Category: News

We already knew that one of the better launchers for tablets was certainly on its way for smartphones, but the big day has finally arrived folks: the Chameleon launcher for smartphones is officially live and available for all in the Play Store. As with the controversial tablet version, Chameleon launcher for smartphones allows for a unique launcher interface that is completely based on the use of some clever widgets that take up the entire of real estate of a smartphone’s screen.

The launcher is available in the Play Store for Android smartphones operating on Honeycomb or higher devices but there’s a big catch. Potential users can either splurge on a $2.91 version that is for use with smartphones only or go for the $3.99 version which will run on both smartphones and tablets.

Chameleon $2.91 Play Store Download Link

Chameleon $3.99 Play Store Download Link

Come comment on this article: Chameleon Launcher for smartphones officially hits the Play Store

Ed. Note: This is a cross post from the blog of LetsMove.gov. You can find the original post here.

We're excited to announce that our next White House Social will be a Let's Move! Social here, at the White House. On Monday, April 1st, 2013, the First Family will host the 135th annual White House Easter Egg Roll with the theme "Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You!" We are inviting Let's Move! followers on Twitter and Facebook and their children, ages 5 – 13, to join the fun on the South Lawn and of course to share their experience with their followers! The day's activities — which will include sports and cooking demonstrations — will help educate families on smart ways to incorporate healthy eating and exercise choices into their daily routines, key pillars of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative.

Interested in joining? Sign up for your chance to join other @LetsMove followers for the White House Easter Egg Roll at WhiteHouse.gov/Social

In order to apply, you must follow @LetsMove on Twitter or Facebook and you must have children ages five to thirteen. After you sign up for your chance to attend, spread the word! Let your followers know that you submitted your entry for the #WHSocial and tell us @LetsMove. Be sure to sign up soon! Registration closes on Friday, March 22nd at 12:00 p.m. EST.

Samsung and Apple have been duking it out with smartphone market share and in the courtroom, but what about customer satisfaction? Unfortunately things haven’t gone too well for Samsung as Apple came out on top for the ninth consecutive year. According to J.D. Power, Apple scored 855 and performed well in design and ease of operation. Unfortunately, Samsung didn’t even make second place as that went to Nokia with a score of 795. Samsung was a close third with 793, followed by Motorola and HTC.

What makes a user satisfied with their phone? Consumers rank performance the highest (29%) followed by ease of operation (26%), physical design (24%), and features (21%). It should also be noted that the customers surveyed owned their current phone for less than a year.

Hit the break for the full press release.

2013 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction Study–Volume 1 and 2013 U.S. Wireless Traditional Mobile Phone Satisfaction Study–Volume 1

Apple Ranks Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Smartphone Manufacturers, While LG Ranks Highest Among Traditional Mobile Phone Manufacturers

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 21 March 2013 – Overall satisfaction among smartphone customers increases significantly as manufacturers continue to improve styling, feature sets, usability and software, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 U.S. Wireless Smartphone Satisfaction StudySM–Volume 1 and the J.D. Power and Associates 2013 U.S. Wireless Traditional Mobile Phone Satisfaction Study^SM–Volume 1, both released today.

Come comment on this article: Apple beats Samsung in smartphone satisfaction according to J.D. Power

WASHINGTON — NASA and the Department of the Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have released the first images from the Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) satellite, which was launched Feb. 11. 

The natural-color images show the intersection of the United States Great Plains and the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Wyoming and Colorado. In the images, green coniferous forests in the mountains stretch down to the brown plains with Denver and other cities strung south to north. 

LDCM acquired the images at about 1:40 p.m. EDT March 18. The satellite’s Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) instruments observed the scene simultaneously. The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., processed the data. 

“We are very excited about this first collection of simultaneous imagery,” said Jim Irons, LDCM project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. “These images confirm we have two healthy, functioning sensors that survived the rigors of launch and insertion into Earth orbit.” 

Since launch, LDCM has been going through on-orbit testing. The mission operations team has completed its review of all major spacecraft and instrument subsystems, and performed multiple spacecraft attitude maneuvers to verify the ability to accurately point the instruments. 

The two LDCM sensors collect data simultaneously over the same ground path. OLI collects light reflected off the surface of Earth in nine different regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, including bands of visible light and near-infrared and short-wave-infrared bands, which are beyond human vision. TIRS collects data at two longer wavelength thermal infrared bands that measure heat emitted from the surface.

