It’s here. Windows 8.1 is making it’s debut. If you have Windows 8, you can upgrade for free through the Windows store. If not, you can buy it the old fashioned way starting today: October 18, 2013. Let’s see if we should buy it, or upgrade for that matter.
There’s a lot of praise for the start button. It’s back through Windows 8.1 but it still goes to the start screen. You can turn your lock screen into a great slide show, even on sky drive. You can boot to screens other than the start menu and rearrange all your apps in one swoop. Speaking of apps, you can look at all of them in one place. For all my multi-monitor viewers, the 50:50 snap views will be a lot easier to obtain. And you know they’re going to make the Windows Store easier and more enhanced to get to. App dealers and app users will love that. If you’re not using a mobile device for 8.1, it allegedly runs like gold on a desktop. In fact, you’ll not even need your desktop control panel. Windows Blue will also be know for Windows 8.1.
I don’t know about you, but I’m exercising caution about this Windows 8.1. I’ve been disappointed with Windows systems before. Early this morning, a customer called complaining when she tried to upgrade to 8.1, she got a black screen and couldn’t boot up her computer. Someone is on the case as I speak, but I wonder how many more of these calls we’re going to get. How many complaints about what Windows 8.1 did to their system? Is Windows 8.1 worth getting or upgrading?
It’s amazing how smartphone ads are blowing up. I turn on my Facebook page, and I can’t get away from them (I’m not complaining! I’d rather they pay for it than the public.). It turns out one kind of device is profiting way more than the other.
According to an online marketing company called Nanigans, Facebook ads are nearly 18 times more successful on Apple products then they are on Android products. By successful, I mean revenue earned because of these ads. Revenue per click is 6 times higher for Apple. If that’s not enough, Apple makes companies more than double what they pay for the advertising. On Android, the advertisers lose 10% on their revenue. Here’s another shocker (I call it a shocker): the cost of Facebook ads on Apple and Android are relatively the same.
For the life of me, I can’t figure out or find the cause. Some have hypothesized people pay more for Apple devices. I got to disagree; these Droids?don’t come very cheaply. Some say Apple audience cost more,?but?not much. I saw one stat that breaks down?cost. Generally, an Apple add cost 12 cents lower than an Android. I don’t think that’s enough to make this huge of a difference. But maybe I’m wrong.?I wonder how Droid and iOS match up in?other ads. Why do you think Apple does so much better than?Android on Facebook ads?
First came Western Union. Then came Pay Pal. Now, there’s another way to send cash fast, and you can do it through email.
It’s called Square Cash. It’s available to anyone who has a debit card and an email address. In 2013 America, that’s the vast majority of the population. The?sender emails the recipient, the amount you’re sending the recipient and cc cash@square.com. You’ll be sent to the website, type in the debit card number, and the recipient gets the money. The advantages to this are many: you don’t have to wait days for a check to be mailed and wait more days for that check to clear. You don’t have to remember numbers and go into some convenient stores who may or may not have the cash to fulfill the request, not to mention the lines. You don’t have to remember codes, passwords or reference numbers. You don’t need a special account; it goes straight to your debit card. No middle man needed.
Now there are some negatives. Security seems to be very loose. A hacker or ID thief can pretend to be you and get the money from themselves. Someone can break in the sender’s debit card and get the money meant for the recipient. Square cash makes it’s debut on iPhone and Android. But if hackers can break into cars and tamper with cars, you know?they can hack into debit cards. And nobody is saying anything about spoofing or other security methods. So would you use Square Cash as a sender or a recipient?
By now, you’ve probably seen the commercials. There’s one where watches from pop culture’s past are relived and then it fast forwards to a smart watch. Now it seems like Google is getting in the act.
Rumors circle everywhere about Google finishing up a smart watch project. This potential watch would be patterned after Google Now; it’s technology would be used to build this smart watch. Some say this watch would be launched as early as October 31. Yes, Google products are being released that day, but I’m not buying this October 31 rumor for a watch. This smart watch would be called Gem. The Gem watch could include calendar alarms, emails, SMS and other features. Gem could also include Bluetooth 4.0 and a lengthy battery life.
Keep in mind Android Kit Kat 4.4 is expected to be released October 31. So it would make some sense to at least announce Google Gem. But don’t release it on this day; let it get some more advertising. Plus, shouldn’t they be focused on Google Glass? That release is right around the corner. Okay, yes, other smart watches are getting a lot of press right now. I understand the spirit of competition, believe me.? But wouldn’t it be better to focus on something that has a lot more concrete press than to focus on something based mostly on rumor? And from the Google Gem pictures I’ve seen already, it doesn’t look very appealing. Isn’t it too early for Google to be focused on the Gem?
Just a few hours ago, Facebook got Onavo. Onavo is a mobile app analysis company. Basically, they give advice on apps and data. They’re base on Tel Aviv, Israel.
They’re conflicting reports on how much this buyout?cost?Facebook; it’s in the range of $100-$200 million. Onavo specifically?deals?with?mobile apps and battery life. Facebook is?stepping up it’s mobile game, since more and more people?are using?Facebook on their mobile devices. With?Onavo’s services, this?seems like a great fit. Facebook?Founder/CEO?Mark Zuckerberg is on a campaign?to give?everyone in the world the right to online access. This is a cause Onavo founders Guy Rosen and Roi Tiger share.?Onavo will probably school Facebook on how to attract mobile developers. I can see them teaching Facebook about maximizing their mobile potential, from consumer use to getting companies to put mobile apps through Facebook.
Ironically, Facebook tried to buy Waze, but Google ended up getting it. Waze would’ve been a great prize, but I think Onavo makes a great parting gift. Onavo could use the venture capital and push and Facebook can use the knowledge about mobile apps. My only concern is this might be too expensive. Plus, Onavo only has 30 employees. So economically, this may not be a good idea. As far as technology goes, this is a great idea! Do you think Facebook and Onavo will be a successful merger?
You might find this shocking (yeah, right) but there are many things the federal government struggles with. A competent IT system happens to be one of them.
They were lucky to launch their health care site. The struggle continues to make their IT new and efficient and to catch up with the times. For example, many agencies are still using Windows XP. Most bases didn’t even begin to get weened off of XP and on more modern Windows systems until last year. Keep in mind Windows XP was released in 2003. Their dependency on temporary contractors help matters very little. And they’re the ones who provide even the elementary services. About half the workforce is over 50, and 25% are around retirement age.
One would think it would be obvious. This is an opportune time to hire college graduates in IT to fulfill these voids. At a time when many a 20something are struggling to find work, mounting in debt, and moving back in with their parents, here is a golden opportunity that many can benefit off of. Hire IT/computer science majors! First of all, they’re up on the latest software and hardware and IT technology. Obviously they need the work. And the government needs the help. Whose going to train them? Well apparently most employees are over 50, so they have the experience to bring up the next generation. It may not solve the whole problem, but it would be a start. So what’s stopping them?
