InformationWeek Stories by Chris Spera

InformationWeek Stories by Chris Sperahttp://www.informationweek.comInformationWeeken-usCopyright 2012, UBM LLC.2013-04-04T11:00:00ZTop 10 Changes iOS 7 NeedsIf iOS is going to remain a heavy hitter, it needs a serious overhaul. Here are the top 10 things it needs to have to hit it out of the park.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/top-10-changes-ios-7-needs/240152266?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsThe first iPhone was introduced in 2007 to great anticipation and fanfare. It quickly became a hot commodity, featuring cool stuff everyone had to have. It's now 2013 and we're quickly approaching the six-year anniversary for the device that would rule them all. When the iPhone was introduced, it brought PDA/PIM data together with your cell phone, your music and videos, and made everything work, and work well. Since its introduction, Android has matured. Windows Phone has been reinvented and revised and even BlackBerry is worth looking at again. The iPhone isn't the only player on the block that can do convergence and content consumption. With the iPhone turning six and still sporting the same interface and launcher as it did when it was introduced, many here at BYTE think it's definitely time for a UI refresh, as well as other OS level improvements. In short, here are our suggestions for an anticipated update in the upcoming release of iOS 7. 1. Redesigned Launcher Currently, iOS users can put app shortcuts on any number of home pages. Users can also organize icons and create folders to hold application icons by placing one icon on top of another. The interface has remained largely unchanged over the past six years. A launcher is really nothing more than a way to sort through, manage and launch applications. The launcher in iOS is used on all iDevices, and it's clearly in need of some sort of improvement, update or change. Android allows users to install a number of different third-party launchers, such as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/android-for-google-nexus-ui-re-imagined/240149253">the innovative Paranoid Android</a> shown at the left. While I'm certain that Apple isn't going to allow users to install a custom launcher, a lot of ideas can be gleaned from apps of this type from other OSs. Maybe even from Windows. Have at it Apple. Wow us and give us something modern and new. However, choice is important. It would be nice if in giving us a new UI, Apple would allow users to revert to the current UI as well. 2. Take a Note from Cydia and the Jailbreakers I recently ventured outside of Apple's walled garden before upgrading to iOS 6.1.3 and jailbroke my iPhone 5...for all of about 27.5 minutes. The stuff I installed was a disaster and looped the phone into a perpetual "safe mode" state. Upgrading removed the jailbreak and fixed the problems, but I learned a great deal about variety and choice during my "half hour of freedom." There's a great deal of customizations out there. There's a heck of a lot that can be done with iOS, and it would be really cool if Apple would take a walk on the other side of the wall and find out what jailbreak software authors are publishing. Some of those customizations might fit very nicely with the new vision that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.apple.com/pr/bios/jonathan-ive.html">Jony Ive</a> is constructing for iOS 7. Some may not. It might be nice if iOS 7 incorporated some of those software ideas and designs. At the very least, it would bring a fresh look and some new options to an OS that's six years old, literally a digital eternity. 3. Logical Settings Locations A general reorg of settings would be helpful. Some of the stuff, as my colleague, Contributing Editor Serdar Yegulalp notes, is quite buried. One of my biggest complaints with iOS 5 was that it was really difficult to get to the settings switch to turn Bluetooth on and off. You had to go into Settings, get to General, Wireless and then Bluetooth before you could get to the switch. iOS6 changed that a bit, by bringing both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings up to the top of the Settings menu. However, you still have to dive in to each category to get to the switch and any other options, like pairing with a specific device. I'd really like to see a complete tear down and rebuild here. The way Apple has all of its underpinnings and options set up and configured is also long in the tooth. I know I'm likely to not get what I want here, but it would be nice to see some work on organization and logical groupings. It isn't always clear what is and isn't stuffed into settings and what might be tweaked in the actual app. 4. SaaS Interoperability SaaS Interoperability — Apple services are not an island, and thinking I'm just going to use iCloud and Apple PIM apps is silly. We need to return to interoperability. Yes. I'd be willing to pay an (albeit, nominal annual fee) for this. Attention major computer vendors of the world, specifically Apple, Google and Microsoft: You are NOT an island. I use tools that are offered because they solve problems for me, and not any other reason. I have Gmail that I use on both Windows and Mac machines. I have an iPhone and an iPad. My kids have iPhones and Android tablets. Everyone else in the house uses a Windows PC, though my daughter runs Windows 7 on a 13-inch aluminum unibody MacBook. Until recently, you could use just about any device with just about any service available from any vendor. Recently, both Google and Apple announced changes to their interoperability options by discontinuing support for Exchange ActiveSync. Google did this on the desktop and on mobile devices. Apple did this mainly on the desktop, but with the way that iOS and OS X interact, it's eventually going to affect how mail works on your idevice. The effect here is that Android phones that want to sync data must do so via the Gmail app and not through Android Mail. On the iPhone, unless you've got a paid Google Apps account, you can't sync new accounts with iOS Mail. The same can be said on Windows 8 devices and Windows Phone. I know most everyone is going to paid services now, and that's fine. The problem here is that you've taken away something I was relying on without giving me the ability to pay to keep it where it is. This one is easy to fix: <ol><li>Put it back</li> <li>Make it affordable</li> <li>Sign me up</li></ol> 5. Siri Improvements If an idevice can do it, then Siri should be able to do it for you. This means that your iPhone should be able to do things like, Siri, turn <this radio> on/off, Siri connect a conference call between <parties>. While Siri's accuracy has improved since its introduction, I seriously expect some major enhancements here. I'd also like to be able to do this in my car without having to install some major accessory or have to dump the car I have and buy a new eyes-free compatible vehicle. 6. Serious Battery Life Improvements Given that abilities between devices are shoring up, it's clear battery life is going to be the more important spec going forward. If you can't use it all day without having to charge it, there's a problem. iOS 7 should improve on battery life from existing idevices by at least 10 percent. There's gotta be a way of making existing iPhones last longer without diminishing capabilities. I'm cool with things if it means that you have to learn how I use my device and then only turn certain radios on when I'm in specific locations, or at specific times of the day, etc. What I need is to be able to use my iPhone for more of the day without fearing that I'll run out of juice. 7. Fix iCloud Core Synching I don't use iCloud a lot. My free 5GB of space really just backs up my iPhone and that's about it. I don't use it because I use other sync services and because figuring out how to use the thing isn't nearly as easy as Steve Jobs said it would be. I'd like to bring over contacts and calendar data, say from Google, and then have it sync with iCloud; but every time I do that, I end up with a God-awful amount of duplicates on all devices and services and it shouldn't work that way. Apple isn't the only one that's having trouble with its core sync capabilities. Many third-party developers are in the same boat. They have simply given up on using iCloud and have either stripped the features they wanted to build in with it out, or have switched to another service. This needs to get resolved in both iOS and OS X, and sooner rather than later. 8. Widgets On Android an app can work as a "widget" that stays open on the desktop and can change to provide, for example, weather updates or other notifications. Windows has "Live Tiles," which change all the time -- either to show something informative, like an upcoming appointment -- or just for fun. There's a little of this in iOS: Apps can display a number, typically to show unread messages. The Phone, Mail and Messages apps do this as well as some third-party apps, such as Facebook and Gmail. But that's as fancy as it gets, and it's far less sophisticated than on other mobile operating systems, compounding the Launcher problem in the second slide: The iOS desktop is flat and lifeless, and iOS's development restrictions don't allow modification of the desktop. 9. The Keyboard Just about every other mobile OS has a better default soft keyboard than iOS's. It may have been state-of-the-art in 2007, but not much has changed since. The newest keyboard out there, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/smart-phones/blackberry-z10-hands-on-first-impression/240150909?pgno=2">the BlackBerry 10 soft keyboard, is the current state-of-the-art keyboard</a>. It predicts what you intend to type and spreads the predictions around the keyboard, allowing you to select and "flick" them up to the display. It's clearly generations ahead of the iOS keyboard. Android's default keyboard is OK, but it also allows developers to create installable keyboards to replace the system keyboard. This has led to innovative products like the ones below: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.swype.com/">Swype</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.touchpal.com/">TouchPal</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mobiletextinput.com/">SlideIT</a>. iOS needs either to have a world-class keyboard or to allow third parties to install new ones. Both would be even better. 10. Mobile Application Management APIs Apple spawned a large Mobile Device Management industry when it created <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/business/docs/iOS_MDM.pdf">an MDM API for iOS</a>. (Perhaps "created" is generous. The API is essentially a clone of the BlackBerry MDM API.) But MDM, as defined in Apple's API, is inadequate to the task of truly securing these devices and the industry has moved on to new techniques, including MAM (Mobile Application Management), TEM (Telecom Expense Management) and session virtualization, all of which are sometimes referred to collectively as <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/mobile-applications/interop-mdm-is-dead-long-live-emm/240008495">EMM (Enterprise Mobility Management)</a>. Companies like Good Technology, MobileIron, AirWatch, Zenprise and Apperian all provide tools for developers and IT to secure the use of iOS devices in more sophisticated ways. The problem with this is twofold: The EMM products all work within severe constraints set by Apple, which won't allow apps into the app store if they employ certain techniques like remote control of the phone. Apple may be able to raise the security level of all enterprises by building some of these EMM techniques into the OS and exposing APIs to qualified developers. The second problem is the incompatibility of all the implementations, <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/mobile-applications/samsung-blackberry-who-will-win-the-cont/240151082">a problem we have mentioned recently</a>. If Apple were to set a standard for a secured app, or build security interfaces right into the package format, this would be good for customers. 2013-04-01T11:50:00ZDell Latitude 10-ST2 Windows 8 Pro Tablet: the Good and the BadThe Dell Latitude 10-ST2 is billed as a full Windows 8 Pro tablet and Surface Pro competitor. Like Windows 8 itself, the product isn't completely baked yet.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/tablets/dell-latitude-10-st2-windows-8-pro-table/240151982?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsTablet computing is all the rage right now. Apple has its iPad and iPad mini. Samsung has the Android-powered Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Note; and Microsoft has Surface RT and Surface Pro. Dell also has a Windows 8 Pro tablet – The Dell Latitude 10-ST2. How does it measure up to the expected tablet experience? Is it a good alternative to either the 64GB or 128GB Microsoft Surface Pro tablet? Let's take an in-depth look and find out. Tablet The Dell Latitude 10-ST2 tablet is all black and covered on five sides with a slightly rubberized backing. The front is Gorilla Glass. It has a 10.2-inch diagonal screen pushing a 1366 x 768 resolution that defaults to landscape orientation. Its basic hardware specs can be found in the table below. After all is said and done, the device had a Windows Experience Index value of 3.3, attributed to its gaming and 3D business graphics. <a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-April/Dell-Latitude-10/Dell-Latitude-10-pen.jpg"><img alt="The Dell Latitude 10-ST2 with its pen" title="The Dell Latitude 10-ST2 with its pen" src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-April/Dell-Latitude-10/Dell-Latitude-10-pen-620.jpg" /></a><div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#009999; font-size:small; ;font-style: italic; text-align:right;">The Dell Latitude 10-ST2 with its pen. Click for larger image.</div> The Atom processor doesn't have a lot of horse power. In fact, it's pretty anemic. The system is optimized for a few specific apps – Microsoft Office being one of them – but don't expect it to power through anything else. The weak processor performance even seems to affect network traffic, disk I/O and display performance as well, though obviously system interaction between dedicated subcomponents will also factor in. At 1.6 pounds, the device is also just a bit heavier than the iPad 4, which weighs 1.44 pounds. Believe me, you feel it. After a few hours of carrying the device from meeting to meeting and handling it as a digital notepad, you really notice how heavy and solid the device is. It doesn't feel cheap at all, though the $40 Dell carrying case that I got with it does. It's really nothing more than rubberized, plastic coated paper. This last issue is a bit of a sore spot for me with tablets in general. They're expensive, and finding a decent case made to specifically fit the tablet you've purchased, that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, is definitely not easy. Screen The screen is really nice to look at, though the device wastes a lot of real estate with its 1-plus inch bezel. I understand that digitizers can be expensive, but this is silly. Touch sensitivity is good, but pen input leaves a bit to be desired. There really isn't any pressure sensitivity settings in the digitizer, so pressing harder on the Wacom active stylus doesn't do squat, no matter how often I do it. Its accuracy, even after calibrating and recalibrating is still noticeably off There's also some screen lag the device isn't as responsive when writing with digital ink as it should be. At times, the gap between what's being drawn on the screen and the position of the pen is a little too large. The screen should be able to display what the pen writes before the pen really moves on. Docking Station The Dell Latitude 10 ST2 is one of the few Windows 8 Pro tablets I know of that comes with a desktop styled docking station, which provides a base to charge the tablet as well as monitor and LAN connectivity. It also provides a number of USB 2.0 ports and an audio port. It's not a bad option, but it's not providing a compelling reason to purchase the tablet. The biggest problem I've seen with the docking station is that it doesn't have a standard PC monitor port. While mini HDMI isn't a bad port choice, most existing monitors don't have a mini HDMI port on them. In fact, there aren't a lot of PC monitors that have HDMI ports on them, either. But HDMI to VGA connectors are cheap. <a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-April/Dell-Latitude-10/Dell-Latitude-10-docked.jpg"><img alt="The Dell Latitude 10-ST2 in its docking station with monitor, wireless keyboard and mouse" title="The Dell Latitude 10-ST2 in its docking station with monitor, wireless keyboard and mouse" src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-April/Dell-Latitude-10/Dell-Latitude-10-docked-620.jpg" /></a><div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#009999; font-size:small; ;font-style: italic; text-align:right;">The Dell Latitude 10-ST2 in its docking station with monitor, wireless keyboard and mouse. Click for larger image.</div>Camera The Dell Latitude 10 ST2 has an integrated 720p HD front-facing video webcam and 8.0M pixel rear-facing camera. Taking stills with the tablet's rear-facing camera isn't easy, but then again, taking photos with a 10-inch piece of glass and electronics wouldn't be easy in the best of conditions. What compounds the situation is that there's no hardware button wired to snap the shutter when the Camera app is active. The device is heavy enough that you really want two hands to hold it with, to keep it steady and there's no way to attach a tripod or monopod to it. You'll need a third appendage to tap the screen in order to snap the shot. Front-facing video was not as difficult. Here, I could hold the device in my lap and video chat via Skype. Once the device was sitting the way I wanted it, and was stable, things were rather easy. The 720p camera was nice for video chatting. It eats up the bandwidth, but the person you're chatting with should get some nice images. Soft and Hard Keyboard Can someone please explain why the Dell consumer-based, Windows RT tablet has a "mobile keyboard dock" and the professional, business oriented, Windows 8 Pro tablet doesn't? In case you're curious, the XPS 10 keyboard dock does not work with the Latitude 10. Instead of a keyboard dock, the Dell Latitude 10 ST2 has a "professional" docking station, which I would gladly give away or leave on the side of the road for clickable or portable keyboard dock. The docking station is stationary and tied to my desk. I can't carry it with me, and wouldn't want to. I'm forced to use either a wired USB or wireless Bluetooth keyboard with the tablet. Poor engineering and design choices are running rampant here, especially in light of Microsoft's very public and quite successful Surface commercials showing their portable, changeable, clickable keyboards. Mobile Broadband Connectivity and Wireless Setup First off, what should have been a very simple process of entering my email address, wireless number and necessary account information instead required a 45-minute call to AT&T so that the device could be activated with the 4G (HSPA+) SIM that came with it. Activating the device on my shared mobile data plan should have been totally user self-serviceable. Instead, I ended up having to factory reset the device and start from scratch, as AT&T AllAccess got "confused" due to the number of failed attempts to get the device activated. The Latitude 10 ST2 is available with an AT&T mobile broadband card, and I have a 10GB shared data plan. Coverage in and around the Chicago area is pretty good, and my ST2 came with one installed. I had a couple of issues getting the card activated (see the section on Dell Backup and Recovery, below) but while the radio was working, it performed well. I say while it was working because after about a week and a half or so with the tablet, I’m waiting on a replacement from Dell. The Mobile Broadband card appears to be broken. The device's HSPA+ radio doesn't show up as an available network option for available networks and the device doesn't even show up in Device Manager. I tend to baby every device I work with, and I don’t have any other issues with any other connectivity options. The device's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios both still work. Dell doesn't make and inventory any device or PC. Its JIT (just in time) manufacturing system builds everything to order. So, I'm currently waiting for a replacement that may take up to four weeks to arrive. It’s a good thing the Wi-Fi radio still works; at least I can use the personal hotspot in my iPhone to keep me going until the replacement device arrives. Dell Backup and Recovery During my time with the device, I have had cause to perform a full system wipe or hard reset. Running Dell Backup and Recovery or any factory reset process on a touch screen system that won't support touch in recovery mode is actually not only difficult -- it’s ridiculous. In order to factory reset the device, you need to attach a USB keyboard into the one and only USB2 port on the actual tablet. Previous versions of Windows, heck, even versions of DOS for that matter... clearly indicated which screen object had focus. This was not the case here. I went back and forth from Windows 8 Desktop to the Dell Back and Recovery console numerous times, trying to tap or click the word "Next," so that I could restore the system to factory fresh settings. I finally got it after my fifth try, but had to use that USB keyboard I mentioned and a combination of the tab key, arrow keys and the enter key. Restoring a tablet or slate device that doesn't have a keyboard shouldn't require the use of any keyboard, let alone a USB keyboard. During my time with the Dell Latitude 10 ST2, I also had cause to return the device. The mobile broadband card broke and I had Dell send out a replacement. As a result, I had to remove the data off of the old tablet and prep it for return. Windows 8's control panel provides a way to reset the PC, taking it back to factory fresh, making it easy to rebuild. The only problem is that simply erasing my personal information wasn't enough. I wanted to wipe everything, including the software I installed. That complete reset took well over three hours to complete. I think Dell flew the software in, one bit at a time...It’s nice that Microsoft built this into Windows 8, but not so cool that it took over three hours to complete. That was really painful to wait on. Battery Life & Performance The device is S L O W. The device functions acceptably with some software, including Microsoft Office 2010 and Office 2013. But my experience is that in most cases, the device is slow, even with its own built-in software, like Dell Backup and Recovery, as I noted previously. The device gained an unimpressive Windows Experience Index of 3.3, and it lacks any real performance highlights. This is no doubt directly related to the 1.8GHz Intel Atom z2760 processor. It might have a "fast" GHz speed rating, but it doesn't have the same processing power as Intel's i5 found in other Windows 8 tablets, like Microsoft's Surface Pro. However, its battery life was really very good. The device was on for nearly six hours before it dropped below a 70 percent battery charge. After a 10-hour work day for me, the device never fell below 45 percent with light-to-casual use and an active HSPA+ connection. Conclusion If you're intending the Dell Latitude 10 ST2 to be a primary PC, don't waste your time. The device lacks any serious computing power to be able to do anything staid over the long haul. It's going to be OK for some light word processing, spreadsheets, etc. – anything from the MS Office Suite, as long as the file isn't macro or graphic intensive or too large – but you're going to want to kill yourself if you try to pull up a graphics editor and draw or edit pictures, or a multimedia editor and try to edit audio or video. I found the experience to be really that painful, and most users won't be able to move past it. For light email, Web browsing, and textual content consumption, the device is more than acceptable. For a business trip or around the office as a digital notepad, it's awesome; but I don't think anyone, myself included, would want this or any Windows 8 Pro tablet, to be their primary work PC. 2013-03-28T13:33:00ZWindows Blue's Got Me DownMicrosoft has allowed that something called "Windows Blue" exists. Too bad the company seems hell-bent on taking Windows in the wrong direction.