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BlackBerry Messaging Goes Cross-Platform
The problem was, it only works BlackBerry-to-BlackBerry. Now, the company is rolling out BBM to multiple platforms. Starting this summer, BBM will become available for Apple's iOS and Google's Android devices.
"For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service," said Andrew Bocking, executive vice president of Software Product Management and Ecosystem at BlackBerry. "BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy."
What to Expect
BBM already boasts more than 60 million monthly active users and more than 51 million daily active users who are connecting with friends or colleagues an average of one and a half hours every day.
According to BlackBerry, BBM users send and receive more than 10 billion messages each day. That's nearly twice as many messages per user per day as compared to other mobile messaging apps. And almost half of BBM messages are read within 20 seconds of being received.
The first version of multi-platform BBM will allow iOS and Android users to tap into several features, including the immediacy of BBM chats, multi-person chats, voice note sharing, and BlackBerry Groups, where BBM users are able to set up groups of up to 30 people and share calendars, photos, and files.
BlackBerry also announced BBM Channels, a new social engagement platform within BBM that will allow customers to connect with the businesses, brands, celebrities and groups. BlackBerry plans to add support for BBM Channels as well as voice and video chatting for iOS and Android later...
Google Revamps Consumer and Business Storage Plan
Clay Bavor, director of Product Management at Google, discussed the changes on Google's blog. Explaining Google's reasoning with regard to the consumer storage plan, he said separate storage for Drive, Google+ and Gmail doesn't make as much sense any more.
"So instead of having 10 GB for Gmail and another 5 GB for Drive and Google+ Photos, you'll now get 15 GB of unified storage for free to use as you like between Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos," he said.
New Google Products?
On the enterprise front, Gmail inboxes for Google Apps customers are no longer limited to 25 GB -- any additional storage you purchase can be shared and used by Gmail.
Google's stated goal is to make sure users don't have to worry about how much they are storing and where. For example, Bavor said, some may be heavy Gmail users but don't upload many photos. Others may be bumping up against their Drive storage limit, but were only using 2 GB in Gmail. The new paradigm eliminates those issues.
We asked Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence, for his take on the changes and what may be motivating Google.
"It's not clear whether this foreshadows some new product announcement or whether Google just wants to offer the most generous program among its various competitors," he told us. "However, it will put some pressure on others to approach or match the new free storage limits Google has set."
Google I/O Rumors
A product announcement could come forth at the Google...
Android Increases Its World Dominance
Apple's iOS is second at 18.2 percent, a drop from its 22.5 percent share at the same time in 2012. BlackBerry is way behind but in the coveted third place at 3 percent -- barely above Microsoft Phone at 2.9 percent.
A year ago, BlackBerry was 6.8 percent and Microsoft was 1.9 percent, meaning that both companies still have a lot of ground to achieve if they're going to stay in the race for third place. Bada and Symbian are barely hanging on, at 0.7 percent and 0.6 percent respectively.
Two Clear Leaders
Anshul Gupta, principal research analyst at Gartner, said in a statement that there are two clear leaders in the OS market and Android's dominance among operating systems is "unshakable." He added that, with several new operating systems coming out, such as Tizen, Firefox and Jolla, the research firm expects "some market share to be eroded, but not enough to question Android's volume leadership."
For all mobile phone sales, Samsung remains on top at 23.6 percent, a slight bump over 2012's 21.1 percent. Nokia is second at 14.8 percent, a significant drop of slightly more than 5 points from Q1 last year. Apple increased slightly, to 9 percent from 7.8 percent, and LG Electronics, ZTE, Huawei, TCL Communication, Sony, Lenovo and Yulong are all in low single digits.
The impact of China on global mobile phone sales is clear in the report: China's sales "represented 25.7 percent of global mobile phone sales," an increase of nearly 2 percent year-over-year.
Nearly Half
For smartphones, Samsung has increased its market...
Google's Zany Projects May Not Be Zany in a Year
"I feel that when I say anything, I always get asked that question," Page answered, just after he'd spent several minutes talking enthusiastically about self-driving cars, Google glasses and other projects that as yet contribute nothing to the bottom line.
Wall Street concerns about such spending are understandable after Google reported that Motorola Mobility, the phone maker it acquired a year ago for $12.5 billion, had an operating margin of -18% in the first quarter. And that excluded stock compensation charges.
Motorola's results, charges related to its acquisition, and Page's rapid pace of investment all helped to push down Google's overall operating margin significantly during the quarter, to 25% of revenue from 32% a year ago, when all expenses are included.
