Big Cellphone Makers Shifting to Android System
In recent years, the iPhone has been the most popular smartphone for general consumers. While Blackberry and Palm retained the corporate market, average consumers were swept away by Apple's iPhone. Ever since the iPhone was released exclusively on AT&T, other networks and cell companies have struggled to capture the market. Windows Mobile, which held a large portion of the market before the advent of the iPhone, has faded in comparison to Apple's phone. But now, phones running the Android operating system, developed by Google and the Open Handset Alliance, are growing in popularity, and many people are predicting that it could rival the iPhone. Many cellphone manufacturers have started producing phones running on Android, and all four major US carriers have agreed to carry Android phones. Verizon has even started taking shots directly at the iPhone in a new series of advertisements for the Motorola Droid. Using a format similar to Apple's attack ads against Microsoft, the Verizon ads target places where the iPhone falls short compared to the Droid.
Why is Android suddenly so popular? The association with Google certainly can't hurt, but it doesn't explain its status as a possible iPhone killer. A lot of it probably has to do with it being so similar to the iPhone. Specifically, it's easy to use and easy to customize, the things that helped make the iPhone so popular. Users can easily add apps to add functionality to their phone. But it isn't only easy for users to customize, it's also a great operating system for the manufacturers. Android is an open source OS, meaning the source code of the OS is available to phone manufacturers to change as required for their hardware. Android still controls a very small percentage of the market, but that percentage is rising. At the same time, iPhone customers have been expressing recently over AT&T's contracts and Apple's rejection of apps from their store without much explanation. Android is in a position to take a large portion of the market, as long as a manufacturer can create a handset to rival the iPhone's design.
Additional sources:
Android phones give carrier services more muscle
Verizon Droid Takes on iPhone
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Article Blog #8: Microsoft, T-Mobile, and the Cloud
I nearly blogged about net neutrality again, but this story popped up and I decided I've said enough about net neutrality for now.
Microsoft, T-Mobile Could Recover Sidekick Data, but Questions Remain
At the beginning of the month, owners of T-Mobile Sidekicks received a nasty surprise. Because of a server failure at the Microsoft subsidiary in charge of the Sidekick, Danger Inc., users found themselves without any of their personal data, including photos and contact lists. T-Mobile froze sales of the Sidekick, and Microsoft reported that there was a chance the data could be lost for good. Both the primary and backup servers experienced a hardware failure, which was close to a worst-case scenario. Now, 16 days after the loss of data, officials at Microsoft and T-Mobile report that the data can be restored, and are in the process of doing so.
The Sidekick data storage is an example of cloud computing, storing data on the "cloud" of server farms rather than on the user's device. Cloud computing has several advantages, and has been gaining popularity recently. However, this incident shows that there are potential downfalls to the use of cloud computing. When data storage is left in the hands of a corporation, they have a responsibility to ensure the safety of the customer's data. The Sidekick stores very little data on the phone, with the majority of customer data being stored on Danger Inc.'s servers. The data loss shows, among other things, a lack of proper fail-safes on the part of Microsoft and Danger. A single incident should not be able to knock out both the main and backup systems, and the fact that it did seems to indicate either a catastrophic failure or very poor design. Cloud computing does have advantages, the greatest being that documents and programs stored in the cloud can be accessed anywhere, as long as an internet connection exists. But placing your data in the hands of a company carries risks. The best way to guard against accidental data loss is to make a backup of your own, stored on your own system. It shouldn't be necessary, but until a better solution to prevent data loss is proposed, it is.
Additional sources:
Clouds are nice, but be sure to back up important data
Getting past the fear of computer clouds
Microsoft, T-Mobile Could Recover Sidekick Data, but Questions Remain
At the beginning of the month, owners of T-Mobile Sidekicks received a nasty surprise. Because of a server failure at the Microsoft subsidiary in charge of the Sidekick, Danger Inc., users found themselves without any of their personal data, including photos and contact lists. T-Mobile froze sales of the Sidekick, and Microsoft reported that there was a chance the data could be lost for good. Both the primary and backup servers experienced a hardware failure, which was close to a worst-case scenario. Now, 16 days after the loss of data, officials at Microsoft and T-Mobile report that the data can be restored, and are in the process of doing so.
