Archive for March, 2014

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Linksys Announces New Networking Products For Business

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 31, 2014 by itnerd

I’ve got two pieces of news from Linksys that will be of interest to businesses. The first piece of news is that Linksys announced two new wireless access points. Their feature set includes:

  • Wi-Fi 802.11ac Dual Band support
  • Data Rates up to 1200 Mbps – Linksys AC1200 Dual Band Access Point (LAPAC1200)
  • Data Rates up to 1750 Mbps – Linksys AC1750 Dual Band Access Point (LAPAC1750)
  • LAPAC1200 has a MIMO 2X2 configuration
  • LAPAC1750 has a MIMO 3X3 configuration
  • Support as Powered Device with 802.3at (PoE+)
  • Support for up to 16 different SSIDs
  • Configurable as a Workgroup Bridge for range extension
  • Designed for ceiling or wall mounting
  • Industrial-strength Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA, WPA2) security and data encryption
  • Advanced security and preventions (802.1X Supplicant, SSID to VLAN Mapping, MAC Access Control, Rogue AP detection)
  • Set-up and management through the Web Interface or Simple Network Management Protocol
  • Limited Lifetime Warranty
  • IPv6 support

The ratified 802.11ac is the new wireless standard for client devices such as laptops, tablets and smart phones going forward. Future-proofing new networks or upgrading older wireless-G or N networks with Wireless-AC routers and access points provide businesses with the high performance wireless functionality that offices, large or small, require. Plus they come with business-class security features including Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2), 802.1X Supplicant Authentication, MAC-based ACL, Rouge AP Detection, SSID-to-VLAN Mapping, Wireless Scheduler, and more.

The Linksys Business Wireless-AC Access Points are planned to roll out in April through major distributors. SMBs and resellers can find a participating distributor at http://www.linksys.com/en-ca/business/find-a-distributor. MSRP is as follows:

The second piece of news is the announcement of new business class switches from Linksys. The new Smart Switch line-up is available in 8, 18 or 26 Gigabit Ethernet port configurations with or without Power over Ethernet+ to provide power to connected devices such as Wi-Fi access points or IP security cameras. The new Linksys Smart Switches include network management features that are not found in unmanaged switches, such as various QoS features and DHCP Snooping, to further enhance network performance and security. The new Linksys Smart Switches are energy efficient by powering down ports when connected devices are inactive and also detect the cable length of connected devices to adjust the power accordingly. Here’s a look at their lineup:

Linksys Smart (PoE+) Gigabit Switches

8-Port Smart Gigabit Switch (LGS308)    

8-Port Smart Gigabit (PoE+) Switch (LGS308P)

  • 8 PoE+ Gigabit ports (with 72W) (LGS308P only)
  • Desktop form factor with metal enclosure
  • Easy configuration and management
  • Energy efficient
  • Fanless
  • VLAN
    • Port-based and 802.1q tag-based VLANs
    • Management VLAN
    • Guest VLAN support
    • Dynamic VLAN assignment via Radius server with 802.1x client authentication
  • Advanced Security:
    • 802.1X with RADIUS
    • DHCP snooping
    • IP-MAC binding
    • Storm Control, Spanning Tree, Link Aggregation
  • QoS priority levels with 4 hardware queues
  • IPv6 support
  • Set-up and management through the Web Interface or Simple Network Management Protocol
  • Limited Lifetime Warranty

18-Port Smart Gigabit (PoE+) Switch (LGS318P)

26-Port Smart Gigabit (PoE+) Switch (LGS326P)

18-Port Smart Gigabit Switch (LGS318)

26-Port Smart Gigabit Switch (LGS326)

  • 18 Gigabit ports (16 with PoE+ and 125W power) LGS318P only
  • 26 Gigabit ports (24 with PoE+ and 192W power) LGS326P only
  • Rack mountable form factor with metal enclosure
  • Easy configuration and management
  • Energy efficient
  • Advanced Security:
    • 802.1X with RADIUS
    • DHCP snooping
    • IP-MAC binding
    • Storm Control, Spanning Tree, Link Aggregation
  • QoS priority levels with 4 hardware queues
  • IPv6 support
  • Set-up and management through the Web Interface or Simple Network Management Protocol
  • Limited Lifetime Warranty

