Techno-News Blog

by Tom Simonite, Technology Review

Software can solve video puzzles intended to prevent spam bots acting like humans. It’s been getting harder to prove you’re a human online in recent years. The squiggly letters known as CAPTCHAs that protect websites against spam software have got more distorted, as the software has got better at reading them. That was why I thought it worth noting when NuCaptcha launched its video CAPTCHAs, which are easier for humans but still secure and have been adopted by sites including Groupon. Now researchers at Stanford suggest they, too will have to become more cryptic.

http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/editors/27607/?p1=blogs

By Nathan Eddy, eWeek

Notebook? Check. Smartphone and trusty tablet? Check. USB adapter … D’oh! There’s nothing more exasperating for road warriors than finding themselves traveling without the essential tools they need to do their jobs, whether it’s taking notes out in the field, keeping connected to the office from a far-flung location, or even just keeping all gadgets charged and ready to go. In today’s digital age, the number of gizmos seems only to be increasing, and it’s easy to get bogged down with technology that isn’t really necessary or is overly complex to use. At the same time, the resurgence of tablet computing, the rise of wireless technologies and the ubiquity of WiFi access mean road warriors today have more options than ever to stay connected and productive. Here’s a look at 10 gadgets that can help boost productivity when on the go, no matter where the journey takes you.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Midmarket/10-MustHave-Gadgets-for-Road-Warriors-247790/?kc=rss

By: Brian T. Horowitz, eWeek

At the HIMSS12 health care IT conference, Avaya introduced its Mobile Clinical Assistant messaging application, along with new unified communications and telehealth offerings. Avaya, a developer of networking and unified communications tools, unveiled a future health care iOS messaging tool along with other new products at the HIMSS12 health care IT conference in Las Vegas. The company showed its Mobile Activity Assistant, an app that provides secure communication for nurses and hospital staff through text messaging. It will be available initially on iPhones and iPads, but Avaya plans to launch it on other mobile platforms in about six to nine months, Sanjeev Gupta, general manager of Avaya Healthcare Solutions, told eWEEK. The application allows nurses to send call alerts and receive critical notifications on patient conditions.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Health-Care-IT/Avaya-Demonstrates-Health-Care-Messaging-App-for-iPhone-iPad-890136/?kc=rss

By: Michelle Maisto, eWeek

Android users are less inclined to download apps than iPhone users, which leads to developers having to charge higher prices for apps in the Android Market, according to Canalys. Apple iOS users are generally paying lower prices for apps than users of Android devices, according to a Feb. 23 report from research firm Canalys. While free apps are the most downloaded apps on both platforms, prices of the top paid-for apps, says Canalys, are “dramatically higher” in the Android Market than in the Apple App Store. The top 100 paid-for Android apps, for example, would cost $374.37—more than 2.5 times the $147 it would cost to buy the top 100 paid iOS apps. Even narrowing the selection to the top 10 or 20 apps in each category, said Canalys, showed a “striking disparity in pricing.”

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/iPhone-Apps-Are-Cheaper-than-Android-Report-321632/?kc=rss

By Clint Boulton, eWeek

If there is a major theme in high-tech in this early part of 2012, it’s on consumer data privacy, with a number of both good and bad developments. Google, Apple, Path and several other Silicon Valley companies have dominated headlines. We’ve seen Google’s controversial privacy policy change proposal in January. We watched the drama around Apple’s easy enabling of address book sharing for third-party apps like Path, Facebook and others unfold. Last week, we learned of Google’s trickery of Apple Safari to enable online ad cookies to run in the Web browser for Macs, iPhones and iPads. But it hasn’t been all bad news. On Feb. 22, President Barack Obama unveiled a consumer privacy bill of rights. On the same day, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and others embraced the Do Not Track privacy feature proposed by the Federal Trade Commission.

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Google-Embraces-Do-Not-Track-Button-Obama-Proposes-Privacy-Rights-835086/?kc=rss

by BBC

President Obama’s page on Google’s social network site has been inundated with messages in Chinese after restrictions in China were removed. Every current topic on Mr Obama’s Google+ page attracted hundreds of Chinese comments. Some contributors made jokes; others said they were occupying the site in the style of western Occupy campaigns. Google+ is normally blocked in China along with other social media that the authorities deem unacceptable. But on 20 February 2012 internet-users in many parts of China found they could gain access to the site – prompting some to suggest occupying it, in a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Occupy Wall Street campaign.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-17167770

By Darryl K. Taft, eWeek

Microsoft is delivering the beta versions of Visual Studio 11 and the .NET Framework 4.5 on Feb. 29. In a “sneak peek” with press and analysts, Microsoft shared some details about what the software giant plans to include in the next major version of its flagship development tools suite, code-named Visual Studio 11. S. “Soma” Somasegar, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Developer Division, said the new toolset focuses on three primary themes: modern consumer and business apps, simplified and productive development environment, and collaborative and agile software teams. Moreover, Somasegar said, “We will be in lock-step between the platform [Windows 8] and the tools.”

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/Microsoft-Visual-Studio-11-Beta-A-Sneak-Peek-595970/

By Fiona Graham, BBC

Technology giant Microsoft and its advisory panel, the Anywhere Organisation, advocate a more flexible, horizontal organisation. The catalyst for this was its Dutch office in Amsterdam. The general manager there, Theo Rinsema, was faced with a cramped office environment and a workforce who were selling a philosophy to customers that had little to do with the way they themselves were working. At Microsoft’s Amsterdam office staff have no fixed desks, and choose where to sit depending on the type of work they have to do that day. Staff – including Mr Rinsema – no longer have a desk, and are encouraged to decide where they work that day based on the tasks they have to do. This could be in the open area on the first floor that includes a restaurant, coffee bar, meeting rooms and breakout areas, a private room on another floor or a hot desk. They are also encouraged to work from home where possible.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17081036

by the BBC

The White House has called on internet firms to develop stronger privacy protections for consumers. The move comes amid worries that browsing information is being tracked and given to advertisers. State attorneys in 36 states recently sent a letter of concern over Google’s plan to share personal information across its products. As part of the announcement, the firms’ ad networks said they would support a “Do Not Track” browser option. The US has advocated since 2010 for “Do Not Track”, a one-click option to prevent information gathered while web browsing being shared with third parties.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-17144760