It's enough to make an investor wonder why Google -- whose $50 billion in revenue and $32 a share in net income last year were due wholly to its online ad business -- would want to be in any hardware business at all.
Yet, as the company gets set to host its annual development conference this week, the thousands of eager software developers who will gather in San Francisco for Google I/O offer proof that what seems zany one year can become a highly profitable business a few years later.
That's because every good piece of software needs a hardware platform to run on, and Google is continually pushing for a world in which online advertisers can find consumers no matter how they access the Internet.
Google's ability to maintain its sales and profit growth as the online world goes mobile is proof of the success of what it calls...
Cybercrime Experts Impressed with Bloodless Bank Heist
"It was pretty ingenious," Pace University computer science professor Darren Hayes said Friday.
On the creative side of the heist, a small team of highly skilled hackers penetrated bank systems, erased withdrawal limits on prepaid debit cards and stole account numbers. On the crude end, criminals used handheld devices to change the information on the magnetic strips of old hotel key cards, used credit cards and depleted debit cards.
Seven people were arrested in the U.S., accused of operating the New York cell of what prosecutors said was a network that carried out thefts at ATMs in 27 countries from Canada to Russia. Law enforcement agencies from more than a dozen nations were involved in the investigation, which was being led by the Secret Service.
Here's how it worked:
First, the hackers, quite possibly insiders, broke into computer records at a few credit card processing companies, first in India and then the U.S. This has happened before but here's what was new: They didn't just take information. They actually raised the limit on prepaid debit cards kept in reserves at two large banks.
"It's pretty scary if you think about it. They changed the account balances. That's like the holy grail for a thief," said Chris Wysopal, co-founder of security company Veracode.
The next step was technically simpler, almost an arts-and-crafts activity.
Crime ring members in 27 countries ran used plastic cards, just about anything with a standard magnetic strip, through handheld magnetic stripe encoders, widely available online for less than $300. Those devices allow users to change information on magnetic stripes or to write new cards with a simple swipe.
In...
John McAfee Breaks Silence with 'the Truth'
"I have some stories and things to tell you, sir," he says, rapping his right hand against a coffee table while nervously shifting his feet. "Do you have time for the truth?"
In his first extensive interview since he returned to U.S. soil in December, an animated McAfee agreed to meet a USA TODAY reporter at a nondescript apartment building in southeast Portland last week. For four hours, he explained his innocence, engaged in self-deprecation and eviscerated the news media for what he called exploitation.
"People ask me, 'How did it feel to kill a man?' And I can honestly tell them I wouldn't know, because I never have," he says, gazing through piercing green eyes. McAfee is wearing a black hoodie, jeans and flip flops.
The fantastical tale of McAfee created tabloid-like headlines worldwide and sparked a cottage industry of "Where's Waldo?" sightings after he was named as a "person of interest" in the unsolved murder last year of Gregory Viant Faull, a neighbor of his in Belize.
McAfee insists the political and economic climate of Belize -- he calls it a "third-rate banana republic" -- was rife for the rollicking escapade that ensued when he went on the lam. "It is the world's most physically beautiful country," he says. "But it has an extremely high murder rate, and lots of rich Americans are there."
When McAfee refused to pay Belize officials a $2 million bribe months earlier, he claims, it didn't shock him that he was fingered for Faull's death -- even though McAfee says he was nowhere near the victim the night of the killing. For the first time, he...
Dell Seeks More Details on New Investor Plan
Icahn and prominent Dell shareholder Southeastern Asset Management said last week they want to keep Dell Inc. publicly traded and give shareholders $12 in cash or more shares.
But a Dell board special committee said in a Monday letter that the proposal comes with many unanswered questions. They want to know whether Icahn and Southeastern want the board to treat their offer as an acquisition proposal it might endorse or if it is an alternative in case shareholders reject Michael Dell's offer.
They also want more information on financing, who Icahn and Southeastern expect to be on Dell's senior management team and what strategy or operating plan that team would implement.
An investment group led by company founder Michael Dell offered earlier this year to pay $13.65 per share to take the Round Rock, Texas, company private. But that proposal has drawn criticism from Icahn and Southeastern, who together own about 13 percent of the company's outstanding shares.
Icahn and Southeastern say they would let shareholders keep their stake in the slumping PC maker so they could benefit from any Dell rebound. Icahn and Southeastern plan to pay for their offer with existing cash from the company and about $5.2 billion in debt.
