Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Sugru Keeps Your iPhone Safe From a Fatal Fall
It’s only been a few days since the launch of iPhone 4, and there have already been an alarming number of stories of people dropping their iPhones from heights small or large, and shattering the back panel of the phone. Luckily for them (and you), there’s a simple solution: sugru.
Instructables has a video and instructions for how to apply four small bits of a material called sugru to the corners of your phone to make it much more drop-friendly. Sugru is a silicon modeling clay that adheres to almost anything, and in this case can be used to make your iPhone sturdier, bouncier and much better at handling the moment when you get out of your car with your phone on your lap and fling your brand new iPhone onto the street. Even for non-droppers, the sugru keeps the iPhone from rubbing against whatever surface it’s sitting on, which will do wonders to keep it from getting scuffed and scratched.
Sugru corners for your iPhone will cost just under $10 for materials, and only a few minutes of time to put together. It’s not the most attractive of solutions (the sugru corners look a little like clown noses, which I can only assume would be another viable way to protect your iPhone), but it’s much better-looking than a shattered iPhone.
(Photo: Courtesy Instructables)
Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/dZNqXTCfp3A/
How Microsoft Crowdsourced the Making of Office 2010
For several years, Denise Carlevato has studied millions of mouse clicks and keystrokes made by anonymous computer users from all over the world. Her objective: to make Microsoft Office better fit the way millions of people work.
Months before Microsoft rolled out the latest version of its productivity suite, Office 2010, 9 million people downloaded its beta version to test the software and provide feedback. As part of the program, Microsoft collected 2 million comments from beta testers. An additional 600 people participated in Microsoft’s Virtual Research Lab, where Carlevato and her colleagues could observe how people were using new features.
In a sense, it was a massive, controlled crowdsourcing project. That’s just what you have to do to cater to as broad an audience as possible, says Carlevato, who has worked as a Microsoft usability engineer for 10 years.
“We do our darnedest to make sure the features we put into our product are the things people ask for,” Carlevato told Wired.com. “We know from watching them work that they really need it.”
Though some tech observers have predicted Microsoft’s downfall after falling behind in the smartphone game and being one-upped by Apple in market capitalization, many agree that reports of the software titan’s inevitable demise are greatly exaggerated. Microsoft as a whole remains hugely profitable, and Office has consistently been the most lucrative part of Microsoft’s business, raking in billions of dollars each quarter, even exceeding sales of Windows.
And although Google offers a competitive productivity suite, Google Docs, for free, Microsoft still has a major advantage: 67 percent of U.S. online consumers regularly use Office, while only 4 percent use Google Docs, according to Forrester Research.
“In some ways, the ‘Office versus Google Docs’ debate doesn?t merit a lot of consideration — it?s still no competition,” said J.P. Gownder, a Forrester analyst. “In terms of usage and penetration, Google Docs remains a failure ?- so far, anyway.”
But staying in the lead with productivity software isn’t easy, and to retain the loyalty of millions, Microsoft goes to great lengths to determine what customers want. For Office 2010 beta, Microsoft included a feature called “Send a Smile,” a comment box for testers to submit feedback and suggestions for improvement. Of the 2 million Send a Smile comments, 81,000 included the senders’ e-mail addresses so the engineers working to improve Office could follow up with them.
To analyze the Send a Smile feedback, Microsoft built a database and programmed algorithms to classify and tag comments under certain categories, while filtering out biased feedback and useless drivel. From that point, researchers manually read every single comment to determine necessary tweaks and additions to Office.
A major new feature birthed from customer feedback was an online broadcasting tool for users to share PowerPoint 2010 presentations by simply sending around a URL, according to P.J. Hough, corporate vice president of Office Program Management.
“We were making many decisions not based on what others were doing, but on what customers wanted us to do,” Hough said. “We did research on customers that led us to the path.”