By looking at different band combinations, scientists can distinguish features on the land surface. These features include forests and how they respond to natural and human-caused disturbances, and the health of agricultural crops and how much water they use. Data from LDCM will extend a continuous, 40-year-long data record of Earth’s surface from previous Landsat satellites, an unmatched, impartial perspective that allows scientists to study how landscapes all across the world change through time.

“These first scenes from the new Landsat satellite continue the remarkable output from the Landsat program with better, more useful imagery and information,” said Matthew C. Larsen, associate director for climate and land use change at the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, Va. “We are gratified that this productive partnership between USGS and NASA has maintained the continuity and utility of this essential satellite tool, providing the foundation for land and water management around the globe.”

As planned, LDCM currently is flying in an orbit slightly lower than its operational orbit of 438 miles (705 kilometers) above Earth’s surface. As the spacecraft’s thrusters raise its orbit, the NASA-USGS team will take the opportunity to collect imagery while LDCM is flying under Landsat 7, also operating in orbit. Measurements collected simultaneously from both satellites will allow the team to cross-calibrate the LDCM sensors with Landsat 7’s Enhanced Thematic Mapper-Plus instrument.

“So far, our checkout activities have gone extremely well,” said Ken Schwer, LDCM project manager at Goddard. “The mission operations team has done a tremendous job getting us to the point of imaging Earth.” During the next few weeks, this team will calibrate the instruments and verify they meet performance specifications. 

After its checkout and commissioning phase is complete, LDCM will begin its normal operations in May. At that time, NASA will hand over control of the satellite to the USGS, which will operate it throughout its planned five-year mission life. The satellite will be renamed Landsat 8. USGS will process data from OLI and TIRS and add it to the Landsat Data Archive at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center, where it will be distributed for free via the Internet. 

Visit LDCM First Images to view the images. 

For further information about LDCM, visit LDCM Mission.

For status and technical information about all Landsat satellites, visit Landsat Missions.

Do you get regular reports from your company’s accountants about how your projects are doing financially? Those reports should come with a big red warning label: DANGER — MAY NOT BE ACCURATE.

It isn’t the accountants’ fault. They’re just following what’s known as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or GAAP. But GAAP is exactly where the trouble lies. Here’s an example that shows why.

At our company, we build automation equipment. Our projects range from $100,000 to more than $10 million and take anywhere from a few months to two years to complete. Let’s say we have a $5 million project with estimated total costs of $4 million and a projected profit of $1 million, and we’re expecting it to take 18 months to complete.

After two months we have purchased all the major parts and components of the system, spending $2 million. According to GAAP we are now 50% complete, because we have spent 50% of our budget. The GAAP financial report will recognize half the revenue on the project, or $2.5 million, and half the budgeted profit, or $500,000. Yet we have barely started the job! We still have 16 months of work to do — and we don’t know yet whether we’ll come in on budget.

The disparity between appearance and reality is glaring in this simple example. In the real world the differences are usually less obvious — so project managers often take the financial reports at face value: “Wow, look at all that profit. Let’s go out and buy a new truck.”

That’s why we don’t use GAAP to run our projects. We’ve found it’s much better to track percent complete by comparing actual and budgeted labor hours. That way you always know how much you have done compared with what you’re expected to do. We also issue reports every week showing percent complete and calculating the financials accordingly. That makes it easier for the project manager and the team to take quick corrective measures if things are going off track.

We do, of course, compile our company’s financial statements according to GAAP to keep bankers and investors happy. But we don’t use the GAAP numbers for project management — they’re not an accurate indicator of progress. We want the accountants to help our PMs do their work, not to get in the way.

This is the second post in the authors’ blog series on project management. The series draws on advice from their book Project Management for Profit.

Post #1: The Dirty Little Secret of Project Management

At the OFC/NFOEC (Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exposition/National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference) conference in Anaheim, California this week several vendors have competing 100G technology announcements, fueling the ability to drive big data through ultra-fast networks.