 

The Linksys Smart (PoE+) Gigabit Switches are planned to roll out in March through major distributors. SMBs and resellers can find a participating distributor at http://www.linksys.com/en-ca/business/find-a-distributor. MSRP is as follows:

 

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AVG Announces AVG Zen

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 31, 2014 by itnerd

AVG today announced AVG Zen which is a new application for Windows PCs and Android smartphones and tablets that significantly simplifies the way in which users can control their protection, performance and privacy settings. With its ease of discovery and deployment across consumers’ connected devices, AVG Zen helps people make quick and informed decisions from one place, making it simple to keep their devices and data protected in a hyper-connected world. The core mission of AVG Zen is to give consumers a quick view of changes they could make to tackle these everyday issues, such as showing some of the steps a parent could take to maintain their child’s privacy settings on a tablet, simple ways to make sure the antivirus solution on a smartphone is always up to date, or suggestions on how to maximize the battery life on the family laptop.

AVG Zen is available for core products, including AVG Internet Security, AVG PC TuneUp, AVG PrivacyFix, AVG Antivirus for Android, AVG Cleaner for Android, AVG PrivacyFix for Android and AVG Zen Admin for Android apps from Google Play. The AVG Zen application displays a circle that changes color and level of completeness according to the level of security for each of the focus areas of protection, performance, privacy and support. Users simply log on to their AVG account to start the application and click through to view the status of their own devices. They can also send email invites to add other devices to their AVG Zen network. AVG Zen users can also look forward to additional functionality later this year that, among other things, will enable them to update devices remotely with the appropriate AVG protection, performance and privacy services.

Download AVG Zen for free online from either www.avg.com/zen or the Google Play app store https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.avg.zen today.

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BREAKING: Telus CEO To Step Down

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 31, 2014 by itnerd

This Tweet has just appeared in my timeline from Telus:

It doesn’t sound like a lot until you dig in to the link in the Tweet. The big news is that Darren Entwistle is stepping d‎own as the chief executive officer of Telus in May. He will be replaced by Joe Natale. Here’s his bio:

Mr. Natale joined TELUS in 2003 as an executive vice president and has progressed through increasingly expansive roles, including President of TELUS Business Solutions and President of TELUS Consumer Solutions. Since 2010, Mr. Natale has served as TELUS’ Chief Commercial Officer, leading a team of over 25,000 responsible for providing consumers with innovative wireless voice and data services and home phone, internet and television, as well as businesses with leading-edge communications, data network and IT solutions. Mr. Natale will join TELUS’ Board of Directors, reporting to the Executive Chair, Mr. Entwistle, and will continue to be based in Toronto. Mr. Natale also serves on the Board of Directors of Celestica Inc., Soulpepper Theatre and United Way Toronto.

Now Entwistle, who has been CEO since 2000, isn’t leaving the company. He will become the company’s executive chair in May. That implies that there will be a smooth transition. It will be interesting to see how the stock market and the broader public sees this transition.

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Review: Asus VivoTab Note 8

Posted in Products with tags on March 31, 2014 by itnerd

Asus wants a piece of the tablet action that seems to be owned by Apple and Samsung at the moment. Their weapon of choice? The VivoTab Note 8.

IMG_0858

First of all, let me hit the specs:

  • Pressure-sensitive Wacom stylus
  • Quad-core Intel Atom processor
  • 1280 x 800-pixel IPS display
  • 2GB of system memory
  • ASUS SonicMaster Audio
  • 32GB of internal storage
  • WiFi
  • Bluetooth
  • A microSD slot that supports up to 64GB capacity cards
  • A 5-MP rear camera and front HD webcam
  • Windows 8.1
  • Microsoft Office

Two things that you’ll note right away are that it has a stylus that’s made by Wacom. That’s important because Wacom are the best at making styluses and related accessories for artists and anyone who needs to use a pen on a computer in a serious way. In this implementation, the stylus supports up to 1,000 levels of pressure making it function and feel more like a real pen. That way you can use it for taking notes, or for drawing pictures if you have that talent. In short, it feels like a real pen. Combine this with apps such as Evernote or OneNote and Windows 8.1′s handwriting-recognition keyboard, you have a note-taking tablet with plenty of potential. The second thing that you’ll notice is that it comes with a full version of Windows 8.1 (which means that you can run any application you want on it) and a proper home button on the left side. The combination makes this tablet a lot easier to use. The inclusion of Microsoft Office means that you can use this tablet right out of the box for home or business purposes. It also comes with Netflix and Kindle apps pre-installed.