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/windows-blues-got-me-down/240151927?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsI've been using Windows 8 since the release of the Developer Preview. I feel comfortable enough with the OS and with the hardware it runs on that I feel I have a valid opinion of Microsoft's latest desktop operating system. After a leaked version showed up all over the place, <a target="_blank" href="http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2013/03/26/looking-back-and-springing-ahead.aspx">Microsoft yesterday acknowledged that something called "Windows Blue" exists</a>. I'm not happy with Windows 8, and I'm hoping that Windows Blue makes it better. However, I'm not going to hold my breath. Windows 8 has some serious issues that scream at you when you pop the top on the "retail box:"<ul><li>Dueling interfaces — There's more than one, and they don't mix together well at all.</li> <li>Modern UI vs. desktop mode — You're going to use desktop mode more than you're going to use Modern UI, no matter what Microsoft wants. Few Modern UI apps exist yet.</li> <li>Touch on a non-touch PC sucks — a touch pad can't substitute for a touch screen.</li></ul> Now, don't get me wrong, Windows 8 doesn't completely suck. It's fast and stable, but Modern UI leaves a lot to be desired. This is one of the reasons why I was hoping Windows Blue might correct things and get back into the existing computing paradigm. It doesn't. Windows Blue further refines Modern UI. It isn't a UI redesign. According to my good friend Paul Thurrott of <a target="_blank" href="http://winsupersite.com/">The Windows Supersite</a>, the release of Windows Blue sheds a great deal of light on the strategic direction Microsoft is taking Windows in; and it involves the complete elimination of the classic Windows desktop. To quote Paul, "Microsoft still sees the touch-centric Metro environment as the future of mainstream computing." So, Microsoft wants to eliminate the desktop. It sees this as a serious goal, and one that it wants to begin accomplishing with Windows 8 and Windows Blue. The problem is that there are literally millions of desktop apps that would need to be converted to Modern UI. That's not going to happen quickly, and right now, the Windows 8 software store is comparatively empty when you look at competing ecosystems. The apps that are available there aren't very good and don't provide the value that legacy desktop mode apps do. <hr /><blockquote>BYTE Editorial Director Larry Seltzer doesn't buy into this "death of the desktop" stuff. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/windows-blue9-no-desktop-no-way/240151632">Click here for his take.</a></blockquote><hr /> The recent update to some of the Windows Essentials apps -- Mail/Calendar/People, Messages, Travel -- initially was made available March 26. If you haven't already, you can grab these "Blue-level" updates now through the Windows Store App, ahead of the full Windows Blue release, scheduled for later this summer. However, you need to be aware of something there, too:<ol><li>PIM apps lose functionality — Google is removing the ability to create new Google Sync connections on free accounts. (Don't assume it will stop there.) This means that non-Android users will have to switch from the robust Exchange ActiveSync to IMAP (for email), CalDAV (for calendar) and CardDAV (for contacts). These protocols aren't as rich and users will get inferior service, but this is more Google's fault than Microsoft's.</li> <li>Enhancements reinforce Modern UI — but this shouldn't be a big surprise. Microsoft wants everyone to spend more time here, so it's trying to make it more appealing. I don't have problems with the apps or the functionality -- I just don't like the flat, retro UI. It's not "modern" at all, really.</li></ol> The improvements to Windows Blue, which include enhancements to Modern UI beyond the apps such as better Settings, Charms, etc., tighten the interface, certainly, but the hope that some of us had that Microsoft had done another about-face with Windows 8, as it did with Office 2013 licensing, isn't going to happen. It appears as though Modern UI is here to stay, and that Microsoft will continue to muddle the tablet and desktop interfaces together until the desktop can completely be phased out and either replaced with Modern UI or something else. Unfortunately, this has me feeling blue -- but not for the reasons Microsoft was hoping for.2013-02-12T08:30:00ZLogitech Keyboard for Apple Handy, PriceyConnect up to three iDevices simultaneously and quickly switch between them with just a keystroke with Logitech's latest, Mac-worthy, wireless keyboard.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/peripherals/logitech-keyboard-for-apple-handy-pricey/240148307?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsEarlier this week, I received a <a href="http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/illumated-keyboard-for-mac-ipad-iphone?crid=26">Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch Keyboard</a> to review. Does it resolve my wireless keyboard issues? Is it a good edition to your computing rig? Let's take a quick look and see. I began my Mac journey in 2006 when I bought my first 15-inch MacBook Pro. Truth be told, I bought it to be a Windows machine. Even then, the high quality, value-retaining hardware was difficult to resist; and Apple's Boot Camp made it easy to run Windows on my Mac. Today, I'm a full Mac convert, and prefer using OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion on my early 2011 15-inch MacBook Pro. <img src="https://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Feb/Logitech-Bluetooth-Easy-Switch-Keyboard-620.jpg" /> My desktop setup includes a Hengedock vertical dock, Thunderbolt display, Apple full-sized USB keyboard and Apple Magic Mouse. I swapped out my hard drive for a 256GB SSD and further tricked it out by pulling out the SuperDrive and putting in <a href="http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/DDAMBS0GBOB/">OWC's Data Doubler</a>, a 2.5-inch drive mounting bracket and 480GB SSD, for a total of 736GB of lightning quick, solid state storage. I have a USB Blu-ray DVD drive sitting on my desk for those times I need access to optical storage. It's a nice setup and one that works well for me. The one thing that's really missing from this setup is a wireless keyboard. I have an Apple Wireless Keyboard, but there were some things about it just didn't work for me – size, no backlight and double AA batteries. Those shortcomings kinda killed it for me, and so it sits in its box. Size, Look and Feel The Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch Keyboard is designed for use with Apple products, and as such is covered in the same type of material as your Mac Laptop or Mini – with Aluminum. This finish makes the package look like it belongs – like the Bluetooth Easy-Switch Keyboard was meant to be a part of your computing rig. It's similar in shape and size to the Apple Wireless Keyboard, but is $30 USD more expensive. The keys are spaced at about the same distance and are approximately the same size. As such, touch-typing on it is easy and comfortable. Key travel is a bit firmer than you might think, compared to both the Apple Wireless Keyboard and the full-sized, USB keyboard. The biggest issue I had with the keyboard's size and feel was that it laid flat on my desk. Both the Apple Wireless and full-sized USB Keyboard are raised at approximately 10-12 degrees, to facilitate a better typing angle. The Logitech keyboard lies flat, requiring you to hover your hands over it in order to type. With other keyboards, you can rest the heal of your palm against the typing surface or table you have it on. This isn't a deal breaker, but will require some getting used to in terms of typing style and comfort. Wireless Communications, Battery Power & Software The keyboard uses Bluetooth 3.0 to communicate with your Mac and two other iDevices and requires Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or later on the desktop and iOS 4.0 or later on your iDevice. While the device works and functions as it's intended to without <a href="http://www.logitech.com/en-us/support/illumated-keyboard-for-mac-ipad-iphone?crid=404/">Logitech's Preferences Pane</a>, it's a good idea to install it. Without it, you're not going to be able to control how the keyboard's function keys work – either as standard function keys, or as special keys. While Apple's standard keyboard preference pane does this for nearly all other keyboards, it doesn't work with Logitech's, and this was perhaps the most frustrating thing about the device for me. I had to install the preference pane just for this purpose. As I mentioned, the keyboard works just fine without it. You really don't miss anything else without it, and the on-screen visuals that it also supplies is a nice to have. However, none of it is needed in order to have the keyboard function. When I got the keyboard, it needed charging. It uses a standard microUSB cable for that purpose, and you can either use the included cable or one for any other device you might have lying around. The keyboard was usable during charging, and charged in a couple of hours. So far, it's lasted just over a week on the charge it took. In fact, according to the Logitech Preference Pane, the battery level for the keyboard doesn't look to have moved. A charge should last you weeks of casual to moderate use when left on in between uses. The big selling point of the keyboard is its ability to swap between your Mac and your iDevice with little to no issues. I'm happy to say this worked flawlessly for me. Pairing the keyboard to both my Mac and iPad required nothing more than turning it on, choosing one of three different communication channels and then allowing the keyboard to find its host. I was typing and switching between both – on the fly – with nothing more than a tap of F1 or F2 (or F3...the three communication channels I mentioned). The keyboard didn't miss a beat after the host device acknowledged the connection. It's really kinda cool. Conclusion At $99.99 USD, the Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch Keyboard is a bit on the pricey side for me. While impressive looking and working well, I was only slightly impressed. The biggest draw to the keyboard is its ability to switch between any Mac or iDevice with a touch of a function key. Unless you're going to carry it with you when you travel – and some might – this ability isn't as big a deal as you might think. I don't see how you'd swap between your Mac and your iPad or iPhone in the same computing session -- not when you have a much better screen on your Mac or desktop monitor and can easily sync content from it to your Mac. The ability to store more than one wireless profile on it is nice, but I've been able to use my Apple Wireless keyboard with both my Mac and my iPad. I wasn't able to switch between them as quickly and easily, but again, I likely won't use both in the same computing session so it doesn't matter. Is the Bluetooth Easy-Switch Keyboard from Logitech for you? That's a matter of personal preference. Right now, I'm on the fence. It's not bad at all, but I've got other options that are just as good, and I think I'm happy with what I have right now. <a href="http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/illumated-keyboard-for-mac-ipad-iphone?crid=26"> Logitech Bluetooth Easy-Switch Keyboard</a> Price: $99.99 list Pros: Comfortable to type with and use, small, long battery life, backlit Cons: Requires proprietary preference pane to get full functionality, expensive, lays flat on the desktop2013-01-23T16:30:00ZTop GPS Apps for the iPhone - 2013 EditionApple Maps just doesn't cut it for everyone, so there is a rich market of GPS alternatives for the iPhone. Many are good. In this review we test Google Maps for iOS, Navigon USA, Gokivo, MapQuest, Scout, Nokia HERE Maps, Waze and even Apple Maps.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/geo-location/top-gps-apps-for-the-iphone-2013-editi/240146807?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsWord on the street is that Apple Maps leaves everything to be desired... still. Some of the errors in its satellite views and routing instructions are serious. Some have been classified as life threatening, especially in Australia where iOS users have been strongly urged by national and regional law enforcement to use another product so they don't get lost in deserted areas. Other users, in other parts of the world, aren't bumping into the problems. <div style="margin:0; padding: 10 10px 10px 10; width:150px; float:right; text-align:center;"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/gps_icons.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /></div>This leaves those of us who are chronically, directionally challenged with a bit of a dilemma on the iOS side of the world – which GPS app should I use on my iPhone (or mobile broadband enabled iPad)? Thankfully, there are a number of different GPS apps available in the iTunes App Store. <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/geo-location/top-5-gps-apps-for-the-iphone/232900278">Last year's</a> roundup addressed the lack of a native navigation tool in Apple's mobile OS. This year, I hope to explain why Apple Maps 1.0 became infamous and what Apple must do to fix it; as well as identify some new navigational choices. You will see one or two apps from last year make a second appearance due to major programmatic updates. First, let's talk about the different type of GPS apps on the market. There are currently three different kinds. A brief description of each can be found below.<ul><li>Maps on Board When cell signals are in short or spotty supply, the Maps on Board GPS app like <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/geo-location/top-5-gps-apps-for-the-iphone/232900278?pgno=2">TomTom USA</a> is what you need. With a GPS app of this type, all you need at that point is open sky...and about 1.5GB of free device space, as the app and its data come over as a single component. You are free and clear to navigate with or without a mobile broadband signal.</li> <li>Maps on Demand When storage space is at a premium and you're in an area with solid mobile broadband coverage, a GPS app that provides map data as you move into a specific geographical area gets the job done without eating up a gig and a half of space. As long as you have at least a 3G signal on your device, it should be able to access the appropriate map data it needs to get you safely and accurately to your destination with always the latest version maps at your disposal.</li> <li>Hybrid (Download and Retain Regional Data) For those times when a little bit of both is needed – cell coverage is spotty and you don't have a lot of device space to give up, but can spare just the right amount to the task, a hybrid solution provides the best of both worlds. This uses up bandwidth only when it needs to download new data, but will likely only eat up 250-500MB of storage at a time. Most users blow that much or more just by having Facebook on their iDevice.</li></ul> Secondly, I'd like to say something about map data, map subscriptions and in-app purchases.<ul><li>Only as Good as the Data As with Apple Maps, it really doesn't matter how awesome the program or its UI are. Mapping and navigation apps are only as good as the data they provide. If the built-in info is bad, the app is going to be abysmal, no matter who wrote or published the thing.</li> <li>Map Subscriptions are a Good Thing If you like an app, purchasing a map subscription is likely a good idea. With a data subscription, you're always going to have the latest and greatest on-board maps at your disposal. However, updates to Maps on Board apps will likely be large, and you may need to wait until you have a reliable Wi-Fi signal to download the update. Roads change all the time. Instead of waiting 2-4 years to issue a new set of maps like many companies used to do at the early days of consumer GPS, a map subscription can get your local, regional or national OTA updates as often as once a month to a couple times a quarter.</li> <li>In-App Purchases Equate to Margin Dollars Most apps that have map and/or data subscriptions (these include traffic and radar/red light cameras) offer them via in-app purchase. In many cases, Navigon excluded (as far as this roundup is concerned), the app is either offered for free or at a nominal price. Map and other in-app purchases that make the app truly functional are offered to you after you download and install the app.</li></ul> Unfortunately for developers, Apple takes the same 30-percent cut of all in-app purchases as it does with App Store purchases. But at least the app vendor has the user locked into the app and can offer additional functionality as long as it's compliant with <a href="https://developer.apple.com/news/pdf/in_app_purchase.pdf ">Apple's In-App Purchase Guidelines</a>. I'd also like to remind everyone that distracted driving is a definite no-no. If you do use any kind of GPS device or navigation application on your iPhone or other smartphone, please make sure that you download apps and set up your phone for navigation before you start driving. All screen shots associated with this roundup were taken while I was a passenger in a moving vehicle. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/geo-location/top-gps-apps-for-the-iphone-2013-editi/240146807?pgno=2">Next Page: Google Maps for iOS</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-maps/id585027354?mt=8">Google Maps for iOS</a> <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; width:145px; float:right; text-align:center;"> 	(Click image for a larger version) 	<a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Google-Maps-1.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Google-Maps-Thumb-1.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Route alternatives 	</div> </div>Google Maps has been on iOS devices everywhere for years; but as a mapping solution only. It made last year's round up, but as an <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/geo-location/top-5-gps-apps-for-the-iphone/232900278?pgno=7">Honorable Mention</a> only. Google Maps has been a staple on the Android side of the fence for years. In fact, it's so good, that there really isn't any need to buy or use any other navigation program on your Android device, provided you have what you need for a Maps-on-Demand app – 3G or better mobile broadband. On the iOS side of the world, Google Maps is now also one of the BEST navigation apps in the App Store. The app was downloaded over 10-million times in the first 48 hours of its initial release. I think that speaks more to Google Maps' strengths rather than Apple Maps' weaknesses. Google's strength is search, and Google Maps for iOS does local search very well. Google learned a lot about navigation from its integration as part of the Android operating system and they have brought some of that expertise to your iPhone or mobile broadband-enabled iPad. Simply put, this is an awesome app, and if you know you're going to be in an area with decent mobile broadband coverage and need a navigation app, Google Maps for iOS is an awesome choice. I've used the app on both platforms. It functions the same way on both iOS and Android devices. Maps are clear and detailed; and its voice guided navigation is clear, well timed, and easy to understand. It's one of the best navigation apps I've ever used on ANY mobile platform. Synching with your Google Account brings in all of your navigation history and favorites. If you've used Google Maps before, you're going to be able pick up right where you previously left off. The only thing missing is integration at the OS level, which might come with the release of iOS 6.1; but that is yet to be seen as of this writing. <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-maps/id585027354?mt=8">Click here for Google Maps for iOS (US) on iTunes</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/eu/app/google-maps/id585027354?mt=8">Click here for Google Maps for iOS (Europe) on iTunes</a> Price: Free App Type: Maps on Demand <TABLE width="100%"><TR><TD colspan=3><center>(Click any image for a larger version) </center></TD></TR><TR> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Google-Maps-2.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Google-Maps-Thumb-2.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Very readable maps 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="34%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Google-Maps-3.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Google-Maps-Thumb-3.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Many alternatives 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Google-Maps-4.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Google-Maps-Thumb-4.