Sould I Get A New Iphone 5 ??

Everyone seems to be throwing a fuss over the new iPhone.  Deciding whether to upgrade?  The new iPhone 5 is taller, but there is a market for more generously sized screens (like the Galaxy S III).  Every iPhone is usually faster than its predecessor, and phones do slow down over time as applications evolve and utilize more resources.  Apple has added a new chip to the iPhone 5: the A6 chip.  Apple claims it to be twice as fast as the iPhone 4S.

Apple also bumped up the camera in the new iPhone 4S.  While it’s still the same old 8 megapixel camera, The shutter is now much faster.  It no longer lags in between shots.  You can also take panoramas.  The software was also improved, and is better at low-light images.  It’s now easier than ever to share your photos on Facebook and Twitter, with the new integration available in iOS.

Do you use your iPhone as a navigator?  Every iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6, which removed Google Maps and added Apple’s own map application.  While Apple’s user interfaces are awesome, they are not the best at data collection.  Streets are missing, images are messed up, et al.  While they scramble to make the application work properly, users have found a quick fix: using maps.google.com.

Are you a movie watcher?  The iPhone 5 has a slightly bigger screen at four inches, giving applications more room.  This is fantastic for anyone who watches a lot of videos on their phone, reads a lot, and much more.  With the added space, there is now an added row of icons to the home screen.  Text that used to be hard to read should now be easy to see.

Is the iPhone 5 worth the upgrade?  If you have anything less recent than an iPhone 4, yes.  The retina screen on the iPhone 4 and its later models is much better.  If you have an iPhone 4, unless you’re a serious gamer or would find use out of Siri, you should wait until the next iPhone, when all of the iPhone 5 adopters will have old technology.

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All Eyes May Be on Security in Samsung's S5

Mobile device security is a major issue for the enterprise as the BYOD trend gains momentum, because personally owned mobile devices increasingly are being used to access enterprise systems and cloud-based data, according to the Cloud Security Alliance. The leading mobile threat is data loss from lost, stolen or decommissioned devices, it found. Information-stealing mobile malware is second.

RRumors that Samsung will include iris-recognition technology in its forthcoming Galaxy S5 smartphone, widely expected to be launched in April, were given a boost on Thursday through a Bloomberg interview of Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung Mobile.

People are "fanatical" about iris recognition technology and Samsung is "studying the possibility," Lee said, but he would not confirm its implementation in the S5.

The S5 will be paired with the successor of the company's Galaxy Gear smartwatch, which has not fared as well as hoped.

The chances of Samsung's implementing iris-scanning technology are fairly good as smartphone manufacturers keep introducing innovative security features in their ongoing battle for market share.

"We're seeing a race among manufacturers, particularly between Samsung and LG in Android phones, which are inherently secure, and between Apple, BlackBerry and Samsung on the others," Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, told TechNewsWorld. "Samsung has been particularly aggressive."

The Galaxy S5's Rumored Specs

The S5 reportedly will have a metal frame, unlike the plastic mold used in earlier models.

There is speculation that Samsung is working on a Quad HD screen, which has a display resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels -- four times as many as in the 720p HDTV video standard.

Samsung reportedly began production of a 5.25-inch QHD display for the S5 back in December.

The S5 will trail behind China's 6-inch Vivo Xplay 3S smartphone, which was released with a QHD display in December.

Everything Old Is New Again

Reports that Samsung might implement iris scanning in the Galaxy S5 first surfaced in October.

Patentbolt in November published Samsung's patent application on iris scanning, which gave credence to the rumors.

Many Asians do not have sufficient melanin pigments in their eyes to use a general flash for illumination in iris scanning, so a separate built-in infrared ray source of illumination is necessary, Patentbolt said. That would increase the weight and bulk of a mobile device.

Samsung's technology gets around this by using a proximity sensor.

The company's patent application illustrates a smartphone that includes standard features such as a camera, light-emitting and a light-receiving units, and a power supply. It also includes an illustration of an iris-sensing unit.

The input unit may be a soft button, a virtual button, or an icon of a touchpad or touchscreen; a keyboard; a microphone; or an action or gesture sensor.

