Thursday, June 9, 2011

Samsung Series 5 Chromebook: Unboxing and Setup

Samsung Series 5 Chromebook: Unboxing and Setup


Samsung Series 5 3G Chromebook gets iFixit teardown

Samsung Series 5 3G Chromebook gets iFixit teardown



It's already made an early debut, just to sell out in a matter a hours, and now Samsung's answer to the Chromebook, the Series 5, is getting some attention of a more destructive sort. The folks over at iFixit have proven once again that ripping apart consumer electronics is not only therapeutic, but also enlightening, this time putting Google's ultraportable under the knife. 



The excellent gadget repair experts at iFixit have torn apart a brand new Samsung Series 5 Chromebook to see what makes it tick, and they have published detailed hardware specifications and photographs of the system's internals.
The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook is a laptop that's powered by Google's Linux-based Chrome OS—the first Chrome OS product that will be available to regular consumers. It was unveiled last month at the Google I/O conference in San Francisco during a keynote session and is expected to retail for $429.

The folks at iFixit say that the Samsung Chromebook has much in common with Google's Cr-48 prototype, but that the new system is slimmer and better-designed. The hardware includes a 1.66GHz dual-core Atom N570 CPU, 2GB of RAM, and a 16GB SanDisk SSD. They were able to disassemble the laptop with a spudger, plastic opening tool, and a Philips #1 screwdriver.

After disassembling the laptop, they assigned it a 6 out of 10 "repairability" score. The Chromebook lost points because the RAM is soldered to the motherboard and the battery can't be replaced without opening the case. They also commented that the "mostly-plastic construction" felt "a little cheap." They noted, however, that the screen was easy to remove and most of the components—including the SSD—can be replaced easily.
"Our analysis revealed that the Series 5 is a well-polished version of the rather imperfect Cr-48 prototype Chromebook," iFixit's Kyle Wiens told us in an e-mail. "The Series 5 fixes the major shortfalls of the Cr-48 and adds the polish necessary to strike lust into the heart of a broad consumer base: sleek looks, 8+ hours of battery life, and optimized performance."

On top of the specs we already have, this Chromebook's inner workings reveal 2GB of non-upgradable DDR3 RAM (the CR-48 apparently packed upgradable RAM), Intel NM10 graphics, a Qualcomm Gobi WWAN board, an Atheros AR9382 802.11n WiFi chip, and a 16GB SanDisk SSD.
chromebook chromiumpc samsung acer cr-48 ifixit us chromebook

KPN gives 1 GB data free with Chromebook 3G

KPN gives 1 GB data free with Chromebook 3G





e-Tailer Coolblue will sell the Samsung Chromebook 3G standard with a KPN prepaid data Sim. KPN will provide 1 GB of data use, valid for four weeks. The Chromebook laptop features Chrome, Google's cloud-based operating system. The device is expected on 24 June for EUR 449, or EUR 399 for the Wi-Fi version. Coolblue is currently the only outlet to supply the laptop.
kpn samsung chromebook 3g wi-fi 

Chromebook Pre-Order Strategy Turns Popular; What Next Google?

Chromebook Pre-Order Strategy Turns Popular; What Next Google?



Waiting for the June 15th release of the Chrome notebook? The pre-launch market strategy adopted by Google has drawn maximum attention to the new device and its upcoming launch. An interesting game was designed in such a way to progress through clues posted on the Google Chrome blog which demanded users to explore the web in order to find a Google chrome notebook and order it.




The first clue posted on the Chrome blog took users to a memo written by Tim Berners Lee, the pioneer of the World Wide Web about the beginning of it. Users who explored the page found a large Google Chrome logo on the upper right hand side of the page clicking on which revealed a special Chrome book preview page. The pre view page allows you to purchase one among the limited number of Chrome books available for purchase.


After the first clue, they have posted a number of different clues in two days. You can watch a recap of these clues at their blog here. Though the game was funny, we are more eager to try the rig out to know if it matches with the processing pace of the eponymous browser from Google.
google chromebook samsung chromebox chromeos

Google Sued Over Chromebook Name

Google Sued Over Chromebook Name



A Salt Lake City-based company has filed suit against Google, arguing that it has the rights to the Chromium name, and by default, Chromebook and Chromebox.
ISYS Technologies wants a Utah district court to stop Google—as well as partners Acer, Amazon.com, Best Buy, and Samsung—from marketing Chromebooks and from selling them later this month.
ISYS is the parent company of Xi3 Corporation, which last year introducedthe pint-sized Xi3 Modular Computer. Last month, Xi3 announced a new small form factor desktop PC designed to run Google's Chrome OS, dubbed the ChromiumPC.
Efforts to brand the Xi3 device the ChromiumPC appear to be at the root of this week's lawsuit. ISYS, which acts as an intellectual property management and holding company, filed to trademark the ChromiumPC brand in June 2010. Google, however, opposed the filing, citing its Chromium OS, according to the lawsuit.
ISYS also contends that Google originally sought to call its Web-based netbooks the "Speedbook," but switched to Chromebook after discovering the Speedbook mark was already taken. Google then filed "unnecessary extensions of time" on the ChromiumPC trademark application before introducing its Chromebooks at a May 11 press event. Xi3's ChromiumPC was unveiled on May 23.
In its suit, ISYS said that Google has no rights to the Chromium name, and that its Chromebook and Chromebox names are "confusingly similar" to the ChromiumPC, causing "damage and irreparable harm to ISYS."
chromium pc chromebook chromebox google samsung acer 

