. Facebook last August relented, but not really: It allows users to export friends' email addresses--addresses that the user initially entered--if the friend has granted permission. And this option is unchecked by default in a menu the friend has probably never seen. <P> <strong>5. Google's AdWords</strong><br /> Google protects its crown jewels in the same way that Facebook does. But Google isn't concerned about anyone copying its Google+ social graph, at least not yet. Google is an advertising company and thus seeks to protect its ad business. That's why Google's AdWords API terms <a href="http://www.benedelman.org/news/062708-1.html">ban automated access to AdWords data</a>. <P> <strong>6. Oracle's Java</strong><br /> Java is free for anyone to use, except when you need <a href="http://java.sun.com/javase/faqs.jsp">a license</a>. The Java APIs are copyrighted, or so Oracle claimed when it sued Google for copying its APIs in Android. The judge hearing Oracle's claim may soon decide whether APIs can be copyrighted. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/java/240000070">While you wait</a>, ponder the meaning of free. <P> <strong>7. Sony's PS3</strong><br /> Like many companies, Sony relies on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to prevent people from modifying its products. The U.S. Copyright Office held a hearing Friday about whether it should continue to allow a copyright law exemption for circumventing access-control technology. Sony doesn't want the exemption to be allowed for game consoles. In <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/1201/2012/comments/Jeffrey_P._Cunard.pdf">comments</a> submitted to the Copyright Office, Sony's legal representative argued, "If the exemption is granted, it is virtually certain that successful hackers, under the guise of the exemption, will create the tools that enable even novice users to make, distribute, download, and play back illegal copies of [PlayStation 3] games." <P> Sony argued that its restrictions help sustain PS3 game prices. "The hacking of software on the PS3 or any other video game platform will result in an increase in the number of unlawful copies, which will, in turn, decrease the sales of authorized copies, thereby stifling video game developers' and publishers' incentives to create and distribute games," Sony's legal representative argued. <P> In other words, too much competition is bad for business. <P> <strong>8. Comcast's Xfinity</strong><br /> Comcast plans to exempt its "Xfinity On Demand" service from broadband data caps. Senator Al Franken recently <a href="http://www.franken.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=2068">expressed concern</a> that this appears to be a violation of the agreement Comcast made to secure approval of its NBCUniversal acquisition. Exempting your own data services from rules imposed on competitors doesn't sound very fair. But isn't that the idea? <P> <strong>9. Google's Android</strong><br /> Android is open and free. That's the party line. But really it's just less closed than the alternatives, at least until Mozilla's B2G launches. "Less closed," however, falls short of "open." Android comes with strings attached if you're a mobile carrier: anti-fragmentation clauses and default Google Apps. Android is open source of a sort. It's delayed source, released at Google's leisure. Google welcomes competition, but insists on a head start. <P> <strong>10. Amazon Publishing</strong><br /> Amazon's Kindle represents a reprise of what Apple did with its iPod and iTunes--it's a self-reinforcing software/hardware ecosystem. The Department of Justice recently <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/policy/232900138">went after Apple</a> and its publishing partners for price fixing, but many in the industry believe Amazon should have been the DOJ's target. <a href="http://blog.authorsguild.org/2012/02/16/amazon-innovation-and-the-rewards-of-the-free-market/">The Author's Guild claims</a> that Amazon used its power in the print industry to gain control over the e-book market and has been selling e-books at a loss to weaken competitors. <P> "A truly competitive, open market has no indispensable player that can call the shots," the Author's Guild says, lamenting the threat Amazon poses to Barnes & Noble. <P> If you see a truly competitive, open market in the wild, take a good look. Chances are someone is already working on erecting barriers to entry. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i>High-profile breaches against cloud-based services have forced tougher security and closer scrutiny of what to put in the cloud. In our <a href="http://www.darkreading.com/CloudSecurity/util/6156/download.html?k=axxe&cid=article_axxe">Dark Side Of The Cloud</a> report, we explain the risks. (Free registration required.)</i>2012-05-11T14:48:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/240000265?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsOne man's secret: Learn to program, stretch your ethics, and work for a clueless company. If you discovered a way to do your job so efficiently that you could earn four times your base salary in bonuses while working only one day in five, would you tell your employer? <P> In a post on Reddit earlier this week, a man from the Netherlands claims to come up with a way to automate his payment processing job using a game programming framework called <a href="http://www.yoyogames.com/">GameMaker</a> and C++. For the past four years, he says, he has been collecting about 90% of the bonus share offered by his company. That has amounted to 160,000 euros each year, for the past four years, on top of his 42,000 euro salary, or almost $260,000 total annually. Neither his employer, nor his bonus-deprived colleagues, are aware of this. <P> The question the young man asked Reddit is <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/tenoq/reddit_my_friends_call_me_a_scumbag_because_i/">whether the online community considered him to be "a scumbag"</a> because he had automated a job he had been contracted to do manually. <P> I sent a message via Reddit to the person posting in an effort to verify his identity and his claim. He provided his first name and asked not to be named. He declined to offer the details necessary to corroborate his story. He also declined to speak on the phone, citing his poor spoken English. His written English is pretty good. <P> <strong>[ Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/productivity_apps/240000179?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Microsoft Bing Friends Facebook</a>. ]</strong> <P> So for the sake of this column, let's call him "K" in honor of Franz Kafka, for lack of a better pseudonym. It is of course possible that K's tale is concocted. The folks behind GameMaker, Yo Yo Games, could have fabricated the whole thing as a form of stealth marketing, though spokesperson for the company insists that's not the case. <P> K provided enough information in his correspondence that I find his account plausible. For example, he sent me a block of code from his automation program. While this snippet is not the complete program, it looks like it supports interaction with PDFs and spreadsheets in an automated workflow. <P> I find K's story interesting because the issue of workplace automation is likely to become relevant for more and more occupations. As Douglas Rushkoff <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/2011-09-07/opinion/rushkoff.jobs.obsolete_1_toll-collectors-robots-jobs?_s=PM:OPINION">wrote</a> last year, "New technologies are wreaking havoc on employment figures--from EZpasses ousting toll collectors to Google-controlled self-driving automobiles rendering taxicab drivers obsolete. Every new computer program is basically doing some task that a person used to do. But the computer usually does it faster, more accurately, for less money, and without any health insurance costs." <P> Every knowledge worker should be considering the possibility that computers soon may be able to do his or her job at a lower cost, if not better. <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2012/03/narrative_science_robot_journalists_customized_news_and_the_danger_to_civil_discourse_.single.html">That includes journalists</a>. <P> K says he works for a French company that processes cell phone bills, ISP bills, water bills, and paychecks, among other things. The bills are presented as PDF files. Using Game Maker, some free code libraries available online, and some code he wrote himself, he says, he has been able to automate the business process that his colleagues still do manually. His code allows him to interact with icons on screen and to convert display text into text stored in variables for programmatic processing. <P> K says that his work script allows him to do a week's work in eight hours. He says he fills the rest of his week playing games on his phone and reading websites like Reddit. He expressed reluctance to reveal what he has done for fear of angering his co-workers. <P> Professor Kirk O. Hanson, executive director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, chuckled upon hearing K's tale. "If the company is not aware of something like that, shame on the company," he said in a phone interview. "A company should be able to detect when an employee has automated some process." <P> The company in question appears to have tried to exercise some control over its systems: K says he has to use a VPN to escape his company's firewall and access external websites. <P> In any event, Hanson is not giving K a pass on the ethics of his scheme. "The individual employee owes the company some information about the way he or she is performing a task," he said. "It was easier in a world where everyone sat at adjoining desks and the boss was able to see you working. But even in the virtual world, you still owe your employer some information about the process of work." <P> Collecting most of the company bonus pool because you've found a way to change the nature of your work, Hanson said, seems like taking advantage of the organization. <P> Indeed, from legal perspective, K's actions are hard to defend. "If you had invented a new process for doing the work with increased reliability, the company would presumably own that new process and would have the opportunity to share that innovation," Hanson said. <P> One could argue that companies withhold information from their employees all the time, so why shouldn't employees do the same? <P> But Hanson says that such rationalizations do not excuse dishonesty. "The right strategy [when a company is treating you unfairly] is to walk away," he said. "If there's injustice, quit. You want to encourage the company to do the right thing." <P> But if doing the right thing--being honest--will eliminate jobs, is that still the right thing in a time of high unemployment? In the European Union, unemployment presently averages about 10%. <P> And when so many companies have made ethically questionable decisions in recent years with barely a word from regulators--see <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-11/for-volcker-rule-jpmorgan-s-2-billion-loss-says-it-all.html">JPMorgan's $2 billion loss</a> as a recent example--it seems like a bit of a double standard to condemn a worker who conceals his secret for productivity while executives receive little more than tongue lashings for saddling taxpayers with the cost of their recklessness. <P> In the best of all possible worlds, K's employer would have a program that rewarded employees for automating their jobs. It would guarantee promotion and continued employment to those able to make their roles obsolete and improve corporate productivity. <P> But not all of us live in the best of all possible worlds.2012-05-11T09:05:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/240000179?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsIn an effort to outdo Google's social search integration, Microsoft has tagged Facebook. Here's what the move means.Search is going social, like it or not. In a few weeks, Microsoft plans to roll out a revised version of its Bing search engine that includes a way to involve Facebook friends in the search process. <P> While the move looks like a response to Google's Search Plus Your World social integration, announced in January, it's more than that. Microsoft believes it can make search better by enabling Bing users to pose questions during the search process to Facebook users. This functionality will be available to users shortly through a new sidebar interface. <P> "You can post a question to get help from your Facebook friends as you search," explain Bing corporate VPs Derrick Connell and Harry Shum in <a href="http://www.bing.com/community/site_blogs/b/search/archive/2012/05/10/spend-less-time-searching-more-time-doing-introducing-the-new-bing.aspx#comments">a blog post</a>. "You can 'tag' friends Bing suggests might know about the topic. In a few simple clicks you can share your search and your friends can reply to your question on either Facebook or Bing." <P> Bing will also be aggregating content posted on social networks and services like Twitter, Foursquare, Quora, LinkedIn, Google Plus and Blogger, and presenting that content when relevant. <P> <strong>[ See <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/social_networking_consumer/232400002?