The Sidekick data storage is an example of cloud computing, storing data on the "cloud" of server farms rather than on the user's device. Cloud computing has several advantages, and has been gaining popularity recently. However, this incident shows that there are potential downfalls to the use of cloud computing. When data storage is left in the hands of a corporation, they have a responsibility to ensure the safety of the customer's data. The Sidekick stores very little data on the phone, with the majority of customer data being stored on Danger Inc.'s servers. The data loss shows, among other things, a lack of proper fail-safes on the part of Microsoft and Danger. A single incident should not be able to knock out both the main and backup systems, and the fact that it did seems to indicate either a catastrophic failure or very poor design. Cloud computing does have advantages, the greatest being that documents and programs stored in the cloud can be accessed anywhere, as long as an internet connection exists. But placing your data in the hands of a company carries risks. The best way to guard against accidental data loss is to make a backup of your own, stored on your own system. It shouldn't be necessary, but until a better solution to prevent data loss is proposed, it is.
Additional sources:
Clouds are nice, but be sure to back up important data
Getting past the fear of computer clouds
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Article Blog #7: Taking the backdoor into Adobe
Adobe exploit puts backdoor on computers
A new exploit has been discovered, and the affected software company is scrambling to code a patch. This time the company is Adobe, and the products in question are Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat. The security flaw is exploited when a malicious hacker sends the victim a PDF file containing javascript-based malware. The trojan horse creates a backdoor into the victim's computer, which the hacker can use to gain access. This is a zero day attack, meaning that the exploits started on the same day Adobe became aware of the security flaw. The term "zero day" attack comes from the practice of starting numbering at zero in computer science, a practice readers are sure to be familiar with. This is the fourth zero-day attack involving malicious code contained in PDF files this year.
This latest attack is a good reminder to the computer-using public. The Internet has enabled us to do many things that we once could not, and has made everyday tasks and communication far easier. But with that convenience comes the ever present threat of viruses and hackers. This attack uses a .pdf file as a trojan horse. The success of the attack depends on the victim trusting that the attacker is being honest and sending them a safe file. Unfortunately, such attacks have become common. There will always be people who can be fooled by hackers on the Internet, so security issues become a race between software vendors to close holes and hackers to exploit them. And no matter how quickly vendors work, some users will fall prey to malware before security patches can be issued. So it is in the users' best interests to learn about the software they depend on, and about the potential security exploits. This knowledge would give those who understand it the ability to better protect themselves from the threat of hacking.
Additional Sources:
New Adobe Reader, Acrobat Vulnerability Comes Under Attack
Hackers exploit this year's fourth PDF zero-day
Zero day attack
A new exploit has been discovered, and the affected software company is scrambling to code a patch. This time the company is Adobe, and the products in question are Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat. The security flaw is exploited when a malicious hacker sends the victim a PDF file containing javascript-based malware. The trojan horse creates a backdoor into the victim's computer, which the hacker can use to gain access. This is a zero day attack, meaning that the exploits started on the same day Adobe became aware of the security flaw. The term "zero day" attack comes from the practice of starting numbering at zero in computer science, a practice readers are sure to be familiar with. This is the fourth zero-day attack involving malicious code contained in PDF files this year.