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Google's strength is search 	</div></center></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/geo-location/top-gps-apps-for-the-iphone-2013-editi/240146807?pgno=3">Next Page: Navigon USA</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/navigon-usa/id384680007?mt=8">Navigon USA</a> <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; width:145px; float:right; text-align:center;"> 	(Click image for a larger version) 	<a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Navigon-1.PNG"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Navigon-Thumb-1.PNG" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Route alternatives 	</div> </div>Navigon USA is a Garmin powered GPS app, and Garmin's experience and influence shines through here. The app is visually pleasing and provides a lot of information. Street names are clearly labeled throughout the display, and update at an appropriate interval once you approach their location. As with the other apps in this year's roundup, Navigon handles local search well. Items of interest – restaurants, shopping centers, public parking, ATMS, etc. show up as you approach them. Their location is clearly shown but unfortunately, next to all of the local street names, visual directional cues as well as accurate lane visuals and speed limit signs, the display can become quite cluttered. You can control this to some degree in Preferences, but shutting some of the information off can decrease the visual value the app provides. Unfortunately, the screen clutters in both portrait and landscape orientation. However, once you're on the road, the app really shines. Maps are detailed. The animation is smooth. During navigation, the app displays your current speed, ETA, remaining trip distance, distance to your next navigational change and the upcoming street or exit name. When you use Navigon's Cockpit, one of its more interesting plug-ins, you also get three very interesting views: G-Force, Elevation and Direction and Speed over Trip Duration. The information is pretty cool and informative. The Elevation and Direction screen probably provides the best overall information when you're on a pretty straight or long interval section of a particularly long trip. Navigon USA is probably the most expensive GPS app I've ever used; but it's also one of the best Maps-on-Board apps you're going to come across. If Google Maps isn't your app of choice, or if you're going to be in an area where you know mobile broadband coverage is going to be weak, this is one of the best apps to get. <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/navigon-usa/id384680007?mt=8">Click here for Navigon (US) on iTunes</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/navigon-europe/id320279293?mt=8">Click here for Navigon (Europe) on iTunes</a> Price: App - $49.99, Navigon Fresh Maps 1 yr. - $39.99, Navigon Radar Info US 1 yr. - $0.99 App Type: Maps on Board (data downloaded after app purchase) <TABLE width="100%"><TR><TD colspan=3><center>(Click any image for a larger version) </center></TD></TR><TR> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Navigon-2.PNG"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Navigon-Thumb-2.PNG" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Location data 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="34%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Navigon-3.PNG"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Navigon-Thumb-3.PNG" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Traffic report 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Navigon-4.PNG"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Navigon-Thumb-4.PNG" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		iCloud integration 	</div></center></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/geo-location/top-gps-apps-for-the-iphone-2013-editi/240146807?pgno=4">Next Page: Gokivo</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gokivo-gps-navigator/id319730503?mt=8">Gokivo</a> <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; width:145px; float:right; text-align:center;"> 	(Click image for a larger version) 	<a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Gokivo-1.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Gokivo-Thumb-1.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Current location 	</div> </div>Gokivo is an interesting GPS navigation app for iOS from Networks In Motion. The last major update the app got was back in 2009. Since then, the app has changed a great deal, and for the better I might add. Gokivo offers both basic and 3-D turn-by-turn navigation on your iPhone, offering both spoken directions and street names as well as real highway signs and road views. Its monthly and yearly subscription prices for both its basic and enhanced 3-D navigation include automatic provision of updated maps via your carrier's data plan or local Wi-Fi signal. The app supports social networking features via Facebook. It will post your location via FB check in to your Timeline. Like FourSquare, this is good and bad, as it lets others – read your local criminal element – know that you aren't home, so exercise caution when posting data of this type. It's also not a great idea to network on Facebook while you drive. If you must check in somewhere, please do so after you are done driving. The app has support for local search so that you can find movie theaters, gas stations, local events, etc., near your current location. Gokivo can do this via text as well as voice input. Though it does local search very well, that's not the app's strongest point. The app is very good at multitasking, giving you the ability to control and listen to your favorite audio app while continuing to receive audio directions in either English or Spanish. I found the app and its 3-D navigation interface to be a bit clunky, however. I really hate the cutesy car icon that it uses to illustrate your location. I was much happier with the blue dot in other screens. The app also REALLY wants you to stick to the route it plans for your trip, using the data it has. If, for example, you're on a road that is close to, but not part of its current map, the app will only reroute you so many times before it finally assumes you're off road and don't want to go to your destination. The app doesn't quit, but will cancel your planned route, leaving the displayed map on your iPhone's screen. This was the app's fatal flaw for me. Any app that I use, especially a GPS app, shouldn't assume that I want to cancel a trip whether I'm on route or not. Even a GPS app that delivers Maps on Demand may not have the latest road schematic, especially in newer residential areas. Making an assumption that I'm off-road and don't want to go to my planned destination and auto killing the navigation session isn't acceptable. <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gokivo-gps-navigator/id319730503?mt=8">Click here for Gokivo on iTunes</a> Price: App is free, Basic Navigation is $0.99/mo. or $9.99/year; 3D navigation is $4.99/mo., $19.99.year App Type: Maps on Demand <TABLE width="100%"><TR><TD colspan=3><center>(Click any image for a larger version) </center></TD></TR><TR> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Gokivo-2.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Gokivo-Thumb-2.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Turn-by-Turn 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="34%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Gokivo-3.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Gokivo-Thumb-3.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Traffic alternatives 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Gokivo-4.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Gokivo-Thumb-4.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Local gas prices 	</div></center></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/geo-location/top-gps-apps-for-the-iphone-2013-editi/240146807?pgno=5">Next Page: MapQuest</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mapquest/id316126557?mt=8">MapQuest</a> <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; width:145px; float:right; text-align:center;"> 	(Click image for a larger version) 	<a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/MapQuest-1.PNG"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/MapQuest-Thumb-1.PNG" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Local attractions 	</div> </div>At one time, MapQuest was THE online destination for written directions when you needed to go out and about. Some eight to ten years later, I still have friends and family who want to Map Quest their way from one place to another despite the fact that they have a smartphone with a navigation solution already on it, or just a few taps away. Today, MapQuest for iOS is an OK navigation app for your GPS-enabled device. It provides 2-D navigation and is missing the 3-D navigation as well as the 3-D lane assistance that is now becoming common in other apps. Unfortunately, it's also ad funded and a small part of your screen is given over to rotating banner ads. I'm not single, and if I was, I wouldn't be interested in match.com while I drive. A better ad strategy would be to wait until I searched for a local business, and then showed me ads from the business I searched for or from similar local businesses. Match.com has nothing to do with the restaurant or gas station I'm currently searching for. The screen provides decent information while navigating, aside from the reappearing/disappearing banner ads, and its voice guided navigation isn't bad. I was. however, a bit surprised to find that zoomed-in maps were a bit blurry the closer to the street you got. For a moment, I thought it might be me, my new glasses or bad eyes. Its GPS accuracy, the closer you got to full magnification, decreased. Street text labels also got nearly too small to read at full magnification. When compared to Google Maps, or even Apple Maps, both of those seem to be more sophisticated, better functioning applications, providing a better, overall navigation experience than MapQuest. When compared to Google Maps specifically, Google Maps seems to wipe the floor with MapQuest for iOS. However, it's still a decent choice; and the price is right, especially if it's something you're familiar with from the PC side of the world. <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mapquest/id316126557?mt=8">Click here for MapQuest on iTunes</a> Price: Free App Type: Maps on Demand <TABLE width="100%"><TR><TD colspan=3><center>(Click any image for a larger version) </center></TD></TR><TR> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/MapQuest-2.PNG"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/MapQuest-Thumb-2.PNG" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Program options 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="34%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/MapQuest-3.PNG"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/MapQuest-Thumb-3.PNG" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Settings 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/MapQuest-4.PNG"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/MapQuest-Thumb-4.PNG" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Gas options 	</div></center></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/geo-location/top-gps-apps-for-the-iphone-2013-editi/240146807?pgno=6">Next Page: Scout</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/scout-by-telenav/id467816643?mt=8">Scout </a> <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; width:145px; float:right; text-align:center;"> 	(Click image for a larger version) 	<a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Scout-1.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Scout-Thumb-1.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Local scenery 	</div> </div>Scout is a Telenav app. Telenav, as you may recall, is one of the best veteran GPS navigation vendors out there. Many carrier-branded, subscription-based Map on Demand apps have been Telenav powered. You may have used one. I did while with AT&T for more than a couple years. Scout is a decent navigation app. Its routing is accurate and its voice prompts come at just the right distances to make you aware of pending direction changes. As you can see from its screen shots, the interface is clean and well organized. Its concentrations on navigation via local search plays well with what it was named to do – scout out the local area and help you find your way to the places you're looking for. While its navigation is good, its 2D display is better than its 3D, in my opinion. I had trouble discerning the two from one another. The version I pulled out of the App Store also wasn't optimized for iPhone 5 or its bigger screen, though that was changed with an update released in January of 2013. Scout also doesn't provide walking or transit directions or display speed limit signs. However, I was very pleased with the way it handled the navigation tasks I gave it. It was able to find the destinations I was looking for via its local search functions and then got to those destinations without a hitch. The app is free and provides all services for free in a Maps on Demand presentation. If you want better mapping performance or know you're going to be in an area where a reliable mobile broadband connection may not be available, it does support Maps-on-Board via a $24.99 annual subscription to Scout Plus. <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/scout-by-telenav/id467816643?mt=8">Click here for Scout (US) on iTunes</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/scout-by-telenav/id467816643?mt=8">Click here for Scout (Europe) on iTunes</a> Price: Free, Scout Plus - $24.99 in-app map subscription App Type: Hybrid <TABLE width="100%"><TR><TD colspan=3><center>(Click any image for a larger version) </center></TD></TR><TR> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Scout-2.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Scout-Thumb-2.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Any Blockbusters nearby? 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="34%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Scout-3.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Scout-Thumb-3.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Routing 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Scout-4.PNG"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Scout-Thumb-4.PNG" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Downloadable maps 	</div></center></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/geo-location/top-gps-apps-for-the-iphone-2013-editi/240146807?pgno=7">Next Page: Honorable Mention Apple Maps</a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/ios/maps/">Honorable Mention Apple Maps</a> <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; width:145px; float:right; text-align:center;"> 	(Click image for a larger version) 	<a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Apple-Maps-2.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Apple-Maps-Thumb-2.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Satellite Images 	</div> </div>Apple Maps was introduced with the release of iOS 6 and the coverage of its gimps and glitches are well known. The issues currently encountered by the app led to Scott Forestall's departure from Apple and a public apology from Tim Cook. BYTE's Editorial Director, <a href=" http://www.informationweek.com/byte/authors/Larry-Seltzer">Larry Seltzer</a> seems to think that the damage done to Apple Maps by all the errors, issues and bad press is irreparable. I'm not certain I agree. I think recovering from Apple's current, perceived level of quality is possible; but will require a complete overhaul of the app. It will definitely require a full version rev (from 1.0 to 2.0) and not an evolutionary, gradual change over the next few iOS releases, which is Apple's current M.O. with most of its apps and products. They need to correct the problems with the app immediately, or else they need to pull it. ...And pulling it would be a shame. The UI for the app is really rather elegant. If data for your current geographical area is correct and/or reasonably accurate, you should have no problem using Apple Maps to get around town or to do local search. The problem comes when your area's data is not up-to-date. Unfortunately, right now, it's a crap shoot at best, as there's no way to tell without actually trying to find the Golden Gate Bridge or Statue of Liberty that they've actually melted, at least according to Apple Maps. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/ios/maps/">Click here for the Apple Maps home page</a> Price: Free App Type: Maps on Demand Included with iOS 6.x <TABLE width="100%"><TR><TD colspan=3><center>(Click any image for a larger version)</center></TD></TR><TR> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Apple-Maps-4.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Apple-Maps-Thumb-4.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Alternative Routes 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="34%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Apple-Maps-5.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Apple-Maps-Thumb-5.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Turn-by-Turn Live 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Apple-Maps-6.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Apple-Maps-Thumb-6.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Turn-by-Turn Route Overview 	</div></center></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/geo-location/top-gps-apps-for-the-iphone-2013-editi/240146807?pgno=8">Next Page: Honorable Mention Waze</a> <a target="_blank" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/waze-gps-traffic-social-fun!/id323229106?mt=8">Honorable Mention Waze</a> <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; width:145px; float:right; text-align:center;"> 	(Click image for a larger version) 	<a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Waze-1.PNG"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Waze-Thumb-1.PNG" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Welcome to Chicagoland 	</div> </div>As I stated last year, Waze is part game, and part serious navigation app. Though it got its start in the Android world, it got noticed and made the jump to iOS. Since the Apple Maps debacle, it's become very popular with iOS users too. Waze enlists you, the user, to help validate its on-demand maps. In return for using the application and "road munching"-— gobbling up dots on unvalidated roads Pac Man style — you earn game points you can track. Waze takes the validation data and uses it to confirm that its cartography data is accurate. Users also get points for reporting accidents, speed traps, police cruiser locations, and other road happenings. Although Waze does provide turn-by-turn navigation, and does a good job of getting you from point A to point B, the road-munching game gets to be a little tiresome after the novelty wears off. Also, for an app that displays a distracted-use warning on first startup, Waze requires way too much interaction from the driver during use. For serious or ongoing navigation needs, you should look elsewhere unless you rely on a passenger to assist you with your driving. <a target="_blank" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/waze-gps-traffic-social-fun!/id323229106?mt=8">Click here for Waze on iTunes</a> Price: Free App Type: Maps on Demand <TABLE width="100%"><TR><TD colspan=3><center>(Click any image for a larger version) </center></TD></TR><TR> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Waze-2.PNG"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Waze-Thumb-2.PNG" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		What you can do in Waze 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="34%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Waze-3.PNG"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Waze-Thumb-3.PNG" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Social is an important part of Waze 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Waze-4.PNG"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Waze-Thumb-4.PNG" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Waze depends on users reporting in events to improve map quality 	</div></center></TD> </TR> </TABLE> <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/geo-location/top-gps-apps-for-the-iphone-2013-editi/240146807?pgno=9">Next Page: Honorable Mention Nokia HERE Maps <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/here-maps/id577430143?mt=8">Honorable Mention Nokia HERE Maps</a> <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; width:145px; float:right; text-align:center;"> 	(Click image for a larger version) 	<a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Nokia-HERE-1.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Nokia-HERE-Thumb-1.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Routing 	</div> </div>Nokia HERE Maps is an iOS 5.x and earlier Google Maps replacement. It made a huge splash back when it was originally released late in 2012. The big thing here is that it is nearly an identical replacement for what Google previously provided and Apple removed with the introduction of iOS 6. It does local search and it also provides driving, walking and transit directions for iPhone users. However, it does not do turn-by-turn directions. So, nice try Nokia, but with the new Google Maps for iOS now available for download, Nokia HERE Maps really doesn't provide the value it did at its initial release. Heck, I'd even take Apple Maps over Nokia HERE Maps at this point, even with its issues. At least the turn-by-turn navigation part is sorta-kinda accurate, but again, your mileage may vary. <a target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/here-maps/id577430143?mt=8">Click here for Nokia HERE Maps on iTunes</a> Price: Free App Type: Maps on Demand <TABLE width="100%"><TR><TD colspan=3><center>(Click any image for a larger version) </center></TD></TR><TR> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Nokia-HERE-2.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Nokia-HERE-Thumb-2.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Turn-by-Turn details 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="34%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Nokia-HERE-3.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Nokia-HERE-Thumb-3.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Points of interest 	</div></center></TD> 	<TD width="33%"><center><a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Nokia-HERE-4.jpg"> 		<img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2013-Jan/iPhone-GPS/Nokia-HERE-Thumb-4.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /> 	</a> 	<div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:80%"> 		Alternative views 	</div></center></TD> </TR> </TABLE>2013-01-03T09:30:00ZCan Waze Save Apple Maps?Incorporating Waze navigation and local search into Apple's Maps app and service would address many of the problems that have earned Apple its poor mapping reputation. Unfortunately for Android users, Apple would probably pull the plug on Waze use, or at least relegate them to second-class status.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/geo-location/can-waze-save-apple-maps/240145459?