The special committee letter questions that plan. It says the proposal doesn't appear to take into account the fact that the use of company cash could lead to more borrowing, and Dell will likely have significant cash needs.
Icahn and Southeastern did not immediately return calls from The Associated Press seeking comment.
The investors have said they want the Dell board to put their proposal before shareholders instead of proceeding with...
Bloomberg Apologizes for Terminal Snooping
As reported Friday, journalists at Bloomberg News could see when clients last accessed their Bloomberg information terminals and what broad categories of functions they used. Goldman Sachs had complained that a Bloomberg reporter was using the information to investigate if a Goldman employee had departed.
"Our client is right," editor-in-chief Matthew Winkler said in an online posting Monday. "Our reporters should not have access to any data considered proprietary. I am sorry they did. The error is inexcusable."
The Federal Reserve is looking into whether Bloomberg journalists tracked data about terminal usage by top Fed officials. In a brief statement Monday, the European Central Bank said it "takes the protection of confidentiality very seriously and our experts are in close contact with Bloomberg."
Bloomberg journalists are renowned for aggressive techniques in a competitive field. Bloomberg News is owned by Bloomberg LP, a private company controlled by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Bloomberg LP's main business is selling terminals to clients in the financial industry, and it employs more than 2,400 journalists.
Bloomberg News reporters had been able to see when any of the company's 315,000 paying subscribers, mostly stock and bond traders, had last logged into the service. They could also view the types of "functions" individual subscribers had accessed.
For instance, reporters could see if subscribers had been looking at top news stories, or if they had been gathering data on stocks or bonds, but not which stories or bonds and stocks they had looked up, according to Bloomberg LP spokesman Ty Trippet. He said reporters could also see if subscribers were using "message" or "chat" functions to send messages to each other over the...
Glamorous or Grueling? Jet-Setting for Business Is Both
"That was my commitment, so I've been flying all over the country," says DiGennaro, 43. "So many people are constantly plugged in, and that's important, but that does not beat the power of face-to-face interaction and communication."
To help business people work smarter on the road and in the office, USA TODAY is looking at how many executives, like DiGennaro, can work more efficiently and is offering their tips to help others.
DiGennaro has a wealth of advice on how to make business travel more productive and pleasant. This year, she's been on the road more than she's been home, traveling to Istanbul and Milan in just the last four weeks
"Over time, you learn this works more effectively than that; this saves more time than that," she says.
DiGennaro enjoys traveling for fun. But she acknowledges that hopscotching across the globe for work can be stressful.
"No matter how free-spirited you are or how much wanderlust you have, it's an entirely different experience than traveling for pleasure," says DiGennaro, who also flies back and forth to her second office in Santa Monica, Calif., to London, where she has a partner agency, and to attend conferences important to her executive clients.
"It's a lot of having to be on," she says, "constantly moving, constantly entertaining, eating out three meals a day, not necessarily having time to squeeze in a workout or exercise. So I love to travel, but travel is not always easy."
JUST SAY NO TO CHECKED BAGS
First things first: Packing. No matter how far she's flying or how...
Amazon Offers Discount Coins To Boost Kindle App Sales
Amazon Coins were first announced in Feburary, but visitors to the site on Monday (May 13) were greeted with a message from founder and CEO Jeff Bezos that Kindle Fire owners have been awarded a credit of 500 coins, worth a penny each.
Discounts For Users
"You can use the coins to buy apps and games, as well as items inside apps and games," writes Bezos. "And if you want to purchase additional coins for yourself or your family, you get to do so at a discount."
As an incentive, Amazon offers a more substantial discount when you buy larger increments of Coins, beginning with a four percent discount off a 500 coin purchase ($4.80), 5 percent off 100 ($9.50), 8 percent off 2500, and capping at 10 percent off 5,000 and 10,000 virtual coins ($5 and $90, respectively).
The availability of Coins comes as a Kindle Fire competitor, Barnes and Noble's Nook HD, is getting an upgrade to the full, unforked Android operating system, with access to the myriad offerings of Google Play for apps, games and media.
"I'd say this salvo is aimed directly at Google and the Play Store," Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT told us.
"In essence, Amazon is selling its 'currency' as up to a 10 percent discount over real money but is still selling apps at full cost and guaranteeing its app developers their 70 percent revenue share. That means the difference is coming out of the company's pocket."
Essentially, King adds, it's the same strategy of a "loss...
HP Automates IT Above and Beyond for Data Centers
Primarily known as a hardware vendor, HP is now aiming to provide a broader range of software and management solutions, as the role of IT managers evolves from simply providing network infrastructure support to driving business growth.