Juniper launches small supercore and 100G routing interface.  Juniper Networks (JNPR) announced the new PTX3000 Packet Transport Router.  Featuring a 10.6 inch depth design, it can rapidly scale up to 24 terabits per second (Tbps), which allows it to simultaneously stream HD video to as many as three million households. The router follows Juniper’s 2011 introduction of the Converged Supercore, a new architecture to bring together the packet and transport worlds. Additionally Juniper announced an integrated packet-transport physical interface card (PIC) with two-ports of line rate 100 Gigabit forwarding for the entire PTX family, which will now enable service providers to cost-effectively interconnect sites more than 2000 kilometers (1,243 miles) apart.  ”To effectively deliver advanced services and remain competitive, service providers need a core network solution that will help streamline their business and reduce operational costs,” said Rami Rahim, executive vice president, Platform Systems Division, Juniper Networks. ”The Converged Supercore is an innovative platform that enhances service provider economics while providing greater value to their subscribers. Following on the heels of the revolutionary PTX5000, the PTX3000 extends these benefits to new markets and geographies with a solution that is tailored for their specific needs.”

Kotura launches 100G with WDM in dense package.  At the OFC/NFOEC event Kotura demonstrated its Optical Engine in a Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP) package. Kotura is the only photonics provider to demonstrate WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) in a 100 gigabits per second (Gb/s) 4×25 QSFP package with 3.5 watts of power. “The QSFP package enables our customers to fit 40 transceivers across the front panel of a switch, providing 10 times more bandwidth than CFP solutions,” said Jean-Louis Malinge, Kotura president and CEO. “Because we monolithically integrate WDM and use standard Single Mode Fiber duplex cabling, our solution eliminates the need for expensive parallel fibers. No other silicon photonics provider can offer WDM in a 3.5 watt QSFP package.”

Applied Micro Launches stand alone OTN processor. Applied Micro (AMCC) announced the TPO215 processor, a standalone OTN processor that enables 10 x 10G line cards for OTN cross connect and Packet-Optical Transport System (P-OTS) applications. Delivering advanced framing, mapping and multiplexing, the TPO215 doubles the capacity of existing OTN framers while providing advanced security features. The product supports 10 x 10G channels for a total capacity of 100G. “AppliedMicro continues to pioneer technologies that will drive a new generation of networking equipment for telecommunications, data center and cloud connectivity,” said George Jones, vice president and co-general manager, Connectivity Products, at AppliedMicro. “The desire to transition to packet-aware optical transport networks requires network equipment vendors to partner with semiconductor companies that have established expertise in the latest optical networking solutions. This processor helps enable the required infrastructure for dramatically improved user experiences.”

Broadcom enables higher density 100G long haul.  Broadcom (BRCM) announced a fast CMOS transmitter PHY for long-haul, regional and metropolitan data transport. The BCM84128 100G transmitter achieves an aggregate data rate of 128 Gbps at a low power draw of only two watts. Using 40 nanometer CMOS process technology it provides a full-rate clock output at 32 GHz and paves the way to 100G long-haul networks. ”The BCM84128 high performance transmitter PHY reflects the industry-leading innovation we are known for, allowing OEMs to leverage 100G PHYs developed in standard CMOS process technology with its inherent advantages of lower power and reliability,” said Lorenzo Longo, Broadcom Vice President and General Manager, Physical Layer Products (PLP). “Today’s introduction provides Broadcom with the opportunity to participate in a new market segment and pave the way for 100G optical transport.”

A few weeks back we took a look at some of our favorite, or most anticipated apps for BlackBerry 10 and Melanie M. mentioned that she can’t wait to get BlackBerry Travel on her new BlackBerry Z10. Good news for her (and everybody else who’s picked one up) BlackBerry Travel is now available for BlackBerry 10.

If you’ve been using previous generations of BlackBerry Travel, you’ll know that it is definitely a must have for travelers. I’ve written a few times in the past about how the app makes your life easier while on the go. You can plan, book, manage, and share their travel arrangements with friends, colleagues and on social and professional networks while on the go.

BlackBerry Travel for BlackBerry 10 includes all of the great features that make travel simple for BlackBerry customers including: Automatic Trip Scanning, Travel Notification in BlackBerry Hub, Hotel and Car Rental Booking, Itinerary Management, Social Sharing, Search Flights, and Time-Saving Tools. On top of that there are also some new features added as well.