Samsung's patent was filed in the U.S. in Q2 2013, and in Korea one year earlier, Patentbolt said.

Samsung and Smartphone Security

Samsung's earlier effort to provide security for mobile devices in the enterprise, the Knoxservice, has been troubled.

Initially scheduled to be preloaded with the Galaxy S4, which was unveiled in March, Knox's launch was pushed back to the end of 2013. Then security researchers discovered a critical vulnerability in the devices that made it easy to intercept data communications.

That caused the U.S. Department of Defense, which had approved Knox-based mobile devices for deployment on its networks in May, to investigate the claims of vulnerability.

"Samsung has this nasty habit of bringing out stuff before it's ready, like the Galaxy Gear, so the first implementation [of iris recognition] will likely be problematic," Enderle remarked. "It will either be insecure or won't work properly."

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Samsung's New Galaxy S5 Might Ship Bathtub-Ready

ot everyone wants to go swimming with their smartphone -- but everyone wants a smartphone that can survive the occasional dunk or deluge. Samsung may fulfill that desire with its Galaxy S5, expected to appear next week at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Neither rain nor snow nor a sudsy kitchen sink or bubbly bathtub would do it in. Still a good idea to keep the toilet lid down, though.

 all the Samsung Galaxy S5 rumors to hit this week, the one that had me sit up straight and pay close attention is the rumor that the new Galaxy S5 may be both waterproof and dustproof.

This is a big deal, because it would be the first major flagship smartphone with wide and popular distribution to be waterproof.

Of course, Samsung last year offered the Galaxy S4 Active, which was a variant of its regular Galaxy S4. The Active version had a slightly bigger case and was IP67 certified: It could withstand a 30-minute submersion down to about 3 feet of water.

Unfortunately, you could still void the warranty if the unit actually failed and water seeped inside, killing your Galaxy S4 Active and leaving you high and dry with no recourse other than shelling out for a new phone.

In fact, there were some reports of Galaxy S4 Active units failing under normal, expected underwater use, which surely didn't help launch sales to true outdoor enthusiasts.

Still, the Galaxy S4 Active was a fine start, and while Sony's Xperia ZR and Z1S are also "waterproof," they aren't nearly as influential as the Samsung Galaxy line.

Bring It to the Bathtub, Baby!

While having a truly waterproof smartphone that you actually could snorkel with -- shooting photos and video of turtles and fish -- would be particularly fantastic, I'm not holding my breath.

For most people, simply being able to use their smartphone in the rain or snow would be a great leap forward. I once dropped an iPhone in a kitchen sink filled with soapy water. Although I snatched it out in time to save its life, my blood pressure skyrocketed while I frantically performed the smartphone equivalent of CPR.

Similarly, drinks get spilled on tables -- and at bars -- and who wants to be the clumsy guy who destroys a US$600 smartphone that belongs to the girl you just met?

Have you ever tried reading an e-book in the bathtub? Old-school paper is a lot less risky. Even so, all those nooks and crannies in smartphones and their cases could use a good dunking every now and then just to wash off the germs.

At the very least, it would be nice for active people who exercise with their smartphones -- just putting a smartphone in a front pants pocket and then hiking can introduce enough moisture from vaporous sweat to void your warranty.

A mostly waterproof smartphone is about peace of mind.

The Rumor and Ramifications

The waterproof rumor comes courtesy of reports from two tech news sites in Samsung's home country: ZDNet Korea and ET News.

Because this rumor comes just days before Samsung's big "Unpacked" product announcement -- set for Monday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona -- I'm inclined to give it a high chance of being true.

As for effects on the industry, this possible feature carries more weight than a snappier processor, better camera, or even a Samsung fingerprint sensor. Why? Everyone wants their smartphone to be essentially waterproof.

Not only would it add pressure to other Android competitors, it could become an interesting advancement over Apple. After all, if Apple is so obsessed with amazing industrial design, why can't it create a waterproof iPhone, too?

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Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Review (2014 Edition)

Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 Full Review

When it comes to modern technologies and mobile device innovations, I think we will all agree that Samsung always manages to surprise us. In recent years the company has turned into the main leader on the market of mobile devices. Their main purpose has always been to impress their customers and bring mobile device productivity to a whole new level. Today, Samsung are among the most powerful smartphone and tablet manufacturer.

Last year when the company released their new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, we all fell in love with it. But the truth is that we have always though Samsung can do much better. And we were right! This time they have decided to hit the market with something much more impressing. Here is a short review of the newGalaxy Note 10.1 Edition 2014. It has plenty of new improvements and innovations and we are absolutely sure that this time, Samsung will manage to blow their competitors away. Here are some of its main features.

he new Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet has a lot of changes. One of the main differences is its new design, which has a thin elegant frame and a better 10-inch Super clear LCD display with WQXGA (2560×1600) resolution. Also, the processor of the tablet has been significantly improved – it is a quad-core, but with an operating frequency of 2,3 GHz. In terms of the RAM, Samsung offer us the impressing 3GB. There is no doubt that the company has a decent reason to advertise the significant improvement in terms of the device’s performance. But these are just a small part of the new improvements.

The new interface allows users to organize their favorite resources much easier. They can use a “dashboard” which will give them quick and easy access to their data content. According to Samsung, the multitasking options of the device are also worth our attention: with the so-called Multi Window function, users can start one and the same application more than once; they can use the improved S Pen stylus to drag and drop content from one window to another. The Pen Window option gives consumers the opportunity to outline the screen window to any size and immediately enter their favourite applications such as YouTube or calculator. The tablet also includes the upgraded features of GALAXY Note S Pen – Action Memo, Scrapbook, Screen Write and S Finder.

The new Samsung GALAXY Note 10.1 offers content from Samsung’s partners. This improves the features of entertainment, productivity and creativity of the device. Another great thing about the device is in terms of the security. If you have some important documents, videos or personal pictures, you can store them in a special security section. This way you will never have to worry that someone can get access to your personal information in case of a hacker attack. Furthermore, if you run your own business, you can store there your company’s applications and information, eg. corporate emails, contacts and calendars. The device gives you a huge number of options. It will be available in two colors – Jet Black and Classic White.

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WhatsApp Shows How Phone Carriers Lost Out on $33 Billion

Facebook Inc. (FB)’s $19 billion purchase of mobile-messaging startup WhatsApp Inc. is a stark reminder of how much money phone carriers are losing out on as competitors let users text and chat at no charge.

Free social-messaging applications like WhatsApp cost phone providers around the world -- from Vodafone Group Plc (VOD) toAmerica Movil SAB (AMXL) and Verizon Communications Corp. -- $32.5 billion in texting fees in 2013, according to research from Ovum Ltd. That figure is projected to reach $54 billion by 2016.

As more customers have switched to smartphones with betterInternet access, people are relying more on applications such as WhatsApp to communicate. Instant-messaging services have taken off outside the U.S. where carriers don’t throw unlimited texting into voice and data plans. The rise of these applications has offered a cheaper source of communication, especially for correspondence between different countries, undercutting the texts that had once been a key source of income for carriers worldwide.

“The trend has been that messaging is eating away into that revenue, in some countries more than others, and that trend will continue,”Chetan Sharma, an independent wireless analyst in Issaquah,Washington, said in an interview. “The impact of free messaging has been felt worldwide. WhatsApp has clearly been the cream of the crop.”

Representatives for Newbury, England-based Vodafone, Mexico City-based America Movil and Overland Park, Kansas-basedSprint Corp. (S) didn’t respond to requests for comment on the impact from free messaging applications. A representative for Dallas-based AT&T Inc. (T)declined to comment.

WhatsApp Growth

The Bloomberg World Telecommunications Index of 89 companies rose 0.6 percent today.

Facebook, the world’s largest social network, said this week that it’s buying WhatsApp in a deal that values each of its 450 million active monthly users at $42. Free for the first year and 99 cents annually thereafter, WhatsApp is almost always cheaper than texting, especially across national borders.