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_Authors[UPDATE: There will be no Apple/Waze deal. TechCrunch, who originally reported the story, <a target="_blank" href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/03/apple-not-buying-waze/">now reports that there will be no such deal</a>. The column below still makes for interesting speculation.] Numerous sources are reporting rumors that Apple is taking a long hard look at buying <a href="http://www.waze.com/">Waze</a>, a crowd-sourced, GPS app developer for both iOS and Android. The idea has merit, but includes a couple of problems. Let's take a quick look and run through them. As a quick reminder, I listed Waze as an honorable mention in the 2012 version of Byte's <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/geo-location/top-5-gps-apps-for-the-iphone/232900278">Top 5 GPS Apps For The iPhone</a>. I've got a 2013 version currently cooking; but let's get to the pros and cons of an Apple acquisition of Waze. <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; width:276px; float:right; text-align:center;"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2013-Jan/waze-traffic.jpg" alt="Waze traffic reports" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /><div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold;">Based on passive user reports, Waze shows you the speed of traffic on alternative routes</div></div>Pros<ul> <li>Crowd-sourced (read: user-supplied and validated) maps The biggest problem Apple Maps has is that it's a 1.0 version app and service. While Google Maps has been on Apple devices for quite some time, and Apple basically knows what it wanted to do with the app, they haven't had to worry about rolling their own mapping solution...EVER. Apple Maps was, in all fairness, a decent shot at a new app for Apple, but it does have some very serious issues. Whether those issues are with the map data provided by TomTom and others, or via the way the Apple Maps makes use of the data, Apple is taking the lion's share of the blame for the sometimes glaring navigation and satellite image errors within the app. Waze provides a way for users to validate the data. Users can report problems or provide updates to map data that can then be incorporated back into the service and the app. Users validate or update map data and the data gets assimilated and provided back to users in a "reasonable amount of time." Incorporating this method of data validation into Apple Maps would provide Apple real time, corrected or updated map data from around the world. It would also give users the feeling that they are correcting the reported, egregious errors. This is a clear win-win for users as well as Apple. Both sides get what they want more accurate map data, ASAP. Apple's main response to the problems with their service has been to point out that users can report problems with Apple Maps, and to assert that the service will improve as the company's vast user base provides this feedback. For one reason or another, Apple's users aren't getting the job done. Perhaps it's because reporting isn't convenient enough. In Waze, reporting is integral to the app.</li> <iframe width="452" height="339" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GdxsBx_FzKI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#009999; font-size:small; ;font-style: italic; text-align:right;">Waze shows how their app and service work.</div> <li>Local search Waze's focus is on local map validation. More specifically, users validate the app's reports of roads and locations. As such, it can get you to there from here, but its real strength isn't navigation, but local search. It does local search VERY well. It has hundreds of thousands of users validating its map data on a daily basis. It knows exactly what's near you or how far away you are from where you want to be. This is an area of competency that Google feels confident it does well, too. If Apple wanted to challenge Google in the local search arena, an acquisition of Waze would go a long way to making that challenge credible.</li></ul> In one step, Apple could go a long way to resolving two of its biggest map based criticisms by acquiring Waze. It wants to vindicate Tim Cook's public apology for Apple Maps and it wants to be a serious player in mobile search. Waze does this well and would likely be an acquisition that would increase its competitive edge with Google. From this perspective, it's a winning move from a number of different angles. Cons <ul><li>Waze Interface needs work <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 5px 5px 0; width:180px; float:right; text-align:center;"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2013-Jan/waze-munch.jpg" alt="Waze chomp" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /></div>The thing that I hate the most about Waze is that it comes off like a cartoon or game. Local search and navigation are not games; but it's hard not to look at Waze that way when "road munching", or simply running the roads with the app up, has the Waze "mascot" (which looks like a <a target="_blank" href="http://kirby.nintendo.com/">Kirby</a> wannabe with wheels...) eating Pac Man-like dots as it passes over them. The munching sound I remember the app making didn't help it, either...</li> <li>Limited Support Waze currently has the best support in the US, Italy, Spain and Israel. Waze may or may not be active or 100% supported in your local area. Support grows every day and the company provides <a target="_blank" href="http://status.waze.com/">frequent status and map updates</a>.</li> <li>Android version? Not after an Apple acquisition Waze cut its teeth in the Android side of the smartphone world. If Apple acquires the company, you can expect Android support to evaporate. While the app itself would likely still work, the benefits of user updated and validated maps, and local search would end.</li></ul> This is likely going to be a serious negotiation point for both Waze and Apple as getting map validation from ALL users, regardless of platform, is likely the biggest point of value for Apple. Post-acquisition, ending Android support of Waze would likely reduce its value. Acquiring Waze could be a very good thing for Apple. How Waze would fare post acquisition is unknown; but it's very likely the app would be chopped up and cannibalized for its back end data gathering and validation services. Android support would likely also need to be discussed, post acquisition. I'm not entirely certain how the company would view all of this, but it's very possible that it wouldn't matter so much if Apple waved enough of their hoarded cash at them. What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the discussion below.2012-12-13T08:35:00ZResale Sites For Gadgets FlourishThe flood of new electronics from Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and others creates a secondary market for resale of the buyers' old devices. eBay, Cragslist and Amazon.com are popular for this, but a new generation of sites including Gazelle, Glyde and USell have emerged to specialize in resale of phones, tablets and other such devices. There are important differences between them.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/smart-phones/resale-sites-for-gadgets-flourish/240144357?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsThe introduction by Apple in 2012 of three new iPads and new generations of the iPhone and iPod Touch has led to a marked increase in device resale. Reselling smartphones, tablets or any other electronic device is not a new concept. Selling your used electronics on auction sites like <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ebay.com">eBay</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Electronics-Trade-In/b/ref=ti_ce_all_blocks_0912?ie=UTF8&node=2226766011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-7&pf_rd_r=0A228FJ60FDXKC84F3QF&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1398957522&pf_rd_i=2242532011">Amazon</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.craigslist.com">Craigslist</a> for years. People have been doing that for digital eons, or at least 10 years or more. <hr /><blockquote>Before you trade in a device. make sure there's no valuable data left on it. Click here to find out <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/smart-phones/how-to-decommission-byod-mobile-devices/240144356">how to establish a company policy and procedure for sanitizing phones of confidential data.</a>.</blockquote><hr /> It's different now. The influx of all the new Apple devices, plus new products from players like Samsung, HTC and Nokia as well have created unique opportunities for companies like <a href="http://www.gazelle.com">Gazelle</a>, <a href="http://www.usell.com">USell</a>, and <a href="http://www.glyde.com">Glyde</a>, which specialize in gadget resale. Weaker economies and emerging markets in countries where a smartphone might be a user's primary computer have created unique resale opportunities for companies like these as well as for end users. According to Drew Lieberman, CEO of Glyde, a full consumer to consumer (C2C) gadget resale site, the market right now is huge. Rapid product releases have led to dramatic increases in device resale, up to 400%+ in recent months. iPad resale rates of more than doubled on both eBay and USell.com according to the (Minneapolis) <a target="_blank" href="http://www.startribune.com/business/179406121.html?refer=y">StarTribune</a>. While traditional auction sites provide a good opportunity for users to retrieve value from gently used, recently purchased devices, resale sites offering expedited sale and payment processes are seeing great success at this time. "Resale sites allow users to quickly sell their devices and perhaps turn a profit, especially on devices that may have been purchased under a carrier subsidy," said Lieberman. "Sites like Glyde are also easier to use as they don't require sellers to create and babysit auctions." All a Glyde seller has to do is identify his or her device and its condition. Glyde helps them determine the best selling price and immediately lists it for sale. Glyde takes a 12 percent cut of the first $100, and then an additional eight percent over $100; and charges the user $1-$3.50 for the shipping kit needed to get the device to the buyer. Glyde never handles the device; and sellers get money deposited into their Gazelle Glyde Account once the buyer receives the item and confirms its condition. Withdrawals to your bank account can be completed for free. I recently used Gazelle to facilitate the purchase of my iPhone 5. The site is similar to Glyde's, but instead of a consumer purchasing the device, Gazelle buys devices directly from sellers. After telling Gazelle about the condition of the iPhone 4S I wanted to sell, and receiving a prepaid shipping label and box, I sent Gazelle the device. After inspecting and confirming its condition, Gazelle deposited the agreed, offered amount into my PayPal account. Users can also get paid via check or Amazon eGift Card. However, the market price for my iPhone 4S would have been nearly $100 higher if I had sold my device through Glyde as opposed to Gazelle. While Gazelle is a great service, and they pay quickly via multiple options, they do pay quite a bit less for your old device than either Glyde or Amazon Trade-In. The new resale options are good for everyone. Buyers win by having more options at a variety of prices. Sellers get options to recover cost of their upgrade. Even the device manufacturers, who might normally be unhappy with resale markets, win by having their regular customers more easily able to buy the newest thing more often. [Correction: An earlier version of this story made a reference to a Gazelle account that should have said Glyde. We apologize for the error.]2012-11-30T12:04:00ZMicrosoft Scroogled Site Challenges Google Shopping HonestyAre you getting Scroogled? What does that even mean? Microsoft wants you to believe Google Shopping is a rip-off and has dedicated Scroogled.com to explaining it all. (Hint: Bing is a much safer place to holiday shop.)http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/consumer-services/microsoft-scroogled-site-challenges-goog/240142956?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsAre you getting Scroogled? It's a word invented by Microsoft to describe what it says Google is doing to users of its Google Shopping tool: It rips them off by limiting search results to paid advertisers only. According to Microsoft, the unbiased relevance listings Google Shopping claims to provide are nothing more than paid search results listed according to dollar amount -- not by relevance to the user. Microsoft has even created a site dedicated to calling Google out on what Microsoft argues are its <a href="http://shopping.google.com">deceptive search results</a>. <a target="_blank" href="http://scroogled.com/">Scroogled.com</a> lays out its argument that Google is cheating. It: <ul><li>Identifies the changes to Google's product search results and paid listing/paid ranking search results policies.</li> <li>Provides illustrated examples of paid-search shopping ads vs. unpaid product search results. </li> <li>Provides links to Bing, the Microsoft-powered search engine.</li></ul> The site also has a rotating banner listing quotes from Google Founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page disparaging the idea of paid search results. In a separate section on the side of the page are later quotes from Google taking the contrary position. <iframe width="452" height="254" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight='0' scrolling="no" src="http://hub.video.msn.com/embed/0dc0abc1-0502-409c-a29f-c2b04bf67224/?vars=YnJhbmQ9djUlNUU1NDR4MzA2JmZyPXNoYXJlZW1iZWQtc3luZGljYXRpb24mY29uZmlnQ3NpZD1NU05WaWRlbyZsaW5rYmFjaz1odHRwJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJpbmcuY29tJTJGdmlkZW9zJTJGYnJvd3NlJnN5bmRpY2F0aW9uPXRhZyZta3Q9ZW4tdXMmbGlua292ZXJyaWRlMj1odHRwJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmJpbmcuY29tJTJGdmlkZW9zJTJGYnJvd3NlJTNGbWt0JTNEZW4tdXMlMjZ2aWQlM0QlN0IwJTdEJTI2ZnJvbSUzRHVzLUJpbmcmY29uZmlnTmFtZT1zeW5kaWNhdGlvbnBsYXllcg%3D%3D"> <A href="http://www.bing.com/videos/browse?mkt=en-us&vid=0dc0abc1-0502-409c-a29f-c2b04bf67224&from=shareembed-syndication&src=v5:embed:syndication:&from=shareembed-syndication" target="_new" title="Don’t get Scroogled">Video: Don't get Scroogled</A> </iframe><div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#999900; font-size:small; ;font-style: italic; text-align:right;">A video ad for Bing, mostly composed of criticism of Google Shopping.</div> The site is well-designed, although a bit reminiscent of, as a colleague of mine puts it, a "diet pill and teeth whitening" ad. <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 0 5px 5px; width:235px; float:right; text-align:center;"><img style="border:1px solid black;" src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-Nov/google-why-these-products.jpg" alt="From Google Shopping search results" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /><div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#990000; font-weight:bold; font-size:small;">From Google Shopping search results</div></div>The Scroogled site introduces you to "Google's deceptive advertising tactics" and attempts to explain why the shopping results displayed at Google Shopping only push users to merchants that have paid for positioning and placement. Scroogle's first page explains "the problem." Page two identifies "the solution:" use of Microsoft's Bing. The taken tactic is a bit aggressive, in my opinion. Bing's search results aren't completely unbiased; and both Google and Microsoft state they clearly identify sponsored search results in the data they provide end users. In a <a target="_blank" href="http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/28/who-is-scroogling-who-bings-shopping-results-arent-all-that-clean-either/">Wednesday Techcrunch story</a>, Microsoft claimed Google allows merchants to pay for result placement while Bing provides a true search "result." Google described itself as a great resource for shoppers to find what they need at great prices -- completely ignoring the shot that Microsoft placed across its bow. <a target="_blank" href="https://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-Nov/scroogled-founders.jpg"><img src="https://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-Nov/scroogled-founders-452.jpg" /></a><div style="margin:4px 0 0 0; padding:0; color:#999900; font-size:small; ;font-style: italic; text-align:right;">Click for a larger image.</div> My recommendation: Take it all with a grain of salt. Scroogled.com is interesting and cute, but before you make any online purchase this holiday season, look around. While Google is the favorite search tool for many, including me, I like my checking account balance a heck of a lot more. Finding the best buy isn't as easy as it used to be and doing more than one search for the gifts you're looking for, via more than one search engine, just might get you the affordable buy you're looking for. Search multiple sources for the best deal you can find from the best, most reputable merchant available and you're likely to get what you want in time for the holidays.2012-11-29T08:10:00ZWhere Are All The iPhone/iPad Lightning Accessories?Where are all the Lightning accessories? It's now almost December -- two months after Apple's new Lightning connector debuted on the iPhone 5 -- and there is still practically no Lightning-compatible iOS hardware available. Owners of the new Lightning-equipped iPad Mini, iPad 4 and new iPods are waiting, too.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/peripherals/where-are-all-the-iphoneipad-lightning-a/240142737?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsWith the introduction of the iPhone 5, Apple finally left its proprietary 30-pin connector behind and introduced a new 8-pin, dynamic connector, code-named Lightning. If you're not familiar with the basic changes to Apple's proprietary connector, there are few key things that you do need to know.<ol> <li>It's proprietary.</li> <li>It's reversible, in that it doesn't have a top or a bottom, front or back side; and it doesn't matter which way you put it into your iOS device.</li> <li>It has a logic board in it that controls which pin does what based on which side is "up."</li> <li>Adapters don't support video out. If you use an 8- to 30-pin adapter, you get charging and audio, but no video through the adapter.</li> <li>Adapters don't support iPod out, so you might not be able to use existing remotes or other on-accessory controls to change songs or volume.</li> <li>Lightning is based on USB 2.0, not USB 3.0, and it isn't as fast as a Thunderbolt cable.</li> <li>Apple is requiring manufacturers to become Lightning Certified before Apple will officially bless any third-party accessory.</li></ol> <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/news/2012-Sep/iPhone5/iphone-lightning.jpg" /> Since switching from my iPhone 4S, I've not been able to find a powered third-party dock or car kit for it. The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/Magellan-Latest-iPhone-Touch-AP0301SGXXX/dp/B008J0ZSTQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353953869&sr=8-1&keywords=magellan+car+kit">Magellan Car Kit</a> that I got last year comes with a 30-pin connector and won't work with the iPhone 5. This is a common problem for most everyone with a collection of 30-pin accessories. Heck, its been many years since Apple last tweaked its connectors. I've been all over the Internet looking for third-party accessories for my iPhone 5 with very little luck. I know this has a lot to do with how much power the device can safely carry and the cost and complexity of the logic board that governs dynamic pin functionality; in other words, it's harder to make accessories for Lightning than for the old connector. But it's still frustrating. I can't find a clear, definitive reason why these accessories aren't available yet. I've done a lot of searches over the past few months looking for new accessories, and there are just a few available. Those few, like the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.belkin.com/us/F8J057-Belkin/p/P-F8J057">Belkin Sync and Charge Dock with Audio</a> for iPhone 5, require you to bring your own cable. An Apple branded <a target="_blank" href="http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD818ZM/A/lightning-to-usb-cable?fnode=45&fs=m.iphoneCompatibility%3Diphone_5">Lightning to USB Cable</a> is $20, a bit pricey if you ask me, for the standard cable that comes with the iPhone 5, iPad Mini or iPad 4. With the holidays upon us, I would have thought that third-party manufacturers would have had their accessories introduced by Black Friday in order to take full advantage of the holiday buying season. They haven't. This leaves me with two conclusions: Either no one's cracked the secret sauce or Apple has set the certification bar very high for the latest generation of iDevice accessories. In either case, along with the Apple Maps debacle, this is a sign that Apple didn't handle the most recent iPhone and iPad releases as smoothly as it has prior ones. 2012-11-20T09:03:00Z5 Best Tablets For The HolidaysLooking for the perfect gift for your beloved this year? Something tells us a tablet might be just the ticket. BYTE looks at five: The Apple iPad 4, the iPad Mini, the Samsung Galaxy 10.1, the Microsoft Surface, and the Kindle Fire HD.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/tablets/5-best-tablets-for-the-holidays/240142349?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsA few short years ago netbooks were all the rage. The small, light and cheap ultra-portable PCs were popular holiday gifts, especially for high school and college students because parents could buy a Windows laptop for as little as $200. Today, tablet PCs have grabbed the spotlight. With their mobile broadband and Wi-Fi connectivity options, and ability to create and edit documents -- not to mention their usefulness as e-book readers -- tablets satisfy many of the same needs and desires as netbooks, all in a machine that's easier to use and carry. There are more tablets vying for your attention this year than ever before. So BYTE chose the five tablets we think will do the best job of making your holidays merry and bright. Some of them -- the fourth-generation iPad, Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 and Microsoft Surface -- are priced over $500. You get what you pay for. The iPad Mini costs less and the Kindle Fire HD is the least expensive, but they might not fulfill your needs. Our advice: Stick with what you know. Something familiar will be the easiest to learn and give you the most enjoyment out of the box. If you already own an iPhone, for instance, or are really into your iPod Touch, an iPad or iPad Mini might be the best bet. You should be able to run most of your iOS software on your new device. Which iPad you choose depends on your budget and size preference. If handwritten notes or document annotation are important to you, Samsung's Galaxy Note 10.1 could be a good choice. As an Android tablet it has an immense app catalog and a good collection of accessories. The only drawback is that there have been reports of moderate to severe lag between writing and the appearance of the digital ink on the screen, though we had no problems. Windows might be the oldest platform in this group but it's also the biggest wild card right now. The Microsoft Surface tablet with Windows RT has the potential to be the most productive tablet in this group -- it comes with a keyboard and Microsoft Office. But right now it also has the smallest app catalog, not to mention an entirely new Windows touch interface some people might not like. Don't buy it until you've gone to a store and tried it out in person. If e-books are your focus, a Kindle Fire HD might be the right choice. Like Apple's new iPad Mini, the Fire HD's strengths are its portability and easy-to-read screen. It also has a wealth of Android applications available. Again, sticking to what you know and pairing your Android smart phone with an Android tablet will help save money on apps as some might work on both devices. Any way you look at it, tablets are big this holiday season, and you probably have at least one person on your gift list who wants one. Consider the familiarity of the operating system, and the availability of apps for the tablet you're considering, and chances are the recipient will be happy with your purchase for a long time. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/overview/">Apple 4th Generation iPad</a> Apple set the de facto standard for modern tablets with its 9.7-inch iOS-powered iPad. With the right wireless keyboard and software, the iPad is effective as an e-book reader, note taker and basic office computing device. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/mobile-applications/mobile-office-partial-functionality-not/240062606">The recently rumored Microsoft Office for iOS</a> might make the iPad an even better work tool. Apple's newest full-size iPad boasts a more compact connector dubbed Lightning, and an A6 processor. Coupled with Apple's well-established app ecosystem and powered via iTunes, using an iPad as your main computing device is a very credible option, especially if all you're looking for is basic functionality. It plays audio well. It plays video well. It works fine as a gaming device as long you're not a fan of MMORPGs -- massively multiplayer online role-playing games -- in which case you'll need something with more punch. For a tablet, the iPad is big and heavy. But compared to a notebook computer, it's light and easy to carry. Its communication options are top notch, including both Wi-Fi, and mobile broadband on multiple carriers. Add a good <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/reviews/240003972">data plan</a> if necessary, and you more than likely have all that most road warriors or students wishing to carry as little equipment as possible could need. There are lots of hardware accessories available that make iPads more fun or useful. Unfortunately, the new Lightning connector doesn't work with most of the existing accessories out there, and replacement accessories for the new connector are only just beginning to arrive on the scene. Be patient and hardware companies should catch up eventually. Until then you can always buy an adapter cable for under $30 if you have old iPad accessories you'd like to use with the iPad 4. The fourth-generation iPad is available directly from Apple or any number of online and brick and mortar retailers and ranges in price from $499 to $829 depending on storage and communications options.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/ipad-mini/overview/">Apple iPad Mini</a> Take everything good and bad about the Apple iPad and shrink it down into a lighter tablet with a 7.9-inch screen and you have the Apple iPad Mini. Although its entry-level price of $329 is high -- about $80 more than expected -- the iPad Mini is already proving to be popular anyway. And with cellular versions shipping just in time for Black Friday, look for the iPad Mini to be high on holiday wish lists. <hr /><blockquote>Want a closer look? <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/tablets/image-gallery-ipad-mini-hands-on/240049812">Check out our full review of the iPad Mini</a>.</blockquote><hr /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxynote/note_10.1/">Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1</a> The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is the tablet version of the Samsung Galaxy Note smart phone, coming in at about twice the size of the smaller phone-tablet hybrid, or "phablet". The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1's big draw is its S Pen stylus. With the S Pen, the Galaxy can do the one thing that the Apple iPad does not do: It makes it easy to take handwritten notes, sketch, draw, and annotate documents directly on the screen. It's the first full-size tablet to combine all the basic features found in other tablets with handwriting. <hr /><blockquote>The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 also has more sophisticated multitasking than the iPad or other Android tablets. <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/tablets/samsung-galaxy-note-101-cool-multitaskin/240005759">Watch our video review</a>.</blockquote><hr /> There are only two downsides to the Galaxy Note 10.1, neither a deal breaker in our book. One is that it lacks a mobile broadband option. Although it gives you more freedom, mobile broadband can be costly -- a lot of people prefer to rely on Wi-Fi or mobile hotspots instead. The second problem is that it supports Bluetooth 4 only via a separately sold adapter. This means you can't use an external keyboard without paying for and attaching an extra piece of equipment -- unlike other Android tablets or the iPad. But if you don't mind carrying the extra piece, or if you don't plan to do a lot of typing, you might not care that it needs an adapter to use a keyboard. The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 is available at a number of online and brick and mortar retailers and is $499.99 with 16 GB or $549.99 for 32 GB.<a target="_blank" href="http://www.microsoft.com/Surface/en-US">Microsoft Surface</a> Microsoft's first tablet, Surface, is finally here, available with your choice of operating system: The new <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/reviews/personal-tech/desktop-os/232800303">Windows 8</a> operating system, or with the Windows RT OS. The Surface RT tablet runs the Windows RT OS and is powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 ARM processor. It will not run the Windows classic desktop or any legacy Windows apps -- it will only run Windows 8 apps available in the Windows Store. Other Windows RT tablets are also available, from HP, Samsung and Acer. BYTE's <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/authors/Todd-Ogasawara">Todd Ogasawara</a> liked the Surface RT: <blockquote>Surface RT works for me because of a near-"real" IE browser (Web pages generally work), USB support (huge in my opinion), availability of some desktop components (including PowerShell), and (surprisingly), the Gangnam Style (formerly called MetroUI) two-panel view.</blockquote> <hr style="background-color: #f00; height: 5px; color: #f00"><blockquote><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/tablets/surface-with-windows-rt-a-winner-despite/240012475">Read BYTE's review of Microsoft's Surface RT tablet.</a></blockquote><hr style="background-color: #f00; height: 5px; color: #f00"> Windows' Surface tablets are so new on the scene it's too early to tell which operating system will be the more successful. We do know the Surface comes with numerous goodies bundled, such as Office 2013 and a free streaming subscription to Xbox Music with a 30-million song library. But the Windows 8 interface is so different compared to anything Microsoft has ever done before, you'd do best to visit a store and try it before you buy it. Pricing for the Microsoft Surface RT starts at $499 for the 32-GB, tablet-only version (add the magnetic black touch cover for $100 more). The 64-GB version includes the black touch cover and costs $699. Other BYTE Windows 8 reviews: -- <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/reviews/personal-tech/desktop-os/232602434">Windows 8 Consumer Preview - Your PC's Getting a Bit Touchy</a>. -- <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/reviews/personal-tech/desktop-os/232800302">Windows 8 Tour: Lock, Login, And Start Menu</a>.<a target="_blank" href="http://amzn.com/B0083PWAPW">Kindle Fire HD</a> The Kindle Fire is a 7-inch Android-powered tablet. It can run a large selection of Android apps available in the Amazon App Store. Its strengths are its small size and its ability to function as an e-reader. The Amazon "ecosystem" is another one of its strengths -- the ability to have all of your Amazon music, video and e-book purchases instantly accessible on your device. The new Kindle Fire HD ups the ante in the tablet space with two different sizes and a few different data plan options. There's the traditional 7-inch tablet, and also an 8.9-inch version with a 1920-by-1200-pixel, 254-ppi, laminated, anti-glare touch screen for 25% less glare and an overall better visual experience. The 8.9's OMAP 4470 processor, the Android 4.0 operating system, and the stereo speakers -- an upgrade over the original Fire's mono speakers -- help round out the improved multimedia experience. For improved communications, Amazon has equipped the Fire HD with a dual-band 2.4ghz/5.0ghz receiver with dual antennas and MIMO radio technology. The 4G LTE version sports AT&T connectivity for high speed Internet access when you're out and about. Wi-Fi-only models come with 16 GB and 32 GB of internal storage. 4G models come with either 32 GB or 64 GB of space. Bluetooth is now built in. Amazon is now charging users for Whispersync. If you go the 4G LTE route, you'll have to cough up $50 bucks a year for a monthly allotment of 250 MB of data, 20 GB of Amazon Cloud storage, and a $10 Amazon App Store credit. If that's not enough bandwidth, 3-GB and 5-GB plans will be available for purchase right from the device, but pricing wasn't available at the time of this writing. The improvements here are clearly aimed at direct competition with Apple's fourth-generation iPad and iPad Mini. The Fire HD in any of its forms is likely a decent choice for anyone on your gift list who wants a tablet but doesn't want you to spend too much. You're not going to get the same abilities for screen annotations as you do on the Samsung Galaxy Note, though the device will still function well with <a href="http://evernote.com">Evernote</a> and other note taking apps. The Fire is the least business-focused of these tablets. If you plan to use it in a BYOD scenario you should check first with IT to see how much support they can give. The Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7" is available from Amazon and sells for $199.99. The Kindle Fire HD 8.9" is $299 for the 16-GB version and $369 for the 32-GB version. The Kindle Fire HD 8.9" with 4G LTE is $499 for the 32-GB version and $599 for the 64-GB version.2012-10-31T16:08:00ZWindows 8 Upgrade: No Touch, No GoodBYTE's Chris Spera has been using Windows 8 since the first preview version. There's a lot to like about it on the new touch PCs and tablets, but upgrading Windows on your old non-touch PC to the new OS isn't worth the trouble.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240012625?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsI've been using Windows 8 for months now -- ever since the first preview version. Now that the final version is here, what's the verdict? Performance Simply put, this operating system is smokin' hot! The boot times are a fraction of Windows 7 and earlier -- even on underpowered legacy equipment such as my ASUS Eee PC T101MT touch netbook. In truth, I've never seen a netbook with only 2 GB of RAM move so fast through a cold boot. It's perhaps the best Windows kernel to date. Microsoft got this part right and I'm very impressed. Microsoft got indexing right, too. In Windows 7, searching for files and programs was easy. All you had to do was hit the Start Button and then start typing. With Windows 8, it's pretty much the same thing, except it's even faster. You still have to wait for Windows 8's Live Tiles to appear before you start typing, but once you're there, finding what you're looking for is fast and easy. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-July/windows8.jpg" /> Upgrading Legacy PCs To Windows 8 BYTE's <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/authors/7132">George Ou</a> offered a good description of the bundled Windows 8 apps: Half baked. On a legacy PC -- even a gaming machine with 3D graphics and a ton of RAM and processing power -- the Windows 8 apps literally fall flat. The apps are two dimensional; all that legacy power is wasted on Windows 8's Modern UI, and it's a shame. The interface is fast but still very clunky. Windows 8 is optimized for touch, not a mouse. So, tablet, yes; desktop, not really. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-June/win8-apps.jpg" /> Modern UI, Or Classic? Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky called the release of Windows 8 the start of the touch PC era. In truth, the Modern UI will be difficult for some people to get used to. The removal of the Start Button is going to force a change in work habits that hurts some users' productivity. Live Tiles work well on tablets and even smartphone. I'm actually quite impressed with how the interface works, but I don't see this working well on a traditional PC. In my opinion, the Windows 8 apps, the new UI and the classic desktop just do not fit together. Swapping back and forth between the new UI and the classic interface is jarring at times, especially if you've spent any appreciable amount of time in one or the other during any given computing session. In fairness, there are a few tricks which, once you learn them, make Windows 8 a lot easier to use on a conventional PC. For instance, putting the mouse cursor in the upper-right corner displays a group of icons for functions such as settings for the PC. The only way to learn these tricks is by accident, but once you do know them, everything else gets easier. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/reviews/2012-March/Windows8CP/smwin8-24.png" />Tablets Are Now Touch-Enabled PCs Somebody needs to remind Steven Sinofsky of what a tablet PC is. Slate-based tablets have been around for a long time. They didn't work well back then, but maybe it was a concept ahead of its time. Microsoft is recasting the tablet as a hybrid. Windows RT tablets and Microsoft's Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets aren't tablets. They're touch-enabled PCs that are lighter, faster and more powerful than earlier generations. Although Apple's Tim Cook might think Windows 8 devices are a jackalope, the mythical animal that's an unnatural mix of two distinct creatures -- in this case a tablet and a traditional PC -- I tend to side with BYTE's Larry Seltzer, who thinks <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/microsoft-windows-8-ends-tablet-era/240010578">it's only crazy if it doesn't work</a>. I'm going to be watching how Microsoft markets Surface tablets and how it helps promote third-party Windows 8 devices. I think Larry's right. In order for these devices to take hold, a lot of money is going to have to be thrown at the currently entrenched computing paradigm. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-Oct/win8-tablets.png" /> Should You Upgrade? I've been asked this question quite a bit over the past week, mainly by people in the office anticipating the release of Windows 8, and it isn't easy to answer, but I'll try. Should you upgrade to Windows 8? Yes, upgrade:<ul><li>If you have a touch-enabled PC.</li> <li>If you are interested in the performance bump. Just be prepared to deal with the dual interface issues -- Classic desktop vs. Modern UI.</li> <li>If you must have the latest version of Windows.</li></ul> No, don't upgrade: <ul><li>If you have a traditional laptop or desktop. Windows 8's interface doesn't work well on computers with no touch capability.</li> <li>If you have Windows 7 and are satisfied with it. Windows 7 is fine for most users and most existing computers.</li></ul>2012-10-08T18:15:00ZThe iPad Mini Success Depends on Apple-Controlled IssuesApple needs to make its case for the iPad Mini in four ways. It has to: sell the size; make room for it without acing out the iPad; make sure apps and content look great on the smaller screen; and not price gouge.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240008690?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsHow well the iPad Mini--I've started calling it the iMini--does boils down to a few critical points, kids. And they all depend on Apple. The tablet market is starting to become quite crowded, even though there's only a small number of key players: Apple, Google (and Samsung and every other Android tablet maker), and Microsoft (and other Windows 8 tablet makers). The issue of a successful iMini is going to hinge on a few key areas: Tablet size, Apple ecosystem fit, customized media and content, and price. <hr />This story is one of several <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/tablets/will-the-ipad-mini-succeed-can-it-possib/240008686">dueling commentaries on the upcoming iPad Mini</a>. Also read:<ul> <li>Dino Londis: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/tablets/is-there-any-apple-magic-left-for-the-ip/240008711">Any Apple Magic Left For iPad Mini?</a></li> <li>George Ou: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/tablets/how-the-ipad-when-from-monopoly-to-minor/240008688">How The iPad Went From Monopoly To Minority Within A Year.</a></li> <li>Serdar Yegulalp: <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/personal-tech/tablets/why-the-ipad-mini-will-succeed-even-if-i/240008689">Why the iPad Mini Will Succeed, Even If It Really Shouldn't.</a></li>  </ul><hr /> Size Steve Jobs now-famously predicted <a target="_blank" href="http://blogs.computerworld.com/tablets/21098/ipad-mini-7-rumors-price-release-date-features-itbwcw">7-inch tablets will be DOA</a>. The Kindle Fire and a couple other Android tablets have shown us that's not quite true. The Fire has done well, and Amazon is hoping that the Kindle Fire HD will do much better. The key point here is that many people believe a 7-inch tablet is easier to carry, with a screen big enough to get by on. Seven inches is decent for eBooks and light Office Suite use, but might be dissatisfying for watching videos. Ecosystem fit The real question is where the iMini fits within Apple's hardware ecosystem. Its stuck somewhere between the iPhone-sized iPod Touch and the iPad, and Apple hasn't identified any specific uses, needs, or users that might find this device valuable. Is it meant for soccer moms, students, or anyone looking for a bigger iDevice but not a full size iPad? Current rumors indicate that it won't have a retina display. If it doesn't, the iMini is going to have a very hard time gaining any real traction. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-Oct/iPad-Generations.png" /> Custom media and content Final display specs on the iMini are still up in the air. Without a retina display, I think the device is going to have issues with the iTunes Store if it can't support 720p video at a minimum. If the screen has an odd resolution, requiring developers to build in special screen support of separate apps, I see this as being problematic, and predict that developers will shy away from it. Price Current reports indicate that the iMini will sell for between $249 and $299 for a 16 GB Wi-Fi unit. With the iPad 2 at $399, the pricing window is very narrow. Apple likes its margins and placing things at a premium price point. Pricing a 16 GB iMini at $249 would be a better move than $299, but I'd count on the higher price. Steve Jobs might have been right on this one. Although a 7" iPad might sound very appealing, I think it's going to have a hard time gaining traction. All it has to offer, really, is its size, and I don't know if that's enough to give it the legs it needs to be a success. Apple has control of all the variables here. However, I just don't see its distinguishing the iMini enough to make it a success at this late date. Two years ago it probably would have been a huge success. Now? Not so much.2012-10-04T12:28:00ZT-Mobile, MetroPCS: Merger Has LegsT-Mobile and MetroPCS on Wednesday formally announced their intent to merge to form a new mobile carrier called T-Mobile. You can count on this one getting approved, despite the technology hurdles, but where does it leave Sprint?http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240008479?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsT-Mobile USA on Wednesday formally announced it will buy MetroPCS, said <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/03/us-deutschetelekom-tmobile-idUSBRE8920IY20121003">Reuters</a>. So, what's a wireless carrier with 42.5 million subscribers to do? Well, a lot, actually. As far as the business end of it goes, it's officially a reverse merger, with smaller, public, MetroPCS buying the privately owned T-Mobile USA. The deal, expected to close in the first half of 2013, will require regulatory as well as shareholder approval. The newly formed company will retain the T-Mobile name. Deutsche Telekom will take a 74% stake in the combined company, and MetroPCS will declare a one for two reverse stock split, and return $1.5 billion to its shareholders. T-Mobile's CEO Jon Legere will head up the organization. MetroPCS' CFO Braxton Carter will be CFO of the new, combined company. News of the merger has caused a small yo-yo effect with MetroPCS' stock--shares rose 18% on Tuesday on reports of the pending merger, and fell 9.8% on Wednesday as realization of the technology challenges sank in. Financially, the organization will face challenges, but Wall Street seems to like the idea so far. The numbers as reported by Reuters don't seem to be giving anyone a serious case of heartburn. The challenges will come on the technology side, as the new T-Mo moves to shut down the MetroPCS network by 2015, post regulatory and shareholder approvals. Legere said the organization would even provide customers with financial incentives to make the technology move, if necessary. You can count on this one getting approved, despite the tech hurdles. With Wall Street backing an increased subscriber base-bump of just over 9 million subscribers, spectrum, and a way for majority owner Deutsche Telekom to exit if necessary, a stronger, more-competitive fourth largest wireless option now exists in America. MetroPCS customers are mostly pre-paid. With T-Mo wanting to get into that market and its willingness to provide incentives--read free or cheap, off-cycle phone upgrades--to existing MetroPCS customers, vacating the existing spectrum to make way for a larger LTE network will go relatively smoothly. Given the $2.4 billion T-Mo just got by dumping its cell towers, the spectrum from the failed AT&T merger as well as the LTE network and additional spectrum from the MetroPCS deal, the deal and pending network has legs. Now: What do you think Sprint is going to do? Leave a comment below. 2012-10-04T06:00:00ZT-Mobile To Merge With MetroPCSThe merger of T-Mobile and MetroPCS is set to happen. The business models and network technologies don't match, but the problems are fixable and the end-result could be good for both T-Mobile and MetroPCS, definitely for Deutsche Telekom and even for Sprint.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240008440?