Microsoft also invites select users to participate in its Virtual Lab, where they are instructed to perform specific tasks such as formatting a section of a Word document, or changing the background color of a PowerPoint presentation. After lab participants completed each task, Carlevato and her colleagues analyzed their history to observe the actions they took.
The Virtual Research Lab is especially useful when users struggle to finish a task, because researchers can examine why they are becoming confused or taking too long and work to resolve the problem. This is what usability researchers call “unarticulated needs,” said Carlevato.
Going beyond virtual testing, Microsoft engineers also worked one-on-one with human subjects at the University of Washington to create the brand-new Office web apps suite released in mid-June. A group of 26 students testing an early version of Office web apps met with engineers every two weeks to discuss features they wanted or didn’t like in the web-based suite.
Microsoft’s product planner Char Popp helped lead the field trial, and she said it was crucial to work in a human environment with live feedback, because this was the very first version of Office web apps.
“While the team was building it and giving insights and information, it was still all like a big jigsaw puzzle,” she said. “Toward the end when this all came together I had the opportunity to go out and see how the web apps were actually going to live with real people.”
Early reviews of the Office web apps (including Wired’s) weren’t stellar, citing some missing key features and elements, but Microsoft stressed that this was a version-one product, and it would continue to collect feedback to improve the service.
“With any release as big as Office you can’t do everything all at once,” said Hough, who added that any unaddressed shortcomings are “part of our engineering road map.”
Fortunately for Microsoft, there are 360 million Windows Live users with access to the Office web apps who can help crowdsource the solutions.
See Also:
- Microsoft Office Web Apps
- Microsoft Office 2010 for Windows
- Microsoft’s Challenge With Windows Phone 7 Is Wooing Developers
- Microsoft Tells Windows Phone 7’s App Story
Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/e4-Led6fJHY/
Bemrose Booth goes into administration
Dawinderpal Sahota, Computing, Tuesday 29 June 2010 at 14:44:00
Declining profitability in saturated market causes printing company to call
in administrators
Bemrose Booth, a specialist printing company based in England, has gone into The company was the largest supplier of car parking tickets in the UK, with It has suffered from the over-capacity prevailing in the printing market, The company?s woes have been fuelled by declining profitability in fields Its calendar business, based in Derby, has also been hit by declining margins ?The emphasis now is on saving those viable parts of the business and ?We are dealing with a high-quality and profitable operation and are The company operated two sites in Derby, one in Hull and another in Teesside. The remaining divisions in Hull, where 125 people are employed, and the
administration.
high-profile customers such as NCP. It also manufactured rail tickets and
revealed plans to invest in new technologies such as RFID and SMART to increase
its expertise in the ticketing arena.
much like other large companies in this field, according to insolvency
practitioner David Rubin and Partners LLP in London. Two of the firm?s partners
have been appointed joint administrators for Bemrose Booth.
such as scratchcards for the telecoms industry, where markets and production
have moved to developing nations as production costs are much lower.
in the promotional products and secure mail businesses. Production issues with
the business led to those parts of the company being closed last week, resulting
in 160 redundancies. A further 26 redundancies in Hull followed the decision to
stop producing telecom scratchcards in Hull, according to David Rubin and
Partners LLP.
preserving the jobs of the remaining workforce,? said David Rubin, joint
administrator.
confident that a sale can be achieved. Everybody concerned has a part to play in
achieving that."
It employed about 650 staff two years ago but reduced its headcount to 350 in
the past 12 months.
operation in Teesside, which employs 34 people, are trading normally while bu
yers are sought for the business as a going concern. A significant level of
interest has been expressed in the business and talks with a number of
interested parties are ongoing.
Full story at http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2265646/bemrose-booth-goes
Report: Verizon getting iPhone in January
Full story at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38002805/ns/technology_and_science-wireless/
Cosmic Log: The pilots behind a robot navy
Full story at http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/06/29/4579285-the-pilots-behind-a-robot-navy
Once A Critic, Obama Now Embraces Commissions
In the history of federal commissions, few aside from the 9-11 Commission produced concrete policy results. Yet panels are convened all the time. President Obama, who derided their use during his presidential campaign, has created several to tackle big problems. The challenge will be getting their recommendations enacted.