Given that the tablet is 8″ in size, that makes it easy to hold. Speaking of holding it the rubberized back makes it easy to grip and it will keep scratches to a minimum. The only negative is an exposed SD card slot. It has no protective cover or tab which means that if you put it into your bag, there is a slight risk that you might break something. Plus dust and crud can get into it. I found the IPS display to be very bright and sharp. I was able to use it comfortably in any lighting conditions. It also has clear and crisp colors as well. This competes well with the top tablets out there. So does the sound quality which is right off the top shelf. If you want great audio in a tablet, the VivoTab Note 8 is the tablet for you.

One thing I really like is that it comes with a standard micro-USB cable to charge the battery. This means that this tablet will charge off a standard cell phone charger. That cuts down on the cables that you need to carry. Related to charging the VivoTab Note 8 is the battery life. Despite running a full version of Windows 8.1, when the device went to sleep it only drained 6% overnight. That means you could go a few days between charges as I did with only moderate usage of the tablet. Nice! When it comes to performance, the VivoTab Note 8 felt snappy regardless of what I was doing.

My verdict? The VivoTab Note 8 is a viable player in the tablet market that should get the attention of Samsung and Apple. Granted, it will largely appeal to Windows fans. But it’s easily the best Windows tablet out there and is good enough that it should earn looks from people who are looking at of the the two tablet leaders. You should drop by your local Microsoft Store and have a look at it. I think you might take one home.

 

 

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Dropbox Scans Your Files For DMCA Violations…. Should You Care?

Posted in Commentary with tags , on March 31, 2014 by itnerd

Is this creepy? Or does Dropbox have the right to scan your files for violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)? That’s the question being asked right now as a user of Dropbox got a bit of a surprise as he told ARS Technica:

The whole kerfuffle started yesterday evening, when one Darrell Whitelaw tweeted a picture of an error he received when trying to share a link to a Dropbox file with a friend via IM. The Dropbox web page warned him and his friend that “certain files in this folder can’t be shared due to a takedown request in accordance with the DMCA.”

Whitelaw freely admits that the content he was sharing was a copyrighted video but still expressed surprise that Dropbox was apparently watching what he shared for copyright issues. “I treat [Dropbox] like my hard drive,” he tweeted. “This shows it’s not private, nor mine, even though I pay for it.”

Here’s what Dropbox had to say:

Dropbox did confirm to Ars Technica that it checks publicly shared file links against hashes of other files that have been previously subject to successful DMCA requests. “We sometimes receive DMCA notices to remove links on copyright grounds,” the company said in a statement provide to Ars Technica. “When we receive these, we process them according to the law and disable the identified link. We have an automated system that then prevents other users from sharing the identical material using another Dropbox link. This is done by comparing file hashes.”

Dropbox added that this comparison happens when a public link to your file is created, and that “we don’t look at the files in your private folders and are committed to keeping your stuff safe.” The company wouldn’t comment publicly on whether the same content-matching algorithm was run on files shared directly with other Dropbox users via the service’s account-to-account sharing functions, but the wording of the statement suggests that this system only applies to publicly shared links.

And this is not a new behavior from Dropbox:

Dropbox has also been making use of file hashing algorithms for a while now as a means of de-duplicating identical files stored across different users’ accounts. That means that if I try to upload an identical copy of a 20GB movie file that has already been stored in someone else’s Dropbox account, the service will simply give my account access to a version of that same file, rather than forcing me to upload an identical version. This not only saves bandwidth on the user’s end, but significant storage space on Dropbox’s end as well.

Some researchers have warned of security and privacy concerns based on these de-duplication efforts in the past, but the open source Dropship project attempted to bend the feature to users’ advantage. By making use of the file hashing system, Dropship effectively tried to trick Dropbox into granting access to files on Dropbox’s servers that the user didn’t actually have access to. Dropbox has taken pains to stop this kind of “fake” file sharing through its service.

