Cloud: Dropbox Adds Security Features After Accounts Hacked

Source:  MacdailyNews, Techcrunch.

One of the things I find interesting about cloud security and companies that ask us to entrust them with our data is that they only act after something bad has happened.  As in this case with Dropbox where a number of accounts were hijacked.  And only after they were hijacked did they institute some additional security features.

My question is where were these security features before the hacking and why only after?  Why not before?  My Google accounts has double authentications and while it's a pain, I feel better about having it.  

I think it doesn't matter if you're an Apple, Google, Microsoft, or RIM fan.  Or if you're another cloud customer.  Wouldn't it be better to have more security than not?

In the case of dropbox, it appears that one of their employee account was hacked and then that's where the problem started.

So, this is what Dropbox will be doing:

• Two-factor authentication, a way to optionally require two proofs of identity (such as your password and a temporary code sent to your phone) when signing in. (Coming in a few weeks)
• New automated mechanisms to help identify suspicious activity. We’ll continue to add more of these over time.
• A new page that lets you examine all active logins to your account.
• In some cases, we may require you to change your password. (For example, if it’s commonly used or hasn’t been changed in a long time)

More info on their website.  

Let's hope more companies follow Google's example.  I'm an iCloud user, Amazon, and of a dozen or more other online/cloud user.  I sure would like additional security for my accounts.  What happened to Dropbox is only the beginning.  Frankly, I'm not surprised this has not happened even more.  

Last year, we had companies with breaches with a number of credit cards.  Millions.  Be it a stolen laptop, employee password stolen from a third party site, or a server that was not properly protected, hackers will find a way in.  

So, hopefully, others will follow Dropbox's example and not have to put its users needlessly through pain.  

Cord-Cutting: Hulu Plus Makes Pointless Appearance On Apple TV

Source:  Macworld.

Yeah (unenthusiastic).  This morning, reports are popping up all over the pace that Hulu Plus is finally on Apple TV.  Hey, that’s great.  Except the only way to access it is if you pay for shows you can watch for free on the Hulu website.

And then even if you decide to fork over $8 a month (that’s about three venti coffee at Starbucks there right), there’s no promise that the show you wanna watch will be available on Apple TV due to licensing terms.  Some shows are "web only".

I would not even call the addition of Hulu Plus under such conditions a step forward in cord-cutting.  Let’s see what happens this fall when Apple unveils its Christmas products and hope there will be some changes or additional options to accessing videos in iTunes like renting TV series that you can already do with movies.

For now, I’ll stick with my Macbook connecting via HDMI to the HDTV.  More about this uneventful event at Hulu blog.

Speculation: If the iPad mini and the iPod touch Both Cost $200, Which Will You Get?

iPod touch Versus iPad mini – If Both Comes In At $200, What Will You Get?

I love speculating and I hope you like it too because this particular one rocks.  If Apple refreshes the iPod touch like we expect, since they didn’t do it last year, and keep it at $199, and they also released the unicornesque iPad mini and price it at $199 to compete with the Fire and Nexus 7, as an Apple fan, what will you buy?

On face value, one might simply consider the iPad mini with its 7 or 8” screen to be a better value.  On face value, I’d have to agree with you.  But I’m not sure it’ll be so simple and Apple will make the choice a difficult to make.

iPod touch.  To call the iPod touch a phoneless iPhone is really disrespecting what the iPhone represents as a mobile platform that upended the mobile market and really put a lot of innovative juice into a number of markets that had grown stagnant.  The touch was released in the same year as the original iPhone in 2007 but much later.

I went out and instantly bought one and gave my iPhone to my mom.  I thought the iPhone would be a decent replacement for the iPhone.  It wasn't.  And when the current touch gained the cameras in the 4th gen touch, I was happy but disappointed that the rear camer was pretty lame.

