Contractors Use More Smart Phones than Laptop Computers

Which types of mobile communications/computing devices do you, or employees of the company you work for, use for business?

This is what was said:


•59%    Cell phones (voice, text, email)
•54%    Smart phones (voice, text, email, internet, etc.)            
•49%    Laptop/notebook computers
•31%    Two-way radio
•26%    GPS/navigation/dispatching systems
•15%    Wireless cards
•8%      Slates (iPad, Galaxy, etc.)
•0%      Pagers

Comparing Intel Core i5 vs i7

For many consumers shopping around for a new desktop or laptop PC, one of the biggest considerations is the type of processor, and the two most often in contention are the Intel Core i5 and Core i7. Discounting Core i3 (mainly found in budget systems) and AMD processors (another article entirely), the difference between Intel Core i5 and Core i7 can seem daunting, especially when the prices seem so close together once they're in completed systems. We break down the differences for you.
Price and Marketing
Simply put, Core i5-equipped systems will be less expensive than Core i7-equipped systems. Intel has moved away from the star ratings it used with previous-generation Core processors in favor of a capability-driven marketing message. Essentially, the Core i7 processors have more capabilities than Core i3 and Core i5 CPUs. Core i7 will be better for multi-tasking, multimedia tasks, high end gaming, and scientific work. Core i7 processors are certainly aimed at people who complain that their current system is "too slow." Spot-checking a system like the midrange Dell XPS 8500 desktop, you'll find the Core i5 about $150 less expensive than a similarly equipped Core i7 system.
Core Confusion
For the most part, you'll get faster CPU performance from Core i7 parts than Core i5. The majority of desktop Core i7 CPUs are quad-core processors, while many mobile Core i5 processors are dual-core. This is not always the case, as there are mobile dual-core Core i7 processors, and likewise several desktop quad-core Core i5 processors. Then of course you'll see the rare six-core Core i7, which are usually found with the desktop-only Extreme Edition top-of-the-line models.
The Core nomenclature has been used for several generations of CPUs. Nehalem and Westmere use three-digit model names (i.e. Core i7-920), while Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge CPUs use four-digit model names (Core i7-2600). Thankfully, unless you're shopping the used PC market, you'll find Sandy Bridge processors in closeout systems and budget PCs while you'll find Ivy Bridge processors in most new PCs. The essential takeaway is that to get better performance in each generation, buy a processor with a higher model number (e.g., a Core i7-3770 generally has better performance than a Core i5-3450).

The top 10 apps being blacklisted in the enterprise

Takeaway: Whether they’re regarded as productivity killers or security risks, many apps have made it onto company blacklists.

Thanks to the invasion of personal apps, services, and hardware in enterprise, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that smart IT pros out to protect data are conducting a wholesale blacklisting of the apps they find most threatening to data security.

Zenprise, a mobile device management company that specializes in BYOD, recently released its Zenprise MDM Cloud Report. The report includes the top 10 apps that enterprises are blacklisting (or attempting to blacklist) in the United States and globally. The list is theirs. The snide commentary, mine. So here they are. The 10 most blacklisted apps this month, in descending order.

1: Angry Birds
Would someone please muster up the courage to tell the CEO to stop with the slingshot already?

2: Facebook
Imagine an update like, “I am sitting here listening to our blowhard manager give a talk that could fell a tree.”

3: Google Play
Buying apps on company time? And potentially with company money? Hard stop.

4: Dropbox
Worst case: Employee walks off with your company data and Dropbox is installed on four of her computers. Nuff said.

5: Skype
Now this is what you want. Folks texting and calling relatives all over the world. It puts a whole new spin on the idea of personal calls at work, doesn’t it?

6: YouTube
Imagine a Google+ Live Hangout saved and shared on YouTube. It’s a recording of your confidential board meeting. Yikes!

7: The App Store
Just … too easy to get a game even more addictive than Angry Birds. If such a thing exists, it is in the App Store.

8: Evernote
Social, shareable note-taking screams take our secure company information and share it with the world the next time you get angry at your boss. Or quit.

9: Cydia
An Apple iOS app that lets your users browse and download applications for a jailbroken Apple iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Lovely.

10: Twitter
Sure, users, tweet all day. Gain more followers. Lose work time.

Can You Use A Smartphone To Promote Safe Driving?

Can you promote safe driving habits - or curb unsafe habits - with the use of a mobile app? The new App4Drivers sets out to do just that.

Designed by Dangerous Decisions LLC, this new mobile app for Android and iPhones tracks and documents texting, excessive turns, excessive speeds, quick accelerations and sudden braking. Check out how App4Drivers works on YouTube.

Users have the ability to program speed or acceleration set points not to be exceeded. A combination of internal GPS locator systems, an accelerometer and the speed of its 3G network allows for instant real-time analysis of motion, which is then documented.

Text, email and E-Alert notifications will then notify the users, vehicle owner or fleet manager of driving behavior and infractions.

While I've never used this app, I think it's important to consider possible downsides or challenges to using this app. In order for the behavior to be tracked, documented and notifications to be sent, the app must be active at the time the driving is being done. How can you ensure employees will activate and leave the app on while driving? There's a whole lot of trust involved here.