What’s my take? I have a Dropbox account and I have no, as in zero expectation of privacy. If I entrust my data to a third party, I fully expect that at some point they’ll take a look at it. In short, I feel that a third party service like Dropbox should not be treated like your hard drive and they do have the right to make sure that the service isn’t being used for illegal purposes. But I can see how some might see this as being creepy. Thus I think there needs to be more education of users so that these sorts of issues do not flare up and spin out of control because the service in question is trying to do something to protect itself from a potential lawsuit or something similar.

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HTC Cheats On Benchmarks…. But It’s A Feature….Huh?

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 31, 2014 by itnerd

HTC just released it’s latest phone the HTC One (M8), and it didn’t take long for people to figure out that HTC was cheating on benchmarks in a similar way that Samsung was caught doing. Here’s the details from GSM Arena:

The reason for the eyebrow raising is AnTuTu X – an alternative version to AnTuTu 4 specially designed to prevent devices from cheating. When ePrice, which originally reported the beastly benchmark results of the One (M8), decided to run AnTuTu X on the phone, the results where quite different.

In fact, they’ve run the Samsung Galaxy S5, LG G Pro 2 and Sony Xperia Z2 alongside the HTC One (M8) on both AnTuTu 4 and AnTuTu X to see the differences. Save for the HTC One (M8) all of them scored similar results in the two benchmark apps, but the One (M8) showed an alarming difference of over 10,000 points.

In other words, all these phones should have been close because the hardware is similar. But the HTC was miles ahead. Hmmm…. What really got my attention is what HTC told News.com about this:

 I asked HTC how the One M8 handles benchmark apps like AnTuTu, and received this response:

“Thanks for your email about the HTC One (M8). Benchmarking tests look to determine maximum performance of the CPU and GPU and, similar to the engine in a high-performance sports car, our engineers optimize in certain scenarios to produce the best possible performance. If someone would like to get around this benchmarking optimization there are ways to do so, but we think most often this will not be the case.”

So, not only is HTC admitting that the One M8 does kick itself into high-performance mode when it detects a benchmarking app, the company representative who responded to me went on to make it clear that HTC doesn’t see this as any kind of “cheating,” but as a potential feature:

“For those with a need for speed, we’ve provided a simple way to unleash this power by introducing a new High Performance Mode in the developer settings that can be enabled and disabled manually. The HTC One (M8) is optimized to provide the best balance of performance and battery life, but we believe in offering customer choice, as there may be times when the desire for performance outweighs the need for battery longevity.”

The HTC rep said that this mode is not yet available on US devices right now but will come to them shortly via software update.

I find this answer to be problematic. The average user will not be using this “developer setting” in their day to day usage of this phone. Thus this “feature” is of no value to them. But it clearly is a value to HTC. Now I’m not shocked by this. I’ve been around long enough to know that companies have been cheating on benchmarks for as long as benchmarks have been around. But to say it’s a feature is a new one. We’ll see if they continue to stand by this explanation as this story starts to circulate around the Internet.

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Judge Halts Sales Of Typo Keyboard

Posted in Commentary with tags , on March 28, 2014 by itnerd

BlackBerry is having a good day. First they post numbers that weren’t as bad as everyone feared. Now they got a court to halt the sales of the Ryan Seacrest backed Typo keyboard that ticked them off so much. Here’s the details:

U.S. District Judge William Orrick in San Francisco said in a ruling today that BlackBerry is likely to prevail on its infringement claims and that Typo hasn’t made a strong challenge to the validity of the smartphone maker’s patents. Orrick also dismissed Typo’s concern that a temporary sales ban may put the company out of business.

So if the fat lady isn’t singing for Typo, she’s warming up as it looks like it’s game, set, and match for BlackBerry. One suspects that BlackBerry lawyers and execs will be knocking back a drink or two in celebration. As for Ryan Seacrest, he should likely go back to his day job.

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Microsoft Backtracks On Searching Your E-mail

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 28, 2014 by itnerd

You might recall that Microsoft started a bit of a storm by hunting through Hotmail e-mail to find the source of leak. The software giant then reserved the right to do so in the future. Now they’ve backtracked on that via a blog posting from Brad Smith who is General Counsel & Executive Vice President, Legal & Corporate Affairs for Microsoft:

Effective immediately, if we receive information indicating that someone is using our services to traffic in stolen intellectual or physical property from Microsoft, we will not inspect a customer’s private content ourselves. Instead, we will refer the matter to law enforcement if further action is required.

