Author: Nick Farrell

Red Hat is missing the developer train

Posted on August 28, 2014 by - News

red-hatWhile CIOs tend to think “Red Hat” when they contemplate their open source navels, their developers are not big fans and more likely to love Ubuntu, according to research.

According to AngelList data compiled by Leo Polovets, these developers also like MySQL, MongoDB, or PostgreSQL for their database; Chef or Puppet for configuration; and ElasticSearch or Solr for search.

None of this technology is developed by Red Hat which means that if the Open Source giant does not pull finger, it may find itself without applications.

The same thing is happening on the cloud. Ubuntu claims more than 50 percent of all guest OSes. Across Red Hat’s complete product range (RHEL, CentOS, and Fedora), the company gets less than 20 percent of all guest OSes.

Where Red Hat has been doing some Stirling work with the open source developer community, on OpenStack Red Hat has a better 34 percent adoption rate.

Red Hat is doing well in its middleware business, JBoss and storage business based around Gluster, Ceph.

But it has missed out on nearly all of the biggest projects, from Hadoop to ElasticSearch to Cassandra and Red Hat also lacks meaningful partnerships with most of them.

The reports suggests that Red Hat needs developers and it could be in big trouble unless it does.

 

Nadella kowtows to China

Posted on August 28, 2014 by - News

kowtowMicrosoft CEO Satya Nadella appears to be packing his suitcase to visit China in late September in a move which might be an attempt to sort out the government’s rejection of his company’s software.

Although China runs on pirated versions of Windows XP, the government has forbidden its civil servants from using anything more modern than Windows 7.  The idea being that it will be releasing a homegrown version of Linux which it will expect everyone to use.

At the same time, the Chinese are investigating Redmond for playing monopoly behind the bamboo curtain.

Nadella has a lot to talk about with the government, although it is not clear if he will meet with any Chinese government representatives as part of his visit, or try to resolve problems with the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC), one of China’s antitrust regulators.

Foreign CEOs often pay calls on the world’s second-largest economy to strengthen business and political ties and Nadella is following Qualcomm’s President Derek Aberle who also looked to end his company’s woes in China.

The shy and retiring Steve Ballmer, did occasionally go to China in his 14 years as CEO, but that was mostly to speak loudly and carry a soft stick about piracy. Ballmer sulked in 2011 that Microsoft got more revenue in the Netherlands than China.

Ministry of Justice fined for privacy leak

Posted on August 27, 2014 by - News

Not a good idea: prisoners in uniform from the 1920 film From Now On.The Ministry of Justice has been fined £180,000 by the data watchdog for failing to safeguard sensitive and confidential information about prisoners.

According to the data watchdog, the information commissioner’s office the Ministry of Justice allowed data to go missing twice and failed to encrypt personal data.

It all started when an unencrypted hard drive containing data on 2,935 prisoners went missing at HMP Erlestoke in Wiltshire last May. The information included details of links to organised crime, health information, history of drug misuse and material about victims and visitors.

This followed a similar case in October 2011, when the information commissioner’s office (ICO) was alerted to the loss of another unencrypted hard drive containing the details of 16,000 prisoners at HMP High Down in Surrey.

After the first mistake, the prison service was given new hard drives in May 2012 for all of the 75 prisons across England and Wales. The devices could encrypt the information stored on them, but for some reason the prison service did not realise the encryption option needed to be turned on.

Sensitive information was insecurely handled by prisons across England and Wales for over a year, leading to the latest data loss at HMP Erlestoke. If the hard drives in both of these cases had been encrypted, the information would have remained secure despite their loss, the ICO noted.

Stephen Eckersley, ICO head of enforcement said that a government department with security oversight for prisons can supply equipment to 75 prisons throughout England and Wales without properly understanding, let alone telling them, how to use it beggars belief.

“The result was that highly sensitive information about prisoners and vulnerable members of the public, including victims, was insecurely handled for over a year. This failure to provide clear oversight was only addressed when a further serious breach occurred and the devices were finally set up correctly.

“This is simply not good enough and we expect government departments to be an example of best practice when it comes to looking after people’s information. We hope this penalty sends a clear message that organisations must not only have the right equipment available to keep people’s information secure, but must understand how to use it,” he said.

 

Microsoft to release a Chromecast rival

Posted on August 27, 2014 by - News

tvMicrosoft thinks that there is room for another TV casting dongle and is apparently thinking about releasing a rival to Chromecast.

Redmond has not mentioned the dongle so far but it did pop up in an FCC filing.

The filing  lacks much info to identify the device, but it carries the model number HD-10.

The FCC filing says that this device has an HDMI port, Wi-Fi and a USB charging unit.

But if you look at the Wi-Fi Alliance product database you can spot that Microsoft’s HD-10 is described as a Miracast dongle.

