The Google+ Question

Has Facebook finally met its match?

Last month Google+ appeared on the social networking scene, and in two short weeks the invitation-only network boasted 10 million users.  While still in the trial phase, Google’s new social media site has taken the Internet by storm, acquiring members at an exponential rate that has never been seen before.  Hitting the 10 million member mark after two weeks officially makes Google+ the fastest growing social media network to date.  But will it last?

No social network can be unveiled without being compared to those already in place, and Google+ is no exception.  Better than last year’s Google Buzz, the interface is reminiscent of Facebook, but with one noticeable difference: Google’s use of “circles.”  These circles allow users to share different information with friends, co-workers, and family members – greatly improving upon Facebook’s ever-changing privacy settings.  These streamlined circles offer users a new way to filter information, challenging the way established social  networks operate.  People are responding to Google’s use of social circles to organize online sharing, and that response shows in the rapidly growing number of Google+ members.

Gmail users have an advantage on people using other email clients, as Google+ seamlessly incorporates itself into the gmail interface.  Users who sign up for Google+ are instantly connected with friends already using gmail, and gain a Google+ dashboard at the top of their gmail inbox.  Google makes it easy for people to post while they are checking their email, a tantalizing convenience for existing users.

Although it seems Google+ is catching on, it is hard to make any concrete predictions about its future.  Can people accommodate yet another social media site?  How many accounts are people willing to sync – or give up?  People who network today are experts at multitasking, but the question is how far they are willing to stretch that expertise.  Twitter turned into the perfect sibling for Facebook, allowing users to link their accounts in order to update statuses.  Google+ offers the same syncing option with Twitter, raising the debate of whether people will give up Facebook for Google.  Whether it makes sense to keep up with Twitter, Facebook, and Google is up to the individual, but it is hard to believe that people will maintain that many social media outlets.

Currently Google+ is merely a baby in the wide world of social networking, but with its streamlined interface and seamless integration with gmail, it is off to a good start.  The social networking trend is one that is increasingly hard to predict, and networking junkies are known to be more than a little fickle.  Once Google+ moves out of its trial phase users may find more reasons to love it, or reasons to hate it.  Only time will tell.

Two Simple Ways to Improve Internet Security

The Internet. The information emissary most businesses know and trust. By facilitating daily business tasks such as sharing and storing documents and communicating via email and video chat, the Internet has transformed business models across the globe. It’s hard to imagine a world without this information envoy.

But what happens when the Internet gets hacked? What happens to a business’s data and infrastructure when the Internet is infected with a virus?

Allow me to break down two celebrated security suggestions so that these gut-wrenching questions do not become jaw-dropping realities. I also hope to help businesses reduce security risks and to increase peace of mind.

A Web security policy
As we all know, documentation often slips under the table and is rarely an issue until something goes wrong. But again, this blog is about what we shoulddo, not what we currently do. According to Clearswift Ltd. , an email and Web security company, every business should have a documented Web security policy that informs employees about Websites that are and are not work-friendly. This includes malicious, unsecured, and provocative Websites of all kind. The policy should include examples of commonly visited Websites and, I believe, should explain why every type of Website is a friend or a foe. Providing logical and sensible reasons for Web restrictions can make an enormous impact on employer-to-employee relationships.

Also, because of the addictive nature of social networking sites, companies should explain appropriate social media behavior at, and away from, work. A study by Internet security firm Proofpoint Inc. notes that at companies with 1,000 or more employees, 17 percent have reported issues with employees using social media. This encompasses video sharing over YouTube, data leaking by means of blogging or message board posting, and commenting on sites such as Facebook and Twitter — not to mention the loss of productivity.

Furthermore, the Proofpoint study says that 43 percent of the companies surveyed have investigated “an email-based leak” within the past year.

But don’t think that drafting a security policy is going to magically eliminate security threats. Remember: It is one thing to have the policy, but quite another to enforce it.

Little knowledge of file types
One of the main reasons for crashed networks and help desk queries is an inadequate awareness about file types. Here’s a brief lesson.

Container files — files that store multiple files in them, such as a zip file — are among the most common types of files that release malware. Once a malicious zip file is unzipped and the user opens the files contained within the zip file, he or she unknowingly releases malware onto the system, potentially infecting the computer and destroying the network.

To combat these attacks (after installing the latest anti-virus software), companies should educate their employees about suspicious file types. Although we hate to send and receive mass emails, it sure beats spending time and money fixing computers, or even networks.

Also, it is good to remember that a little paranoia is acceptable when it comes to downloading files. It’s easy to get click-happy and download every file on the Web, but exhibiting a little caution could be the difference between a safe network and total chaos.

Intel’s Ultrabook Creates New Computing Category

It’s a laptop..It’s a tablet…It’s an Ultrabook! Faster than your average tablet and more portable than your average computer, Intel’s Ultrabook looks to bust into the tablet/PC marketplace, creating a new category: the Ultrabook.  But can the super powerful Ultrabook eliminate the competition and defeat its arch nemesis, the tablet?  Let’s explore.

A couple of weeks ago at the Computex trade show in Taiwan, Sean Maloney, Intel Corporation’s Executive Vice President, announced the company’s vision for the next generation of portable computing.

“We want to find new ways to propel the PC forward,” Maloney said.

Tom Kilroy, Intel’s marketing chief, told CNET news that “By the end of 2012, we think as much as 40 percent of the volume will be in this ultra category.”

Intel also believes thinner, faster devices should be available to the masses at a price most people can afford.

“Many of the super-sleek devices today are quite pricey,” Kilroy stated. “The price points need to become more mainstream.” The Ultrabook is targeted at under $1,000, initially. “And as the volume picks up, the price points will come down. And we think by 2013…you’ll see ultrabooks in truly mainstream price points of $599,” Kilroy said, assuming Intel’s system-on-a-system chip, “Haswell,” is released.

Other than a reasonable price, Intel’s Ultrabook offers many advantages to business professionals and average Joe’s alike.

The Ultrabook is portable.  Its thickness is anticipated at 0.8 inches, allowing users to easily file the device into their briefcase or travel bag.  It’s rivals, the MacBook Air and the iPad, stand at 0.68 inches and 0.34 inches, respectively. A MacBook Pro is 0.95 inches.

The Ultrabook is lightweight.   Asus, a leading computer manufacturer, released its UX21 Ultrabook at Computex, and the ultra computer weighs in at just over two pounds.  The 11-inch MacBook Air is 2.3 pounds, and the iPad is 1.33 pounds.  The 13-inch MacBook pro is 4.5 pounds.

The Ultrabook is fast and has long battery life.  Equipped with Intel’s Ivy Bridge Processor, which uses a 22 nanometer manufacturing process, the Ultrabook is said to be 37% faster and to use 50% less power than machines running Intel’s 32 nanometer chip.

And the Ultrabook could become the corporate world’s go-to accessory.  Offering the speed and power of a PC, the intuitive nature and motility of a tablet, and the price comparable to a netbook, the Ultrabook might be the next standard issued computer. Corporations could trash the outdated laptop and replace it with the up-to-date Ultrabook, likely appeasing employees and shareholders alike.

But what do you think?  Will the Ultrabook win over consumers and make friends with the corporate world?