In addition to changing company policy, in the coming months we will incorporate this change in our customer terms of service, so that it’s clear to consumers and binding on Microsoft.

Either Microsoft wants to retain the trust of its users, thus they made this change. Or they just want the blowback to stop. Either way this should have been done a long time ago.

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Public Mobile Customers Told To Buy New Phones

Posted in Commentary with tags , on March 28, 2014 by itnerd

The Huffington Post is something that I don’t usually read. But one of my clients directed me to this story last night that got my attention. He sent me this story because he’s mad that Telus who are the new owners of Public Mobile are making him do this:

Public Mobile customers are being switched over to Telus’ 4G network, and their existing phones—meant to work on Public Mobile’s outdated CDMA system—won’t work on the Telus network.

On the upside, customers “will immediately benefit from national coverage, faster wireless data speeds, and better phones,” a Public Mobile spokesperson told HuffPost Canada in an email.

The company also said existing customers will get “special pricing” on new phones, but as some online commenters have noticed, some of those special prices on offer at Public Mobile are more expensive than the same models on offer at parent company Telus.

Okay. I can see why some Public Mobile customers (such as my client) might be ticked off.  And Industry Minister James Moore is also questioning this move. Here’s a quote from The Globe And Mail:

Industry Minister James Moore questioned the wisdom of Telus’s move.

“Seems like an odd business decision to alienate thousands of Public Mobile users as you absorb Public Mobile itself,” Mr. Moore told The Globe and Mail, while on a trade mission in Germany. “Ultimately it’s a business decision I’ll leave for Telus to explain.”

Not to mention this:

Some Public Mobile customers are lodging grievances with Canada’s Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services, an Ottawa-based ombuds office that resolves complaints about telecom companies. Due to privacy rules, however, Commissioner Howard Maker cannot discuss specific complaints or providers.

Now I will be the first to admit that this sort of news isn’t something that generates the warm fuzzies. And that those on low and fixed incomes will be hurt to some degree by this. But what exactly is Telus supposed to do here? Are they really supposed to support a technology (CDMA to be precise) that Telus themselves have abandoned? Also, Public Mobile was in trouble and bleeding cash. Had Telus not bought them and they went under, these customers would still be having to buy a new phone on a different carrier.

I should also note that Telus is trying to take the sting out of this by doing the following:

  • Giving Public Mobile customers one month of free service
  • Giving Public Mobile customers “significant discounts” on new cellphones
  • Public Mobile customers can also BYOD, assuming that the phone they bring works with the Telus network

And you can bet that competitors will also be trying to scoop up disgruntled Public Mobile customers. Thus Public Mobile customers will likely have options.

What do you think? Are Public Mobile Customers getting the shaft or is this issue being blown out of proportion? Post a comment and share your thoughts.

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BREAKING: BlackBerry Numbers Show Revenue Plunge

Posted in Commentary with tags on March 28, 2014 by itnerd

The 4Q numbers for BlackBerry just hit the wires. You can read the full release here. but I’ll hit the key highlights for you:

  • Blackberry 4Q GAAP loss was $423-million (U.S.) or 80 cents per share. On an adjusted basis, the loss was $42-million or 8 cents a share. This is compared to a loss of 67 cents the previous quarter. Analysts were expecting a loss of 55 to 57 cents a share.
  • BlackBerry 4Q revenue was $976 million. The street was expecting $1.11 billion. This is down from $2.7-billion a year ago.
  • BlackBerry 4Q Gross Margin was 56.7%.
  • BlackBerry 4Q has $2.7 billion in the bank. In line with analysts estimates. However, that’s down from US$3.2-billion at the end of 3Q.
  • BlackBerry says about 2.3 million BlackBerry 7 Devices Sold Through To End Customers in 4Q.
  • BlackBerry Targeting Break-Even Cash Flow Results By End Of Fiscal 2015.

The stock is currently halted, but is expected to resume trading at 7:30 AM EST. There’s also an earnings call at 8 AM EST. That should be interesting as these number show some improvements, but signs that there’s still weakness in BlackBerry.

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