Last Post - Thanks!

I thought the the final post of the semester should represent the closure of my experience at Eastern. It has been a great ride. I look forward to seeing where everyone ends up in the business world - I am sure that we have been given the skills necessary for success. Eastern has allowed us all to grow in ways that we may not even be made aware of right now.

I just wanted to send out a thank you to all of my Professors throughout these last four years... mostly for putting up for my terrible jokes and puns. I wish you all the best. I hope that Eastern continues to value your expertise as much as I know the students do. I would also like to thank my group this semester - you all did a great job and I am proud of our end result.

As we all search for jobs, try to open our businesses, or just go home to be with family, I am sure that the experiences for the last four years will never be forgotten. College is supposed to be the best time of your life - I think that it is just the beginning.

IT Jobs

There are many opportunities available for those of us who have fallen into the IT field. Many of them seem to be rather high paying, but there is one major drawback in today's economy - experience. There are people that are actively seeking for jobs that have fifteen years experience, that do not require any training other than corporate processes, and who are more willing to relocate in order to take/maintain a job.

There is hope, though. Careerbuilder.com states, “Business expansion and the increased reliance on technology within all sectors has resulted in a competitive environment for skilled IT professionals,” says Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology. “Many companies are raising base compensation for new hires and offering additional perks, including signing bonuses and equity incentives, to recruit and retain top candidates.” This means that, assuming you find a proper job, you will be put into a better situation than there would have been some years ago.

I can only hope that there are positions that are actively seeking recent graduates, as many of the job requirements that I have seen seem to want experience, experience, and more experience. Cross your fingers, everyone - we might need a little luck.

API Documentation

One of the main issues this semester was the lack of available for each individual API that many of us attempted to use. Google has set up discussion groups and blogs that will assist you in the development of a workable API, but even then there are many situations that are not easily worked around or understood.

An example of this struggle would be with the attempted use of the C-Net API. There were so many variations of it [Java Script, PHP, etc] that I believe the developers lost the simplicity that API's are supposed to achieve. There really should not be a reason why implementation of this sort should be difficult, but it remains so.

Even if there is documentation for an API, many of them have usage limits that are simply unreasonable. I have seen examples where there was only an allowance of three requests per hour - just testing the API would have put you over the limit. Many of the methodologies are created by people who quickly put something together, rather than those who were actually trying to make life a little easier. Worst of all, it is extremely difficult to read and understand code that was not developed yourself.

All things being equal, finding documentation turned out to be a project in and of itself. I hope everyone had a good time creating their projects.

Office 2011 for Mac

Office 2011 is supposed to be a large upgrade for the industry. New ease-of-use improvements, the introduction of integration between all applications, and the introduction of Outlook for Mac are all supposed game-changers. The version for Windows is sure to include "cloud" capability, with the ability to save documents on a non-centralized server system that will let you share documents like on Google Docs.

The Mac version, however, may not be able to jump on this bandwagon - at least, not for a while. Microsoft has historically left Mac out in the dust in terms of software upgrades and capabilities. It could be the use of the Cocoa application language, presenting a large barrier of entry for the corporation, the inability to use their .Net platform, or even their business sense telling them not to do it.

I just hope that they remove the ribbon, the toolbar, and the formatting palette. Really now, mac users do not need a user-interface difference between the office applications on PC's. They are, at the very least, trying to make office for mac run as efficiently as possible, as well as integrating its interface to look more like native mac applications.

Japan's SIM Card Technology

Buy whatever phone you want and then use it with whichever service you want - a man can dream. This dream, however, may soon become a reality... in Japan. The government has launched a review of the SIM lock technology that prevents simply swapping SIM cards with a separate carrier. The proposed legislation will not be applicable to the use of international sim cards.

In the United States, you are able to swap SIM cards if the carrier runs on the same type of network, but ATT and Verizon run separate, incompatible networks. Simply put, it is impossible to run an iPhone on Verizon regardless of how much hacking you do on it.

A [fairly] simple work-around for the Japanese carriers would be to remove the inclusion of SIM cards altogether, tying the phone itself to the account much like Sprint in the United States. This allows the carriers to still lock people into a contract, based off of the phone alone. Tread softly, Japan, for you are treading on my dreams.