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google Marries Google+ To Search Results </a>. ]</strong> <P> All the major browsers support some form of privacy mode. Internet Explorer looks like it will be the first to get a publicity mode. Nonetheless, Microsoft insists it has made an effort to maximize privacy protections. The company says that while you're using Bing and signed into Facebook, Bing will only reveal content that friends could access through Facebook directly. <P> For the <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/privacy/232901428">8.6% of U.S. Facebook users</a> who don't use, or don't know about, Facebook's privacy settings, that may not be very assuring. <P> Behind this latest revision, the most significant in the past three years according to Microsoft, is the belief that search isn't enough. Microsoft tried to convey this message when it launched Bing as a "decision engine," the idea being that a search is just a stepping stone on the way to a decision. <P> Now the message is that people power Microsoft's decision engine. "People have become as important as pages and search needs to evolve to embrace these changes," Connell and Shum say. "The challenge has been to figure out how to integrate the information you care about with the people who can be most helpful to you in getting stuff done." <P> For Microsoft investors, the more salient question is how much money is enough to compete. Microsoft has reportedly spent more than <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/20/technology/microsoft_bing/index.htm?source=cnn_bin">$5.5 billion</a> to date on Bing. Bing's U.S. market share was about 15% in March, <a href="http://www.comscore.com/Press_Events/Press_Releases/2012/4/comScore_Releases_March_2012_U.S._Search_Engine_Rankings">according to comScore</a>, which put Google's U.S. market share at about 66% during the same period. Globally, the gap is even wider: Net Application's <a href="http://www.netmarketshare.com/search-engine-market-share.aspx?qprid=4&qpcustomd=0">NetMarketShare</a> estimates that Google's global desktop search market share stands at 78%, with Bing at 4%, behind Baidu and Yahoo. And in the global mobile search market, <a href="http://www.netmarketshare.com/search-engine-market-share.aspx?qprid=4&qpcustomd=1">it's a one-horse race</a>, with Google at over 91% and Bing barely registering at 1%. <P> Evidently undaunted by Google's lead in mobile search, or perhaps just confident that Microsoft's antitrust complaints against Google have finally stirred regulators to action, Connell and Shum promise an improved Bing experience on mobile devices (m.bing.com) will soon be available. And they insist that testing reveals a preference for Bing when users aren't bedazzled by the Google brand. <P> "When shown unbranded search results 43% prefer Bing results while only 28% prefer Google results," they claim. <P> Microsoft has to hope that social search proves popular, because Google isn't likely to drop its branding just to give Bing a leg up.2012-05-10T15:05:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/240000159?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsApp Center is Facebook's second attempt at a central app repository; plans include paid apps.<!-- Image Aligning right --><!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/slideshows/preview/232600506/use-facebook-apps-to-woo-customers-6-examples"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/737/HSN_full.PNG" alt="Use Facebook Apps To Woo Customers: 6 Examples" title="Use Facebook Apps To Woo Customers: 6 Examples" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle">Facebook Apps In Action</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --><!-- / Image Aligning right --> In a few weeks, Facebook says, it will open its own app store, called App Center, to help make Facebook apps, Web apps, and mobile apps easier to find. <P> The social networking company, expected to go public later this month, hopes that a central app repository will make apps easier to find and is asking developers to prepare their apps for inclusion when <a href="https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/2012/05/09/introducing-the-app-center/">App Center</a> launches. The company says that Facebook (a.k.a. canvas), mobile, and Web apps that comply with its guidelines are eligible to be listed in its app store. But not every compliant app is assured inclusion. Facebook reserves the right "to remove apps that do not meet a high quality bar." <P> <a href="https://developers.facebook.com/docs/appcenter/guidelines/">Facebook's guidelines</a> for app quality are not as extensive as <a href="https://developer.apple.com/appstore/guidelines.html">Apple's guidelines</a>, but they serve the same purpose: to safeguard the user experience by excluding obnoxious, tasteless, or otherwise undesirable apps. <P> This is Facebook's second attempt at a central app repository. The company launched its App Directory in 2009 but decided to <a href="https://developers.facebook.com/blog/post/523/">steer developers toward search-based discovery</a> last year. App Directory drove less than 0.5% of all app installs, Facebook product manager Carl Sjogreen said last June. <P> <strong>[ Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/java/240000070?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google Seeks New Trial In Oracle Fight</a>. ]</strong> <P> To entice developers to submit their apps to App Center, Facebook is promising exposure for well-designed apps, and data about how users rate developers' apps over time through its Insights service. In Apple's iTunes App Store, such exposure is coveted: Apps that have been featured generally see a substantial surge in downloads, usage, and revenue. <P> Facebook's App Center aims to promote the installation of mobile apps for Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems by linking App Center mobile app listings to the download pages in the iTunes App Store or Google Play. This is isn't just charity: Many mobile apps rely on Facebook functions for account authentication and social interaction. <P> Building App Center with support for mobile apps also addresses Facebook's acknowledged mobile shortcomings. In a revised IPO filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, Facebook elaborated on previous warnings that its ability to monetize mobile users remains uncertain. The company's recent decision to acquire mobile photo app company Instagram for $1 billion underscores its interest in enhancing its mobile competency. <P> Facebook's plans go beyond making apps more discoverable. The company also sees a revenue opportunity. It will be providing Facebook app developers with the opportunity to offer paid apps using "a simple-to-implement payment feature." Initially, this service will only be available to developers selected for the beta testing program. Facebook will take a 30% cut of paid app sales, like most other app stores. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i>See why NEC's network controller and eight other products stood out at Interop 2012 in the new, all-digital <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/gogreen/050712s/?k=axxe&cid=article_axxt_os">Best of Interop</a> issue of InformationWeek. (Free registration required.)</i> <P>2012-05-09T15:07:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/240000070?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsGoogle says incomplete verdict returned on Monday violates its constitutional trial rights.<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/software/operating_systems/232900568"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/782/01_tn.jpg" alt="Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence" title="Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle">Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> Google on Tuesday filed a motion asking the judge hearing Oracle's copyright and patent lawsuit against Google to declare a mistrial. <P> Google's legal team on Monday indicated it would seek a new trial when the jury returned an incomplete verdict. The jury found that Google had infringed on some of Oracle's copyrighted Java APIs, though not to the extent that Oracle had hoped. But the jurors were unable to agree on whether Google's use of Java in its Android operating system was permissible fair use. <P> "Although the jury concluded that Oracle had proven that Google infringed the overall structure, sequence and organization of the copyrighted works, the jury did not reach a unanimous verdict as to whether Google had proven the affirmative defense of fair use," Google's filing says. "Under settled Supreme Court and Ninth Circuit law, the jury&#8217;s failure to reach a verdict concerning both halves of this indivisible question requires a new trial concerning both questions." <P> <strong>[ Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/java/232901575?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google Copied Java, Jury Says; Fair Use Question Open </a>. ]</strong> <P> Google argues that accepting the finding of infringement and retrying only the issue of fair use violates its Seventh Amendment trial rights. <P> Oracle in its response acknowledges that a retrial would be costly and time-consuming and proposes that the court rule on whether Google's actions qualify as fair use. It also reiterated its claim for a share of Android's profits in addition to other damages, if fair use is not found. <P> The judge hearing the case, William Alsup, said on Monday that Oracle's claim for "infringer's profits" was "bordering on the ridiculous." <P> Google also filed a motion opposing Oracle's claim that the court should disallow Google's effort to challenge Oracle's ownership of the copyrights at issue. Google insists the issue of ownership is not settled because Oracle has not demonstrated that it owns a copyright to Java as a collective work--the evidence introduced so far at trial indicates that Java is registered as a single work. Google's filing says Oracle's claim "is as if Tolstoy argued that his copyright rights in <em>War & Peace</em> were violated by copying a dozen sentences from the novel because those sentences were individual works." <P> While the two sides await rulings on their motions, the trial continued on Wednesday, with Oracle trying to prove its Java patents were infringed. <P> Google's desire for a new trial might serve to encourage Judge Alsup to rule on the copyrightability of Oracle's Java APIs, widely seen as the critical issue in the case. Judges generally prefer not to rule on issues unnecessarily, and had the jury excused Google's actions as fair use or found no infringement, Judge Alsup would not need to decide whether APIs qualify for copyright protection. <P> Oracle's claim that its Java APIs qualify for copyright protection has prompted widespread concern in the technical community. If Oracle prevails, many fear that software development will become expensive or impermissible in certain circumstances due to licensing demands from owners of copyrighted code. <P> "Treating APIs as copyrightable would have a profound negative impact on interoperability, and, therefore, innovation," wrote EFF Attorney Julie Samuels in a post on Monday. "APIs are ubiquitous and fundamental to all kinds of program development. It is safe to say that <em>all</em> software developers use APIs to make their software work with other software." <P> Michael Risch, associate professor of law at Villanova University, believes that the court will rule APIs cannot be copyrighted to the extent that Oracle claims. Based on what he has read of the court proceedings, Risch on Wednesday <a href="http://madisonian.net/2012/05/09/oracle-v-google-digging-deeper/">wrote</a>, "I think that the court will have no choice but to hold that the collection of API names is uncopyrightable--at least at this level of abstraction and claimed infringement." <P> Last week, the Court of Justice of the European Union said as much when it found that neither the functionality of a computer program nor the format of its data files qualify for copyright protection. The judge has asked Oracle and Google to offer opinions on the foreign court's ruling as it pertains to Oracle's claim. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i>InformationWeek is conducting a survey to get a baseline look at where enterprises stand on their IPv6 deployments, with a focus on problem areas, including security, training, budget, and readiness. Upon completion of our survey, you will be eligible to enter a drawing to receive an 16-GB Apple iPad. Take our <a href="http://informationweek.2012IPv6.sgizmo.com/s3">InformationWeek IPv6 Survey</a> now. Survey ends May 11. </i>2012-05-08T17:15:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232901672?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsGoogle's autonomous cars can now lawfully be tested on Nevada roadways, using the first such license issued in the U.S.Google has been granted a license to test its experimental self-driving cars on Nevada roads, the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles said on Tuesday. <P> <center><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/1332/google_car.jpg" width="600" height="450" alt="Google Self Driving Car" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" style="margin-bottom:7px;" /><br /></center></p> <P> The agency said the license is the first issued in the U.S. under <a href="http://leg.state.nv.us/NRS/NRS-482A.html#NRS482ASec010">new state laws and regulations</a> that permit autonomous vehicle development. <P> Having satisfied the Nevada DMV's Autonomous Review Committee with demonstrations on state freeways, highways, and roads in Carson City and Las Vegas, Google has been licensed to operate its driverless cars and has been supplied with special red license plates bearing an infinity symbol. <P> Nevada DMV director Bruce Breslow in a statement <a href="http://www.dmvnv.com/news/12005-autonomous-vehicle-licensed.htm">characterized the infinity symbol</a> as "the best way to represent the 'car of the future'" and noted that the distinctive plate will help the public and law enforcement personnel identify Google's cars. When autonomous cars are available to the public, said Breslow, the vehicles will be designated with an infinity symbol on green license plate. <P> <strong>[ Google may have passed its road test, but it seems to have lost a legal test. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/java/232901575?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google Copied Java, Jury Says; Fair Use Question Open</a>. ]</strong> <P> Auto makers have expressed interest in testing autonomous vehicles in the future, according to the Nevada DMV, though the agency did not specify which ones intend to follow in Google's footsteps. <P> "We're excited to receive the first testing license for self-driving vehicles in Nevada," a Google spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "We believe the state's framework--the first of its kind--will help speed up the delivery of technology that will make driving safer and more enjoyable." <P> The only publicly reported accident involving a Google driverless car to date occurred last year when <a href="http://www.nbcbayarea.com/blogs/press-here/Google-Blames-Human-for-Robot-Car-Crash-126845683.html">a human driver</a> was behind the wheel. In March, Google product manager Anthony Levandowski said Google autonomous vehicles had traveled over 200,000 miles safely on California roads. <P> Nevada isn't likely to be the only state where autonomous vehicles roam. Google in March obtained <a href="https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/STA_Print.cfm?mode=current&application_seq=50928">permission from the Federal Communications Commission</a> to operate automatic cruise control (ACC) radar units in the 76.0-77.0 GHz band for driverless car navigation. The FCC permit, which covers the San Francisco Bay Area, extending south to Santa Cruz, Calif., and north and east to South Lake Tahoe, Calif., expires at the end of September, 2012. <P> It was also in March that California State Senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) introduced Senate Bill 1298 to direct the California Highway Patrol to develop autonomous vehicle testing rules. The California State Assembly has yet to approve the bill. <P> Google says that while it looks forward to working with Senator Padilla to advance his bill, California does not yet have regulations comparable to Nevada's. <P> Arizona, Hawaii, Florida and Oklahoma are also in the process of considering autonomous vehicle legislation. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i>InformationWeek is conducting a survey to get a baseline look at where enterprises stand on their IPv6 deployments, with a focus on problem areas, including security, training, budget, and readiness. Upon completion of our survey, you will be eligible to enter a drawing to receive an 16-GB Apple iPad. Take our <a href="http://informationweek.2012IPv6.sgizmo.com/s3">InformationWeek IPv6 Survey</a> now. Survey ends May 11. </i>2012-05-08T14:35:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232901651?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsNow faded social network must tell the truth about how it handles personal information and undergo privacy audits for the next two decades.<!-- Image Aligning right --><!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/slideshows/preview/232600506/use-facebook-apps-to-woo-customers-6-examples"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/737/HSN_full.PNG" alt="Use Facebook Apps To Woo Customers: 6 Examples" title="Use Facebook Apps To Woo Customers: 6 Examples" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle">Facebook Apps In Action</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span></div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --><!-- / Image Aligning right --> Myspace on Tuesday settled charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission that it made false promises about protecting user data. <P> In its privacy policy and public statements, the faded social network promised not to share users' personally identifiable information with third parties without first asking permission and promised not to use personally identifiable information to customize ads. <P> Myspace violated those promises, <a href="http://ftc.gov/opa/2012/05/myspace.shtm">according to the FTC</a>. The company provided third-party advertisers with users' Friend IDs, which are account numbers linked to basic personal information. In so doing, the company enabled advertisers to create profiles linked to individual identities. <P> The FTC is not claiming that any ad company has made such a profile and the agency declined to discuss whether it might investigate whether any advertising network has compiled personal profiles using data gathered from Myspace. The settlement addresses the gap between Myspace's words--its privacy policy--and its actions. <P> <strong>[ Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/productivity_apps/232901587?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google+ Hangouts On Air: Broadcasting For All</a>. ]</strong> <P> Regardless, advertisers didn't need to create Myspace user profiles because Myspace provided assistance with the delivery of personally targeted ads. <P> From January 2009 through June 2010--a year before the social network was sold for $35 million to Specific Media and celebrity Justin Timberlake--most of the ads displayed on Myspace were delivered via the Fox Audience Network (FAN), an ad network affiliated with Myspace. <P> To enable FAN to target ads, Myspace included the Friend ID, age, and gender of Myspace users in ad requests from Myspace Web pages, the FTC complaint says. And it did so in unprotected plain text. When FAN's ad inventory had no ad to place, the ad request was handed off to a third-party ad network to be filled, and the same personal information was provided. None of this was permissible under the terms of the Myspace privacy policy. <P> The settlement requires that Myspace cease misrepresenting its privacy promises. It also requires that Myspace set up a privacy program to protect users' information and to submit to independent third-party privacy audits every two years for the next 20 years. <P> Myspace might want to work on scheduling a site visit immediately: With Facebook, Google, and Twitter, among others, already under FTC orders to submit to biennial privacy audits, finding an available privacy inspector could be something of a challenge. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i>The <a href="http://e2conf.com/boston?_mc=E2IWKPREM">Enterprise 2.0 Conference</a> brings together industry thought leaders to explore the latest innovations in enterprise social software, analytics, and big data tools and technologies. Learn how your business can harness these tools to improve internal business processes and create operational efficiencies. It happens in Boston, June 18-21. Register today! </i>2012-05-08T08:49:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232901587?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsUsers of Google+ can now host live video events for as many viewers as they can attract.<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/cloud-computing/platform/232901088"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/787/slideshow001_tn.jpg" alt="Google Drive: 10 Alternatives To See" title="Google Drive: 10 Alternatives To See" class="img175" /></a><br/> <div class="storyImageTitle">Google Drive: 10 Alternatives To See</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> Ending seven months of celebrity favoritism, Google has opened its social video broadcasting service, Hangouts On Air, to the public. Now anyone with a webcam can stream live video over the Internet through Google+. <P> "Today we're excited to launch <a href="http://support.google.com/plus/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2553119&topic=2553242&ctx=topic">Hangouts On Air</a> to Google+ users worldwide," said Google engineering director Chee Chew in a <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/google-hangouts-on-air-broadcast-your.html">blog post</a> on Monday. "So if you have something to say--as an aspiring artist, a global celebrity, or a concerned citizen--you can now go live in front of a global audience." <P> Hangouts, a video chat service that can accommodate up to 10 Google+ users, is arguably the most innovative aspect of Google's social networking layer. Hangouts On Air, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/google/231601791">made available last September</a> to a limited number of high-profile Google+ users like <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/109351399938437494273/posts">will.i.am</a>, takes Hangouts a step further by allowing any number of people to view a Hangout. <P> <strong>[ Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/smart_phones/232300527?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google Hangouts Go Mobile</a>. ]</strong> <P> Hangouts On Air viewers, however, cannot participate in the Hangout; they can only watch and listen. That turns out to be ideal to recreate the oligarchic, few-to-many TV broadcasting model on the Internet, where communication has tended to be more bi-directional and democratic. <P> The advantage of the broadcast model is that traditional media companies know how to exploit it more effectively than they do the Internet model. It's also more suitable for most performing arts, because it's hard to perform when everyone has equal access to the microphone. <P> Anyone with a Google+ account and the necessary computer gear-- a webcam, a microphone, and a decent Internet connection--can start a Hangouts On Air broadcast. Up to nine additional people can join the video chat, and any number of additional people can watch and listen to what's going on. <P> Once when a Hangout On Air session concludes, the video file will be made available on the initiating user's Google+ home page. Thereafter, it can be edited using YouTube's Video Manager editing tools. <P> Google made Hangouts accessible via mobile devices in December, but Hangouts On Air remains a desktop-only product for now. This may have something to do with mobile service providers: Presumably, their networks would be overwhelmed with data if enough subscribers initiated Hangouts On Air broadcasts from their mobile phones. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <P>2012-05-07T16:26:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232901575?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsJudge Alsup rejects Oracle counsel David Boies' claim for "infringer's profits" from nine copied lines of Java code as "bordering on the ridiculous."Google infringed Oracle's copyrighted Java APIs when it created its Android operating system, a jury in San Francisco decided on Monday. But Google did not violate Oracle's Java documentation copyrights, the jury found. <P> Delivering a partial verdict after more than four days of deliberation, the jury could not agree on whether Google's use of Oracle's APIs was defensible as fair use. <P> Here's how Oracle's legal team graphically depicted the issue to the jury: <center><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/782/06_crop.jpg" width="590" height="487" alt="Android is not a clean room implementation" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" style="margin-bottom:7px;" /><br /></center></p> <P> The test for whether infringement is allowable as fair use depends on the purpose of the copying, the creativity of the copied work, the quality and quantity of copying, and the effect the copy has on the market for the original. <P> In response to the incompleteness of the jury's ruling, Google moved for a mistrial. The judge hearing the case, William Alsup, will consider Google's argument in support of its motion later this week. <P> The trial, pending since last August when Oracle filed its lawsuit against Google, began in mid-April and is expected to continue through May: Oracle's two patent claims have yet to be considered. Oracle initially sought $1 billion in damages. Presently, it appears Oracle is unlikely to win any more than $100 million, even if it prevails in its patent claims. <P> Google's copyright infringement--nine lines of code in the <code>rangeCheck</code> method in TimSort.java and ComparableTimSort.Java, code since excised from Android--may not by itself be enough for Oracle to win significant damages. After the jury delivered its verdict and left the room temporarily, Judge Alsup rejected Oracle counsel David Boies's claim for "infringer's profits" from the nine copied lines as "bordering on the ridiculous." The amount of any penalty imposed on Google won't be known until the conclusion of the patent phase of the trial, which began on Monday immediately following the partial verdict. <P> <strong>[ What is the possible fallout for developers from this case? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/java/232901256?