Also, it's possible the driver could get distracted by the app and its graphics while driving. In order to record the driving log, the driver must start and stop the log on the app. What guarantee is there the driver might start and/or stop it while driving - in which case they would be looking at the phone and not the road.


This is not to say employees and drivers should not be trusted with the responsibility this app requires. If you're looking for a new way to monitor and discourage unsafe driving habits and you feel you're employees might respond well to a new approach like a smartphone app, maybe this one's worth a try.

Have you used the App4Drivers in your business? If so, how has it worked for your drivers? If not, what are your thoughts on using a smartphone to monitor driving? Share your thoughts with FCP.

Could Computing World Forum 12th - 13th July 2012 /Earls court - London

Unique Networking Opportunities

 Creating new connections, developing business leads and meeting the right people is a vital part of the conference experience.

That’s why, at the Cloud Computing World Forum 2012, we’re making your networking our number one focus, giving you maximum opportunity to meet people relevant to your business, and putting you in touch with fellow IT decision-makers and potential clients.
Featuring on the unique networking program will be:
Online networking tool
A web-based forum launched 4 weeks before the show, allowing attendees to communicate and arrange meetings with one another
Meet and Greet
A pre-show drinks gathering held on the evening before the show, the 11th June 2012. A chance to meet fellow attendees and collect your conference pass in advance to skip the queues the next day.
Breakfast Club
Discuss cloud computing over coffee and croissants with our conference breakfast club. Held between 8 and 9am on both mornings of the show, you’ll get to meet with fellow delegates in our networking lounge and ask questions you have for the show alongside peers.
Passport to Prizes
With a selection of prizes on offer at various sponsor booths on the exhibition floor, your Passport to Prizes will provide the chance to get acquainted with top show sponsors, while giving yourself the opportunity to win a number of great tech gifts in the process.
Twitter Wall
Tweet meeting requests, make product queries and start discussions via the Cloud Computing World Forum Twitter wall. Watch the conversations unfold on our big screen – just remember to #ccwf
Working Lunch
We understand the increasingly diverse nature of the topics that cloud computing encompasses, so at this year’s forum our Working Lunch will be divided into table topics, allowing Gold and Diamond Pass holders to book onto a specific table and meet fellow delegates with a focused interest similar to your own.
Happy Hour
Complimentary drinks for an hour via a special announcement at the show, and a great chance to meet fellow delegates and sponsors to network.
Hall Reception and Drinks
Held between 4.30pm and 6pm, we'll be holding a sponsored drinks reception in our Networking Lounge on the first day of the show.
Awards Party
To commemorate the 3rd Cloud Computing World Series Awards, we’ll be holding a free-to-attend ceremony on the first evening of the show, where we’ll be announcing the winners of the prestigious awards and giving you an opportunity to enjoy drinks with fellow attendees.
Further details of all our networking opportunities will be mailed to attendees in the build-up to the show.

New DeWalt Mobile Pro Calculation App for Construction Professionals

Delmar, part of Cengage Learning and a leading provider of learning solutions for ongoing career development and education, and DEWALT today announced the launch of DEWALT Movile Pro, a new mobile application (app) for construction professionals. DEWALT Mobile Pro - for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad - is an innovative and powerful mobile solution developed specifically for the construction industry, with a wealth of free features and numerous ways to customize the app based on each user's trade focus. The app has been designed with custom interfaces to suit the various screen sizes of each device.

The DEWALT Mobile Pro app is available as a free download and provides an array of powerful and convenient features for everyday use on the job. It contains a construction calculator for solving complex jobsite math in the field, and five basic calculations with integrated reference materials to offer help, examples and illustrations. The app also provides additional high-value functionality including a running history of recent calculations, a customizable list of favorite calculations for quick and easy access to those used most often, and the ability to instantly email calculation results.

Once the free app has been downloaded, the user will have the ability to add on hundreds of additional calculations and corresponding reference materials unique to a specific trade. Add-ons will be available at an additional cost in the areas of business and finance, conversions and math, site work, finish work, concrete and masonry, carpentry, electrical, plumbing and more.

"This app will offer immediate results for hundreds of difficult construction calculations along with valuable reference content and many other convenient features," said Greg Clayton, vice president, Delmar.

Traveling Light in a Time of Digital Thievery

He leaves His cellphone and laptop at home and instead Brings "loaner" devices, Which I erases Before He leaves the United States wipes clean and the minute I returns. In China, I disables Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, never lets historical historical phone out of sight and, in meetings, not only turns off historical But Also Removes the phone battery, for fear microphone historical Could Be Turned on remotely. He connects to the Internet only-through an encrypted, password-protected channel, and copies and pastes from historical password to USB thumb drive. I never types in a password Directly, Because I said, "the Chinese are very good at installing key-logging software on your laptop."

What might Have eleven sounded like The Behavior of a paranoid is now standard operating procedure for Officials at American Government agencies, research groups and companies do business in China That and Russia - like Google, the State Department and the Internet security giant McAfee. Digital espionage In These country clubs, security Experts say, is a real and growing Threat - Whether in pursuit of Government Information confidential corporate or trade secrets.