Indeed, today's enterprise IT managers find themselves in the throes of an evolution as social networking, mobility, big data, and cloud services are changing the way we do business. More than ever, C-level execs are relying on their IT teams to turn raw data into actionable information that can make or break their business.
HP says it wants to help companies deliver services and application releases faster by streamlining the management of complex distributed systems and heterogeneous environments.
Putting Out Fires
Commenting on the benefits of HP's new IT automation solutions, Andy Smith, VP of Application Hosting Services at McKesson, explains: "Our IT employees were bogged down being enterprise 'fire fighters' instead of proactive business partners.
McKesson is America's oldest and largest healthcare services company, providing pharmaceuticals and medical supplies as well as information technologies to customers in every segment of the healthcare industry.
Smith says HP's cloud and automation software has enabled his company to improve its IT operations by automating routine, repetitive tasks that are prone to human error. Now, instead of being bogged down with rote IT tasks, employees can focus more developing and providing innovative IT services.
The result: McKesson can now deliver both Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) in under an hour. The firm also reports it has reduced IT service outages by 78 percent and reduced the occurrence of critical IT incidents...
Bill Gates Recalls Steve Jobs on 60 Minutes
He told reporter Charlie Rose that the two technology pioneers "grew up together," nearly the same age and "naively optimistic" as they built very large companies. Their companies were sometimes allied, as when Microsoft continued to release Office software for the occasionally struggling Mac platform, and sometimes rivals, in the desktop platform wars and now in the mobile platform wars.
Gates said that the two "retained a great respect" for each other, and, when Jobs fell ill, Gates said he "got to go down and spend time with him." The Microsoft founder become emotional when Rose asked what they had discussed during those visits, to which Gates replied "about what we'd learned, about families, anything."
Jobs' Boat
Gates added that Jobs showed him "the boat he was working on," and Jobs said he was looking forward to spending time on it, "even though we both knew there was a good chance that wouldn't happen."
The 60 Minutes story also looked at Gates' primary work-related focus these days, his foundation's efforts to battle such diseases as tuberculosis and malaria in emerging countries. But that post-Microsoft charitable effort also factored into Walter Isaacson's biography of Jobs, in which Jobs said Gates "is basically unimaginative and has never invented anything, which is why I think he's more comfortable now in philanthropy than technology."
In that book, Jobs added that Gates just "shamelessly ripped off other people's ideas," a clear reference to Windows' resemblance to the Mac's revolutionary interface. In an interview with ABC News in October of 2011, Gates shrugged off such criticism and said that "Steve and...
Google's Mobile OS Chief Confident in Dual Strategy
Pichai took over in March 2013, after Andy Rubin stepped down. He joined Google in 2004 and served as senior vice president of Chrome and Apps before being picked to add Rubin's responsibilities to his mix.
Pichai has big shoes to walk in. Android was wildly successful under Rubin's watch. Google reports there are now more than 750 million devices around the globe that sport Android. A whopping 1.5 million new Android activations are logged every day.
Will Strategy Change?
In a lengthy interview, Pichai said his views haven't changed much about the coexistence of Chrome and Android. He explained that Android and Chrome are both fast-growth large, open platforms. He thinks they will both play a strong role in mobile and denies any consumer confusion.
"Users care about applications and services they use, not operating systems. Very few people will ask you, 'Hey, how come MacBooks are on Mac OS-X and iPhone and iPad are on iOS? Why is this?' They think of Apple as iTunes, iCloud, iPhoto. Developers are people, too. They want to write applications one time, but they also want choice," Pichai said.
In the short run, he said, nothing changes. And, in the long run, computing itself will dictate the changes. For now, he characterizes the current moment as pivotal.
"It's a world of multiple screens, smart displays, with tons of low-cost computing, with big sensors built into devices," he said. "At Google, we ask how to bring together something seamless and beautiful and intuitive across all these screens. The picture may look different a year or two from now, but in the short term, we have Android and we have Chrome,...
Sony Rolls Out Fresh Waterproof Smartphone
The Android-powered smartphone is equipped with a 4.6-inch HD Reality display, 13 megapixel fast capture camera, Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core 1.5 GHz processor, and 4G LTE.
Since the device is IP55 and IP58 compliant, you can keep it submerged in 1.5 meters of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. A dedicated camera key allows you to shoot even from a locked screen.