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Full story at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128199902&ft=1&f=1001
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
In E-Mail, Steve Jobs Comments on iPhone 4 Minerals
Despite last week’s flurry of bad press surrounding the iPhone 4’s antenna, Steve Jobs is still in a chatty mood about his company’s newest handset. His latest personal e-mail to a customer relates to minerals used to create the iPhone 4 and other Apple products.
In an e-mail to Jobs on Sunday evening, Wired.com reader Derick Rhodes inquired about whether Apple was using “conflict-free” materials to create the iPhone 4. Jobs shot back a reply an hour later stating that Apple was doing what it could.
Hi Steve,
I’d planned to buy a new iPhone tomorrow – my first upgrade since buying the very first version on the first day of its release – but I’m hesitant without knowing Apple’s position on sourcing the minerals in its products.
Are you currently making any effort to source conflict-free minerals? In particular, I’m concerned that Apple is getting tantalum, tungsten, tin, and gold from Eastern Congo through its suppliers.
Looking forward to your response,
Derick
Jobs’ reply:
Yes. We require all of our suppliers to certify in writing that they use conflict few materials. But honestly there is no way for them to be sure. Until someone invents a way to chemically trace minerals from the source mine, it’s a very difficult problem.
Sent from my iPhone
Rhodes was inspired to write the e-mail after reading a recent New York Times piece detailing the horrific warfare in the Congo, which sells minerals to the suppliers who create components for cellphones, computers and gaming devices. Grass-roots campaigns have dubbed minerals from such origins as “conflict minerals.”
Jobs has been known to occasionally respond to customers’ e-mails, though in recent months the CEO has sent at least one e-mail each week. Many of these e-mails make their way to blogs. Some social media experts told Wired.com that they believe Jobs’ casual replies have evolved into a PR strategy as a means for the CEO to communicate with the world.
Jobs’ e-mail to Rhodes contains a typo ? conflict “few” rather than conflict free ? presumably because he typed it with his iPhone. Wired.com was able to verify the authenticity of the letter.
Rhodes said he felt grateful about receiving an e-mail from the famous CEO.
“I thought it was really cool,” he said. “His e-mails are really concise, so I really appreciate the thought he put into it.”
See Also:
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/ezcjFRnnCs0/
Rumor: Leaked Slides Reveal Windows 8 Roadmap
A purportedly leaked slideshow reveals what may be Microsoft’s game plan for Windows 8. Giving a strong nod to Apple, highlight features teased in the presentation include a Windows app store and instant-on bootup.
Italian Windows blog Windowsette posted the presentation watermarked “Microsoft Confidential.” One slide explicitly mentions Apple’s consumer strategy: a high-quality, easy-to-use user interface that feeds brand loyalty.
“Apple brand is known for high quality, uncomplicated, ‘It just works,’” a slide reads (see above). “This is something people will pay for!”
Microsoft declined to comment on the presentation’s authenticity.
Though the unconfirmed slides explicitly mention Apple’s strategy, Microsoft is still far ahead of the Cupertino, California company in the desktop OS space. Research firms estimate that Windows dominates over 90 percent of the desktop OS market share. Additionally, Microsoft recently announced it sold 150 million licenses of Windows 7 in eight months.
If real, the presentation would suggest that a key part of Microsoft’s strategy to secure its lead with Windows is to replicate Apple’s successful App Store model. One slide (below) reveals plans for Windows 8 to introduce “Windows Store,” an app store for purchasing and downloading Windows applications.
The slides also allude to a one-second bootup reminiscent of the iPad’s instant-on capability.
“Windows 8 PCs turn on fast, nearly instantly in some cases, and are ready to work without any long or unexpected delays,” one slide says.