However, as a mobile device perfect for gaming and entertainment, it was a perfect device and there has been zero competition.  And folks justified the rear-camera only being having 1MP because the kids who will be buying it don't need anything more sophisticated than that.  Bull.  Apple had its reasons and I'll leave it at that.

I'm hoping the next touch will gain at least the A5 chip that powered the iPhone 4S but with a smaller package so the CPU would be more efficient and fast with generating too much heat and requiring a lot of power.  That's likely to happen.

The screen should mirror anything the next iPhone should have.  When the iPhone 4 shipped with Retina Display, so did the touch.  There's talk that the iPhone screen will be bigger.  If that is the case, the touch will gain the same aspect screen as well.

The next main feature is the rear camera.  It's very possible that Apple could upgrade the camera this time around.  Frankly, I'm surprised last year's touch did not get an upgrade.  It made very little sense.  Even a slight improvement to 3MP or all the way up to 5MP would make sense since the iPhone 4S got an 8MP upgrade.  I'm going to believe the 2012 touch will definitely come a camera upgrade.  After two years of no change, it would be nice to see a 5MP camera.  Whatever the upgrade will be, we should see the see 1080p video recording come to the touch this year.

Also, the white touch last year, was a nice touch.  Could we see a new color?  Don't put it past Apple to introduce a new color or two.

iPad mini. Keep in mind that there is no iPad mini or iPod 7 or 8.  Steve Jobs was not in favor of this.  But then again, Steve Jobs and Apple has a history of saying one thing and doing another.  So, let's assume there is a smaller iPad coming.  What can we expect Apple to release?

The screen is likely going to sport a 1024x768 resolution, the same as the original iPad and the iPad 2.  We're not likely going to see a Retina display resolution of 2048x1536 found in the new iPad.  It'll be expensive.

We'll probably see the same A5 chip found in the iPhone 4S and the iPad 2.

The mini will be light and thin.

We'll have a Facetime camera.  For the rear-camera, it'll be hard to know for sure.  Just like Apple will keep the resolution at 1024x768, which is not that bad at all, Apple could try to keep the cost down so don't expect a great camera.  It would be nice to have a 5MP camera.  My mom recently took her new iPad to Japan and it was her "camcorder".

I reckon it looked awkward shooting pics with a 10" tablet but it should look less conspicuous with a smaller form tablet.

I guess the picture I'm painting you is the mini will be a smaller iPad 2.  And it could be enough for Apple to keep the cost low enough to compete with the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire priced at $200 each.  Neither the Nexus or the Fire have rear cameras.  The Fire has no camera at all (when I searched to confirm about the Fire lacking camera, there were many users who asked how to operate the camera.  I feel bad for them.  And I wonder how many Nexus users will realize there is no rear camera).

Cost.  By now, Apple knows just how much they will charge for the 2012 touch and the iPad mini.  I think they're gonna try to keep it around the $200 price point to keep the competition at bay.  This is why I don't think we should expect too much in terms of hardware specs.

There has been a lot of debate about this and whether Apple will go for margin or will not "leave a price umbrella for competitors".  I'm gonna go with the latter.

And with two key products, the touch and mini both at $200, it'll be hard for some folks to decide.  With the touch, we get a newer screen along with a potentially better camera.  And you can put the touch inside your pockets.

On the other hand, the iPad is already very portable and, with the mini, you have an even more portable device.  The Galaxy Tab 7 weighs in at 345 grams or 12.2 oz, the 7.7 version weighs 340 grams or 12 oz.  Those are two sizes that the mini will closely resembles.  Compared to the iPad, the mini could weigh about 50% less.

The mini will be vastly more portable but not by no means will it fit inside anyone's pockets.  If you're lying down and you doze off, the mini will still hurt your face when you drop it on yourself.

Outside of portability, there is also productivity.  When it comes to productivity, I would have said the mini would be more productive before iOS 6. With both devices sporting iOS 6, Siri and dictation could have a huge difference in equalizing how productive an user can be on either devices.