"If a company has significant intellectual property the Chinese and Russians That are interested in., and you go over there with mobile devices, your devices will get Penetrated," said Joel F. Brenner, formerly the top counterintelligence official in the office of the director of national intelligence.

Theft of trade secrets long WAS the work of insiders - disgruntled corporate moles or Employees. But it has Become Easier to steal information remotely Because of the Internet, the proliferation of smartphones and the inclination of Employees devices to plug Into Their workplace staff and cart proprietary information networks around. Hackers' preferred modus operandi, say Security Experts, is to break into Employees' portable devices and leapfrog Into Employers' networks - stealing secrets while leaving nary a trace.

Targets of hack attacks are reluctant to discuss Them and statistics are scarce. Most go unreported breaches, security Experts say, Because corporate disclosure Victims fear what might mean for Their stock price, or Those Affected Because They Were never knew in the first place hacked. But the scope of the problem is illustrated by an incident at the United States Chamber of Commerce in 2010.

The chamber did not learn That it - and Its member Organizations - Were The Victims of a cybertheft That Lasted for months HAD Until the Federal Bureau of Investigation Told That the group servers in China Were stealing information from four of STI policy Asia Experts, who frequent China. By the time the chamber secured ITS network, hackers pilfered at least HAD six weeks worth of e-mails with STI member Organizations, Which include MOST of the nation's largest Corporations. Later still, the chamber discovered STI That office printer and events to one of STI thermostat in corporate apartments Were still comunicating With An Internet address in China.

The chamber did not Disclose how hackers infiltrated HAD ITS systems, STI But after the first step to bar attack WAS Taking Employees from devices with them "to Un certain country clubs," notably China, Spokesman said.

The implication, said Jacob Olcott, a cybersecurity expert at Good Harbor Consulting, Was That Brought Into China devices Were hacked. "Everybody knows if you are That doing business in China, in the 21st century, you do not bring anything with you. That's 'Business 101' - at least it should be. "

Neither the Chinese nor Russian embassies in Washington responded to requests for comment Several. But after Google Accused of Breaking Into Chinese hackers ITS systems in 2010, Chinese Officials Gave this statement: "China is Committed to Protecting the legitimate rights and Interests of foreign companies in our country."

Still, United States security and Government Officials Experts say increasingly They Are Concerned about breaches from Within These Countries Into corporate networks - Whether mobile-through devices or other means.

Last week, James R. Clapper, the director of national intelligence, in Testimony Before The Warned Senate Intelligence Committee About theft of trade secrets by "entities" within China and Russia. And Mike McConnell, former director of national intelligence, and now a private consultant, said in an interview, "In looking at computer systems of Consequence - in government, Congress, at the Department of Defense, aerospace, companies with valuable trade secrets - we've not yet Examined That one has not Been infected by an advanced persistent Threat. "

Both China and Russia prohibit travelers from Entering the country with encrypted devices UNLESS They Have Government permission. When Those Officials from country clubs visit the United States, They take Extra Precautions to Prevent the hacking of Their portable devices, According To security experts.

Now, United States companies, Government Agencies and Organizations are doing the Same by Imposing do-not-carry rules. Representative Mike Rogers, the Michigan Republican who is chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said STI Could bring members only "clean" devices to China and Were forbidden from connecting to the Government's network while abroad. As for Himself, I said I've Traveled "Electronically naked."

At the State Department, Employees get specific instruction on how to secure Their devices in Russia and China, and are briefed on Annually General principles of security. At the Brookings Institution, Mr. Lieberthal Advises That companies do business in China. I've Said That There Was not That a formal policy mandating Their Employees leave devices at home, "but They educate Certainly Employees who travel to China and Russia to do so."

McAfee, the security company, said That if Any employee's device WAS INSPECTED at the Chinese border, It Could never be plugged Into McAfee's network again. Ever. "We just take the Risk Would not," said Simon Hunt, a vice president.

At AirPatrol, a company based in Columbia, Md., That Specializes in wireless security systems, Employees take only loaner devices to China and Russia, never enable Bluetooth and always switch off the microphone and camera. "We Operate under the Assumption That We will Inevitably be Compromised," said Tom Kellermann, the company's chief technology officer and a member of President Obama's commission on cybersecurity.

Google said it would not comment on internal travel STI Policies, But Employees who spoke on condition of anonymity said the company Prohibited from Bringing Them sensitive data to China, required only bring loaner They Have Their laptops or devices upon Their return INSPECTED.

Federal lawmakers are considering bills Aimed at thwarting cybertheft of trade secrets, although it is unclear Whether this Legislation would address problems That Arise Directly from overseas business trips.

In the meantime, companies are leaking critical information, Often without Realizing it.

"The Chinese are very good at Covering Their Tracks," said Scott Aken, a former FBI Specialized in counterintelligence agent who and computer intrusion. "In most cases, companies they've Been burned Do not Realize Until years later when to a foreign competitor puts out very Saami Their product - they're only making it 30 percent Clot cheaper."

"We've lost our manufacturing basis Already," I said. "Now we're losing our R. & D. base. If we lose That, what do we fall back on? "