Windows enthusiast blog Microsoft Kitchen has collected all the slides and believes they are “the real deal.” For a blow-by-blow analysis, visit Stephen Chapman’s writeup.
See Also:
- Microsoft Gives Windows 7 Fans the Option to Ditch IE 8 …
- 7 Good Reasons to Switch to Windows 7
- 7 Reasons to Avoid Windows 7
Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/VccHoZTJrh8/
Get innovators out of the IT department, says DWP's CTO
Computing staff, Computing, Monday 28 June 2010 at 17:25:00
Key staff should be placed where they can advance a core business line
Businesses will struggle to be innovative if all their forward-looking people He argues that these people will be looking to enable better IT through ?Sooner or later, investment in the IT department's innovation team will look Gardner gives eight other barriers to innovation: ? Where there is no money ? companies that do not spend money rarely achieve ? The company boss is a laggard and does not like new things. ? Everything is controlled by the finance director ? most interesting things ? The organisation is laser focused on the core business, meaning innovation ? The company is riding high on established product and service lines and ? Audit and governance functions are overpowerful ? if your organisation is ? The organisation needs to have recovered from a near-death experience, ? Finally, if your CEO is risk averse ? s/he will require so much reassurance
are stuck in the IT department, said the DWP?s chief technology officer James
Gardner in his
blog
last week.
innovation, but that enablement of a support function (IT) will see far less
return on investment than the enablement of a core business line which uses IT.
less attractive than other available opportunities,? he said.
very much innovation.
do not pay off in the short term.
would be considered a distraction ? ?Retreat to the core is a classic strategy
of an organisation that is disconnecting itself from change, for whatever
reason,? he says.
innovation is not seen as necessary.
full of security people, audit people and governance people with the power to
call the shots, you should consider whether to bother with innovation.
meaning there is an entrenched belief among management in the power of change.
as to the value of any "go" decision that time is wasted and will put the team
off persuading them.
Full story at http://www.computing.co.uk/computing/news/2265610/innovators-business
See greatest hits from the lunar eclipse
Full story at http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/06/28/4575959-greatest-hits-from-the-eclipse
Google to stop redirecting searches from China
Full story at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37990878/ns/technology_and_science/
Cash Business In Gulf Makes Compensation Difficult
In a system that operates primarily in cash, fishermen, seafood buyers and others in the Gulf may have trouble collecting compensation for the oil spill without documented proof of work.
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Full story at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128169388&ft=1&f=1001
Monday, June 28, 2010
Bionic Cat Walks on Prosthetic Legs
Oscar, a three-year old British cat, has joined the rarefied ranks of bionic animals. After a horrifying accident chopped off his hind legs, Oscar has gotten a second lease on life through two bionic leg implants.
Oscar lost his legs to a combine harvester last October. With heavy blood loss and bits of missing flesh, he needed to draw on his nine lives to make it. And he found help from veterinary surgeon Noel Fitzpatrick.
Fitzpatrick and his colleagues drilled holes into what remained of Oscar’s legs and attached special metal implants, reports ABC’s Good Morning America. Eventually, Oscar’s skin is expected to over the implants so the prosthetic attachment will become a part of his body.
Right now, Oscar has round pegs at the end of his hind legs. But if everything goes according to plan, those will be replaced by more real looking� “paws.”
So far, it seems to have worked great.
As you can see in the video, Oscar is doing a great job walking with his prosthetic legs. His gait isn’t perfect but he seems to be working on it and compensating for the bionic legs. And Oscar even climbs on a pack of paper towels.
Oscar isn’t entirely out of the woods yet. He will be closely watched for the next six months to make sure he doesn’t develop sores or infection.
See Also:
- DARPA Pushes for Fail-Proof Prosthetics
- Embracing the Artificial Limb
- The World’s Most Advanced Bionic Arm
- Gallery: Bionic Arms Gain Power, Dexterity, Sensitivity
Full story at http://feeds.wired.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/oUk4dI3b8pE/
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