Flash

There are rumors of a deeper partnership between Google and Adobe - the Chrome browser may ship with Flash built right in. The implementation of the new HTML5 standard is a large threat to Flash, as many video playback features are standardized and integrated into the new code. One of the main complaints about flash is that it is a stand-alone installation that must occur on all browsers, rather than being a shipped component.

Flash is also working with Google, Mozilla, and the internet community in general to create a new API that can provide a better way for plug-ins to interact with each other. They state that the current system lacks the flexibility and power to support the expected pace of innovation.

The largest issue that Flash has historically had to battle were the security issues that it has had to battle, most notably the security risks that were introduced by the use of their features. The most popular (by a slim margin) non-computer devices that surf the internet are also not Flash compatible, producing yet another barrier for their continued existence. Only time will tell what will happen to the company - I really do not see room for them in the future.

Android Hits 30,000 Apps

The Android app store has finally hit 30,000 applications, which is more than double what was available in December - but they still lag behind Apple rate of application development. The most important factor, however, is still up in the air - with thousands of applications similar to the iFart application within the Apple app store, the difference in the quality of the apps may differ greatly.

The Android platform's app store has a large focus on open source, free applications in comparison to the iPhone's for-profit business model. Many developers attempt to release free applications with reduced functionality within the Apple store, which could effectively double the amount of applications within the store. With that said, there are multiple applications that do the same functions within the store - i.e. there are many text editors or instant messaging programs.

Many developers are releasing Android marketplace versions of their games for free while simultaneously releasing paid versions within the iTunes app store. It is possible that the Android marketplace's limited number of users (in comparison to the iPhone's market share) may be one of the compelling reasons why applications are not being created at a rapid rate, as the potential profit may not be compelling enough to bring developers over to the platform.

Google's New China - Update

Twenty seven Chinese companies that have purchased ads on Google's search engine have banded together to demand answers from Google, stating that they placed pre-payments on keywords and that if Google were to shut down its Chinese business that it could have drastic effects. Google's business dealings in China account for roughly 1% of their revenue, but the company currently employs 700 people. The Chinese government also delayed the launch of the Android-operated phones from Samsung and Motorola solely due to their association with Google.

The large issue with Google pulling out of China is that people were depending on their services to be the helpful hand that would pull the nation out of a censorship-state. True, Google is not the largest search engine within the nation [holding a 35% market share], but the removal of the beacon of free speech in the east would represent the ability of the Chinese government to dictate, once and for all, what its citizens can and can not look at.

Some claim that Google sacrificed its moral standing when they entered China's market five years ago, initially complying with the nation's censorship demands. Google needs to tread softly in this time of trial, as their final decision is not simply a business one - it is morally and politically involved as well.

Windows Mobile 7 Flash

One of the largest complaints about the iPhone is the lack of Flash. With over six million download requests in December 2009 alone, it is clear the users expect flash to be present on a mobile device at this point. Many expect that Windows Mobile 7 will be compatible with Flash, given Microsoft's close relationship with Adobe. The introduction of flash on Windows Mobile will finally allow Microsoft to one-up Apple... but can they do it?

The simple answer is no. Steve Ballmer recently announced that Windows Mobile 7 will not have Flash capability at initial release. Many may say that the capability will eventually be integrated into the OS, but Microsoft has a dirty history of keeping the status-quo with many of its products. Windows Vista, for example, was supposed to come with a new file system that would speed up data access rates and allow for superior organization, but Microsoft simply never got around to it.

Flash requires processing power that is capable with current technology, but the battery life of any device using it would be the equivalent to those which are currently using GPS. The number of flash applications is begging to dwindle and HTML 5 is supposed to remove the necessity of the Flash format, which may actually make this entire post into a moot point.

1Gbps Streaming?

The average internet user in the United States pays for broadband ranging from 1 - 12Mbps, allowing us to stream videos and download songs at a fairly decent rate. Even with these modern "fast" speeds, there are still situations in which faster speeds may be necessary. Siemens recently went to 500Mbps streaming with the use of white LED's, but there is a solution that works even better than that.

A Penn State graduate student and a professor have but a mechanism that sends data at a blazing 1Gbps. "Their setup sent data across a room by modulating a beam of infrared light that was focused on the ceiling and picking up the reflections using a specially modified photodetector. The pair says that their measurements show the system could support data rates "well beyond" the one gigabit per second they are currently claiming."

A wireless N connection is currently only capable of about 300Mbps and anyone who has done large data backups over this speed knows that it can still take quite some time, especially considering multiple users on the same router who may be using its resources. I personally look forward to this being available to the public. Take that, FIOS.