Miracast is a wireless standard that lets devices connect to one another and share media.  It is not as sexy as the Chromecast or Apple AirPlay. Miracast doesn’t let users queue up multiple files from different sources or play multiplayer games, and it requires media to be played on other devices and sent to the TV, rather than directly from online and cloud sources.

However, this does mean that Microsoft will get its Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 devices casting to the TV which, at the moment, it cannot do.

 

 

Microsoft faces China crisis

Posted on August 26, 2014 by - News

china-syndrome-one-sheet1Things are not shaping up well between Microsoft and the Chinese government.

A Chinese antitrust watchdog growled that Redmond had not been fully transparent with its sales data on the software it distributes in China.  It is particularly interested in the information regarding the sales of its media player and Internet explorer.

Zhang Mao, the head of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC), told reporters at a briefing in Beijing that after multiple meetings including at high levels, Redmond had “expressed a willingness” to respect Chinese law and collaborate with investigating officials.

Western companies operating in China must be finding the whole thing fishy. The Microsoft investigation comes amid a spate of anti-trust probes against foreign firms in China, including Qualcomm and Mercedes-Benz.  Word on the street is that the Chinese are looking to damage foreign companies.

Earlier this month the Chinese claimed that Microsoft was suspected of violating China’s anti-monopoly law since June last year in relation to problems with compatibility, bundling and document authentication for its Windows and Microsoft Office.

The SAIC is one of China’s three anti-monopoly regulators and raided Microsoft offices in several major cities. It had a quiet world with Microsoft Deputy General Counsel Mary Snapp.

 

 

HP and shareholders deal in doubt

Posted on August 26, 2014 by - News

Meg Whitman, photo by Mike MageeA US judge is not happy about a proposed agreement struck between HP and plaintiff shareholders to settle a lawsuit over the computing giant’s acquisition of Autonomy.

US District Judge Charles Breyer rejected several million dollars in fees that shareholder attorneys would have recouped under the settlement.

But he added that he would have to make further inquiries into whether dismissing claims against HP officers, including current Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman, was fair for shareholders.

Under the terms of the settlement, shareholders agreed to drop all claims against HP’s current and former executives, including Whitman, board members and advisers to the company. Instead the two sides would team up to bash former Autonomy executives, including Chief Executive Michael Lynch.

Laughing all the way to the bank were the shareholder attorneys who would have collected $18 million in fees.

The court heard how HP is also gunning for British unit of Deloitte & Touche over its role in auditing Autonomy.

HP’s allegations of accounting improprieties, misrepresentation and disclosure failures at Autonomy have prompted an investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as well as the UK’s Serious Fraud Office. However so far there have been no actual charges levelled against Lynch and co.

Former Autonomy Chief Financial Officer Sushovan Hussain objected to the settlement too saying that it was a “whitewash” and asked that he be allowed to review internal HP documents that absolved Whitman and others of wrongdoing.

HP has vigorously contested Hussain’s ability to review documents that gets Whitman off the hook.

Breyer said he would need to weigh the evidence against HP officers as part of his analysis on whether the deal absolving them of liability is fair for shareholders.

Bryer said that something went terribly wrong with the Autonomy acquisition.

 

Facebook kills off click-bait news you will not believe what happens next

Posted on August 26, 2014 by - News

no fishingThe days of social notworking sites supporting news sites which have introductions like “you will not believe what happened next” or “you will find this astounding” could be a thing of the past.

Facebook announced further plans to clean up the News Feed by reducing stories with click-bait headlines as well as stories that have links shared in the captions of photos or within status updates.

“Click-baiting” is the art of posting links with a headline without actually telling you much information. In other words, you click to see more, and you are not told enough about what to expect.

Posts get many clicks, which means that these posts get shown to more people, and get shown higher up in News Feed. However, they are as popular as the Boston stranger and 80 per cent of the time people want headlines that helped them decide if they wanted to read the full article.

Facebook’s News Feed algorithm now considers how long people spend reading the given content and the ratio of people clicking on the content compared to people discussing and sharing it with their friends.

If users click on an article, reading it, and maybe even came back to interact with it on Facebook, they clicked through to something valuable, while if they came straight back to Facebook and didn’t engage with the story it was probably click bait.

Facebook will be making ongoing adjustments so it is not penalising stories unnecessarily. However the change is expected to cane a publishers who do this and few will mourn their passing.

Of course they could provide news stories with a decent headline, like the old days but that is too much like hard work.

Fashion bag maker Intel moves to jewellery

Posted on August 26, 2014 by - News

vogueChipmaker turned fashion bag designer, Intel is getting into the jewellery business turning out a smart bracelet for the very wealthy shoppers at Barneys.

The bracelet was designed by fashion house Opening Ceremony, and test sales were conducted at luxury retailer Barneys New York in January.

Daniella Vitale, COO of Barneys New York said at the time that wearable technology had to be a beautiful accessory that customers would desire.

Most wearable computers are fitness trackers which is largely pointless if you are not into exercise.  Intel’s bracelet will not do anything fitness related, but it is not clear what it will do.

The new wearable could be announced around Fashion Week in New York, which starts Sept. 4, or at the Intel Developer Forum from September 9 to 11, where Intel typically makes big company announcements.

Despite the competition, and the fact that no one has actually seen a real market for wearable computers yet, Intel wants to make up for the fact that it missed the mobile revolution by being right on time for the next big thing.

The wearables market is rapidly growing as the devices become functional and fashionable accessories. Over 19 million units are expected to be shipped by the end of this year, more than triple the total in 2013, researcher IDC said in April. That market should expand to nearly 112 million units in 2018.

 

 

Apple faces iPhone 6 supply problems

Posted on August 25, 2014 by - News

gala_appleIt has not even launched yet but the iPhone 6 is already causing a few headaches for the fruity purveyor of expensive toys, Apple.

Word on the street is that Apple cannot get enough screens ready for the new iPhone 6 smartphone because at the last minute it needed to redesign a key component.

The product was due to be announced next month and would be Apple’s first significant product launch in a while. The tame apple press are calling the problems a “hiccup” and are uncertain if this could delay the launch or limit the number of phones initially available to consumers.

Two supply chain sources said display panel production suffered a setback after the backlight that helps illuminate the screen had to be revised, putting screen assembly on hold for part of June and July.

Apple, wanted to cut back to a single layer of backlight film, instead of the standard two layers, for the 4.7-inch screen, which went into mass production ahead of the 5.5-inch version.

But the new configuration was not bright enough and the backlight was sent back to the drawing board to fit in the extra layer, costing precious time and temporarily idling some screen assembly operations.

A delay however would be a nightmare for Apple which wants larger-screen iPhones for the year-end shopping season to match those of its much cheaper rivals.

This is the second time that the iPhone 6 has had problems with its screen. Earlier there were reports of another screen technology problem, since resolved, in making thinner screens for the larger iPhone 6 model.

The fruity cargo cult is planning one of its Nuremburg rallies for the faithful in Cupertino on September 9. At this event many of the US’s finest technology writers are enthusiastically willing to sacrifice any shred of credibility they may have by standing up and cheering when Tim Cook releases a product which is more or less the same as everything else on the market.

Apple is expected to unveil the new iPhone 6 with both 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch screens – bigger than the 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5s and 5c, but about industry standard for Android phones.

 

Amazon getting into advertising business

Posted on August 25, 2014 by - News

amazonOnline bookseller Amazon is getting into the internet advertising business.

The Wall Street Journal has been telling the world+dog that the in-house platform aims to replace ads supplied by Google on Amazon’s own website.

However the plan is to later expand the program to challenge Google and Microsoft advertising business in the future.

Amazon’s system is similar to Google’s AdWords, and is planned to make it easier for marketers to reach the company’s users.

The retailer is also building a tool that would help advertising agencies buy in bulk for thousands of advertisers.

Analysts have been wondering how long it would take Amazon to try to stick its foot in the door of the advertising industry. After all, if you know what a person reads you can target a lot of advertising their way.

Amazon is sitting on a huge consumer data but has so far been reluctant to use it for advertising.

The company already has an advertising service it employs chiefly on its own website but it is extremely low key in comparison to the potential.

 

Last of the Great Big Blue Mohicans dies

Posted on August 25, 2014 by - News

akarJohn Akers, one of the “Last of the Great Big Blue Mohicans” who led IBM to its longtime dominance of the computer industry died of a stroke on Friday. He was 79 years old.

Akers was a former fighter pilot who served as IBM’s chief executive from 1985 to 1993, this was a critical time for Biggish Blue as PCs, Microsoft and Intel started to grow.

However Akers was determined to keep IBM operating using its traditional methods, particularly when it came to being nice to employees.

Akers joined IBM in 1960 and rose through its sales ranks. Four years later, the company released a machine called the System/360 that cleaned the clock of rivals and Akers found himself very busy.

He received 16 promotions in a span of 23 years, but he also dubbed the IBM uniform of blue suits, white shirts and striped ties as “very square.”

As IBM’s mainframe sales tanked in the 1980s, Akers ordered reorganisations and job cuts. During his tenure, IBM posted its first operating loss and recorded more than $15 billion in charges.

He resigned, under pressure and was replaced by Louis Gerstner, Gerstner delivered big changes, including plant closings and a shift away from hardware and toward software and services.

However, Akers was known as a gentleman, who liked and cared for his employees.

 

Gmail a doddle to hack

Posted on August 25, 2014 by - News

black holeA hole in Android, Windows, and iOS makes Gmail a doddle to hack to steal personal information.

Researchers at the California Riverside Bourns College of Engineering and the University of Michigan have identified a weakness they believe to exist across Android, Windows, and iOS operating systems that could allow malicious apps to obtain personal information.

So far the attack has been tested only on an Android phone, but it is believed that the method could be used across all three operating systems because all three can access a mobile device’s shared memory.

Zhiyun Qian, an associate professor at UC Riverside aid that one app can in fact significantly impact another and result in harmful consequences for the user.”

First, a user must download an app that appears benign, such as a wallpaper, but actually contains malicious code. Once installed, the researchers can use it to access the shared memory statistics of any process, which does not require any special privileges.

The researchers monitored changes in this shared memory and can correlate see if someone is logging into Gmail, H&R Block, or taking a picture of a cheque to deposit it online via Chase Bank. They managed to hack with a success rate of 82 to 92 percent. Using a few other side channels, the team was able to accurately track what a user was doing in real-time.

It is not that easy. The attack needs to take place at the exact moment that the user is performing the action. Second, the attack needs to be conducted in such a way that the user is unaware of it.

Of the seven apps tested, Amazon was the hardest to crack, with a 48 percent success rate. This is because the app allows one activity to transition to another activity, making it harder to guess what the user will do next.

The team will present its paper, “Peeking into Your App without Actually Seeing It: UI State Inference and Novel Android Attacks” (PDF), at the USENIX Security Symposium in San Diego on August 23. You can watch some short videos of the attacks in action below.

Microsoft keeps its cash offshore

Posted on August 25, 2014 by - News

bahmasSoftware giant Microsoft is storing pots of cash away from the US government tax man.

According to disclosures in the company’s most recent annual filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission Redmond is sitting on almost $29.6 billion it would owe in US tax collector if it bought $92.9 billion it has stored in its off-shore bank accounts.

The cash would amount to almost the entire two-year operating budget of the company’s home state of Washington.

Microsoft insists that it is not avoiding tax and that the money it keeps out of the US is “reinvested outside the US.

However, it does look more as if the company is using tax shelters to dodge the taxes it owes as a company domiciled in the United States.

Microsoft’s SEC filing is turning up just when the US government is under pressure to do something about the fairness of U.S.-based multinational corporations using offshore subsidiaries and so-called “inversions” to avoid paying American taxes. Such manoeuvres although often legal threaten to reduce US corporate tax receipts during an era marked by government budget deficits. However if US politicians do anything about it, they are almost certain to lose all their campaign contributions from big corporates.

 

Monkey selfie is public domain

Posted on August 22, 2014 by - News

Picture thanks to Wiki Commons

Picture thanks to Wiki Commons

It looks like Wikipedia was right, and the “ape selfie” photo really is public domain.

The US Copyright Office has ruled  against David Slater the photographer, who has claimed ownership snap saying that images taken by animals, including the 2011 primate self-shot, could not be registered for copyright by a human.

“The Office will not register works produced by nature, animals, or plants,” the US copyright authority said.

While we can see that a camera could be struck by lightning and take a pic, we are not sure how a tree could take a picture, but it is clear that the USOP is covering all its bases here.  We notice that if a lump of a satellite falls on your camera and takes a picture that would technically be covered, because it is not nature.

However the copyright office will not register anything which is claimed to have been created by divine or supernatural beings, although the Office may register a work where the states that the work was inspired by a divine spirit.

So if I claim that my novel Sex Slaves of Babylon was inspired by the God Marduk it could be copyrighted, but if I claimed Marduk actually wrote it, then it could not be.

The copyright office specifically cites the monkey snap which has been the source of a legal battle between the Wikimedia Foundation and Slate when a macaque nicked his camera and pressed the shutter button a number of times.

 

Ebay may change mind on Paypal

Posted on August 22, 2014 by - News

janus1Online auction outfit Ebay has changed its mind about Paypal and might spin off the fast growing unit.

For a while now it has been suggested that Ebay should off-load Paypal to make a fast buck. In fact, activist investor Carl Icahn has said as much. But EBay CEO John Donahoe said that PayPal was important to eBay’s business and a split would not make sense.

However, EBay told potential candidates for the position of PayPal chief executive officer, a post that David Marcus vacated in June, about a possible spinoff of the payments unit.

EBay spokeswoman Amanda Miller clearly did not get the memo and insisted that that board will continue to “assess all alternatives to create that long-term value and to enhance the growth and competitive positions of both eBay and PayPal.” This position has not changed said.

It is a little odd that Ebay is thinking about it. Donahoe won Icahn  over to his point of view. Ichan backed off from his demand in April, saying that while he supported a PayPal split in the near future, now was not the time. Although that was April and thinks might have changed by the end of the year.