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

First Agora 12in Chromebook launched for £269

First Agora 12in Chromebook launched for £269


Today the UK is being treated to the first Chromebook laptop, which is created by Australian IT company Kogan. This machine is based around Google’s new Chromium OS and comes ahead of releases from market leaders Samsung and Acer which will launch in a weeks time.

Chromium is a browser based operating system from Google which has been causing a lot of interest from the tech audience who are yearning for a new platform to play with. The Agora 12 inch laptop will be selling in the UK for £269 and it will be using a Celeron 1.3ghz processor, rather than the Intel Atom.


Inside there is also a modest 1GB of DDR2 memory which is upgradable to 4GB. There is also a 30GB SSD installed for storage demands. The 11.6 inch LED display delivers a very tasty resolution of 1366×768 and it is supported by a 1.3 megapixel camera which offers videoconferencing support. Battery life won’t be winning any awards, but it is said to be around 3.5 hours under normal use.

The laptop weighs 1.3 kg however it has no optical drive onboard. There are USB ports however, so drives can be used for transferring data when needed. There is also a 3 in 1 card reader and Wifi connectivity (802.11 b/g/n/) and Bluetooth, although there is no option for 3G.
kogan chromebook laptop cloud computing chrome OS google

Patent Management Firm Sues Google Over 'Chromebox' And 'Chromebook'

Patent Management Firm Sues Google Over 'Chromebox' And 'Chromebook'

Patent management company Isys Technologies has sued Google and its partners for infringing on one of their copyrights.

The company claims that the terms ‘Chromebook’ and ‘Chromebox’ being used to market the devices running on Google’s Chrome OS are infringing on its copyrighted ‘ChromiumPC’ brand.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Utah in Salt Lake City, seeks a temporary restraining order that prevents Google from marketing devices based on Chrome OS as ‘Chromebook’ and ‘Chrombox’ and from launching them on June 15.

Google partners Amazon, Acer, Samsung and BestBuy have also been named in the lawsuit. Isys says that Xi3 has developed the Xi3 computer architecture that is used to create the Xi3 Modular Computer which are being sold as the ChromiumPC.

The company claims that it has tried to reason with Google over the copyright but Google has chosen to dispute the copyright, prompting Isys to file a lawsuit.

“We do not begrudge anyone the ability to create new products and take them to market, unless they infringe on our intellectual property. For more than 18 months, we’ve been using, marketing, promoting and selling ChromiumPC Modular Computers,” Jason A. Sullivan, president and CEO of ISYS Technologies, said in a statement on BusinessWire.
chromium pc cloud computing amazon acer samsung google chromebook

Chromebook: Internet Gateway or Savvy Marketing?

Chromebook: Internet Gateway or Savvy Marketing?

In his Chromebook announcement at Google I/O in May, Google co-founder Sergey Brin told the audience, “With Microsoft, and other operating system vendors, I think the complexity of managing your computer is really torturing users. It's torturing everyone in this room. It's a flawed model fundamentally. Chromebooks are a new model that doesn't put the burden of managing the computer on yourself.”

What Chromebook will do is present the Internet as another walled garden, just like Apple is doing with the iPad series. Content and tools are available in a wide variety on the iPad and other IOS, but only the tools and content Apple decides is appropriate. It is very likely that Chromebook will present the Internet in much the same walled way, and will become another platform provider that tortures its users.

If the Chromebook presents a truly open platform that lets users tap into the web services they want rather than just the web services Google wants to provide, then this really will be a big step in the evolution of cloud computing. But we should all remember that “Internet” doesn't automatically mean “open.” And lock-in is lock-in, no matter what the platform looks like.
cloud computing chromebook icloud apple cloud

Logicworks Launches infiniCloud™ 2.0, Expanding Capabilities for Managed Security and Private Cloud Solutions

Logicworks Launches infiniCloud™ 2.0, Expanding Capabilities for Managed Security and Private Cloud Solutions.


With thousands of IT professionals, technology enthusiasts, and cloud computing vendors converging on New York City’s Javits Convention Center this week for the annual Cloud Expo, Logicworks will announce a new release of infiniCloud™ - its on-demand cloud computing service. New features include the ability to partition multiple VLANs to set up secure networks, native Virtual Private Network (VPN) connections directly to infiniCloud, and Private Cloud capabilities for adding dedicated equipment like firewalls, private hosts, and storage.
infiniCloud™ cloud computing cloud expo cloud computing 

US government embraces Salesforce.com’s cloud computing model

US government embraces Salesforce.com’s cloud computing model

Enterprise cloud computing company Salesforce.com announced recently that hundreds of government organizations in the United States, including more than half of federal cabinet-level departments, have already adopted its cloud computing services.


