Kill Switch for All

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="153" caption="Image via CrunchBase"][/caption]

There has been a bit of news surrounding the finding of a "bad Apps database" for the iPhone, giving Apple a "Kill switch" option for any dodgy apps released into the iPhone.  Flack was fired at the Apple, but apart from keeping the company and the product in the news headlines, there doesn't seem to have been much effect.

Those who hoped the Google Phone (G1) was going to be a saviour from the new "restrictive" ways of Apple were sadly mistaken, after the discovery of Google's own "Kill switch".  Why are we so surprised that Google would have such a feature in their phone?  They have three good reasons - platform reliability, customer support, and finally, "Apple got away with it".

I was listening to the latest 1Up Yours Podcast (Gaming) to the discussion about the techniques gaming companies use to part us from our cash.  The point was made that with each generation, gamers become more de-sensitised to what, in previous generations, would never have been accepted.  Frog in boiling water scenario, anyone?  And guess what, gaming has many parallels with the tech industry, especially with the PDA battle going on at the moment.

Apple give us a great user experience, far better than the Windows mobile, or any other traditional offerings.  For us to have that great experience, though, Apple needed to lock down and restrict the hardware and software.  This annoyed a vocal few, but everyone else is too busy being cool to care.  Of course, Google know this (remember that Google know everything) and it would be silly of them to take a complete backward step over the ground that Apple has made with the iPhone.

Keeping the above in mind, the penetration of the kill switch may, in a few years, switch from the mobile phone, where it does have its place, to other, more open, platforms.  Anyones guess who will offer it first, but imagine Apple offering developers a platform where all pirated software could be remotely deleted?  I'm sure there would be a major customer shift to Windows if they implemented it, but guess where all the new tricked-out software would be found?  Adobe and others would shift to the platform that gives them the best security and quality for their customers who pony up for their software.

You're right, it probably won't happen.  In fact, I'm sure there will be hack for the Kill Switch on the G1 pretty soon, mainly because of its openness.

But is that a good thing?  Will you be trusting your data to a possibly unsafe platform? Or would you prefer a closed secure platform?  I don't really think Apple would do it, they have more to lose.  But if Microsoft offered it as part of a new cloud-based platform, I could see a shift in the playing field.....

Jason Remnant

..if it is Broken, why fix it?

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Pointui 2

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="252" caption="All secret and stuff."][/caption]

Some time ago I wrote on the features of a GUI project for the Windows Mobile platform called Home, made by the guys at Pointui.com.  At the time they had dropped the 1.5 version and I was having a lot of fun with it.

In internet time that was like, years ago, and apart from a 1.5a release there hasn't been much movement on Home or the website.  I was beginning to think the project was dead, and without much else out there, I started looking longingly at the iPhone.

But then I received an email from the Poitui team (I donated) apologising for the wait and talking about Home 2.0.  Apparently they have been building a theme for another company for the last couple of months, and were getting paid.  I totally understand, guys.

With a new site design and the promise of a new version of Home, I urge all Windows Mobile users to keep an eye on Pointui.

Jason Remnant
..if it's broken, why fix it?

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Gadget Mania

I like technology, and I love gadgets.  I have a fondness for the device that offers me problem solving, with a dash of technology, and of course an element of geekiness (views expressed here are that of the writer, and are not that of his long suffering wife and very non-geeky children).  You can imagine my squeaks of delight at all the developments in mobile phones and computing.

I spend a bit of time watching tech news on sites like Engadget and Gizmodo, allowing me to get my fix of nerd bling.  There are so many cool gadgets out there, and I'm sure that many of them will never be seen (which is a shame, ha ha!), or perhaps they just don't make it to our conservative Australian shores.

The problem with keeping up to date with the latest gadgets and technology is that you are never happy with what is currently available, because you know that the next big thing is right around the corner,  just waiting to get clearance off the boat.

Along with the good, there are also a lot that don't quite make it to Australia and into Big W or Harvey Norman.  Here are a couple I found this week that really define the word "Gadget".

The Vertical Bed
First, the Vertical Bed.  The Vertical Bed sums up the whole problem solving part.  It is a gadget the solves the problem of having a nap while you are waiting in line for concert tickets or iPhone.

Watch Safe
Now here is a nifty gadget to keep your watches safe.  The Bentley Watch Safe is one of those security gadgets that will always appeal to the "I wish I had money to spend on watches" in all us guys, but will only be bought by the "Do you also have a safe for my Ferrari's?" kind of guy.

Sorry 3 year old Pulsar, you'll have to go in the drawer again.

HTC Touch HD
Here is an example of keeping up-to-date when I'm drooling over the pre-release of a mobile phone that probably won't be available in Oz for some time.  The HTC Touch HD looks like it will be the Windows Mobile phone we will all want in the coming years, as long as the build quality is a little better than the JasJam, and the rest of their lines.  But I can dream, and doesn't it look good next to the iPhone?

But wait there is more...

There is also the Toaster computer and the USB drive bottle opener, but I'm sure y'all already have one of each.   There are crazier gadgets out there, the tech world seems to revolve around throwing weird things at people and seeing who throws money back.

I can only hope one day to earn just one of their R & D budgets.....