With a particularly strong following in Europe, India and Latin America, the service is rapidly displacing traditional text messaging as the preferred method for young people to stay in touch on mobile devices. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s 29-year-old chief executive officer, said he expects WhatsApp to reach more than 1 billion people worldwide in the next few years.

Texting Decline

WhatsApp, Rebtel, Viber, KakaoTalk and other services use the Internet to send data instead of a cellular network, allowing users to send text, multimedia and voice messages for free, or close to it.

As free services continue to gain in popularity, U.S. text-messaging revenue will decline 3 percent to 4 percent this year from $21 billion in 2013, Sharma estimated. Globally, carriers’ texting revenues will peak by 2016 and then start to drop as well, he said.

The apps have eroded such revenue for several years and were a big reason why U.S. carriers began to include unlimited SMS in many of their service plans, Roger Entner, an analyst at Dedham, Massachusetts-based Recon Analytics LLC, said in an interview. The first SMS, or short message service, text was sent over Vodafone’s network in 1992.

“The wireless carriers were very concerned that WhatsApp and others would intermediate them,” Entner said. “So the wireless carriers found the most consumer-friendly solution -- they gave it away, too. And that took away the incentive to join WhatsApp.”

Mexico Popularity

However, carriers in other parts of the world still charge high fees for texts, and their revenue will be affected as WhatsApp’s popularity spreads, Entner said.

In Mexico, for instance, almost 90 percent of all instant messaging goes through WhatsApp, according to Ernesto Piedras, director of the Competitive Intelligence Unit, a telecommunications consulting firm based in Mexico City.

“From about a year and a half ago, WhatsApp use in Mexico has become overwhelming,” he said in an interview. “It’s convenient to use, and the more people have it, the more people use it.”

Six to eight years ago, phone companies in Mexico generated about 15 percent of their revenue from text messaging, Piedras said. Now it’s less than half of that.

WhatsApp also had an impact in Holland, where carrier Royal KPN NV (KPN) didn’t offer free texts as a part of its bundles, Mark Little, a London-based consumer analyst at Ovum, said in an interview.

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Microsoft Said to Cut Windows Price 70% to Counter Rivals

Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) is cutting the price of Windows 8.1 by 70 percent for makers of low-cost computers and tablets as they try to fend off cheaper rivals like Google Inc. (GOOG)’s Chromebooks, people familiar with the program said.

Manufacturers will be charged $15 to license Windows 8.1 and preinstall it on devices that retail for less than $250, instead of the usual fee of $50, said the people, who asked not to be named because the details aren’t public. The discount will apply to any products that meet the price limit, with no restrictions on the size or type of device, the people said.

Stronger competition from Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Google cut revenue last quarter at Microsoft’s devices and consumer licensing division, which includes Windows software, as the computer industry posted its biggest annual decline on record. By offering incentives for PC makers to sell cheaper models, Microsoft may be able to increase its share of the growing $80 billion tablet market and stave off Chromebooks, notebooks that run Google’s operating system.

Microsoft, which named Satya Nadella as chief executive officer earlier this month, is seeking to speed up development and introduction of new devices. It won’t require products that use the cheaper licensing to complete logo certification, a process that verifies hardware compatibility, one of the people said. Devices aren’t required to be touch-screen compatible, they said.

Julia Kelly-Echeverio, a spokeswoman for Microsoft, declined to comment yesterday.

Slower Adoption

Microsoft said earlier this month that it has sold more than 200 million licenses of Windows 8 since the program went on sale in October 2012, a slower rate of adoption than the previous Windows 7.

While the regular Windows list price was $50, some of the largest global computer makers paid closer to $30 after incentives such as marketing funds provided by Microsoft, the people said. Products that receive discounted license fees won’t be eligible for such marketing support and incentives, one of the people said.

Global computer shipments fell a record 10 percent last year and are forecast to continue to decline this year as tablets and smartphones lure consumers away from traditional desktop and notebook designs, according to data from market research firm IDC. Tablet sales volume -- dominated by Apple and Google, whose operating systems account for 95 percent of that market -- will climb an average 16 percent through to 2017.

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Linux OR Windows!

If you were to introduce your grandma or kids to their first computer, would you give them Windows or Linux? I believe Linux is easier to use than Windows, and is a better option for inexperienced computer users.

Linux has come a very long way in the last few years.  Back in the day, Linux was difficult to use, and was mainly geared towards experienced computer users.  Nowadays, Linux is easier to use than ever. It’s secure, stable, fast, has excellent hardware support, and is easy to use.

If you are only familiar with Windows, and have grown accustomed to various applications, Linux might be frustrating. This is because you can’t run most Windows programs, but there are free and open-source alternatives to almost any Windows application. There is even a Windows emulator for Linux called WINE, which allows users to run most Windows programs, including a lot of PC games.  Software developers are starting to catch on, and are developing Linux versions of their applications, and many of the programs Windows users have grown accustomed to are also available on Linux.

There are hundreds of different flavors and types of Linux with different interfaces and “looks and feels”.  For users new to Linux, I recommend Linux Mint, Xubuntu, OpenSuse, or Ubuntu.

I’ve introduced a lot of people to Linux, and a lot of them were totally new to using computers. Even my 3 year old son uses Ubuntu Linux on his own laptop! I’ve also had a lot of success with introducing senior citizens to Linux, and to anyone that keeps an open mind, and is ready to try something different.

Let’s face it, most users spend the majority of their time on their computer using their web browser such as Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, or Safari. With Linux you can easily run Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, and Konqueror (based on Safari). Browsing the web on Linux is practically identical to browsing on Windows, but is much more secure and stable.

The following list gives the top reasons why Linux is easier to use than Windows:

1.  Package manager;
Installing applications in Linux is a breeze. Almost all Linux distributions have a package manager or “software center”, which allows users to install applications safely and easily. With Linux, there is no need to hunt down installation files off the web. This is similar to the “AppStore” on Apple devices such as the iPhone and other smart phones.  Package managers make installing and uninstalling software very easy, and allow users to browse packages by category and sort by popularity. Software in the package managers are well maintained, and allows users to update all programs at once with the click of a button. In Windows, users have to update each program individually, and programs have to be downloaded from websites. When users install software with a package manager, they can trust the applications are safe because they are downloaded from a trusted source.

The Ubuntu package manager called “Ubuntu Software Center” makes it very easy to install programs, similar to package managers in smart phones.

2,  Excellent hardware support;
Linux has excellent out-of-the-box hardware support. No more hunting down drivers or using discs to get your devices working. Just plug your device in, and no setup is required. With some devices that use proprietary drivers, you might have to use a utility to install. Linux distros like Ubuntu come with a utility called “Additional Drivers” which makes installing restricted drivers very easy.

3.  Better security and no need to worry about viruses, spyware, and malware;
When using Linux for your desktop or laptop PC, you won’t have to worry about viruses nearly as much as you would have to when using a Windows machine,   In the desktop environment, Linux almost never gets targeted with viruses, so unless you are running a full Linux server, you don’t have to worry about getting infected.  There is no confusing or expensive antivirus software slowing you down, and you don’t really have to worry about infections or having your system compromised.

Overall, Linux is much more secure than Windows and it’s much less likely you will ever get attacked by a hacker or have to worry about security threats. A lot of people assume Linux is secure only because it’s not as popular as Windows. This is likely one of the reasons, but their is much more to it than that.

Linux is much more restrictive with user permissions and has a clear separation from privileges. Almost all distributions of Linux have a package manager, which users install their software. This helps prevent viruses and vulnerabilities because the packages are regularly maintained and checked for exploits.. Privilege escalation plays a big part in Linux security. Even if something is compromised, most (if not all) processes these days don’t run with enough permissions to magnify that one breach into an entire system compromise (i.e. insertion of malware)

Linux is much more secure than Windows. On Linux there is no need for antivirus software, and no need to worry about viruses, spyware, adware, or malware.

4. Excellent free support;
Linux has a very large community of free support offered by users helping each other. There are free forums, chat rooms, and guides all throughout the internet.  The majority of Linux distributions also offer commercial technical support, so if the free support doesn’t meet your needs, this is an option as well.

5. Less maintenance required overall;
Unlike Windows, Linux requires almost no maintenance whatsoever. There is no defragmenting the hard drive, no malware/virus scans, and no utilities needed to keep it running smoothly.   Junk doesn’t pile up as easily in Linux, and unlike Windows, a factory restore, system restore, or full reinstall is rarely ever necessary.

6. Linux stays fast overtime, and doesn’t slow down like Windows;
After some time Windows tends to slow down.  The list of programs and services running in the background grows, and important system files become corrupted, leading to problems and a clunky computer. Having a slow computer makes using a computer very difficult and frustrating, and is something you don’t need to worry about if running Linux.

7. Developer friendly;
Developing your own software and applications on Linux is a breeze compared to Windows. No need to buy expensive software in order to write your own software. Everything is free and readily available. Linux is free, and the majority of Linux applications are open-source, which means you can easily see the source code that runs everything.  You are free to modify, edit, or redistribute the code. This gives users total freedom over their system, which is something not available in Windows.

9. Linux is extremely stable;
Linux rarely ever crashes or gets serious errors, and is much more stable overall than Windows. There is a reason that large corporations and the majority of web servers that power the web use Linux. Reliability is important. Computers are not going to have a good experience if their computer is constantly crashing and having bugs. Linux does not get BSOD (Blue Screen’s of Death), and almost never crashes. I’ve been running Linux since 1999, and have never had a serious crash or problem with Linux, or an infection of any kind.  Overall Linux doesn’t get serious bugs as Windows, and if the problem ever does arise, its very easy to boot to a Linux live disc and fix.

10. Linux is FOSS (free / open source);
Linux itself is completely free, and the vast majority of Linux applications are free and open-source.  This gives users freedom to experiment and utilize software and use features that normally you’d have to pay big bucks for if using Windows.  Linux being free also makes it easier to repair.  For example, if your hard drive crashes in Windows you have to have a functioning factory restore partition, or a Windows disc in order to do a full reinstall.  Getting a Windows disc will easily cost over $100, whereas with Linux, creating a disc is free and easy to download.  Upgrading to the newest version of Linux is also free, whereas with Windows it will cost you big bucks.

11. You can run Linux from a CD, DVD, or USB drive without installing it.
You can very easily run Linux directly from a CD, DVD, or USB flash stick, even if your computer has a broken or missing hard drive! This is very useful if you are having any problems with your current Linux installation, and need to fix problems, backup files, or recover data.  This is also useful if you want to use Linux on PC but don’t want to commit to installing.
NOTE: It’s also possible to run Windows live with BartPE, but it’s much difficult to setup than Linux and is very buggy and slow.

It’s very easy to run Linux live without installing from a CD, DVD, or USB flash stick. You can even run Linux on a computer without a hard drive! (Picture from PCdesktopwallpaper.com)

12. Very easy to setup advanced networking of almost any kind.
Linux is the best choice for networking. With a couple simple commands or clicks, Linux users can easily setup advanced networking. It’s SUPER easy to setup a full web server, file server, or screen sharing.  Networking between other computers is a breeze, even if they are running a different operating system.

13. Easy to install
Linux is now very easy to install. After you boot to the CD,DVD, or USB flash stick, you can choose to install side by side Windows, or erase the entire disc and install Linux. Ubuntu even has a Windows installed (WUBI), which allows users to install Ubuntu from within Windows, sort of like its a Windows application.  The installation is painless and child’s play compared to installing Windows.

Nowadays, Installing Linux is very simple. You can easily install side-by-side Windows. Overall, Linux is easier and less painful to install than Windows.

14. Linux is faster and runs well on old PC’s
Linux runs faster than Windows. There are bare-bone distributions that have a very minimalistic graphical interface, but are lightening fast, even on very old computers.

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Do you disagree and think Windows is easier to use than Windows? Please comment and give your thoughts.

Article by Cameron Voss of Eugene Computer Geeks. Cameron is an experienced Linux user and a computer technician / web designer in the Eugene, Oregon area.

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