It has also received the US General Services Administration (GSA) moderate level authority to operate, consistent with Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) requirements.

“Salesforce.com sees a tremendous opportunity for the government to harness the power of cloud computing,” said Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO, salesforce.com. “We are delivering the same customer success to the public sector that we have brought to the private sector over the last 12 years.”

According to Salesforce.com, the Obama administration’s Cloud First Policy is driving government adoption of cloud computing. Cloud technologies are being used to deliver a broad range of services from grants management to electronic medical records and constituent-facing websites to contact centers.

State and local government agencies, like New Jersey Transit, Arlington Economic Development and Chicago Housing Authority, have also seen tremendous success with salesforce.com, it added.

“The benefits the US government stands to gain from secure enterprise public clouds are enormous," said Vivek Kundra, US Chief Information Officer. "The Commission on the Leadership Opportunity in US Deployment of the Cloud (CLOUD2) will help advance cloud computing in the public sector.” 

Benioff co-Chairs CLOUD2 Commission founded by the TechAmerica Foundation to provide the Obama administration with recommendations for how government should deploy cloud technologies and to help drive public policies that will deliver US innovation in the cloud. 
cloud computing us america icloud chromebook 

iCloud, cloud computing services promise to change the way we use computers

iCloud, cloud computing services promise to change the way we use computers


Apple founder Steve Jobs announced a free service Monday that allows consumers to store vast amounts of music, video, photos and documents on the Web, one of several emerging “cloud computing offerings that are diminishing the need for a computer.

Once a pioneer of the personal computer, Jobs forecast that his new iCloud service would replace the PC as the hub for people’s multimedia needs, making it far easier for them to gain access to their digital libraries on phones, tablets and a multitude of other devices that have an Internet connection.

“Keeping these devices in sync is driving us crazy,” he said at a company conference in San Francisco. “We have a great solution for this problem. We are going to demote the PC to just be a device.”
The irony of Jobs’s statements was not lost on analysts who noted his role in putting a PC into nearly every household in the country.
cloud computing apple pc laptop icloud 

Apple Dives Back Into Cloud Computing

Apple Dives Back Into Cloud Computing



Despite a shaky track record when it comes to decentralized storage, Apple has announced plans to take another crack at the cloud computing market with iCloud.

Revealed at this morning's WorldWide Developer's Conference, the iCloud service "stores your content in the cloud and wirelessly pushes it to all your devices," according to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. This includes not just media files (photos, movies and music), but also a range of personal settings, as well as documents created in Apple productivity applications like Pages, Numbers and Keynote.

More impressively, the service will include no advertisements, and Jobs promises that syncing calendars, email and personal contacts across a user's range of iOS devices will be free, up to 5GBs.

apple cloud computing icloud apple 

How to get your Chromebook super-early

How to get your Chromebook super-early


All you have to do to place a pre-order is visit this link. On arrival you will see a huge Chrome logo on the right hand side of your screen as shown in the screenshot below. You will need to click it:

When you have clicked this link a ‘pop out’ windows should expand, revealing the ‘Chromebook preview’ that Google seems to be so excited to share with us. You will also see a pre-order button which you can click to place your order at Amaozn.com!
 chromebook order  cloud computing samsung acer 

Apple iCloud: a beginner's guide

Apple iCloud: a beginner's guide


What is the 'cloud'?

Once, you would do your work on your personal computer and save it onto your hard drive. And there it would sit, accessible only to you (and maybe a few other select users on a local network), and could only be manipulated (edited) if you had the right software on your device. The cloud overcomes this limitation – all you need is connectivity (pretty much universal, with the internet), and a cloud provider (a company that facilitates access to the cloud or their data servers). This means that any computer which is connected to the internet (including mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets) is connected to all the same applications and files. In terms of online storage, it creates better conditions for collaborative work; for example, a change made to a Word document would be available to users on different computers because the information is synchronised across all computers. The need for carrying around physical storage devices is eliminated. Hundreds of millions of us already use the cloud everyday, to share photographs, music and video clips. It is, like love, all around. The cloud signals, by and large, the end of "stuff".


Where is all the information in the cloud actually stored?

The information in the cloud ranges from the personal but unimportant to the highly sensitive. So where is it all kept? If it is lost, can it be recovered? And is it secure? The data in the cloud exists on servers, and these are mirrored onto other servers to keep data secure and available. That way, if one cluster of servers falls over, then data is available from servers in another data centre or elsewhere in the same location. For example, Google's index is mirrored across thousands, if not millions of servers. So if your data was to be lost, it is more or less guaranteed that they would find it.
While it would be easy to find the information, it is no surprise that organisations do not willingly yield the details of where the physical servers are located. And why would they? No one wants to be held to ransom or attacked. Even so, if an attacker were to gain physical access to the servers, it is unlikely that they would gain any really useable data.