Jason Remnant
....if it ain't broken, why fix it?

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Is it getting easier to be green?

Image by Darwin Bell via Flickr

Back in the old days as a child, I and many of my generation were taught the importance of the environment, and how we had to work to protect and conserve it for the future.  This was a reasonably straight forward thing for us, as most of us lived or were brought up on farms where our lives and future seemed very intertwined with said environment.

Now, farming and a lot of the direct industries which work with the environment, have undergone massive changes to their practices and products.  Farming today is more in tune with the environment that it shares, mainly because if it wasn't, there probably wouldn't be a environment to support farming.

I often wonder if any of that education on the importance of protecting and conserving the nature has had any effect on the technology that we have.  If those of my generation have been working on new technologies destined to solve the problems or practices of the previous generation's technology.

I found a post on Environmental Graffiti on "11 Green Technologies That Vanished..." and I found some of my answers.  It appears, and I can remember a few, that there have been a number of noble efforts to create green technologies, it's just not many make it to market.  Classed as 'Eco Vapour-ware', these technologies have promised much, and as the conspiracy theorists fight over the reasons why they came to nothing, we can only hope that the real technologies will one day make it through.

As a side note, it is interesting to see the role that the new tech 'A' listeners seem to be taking.  Kevin Rose grabbed a bit of attention with his iPower idea this week, and as the Tesla's start getting delivered, it seems that the tech crowd are putting their money where their carbon footprint was.  As much as I won't be able to afford to buy into these green technologies now, as was pointed out by Jason Calacanis, (when questioned about his coming Tesla ) he and the others are founding the development of better price, and featured versions.

So maybe the above list of failures may have been shorter if they were pitched to the 30 somethings that had the dollars and the celebrity to support them.  Are we seeing the changing of the old business guard? and the power of the little company to make the odd dollar, giving more of the Jason's and Kevin's of the world the chance to practice their Eco conscience's?  I hope so, because a cell phone I can charge just by shaking it would be really cool.

Jason Remnant.

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Password Management from a USB

Image via Wikipedia

Yesterday during a conversation about the web site development I was asked about a password management product where all your passwords are stored on a USB thumb drive.  Apparently a few companies are making the USB drives with fingerprint readers as well.  This is an interesting question because like many, I have my own theories on the storage of passwords, and even on passwords and security in general.  And you will forgive me for not committing them to pixels in this post.

Because I work in the security industry, I'm very conscious of the importance of passwords and their security.  I tend to move away from systems that mass store them in one place.  On the other hand, my years in the IT industry has left me with a lot of passwords and a number of methods for remembering and creating them.  But that was my job, today everyone who has or wants an online/web 2.0 presence is probably in the same boat, so I can see the viability of the above technology for password management.

I though I might investigate a couple of ways of managing passwords, and see what is available and what works.

USB Key/Drive

The question above was asked about a USB Drive, with fingerprint access, so I'll start my quest here.  I'm not a big fan of fingerprint readers, biometrics in the movies is cool but in the real security world, biometrics is a gimmick that creates problems when used on a large or small scale.

For those not familiar, a fingerprint scanner allows you to use your thumb or forefinger as a password on a device.  A number of laptops are coming out with them as a way to lock the machine and screen.  Most of the scanners I have seen are a swipe, or a press on a special area.

The main problems with this tech are:
- If there is any residue, oil, impression, or dust left by the last use of the reader, it can effect the next attempt, causing failure.

- To get around the above, the sensitivity is turned down, and anyone can get in.

- Of course, you can always it the way they do in the movies, as long as you get  the right finger and remember to put it on ice.

If the above doesn't deter you, and you don't lose things, then a USB Password Management system may be the go for you.  Although, I did have trouble finding many name brand fingerprint protected USB Drives, so you may be waiting some time to get your hands on one.  Sony do a Microvault 128MB with Fingerprint security but I couldn't find any Australian pricing, I'll have to do the retail rounds and see what turns up.

Another option might be to use a normal USB Thumb drive, as they are cheaper,  and software like RoboForm2Go USB Key or Handy Password.  These guys look like they throw in the steak knives as well, also grabbing personal info like addresses, bookmarks and passwords so the details can be carried around with you from home to work.

You can also use the above software stand-alone to manage your passwords, and there is the open source KeePass if you need a nice simple freebie.  If you are a Mac user then I would say that 1Password would be the program of choice, there isn't much you can't do with 1Password, including porting the info to your iPhone, because we all have an iPhone, don't we?

Although not my thing, password management seems to be a growing tech, so I'm sure there is going to be more to come.  We may find ourselves squinting into our laptops or mobile phone cameras soon just to turn off the keylock.

Tip: If you are battling with passwords, instead of just using one password for everything, try this:  Come up with a 4 or 6 digit number (eg. 1326), then using your initials create your password uniquely by adding a word from the website or program the login is for.

For Example:

1. Facebook login password = jBrface1326
2. Gmail login password = jBrmail1326
3. Bank Account password = jBrbank1326

Play with the formula as you wish, but if all your passwords have 3 parts and you know 2 of the parts and the 3rd is related to the place you're trying the login into, it is a bit easier than remembering a hexadecimal password, and better than your pets name.

Jason Remnant

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