A Niche Audience
We caught up with Roger Entner, a wireless analyst at Recon Analytics, to get his take on Sony's latest innovation. He told us waterproof phones were all the rage a year or two ago but have not become mainstream hits. The new Xperia ZR is likely to have a niche audience.
"When it comes to waterproof phones, people usually buy the phone for different reasons and then if it's waterproof they think it's cool," Entner said. "There are very few people who deliberately set out to buy a waterproof device and those are usually people who are in and around the water."
That could change with the Xperia ZR, which focuses heavily on the camera. The device dons Sony's "Exmor RS for mobile" image sensor with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for both photos and videos. That technology promises quality photos despite lightning conditions.
Meanwhile, Superior Auto mode combines Scene Recognition with high quality performance image processing technology to automatically shoot with the most optimal settings. And burst mode will shoot an unlimited number of images at 15 frames per second.
All Smartphones Waterproof?
"It's really straightforward for companies to make waterproof smartphones. I would expect that slowly and surely all devices would become waterproof," Entner said. "Usually waterproofing only requires...
Goodbye 4G, Hello Samsung's 5G?
On Sunday, the technology giant said it had achieved a breakthrough on a core component of 5G network technology that could provide speeds of tens of gigabits per second -- the first adaptive array transceiver operating in the millimeter-wave for the Ka bands, providing transmissions up to several hundred times faster than 4G. Currently, state-of-the-art networks, using 4G LTE technology, can achieve a maximum of about 75 megabits.
Chang Yeong Kim, Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics, said in a statement that "the millimeter-wave band is the most effective solution to recent surges in wireless Internet usage." He added that the company's success in developing adaptive array transceiver technology "has brought us one step closer to the commercialization of 5G mobile communications in the millimeter-wave bands."
A Wider Pipe
Samsung said its 5G technology uses the 28 GHz waveband, and 64 antenna elements have been utilized to achieve a transmission speed of 1.056 Gbps for a distance up to two kilometers. The South Korean company noted that a high-speed 5G cellular network requires a broad band of frequencies, "much like an increased water flow requires a wider pipe."
Millimeter-wave bands had been thought problematic for long-distance transmission because of propagation loss, which the 64 antenna elements counteract. Successful development and deployment of its 5G technology could put Samsung in a commanding position in those markets, even if it is required to license the technology to others at a reasonable rate, as owners of essential technologies are sometimes obligated by law.
Samsung said it is planning to make the technology available by 2020, which is also when the European Commission has said it expects...
Can Planes Be Hijacked by Android Phone?
The researcher, Hugo Teso, works for German IT company n.runs and is also a commercial pilot. At the Hack in the Box security conference this week in Amsterdam, he explained that transmissions to commercial aircraft can be hijacked, thus hijacking the aircraft.
The protocol of the transmissions is ACARS, or the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System. Teso said a hacker can take advantage of security vulnerabilities in ACARS, as well as vulnerabilities in flight management software from Honeywell and other aircraft technology companies. To take control, Teso created an Android app called PlaneSploit that exploits these vulnerabilities to talk to the aircraft's Flight Management Systems.
'Lot of Nasty Things'
Teso said his app can direct the plane to change direction, altitude, speed, and can change the data on pilots' screens. He told Forbes magazine that "you can use this system to modify approximately everything related to the navigation of the plane," including "a lot of nasty things."
This is not the first warning that cyber-terrorism could be launched remotely against aircraft. Last summer, two presentations at the Black Hat and Defcon security conference in Las Vegas said a new system for tracking and control of aircraft in the U.S. and other countries, which is being rolled out over the next few years, has insufficient encryption to prevent a terrorist from creating false plane information.
This could swamp air traffic controllers with fake status reports from fake aircraft, preventing them from guiding actual aircraft to safe landings because they wouldn't known which ones were real. One of the security researchers at the...
Verizon Pushes Value Message with $35 Prepaid Plan
Verizon Wireless on Thursday rolled out a new offering it hopes will attract some of T-Mobile's core market: the value-oriented customer. Straying from its premium mobile pricing model, the company is testing a new strategy with a $35 prepaid plan. That's the cheapest option you'll find on Verizon's menu.
Although it hardly compares to what T-Mobile is offering on the iPhone front, the new $35 plan may find its niche. The wireless carrier is going after feature phone users who text, text and text. Seemingly perfect for tweens and teens, the plan offers unlimited texting and unlimited web surfing. Only 500 calling minutes are included in the plan but there is no contract and free activation.
What's the Catch?
Of course, there's a catch (or catches).