It's something that you have to get used to. However, once you start using dictation on a regular basis, you don't really want to go back to anything else.  In fact, much of this post was done via dictation.  It has saved me a lot of time, allow me to think, and visualize ahead of time what I want to convey.

Over all, the mini with its larger screen would be ideal.

So what portability, the touch has an advantage. However when it comes to productivity, the mini has the edge.

And the touch will have a Retina Display while the mini will have a pretty good screen but it won't be Retina at all.

So, what will it be for you?  I'm leaning towards the mini at the moment.  Who knows?  Maybe Apple will blow us away with a new innovative iPod touch.  Anyway, this is all just fun speculation now.  We'll know this fall exactly what Apple mean to grace us with.

Apple, Google Makes Cord-Cutting Easier - More Needs To Be Done

I’ve cut the cord a long time ago.  The only paid service I’ve got is Netflix streaming )and at times, I don’t even know why I have it given the limited content).  Netflix, Hulu, and an assortment of other online video content that is available, maybe you should take a long hard look at your entertainment needs and consider cutting your cord if you haven’t already.

Consider this: Google’s Nexus Q has sold out even at the high price of $300.  And the Q is really nothing more than a very expensive device for Android users to stream videos and images onto your HDTV from an Android devices.  Again, at $300 per unit, which is more than Apple’s hobby, Xbox 360, and PS3, the Nexus Q managed to sell out.

And speaking of Apple’s hobby, the Apple TV, does a bit more and while it costs only $100, it does have a new function when Apple released the latest OS X.  Rather, newer Macs gained a new function:  Airplay ability – allows users to mirror whatever it is on the screen of their Macbook through the Apple TV and onto the HDTV.

Folks, right about now, content owners should be quivering and panicking right about now.  Instead of being respected by the Hulu app, Mac owners can how use the Web-based Hulu site to stream content.  The same goes for shows on ABC, NBC, FOX, and anyone else that had previously respected viewing access on mobile.

Obviously, users with devices that support HDMI has been doing this for a while now but the ability to do this without making sure your device is sitting next to your TV does take this to another level.

The question comes back to cutting your cable or SAT TV cord.  There are still definitely more desktop-based contents than for mobile.  But content owners will have to realize that the living dynamics has changed.

Soon, everyone will be streaming content.  Artificial restrictions like this placed on Hulu will go away.  Makes zero sense that content you can watch freely on the Hulu site is not available on the Hulu app.  And to top it off, not all paid content are available for the mobile apps.  

Soon these barriers will have to come down.  And the sooner more of us cut off the $100 a month bill to the cable guys, the faster these walls will crumble and force newer consumer friendly business models.

And as competition between Apple, Google, and Microsoft heat up in the living room, I think whatever innovations and new features that will be coming out will also hasten this cord-cutting phenomenon.

iPhone 4/4S: Buy Now or Hold?

It’s practically August now.  Well, we’re about 48 hours from August 1st and for mobile watchers trying to decide when Apple will release new iOS devices this fall, it is going to be a feeding frenzy of rumors in the next four to six weeks.  Obviously, the choice is clear for those who are considering switching, buying, or upgrading to a new iPhone:  don’t buy anything for the next couple of months until Apple finally releases the 2012 iPhone, iPhone 5, or whatever they want to call it.

That’s for people in the United States and maybe Canada.  The decision could be a little obviously for European customers and definitely harder for Asian mobile warriors because of the way Apple staggers their iPhone launches.

It comes down to a couple of factors.  For instance, I needed a new iPhone last summer, 10 weeks before the new iPhone 4S came out and I went ahead and got the iPhone 4.

No regrets.  Because I needed it.  I did get the 4S three weeks after it was released, used it for a while and gave that to my mom.  Right now, the iPhone 4 is one of my main mobile devices.