App Development: iPhone vs. Android

Apple's custom application integration changed the way we use smartphones - phones integrate into our daily routine, changing how we are connected to the world. The days of simply checking your email are gone - you can remotely connect to your computer from half a world away. The development of the android operating system created an open source solution to programmers, attempting to "free up" the market and make platform development easier. The iPhone, however, still has a tedious approval process, but maintains a larger customer base. This fact alone poses one question: what do developers prefer? It's simple.

The larger the customer base the better, meaning that Apple has won by a landslide. The platform in and of itself is simple to program for, the SDK is available to nearly everyone, and only a small portion of applications fail to pass the application process. Developers have access to daily download statistics and have near complete control over their application. The Android platform, though powerful, simply does not have the subscriber base.

The iPhone has also begun to seep into business with its simple exchange integration and, with the recent upsurge of business use, many business have begun to create their own applications for use. The android platform still has the stigma of being a toy, much like the iPhone did at first, but can not quite seem to shake it. Apple set the barriers of entry very high within the app market, and only time will tell if other platforms can compete.

API Trends

Web 2.0 introduced a whole new level of functionality to the average internet user and developer. Applications like Google Maps, Flickr, PhotoBucket, del.icio.us, and Facebook have started trends that many say are irreversible in web behavior. The internet has turned into more than a scientific, fact-finding tool - it has become an ever-changing monster that has infiltrated our daily lifestyles and routines. Many would assume that with this growth, a wide array of API's would be spread across the market and used evenly... but it seems to be more of a first come, first serve basis.

Google is dominating the API usage index. Over 1000 mashups use a Google API (webmaster tools, analytics, Google Maps). 43% of all API mashups are involved with mapping locations, with the second most used API is used for photography purposes. Google maps alone is used in 50% of mashups that are commonly used today - that is no small feat.

It seems that many of the API's that have been released to the market are actually created for entertainment purposes rather than business related activities. This may be one of the driving forces that is shaping the internet as we know it today. It is turning into a toy and the API's are helping this transformation move right along. The mashups that are created by the use of API's, however, will eventually allow for extremely fast and convenient applications and utilities that are solely web based... I hope.

Apple iPad

Apple's latest product - the iPad, is a simplified tablet-style mac that serves very similar functionality to the iPhone. iPad has a 9.7in backlit screen with both horizontal and vertical viewing capabilities. It will have access to over 100,000 applications in the iTunes app store at launch, and will start at roughly $500. There will be two versions available: AT&T 3G capable and a version that is only wi-fi capable. The AT&T version will have a base price of $30/month for unlimited data access using their 3G network.

The device functions much like a netbook in terms of processing power, but is able to render high definition video for up to *ten hours* using Apple's new 1GHz A4 processor. Many assumed that this new device would be a fully functional OSX macintosh in tablet form, but this tablet is more of an accessory device - an intermediary unit for the most common daily activities. With full Safari browser, eBook capabilities, and the vast array of applications and accessories available for the unit, this unit will not suffer from any lack of capability in comparison to its netbook brothers.

As a side note, Apple has yet to differentiate this product from the iPhone. It uses a similar navigation system, the same base applications, has the same capabilities - including using 3G data networks - and will hold the same general functionality of their current top-seller. Many users have already stated that they do not have plans to acquire the device unless major differences truly do exist. The unit will be released in March and I am sure that we have much to learn yet.

Google's New China

Google recently faced a cyber attack that originated from China that was attempting to steal intellectual property from the company. The attack was also aimed at many other corporations that are involved in many business categories such as web-based companies, finance, technology, media, and finally chemical sectors. The main goal of the attack was to access Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists.

Google's investigation claims that the attackers did not get any information other than the date the accounts were created and the subject lines of certain emails - no actual email content was seen. The attacks were not limited to Chinese Gmail consumers - dozens of U.S. and European-based users were threatened, all of which were supporters of the human rights movement that has been cropping up in China. Google states that accounts that were accessed were done so through phishing or malware attacks on user's computers.

The interesting bit of detail in this story is that it wasn't a user or a group of users who were seeking this information - it was a government. This shows that the Chinese government does not respect intellectual property and is willing to commit crimes in order to silence those who oppose them. With this said, Google is reconsidering its stance with China in filtering web searching and content.