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsI'm a T-Mobile customer, and as much as I'm glad the merger with AT&T didn't go through, I'm sad that it didn't. Chicago is a tricky market and the cell coverage isn't what it should be. Despite what the coverage maps of <pick a carrier> might say, there are large areas of weak or uneven coverage all over the place. The failed merger could have at least evened that out, at least in theory. [Update: Late Wednesday <a href="http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=225534&">the merger was formalized and announced</a>. We will publish an update to this story soon.] Something even more interesting came to light Tuesday. DealBook, an off-shoot of the New York Times, is reporting that <a target="_blank" href="http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/deutsche-telekom-said-to-be-near-a-deal-to-buy-metropcs/">T-Mobile parent, Deutsche Telekom, is currently in talks to purchase MetroPCS</a>, a CDMA compatible, pre-paid cell provider. Despite the obvious technology incompatibilities -- the carrier likely uses and roams on Verizon controlled cell towers -- investors seem to like the idea. Shares in MetroPCS climbed nearly 18% on Tuesday, to $13.57, valuing the company at $4.93 billion. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-Oct/Deutche-Telekom-MetroPCS.jpg" /> DealBook seems to think that the rumors, if true, will give T-Mobile USA a decent, though lower-margin, pre-paid presence that could help it battle its waning postpaid business. During the second quarter of 2012, T-Mo lost 205,000 subscribers, or four times the number it lost a year ago during the same period. While MetroPCS would only boost T-Mo's numbers by about a third of its current subscriber base (or 9.3M customers), a T-Metro marriage does provide Deutsche Telekom with two things that it does desperately need: spectrum and a burgeoning LTE network. MetroPCS runs on a CDMA compatible network. Some people think this is going to be a problem for the GSM-based T-Mobile USA. I don't think so. I remember back in the day when Cingular was just a brand new company, much of the Bell South customers it gained from the merger that created what would eventually become AT&T Wireless ran on a TDMA network. Cingular wanted to run on GSM and made its entire customer base dump their current phones for GSM compatible handsets. While there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, it happened. It could happen again for MetroPCS customers As I said, though the deal is about spectrum. It's also about saving cash. MetroPCS is a public company. Should a deal be reached and create a new public entity, Deutsche Telekom could sell down its stake in T-Mobile USA over time, accomplishing another one of its goals: getting out of the US market. That was likely the major goal for them in the failed AT&T merger. No, this deal could still go through and be a success. Two of the things that T-Mobile USA lacks are spectrum in the right markets and an LTE network to start from; and they would gain both in a successful merger. For them to have a chance to be competitive, they need both. MetroPCS already has an LTE network started. Provided that network exists in or could be engineered in the right markets, a new, larger T-Metro could create other opportunities. Back in 2008-2009 timeframe, there were rumors of a Sprint-T-Mobile marriage. It was killed largely over the technology incompatibilities (CDMA vs. GSM). However, a re-envisioned T-Metro may be a more attractive merger partner to Sprint. Additional possibilities open up at that point for a pre-paid carrier that runs on both GSM and CDMA technologies until a unified VoLTE (voice over LTE) network blossoms between all three with their re-farmed spectrum to support it. Some may think this a bit crazy, and 2-4 years ago, I would have been right there with them, thinking myself delusional. But the more that I think about it, the more I like this idea. If regulators were looking for a situation that might create more competition and a solid third wireless carrier opportunity, a T-Mobile-MetroPCS merger may be the start of it all. Crazy? Unrealistic? Perhaps. Maybe I'm totally out to lunch on this one; but I'd love to hear what everyone else thinks. Join me in the discussion and tell me what you think.2012-10-03T12:30:00ZWindows Fits in on the Mac With Parallels 8Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac is the best way to turn your Mac into a Windows machine. The new version lets Windows running in a virtual machine, including Windows 8, take advantage of Mountain Lion features such as dictation.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240007798?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsFor many generations now, Macs have been more than powerful enough to run Windows effectively in a virtual machine. I bought my first Mac to run Windows, although at the time I used Apple's dual-booting Boot Camp. Then I switched to Parallels Desktop 7 and things got a lot easier. Now Parallels is better than ever. The latest version, Parallels Desktop 8, lets Microsoft's Windows 8 run side-by-side with OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion). Let's take a look at this popular virtualization environment and see if it's right for you. Installation Minimum requirements for Parallels Desktop 8 are the Mac OS X 10.6.8 (Snow Leopard) or later, an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4 GB of RAM, and 15 GB of disk space for each virtual machine. Installing Parallels Desktop 8 is easy enough; it runs like any other Mac installation routine. There are a couple of things you need to be aware of, though. The software does not technically upgrade. Software upgrades usually copy new, updated components on top of existing, installed components. If you are upgrading from any other version of Parallels Desktop for Mac, the installation routine for Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac removes any previously installed version, registered or not. It should retain all of your configuration and VM preferences and the VMs themselves once the installation of the new version is completed. Installing the Parallels Tools update is tricky. After the software is installed and you run a VM for the first time under Parallels Desktop 8, it wants to install an updated version of Parallels Tools. Parallels Tools lets you share your Mac's hardware such as USB ports, wired and wireless network adapters, and sound card with Windows. The utilities also map specific Windows libraries and drives with your Mac equivalents. Parallels also enables Coherence Mode, which is what lets you run Windows apps side-by-side with Mac apps. You can share the clipboard between OS X and Windows and the Mac keyboard shortcuts will work in either OS. Although you could do all of these things in Parallels Desktop 7, it feels really solid and more natural in Parallels Desktop 8. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-Aug/setupVM-05.png" /> Now for the tricky part. Installing the utilities sends an "unmounts" notification to the Notification Center in Mountain Lion indicating that your VM's C drive has been unmounted. It seems it doesn't actually unmount, as Windows and the install routine continue to run. It also finds "new" hardware components and installs some drivers that appear to interrupt the installation of Parallels Tools. Then it tells you to restart Windows. Whatever you do, don't restart Windows. Here's what you do instead. When presented with Restart Now and Restart Later buttons, click Restart Later. The installation of Parallels Tools is still running, despite the fact that the installation dialog and progress bar have disappeared. If you wait a few minutes, it will reappear, and continue where it left off. What has happened is that the Windows video drivers are busy updating, and the screen flashes while all of this is going on. You are led to believe that you need to restart, but you don't have to. If you do restart, you'll run into some very serious problems. If you interrupt the Parallels Tools installation by clicking Restart Now, you'll completely bork the installation of the utilities. Parallels does provide a menu option to reinstall Parallels Utilities and even includes instructions to manually kick it off, should it not restart automatically when you restart the VM. However, neither the menu option nor the manual instructions for getting Parallels Tools to install work. If the installation of the utilities gets interrupted, you'll have to restore your VM file from a backup taken prior to the installation of Parallels Desktop 8 in order to get the environment to kick off the installation of the utilities. So this time, when the new device drivers are installed while Parallels Tools installs comes up, click Restart Later. This whole fiasco with Parallels Tools was annoying and it's not the first time I've bumped into the problem, either. Installing Parallels Tools is supposed to be easy--you click a couple of menu options in the Parallels Desktop Menu (when not in Coherence Mode) and the installation is supposed to start. It's never worked for me. The process is supposed to insert a Parallels Tools Install ISO into a virtual CD drive and then mount the CD drive and kick off the installation. Instead, the process inserts the ISO into the virtual drive, but never mounts the image, so the installation never happens. I'm not certain if this is because my VM is a Parallels Desktop 7 for Mac carry-over or because of some other issue, but it happened to me in Parallels Desktop 7 too. Thankfully, a Time Machine backup of my VM resolved the issue. Whatever is behind the problems I had, they might not affect you, or by the time you read this, Parallels might have fixed them. But be alert. Setting Up A New VM Using the Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac Wizard to set up a new VM is fairly simple. When you start Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac and choose File-New from the menu bar, the New Virtual Machine Wizard starts, as it did in Desktop 7. By selecting New, you have official support for Windows 8. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-Aug/setupVM-01.png" />When I kicked off the process, I did it with Windows 8 Enterprise. However, I ran into a couple of problems. First of all, Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac would not let me create the VM file on my boot drive where I have my Windows 7 VM file. I got an error message that I didn't have the correct permissions to create the file there. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-Aug/config-07.png" /> I expected Parallels to present a password dialog box, allowing me to verify administrator level credentials, but it never happened. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-Aug/setupVM-04.png" /> I downloaded Windows 8 Enterprise from my TechNet account and had chosen it as the installation source. Parallels asked me for the product key as part of its Express Installation process and accepted the key. Then, after indicating that I wanted to use Coherence Mode so I could run all my Windows apps like they were Mac apps and after setting specific Configuration options for the VM itself, I started the installation. The process never completed. I was able to get the installation of Windows 8 Enterprise to start, but I couldn't get it to accept the product code that TechNet gave me for Windows 8 Enterprise. According to Parallels, Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac is compatible with Windows 8 Enterprise, but has a technical issue with shared product codes. The instructions they gave me were rather lengthy and involved manipulating the product code and the Windows Registry via a command line hack. I did get this to work eventually, but it is a difficult process and you have to follow instructions carefully. Fortunately, it is not a problem the normal consumer of Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac is likely to encounter. Configuration You can get to the VM configuration screens by running Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac and then choosing Configure from the Virtual Machine menu. Not much has changed in the VM Configuration Tool. One noticeable improvement, however, is the redesign of the General Options dialog box. Here, you get to specify how many CPU cores the VM uses, and the amount of RAM it uses, and get information on the virtual hard disk. I noticed that I had 5 GB of reclaimable space in my variable sized virtual hard drive. Basically, the VHDD file was 5 GB bigger than it needed to be. Clicking the Reclaim button shrank the file and gave me 5 GB back on my Samsung 256GB SSD where the VM file resides, all in under three minutes. Performance Parallels Desktop 8 claims to be up to 33% faster and run a VM up to 25% faster than Parallels Desktop 7. I did some informal testing on my Mac desktop and on another Mac I have in the house, a high-end 15" MacBook Pro I bought in early 2011. The notebook has a 2.3-GHz quad-core i7 processor and 16 GB of RAM. I pulled the SuperDrive and stock hard drive, and put in a 750GB hybrid drive with OWC's DataDoubler drive carriage and a 256GB SSD. This thing is smoking fast to begin with. It's so fast it's nearly instant on, especially when the Mac wakes up from sleep. So performance of the VM on the SSD under Parallels Desktop 7 was very good. Even so, it was noticeably better under Parallels Desktop 8. For instance, a Quick Scan in Microsoft Security Essentials that took five minutes to complete on my Mac under Parallels Desktop 7 needed only three minutes with Parallels Desktop 8. Safari Open in IE Button It's not uncommon, especially with "line of business" applications, to run into Web pages that require Internet Explorer. You could always just go and run IE in Parallels, but in version 8 the installer is supposed to put an "Open in IE" button in the Safari toolbar, making the task much more convenient. Unfortunately, the Open in IE button didn't show up in my Safari Toolbar. When I opened the configuration dialog for it, it was nowhere to be found. I had hopes that the maintenance update would enable this feature on my Mac, but it didn't. When I spoke to Parallels about this, they thought it might be an issue with the account I created and that I wasn't using VM with admin rights. I have only one account on my Mac--mine--and it has admin rights. In fact, you can't install or upgrade Parallels without admin rights. So there's still a mystery here, at least for me. The feature might work fine for other users, but I couldn't get it to work. Dictation Support To activate support for Mountain Lion's dictation capability, you simply press Fn twice. A floating microphone dialog and button appears in the active application. You speak. When you're done, you click the Done button in the microphone dialog box that appears. The audio is sent to Apple, where it is converted into text. Ambient background noise is ignored. Parallels Desktop 8 makes this dictation available seamlessly to Windows apps. I dictated this entire section in Microsoft Word for Windows using the microphone in my Thunderbolt Display. So far, it has been dead-on accurate. I've been using "you talk, it types" applications since 1997. Nothing has been this accurate so far. The fact that Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac uses Mountain Lion dictation directly further integrates the two operating systems into a single coherent user experience. With this level of support in Mountain Lion, as well as Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac, there's absolutely no need for any other kind of dictation application. Notification Center Support Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac sends notifications from Windows right to the Mac OS Notification Center. The effect is pretty cool, as you get notifications of Windows events in the upper right corner of your Mac, along with every other notification. It's so seamless, in fact, that I got notifications, acknowledged them, and dismissed them without really noticing where they came from. This is a great feature that is implemented very well. The company also sells <a target="_blank" href="http://www.parallels.com/products/enterprise/desktop/">Parallels Desktop for Mac Enterprise Edition</a>, which allows remote administration of Parallels and virtual machines in it in order to meet policy compliance and other enterprise needs. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.parallels.com/products/mobile/">Parallels Mobile</a>, $19.99 in the App Store (but temporarily available for $4.99), allows remote access to Mac-based Parallels VMs from an iOS device. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/switchtomac/">Parallels Desktop 8 Switch to Mac Edition</a> includes a simplified process for porting Windows applications to a Mac. Name: <a href="http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/">Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac</a> <blockquote>Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to run Windows applications side-by-side with Mac applications on your Intel-based Mac. Although setting it up can be tricky and I did have some problems with the software, Parallels Desktop offered excellent performance and options.</blockquote>Price: $79.99; upgrade, $49.99 Pro:<ul><li>Optimized for OS X 10.8.x (Mountain Lion).</li> <li>Fast booting of both Windows 7 and Windows 8.</li> <li>Improved configuration dialogs makes VM management easier.</li> <li>Improvements in Coherence Mode tightens Windows-Mac integration.</li></ul> Con:<ul><li>Issues with installing TechNet/MSDN multi-install product codes that require registry hacking to resolve.<li>Open in IE button failed to display, despite Admin account credentials being used.</li></ul>2012-09-10T16:21:00ZRIM Customers To Face BES FragmentationRIM has clarified how current BlackBerry devices, BB10, and BlackBerry Enterprise Server will--and won't--work together, and it ain't pretty. The plan is not for a unified mobile device management console, but a two-headed solution that will require new servers and training.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240007046?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsNot long ago I shared a BGR report that <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/commentary/personal-tech/smart-phones/240006022">Blackberry 10 (BB10) devices would not work with current Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) servers</a>. As often happens, additional details came to light after the story was published. Last week <a href="http://bizblog.blackberry.com/2012/08/blackberry-enterprise-service-1/" target="_blank">even more information surfaced</a>. In short, here's what we now know: <ul><li>Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) is at end of life. <li>Blackberry 10 devices won't work with current BES versions (what RIM calls "<a target="_blank" href="http://us.blackberry.com/business/software/bes.html">BES 5.0.3+</a>" in its blog). <li>BES 5.03 will continue to be the MDM console for current Playbook and BB7 versions and earlier devices. <li>RIM will be shipping <a target="_blank" href="http://docs.blackberry.com/en/admin/deliverables/39425/BlackBerry_Device_Service-Feature_and_Technical_Overview-1321381755633-6.0-en.pdf">Blackberry Device Service</a> (BDS) to manage BB10 and later devices, and future Playbooks. </li></ul> BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 (BES 10) also will act as a front end to a third RIM management server, <a target="_blank" href="http://docs.blackberry.com/40316">Universal Device Service</a> (UDS), currently on the market under the name <a href="http://us.blackberry.com/business/software/mobilefusion/BlackBerryMobileFusion,UniversalDeviceServiceFeatureChecklist-1.pdf">Mobile Fusion</a>. It gives you a console to manage the standard Exchange ActiveSync settings on iOS and Android devices--the same EAS settings you can now manage for free via Microsoft Exchange or in System Center 2012. UDS also supports the delivery of iOS's native management certificates, comparable to what OS X Server or the Apple Configuration Utility do, but using the RIM console instead for simpler integration with other device management capabilities. A client app for iOS and Android also allows device auditing and controls over business-delivered apps. Essentially, it offers the basic capabilities of most MDM tools. BDS and UDS might be combined on the same physical or virtual server, or run separately. BES 5.0.3+ needs to remain on its own server. An upgrade to BES 10 currently is scheduled for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blackberryworld.com/">BlackBerry World in May 2013</a>. Many organizations, such as the major healthcare company I work for, are heavily invested in BB7 and earlier infrastructure. It's highly unlikely that they will migrate to BB10 any time soon, as it means they'll have to incur additional costs for the servers and services required to manage both RIM device types. Likewise, I don't see other organizations making the switch for many of the same reasons. The new infrastructure won't integrate with the old, except through the new Web-based console, and will require additional hardware and FTEs to configure and manage. In order to gain the level of adoption that RIM is hoping for, the handsets and services are going to have to be stellar. I have my doubts about how everything will turn out. RIM has been appearing to give more ground than it gains with BB10 and QNX, thanks in no small part to the press it's been getting related to the issues and challenges it has faced with both BB10 devices and software development. The fact that they were unable to get everything to work together doesn't bode well. RIM also is asking a great deal from existing customers wishing to move to RIM's next-generation devices. The costs associated with migrating from one infrastructure to another might be viewed as too high, despite the advantages it might provide. The proposed architecture of a new service managed through a portal that also front ends the old BES, plus adds a paid method to manage something I can already manage from my Exchange Server console, seems a bit kludgy to me. I'd love to hear your opinion. Why not post a comment below and tell us what you think? Hat tip to <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/the-blackberry-10-and-bes-confusion-untangled-201510" target="_blank">Galen Gruman at InfoWorld</a>.2012-09-06T09:00:00ZYour Purchased iTunes, Ebooks Die With YouThe iTunes license is nontransferable. So when you die, all access to the content you've bought goes with you. BYTE's Chris Spera thinks that's messed up.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240006412?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsThe first anniversary of my dad's death this past week reminded me of the digital memories he left behind. Although I check his Facebook page from time to time, my mom and I have been closing down a number of accounts that he used. Figuring out what to do with his iTunes Store account is another matter. When a customer dies, everything he bought goes with him. How messed up is that? I blame the Recording Industry Association of America. It's the RIAA's fault that something as simple as inheriting an iTunes library is so flippin' complicated. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-Aug/BYTE_itunes.png" /> You can't will someone all or part of your MP3 collection, your eBook library, or any of your other online assets. Specifically, without a way to officially transfer a license from one person to another once a person dies, the nontransferable license that person purchased from Apple or Amazon to "use" the content expires with them. I was surprised to see <a href="http://articles.marketwatch.com/2012-08-23/finance/33336852_1_digital-content-digital-files-apple-and-amazon">an article on Market Watch</a> that reminded me of sticky points with the law and online accounts. Did you know that it's technically a federal offense to access an online account with someone else's password, even if that person gave you permission? Technically, shared mail accounts are a no-no. In the same way, accessing the iTunes or Amazon Store account of your deceased relative also is illegal. To get around this, most people simply use their loved one's computer to access those accounts, provided they still have the passwords. But again, although companies have no way of knowing whether the person accessing the account is or isn't the actual account owner, the whole scenario creates a legal gray area that can make one feel uneasy. This application of license isn't much different from what we're used to. The physical CDs, DVDs, and books that you buy contain--actually are--license keys. That key can be physically passed along with the content because they are one and the same physical entity. It gets more complicated when it comes to digital content. When you buy content from either of the popular online stores, you are purchasing a license to use the content. Both Apple and Amazon grant nontransferable rights to use that content, meaning that the purchaser is legally allowed to listen to, read, and view the content. There's just one huge catch: the purchaser doesn't own the files he downloads. That's because unlike physical objects, the content is intangible. Digital files are supposed to be used only by the person with the purchased license key--a.k.a. the password purchased with the account--but in fact, as we all know, MP3s and other digital content can be moved from one electronic medium to another and from person to person without buying another key. This makes industry watchdogs like the RIAA lose its mind. There are a couple of ways most people get around the digital key problem. One keeps you in the legal gray area. The other gets you out of the gray area, but can create potential access problems later. 1. Burn to disc and rip. Back in the early days of iTunes and DRM, I didn't know anyone who did not do this. If you bought a copy of a music album through iTunes or some other online store, after downloading it you would immediately burn a physical copy of the album, delete the DRM'ed content from your computer, and then rip the CD back to your music library. This also can work for video content, but gets a bit more complicated. You need an app that will convert your video file to the VOD format and will burn a set-top-box-compatible DVD. DVD formats are a bit touchy, and this isn't as easy an operation on the video side of things as it is on the audio side. Pulling the DRM off the legally purchased and downloaded content by burning a backup copy and ripping it back into your library is the gray area. While not technically illegal, it might raise an eyebrow or two. 2. Use Home Sharing. Apple created <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3819">Home Sharing</a> so that people in the same household can share their iTunes libraries. You can even copy content from a shared library to your own library. All you have to do is turn on Home Sharing on the desired computers (up to five) with the same Apple ID. The content can then be played on those computers, played on any iDevice connected to any of the authorized PCs, or both. Users can use that content for as long as those PCs remain authorized. They also can burn copies to optical discs, but they should not be surprised when they receive an anti-piracy reminder when they do so. The only issue with this scenario revolves around the Home Sharing credentials used to share the content. If at some point you have to rebuild your PC and restore the contents of your library, effectively rebuilding your iTunes library from scratch, including the shared content, you're going to need the Apple ID and password of the legal content owner to re-enable play of that content--if you haven't removed the DRM with the burn/rip method noted in option number 1, above. If the content purchaser in question is deceased and that Apple ID is no longer active, you're technically no longer authorized to use the content. However, as long as your library is backed up and that backup includes the sharing authorization, you will still be able to view or listen to it. So what does this all mean? If you buy digital content, only you are licensed to use it. If you die, the license to use it expires with you. If you've legally shared the content with your family via Home Sharing or other legal method, their license to use it also expires, though they technically can continue to use it. Until there's a better solution to this problem, it looks like you really can take it with you. The problem is that no one left behind is allowed to enjoy your iTunes and Amazon libraries, too, at least not guilt free. 2012-08-22T16:42:00ZChange In RIM Technology Signals Beginning Of EndIs a report that Blackberry 10 devices won't work with current Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) servers true? If so, it spells doom for RIM and the Blackberry way of life.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240006022?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsGrab the opera glasses, the fat lady is singing. <a href="http://www.bgr.com/2012/08/21/blackberry-enterprise-server-blackberry-10/ ">BGR reports</a> that Blackberry 10 (BB10) devices won't work with current Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES) servers. Stick BES with a fork, kids, because if this is accurate, RIM is done. The next version of BES, 5.0.4, is a maintenance update, and after that, RIM is closing the books on BES--and the Blackberry way of life. Why is it over? RIM can't make QNX work with BES features and security functions. That means all of the new devices RIM has planned to introduce with the release of BB10 can't be used with any current BES installation. And that means that the mobile device management software that provides healthcare companies, security firms, and the U.S. government with secure push email services has reached end of life. RIM isn't going to update the software after version 5.0.4. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-March/rim-blackberry-logo-1.jpg" /> What's worse is that current Java-based Blackberry devices won't work with the new version of BES. Enterprises that plan on running both BB10 and BB7 devices together will have to run both BES 5.0.4 and BES NG for next generation. BES NG also doesn't support email sync, calendar sync, or contact sync. Unfortunately, BES NG appears to be really nothing more than a glorified VPN tunnel from the device to the server, which syncs directly with Exchange, Gmail, and, I would suspect, any POP-compatible mail server. Did I mention that BES NG doesn't support push? Currently, mail is pulled off the mail server. All of the heavy lifting for the sync? It's done on the device end of the equation, which has me really wondering who would want to license the software in the first place. The BGR article doesn't mention anything about the BES NG MDM console. I have no idea if or how the new MDM will manage devices on the domain, or whether it will provide secure remote wipe, or any kind of device location services. One can hope, but if BES NG really is nothing more than a glorified VPN tunnel, this represents a huge reduction in functionality. At this point, RIM is taking the one thing that distinguishes it from the rest of the smartphone market--that users find of value and that might have saved RIM's bacon--and appears to be leaving it behind. RIM issued a statement refuting most of the BGR report. But given the challenges RIM has experienced recently--the layoffs it has announced and executed, the talent it has undoubtedly lost both voluntarily and involuntarily, the technology issues it ran into with its delayed Playbook native PIM apps and the delayed release of BB10--it's clear RIM is having issues with technology and platform updates. And given that RIM CEO Thorsten Heins seems willing to give ground in order to appear to be moving the company toward a technology and platform release in a quickly closing window of opportunity, the changes BGR outlines make sense. The latest news feels like the other shoe has dropped. If it's wrong, I'd love to hear from RIM how BES NG works with BB7 devices, and how it provides the same secure push mail, calendar, and contact sync services we've enjoyed for the last 10 years. But if it's right, this truly is the beginning of the end for RIM. Your thoughts? Please leave a comment below. 2012-08-14T18:07:00ZHow To Create An OS X Mountain Lion Install USB DriveHere's how to use a free utility, Lion Disk Maker, to create a boot drive for clean installations or emergency use on your Lion- or Mountain Lion-compatible Mac. Create a bootable USB thumb drive like we did, or a bootable DVD.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240005446?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsWith OS X 10.7, a.k.a. Lion, Apple stopped shipping physical copies of its operating system and instead opted for electronic delivery via its then-brand-new App Store. For the first time you could update your current configuration to the latest Apple OS with just a couple of clicks, a few restarts, and about 90 minutes of waiting. Performing a clean installation, on the other hand, was a bit problematic. Lion also introduced a new recovery partition, and if you wanted to perform a clean installation, you had to run through a lengthy process of first installing it over Snow Leopard, rebooting into the recovery partition after the upgrade had completed, and then whipping over to your boot drive and installing the new OS on top of the now-clean boot drive. This was a pain in the tush because you had to install the OS twice: once to create the recovery partition and again to put the clean OS on the drive. BYTE figured out a way to bypass this extra installation and wrote it up in <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/howto/personal-tech/desktop-os/231002151">How To Create an OS X Lion Install Disc</a>. However, even this workaround was a bit involved for most people. In this updated how-to, we've got a simple way for you to create not only a boot disc for Mountain Lion but Lion as well. The key is a handy app called Lion Disk Maker. The app uses Apple Script with a very nice GUI in front of everything. To begin, download <a target="_blank" href="http://blog.gete.net/lion-diskmaker-us/">Lion Disk Maker</a>. It comes in the form of a zip file. Unzip it and move it to your Applications\Utilities folder.Navigate to your applications folder and double click on the Lion Disk Maker icon. The app works for both Lion and Mountain Lion. You get to choose the version you want to make a boot disk for once the app starts.For this how-to, I chose Mountain Lion. You will need to have a copy of the Mountain Lion installation app, purchased from the App Store. After you click the "Mountain Lion (10.8)" button, the app will search your home directory for the install app. You can use the copy it finds or you can choose a different copy. I chose the copy that it found and clicked the "Use this copy" button.Lion DiskMaker will open the app contents and find the InstallESD.dmg disk image. You have a choice of creating a bootable DVD or bootable USB stick. I decided to create a bootable USB stick, and clicked the "Create a boot disk" button. It's strongly recommended that you use an 8GB thumb drive. The contents of the disk image you're going to be burning are just over 4GB, so the 4GB version that might have worked for Lion won't work for Mountain Lion. Click the "An 8 GB USB thumb drive" button.The app assumes that you have already inserted your thumb drive into your Mac and have appropriately initialized, formatted, partitioned, and named the drive. Choose the drive from the drop-down list and click the "Choose this disk" button.The utility will erase everything on the thumb drive. If you need to get anything off it, do so before you click the "Erase then create the disk" button!The app now will copy files to a temporary disk image. The horizontal barber pole does nothing but spin, but you can watch the file names underneath it fly by.During disk creation you'll see the system mount a number of different disk images. If you look for them in Finder, you'll be able to see that it's grabbing important system apps and applets and holding them in a temporary location so the contents can be copied to your thumb drive.After it has the files it needs, the app will burn the contents to your thumb drive. After a few minutes it should finish.If you get this error message, don't worry. Just click the OK button and you're done. Restart your Mac while holding down the Option key to go to the boot loader. Choose the EFI Boot, USB disk option. This is your Mountain Lion boot disk and it will provide you with the same tools and utilities you find when you boot to a Mountain Lion recovery partition. Clicking the Edit button launches an Apple Script editor. If you're fluent in Apple Script, you might be able to make the error message go away or you might not. Regardless, the thumb drive you just burned, booted to, and tested works just fine, so don't sweat the small stuff.2012-08-10T15:02:00ZWi-Fi Plus Cellular: Is iOS 6 Feature Consumer Friendly?When Wi-Fi loses steam, iOS 6 can switch iPhone and iPad connections over to the cellular data network. Designed as a backup to Wi-Fi, is this new iOS feature all it's cracked up to be? Some users could end up with bigger cellular bills than they anticipated.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240005317?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsThe new iOS 6 feature, Wi-Fi Plus Cellular, sounds like a good idea--but is it in the best interest of consumers? We at BYTE have been debating this a bit. Let's take a quick look and see exactly what the feature is designed to do. Wi-Fi Plus Cellular is a new feature in iOS 6 that, when turned on, causes your iPhone or iPad to monitor the Wi-Fi connection for performance and, if the connection slows sufficiently, to drop it in favor of an EDGE, 3G, or 4G cellular connection. The idea is to ensure that data requests go to the intended network target and don't get stuck in limbo because the Wi-Fi network your device is connected to degrades. <a target="_blank" href="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-Aug/ios-wifi+cellular-big.png"><div style="margin:0; padding: 0 5px 5px 0; width:210px; float:left; text-align:center;"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-Aug/ios-wifi+cellular-small.png" alt="iOS 6 Wi-Fi+Cellular app" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /></div></a>Most smartphones and tablets that have their Wi-Fi radios turned on will automatically switch from cellular to Wi-Fi when an active, approved Wi-Fi network is detected. It's a great idea providing it is well-implemented. My data requests always get through to their network target as long as some kind of Internet connection is available. It's not hard to imagine potential problems, though: How is the Wi-Fi Plus Cellular feature activated? No, I'm not talking about the on-off switch. You can clearly see that in the Cellular section of General Settings. You get a simple on-off switch, and then the ability to determine which features revert to cellular data when Wi-Fi data craps out. I'm more concerned with the trigger--how does iPhone realize there's a dirty bit in the way, kill the active Wi-Fi connection, ignore the active Wi-Fi network it has credentials stored for in its keychain, and switch to its cellular connection? How is Wi-Fi Plus Cellular deactivated? On the other end of the equation, how is Wi-Fi reengaged when whatever conditions were preventing reliable communications through the radio have been resolved? This is especially important, as I can see where it would be a huge drain on your data plan if cellular data got stuck and the device couldn't switch back to Wi-Fi. If something goes wrong and Wi-Fi doesn't switch back, or things don't work like you would expect, your only recourse is to turn off Wi-Fi Plus Cellular or to forget a specific Wi-Fi network entirely. Where are the notifications? From what I have been able to see in iOS 6 Beta 4 so far, the device doesn't notify you in any way if and when it switches from Wi-Fi to cellular data. There's no new icon on the device's status bar. Nothing flashes on the screen to tell you that it's making the switch from one radio to the other. You also don't know when it drops IP addresses, or how long it will take to acquire a new one on the new connection. I understand this is supposed to be one of those "it just works" features, but there's a lot that can go wrong. It's not easy troubleshooting borked IP connectivity. Apple needs to test the living daylights out of Wi-Fi Plus Cellular. Having a feature like this can be a big help, especially when you need to get out a critical communication such as a report or a presentation and you're having trouble connecting to the Internet. But it also undoubtedly will result in more people using the cellular network at a time in economic history when they might not want to run up a big phone bill, especially without their permission. In fact, iOS 6 could help <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/commentary/personal-tech/smart-phones/240004119">the carriers' move to shared data plans</a> when users find their cellular use spiking. Of course, this will give carriers even more reason to eliminate low-end data plans. 2012-08-08T12:13:00ZHTC Doomed? Strategies It Should TryOnce the darling of the converged device world, HTC has been having a rough go of things lately. It has two choices to stay afloat: License RIM's BlackBerry 10 OS, or work with Google to fill in the holes in Android. Either is just crazy enough to work.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240005153?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsThe Wall Street Journal has a really interesting <a target="_blank" href="http://www.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444246904577574423772557382.html">article on HTC's current state of affairs</a>. It ain't good, kids. In fact, prospects for the once-dominant smartphone manufacturer look kind of bleak. I remember back in the day--circa 2003-2004--when HTC was the unknown genius OEM behind <a target="_blank" href="http://www.imate.com/ ">i-mate</a>, a converged PDA-phone device out of Dubai. The Pocket PC powered devices were taking the technology industry by storm, and helped Microsoft--with European carrier partners O2, Orange, and T-Mobile--snag much of the mobile device market. i-mate was it, man, and it was all because of the device designs coming from then-unknown HTC. It was the premium brand of its day and, unfortunately for i-mate, it still hasn't recovered and regained the global dominance it once seemed to have after losing HTC as an OEM. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-Aug/htc-logo.jpg" /> Today, HTC is--or I should say, was--one of the leading manufacturers of Android-powered smartphones. Over the past two years, HTC has struggled, having trouble distinguishing itself from both Apple and Samsung. It's been so bad for HTC that it's lost over $1 billion in market capital, and its second quarter saw a 27% drop in revenue. Its most recent period is off nearly 50%. It has seen its market share drop from a high of 10.7% in Q2 2011 to 2.2% as of this writing. HTC is stuck. It needs to make a change and it needs to do it now. Its HTC One premium line of smartphones launched in April, but hasn't seen nearly the success the company had hoped for. While it still hasn't had the support of the major U.S. wireless carriers such as AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile USA, HTC devices are having trouble providing any kind of serious competition for the likes of Apple's iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy S line. It appears to be just one more additional premium handset in a sea of similar looking, similar featured devices. HTC needs to distinguish itself in the market and reestablish its dominance. Aside from throwing millions at a serious, sustained marketing campaign, in my opinion, it has a couple of options:<ol><li>License BB10 from RIM and become the first licensee of RIM's latest QNX-based OS, or</li><li>really get in bed with Google and plug the holes in the Android ecosystem.</li></ol> Let's quickly pick these apart. BB10 and RIM If RIM is going to license its new OS to other OEMs, this might be a good move for HTC. RIM needs a serious partner willing to go (nearly) all-in with it if it is going to make it. HTC makes some stunning and compelling hardware. The world knows it, too. HTC is probably the one and only handset maker out in the market that I would trust to produce the type of home-run-hitting hardware that BB10 needs to be successful in RIM's last hurrah. Although this might be a risky move for HTC--partnering with a drowning company that appears to be surfacing for the third and final time--it might be just crazy enough to work, provided BB10 doesn't suck, and wireless carriers in both the U.S. and in Europe such as AT&T, Verizon, O2, Vodafone, Orange and the like get behind the device and don't pollute it with bloatware. This is the one very real big risk for HTC, however. If app developers don't flock to the platform, it might not survive. Regardless of who builds the initial BB10-compatible hardware, RIM or someone else, if RIM can't find some way of attracting and retaining third-party developers, it's going to be a really short party for it. Third-party apps are a key component in sustaining a platform and drawing in consumers. Plugging the holes in the Android ecosystem Let's face it: like it or hate it, Apple is doing something right. A gazillion iPhone users can't be wrong. Despite the fact that it appears to "just work" and has an elegant design, the phone is successful for one reason and one reason alone, consuming content on the iPhone is something everyone can do easily. I don't care if it's the Web, audio, video, or apps. I don't care if you hate iTunes and think it's the biggest pile of crap you've ever seen. Apple has established an ecosystem that allows users purchase and manage content using a process that is elegant and inviting. Google has created part of an ecosystem. Devices, tablets, and smartphones allow you to consume the content. Google Play lets you easily purchase the same kinds of content as Apple users--but that's where it all stops with Google. It has done little to provide a way for users to manage, organize, store, and back up the content they've purchased. Yes, Google Play has a Web interface that lets you see what you have in the cloud, but there's one big, huge problem with that, especially here in the U.S.: the cloud isn't ubiquitous. That is to say, it's not universally available, and certainly not at reliable speeds required for streaming not only audio, but video, too. LTE networks are still a long way from being available to everyone, everywhere, and despite what carrier coverage maps might tell you, their coverage is not always what they claim it to be. This is why tools like iTunes work and work well. It provides iDevice users with a way to download content to the desktop and then manage and organize it. Mobile devices don't have tons of flash storage, so you get to choose what you carry with you and what you stream when the cloud isn't available. With my iPhone, if I know I'm going to be on the subway, or in a high rise with crummy cell service, I can still listen to or watch my music or videos. This isn't easy with Android tablets or smartphones. I have to rely on a file manager and a card reader (or my device) to move content back and forth to either the device or its microSD card. To put it bluntly, if HTC can purchase <a target="_blank" href="http://www.doubletwist.com/ ">DoubleTwist</a> outright and then cut a deal to license it to Google or to each Android handset maker as the offline content media management system for Android devices, it might be able to save its bacon. DoubleTwist works much like iTunes, even looks like iTunes, and it does for Android devices what iTunes does for iDevices. If neither of these options give HTC a leg up, then not much else will. Like RIM and Nokia, I see HTC approaching a relevance crossroads. If it can't get some skin back in the game, it might be done, and that would be a huge shame.2012-07-19T14:45:00ZAT&T, Verizon Shared Data Plans: Which Is Better?AT&T just joined Verizon in offering a shared data plan. Which is better for you? We compare plan tiers and device costs.