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Oracle And The End Of Programming As We Know It </a>. ]</strong> <P> Judge Alsup has also indicated that he will rule on whether APIs can be copyrighted if infringement has been found. Google insists APIs cannot be copyrighted and a recent EU court decision supports that view. Last week, the Court of Justice of the European Union <a href="http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2012-05/cp120053en.pdf">ruled</a> in SAS Institute Inc. v World Programming Ltd. that neither the functionality of computer program nor the format of its data files are expressive enough to merit copyright protection. <P> "We appreciate the jury's efforts, and know that fair use and infringement are two sides of the same coin," Google said in an emailed statement. "The core issue is whether the APIs here are copyrightable, and that's for the court to decide. We expect to prevail on this issue and Oracle's other claims." <P> Oracle also thanked the jury for its service in a statement that cast Google as a license scofflaw. "The overwhelming evidence demonstrated that Google knew it needed a license and that its unauthorized fork of Java in Android shattered Java's central write once run anywhere principle," the company said. "Every major commercial enterprise--except Google--has a license for Java and maintains compatibility to run across all computing platforms." <P> The infringement ruling comes at a time when Google faces the imminent possibility of formal <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/policy/232901564">antitrust investigations</a> of its search business in the U.S, Europe, Asia, and South America. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a>2012-05-07T14:35:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232901564?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsRegulators in Europe, the U.S., and now India circle Google; number of formal complaints still to be determined.<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/software/operating_systems/232900568"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/782/01_tn.jpg" alt="Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence" title="Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle">Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->Compounding Google's regulatory entanglements, India has begun an antitrust investigation into the search company's online advertising business. <P> According to <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gP-ygguIXjI5jW96P8fQITbDZhjw?docId=CNG.e775d2eb4e612af7f0bc3bf289337f2c.501">Agence France Presse</a>, S.L. Bunker, Secretary of Competition Commission of India, said the investigation is expected to take several months and is in response to a complaint about discriminatory AdWords practices filed by Bharatmatrimony.com, an Indian marriage website. <P> The investigation aims to determine whether there's any merit to the complaint against Google. <P> Google in a statement said, "Though competition is always a click away, we understand that with success comes scrutiny. We have not received any communication from the CCI, but we're always happy to answer questions about our business, and we're confident that our products are compliant with competition law in India." <P> In February, India's financial law enforcement agency, the Directorate General of Economic Enforcement, launched an investigation into Google's and Yahoo's business practices to determine whether either of the two companies had violated the country's foreign exchange law. India's <a href="http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-02-11/news/31050048_1_search-results-google-tax-efficient-structure">Economic Times</a> suggests the inquiry is linked to litigation in the country to make Google, Yahoo, and other social networking sites take more responsibility for objectionable content. <P> <strong>[ Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/policy/232901110?itc=edit_in_body_cross">FTC Hires Attorney, Eyes Google Search: What's Next?</a>. ]</strong> <P> Late last month, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission signaled it was getting serious about taking action against Google. The agency hired an experienced antitrust litigator to helm its own antitrust investigation into Google's search advertising business, a possibility that Google has been lobbying to avoid for the past three years. <P> Regulators in Europe have been engaged in their own fact finding about Google's ad business, following complaints from Google's competitors in Europe. Last week, EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia told <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/04/net-us-eu-google-idUSBRE8430FD20120504">Reuters</a> that the Commission was in no hurry to decide whether to pursue formal charges and that it is very serious about the case. <P> Three states--California, New York, and Texas--are conducting their own inquiries into Google's ad business. Regulators in Argentina and South Korea also are looking into whether Google has violated antitrust laws. <P> On Monday, the National Taxpayer's Union, a business lobbying group <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=National_Taxpayers_Union">funded by Philip Morris</a> among others, published <a href="http://www.ntu.org/news-and-issues/telecom/57an-open-letter-to-public.html">an open letter</a> expressing concern that the FTC's approach to antitrust enforcement could hamper corporate competitiveness. <P> "Google, with its popular online search engine, is the latest target of regulators claiming to be acting in consumers' interests, even though barriers to entry into the search market are exceedingly low and Google's competition is but one click away for online users," the letter states. <P> How low are the exceedingly low barriers that bar entry into the search market? Try over a billion a quarter. As of last September, Microsoft had spent <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/20/technology/microsoft_bing/index.htm">$5.5 billion building and running Bing</a>. <P> The letter urges regulators to revise "our broken, burdensome regulatory and fiscal management systems in order to foster strong competition and economic growth into the future." <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a>2012-05-04T15:00:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232901481?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsIf the jury cannot reach a verdict, the judge might weigh in on the question of whether APIs can be copyrighted.<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/software/operating_systems/232900568"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/782/01_tn.jpg" alt="Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence" title="Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle">Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->After deliberating for more than three days, the jury tasked with determining whether Google's Android operating system infringes Oracle's intellectual property rights in Java remained undecided about the copyright claim as noon, Pacific Time, approached on Friday. <P> Oracle sued Google last year, alleging that Android infringed Oracle's Java copyrights and patents. The trial began three weeks ago. <P> Oracle initially asked for $1 billion and an injunction to block the shipment of Android devices, but the potential damages--if Google isn't exonerated--are now expected to be <a href="http://www.groklaw.net/articlebasic.php?story=20120319191637551">less than $100 million</a>. <P> Based on questions that the jury posed to Judge William Alsup on Thursday, there was speculation that jury is leaning toward finding there was copyright infringement. But there's evidently an impasse, which may indicate that at least some members of the jury are inclined to allow the infringement under the fair use doctrine. <P> Until the jury renders its verdict or declares that it cannot reach a unanimous decision, the outcome will remain uncertain. Judge Alsup on Friday indicated that he's willing to accept a partial verdict, meaning that unresolved questions will have to be retried, if they haven't been made moot by a judicial ruling. <P> <strong>[ For a legal precedent, read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/java/232901367?itc=edit_in_body_cross">EU Court Says Computer Functions Not Copyrightable</a>. ]</strong> <P> The primary issue that might be made moot is whether Oracle can even make a copyright claim. The judge has made clear that he reserves the right to rule on whether APIs can be copyrighted under the law. But presumably, he'd rather not if there are other means to resolve Oracle's claim. If Google is found not to have infringed, he doesn't need to rule on the copyrightability of APIs. If Google is found to have infringed, but to have done so as permitted under the fair use doctrine, he also doesn't need to rule on whether APIs can be protected. <P> However, if the jury finds that Google infringed and that Google's actions don't qualify as fair use, then the copyrightability of APIs comes into play. Google's position is that APIs, like computer languages, cannot be copyrighted; Oracle disagrees. <P> Google's counsel, Robert Van Nest, on Thursday made it clear that that he objected to a partial verdict, noting that lack of unanimity should result in a mistrial. A partial verdict could harm Google's case: If infringement is affirmed but fair use remains undetermined, Google's prematurely assumed guilt might influence the forthcoming patent phase of the trial. <P> Chances are Judge Alsup is aware that a partial verdict is arguably prejudicial and if he's considering a partial verdict, it could indicate his willingness to fill in the gap by ruling on the copyrightability of APIs. Earlier in the trial, the judge indicated that he might rule on whether APIs can be copyrighted. <P> On Thursday, that very question was resolved in Europe: The Court of Justice of the European Union <a href="http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2012-05/cp120053en.pdf">ruled</a> in a similar case, SAS Institute Inc. v. World Programming Ltd, that neither the functionality of computer program nor the format of its data files are expressive enough to merit copyright protection. <P> Judge Alsup asked Google's and Oracle's attorneys to file briefs on the question of API copyrightability by May 10, making reference to the EU court ruling. <P> Tyler Ochoa, a professor with the High-Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University, said in a phone interview that Oracle has conceded that the Java programming language is not copyrighted, but claims the APIs. "Most of the programmers I've talked to think that the APIs are an integral part of Java," he said. Ochoa expressed skepticism that the Java language could be free to use while the instructions for using the language--the APIs--could be protected. <P> Ochoa also believes that the judge made a mistake in his jury instructions--specifically, <a href="http://www.groklaw.net/pdf3/OraGoogle-1012.pdf">item 30</a>--by stating that Google had to obtain <em>written</em> permission from Sun or Oracle to use the copyrighted Java APIs. <P> "That's simply not true," he stated, noting that written permission is required only for an exclusive license and that a non-exclusive license can be conveyed verbally. Google has argued that Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz's endorsement of Android amounted to just such a license. <P> "If you've promised someone you can use something, you've given them a license," Ochoa said, adding that the license may be irrevocable if the party relied on that promise and made investments based on it. The evidence Google presented that Sun knew what it was doing with Android should be enough to qualify as an implicit license, according to Ochoa. <P> <strong>Update: </strong>As of 1 p.m. Pacific time on Friday, Judge Alsup told the jury, deadlocked on one undisclosed issue, to resume deliberations on Monday in the hope of reaching a unanimous verdict. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i>InformationWeek is conducting a survey to get a baseline look at where enterprises stand on their IPv6 deployments, with a focus on problem areas, including security, training, budget, and readiness. Upon completion of our survey, you will be eligible to enter a drawing to receive an 16-GB Apple iPad. Take our <a href="http://informationweek.2012IPv6.sgizmo.com/s3">InformationWeek IPv6 Survey</a> now. Survey ends May 11. </i> <P>2012-05-04T09:05:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232901428?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsA Consumer Reports survey of Facebook users reveals many people still ignore privacy controls and sharing risks. Do you understand the common mistakes that could bite back? <!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/slideshows/232602613"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/759/slide1_full.jpg" alt="6 Social Sites Sitting On The Cutting Edge" title="6 Social Sites Sitting On The Cutting Edge" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">6 Social Sites Sitting On The Cutting Edge</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->Facebook no longer represents that it offers privacy as a matter of policy, like some other companies do. It states outright that it will use your data. It has a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/">Data Use Policy</a> instead of a Privacy Policy. <P> But consider the dictionary definition of privacy: <em>1) The state or condition of being free from being observed or disturbed by other people; 2) The state of being free from public attention.</em> If that's your gold standard, then you cannot use Facebook or any other online service for that matter, at least not without privacy-protecting technology. Once you venture online, once you share, you're talking about something less than privacy. Online services may talk about how they respect privacy, but they should really be talking about data usage and sharing. <P> Facebook's privacy settings would be better referred to as sharing settings. That might encourage more people to use them. According to <em>Consumer Reports</em>, 13 million out of 150 million U.S. Facebook users don't use, or are not aware of, Facebook's privacy settings. <P> <strong>[ Learn more about Facebook's good developer seal of approval. Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/news/marketing/232901004?