Today, there’s specific talk about when Apple will be unveiling and releasing the next iPhone and juicy details about other products.  So, it’s that time of the year and while we’re still in July, it is already beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Bottom line:  if you can wait, please do so.  If you need something now, buy it, enjoy it, and don’t look back.  Even at 9 months and 21 months old, the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 are two of the best mobile devices on the market respectively.

Note:  I love reading rumors but won't traffic in them so you'll have to look through the pipes that is the Internet and find them for yourself.  Today's rumors are quite specific so you won't have any trouble.  My recommendation above is based on what I know at this particular time and based on Apple's history.

Social: Apple Needs To Add Google+ To iOS and OS X

I know I am going to get some pushback for this but I think Apple should include Google+ as part of its wider integration with social media and networks. The other day, I talked about the values of "networklets" like Foursquare and Yelp that offer values to users beyond anything that Facebook and even Twitter can hope to achieve at this time (even Twitter has had better success than Facebook).

Well, despite Google claiming Google+ having a couple of hundred million users, not many uses it on a consistent basis as Facebook, Twitter, and networklets. However, Google+ works more like a networklets because it is composed of a variety of subgroups of audience and users that geared towards specific interests. Writers, sports fans, tech pundits who following one another, etc.  Artists often share their latest work. This is why I even use Google+ on a regular basis.

And this reason alone is why Apple needs to include Google+. These subgroups have strong passions for their causes or work. And this fits right into what Apple's users are like. Talented, motivated mobile users that has a lot to share.

I know that what I am suggesting is highly unlikely to come to fruition. There is just too much animosity between Apple and Google at this point over mobile patents. A deal of this kind ole old benefit both companies immensely.

Apple gets another network and a new set of data about its users. A strong Google+ contingent in Apple's work gives a strong counterweight to Facebook.

For Google, well, Google+ will get millions of new users, talented, motivated, and a willingness to open up their pocketbooks.

Could this happen?  Yes.  Not for a while.  For Apple, Google is the main threat than Facebook, Microsoft, or anyone else poses right now. Until the patent war is over and the result is one that Apple can live with, we won't see this happen. Even now, Apple is purging one Google app or service after another from iOS.

We already know what Twitter interface in Android, iOS, and OS X looks like and how it works. It's likely Facebook integration will work in a similar manner.  Should Google+ be added, just imagine being able to update all three or more social networks with just one clip.  Right now, you have to go through different apps and that just is a pain.

Apple Needs To Add Google+ To iOS and OS X

I know I am going to get some pushback for this but I think Apple should include Google+ as part of its wider integration with social media and networks. The other day, I talked about the values of "networklets" like Foursquare and Yelp that offer values to users beyond anything that Facebook and even Twitter can hope to achieve at this time (even Twitter has had better success than Facebook).

Well, despite Google claiming Google+ having a couple of hundred million users, not many uses it on a consistent basis as Facebook, Twitter, and networklets. However, Google+ works more like a networklets because it is composed of a variety of subgroups of audience and users that geared towards specific interests. Writers, sports fans, tech pundits who following one another, etc. Artists often share their latest work. This is why I even use Google+ on a regular basis.

And this reason alone is why Apple needs to include Google+. These subgroups have strong passions for their causes or work. And this fits right into what Apple's users are like. Talented, motivated mobile users that has a lot to share.

I know that what I am suggesting is highly unlikely to come to fruition. There is just too much animosity between Apple and Google at this point over mobile patents. A deal of this kind ole old benefit both companies immensely.

Apple gets another network and a new set of data about its users. A strong Google+ contingent in Apple's work gives a strong counterweight to Facebook.

For Google, well, Google+ will get millions of new users, talented, motivated, and a willingness to open up their pocketbooks.

Could this happen? Yes. Not for a while. For Apple, Google is the main threat than Facebook, Microsoft, or anyone else poses right now. Until the patent war is over and the result is one that Apple can live with, we won't see this happen. Even now, Apple is purging one Google app or service after another from iOS.