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240003972?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_Authors<a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/personal-tech/wireless/240003952">AT&T</a> and <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/personal-tech/smart-phones/240001944">Verizon</a> both recently announced they are shifting their mobile data plans to a shared family model. This change makes sense in view of today's proliferation of data devices and increasing importance of data as compared to voice. Both plans offer a data budget in gigabytes per month shared among all the devices in the plan, along with a fixed cost per device. Conceding the obvious--that voice and texting are a very small part of network usage--the carriers also have made all voice and texting unlimited as part of their plans. Considering that the new plans bring pricing more in line with the reality of how the devices and networks are used, the new pricing regime could benefit customers. Of course, depending on how the carriers go about it, the new plans could end up costing some users more. What do we know based on the announcements so far? After comparing the plans, I'd say that Verizon is the better deal for most moderate users. But if you have multiple devices and churn through data, AT&T is cheaper in the long run. For families with lots of devices, either new data plan, from AT&T or Verizon, is a much better choice than current plans. Here's how it breaks out. AT&T provides numerous tiered options, as shown in the table below. The more devices you add to your plan, the better the deal--at least compared to the per-device plans of today. AT&T estimates that a plan with two smartphones and one 3G-enabled tablet will cost $170 per month on a 6GB plan. (After taxes and regulatory fees count on about $200 per month.) <ul><li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/data-plans.html#fbid=K9-SIWMWG_w?tab2">AT&T's Shared Data Plan</a></li> <li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/plan-information/?page=share-everything">Verizon's Shared Data Plan</a></li></ul> <TABLE width="100%" style="border:1px solid black;"> <TR><TD colspan=7 style="border:1px solid black;">AT&T</TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan=7 style="border:1px solid black;">STEP 1: Choose your Plan</TD></TR> <TR><TD style="border:1px solid black;">GB/Month</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">1GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">4GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">6GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">10GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">15GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">20GB</TD></TR> <TR><TD style="border:1px solid black;"> </TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$40</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$70</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$90</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$120</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$160</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$200</TD></TR> <TR><TD style="border:1px solid black;">+ For Each Smartphone</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$45</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$40</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$35</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$30</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$30</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$30</TD></TR> </TABLE> <TABLE width="100%" style="border:1px solid black;"> <TR><TD colspan=4 style="border:1px solid black;">STEP 2: Add more devices</TD></TR> <TR><TD align="right" style="border:1px solid black;">Device</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">Basic and messaging phones</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">Laptops, LaptopConnect, Mobile Hotspot devices, netbooks</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">Tablets, gaming devices</TD></TR> <TR><TD align="right" style="border:1px solid black;">Service</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">Shared data, unlimited talk and texting</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">Shared data</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">Shared data</TD></TR> <TR><TD align="right" style="border:1px solid black;">Cost</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$30 each/month</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$20 each/month</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$10 each/month</TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan=4>Overage = $15/GB</TD></TR> </TABLE> Verizon has chosen to go a slightly different route with its plan, giving casual users a better break in general. In the table below, Verizon charges a flat $40 a month for each smart phone, regardless of which data package you choose--unlike AT&T, which gives you a break on per-phone fees the more data you buy. However, except at the lowest tier of 1GB, which costs $10 more, Verizon offers cheaper low-use plans than AT&T does. Verizon seems to be geared for moderate users; its plans peter out at 10GB whereas AT&T tops out at 20GB. Verizon says you can get an additional 2GB of data for just $10 a month. (Exact quote: "Need more than 10GB of data? Add 2GB for $10/month by logging in to My Verizon.") What's less clear is whether you can keep adding 2GB more for another $10 per month. If so, Verizon could be the more flexible way to go if your data needs are moderate but growing. In any case, the middle-of-the-road user of two smartphones and one 3G-enabled tablet on a 6GB plan in our test scenario would fare the same on Verizon--also $170--as he would on AT&T. <TABLE width="100%" style="border:1px solid black;"> <TR><TD colspan=7 style="border:1px solid black;">Verizon Wireless</TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan=7 style="border:1px solid black;">STEP 1: Choose your Plan</TD></TR> <TR><TD style="border:1px solid black;">GB/Month</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">1GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">2GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">4GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">6GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">8GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">10GB</TD></TR> <TR><TD style="border:1px solid black;"> </TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$50</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$60</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$70</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$80</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$90</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$100</TD></TR> <TR><TD style="border:1px solid black;">+ For Each Smartphone</TD><TD colspan=6 align="middle" style="border:1px solid black;">$40</TD></TR> </TABLE> <TABLE width="100%" style="border:1px solid black;"> <TR><TD colspan=4 style="border:1px solid black;">STEP 2: Add more devices</TD></TR> <TR><TD align="right" style="border:1px solid black;">Device</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">Basic and messaging phones</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">Verizon Jetpack hotspots, USB modems</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">Tablets</TD></TR> <TR><TD align="right" style="border:1px solid black;">Service</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">Shared data, unlimited talk and texting</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">Shared data</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">Shared data</TD></TR> <TR><TD align="right" style="border:1px solid black;">Cost</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$30 each/month</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$20 each/month</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$10 each/month</TD></TR> <TR><TD colspan=4>Overage = $15/GB</TD></TR> </TABLE> The more devices you have, the likelier AT&T will be the better choice because its per-device cost decreases with its most expensive data plans. Let's up the ante and consider a family with four smartphones and two tablets and a 10GB plan. Here AT&T offers a slight edge, costing $260 a month versus $280 for Verizon. Currently, T-Mobile is my wireless provider. I've got three smartphones and one 4G/HSPA+ hotspot, with 10GB of data, which puts me in a power user bracket. I spend about $425 a month, or roughly $100 per line. I ran the numbers for what I could expect to pay if I switched my four cellular devices over to AT&T or Verizon, calculating both the 6GB and 10GB plan options. It's clear I could save a bundle compared to my old plan and that, again, AT&T's shared data plan has an edge over Verizon's for multiple-device users like me. <TABLE> <TR><TD style="border:1px solid black;"> </TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">AT&T</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">Verizon</TD></TR> <TR><TD style="border:1px solid black;">6GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$215</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$220</TD></TR> <TR><TD style="border:1px solid black;">10GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$230</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$240</TD></TR> </TABLE> Finally, I compared the base cost per gigabyte for each plan, not including the fixed cost per device. <TABLE width="100%" style="border:1px solid black;"> <TR><TD style="border:1px solid black;" colspan=9 align="middle">$/GB</TD></TR> <TR><TD style="border:1px solid black;"> </TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">1GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">2GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">4GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">6GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">8GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">10GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">15GB</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">20GB</TD></TR> <TR><TD style="border:1px solid black;">AT&T</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$40</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">N/A</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$17.50</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$15</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">N/A</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$12</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$10.67</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$10.00</TD></TR> <TR><TD style="border:1px solid black;">Verizon</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$50</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$30</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$17.50</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$13.33</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$11.25</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">$10</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">N/A</TD><TD style="border:1px solid black;">N/A</TD></TR> </TABLE> Bottom line? Again, with the exception of the 1GB plan, casual users will spend less per gigabyte with Verizon. But again also--if you plan to use a lot of data, AT&T's greater selection of data levels could help you avoid overages more consistently and predictably.2012-07-17T08:00:00ZRIM Keeps Manufacturing Out of ChinaThe cost arguments for shifting manufacturing to China must have been overwhelming, but Research In Motion CEO Thorsten Heins decided that RIM's reputation for security wasn't compatible with trusting its designs to Chinese state-run companies.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240003815?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsWhile economically hard to turn down, this is probably the one decision that RIM got right. I recently saw an article on the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/dave-aitel/rim-china_b_1672276.html">Huffington Post</a> that explained RIM's decision to not move its manufacturing operations to China. Dave Aitel, CEO of Immunity, Inc., talks about why China is risky business. <img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/briefs/BlackBerry-Made-In-Mexico.png" /> This is huge step in the right direction for RIM, and it might be the first thing it's done right this year. Chinese businesses are either state owned or funded and it's easy for government officials to direct the theft of intellectual property from companies doing business there. This decision protects RIM's reputation, RIM's current product line, and most importantly, RIM's customers from rogue Chinese government-sponsored hackers running amuck through most of the email on the entire planet. It protects RIM's security features, and, though harder on its bottom line in the short term, RIM's value. Despite the fact that RIM could have saved a boatload of cash, Heins saved the company by saying no to China. Chinese manufacturing has many positive draws, the most obvious one being cost, but RIM was smart. Though using China might have seemed like a good way to save its butt, it could have bought the farm.2012-07-02T08:00:00ZSamsung Enjoined From Selling Galaxy Tab 10.1 in USIn a stunning move, a judge grants Apple a second injunction in less than a week against Samsung for patent violations, this time against its Galaxy Nexus smartphone. iphone, apple, ios, patentshttp://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240003036?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsIt's been an interesting week for both Apple and Samsung. <div style="margin:0; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width:220px; float:right; text-align:center;"><img src="http://twimgs.com/informationweek/byte/commentary/2012-July/Samsung-Galaxy-Nexus-2.jpg" alt="same as caption" hspace="0" vspace="0" border="0" /></div>First, Apple is granted an injunction against the Galaxy Tab 10.1 on Tuesday 26-Jun-12. It posted its required $2.6M bond on Thursday 28-Jun-12 and sales of the tablet were halted in the United States. Then, early Friday evening, Apple was granted an injunction against the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone. As reported on Apple Insider, Apple filed for a preliminary injunction against Samsung's Galaxy Nexus in February citing four U.S. patents:<ul><li><a target="_blank"href="http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5946647.html">U.S. Patent No. 5,946,647</a> for a "system and method for performing an action on a structure in computer-generated data" which was validated in Apple's U.S. International Trade Commission case against HTC.</li> <li><a target="_blank"href="http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8074172.html">U.S. Patent No. 8,074,172</a> for a "method, system, and graphical user interface for providing word recommendations" or predictive text.</li> <li><a target="_blank"href="http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8046721.html">U.S. Patent No. 8,046,721</a> for a system describing "unlocking a device by performing gestures on an unlock image" or the "slide to unlock" function found on iOS devices which was successfully used against Motorola in Germany.</li> <li><a target="_blank"href="http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8086604.html">U.S. Patent No. 8,086,604</a> for a "universal interface for retrieval of information in a computer system" that was the basis of Friday's ruling."</li></ul> A source close to Samsung, who declined to be identified because they were not authorized to speak for the organization, has said that for Samsung USA, it's business as usual. Though some word has come down through the ranks, the legal department has yet to provide formal guidance on either of the injunctions or the clearing of Apple on infringement of <a target="_blank"href="http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,362,867.PN.&OS=PN/7,362,867&RS=PN/7,362,867">U.S. Patent No. 7,362,867</a> for "Apparatus and method for generating scrambling code in UMTS mobile communication system" which details how a device handles scrambling codes for UMTS networks. (UMTS is a network technology used in 3G mobile data networks.) Until such guidance is issued, Samsung USA has told its employees that its business as usual. The individual that I spoke with seems to think that Apple is just flexing its muscles and taking advantage of the situation that's presented itself. While I agree that Apple is definitely taking advantage of the situation, I think there's more to it, especially after the developments on Friday. I think there's blood in the water; and I think Apple smells it. Honestly, I was surprised with the granting of the first injunction and the speed with which Apple posted their bond. The granting of the second injunction floored me. I was totally flabbergasted when Apple was also cleared of infringement of the one Samsung patent. The Galaxy Nexus is an older smartphone, as smartphones go. It was announced on 19-Oct-11 and then released on 15-Dec-12. It's since been followed by the Galaxy S2, the Galaxy S3 and the Galaxy Note, which is more of a 5.75" tablet, here in the States. However, going after the Galaxy Nexus, even at this late date, is purposeful. It's not only a shot at Samsung, but one at Google as well. The Galaxy Nexus is part of the Google Nexus branding line, a series of phones specifically picked by Google to be the current generation flagship Android phone. That favored device tends to be as vanilla as Android gets, and it's supposed to get frequent updates. The granted injunction against the Galaxy Tab 10.1 addresses the number one perceived challenger against the Apple iPad. The granted injunction against the Galaxy Nexus addresses not only Apple's desire to further remove what they perceive as a flagrant copy of their iOS mobile operating system; but the core of that infringement, the Android Operating System, which Steve Jobs vowed to destroy. The stars seem to be aligning for Apple; and they seem to have the upper hand at this point. This summer is going to be very interesting for them, as well as Samsung and Google. The results of the trial, scheduled to kick off at the end of July 2012, will have long reaching effects in the mobile computing market. Depending on the results, we could see far reaching changes to the mobile landscape or we could see hefty settlement money funneled between the players. This is one that I'm definitely going to be watching. What do you think will happen? Why not join us in the discussion below and tell us what you think? 2012-06-27T03:00:00ZSplashtop Releases 'Next Generation' Remote Desktop App For iOSSplashtop 2, the latest version of the desktop remote control app for iOS, supports new hardware, including the Retina display; speeds network traffic; and makes connections easier. Splashtop 2 can remotely control either Macs or Windows PCs from an iPad or iPhone.http://www.informationweek.com/byte/news/240002648?cid=RSSfeed_IWK_AuthorsSplashtop on Wednesday released a new version of its remote-control software for the iPad, <a target="_blank" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id382509315">Splashtop 2</a>. In support of this next generation of its software, Splashtop said it has built a network of relay servers--a "bridging cloud infrastructure"--that lets users securely connect to remote computers via a highly optimized connection. Using your iPad to view and control your computer is becoming increasingly popular with consumers as well as enterprise users. In the past year BYTE has published <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/reviews/232900462">a review of Splashtop's remote control solution for Windows 8</a> and a hands-on story discussing solutions, including Splashtop's, for <a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/reviews/personal-tech/tablets/232602283">using an iPad as a secondary display</a>. Splashtop 2 can control Macs and Windows PCs. Splashtop 2 claims a number of enhancements, including allowing devices on the same LAN to connect with just a user name and password. The Anywhere Access Pack, a new in-app optional purchase, lets users connect to their devices across the Internet. Splashtop says the new app also is optimized for newer hardware, including Apple Retina displays. Earlier versions of Splashtop used an awkward authentication scheme based on IP addresses and Google accounts. The company claims to have simplified the process. Below is a company video demonstrating the new version. <iframe width="452" height="254" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EkHlzXjcwNQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> The app doesn't require any special configuration information and has self-optimizing network connectivity technology that lets users obtain the best performance possible regardless of network type, traffic, or latency. The app sells for $9.99 in the <a target="_blank" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id382509315">iTunes App Store</a>, but will be available for a limited time at a promotional price of $1.99. The Anywhere Access Pack is available as an in-app purchase for $0.99 per month or $9.99 per year. Stay tuned for a full BYTE review of Splashtop 2.