Uses of the cloud

Web-based email (like Gmail or Hotmail) has been acting in the cloud for a long time. People use their email accounts to back up the files on their personal computers – and this information can be held securely and indefinitely in the cloud. In addition to being a hugely successful online retailer, Amazon also provides cloud-computing services by renting out space on its powerful servers to customers worldwide. In April an Amazon cloud failure took out social-networking sites Foursquare, Reddit and Quora.

What is the iCloud?

It is, quite simply, a content-sharing service on the cloud. Sources from the music industry have indicated that Apple has signed up with the four major music labels – EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner Music, to provide a music-streaming service in the US. Some are suggesting that the iCloud is designed to be the new iTunes – in which music, videos, podcasts etc will be available for streaming.

What are the best cloud-based sites?

Dropbox.com and YouSendIt.com are just two of the most used cloud-based sites. Dropbox was created in 2007 by two MIT students who were "tired of emailing files to themselves to work from more than one computer". It's a free service that let you share your documents easily. YouSendIt.com allows you to store and send large files over the web.
Spotify is a music-streaming service launched in 2008. Previously free, it recently capped its free usage at 10 hours a month, with a premium membership allowing for unlimited listening at £9.99 a month. It has approximately 10 million users.
Amazon launched its cloud player in March, which gives users 5Gb of storage space to upload songs and play them from any number of Android devices.
Google Docs is a free web-based storage service. It allows users to create and edit text, spreadsheet and slide show documents in real time with other users. Google has also released Music Beta, a streaming service announced last month.
google chromebook cloud computing icloud apple amazon 

Cloud does not create new security problems, IT expert claims

Cloud does not create new security problems, IT expert claims


The information security concerns that organisations have about cloud computing are no different from the security challenges of existing business models such as outsourcing, according to IT security firm Integralis.
Security concerns are routinely cited by businesses as a barrier to the adoption of cloud computing services, but Garry Sidaway, director of security strategy at Integralis, said that the standard issues such as data protection, data back-up and identity authentication, are still relevant.
cloud computing security chromebook


Mahindra Satyam may push cloud for small firms

Mahindra Satyam may push cloud for small firms


Mahindra Satyam (MS) may at some point enter the “promising” business of offering cloud computing services for small and medium businesses (SMBs).

“We already provide infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), virtualisation-as-a-service (VaaS) and security-as-a-service (SaaS), to name a few. The focus right now is our corporate clients. However, we continuously look for options to serve our customers in new segments as we go along,” Venkat Narayanan, senior vice-president and head (strategic initiatives – CTO office) at Mahindra Satyam told Business Standard.

Earlier this year, Tata Consultancy Services, India's largest software exporter, launched iOn, a cloud computing service for SMBs. Narayanan said MS was looking at working on such segments through aggregators. For example, the Union ministry of small and medium enterprises has a programme to identify industry clusters and to work with IT providers to come up with cloud solutions dedicated to a particular cluster.

Google News Google Software Hardware Press Releases Reviews Tutorials Videos 1digg Read again Amazon Now Accepting Chromebook Pre-orders Amazon Now Accepting Chromebook Pre-orders

Amazon Now Accepting Chromebook Pre-orders


Amazon is now accepting Chromebook pre-orders! You won’t be able to place an order by going to Amazon’s Chromebook Store, instead, there’s a little cheeky trick which will allow you to place your order today.
amazon google chromebook chromebook store pre orders 




Samsung Series 5 Chromebook 3G available fore pre-order for $500

Samsung Series 5 Chromebook 3G available fore pre-order for $500


The Samsung Series 5 Chromebook officially goes on sale June 15th. But Google and Samsung have launched a Chromebook preview program which means you can start placing pre-orders now. Sort of.
Here’s how it works. Google started posting special links this morning. If you follow the links you’ll get to a pre-order page at Amazon which may only be available for a limited time.
The first Chromebook to go up for pre-order as part of the preview program is the 3G version of the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook. You can place an order for $499.99, but the laptop probably won’t ship until next week.
Samsung will also be offering a WiFi-only model on June 15th, and Acer plans to offer cheaper 3G and WiFi notebooks running Chrome OS as well. But there are no pre-order links for any of those models yet.
samsung wifi 3g chromebook cloud computing chrome OS acer

Computex 2011: Android will not compete with Chrome OS says Google executive

Computex 2011: Android will not compete with Chrome OS says Google executive

TAIPEI, Taiwan - Visiting Taiwan during Computex 2011, Google’s senior VP of Chrome, Sundar Pichai said the firm would not be porting its Chrome OS to tablets or handsets, nor would it be scaling Android up to Chromebooks.

Since Google's Chrome browser was unveiled in September 2008, its users have exceeded 160 million around the globe.

Discussing the latest developments and strategies of Chrome and Chrome OS at the show, Pichai discussed Google’s plans for ever pervasive cloud computing, always-on connectivity and better performance thanks to hardware optimization for the firm’s software.