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Facebook Blesses Adobe Social Marketing Apps</a>. ]</strong> <P> <em>Consumer Reports'</em> data comes from <a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/06/facebook-your-privacy/index.htm">a survey of 2,002 online households</a>, 1,340 of which are active on Facebook. From this limited data set, the magazine has projected nationwide Facebook usage trends. The magazine's findings reveal some surprising privacy blind spots. <P> <strong>1. Privacy Settings</strong><br /> <P> The fact that only 13 million, or 8.6%, of U.S. Facebook users, don't use, or don't know about, Facebook's privacy settings can be seen as encouraging because it's a relatively small percentage. It's high compared to the rate of illiteracy in the United States, which is about <a href="http://nces.ed.gov/naal/lit_history.asp#illiteracy">1% or less</a> if you accept a very lax definition of literacy. But it's about what you'd expect if you consider functional illiteracy, which suggests some <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-01-08-adult-literacy_N.htm">23 million U.S. adults have very low reading skills</a>. If you use Facebook, Facebook literacy is a must. <P> <strong>2. Location Sharing</strong><br /> <P> <em>Consumer Reports</em> estimates that 4.8 million people have published posts that contain details about their whereabouts during the day. The magazine calls this "a potential tip-off to burglars." While there have been <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/social_network/219500358">reports of burglaries</a> linked to online posts about being away from home, you have to wonder whether other methods of location broadcasting--such as leaving home, when anyone might observe your absence without leaving an online data trail--might not present more of a risk. Even so, it's probably best to think twice about saying too much about one's travel plans. <P> <strong>3. "Liking" Things That Could Be Used Against You</strong><br /> <P> Some 4.7 million people have "liked" a Facebook page about a health condition or treatment. <em>Consumer Reports</em> suggests insurers could use this information against you. That may sound far-fetched, but there have already been documented cases of insurers <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jan/25/business/la-fi-facebook-evidence-20110125">scouring Facebook to fight fraud</a>. And as <em>Consumer Reports</em> notes, the IRS and other government agencies are allowed to comb Facebook, and in some instances friend people, to fight fraud.<strong>4. Betraying Family Privacy</strong><br /> <P> <em>Consumer Reports</em> says that some 39.3 million U.S. Facebook users identified a family member in their profile. Not a big deal in most cases, but how many times was permission sought? Not everyone wants to be tagged in a photo or posted about. That's an issue of user thoughtfulness. But Facebook could help out here by making it easier for people to avoid involvement in sharing. Making <a href="https://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=187272841323203">Tag Suggest opt-in rather than opt-out</a> would be a step in the right direction. <P> <strong>5. Telling Apps Too Much</strong><br /> <P> Only 37% of Facebook users bother to use the site's privacy controls to limit the data apps can see about them, according to <em>Consumer Reports'</em> survey. And anyone can create a Facebook app. Take a good look at the information requested by Facebook apps. You might be surprised. <P> <a href="http://www.sophos.com">Sophos</a> security researcher Chet Wisniewski in a phone interview called <em>Consumer Reports'</em> findings "disappointing but not surprising." As to whether or not the risks mentioned by the magazine are realistic, he said there's a lot of hype, but that doesn't mean the risks should be ignored. He said one problem with sharing he's seen has been stalking. <P> "A lot of young women post their movements on Facebook and don't realize their photos have GPS coordinates," Wisniewski said. He also pointed to the website <a href="http://pleaserobme.com/">pleaserobme.com</a> as a way to underscore the risks presented by sharing location information. <P> Online services, Wisniewski said, could do a better job with providing privacy by default instead of as something that has to be chosen. <P> "Unfortunately, it's a race to the bottom when some new feature or service is introduced," he said. "It's a race to zero privacy." <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i>As companies increase their use of cloud-based applications, IT and security professionals must make some tough and far-reaching decisions about how to provision, deprovision, and otherwise manage user access. This Dark Reading report, <a href="http://www.darkreading.com/CloudSecurity/util/7784/download.html?k=axxe&cid=article_axxe">How To Manage Identity In The Public Cloud</a>, examines the options and provides recommendations for determining which one is right for your organization. (Free registration required.)</i>2012-05-02T17:30:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232901367?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsRuling reaffirms the right to reverse engineer software and could enhance a Google appeal if Oracle prevails in its Java copyright claim.<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/software/operating_systems/232900568"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/782/01_tn.jpg" alt="Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence" title="Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle">Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE -->As the tech industry awaits a verdict in Oracle's copyright and patent infringement lawsuit against Google, the Court of Justice of the European Union <a href="http://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2012-05/cp120053en.pdf">has ruled</a> in a similar case, SAS Institute Inc. v World Programming Ltd, that "neither the functionality of a computer program nor the programming language and the format of data files used in a computer program" are expressive enough to qualify for copyright protection. <P> "To accept that the functionality of a computer program can be protected by copyright would amount to making it possible to monopolise ideas, to the detriment of technological progress and industrial development," the court said. <P> <a href="https://www.eff.org">EFF</a> attorney Kurt Opsahl said in an email, "The EU decision is consistent with U.S. law on this point, since U.S. courts have rejected copyright infringement for copying an existing program's functionality, in Computer Associates v. Altai and Lotus v. Borland." <P> <strong>[ <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/java/232901256?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Oracle And The End Of Programming As We Know It</a>. ]</strong> <P> Oracle's claim against Google, however, asserts a broader interpretation of what can be copyrighted. Oracle insists the structure, sequence, and organization of its Java APIs qualify for copyright protection. Google argues Oracle's claim is overreaching because it seeks to control ideas rather than a specific copyrighted expression of an idea. <P> Oracle's claim also covers a small amount--nine lines--of Java code found in Android (that Google has since removed), and patent infringement. <P> The EU decision is being hailed as a win for the software industry because it reaffirms the legality of reverse engineering--of re-implementing the functionality and data formats of another program. <P> Ed Black, CEO of the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), a tech industry lobbying group that counts Google as a member but not Oracle, offered the EU ruling as a lesson for the U.S courts. <P> "This ruling should be instructive in the Java litigation in the U.S.," said Black in a statement. "Improperly extending copyright protection to building blocks of innovation could cripple domestic software development and drive innovation abroad. We hope the ECJ's correct decision will help guide U.S. courts to get this right, as now America's competitiveness is at stake." <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i>See the future of business technology at <a href="http://www.interop.com/lasvegas/?_mc=CPQCNL07">Interop Las Vegas</a>, May 6-10. It's the best place to learn how cloud computing, mobile, video, virtualization, and other key technologies work together to drive business. Register today with priority code CPQCNL07 to get a free Expo Pass or to save 25% on Flex and Conference passes.</a>. </i> <P>2012-05-02T15:05:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232901348?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsGoogle engineers showed an average 23% improvement in page load time on mobile websites using Google's SPDY protocol. SPDY doesn't replace HTTP, but improves upon aspects of it.In its ongoing quest for speed--essential to make Web apps competitive with native apps--Google has demonstrated that mobile Web pages can be loaded much faster using an experimental protocol its engineers helped develop. <P> Using the SPDY protocol and a Samsung Galaxy Nexus phone running SPDY-enabled mobile browser Chrome for Android, Google tested 77 Web pages across 31 domains. The results were promising. <P> "The net result is that using SPDY results in a mean page load time improvement of 23% across these sites, compared to HTTP," explained Google engineers Matt Welsh, Ben Greenstein, and Michael Piatek in an <a href="https://developers.google.com/speed/articles/spdy-for-mobile">online post</a>. <P> The trio recommends that website operators "should consider using SPDY to speed up access to their sites from mobile devices." <P> <strong>[ Learn more about Google's contested Street View data collection methods. See <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/privacy/232901230?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google Wardriving: How Engineering Trumped Privacy</a>. ]</strong> <P> Improving Web page responsiveness is widely known to have a positive effect on page visitor metrics and e-commerce. And speed is probably even more important when users are on mobile devices, where real-world events and interactions compete for user attention. <P> First published in draft form in November 2009, SPDY is designed to transport Web content more efficiently. The protocol does so by compressing HTTP headers, by allowing HTTP requests to be processed out of order to reduce bottlenecks, and by allowing a single TCP connection to handle multiple requests in order to reduce TCP connection overhead. <P> SPDY is not a replacement for HTTP, though it does override some parts of it, specifically HTTP connection management and data transfer formats. Google has deployed SPDY in the stable version of its Chrome browser and uses it for services like Search and Gmail. Other companies have recently started adopting the protocol, too. Mozilla uses SPDY in Firefox, Amazon uses it in its Silk browser, and Twitter implemented it in March. <P> An Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) working group is presently considering both SPDY and a competing proposal from Microsoft, <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/interoperability/archive/2012/03/26/speed-and-mobility-an-approach-for-http-2-0-to-make-mobile-apps-and-the-web-faster.aspx">HTTP Speed+Mobility</a>, for inclusion in the forthcoming revision of the HTTP protocol, dubbed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_2.0">HTTP 2.0</a>. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i>SMBs have saved big buying software on a subscription model. The new, all-digital <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/gogreen/043012smb?k=axxe&cid=article_axxt_os">Cloud Beyond SaaS</a> issue of InformationWeek SMB shows how to determine if infrastructure services can pay off, too. Also in this issue: One startup's experience with infrastructure-as-a-service shows how the numbers stack up for IaaS vs. internal IT. (Free registration required.)</i>2012-05-01T15:00:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232901264?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsGoogle AdWords advertisers can now include mobile app download links in search ads. Publishers of native Android and iOS apps will likely be thrilled.<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/software/productivity_apps/232900732"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/783/01_newipadapps_tn.jpg" alt="10 Gorgeous Apps For New iPad" title="10 Gorgeous Apps For New iPad" class="img175" /></a><br/> <div class="storyImageTitle">10 Gorgeous Apps For New iPad</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and forslideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> Google has introduced a new way for its advertisers to promote native mobile apps, a move that underscores the crisis of faith among boosters of the Web as a platform. <P> AdWords advertisers now have the option to use the <a href="http://adwords.blogspot.com/2012/04/making-search-ads-work-for-businesses.html">Mobile App ad extension</a>, which allows a mobile app download link to be added to search ads delivered on mobile devices. Clicking on the link takes the user to the appropriate mobile app store so the app can be purchased and then installed directly onto the user's mobile phone. The extension serves links that are platform-appropriate, so download links for iOS apps will be shown on iOS devices and download links for Android apps will be shown on Android devices. <P> Publishers of native Android and iOS apps are likely to be thrilled: Anything that reduces the friction of discovering and downloading mobile apps makes a tough business a bit easier. Mobile app developers have tended to avoid search advertising because it hasn't driven downloads as effectively as other options, like mobile marketing services that allow app makers to pay for installation. But a year ago, Apple disallowed pay-per-install app promotions for iOS apps, so a legitimate way to drive downloads using mobile ads could prove popular. <P> <strong>[ Looking for a file sharing service? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/cloud-computing/platform/232901088?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google Drive: 10 Alternatives To See</a>. ]</strong> <P> For the past few years, Google has been one of the loudest supporters of Web apps, having even gone so far as to proclaim "the Web has won." And why not? The company made its name in Web search and advertising. <P> But the success of Apple, first with its iOS App Store and then with its Mac App Store; the more recent rise of Google's own Android operating system; and Microsoft's move to turn Windows 8 into an app ecosystem have left Web app advocates wondering whether Google now sees the Web as a second-class platform. <P> In a comment on a <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/111552931212713155841/posts/Tkpqip4uZpB">Google+ discussion thread</a> last month, Google Web developer Paul Irish gave voice to the doubts among those working with Web technology. "Native apps are eating our lunch," he wrote. "And we're spending hours arguing about syntax." <P> Web developer Michael Mahemoff assembled a <a href="http://prez.mahemoff.com/state-native/#/">presentation</a> that summarizes the challenges facing Web developers at a time when so much attention is devoted to mobile apps. It notes that Facebook declared 2011 to be about HTML5 and mobile, then proceeded to drop $1 billion on native photo app Instagram. <P> Web development can be expected to lag behind native development until such time as hardware runs on Web technology. So far, Google's Chrome OS and Chromebooks show no sign of dethroning the major commercial desktop or mobile operating systems. But perhaps Mozilla, with its <a href="https://wiki.mozilla.org/B2G">B2G project</a> can turn things around with an open phone. <P> Until then, the Web at least can help companies promote their native mobile apps. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i>See the future of business technology at <a href="http://www.interop.com/lasvegas/?_mc=CPQCNL07">Interop Las Vegas</a>, May 6-10. It's the best place to learn how cloud computing, mobile, video, virtualization, and other key technologies work together to drive business. Register today with priority code CPQCNL07 to get a free Expo Pass or to save 25% on Flex and Conference passes.</a>. </i>2012-04-30T15:39:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232901177?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsAs the two sides deliver their closing arguments in the trial's copyright phase, Google maintains it played by the book. Did Google's file cabinet prop win over the jury? <!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <P> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/software/operating_systems/232900568"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/782/01_tn.jpg" alt="Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence" title="Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle">Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> In the San Francisco courtroom where Oracle has been arguing for the past two weeks that Google's Android operating system infringed Oracle's Java copyrights and patents, it was quieter than usual on Monday. The two sides were ready to deliver their closing arguments in the copyright phase of the trial. All they needed were a judge and jury. <P> Judge William Alsup arrived promptly and proceeded to address the objections to the judge's proposed jury instructions that the two sides filed on Friday. He denied most of the objections. <P> The judge then conferred with a juror and the lead attorneys from both sides. The juror wanted to be excused from the case because she claimed attendance presented a personal hardship. The juror balked from discussing her issues with the judge in open court. After a sidebar conference, she returned to the jury room without comment from the judge. Presumably, the judge persuaded her to remain. <P> <strong>[ <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/java/232901127?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Oracle, Google Trial: Who Wins Round One?</a> ]</strong> <P> The judge then thanked the public and the press for their silence during the proceedings and asked for continued silence as he read the jury instructions and as the attorneys delivered their closing arguments. <P> Silence is important because, he said, "This is the one moment that the jury learns the law." <P> Oracle attorney Michael Jacobs began his summation by thanking the jury for serving and by acknowledging "the evidence has sometimes been complex, technical." <P> The basic question, he said, is did somebody use another company's property without permission. And Jacobs' contention is that it's vital to protect such property. <P> "Who would sit down and write a good book or compose a great song or write a great API if someone could just rip it off?" he said. <P> Referring to Google's so-called clean room effort to replicate Java's APIs in Android, Jacobs said, "The clean room was very dirty." <P> Jacobs argued that Google wanted Sun to throw away its standard Java license. Google SVP Andy Rubin acknowledged, he said, "that what he was asking Sun to do was change its business model." <P> Jacobs insisted that the trial so far has been mostly about Google's excuses. And he did his best to dismiss one such excuse, a blog post by former Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz that endorsed Google's Android. "A blog post is not permission; a blog post is not a license," he said. <P> Jacobs proceeded to address whether Google's use of the structure, sequence, and organization of the 37 Java APIs at issue qualified for the fair use defense against copyright infringement. Whether infringement qualifies for fair use depends on four factors: the purpose of the copying; whether the copied work is creative; quantity and quality of the copying; and the effect on the market for the original work. <P> Jacobs cited examples of fair use: criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. <P> "What Google did was take the APIs &#8230; from our code and put it in their code," he said. "What Google did doesn't even fit within the spirit of those examples."Jacobs argued that Google knew it needed a Java license and that it chose not to get one. And the evidence he highlighted in his summary supported that conclusion. <P> "Google had decided early on if Sun didn't want to work with us, Google was going to do Android anyway and defend its position, perhaps making enemies along the way," he said. <P> Then it was Google's turn. <P> Google's lead attorney Robert Van Nest began by asserting that the evidence presented in the courtroom will only support one verdict, to find in favor of Google. Right out of the gate, he mentioned former Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz's endorsement of Android. <P> "[Schwartz] testified that he didn't see anything wrong with what Google was doing with Android," Van Nest said. "He knew Google didn't have a license from Sun." <P> Van Nest further asserted that Google didn't copy Sun's code. <P> "There was no infringement, there was no copying," said Van Nest. "Google played it by the book." <P> Van Nest then dismissed Jacobs' assertion that Google's clean room operation was unclean and borrowed from Sun's copyrighted APIs. He said, "They talk about a dirty clean room? Nine lines of code, out of 15 million." <P> He later returned to quantitative comparison, noting that Sun's copyrighted work as a whole, Java SE 5, consists of 2,800,000 lines of code. The Google code that shares the structure, sequence, and organization of Sun's code adds up to only 10,000 lines. That's less than half a percent, he said. <P> "There is no way in the world that those could be found substantially similar," he said. "&#8230;Oracle's whole strategy is to say this is so complicated none of us can understand it." <P> All those Google emails? Van Nest said those represented discussions about whether to license proprietary Sun property and that when those discussions broke down, Google proceeded to create Android on its own. <P> Van Nest relied heavily on a prop, the file cabinet that he has used to represent the way API organizational structure works. Oracle, he said, was trying to make these issues seem too complicated to deal with. <P> Rebutting Oracle's claim that the company has been harmed by Android, Van Nest asserted the opposite was true. "The only fact is Java business is up 10% year over year at Oracle," he said. <P> On the chance that the jury doesn't buy his argument that no copying occurred, Van Nest insisted that Android is transformative and thus qualifies as fair use. He also pushed back against Oracle's contention that the APIs at issue are creative works. These things are not an opera, book, a song or a poem, he said. They're something made to be functional. <P> Van Nest attacked Oracle's claim that Android had fragmented Java. Pointing to internal Sun email about issues with Java, he said, "Java fragmented itself. Android had nothing to do with it." <P> And he recalled email from Schwartz that undermines the premise of Oracle's case. "[Schwartz's] judgment was [Sun] didn't have grounds to sue," he said. <P> "The evidence makes clear as a bell &#8230; that this kind of use is fair use," Van Nest concluded. <P> Jacobs was then allowed to address the jury again in a final rebuttal. He attacked Van Nest's file cabinet analogy as inadequate and disputed Google's contention that Android has not harmed the economic viability of Java. He also raised the Apache Software Foundation's conclusion that Java intellectual property requires licensing in an effort to counter Van Nest assertion that the Java language is open. <P> Oracle's copyright infringement claim now goes to the jury, which could deliver a verdict as early as Monday afternoon. Given that the jury will have only an hour or so to deliberate before being excused for the day, a verdict is more likely to be returned on Tuesday. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i>SMBs have saved big buying software on a subscription model. The new, all-digital <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/gogreen/043012smb?k=axxe&cid=article_axxt_os">Cloud Beyond SaaS/a> issue of InformationWeek SMB shows how to determine if infrastructure services can pay off, too. Also in this issue: One startup's experience with infrastructure-as-a-service shows how the numbers stack up for IaaS vs. internal IT. (Free registration required.)</i> <P>2012-04-28T09:05:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232901127?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsIn the first phase of the case, concerning copyrights, Google's arguments have been more compelling than Oracle's, to date. Patent testimony is still to come.Oracle's patent and copyright infringement against Google will reach a milestone next week when the two companies make their closing arguments in the copyright phase of the trial. <P> Oracle is suing Google because it believes Google's Android operating system infringes its copyrighted Java APIs and violates its patents. <P> The first round looks like it will go to Google. <P> Oracle has scored a few points: The Oracle legal team has established that Google worried about obtaining a Java license. They got Google's chief Java architect Joshua Bloch to admit that it's possible he relied on Sun's copyrighted code by mistake. Through aggressive questioning, They made some Google witnesses seem conveniently forgetful and evasive. And they managed to prompt former Sun CEO Scott McNealy to suggest that a blog written by his successor, Jonathan Schwartz, didn't amount to an official endorsement of Google's use of Java in Android. <P> <strong>[ For more background on the case, see <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/java/232900869?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Oracle Grills Google's Schmidt, Rubin</a>. ]</strong> <P> McNealy's testimony has a problem: As one <a href="http://www.groklaw.net">Groklaw</a> reader noted, Schwartz's blog certainly appears to have been used for <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20080416195557/http://blogs.sun.com/jonathan/entry/comments_on_q2">disseminating official Sun communications</a>. <P> But Google has scored more dramatically. Oracle had one of its invalidated patents re-validated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. But the judge in the case, William Alsup, refused to allow Oracle to bring its restored patent into play, citing a previous commitment to Google about the patents in the case. <P> Google's legal team has forced Oracle to define its copyrighted work as the whole of its APIs rather than as a collective work--were individual APIs counted as works in their own right, any copying would be be more substantial in relation to the scaled-down whole, undermining Google's fair use claim. <P> Previously, Oracle asserted, "The separate creations in J2SE are the copyrighted works at issue, not the entire platform." <P> How did Google manage this? Its legal team recognized that Oracle hadn't provided documents that prove that Sun registered the Java APIs as a collective work. The copyright certificate entered into evidence covers the work as a whole. Without proof of a collective work registration, Google's prospects look much better. <P> What's more, the arguments advanced by Google's legal team, particularly by Robert Van Nest and by Bruce Baber, have been particularly persuasive. <P> The upcoming patent portion of the trial could go either way. But to this point, Oracle's copyright claim looks flimsy.2012-04-27T15:32:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232901110?