The main catch is that you have a limited choice of feature phones to choose from. Verizon is only offering the $35 a month no-contract plan on four models: the LG Cosmos 2; the Samsung Gusto 2; the Samsung Intensity III; and the LG Extravert. The first two models sell for $49.99. The Samsung Intensity III sells for $59.99 and the Extravert goes for $69.99.
The other catch is that mobile-to-mobile calling isn't free like it typically is on most wireless plans. If you want mobile-to-mobile calling, you can opt for Verizon's $50 basic plan and get unlimited anytime minutes.
Jeff Kagan, an independent telecom analyst in Atlanta, told us the Verizon story itself isn't huge news but the industry move toward prepaid is. And that's what he sees when he pulls back the camera on this announcement.
Customers in Control
"This is a move toward reduced cost of customers. Over the last 10...
Rising Rudeness in Social Media, Study Finds
The online survey of 2,698 respondents by corporate training and organizational performance firm VitalSmarts found that 78 percent of users believe online incivility is rising, and 2 in 5 users have blocked, unsubscribed or unfriended someone over an argument conducted via social media.
Seventy-six percent of respondents have witnessed an argument on social media, 19 percent have reduced their in-person contacts with someone because of an online conversation, and 88 percent believe people are less polite when they communicate via social media than in person.
'No Immediate Feedback'
Another 81 percent say that difficult, social media-based conversations they have had in the past remain unresolved. The study cites the experience of one respondent, Laura M. Her brother posted an embarrassing picture of her sister, and refused the sister's request to remove it -- and then he sent it to his entire contact list. The result: a full-scale family war, with the brother unfriending all of his siblings and no personal contact between the siblings and the brother for the last two years.
Joseph Grenny, a co-author of the report, said in a statement that, "sadly," social media platforms have become "the default forums for holding high-stakes conversations, blasting polarizing opinions and making statements with little regard for those within screen shot." He added that online situations often have "no immediate feedback or the opportunity to see how our words will affect others."
Brad Shimmin, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, said...
How Long To Let a Digital Life Linger? Google Lets You Pick
Google appears to be the first tech giant to tackle this issue head-on, with its new Inactive Account Manager service, announced Thursday on the company's Public Policy blog.
Digital Next-of-Kin
"Not many of us like thinking about death -- especially our own," said Google Product Manager Andreas Tuerk. "But making plans for what happens after you're gone is really important for the people you leave behind."
Go to your account settings page and you'll be able to choose whether you want your data deleted after three, six, nine or 12 months without logging in. Alternatively, you can designate a sort-of digital next-of-kin to receive data from +1s; Blogger; Contacts and Circles; Drive; Gmail; Google+ Profiles, Pages and Streams; Picasa Web Albums; Google Voice and YouTube.
Still alive? Google will first check by sending a text to your phone and secondary e-mail to be sure you haven't just lost your password.
"Planning for what happens to our online assets, communications and persona presence is a perfectly natural progression of our lives and society becoming increasingly digital," social media analyst Rebecca Lieb of the Altimeter Group told us.
"Just as we leave an envelope, file or instructions for our loved ones, end of life planning now almost inevitably means leaving behind the 'keys' to online accounts ranging from the personal -- e-mail and social media, for example -- to bank...
Windows Security Patch Killing Some PCs
Specifically, Microsoft is advising users of both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 to revert to the pre-patch state. These users should uninstall the patch in security bulletin MS 13-036. MS13-036 is another kernel mode drivers issue, similar to the other kernel issue this month.
"We've determined that the update, when paired with certain third-party software, can cause system errors," said Dustin Childs, group manager of Response Communications for Microsoft Trustworthy Computing. "As a precaution, we stopped pushing 2823324 as an update when we began investigating the error reports, and have since removed it from the download center."
Setting the Record Straight
Childs then moved to set the record straight. Contrary to some reports, he said, the system errors do not result in any data loss nor affect all Windows customers. However, he added, all customers should follow the guidance Microsoft has provided to uninstall the security update if it is already installed. That information can be found at support.microsoft.com/kb/2839011.
"[The patch] addresses a moderate-level vulnerability that requires an attacker to have physical computer access to exploit," Childs said. "MS13-036 remains available for download and is being pushed via updates to help protect customers against the other issues documented in the security bulletin -- it no longer contains the affected update."
What are the other issues? We asked Paul Henry, a forensics analyst at Lumension, for a rundown on the threats. He told us there are four Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) in MS13-036.
"Three allow a local user to use kernel-raise conditions...