“We’re incredibly excited about the progress,” said Pichai to journalists at Google’s press conference in Taipei. “We are approaching 20% share in many countries and there are countries where we are well above 20%,” he added.

iPAD, other touch screen tablets to loose market appeal? ~ au.ibtimes.com

iPAD, other touch screen tablets to loose market appeal? ~ au.ibtimes.com

Amid the growing popularity of the iPad and other touch-screen tablets, research firm International Data Corporation said Monday that worldwide shipments are now expected to grow by just 4.2 percent in 2011, down from its February forecast of 7.1 percent.

IDC said that a combination of declining first quarter shipments, an increasingly conservative economic outlook, relative saturation among developed market consumers, and competing products will lead to slow growth in PC sales (desktops and laptops) in 2011 before a rebound in 2012.  For 2012 through 2015, growth is still expected to fall in the 10 percent to 11 percent range.

Netbooks Out
IDC notes that consumer PC purchases have been a cornerstone of PC growth over the past five years.  During this time, a transition to low-cost portables helped drive purchases by new users in emerging markets as well as replacement and secondary systems in more mature markets.  The growth in 2009 was largely fueled by the mini notebook (also known as netbook) boom.  Consumers in mature regions snapped up over 19 million mini notebooks in 2009 vs. just 6.6 million the prior year, and the jump accounted for over 80 percent of volume growth in the segment. 

Chromebook vs. Netbook vs. Laptop: Which one is right for you? ~ Tecca.com

Chromebook vs. Netbook vs. Laptop: Which one is right for you? ~ Tecca.com

With portable computing options taking on a life of their own, consumers have some hard choices to make when it comes to buying a new notebook. Traditionally grouped together as notebooks are 2 subcategories most people are already familiar with, laptops and netbooks. Recently, however, Google threw another competitor into the marketplace with the addition of the Chromebook.
So which one is right for you? Let's take a look at the pros and cons to help you make your decision.

What is a Chromebook?
Named for its operating system, Google Chrome OS, the Chromebook is the latest portable computer in the notebook realm to hit the market. Soon to be offered by Acer and Samsung, the Chromebook integrates seamlessly with everything Google, from Gmail to Google Docs. Storage is in the cloud, so you'll never lose a file again.


Major selling points for the Chromebook are its 8-second boot time and instant resume from standby. Combine that with a lengthy 8-hour battery life, and you can understand why some think the Chromebook can compete with tablets currently on the market. The Chromebook also comes with a solid state disk drive, so there are no moving parts inside, which means less of an opportunity for the disk drive to crash.
Connectivity with a Chromebook is a breeze. Built-in wifi is easily configured for your home network or public access points on the fly. If you're willing to pay the additional cost, Chromebooks are also available with 3G access to Verizon's network. They come with a paltry 100MB per month of data access, but this can be a lifesaver in a pinch. Pay-as-you-go plans range from a 24-hour unlimited pass to monthly usage up to 2GB. And with the starting cost of a Chromebook coming in at around $500, its 3G connectivity may be its best value-added feature.



Ultrabook to enter an already crowded and confusing market ~ theaustralian.com.au

Ultrabook to enter an already crowded and confusing market ~ theaustralian.com.au

 

Its latest idea, the Ultrabook, was introduced in Taipei last week at the Computex show.
The idea is to marry some attributes of tablet PCs, which are selling like crazy but don't use Intel chips with lightweight laptops, sales of which are a bit slow.

Think of a really thin and light laptop in which you can fold the screen back, turning it into something like a touchscreen tablet. Fold it back again and you have a notebook with a full-sized keyboard, something that's lacking on a tablet.

Ultrabooks, to be made by a number of makers, including Taiwan's Asus, will be less than 2cm thick, have tablet-style features such as touchscreen and instant-on boot-ups, and batteries that run for up to 24 hours.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Amazon CTO hits Australia in cloud push

Amazon CTO hits Australia in cloud push



The chief technology officer of global retailer and technology giant Amazon has scheduled in a trip to Australia in mid-July to spruik the company’s cloud computing offerings, as interest in the burgeoning field of online cloud platforms continues to boom.
The company is currently heavily advertising a series of events across Sydney and Melbourne in mid-July, which will feature as their keynote speaker Amazon CTO Dr Werner Vogels (pictured above), who has played a key role at Amazon over the past decade and is one of the company’s most senior executives. Vogels will be flanked by the company’s Singapore-based Asia-Pacific managing director of its Amazon Web Services cloud division, as well as several other executives.
Amazon is also promising several Australian customer presentations at the event, which will also feature a cocktail reception.
“Whether you are new to the cloud or looking for more knowledge to take your business to the next level, this event will provide the information to successfully navigate the cloud,” the company’s promotional site states. “Highlights of the event include a special opening keynote by chief technology officer of Amazon, Dr Werner Vogels, who will share his perspectives on the current state of the cloud, the changes that Amazon is driving to help companies leverage the Cloud to drive higher efficiency and business growth.
cloud computing icloud amazon australia cloud 