This latest attack is a good reminder to the computer-using public. The Internet has enabled us to do many things that we once could not, and has made everyday tasks and communication far easier. But with that convenience comes the ever present threat of viruses and hackers. This attack uses a .pdf file as a trojan horse. The success of the attack depends on the victim trusting that the attacker is being honest and sending them a safe file. Unfortunately, such attacks have become common. There will always be people who can be fooled by hackers on the Internet, so security issues become a race between software vendors to close holes and hackers to exploit them. And no matter how quickly vendors work, some users will fall prey to malware before security patches can be issued. So it is in the users' best interests to learn about the software they depend on, and about the potential security exploits. This knowledge would give those who understand it the ability to better protect themselves from the threat of hacking.
Additional Sources:
New Adobe Reader, Acrobat Vulnerability Comes Under Attack
Hackers exploit this year's fourth PDF zero-day
Zero day attack
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Article Blog #6: Net Neutrality Again
GOP: Neutrality Rules Will Thwart Broadband Investment
Once again, net neutrality is in the news. The FCC recently revised their network neutrality rules. The new plan adds two new principles to the existing four, and turns the principles into regulations. The new principles require that internet providers not discriminate against any lawful content on the internet, and that they stay transparent about how they manage their networks. The chairman of the FCC also said that neutrality principles should also apply to wireless networks.
To me, this proposal sounds like a good idea. But not everyone feels this way. House Minority Leader John Boehner and House Republican whip Eric Cantor sent a letter to President Obama, complaining about the new FCC proposals. The pair claim that network neutrality rules would threaten investment in broadband technologies. This letter came after a move by House Republicans to block funding to the FCC to prevent the new neutrality rules from being put in place. This move was retracted, and never took effect. In addition, the letter advised Obama to instruct the FCC to drop net neutrality in favor of extending broadband internet access to all US homes.
The reactions of these two congressmen are somewhat hard for me to understand. First, while President Obama does have significant influence with many departments of the government, the FCC is an independant agency and not directly controlled by the President. Second, the claim that net neutrality will thwart investment in broadband technology is ridiculous. The ISPs argue that they need to be able to control and limit access to ensure fair access to their networks. They claim that the rules will prevent them from managing their networks properly. However, there is nothing in the new rules that would prevent the companies from conducting business as usual, as long as the companies are transparent about their actions. The new proposals are important steps, but they only extend the existing rules to a minor degree. The internet has thrived for the past decades with neutrality, and there is no reason that it won't continue to flourish under the new neutrality rules.
Additional Sources:
Network neutrality: Doing the right things
House GOP Leaders Complain to Obama About Net Neutrality
Once again, net neutrality is in the news. The FCC recently revised their network neutrality rules. The new plan adds two new principles to the existing four, and turns the principles into regulations. The new principles require that internet providers not discriminate against any lawful content on the internet, and that they stay transparent about how they manage their networks. The chairman of the FCC also said that neutrality principles should also apply to wireless networks.
To me, this proposal sounds like a good idea. But not everyone feels this way. House Minority Leader John Boehner and House Republican whip Eric Cantor sent a letter to President Obama, complaining about the new FCC proposals. The pair claim that network neutrality rules would threaten investment in broadband technologies. This letter came after a move by House Republicans to block funding to the FCC to prevent the new neutrality rules from being put in place. This move was retracted, and never took effect. In addition, the letter advised Obama to instruct the FCC to drop net neutrality in favor of extending broadband internet access to all US homes.
The reactions of these two congressmen are somewhat hard for me to understand. First, while President Obama does have significant influence with many departments of the government, the FCC is an independant agency and not directly controlled by the President. Second, the claim that net neutrality will thwart investment in broadband technology is ridiculous. The ISPs argue that they need to be able to control and limit access to ensure fair access to their networks. They claim that the rules will prevent them from managing their networks properly. However, there is nothing in the new rules that would prevent the companies from conducting business as usual, as long as the companies are transparent about their actions. The new proposals are important steps, but they only extend the existing rules to a minor degree. The internet has thrived for the past decades with neutrality, and there is no reason that it won't continue to flourish under the new neutrality rules.
Additional Sources:
Network neutrality: Doing the right things
House GOP Leaders Complain to Obama About Net Neutrality
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