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsDespite Google's mantra, "competition is only a click away", FTC hires lawyer to head antitrust investigation of Google's search advertising business. This pressures Google to make concessions.<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --><div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/software/operating_systems/232900568"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/782/01_tn.jpg" alt="Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence" title="Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence" class="img175" /></a><br /><div class="storyImageTitle">Oracle v. Google: Tour The Evidence</div><span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div><!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> For the past three years, Google has been <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/google/217800685">laying the groundwork</a> to defend itself against potential antitrust complaints from regulators in the U.S. and in Europe. But its ward against harm--repeating the phrase "competition is only a click away"--appears to have failed to keep regulators at bay. <P> On Thursday, Federal Trade Commission chairman Jon Leibowitz said the FTC had hired experienced litigator <a href="http://www.paulweiss.com/beth-a-wilkinson/">Beth Wilkinson</a> to head its antitrust investigation into Google's search advertising business. According to the <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_20488270/ftc-hires-outside-attorney-google-antitrust-case"><em>San Jose Mercury News</em></a>, Leibowitz stressed that the agency has not decided whether to file a formal antitrust complaint against Google. <P> For Google, the announcement by the FTC says that troops have gathered at its border. It's a sign that something needs to be done to defuse tensions lest hostilities erupt. <P> Google declined to comment. <P> Wilkinson's hiring comes as the European Commission, which has been conducting its own investigation of Google's search advertising business, is soon expected to decide whether it will file a formal complaint against the company. Three states--California, New York, and Texas--also are conducting their own inquiries. Google also faces antitrust inquiries in Argentina and South Korea, the company said in a recent financial filing. <P> <strong>[ Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/policy/231601905?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Google Battles Charges Of Search Bias</a>. ]</strong> <P> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/internet/google/210605609">A similar situation occurred in 2008</a> and it didn't go well for Google: Four years ago, Google and Yahoo planned an advertising partnership. In September of that year, the Department of Justice hired antitrust litigator Sandy Litvack. This was seen as a sign that the DoJ intended to block the deal. To avoid a fight with the Justice Department, Google ultimately gave up on the idea of partnering with Yahoo. <P> DoJ intervention has prompted Google to make some other changes. It helped derail the Google Books settlement; it ended the unlawful no-poaching agreement that <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/policy/227500680">Google, Apple, and others California tech companies</a> had made; it placed conditions on Google's ITA acquisition; and it forced Google to pay $500 million for accepting ads from illegal online pharmacies. <P> The FTC has been less effective, barking at Google more than it has bitten the company. The FTC in 2010 concluded its Street View investigation without meaningful penalties. The FTC's Google Buzz privacy inquiry resulted in Google agreeing to 20 years of privacy audits, but fell short of any real punitive action. And the agency has approved several large Google acquisitions, specifically DoubleClick and AdMob. <P> Given the preference in Washington for self-regulation--a preference that predates the Obama administration--Google's foes should not be surprised by the FTC's light touch. But the hiring of Wilkinson perhaps signals a shift in the winds. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i>InformationWeek is conducting a survey to get a baseline look at where enterprises stand on their IPv6 deployments, with a focus on problem areas, including security, training, budget, and readiness. Upon completion of our survey, you will be eligible to enter a drawing to receive an 16-GB Apple iPad. Take our <a href="http://informationweek.2012IPv6.sgizmo.com/s3">InformationWeek IPv6 Survey</a> now. Survey ends May 11. </i>2012-04-27T09:20:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232901066?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsIs Apple destined to decline, as Forrester's CEO has predicted? If so, it won't be due to the absence of Steve Jobs.Predicting that Apple will decline in the post-Steve Jobs era, as <a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/george_colony/12-04-25-apple_sony">Forrester CEO George Colony has done</a>, is easy. <P> The company last year lost <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/hardware/mac/231600184">Steve Jobs</a>, the charismatic leader that brought it to life in 1976 and then revived it when he returned 20 years later. The <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/hardware/mac/232602815">company's stock</a> hit an all-time high April 9, so downward motion seems likely. And Apple's next billion-dollar market isn't obvious: Ping and iAd won't make Apple a player in social networking or advertising, and the TV market--where Apple is rumored to be making its next big product push--presents a problem that technology can't solve. TV is fractured by content licensing issues, not poor technology. <P> But Colony's analysis is based on the great man theory. He writes, "Apple's momentum will carry it for 24-48 months. But without the arrival of a new charismatic leader it will move from being a great company to being a good company, with a commensurate step down in revenue growth and product innovation. Like Sony (post Morita), Polaroid (post Land), Apple circa 1985 (post Jobs), and Disney (in the 20 years post Walt Disney), Apple will coast, and then decelerate." <P> <strong>[ What do we want in Apple's next mobile operating system? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/mobility/232900993?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Apple iOS 6 Wishlist: 10 Features We Want</a>. ]</strong> <P> Apple did not get where it is based solely on the charisma of Steve Jobs. Certainly Jobs contributed immensely to the company's success, but Apple is a technology company that makes hardware and software and it would not have succeeded if its products weren't well-suited to the needs of customers. <P> Apple's technology is why it isn't Sony. Apple owns a platform, or two actually: OS X and iOS. Sony just piggybacks on someone else's platform, Microsoft Windows. Platform relationships are deep: People tend to stick with the same platform for years. Product relationships are shallow: If you bought a Sony PC in 2009 and happen to be shopping for a replacement this year, you're probably considering PCs from companies in addition to Sony's Vaio laptop. <P> Platform owners have real advantages, which is why Apple and Microsoft have each been, and continue to be, dominant in the technology arena. Google built its company on open source to be free of the platform overlords and then, secure in its search ad empire, invested in Android and Chrome OS to join the platform overload's club. <P> Apple will never equal Sony because Sony bows to Microsoft. Sony relies on Microsoft for its software, or it fails to provide a coherent platform across products not tied to Windows. And its products have not been integrated into a self-reinforcing ecosystem, the way Apple's and Microsoft's products have been. <P> Nor is Apple like Polaroid. Polaroid failed because it could not make the transition from chemical photography to digital photography. The closest analogy for Apple would be the transition from the PC era to the mobile era, and Apple has handled that transition rather well. It is Microsoft, coasting on legacy desktop profits but facing dwindling mobile relevance, that appears to be playing the role of Polaroid at the moment. <P> Apple is also not like Disney. Disney is a media and theme park company. Making film and television is a tough business because hits are seldom a sure thing. The films Disney produced in the 1970s, after the death of founder Walt Disney, didn't do as well as the company's earlier hits, but the company recovered under the leadership of Michael Eisner and its annual revenues have continued to increase. Apple as a distributor of digital content doesn't take the same risks as a movie maker. It just collects its 30%. <P> But the two companies do have something in common: They both bought critical talent or technology from Steve Jobs during a time of need: Disney bought Pixar to save its animation business and Apple bought NeXT to save its technology business. <P> Apple's decline, if it comes, will not have to do with its leadership. It will have to do with lack of opportunity to apply its design expertise to enhance its technology platform. Even with Steve Jobs, Apple cannot survive without new markets to reinvent. That's because Apple wants to own it all, but cannot forever sustain its market share or margins in the face of dozens of <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/smart_phones/232900913">competitors that copy Apple</a> products. Apple succeeds when it can change the game. The thing is that such opportunities only come along every few years. <P> There will be opportunities--the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_Things">Internet of Things</a> comes to mind--but they may require Apple to change its ways. If Apple cannot adapt, then it surely will decline. But Apple's ability to adapt will not hinge on the charisma of a single leader. <P> <i>InformationWeek is conducting a survey to determine where enterprises stand on their IPv6 deployments, with a focus on security, training, budget, and readiness. Upon completion of our survey, you will be eligible to enter a drawing to receive a 16-GB Apple iPad. Take our <a href="http://informationweek.2012IPv6.sgizmo.com/s3/">D-Day for IPv6 Survey</a> now. Survey ends May 11.</i>2012-04-27T09:05:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232901060?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsEvidence at the Oracle v. Google trial reveals what the original Google Phone prototype looked like, before Apple's iPhone moved the goal posts. Related Android revenue information is also enlightening.The Google Phone, as the company's Android phone prototype was called in November 2006, looks primitive by today's standards, but it was competitive at the time. The $199 device was to have run on T-Mobile's network and featured a $10 per month unlimited data plan for Internet browsing, Gmail, and messaging. <P> <center><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/1331/slide32_crop.jpg" width="600" height="356" alt="Trial Exhibit 387: Industrial Design Concept" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" style="margin-bottom:7px;" /><br /></center></p> <P> The phone was expected to include a 200MHz or better ARM 9 chip, with GSM EGPRS baseband or possibly WCDMA. The design called for at least 64MB RAM and 64MB ROM, with external storage, a 16-bit color or better QVGA TFT LCD display, navigation keys, a 2MP CMOS camera, USB interface and Bluetooth 1.2 or 2.0. <P> Then Apple unveiled its iPhone on January 9, 2007 and it was back to the drawing board. The result was the T-Mobile G1, introduced in October 2008. <P> <strong>[ What does Apple have up its sleeve next? See <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/mobility/232900993?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Apple iOS 6 Wishlist: 10 Features We Want</a>. ]</strong> <P> The Google Phone that never was showed up as evidence in Oracle's copyright and patent infringement lawsuit against Google. Oracle claims that Google copied its proprietary Java APIs to create Android. Google has admitted that a few lines of the Java APIs are present in Android but it insists any copying that occurred was a mistake, is trivial, and is defensible as fair use. Google further asserts that APIs aren't subject to copyright. <P> The Oracle v. Google trial continued on Thursday, with former Sun CEOs Jonathan Schwartz and Scott McNealy each taking a turn on the witness stand. Schwartz's testimony generally supported Google's arguments and McNealy's generally supported Oracle's. <P> The <a href="http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/features/day7-emails-part3-1601545.pdf">evidence obtained by Oracle</a> via legal discovery and entered into the court record confirms that Google has struggled to match the Apple's iOS results with Android. For example, Google in 2010 predicted that its 5% share of Android app revenue in 2011 would come to $14.5 million. That would put the total app revenue projection for the year at $290 million, of which 70% or $203 million would go to Android developers. During 2011, Apple paid its developers <a href="http://mobileorchard.com/to-date-apple-has-paid-app-store-developers-over-4-billion/">about $2 billion</a>. <P> Google's expectations about the ratio of paid apps to free apps downloaded by Android users is striking: While it's widely known that a greater number of the apps downloaded by Android users are free compared to the apps downloaded by iOS users, what's surprising is that Google expects a mere 1% of Android apps to be paid. A report last year suggested that 88% of gaming apps downloaded on iOS are free, which would make 12% paid. Google's internal projections from 2010 expected 99% of Android app downloads to be free in 2012, noting that this "conservative estimate" of 1% paid apps was far from Apple's 25% paid app figure. <P> But the documents also show that Android is a source of real revenue for Google. The company projected it would make $240.3 million on Android in 2010 and $840.2 million in 2012. Google believed it could make at least $1.3 billion in gross revenue from Android in 2013, or $800 million in net revenue, and possibly much more. <P> In fact, Android has been exceeding Google's expectations in terms of adoption. In mid-2010, the company expected there would be 145 million Android phones activated by the end of 2011. In Q3 2011, Google reported that over 190 million Android phones had been activated. By the end of 2011, <a href="http://www.asymco.com/2011/12/21/how-many-android-phones-have-been-activated/">Asymco</a> estimated that between 224 and 253 million Android devices had been activated. <P> With that kind of growth, it's hardly surprising that Oracle came knocking with its hand out. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P>2012-04-26T08:44:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232900993?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsIf iOS 6 is discussed at Apple's sold-out developer conference, here's what we want to hear.<!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/galleries/hardware/handheld/232602774"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/761/01_Figure0_tn.jpg" alt="New iPad Teardown: Inside Apple's New Tablet" title="New iPad Teardown: Inside Apple's New Tabletr" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">New iPad Teardown: Inside Apple's New Tablet</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> Apple on Wednesday said that its <a href="https://developer.apple.com/wwdc/">2012 Worldwide Developer Conference</a> will be held from June 11 through June 15. Two hours after the morning announcement, the event was sold out. <P> The $1,600 WWDC tickets are already being <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-Apple-WWDC-Ticket-/270963647184?pt=US_Tickets_all_in_one&hash=item3f16b122d0">offered on eBay for $2,900</a> and up. <P> As a point of comparison, Google's annual developer conference, Google I/O, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/mobility/232700354">sold out in just 20 minutes</a>. <P> However, ticket desirability doesn't necessarily correspond to the time it took for developers to buy the available tickets. Other factors like the difference in ticket pricing -- $1,600 to attend Apple's event, $900 to attend Google's--and differences in registration interface and requirements--Apple required would-be attendees to register using an Apple ID associated with an Apple Developer Account--likely affected the amount of time until the ticket supply was exhausted. <P> <strong>[ Are you following the tech trial of the year? Read <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/development/java/232900869?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Oracle Grills Google's Schmidt, Rubin</a>. ]</strong> <P> Why all the interest? Apple is the most successful technology company in the world at the moment and WWDC is where developers will have the opportunity learn how to take advantage of Apple's forthcoming desktop operating system, OS X 10.8, Mountain Lion. <P> If that weren't enough, there have also been reports suggesting Apple may introduce the iPhone 5 at the event. It's possible, but Apple is likely to be focused issues related to its OS X product line, like integrating Intel's Ivy Bridge chips, and rolling out Mountain Lion. If the iPhone 5 isn't discussed in June, it should be unveiled by October. <P> The next version of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 6, is also being worked on. Whether Apple wants to talk about upcoming iOS features at WWDC remains to be seen. <P> But whenever iOS 6 does arrive, here are a few features we hope will be included: <P> <strong>Siri API</strong> <P> Apple has not yet released an official API that third-party developers can use to add voice interaction to their apps. While there are ways to write <a href="http://www.quora.com/Siri-API/Does-Siri-have-APIs-that-can-be-used-today">apps that interface with Siri</a>, it would be better to have full Apple support for Siri integration. <P> <strong>Auto App Updating</strong> <P> If you have a large number of apps on an iOS device, they you've probably encountered days when you have to update more apps than you have fingers. While this may not represent burdensome math, it would still be nice to have the option to allow specific apps to update themselves in the background automatically during periods of low network usage. <P> <strong>Intent System</strong> <P> If Google can write its own version of Android--kids, don't try this at home or the lawyers will get you--Apple can write its own version of <a href="http://developer.android.com/guide/topics/intents/intents-filters.html">Android Intents</a>. There's already an equivalent project for HTML5, <a href="http://webintents.org/">Web Intents</a>. What are Intents, you ask? They're a way for apps to find out about and communicate with each other. Intents are useful because they allow apps to borrow functions from other apps and exchange data in a standardized way. <P> <strong>Scripting</strong> <P> The Web has <a href="http://ifttt.com/">ifttt.com</a>. Android has <a href="http://tasker.dinglisch.net/">Tasker</a>. What iOS needs is a way to script app actions based on certain conditions. For example, if app A issues a notification, send this SMS message. There are ways to enable automation in specific apps, but a condition monitoring mechanism really ought to be run at the operating system level. Such as system could support listening for external requests to do things like silence your iPhone upon entering a movie theater. <P> <strong>Support for External Storage</strong> <P> iCloud is nice, but nothing beats having your data in hand. iOS should add support for microSD cards. <P> <strong>Programmable Call Handling</strong> <P> Perhaps this could be part of the scripting system. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to route calls from certain people to voicemail at specific hours or when in specific locations? <P> <strong>Configurable Audio Alerts</strong> <P> Instead of a single audio notification when an email arrives, why not allow the user to customize the sound played upon receipt of a message? <P> <strong>Browser Choice</strong> <P> Relax the iOS developer restrictions and support mobile Firefox and mobile browser plug-ins. (Yes, there are probably a great many potential users just dying to install AdBlock Plus for mobile.) And let Chrome for iOS in too (it's WebKit-based so it should be admitted if Google decides to release such a beast). Competition promotes innovation and helps users. And that's what everyone wants, right? <P> <strong>Alternate Keyboard Support</strong> <P> Android users can make use of innovative keyboards like Swype. Should iOS users be condemned to one size fits all? <P> <strong>Better Native Apps Or Replaceable Native Apps</strong> <P> The YouTube app, the Weather apps, and the Contacts app are functional but uninspired. If Apple's not going to allow users to uninstall native apps, it really ought to update its own apps more frequently. Insulated from competition, Apple's native apps languish the way the Microsoft Internet Explorer did in the 1990s. <br /> <a rel="author" href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/102021281784660899725/about"> <img src="http://www.google.com/images/icons/ui/gprofile_button-16.png" width="16" height="16" align="right"> </a> <P> <i>See the future of business technology at <a href="http://www.interop.com/lasvegas/?_mc=CPQCNL07">Interop Las Vegas</a>, May 6-10. It's the best place to learn how cloud computing, mobile, video, virtualization, and other key technologies work together to drive business. Register today with priority code CPQCNL07 to get a free Expo Pass or to save 25% on Flex and Conference passes.</a>. </i>2012-04-25T15:33:00Zhttp://www.informationweek.com/articles/232900970?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsFacebook enlists the help of Microsoft and four other security vendors as it improves defenses against malware, phishing, and spam. One tactic: Block malicious URLs.<!-- Image Aligning right --> <!-- KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <div class="inlineStoryImage inlineStoryImageRight"> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/thebrainyard/slideshows/232602613"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/galleries/automated/759/slide1_full.jpg" alt="6 Social Sites Sitting On The Cutting Edge" title="6 Social Sites Sitting On The Cutting Edge" class="img175" /></a><br /> <div class="storyImageTitle">6 Social Sites Sitting On The Cutting Edge</div> <span class="inlinelargerView">(click image for larger view and for slideshow)</span> </div> <!-- /KINDLE EXCLUDE --> <!-- / Image Aligning right --> <P> Facebook on Wednesday said it is working with Microsoft, McAfee, Trend Micro, Sophos, and Symantec to help improve security for its users. <P> The social networking giant, which plans to go public next month, has become a target for spammers and scammers due to its size. A similar trend happened to Microsoft's Windows in the 90s and <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/security/vulnerabilities/232800374">has started to happen</a> to Apple's OS X. Any massively popular platform attracts attackers. <P> To protect its 845 million users, Facebook is integrating malicious URL data provided by its security partners into its URL blacklist system. <P> <strong>[ Is HTC's rumored Facebook phone folly? Read more at <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/news/mobility/smart_phones/232900937?itc=edit_in_body_cross">Facebook Phone: 4 Reasons Why It's Crazy</a>. ]</strong> <P> "So whenever you click a link on our site, you benefit not just from Facebook's existing protections, but the ongoing vigilance of the world&#8217;s leading corporations involved in computer security," the company explains on its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/facebook-security/the-facebook-anti-virus-marketplace/10150672849230766">security blog</a>. <P> Keeping its users secure also happens to serve Facebook's best interests, as the site's reason for being involves sharing as a vehicle for advertising. Sharing becomes a lot less appealing when there's a risk of contagion. <P> Facebook's security partnership isn't just a one-way arrangement. In exchange for access to its partners' valuable security data, Facebook is offering its partners greater visibility through the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/security/app_363688420329497">Facebook AV Marketplace</a>. As its name suggests, AV Marketplace is an online store for downloadable security software from Microsoft, McAfee, Trend Micro, Sophos, and Symantec. And it's not just for Windows users; AV Marketplace also offers security applications for Mac users. <P> Many Mac users remain skeptical about the need for malware protection, despite the recent Flashback trojan outbreak. Sophos' statistics indicate that <a href="http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/04/24/mac-malware-study/">one in 36 Macs</a> is infected with OS X malware. The company's data also shows that one in five Macs harbors Windows malware, which could pose a threat to connected Windows machines. <P> Sophos blogger Carole Theriault celebrates the Facebook partnership while also pointing out that users need to take an active interest in their security. In a <a href="http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/04/25/facebook-teams-up-sophos-other-vendors/">blog post</a>, she likened security software to automotive safety features like brakes and seatbelts, noting that if people fail to use them, they're worthless. <P> "To better safeguard your account, make sure you choose a strong unique password for your Facebook account, and don't tell it to <em>anyone</em>," she wrote. "Look over your privacy settings regularly and carefully choose your configuration. Take care when downloading applications. Only befriend people you know. Report suspicious activity to Facebook." <P> Sophos's presence among the other security companies is noteworthy because the company has been more than a little bit critical of Facebook security in the past. In a blog post comment, Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, insisted that the beatings will continue. <P> "We don't have any plans to stop reporting about Facebook security and privacy issues," he wrote. <P> Perhaps it's too much to hope that Facebook's partnership with five security vendors might mean fewer noteworthy security incidents. <P> <i>At a time when cybercrime has never been more prolific and sophisticated, budgets are being cut. In response, IT is taking a hard look using third-party services--outsourcing--to meet security challenges. Our <a href="http://www.darkreading.com/SecurityServices/util/4601/download.html?k=axxe&cid=article_axxe">Making The Security Outsourcing Decision</a> report outlines the various security outsourcing options available. (Free registration required.)</i> <P>