TECHNOLOGY: Cloud computing and your business

TECHNOLOGY: Cloud computing and your business


Cloud computing is:

1. Computing in which services and storage are provided over the Internet
2. On-demand self-service Internet infrastructure where you pay-as-you-go and use only what you need, all managed by a browser, application or API
2. Broken up into multiple segments including: Cloud Infrastructure, Cloud Platforms and Cloud Applications
3. Accessing computing resources that are typically owned and operated by a third-party provider on a consolidated basis in data center locations
4. As with any new technology or service, before purchasing or implementing its is important to understand how it will increase your revenue, decrease your expenses, or mitigate risk throughout your organization. There is an abundance of information on the web related to the advantages and disadvantage of moving to the cloud. In some instances it depends on your industry, business model, and culture. 

A few of the pros and cons that you would typically see when exploring a cloud model include:

Pros

-Low cost of entry (i.e. No need to increase IT staff or skills)
-Fast Implementation (i.e. Great for startups!)
-Low Maintenance (i.e. Maintenance is performed by cloud vendor)
-Round the clock availability (i.e. web based)
Cons
-Performance (i.e. You never really know how much performance is available to you)
-Security (i.e. Data security is at the hands of the cloud vendor)
-Loss of Control (i.e. Customers rely on the cloud vendors disaster recovery model)
-Limited features (i.e. Features in cloud technologies are not as robust as on-premise)

When evaluating if cloud computing is right for your organization, you should take into consideration the following:

Cost (ie. subscription cost and terms)

1. Business model (ie. mobile workforce, long term strategy)
2. Time constraints (ie. major upgrade or upcoming procurement)
3. Security requirements (ie. regulatory requirements)
Vendor options
1. Industry options for cloud computing
2. Required performance levels
3. Reliability and disaster recovery requirements
cloud computing icloutd chromebook microsoft mac internet laptop

Cloud Computing and Hacking

Cloud Computing and Hacking



Hacks such as that which took place against Gmail and the Sony Playstation gaming network are threatening to dampen the take off of Cloud Computing. Such set backs will slow the growth of the ever-expanding Cloud market which is expected to exceed $55 billion by 2014 according to IDC.
The outstanding security issues with Cloud Computing will need to be addressed accordingly if users are going to trust its implementation. This is especially apparent when considering the corporate space and it doesn’t bode well when consumer data is being lost left, right and centre.
“Many enterprises have reservations about the security of cloud computing because of the multi-tenant architecture and the fact that cloud providers are big targets” Steve Hodgkinson, IT research director at UK-based research firm Ovum.
Cloud providers have a huge incentive to put in place the very best security and such measures may make them arguably more secure than most corporate networks.
cloud computing icloud chromebook sony hackers 

I, Cloud-i-us

I, Cloud-i-us



It is perhaps fitting to discuss the future of cloud computing on the IBM i platform on the same day that IT and consumer electronics darling Apple is expected to launch iCloud, its fourth iteration of online services for its various iMac, iPhone, iPod, and iPad devices. If anyone has dibs on the iCloud name, you would think it would be IBM with its iSeries, System i, and Power Systems-IBM i platforms. But Apple ponied up the $4.5 million to buy the iCloud name from its owner and beat IBM to the punch.
Exactly what iCloud is--and isn't--remains cloaked in mystery, of course, because Apple locks things down pretty tightly. But the chatter out there on the Intertubes where Apple has found its resurrection and salvation is that iCloud will be a set of data storage services for its various styles of computers and operation systems being delivered from its brand-spanking-new, $1 billion data center in North Carolina, probably with a hub in California and maybe one each in Asia and Europe at some point.
icloud cloud computing ibm apple 

If Chromebooks succeed, Mac OS X could be the hardest hit

If Chromebooks succeed, Mac OS X could be the hardest hit



Mac OS X never took off in the same way that Windows did. But I suspect that Google Chromebooks will either push users away from Mac OS X towards iOS devices, or have a stranger effect: bring iOS users of the iPad and iPhone closer to its Mac OS X sibling.
With three major desktop operating systems — Windows, Mac OS X and the million variants of Linux — there will soon be another, in a manner of speaking.
Google Chrome OS will be pre-installed and supported by Chromebooks — dedicated light hardware which will run the cloud-based feature set of the operating system.
But while the vast gap in market share between Windows and Mac OS X has slowly narrowed over the last three or four years, mobile operating systems have had their time to shine.
But as the majority now access web services and sites over other applications pre-installed on local machines, Apple could have most to lose in the desktop operating system space, by reducing its already little by comparison user base to lesser-capable devices like the Chromebook.

THE IMPACTS ARE...

Windows XP’s share has been rapidly declining since the launch of Windows 7. With that, Windows 7’s share has been rapidly increasing.An estimated overtake of Windows XP will be in October 2011,according to StatCounter trends.
Mac OS X users have remained consistently low by comparison at around 8%, but the user share has risen ever so slightly in the past year.
Android devices are becoming increasingly popular with nearly double the users it had this time last year. iOS devices are only second to Symbian, yet users figures have peaked and troughed in the past year.
Android devices are expected to overtake iOS devices at either Apple’s lowest ebb in August 2011 or at its highest point, around Christmas 2011, in line with StatCounter figures. However, just after Christmas gone by, analysts estimated the stretch of time could be far greater,estimating late 2012 to early 2013.
Therefore it is arguable that iOS is by far used more than Mac OS X. This naturally is a logical assumption as many Mac devices are not as portable as the iPhone or the iPad. One is more likely to carry their iPhone with them far more regularly than their MacBook, for example.
It is not to say that Apple will be harmed by this, however. Though I expect, if this theory rings true, in that Apple suffers as a result in the desktop operating system arena, then it is quite likely that the booming sales of iOS devices could even out the balance across the board.
Apple, for now, holds the dominance in the tablet market. Because of Android’s open source nature, it can be applied and ported to almost any device, whereas iOS relies on its iPad or iPhone technology to work; automatically excluding a large proportion of younger, less socio-economically viable users.
There are two arguments though which could play in Apple’s favour.
Firstly: though Android devices have yet to overtake iOS devices, Google is already off to good stead by having an open-source, hackable and highly malleable operating system for both tablets and phones. However, iOS is inherently inter-connected with Mac-running devices, and offers fantastic interoperability with other Apple products. Android devices may not be as functional with Chromebooks.
Secondly: because Chrome OS will be all but entirely cloud based, it will offer little non-web functionality. Desktop operating systems will still be needed to ‘maintain’ business, productivity and for use of applications. Chrome OS may well have web-based applications, but Chromebooks will be for mostly personal, rather than productive means.
It is a sit-and-wait game to play, and how it will pan out will be interesting to see. The market share statistics will either change rapidly, with Mac OS X starting to lose out to its iOS sister and competing tablet and phone operating systems like BlackBerry’s future QNX operating system and Google Android.
Then again, it could easily survive and Chromebooks could flop like a dead weight.
CHROMEBOOK cloud computing mac windows chrome os linux                                   

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Ponemon: Security of Cloud Computing Providers

Ponemon: Security of Cloud Computing Providers



"This report, brought to you by CA Technologies and Ponemon Institute, is the second in a two-part series covering the state of cloud security. In the first report, Security of Cloud Computing Users: A Study of U.S. and Europe IT Practitioners (May 2010), consumers of cloud computing were surveyed to determine their perceptions on the situation of security within a cloud environment. In this latest report, it is discovered that the majority of cloud providers surveyed do not believe their organization views the security of their cloud services as a competitive advantage.

This report offers the cloud providers beliefs on the state of cloud security. In addition, it compares the findings from both reports, determining similarities and discrepancies between cloud computing users and providers."

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The Cloud Won't Save You Money

The Cloud Won't Save You Money-And That's OK

When you think of cloud computing, you probably think of lower costs. However, a recent Forrester Research report concluded that companies now spend as much on new projects as on ongoing operations. I see that in the field as well, both in formerly mothballed projects that are brought back to life and in the many new projects that kick off each week.



There are a few factors at work. First, we seem to be in a recovery. Second, we've avoided spending, so there is a huge application backlog. Finally, and perhaps the largest driver, is the movement to cloud computing and the mobile applications that leverage cloud computing.
What's strange is that we've promoted cloud computing as a means to reduce IT spending, yet it's causing the opposite, at least initially. However, instead of hardware and software costs, enterprises are buying cloud services and high-end consulting services, and they're hiring anybody out there who knows what AWS stands for (Amazon Web Services, by the way). The bubble is beginning to inflate, and the spending is rising sharply, thanks to the backlogs and the cloud.
What you need to watch out for is not the spending, but the value delivered. The dirty little secret in the world of cloud computing is that operational cost savings do not provide the value. Rather, the value comes in the operational agility of the cloud-based applications, considering elasticity and agility.
Although many cloud projects are sold as cost-reduction efforts, they often do not provide cost savings. You need to approach them instead for what they really are: strategic investments. Understand that the high initial spending at the front end will lead to a huge ROI and value in the back end -- at least if you're doing cloud computing the right way.
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Look beyond cloud's silver lining

Look beyond cloud's silver lining



System failures in recent weeks involving such companies as Amazon.com Inc. and Sony Corp. have cast doubts on the security and reliability of cloud computing, and should put financial advisers on high alert.



First, Amazon Web Services, which offers computing services and data storage over the Internet, disclosed at the end of April that a technical glitch had caused numerous websites that it hosts for other businesses to run at a snail's pace. The same day, Sony said that personal data of nearly 100 million customers of its gaming services, PlayStation Network and Sony Online Entertainment, had been hijacked by hackers.
The two crises, though different, raise serious questions about the safety of cloud-based systems and should give advisers plenty of pause before deciding to move client information and applications from their hard drives to remote central servers.
Still 44% of the advisers who use the cloud said their top reason is that it makes technology management easier, according to the survey.
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Q&A about Chromebooks

Q&A about Chromebooks




So Google’s made a new laptop?Not exactly. Samsung and Acer have made new laptops called Chromebooks that run on Google’s Chrome OS. They’ll be available starting June 15 at Amazon.com and Best Buy.
Chrome OS? So, not Windows or Mac.Not Windows or Mac. Chrome OS is a new operating system.
How does Chrome OS work? Is it massively different than the other major operating systems out there?Chrome OS is actually pretty different. It is basically a browser—and nothing more than a browser. Everything happens in the browser. There’s no “desktop;” there’s no hard drive.
This makes no sense to me.It is pretty radical. Try thinking of it this way: If you use the Web not just for browsing sites but also for your e-mail, and your word processor (think Google Docs), and your photos, and your banking and a whole host of other things, then do you really need all the extra stuff that an OS like Windows and Mac has?
O.K. I mean, I’m sort of with you here, but walk me through this. What happens when I turn on a Chromebook? And what happens after that?When you turn on a Chromebook, it very quickly (moreso than traditional-OS-based PCs) brings you to a login screen. From there, you can enter your username and password for your Google account (if you have Gmail, it is the same account). If you do not have a Google account, you can log in as a guest.
Once you do that, you’ll see a browser. The browser is Google’s own Chrome browser, which Windows and Mac users have been able to use for about two and a half years. There are no other programs or applications to use. The browser is it.
So where are my files?Well, Chromebooks do have a slot for an optional memory card, and a rudimentary file manager to access saved data there, but Chromebooks have no hard drive of their own.
The assumption is that your files will be stored in the cloud. If you have word-processing documents, you can store those in, say, Google Docs, or Microsoft’s SkyDrive. Your e-mail messages no longer live in an Outlook or Mail application, but on Gmail or Yahoo Mail. Photos are on Picasa or Shutterfly or Flickr.
But there are no other programs?Not really, no. What there are Chrome Apps which are kind of like jazzed-up Web sites. So, for example, there is a Google Docs Chrome App, but it is not very different than simply accessing the Google Docs site. There are also games as Chrome Apps, so you can play Angry Birds or Missile Command, but don’t expect heavyweight gaming experiences like Call of Duty.
So all this assumes I have an Internet connection.Yes. Chromebooks will be sold either with Wi-Fi only, or with Wi-Fi and wireless-data from Verizon.
Wait. So if I’m in a situation where I don’t have an Internet connection, is the Chromebook useless?Not exactly. Some Chrome apps work offline. Google is saying that Google Docs and Gmail will work offline as well. All games that are Chrome Apps work offline. But make no mistake about it, without a (good) Internet connection, Chromebooks are pretty hobbled.
That seems like it could be a pretty significant downside.It very well could be. There are some advantages to this model, however. Like with any cloud-based system, your data is not tied to one machine. You can access it from any computer that is online. Your Chromebook will be updated automatically, in the background, so you will always have the latest version of the OS. Chromebooks are faster to startup than traditional PCs, and if your Chromebook should become damaged or go missing, your data is safe, since it was never on the machine itself, but stored by Google on a server farm somewhere.
Yes, but still: No Internet connection means a really compromised computing environment.Absolutely. It will likely give many people pause before buying one.
And my files—I am never actually in possession of them, right? Google has them?Yes.
Should I be nervous about that?Not really, but some people may not like the idea that all their data is being maintained by someone else.
Tell me about the hardware.Initially, there will be two Chromebooks. The Acer Chromebook will have an 11.6-inch display, weigh 2.95 pounds and start at $349 for the Wi-Fi-only model (3G pricing has not been announced yet). Samsung’s Chromebook (called the Series 5) has a 12.1-inch display, will weigh 3.26 pounds and will cost $429 for the Wi-Fi-only model and $499 for the Wi-Fi and 3G model.
But with the 3G models, I’ll have to buy a data plan, right?Actually, no. Purchasers of 3G Chromebooks will get 100MB of data per month for free for two years from Verizon Wireless. If you want, you will be able to purchase additional data packets on a month-by-month basis for $10 to $50, depending on the amount of data you want.
That’s nice of them. But let me understand something: Chromebooks are going to cost between $350 and $500, right?Yes.
And how much do netbooks cost?Well, just as an example, Best Buy is selling 15 netbooks from $200 to $530 right now.
And those netbooks, what are they running on?Windows 7.
Do they have hard drives?Yes. They range in capacity from 160 to 320 GB.
Are they heavy?Not really. They weigh between 2.4 and 3.1 pounds.
Do they have really small screens?Kind of. 10.1 inches is pretty common. Though there are some 11.6 models out there. If you move into the “laptop” category, you can find models with 14-inch screens in the same price range as netbooks.
So, with these netbooks and laptops that cost the same or less, and weigh the same or less, and come with screens bigger and smaller than Chromebooks, I could still do all those cloud-based things you were talking about, but I could also have a full-fledged computer as well?Yes.
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