Check them out here:

• Trip Status Sharing – It’s now even easier to post your trip updates on BBM, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. With Trip Status Sharing, you can keep your friends and colleagues up-to-date on your travel adventures immediately as they unfold.
• Flight Status Sharing – BlackBerry Travel has always kept you up-to-date with real-time flight statuses and with BlackBerry Travel for BlackBerry 10, you can share this information with your colleagues, friends and social networks. If your flight is delayed, cancelled or changed terminals, you can easily and quickly inform others and make sure they know when and where to pick you up from the airport.
• Price Alerts, Change Offers and Upgrades – The new Price Alert service with BlackBerry Travel for BlackBerry 10 helps ensure you’re always getting the best hotel deal. It will put your mind at ease and automatically notify you if there’s a better price for the hotel room you booked, a comparable hotel for a cheaper price, or if there’s a much better hotel for slightly more. In many cases, you can cancel your original booking without penalty and re-book the better deal through BlackBerry Travel.
• BlackBerry ID – With BlackBerry ID, you’ll never have to login to BlackBerry Travel again. You’ll have instant access to all of its features as soon as you launch the app. Even on your first time using BlackBerry Travel, BlackBerry ID will automatically fill in the registration form for you.

If that’s got you excited, you’re not alone – and better yet it’s available as a free download on the BlackBerry World storefront. Planning any trips in the near future? Be sure to share the excitement with us in the comments, and if you’ve got any tips for using BlackBerry Travel, we’d love to hear your story.

Please note the app may take up to 24 hours to appear in the BlackBerry World Storefront.

With the growing deployments of mobile devices driven by the “bring your own device” trend and the increasing usage of multi-tenanted SaaS platforms, the end result is that more IT resources are not only physically moving outside the firewall but they are also outside the visibility, management and even ownership of the IT organization. Regardless of where the devices and applications reside, and who owns them, IT organizations still require controls over these resources that are accessing and/or storing corporate data consistent with security and compliance best practices.

One key aspect of these controls is that an IT organization must manage users’ digital identities and the corresponding roles and rights those identities have across mobile devices, servers and applications — that is, IT must still manage who can access what business systems, even though it no longer owns the endpoints or backend resources. Related to this is the increasing burden on end users to keep up with all the URLs and passwords they need to remember to do their jobs.

Centrify solves this challenge by delivering a set of unified identity services that centrally manage identities across data center, cloud and mobile to optimize cost, agility and security. Our identity services include integrated authentication, access control, privilege management, policy enforcement and compliance. Click here to see Centrify’s solution for mobile and SaaS SSO in action. You will love the results — one single login for users and one unified identity infrastructure for IT.

So is Google’s own widely praised contextual search app coming to iOS soon or not? At an event in India on Thursday, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt wasn’t very forthcoming with a definitive answer. But depending on how you read into what he said, Google may have already submitted the app to the iOS App Store for review. Or maybe it hasn’t.

At the Google Big Tent Summit, he was asked by the event’s moderator when Google Now would come to iOS. His response? Well, he played coy, as Mahendra Palsule noted on Twitter:

Alan: "When can I get Google Now on my iPhone?" Schmidt: "You'll have to ask Apple" #BigTentIndia—
Mahendra Palsule (@ScepticGeek) March 21, 2013

Schmidt went on to say, somewhat cryptically, “Apple has a policy of approving or disapproving apps that are submitted into its store, and some of them they approve and some of them they don’t.” That could be read as a hint that Google is simply waiting for Apple to approve the app.

The reason the question is on many people’s minds is because last week a video surfaced online that was purportedly a promotional video for Google Now coming to the iOS platform. The video seemed to have the same narrator as an earlier video promoting Google Now for Android, but the iOS video was promptly pulled from YouTube after discovery; usually that’s a tell-tale sign the promotion is legitimate.

Google Now was very well received when it was launched as part of the Android Jelly Bean operating system in mid-2012. By knowing the user’s location, the time of day, and search habits, it can offer properly contextualized search results.

It seems a lock that Google would want it to be on iOS. Google Now is a solid competitor to Apple’s own Siri. And Google has made it its goal to make better iOS apps than Apple, recent releases and revamps of Google apps for iOS include Capture, YouTube for iPhone and iPad, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Voice Search and Chrome for iOS.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
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• Analyzing the wearable computing market
• Carrier IQ and the continued erosion of operator trust
• The future of mobile: a segment analysis by GigaOM Pro

When BlackBerry 10 was first unveiled, BlackBerry said that the devices would launch with over 70,000 apps. It’s been almost two months since then and the platform is starting to pick up the pace.

BlackBerry announced today that the BlackBerry 10 platform now has over 100,000 apps. The company says that it added 30,000 apps over the span of seven weeks, which is pretty impressive no matter how you look at it. The platform isn’t slowing down either with BlackBerry 10 adding a number of new apps to BlackBerry World over the next few weeks: