February 29, 2012

Business Software Alliance’s latest weird argument for stronger IP laws

Business Software Alliance’s latest weird argument for stronger IP laws

The Business Software Alliance has found a newly imagined detriment of Canada’s supposedly sub-par intellectual property laws – make sure you’re sitting down for this shocker – it’s slowing down the .

It’s the latest of many poxes that have stricken Canada as a result of our outdated IP enforcement and copyright protection regime, all of which have been fastidiously documented by this interest group representing the world’s largest software companies.

First, the BSA equated reduction of software piracy through stronger copyright enforcement to an increase in spending on software. That spurious logic allowed them to on the creation of thousands of jobs and $3 billion of economic value. Then, Canada was described by the BSA as a “pirate haven,” only to when its own survey showed that Canada actually has less pirates per capita than the U.S., U.K., Japan, and many other countries.

Now the group representing the interests of Apple, Microsoft, Adobe, McAfee, Symantec, and more, are  as the latest slice of utopia denied to Canadians due to our IP laws.

Brian Jackson, Associate Editor, ITBusiness.ca

“Providers of cloud computing and digital economy technologies and services, as with other highly innovative products, rely on a combination of patents, copyrights, trade secrets and other forms of intellectual property protection,” the BSA’s report on cloud computing explains. That’s as close as it comes to connecting how IP actually impacts cloud computing, also adding: “In order to promote continued innovation and technological advancement, intellectual property laws should provide for clear protection and vigorous enforcement against misappropriation and infringement of the developments that underlie the cloud.”

In reality, lack of cloud progress has little to do with IP laws and more to do with a much more proven and simpler economic dictate: supply and demand.

All those want to sell their new cloud services, but not many Canadian firms want to buy them. In our State of the SMB report for 2011, 55 per cent of businesses told us they hadn’t adopted cloud technology at all. When asked to list their concerns about cloud technology, most named “security risks” or “costs and pricing structure” as their biggest worry.

There is fair debate to be had about whether those concerns are valid or not, but the fact is that most companies still have them. These aren’t concerns relating to intellectual property laws, but to security of data and business cost overhead.

Arguing that worries over IP protection has somehow stopped technology firms from offering cloud computing is laughable, as BSA member organizations have been enthusiastically marketing such services for the last couple of years. Take Microsoft’s recent move to deliver its Office productivity suite , for example, or Symantec’s reputation-based security services.

Another cloud service provider that you might be familiar with, and is not a member of the BSA, has a more reasonable approach to explaining barriers to cloud adoption in Canada. Here’s Google’s take on the issue:

“Canadians are slow to move to a true cloud service, and this is affecting our global competitiveness. Simplistic notions of data sovereignty often means businesses and users are missing out on world-leading security and data protection expertise.”

Canada is specifically called out for having gaps in its IP laws by the BSA time and time again. But somehow our technology firms remain innovative and our economy keeps growing.

The BSA’s cloud computing report card is an impressive study for the number of countries it looked at, and the data it collected for many different variables that can be used to quickly assess everything from cybercrime prevention to broadband penetration. But saying the methodology is applicable to the growth of cloud computing isn’t backed up by any real evidence.

Looks like the BSA has its head in the clouds on this one.

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February 28, 2012

How close should you be with your investor?

Monica Goyal

One of the best places in the world to raise capital and accelerate your tech startup is Silicon Valley, California.  As Peter Theil, said in an interview with big think: . Wonderful if you are American, not so wonderful if you are from any other country. American immigration laws restrict the number of they issue every year, making it difficult to secure a work visa even with an employment letter. On the other hand, obtaining a is supposedly relatively easy, and is granted for 10 years. It allows people to come for the day and even permits them to stay overnight.

One solution I recently learned of for non-US tech startups, who want the advantage of being located close to Silicon Valley, is to be offered by : a 1000-person cruise ship 12 miles off the coast of Silicon Valley. It’s a floating incubator of sorts just beyond the US shores, where startups are housed, from which they can make day trips to investors, business partners or clients. There are many interesting details about the project in this .  Their says they plan to launch in Q3 2013, and the cost of accommodation will be $1200/person/month.



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February 27, 2012

Did you know you could do this with your cell phone?

by Kye Husbands

The technology available to us today is simply amazing and while it seems as though things have always been this way, things are really just getting started in the mobile space.

Believe it or not, however, 60 per cent of Canadians still don’t have a smart phone, for a number of reasons, so here are four ways that having a smart phone can make your life easier and if you don’t have a smart phone as yet, perhaps we can convince you to make that decision even sooner.

1. Genius Scan- If you’ve ever searched for a memory stick to scan a document to email it to someone, or if you’ve ever driven to Staples to scan a document, save your gas and of course your time. One thing is for sure, we always know where our mobile devices are and that’s the beauty of it, so using it as a scanner makes total sense. Let’s say that you want to show off your cooking skills with one of your granny’s timeless recipes so you need to get a copy of the recipe, right. Well lucky for you, there’s an app for that as well. GeniusScan takes advantage of your smart phone camera to scan a document to PDF or JPEG and then you can email them as required. Genius right? Well, start scanning.

2. Translate- Learning a language is something that almost everyone has contemplated at some point in their life. Many of us have started and stopped, myself included, but the tools available today are incredible, so no more excuses.
Enter, Google Translate, an app that can help you communicate when traveling to a foreign speaking country. All you have to do is launch the app, touch the microphone and say whatever you want to say in your native tongue – English – and let Google Translate do the rest. So impress the locals with your language skills and learn a new language at the same time. Google translate currently supports 58 languages and works across all smartphone platforms.

3. ShopSavvy-  Comparing pricing is what’s it’s all about today. Everyone with a smartphone, or not, has checked the price of a product at different online stores. Today, however, things are so much easier with these two apps, ShopSavvy and pic2screen. Simply take a scan of the barcode on the product that you want to find the price of and let the app find the best prices available in market. With books, this is especially useful because making an impulse purchase on the spot can cost you considerably more at times, so save your money download these apps and keep comparing prices. So if you are in market for a new cell phone and plan take advantage of our comparison service and as well.

4. FindiPhone- As smart phones become more and more important to our lives, so do the consequences of misplacing or losing them. To guard yourself against this scare and at the very minimum protect your data, here are two apps that you should install today as well. For iPhone users it’s FindmyiPhone the app or iCloud on your computer and it can help you track that baby down. For all the other platforms Lookout mobile is another good alternative. These apps allow you to locate your mobile device first and foremost and in the event it’s really lost, you can send your device a message with a reward for returning it perhaps, remote lock it and if need be remote wipe the device to protect any personal information.

So there you have it, a few more creative ways to take advantage of your “smart” phone. If you don’t have one as yet, then surely you want one, so be smart and to get the best deal.

 

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February 25, 2012

Obama and Canadian Internet privacy rules share common weaknesses

Obama and Canadian Internet privacy rules share common weaknesses

 

by Nestor E. Arellano

United States President Barak Obama created quite a stir yesterday when he unveiled a proposed framework for an designed to protect consumers’ privacy online.

The document called the Consumer Data Privacy in the Networked World essentially adapts for the commercial Internet environment, some globally recognized principles of privacy. Not surprisingly the White House’s framework released yesterday shares some principles outlined by Canada’s Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart in December last year when she unveiled a (OBA).

Nestor Arellano

Unfortunately, Obama’s framework and Stoddart’s guidelines also share some common weaknesses.

Both zero in of data collection activities carried out by companies and marketers. Essentially they seek to provide people with greater control over the personal data on the Internet, how it is collected, retained and used.

The Canadian guidelines focus squarely on tracking tools used by companies and opt-out mechanisms for consumers. The guidelines include:

  • Individuals must be made aware of the purposes behind the collection of data and tracking of their online activities. This warning must be made obvious, easily accessible and understood.
  • People must be made aware of the data collection before the time of collection. Individuals must also be told of the various parties involved in the OBA.
  • An opt-out mechanism must be made available to individuals, ideally before the data collection begins. The opt-out should take effect immediately and persistently.
  • Technology that makes it impossible to opt-out should not be used.
  • Opting-in should not be used as a condition for accessing service.
  • Information collected should be limited and must not include sensitive personal information.
  • Information or links between information and a person’s identity should be destroyed as soon as possible.
  • Organizations should avoid knowingly tracking children and conducting tracking on Web sites aimed at children.

The White House framework includes the following principles:

  • Consumers have a right to exercise control over what personal data companies collect from them and how they use it
  • Consumers have a right to easily understandable and accessible information about privacy and security practices
  • Consumers have a right to expect that companies will collect, use, and disclose personal data in ways that are consistent with the context in which consumers provide the data
  • Consumers have a right to secure and responsible handling of personal data
  • Consumers have a right to access and correct personal data in usable formats, in a manner that is appropriate to the sensitivity of the data and the risk of adverse consequences to consumers if the data is inaccurate
  • Consumers have a right to reasonable limits on the personal data that companies collect and retain
  • Consumers have a right to have personal data handled by companies with appropriate measures in place to assure they adhere to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights

Both initiatives have the potential to seriously impact the operation and bottom line of large and small businesses that rely on current Internet data mining schemes and online advertising and marketing techniques. Businesses from Google (), Apple () and Microsoft () to Canadian Tire which recently , to even small businesses asking for customer email addresses are all after customer data.

There is simply no way the government can totally cut off businesses from their source of precious data. Both U.S. and Canadian governments realize that data is vital for businesses. The most that can be done is to find a balance between the business need and the need for individual privacy.

Both initiatives are very commendable, but however well-intentioned they may be, the main challenge for the Obama framework and Canadian OBA guideline is implementation.

It is still uncertain if the White House’s proposed Internet Bill of Rights will ever be made into law or remain a mere declaration. Canada’s OBA guidelines are just that – guidelines.

Of course the privacy commissioner said that businesses that fail to comply with the guidelines could face disciplinary measures. “We have the powers to investigate businesses and conduct an audit. We can get to federal courts to compel organizations to comply or fine them and we can publicly name erring businesses,” Stoddart said.

But largely, these two online privacy measures rely on voluntary compliance and industry self policing.

Implementation and monitoring will likely also be very expensive for both governments.

Despite these challenges, I am rooting for both initiatives. Canadian and U.S.agencies out to secure online privacy have their work cut out for them. They’ve both taken small steps towards protecting consumers. They are small steps, but important steps.

              

 

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February 24, 2012

Obama and Canadian Internet privacy rules share common weakness

Obama and Canadian Internet privacy rules share common weaknesses

 

by Nestor E. Arellano

United States President Barak Obama created quite a stir yesterday when he unveiled a proposed framework for an designed to protect consumers’ privacy online.

The document called the Consumer Data Privacy in the Networked World essentially adapts for the commercial Internet environment, some globally recognized principles of privacy. Not surprisingly the White House’s framework released yesterday shares some principles outlined by Canada’s Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart in December last year when she unveiled a (OBA).

Nestor Arellano

Unfortunately, Obama’s framework and Stoddart’s guidelines also share some common weaknesses.

Both zero in of data collection activities carried out by companies and marketers. Essentially they seek to provide people with greater control over the personal data on the Internet, how it is collected, retained and used.

The Canadian guidelines focus squarely on tracking tools used by companies and opt-out mechanisms for consumers. The guidelines include:

  • Individuals must be made aware of the purposes behind the collection of data and tracking of their online activities. This warning must be made obvious, easily accessible and understood.
  • People must be made aware of the data collection before the time of collection. Individuals must also be told of the various parties involved in the OBA.
  • An opt-out mechanism must be made available to individuals, ideally before the data collection begins. The opt-out should take effect immediately and persistently.
  • Technology that makes it impossible to opt-out should not be used.
  • Opting-in should not be used as a condition for accessing service.
  • Information collected should be limited and must not include sensitive personal information.
  • Information or links between information and a person’s identity should be destroyed as soon as possible.
  • Organizations should avoid knowingly tracking children and conducting tracking on Web sites aimed at children.

The White House framework includes the following principles:

  • Consumers have a right to exercise control over what personal data companies collect from them and how they use it
  • Consumers have a right to easily understandable and accessible information about privacy and security practices
  • Consumers have a right to expect that companies will collect, use, and disclose personal data in ways that are consistent with the context in which consumers provide the data
  • Consumers have a right to secure and responsible handling of personal data
  • Consumers have a right to access and correct personal data in usable formats, in a manner that is appropriate to the sensitivity of the data and the risk of adverse consequences to consumers if the data is inaccurate
  • Consumers have a right to reasonable limits on the personal data that companies collect and retain
  • Consumers have a right to have personal data handled by companies with appropriate measures in place to assure they adhere to the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights

Both initiatives have the potential to seriously impact the operation and bottom line of large and small businesses that rely on current Internet data mining schemes and online advertising and marketing techniques. Businesses from Google (), Apple () and Microsoft () to Canadian Tire which recently , to even small businesses asking for customer email addresses are all after customer data.

There is simply no way the government can totally cut off businesses from their source of precious data. Both U.S. and Canadian governments realize that data is vital for businesses. The most that can be done is to find a balance between the business need and the need for individual privacy.

Both initiatives are very commendable, but however well-intentioned they may be, the main challenge for the Obama framework and Canadian OBA guideline is implementation.

It is still uncertain if the White House’s proposed Internet Bill of Rights will ever be made into law or remain a mere declaration. Canada’s OBA guidelines are just that – guidelines.

Of course the privacy commissioner said that businesses that fail to comply with the guidelines could face disciplinary measures. “We have the powers to investigate businesses and conduct an audit. We can get to federal courts to compel organizations to comply or fine them and we can publicly name erring businesses,” Stoddart said.

But largely, these two online privacy measures rely on voluntary compliance and industry self policing.

Implementation and monitoring will likely also be very expensive for both governments.

Despite these challenges, I am rooting for both initiatives. Canadian and U.S.agencies out to secure online privacy have their work cut out for them. They’ve both taken small steps towards protecting consumers. They are small steps, but important steps.

              

 

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February 23, 2012

Halo effect moves from iPod to iPhone

The halo is back. Only this time, Apple says it’s casting a much wider reach.

If your interest in Apple dates back at least a decade, you may remember the concept of the iPod Halo Effect. That was the term used to describe the phenomenon where iPod consumers–many of whom were buying their very first Apple-built product–became so taken with the music player that they started spending their hard-earned cash on other Apple offerings.

Consider for a moment a stat Apple trots out each quarter when it announces its financial performance–that around half of the Macs it sells through its retail stores are to customers new to the Mac. Apple first began to highlight that trend around the same time iPod sales began their stratospheric climb. Another noteworthy stat: Apple shipped 746,000 Macs and turned a profit of $38 million for the fiscal first quarter of 2002–the first quarter in which the iPod began shipping. By the fiscal first quarter of 2009, when quarterly iPod sales reached their peak, Apple was selling 2.5 million Macs and reporting a $1.61 billion profit.
iPod sales have since tailed off, but the halo effect hasn’t gone away. Instead, it’s simply shifted over to Apple’s iOS product line, which is generating stellar sales of its own while introducing new customers to the rest of the company’s product portfolio.



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Pros and cons of buying a new tablet in 2012

Pros and cons of buying a new tablet in 2012

 

 

by Kye Husbands

First off, I have to admit that my position on tablet computers has changed somewhat over the last year . This was largely a result of reading my first e-book, on the iPhone of all things. Sure it was a great book and that was the catalyst, but more importantly, it changed my perspective on the utility of tablet computers and given that experience, I wanted to share that perspective with you.

Tablets are small lightweight portable devices for surfing the web, checking email, staying organized, listening to music and using apps.

So what are the advantages of a tablet computer at this stage:

1. Really intuitive to use – Whether you’re 5 years old or 95, everyone knows how to use his or her finger.
2. Portability – They’re much easier to carry with you than a laptop and it’s the same size as your standard notebook.
3. Much better experience for surfing the web, doing presentations and reading eBooks than smartphones, given the bigger screen and you also have access to unlimited books and information.
4. Instant ON – No waiting around for your tablet to boot up like your laptop
5. Better Battery Life as much as 3 times better (12 hours versus 4-6)
6. Apps – An infinite selection of apps to make your life easier in different ways. (i.e. Dropbox to access your files online, Skype, Voice to Text Dictation tools, etc.)

So what’s the case for not buying a tablet computer:

1. Costs – Apple’s iPad is still setting the pace and remains the gold standard for tablets. Today, however, we have many more options ranging in price from just over $100 to $900.

  • RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook, which, following the latest upgrade and reduction in price, is a great 7” option.
  • Samsung’s Galaxy Tab, which is clearly the king of Android’s tablet offerings.
  • Amazon’s Fire and Kindle devices are also lower costs alternatives to get in the game, without the big cash outlay and give you access to Amazon’s emerging eco-system.
  • Soon to come Windows 8 tablets, which are, somewhat surprisingly, highly anticipated in market.

2. They are NOT as powerful and what you buy is what you get. Tablets are not laptop replacements and that really shouldn’t be the expectation. (i.e. No memory slots for added memory or the ability to upgrade anything)
3. Typing for any length of time on a tablet can be a painful exercise although you can buy a keyboard as an extension. Your trusted black notebook may still be 50 times faster than attempting to type on a tablet.

A few final thoughts

Many still make the argument that physical books offer a much better experience for reading, however, the writing is on the wall for physical books. Tablets offer people from the poorest nations in the world to get connected – assuming the costs continue to come down like inIndiawhere the government recently subsidized and distributed a tablet for $60 – and become equally productive members of a growingly important online world.

The other development of late has been the emergence of smartphones with larger and larger screens (ex. Samsung Galaxy Note), as they blur the line between smartphone and tablet. The thinking, as per their research, is that people only want to have one device ideally that can do it all and with a 5.3″ screen it’s a good compromise at 1/2 the size of it’s Galaxy Tab. The jury is still out on this form factor and in my opinion the larger screen seems somewhat awkward for a smartphone. A smartphone has to fit in your pocket so where portability is concerned Samsung is really pushing the limits.

 





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February 22, 2012

Burning the candle at both ends as the clock ticks down

Burning the candle at both ends as the clock ticks down

By Francis Moran

As we have discussed before, Katie and Luke Hrycak, the sibling founders of CommentAir, .

Business meetings after 9 p.m., letting the wardrobe grow threadbare and valuing every dollar of friends and family financing is par for the course.

“I think the most difficult aspect about bootstrapping is resisting the urge to job search for something that will pay a ton, and also letting it take up all of your time,” Katie said in our first post. “People get accustomed to certain lifestyles and it is very difficult to let that go. You have to commit to a job that is less challenging for less money, but ultimately allows you more time for your own venture.”

In this post, we will talk in more detail about what it takes to keep the lights on, the need to delay gratification and at what point an outside investor may come into the picture.

Taking the lean approach to heart

There is no doubt that these dogged entrepreneurs are living on hope and aspiration. Katie works 30 hours a week, while Luke is full-time and saddled with debts from a previous failed venture. Christmas gifts were covered by credit cards that have yet to be paid and the pair must live vicariously through friends when it comes to trips or shelling out for that fancy new smartphone.

Katie, however, focuses on the upside of having to monitor and curtail expenses.

“It’s made me a bit of a minimalist in a way,” she said. “I’ve sold a lot of my things and live much leaner and without any clutter. If you’re bootstrapping, any spare dollar you earn either from your day job or (any other source) is invested back into the business.”

Lack of a cash reserve keeps them working around the business, which requires a great deal of self-discipline. But the siblings realize that, as CommentAir moves along, they will at some point need to make a choice and commit to building the business full time.

Stuck between the chicken and egg

At present, the development of their prototype, by a student team at , is being funded through . However, that funding will run out at the end of this month.

Luke’s previous experience as an entrepreneur has left him wary of taking out loans and led him to set hard performance targets for the business before he is prepared to do so again.

“The criteria being that we have to have customers, and out of those customers 80 per cent are not serious so you have to be able to survive off 20 per cent of the customers,” he said. “If you can’t survive, then don’t take the loan because your business will fail. This isn’t being risk averse, it’s just being realistic.”

Instead, the siblings have relied on friends and family money and networking to tap into grant programs and government sources. While this “pay as you go” strategy has prevented CommentAir from accumulating any debt so far, it nonetheless leaves the business with a big question mark about where to turn when the FedDev funding dries up.

“It really depends on what we have when our contract ends with Algonquin” in terms of a working prototype, Katie said. “It’s a pretty big turning point where we decide to continue pushing or put CommentAir on the back burner.”

“I have talked with friends and people I know who have money and they’re definitely in, once they see a product,” added Luke. “It’s always ‘until then, let me know.’”

Bumps in the road

A working prototype is crucial to securing the initial stadium contracts which will provide the market validation to make investors and lenders take notice.

The project with Algonquin College was intended to produce the prototype. However, the siblings have been frustrated by a lack of progress and missed deadlines which have left this outcome in doubt.

“Everyone always wants to see a working product in hand before they’ll give you the time of day,” Luke said. “If something comes out of working with Algonquin, we’ll go from there. If not, we’ll re-evaluate and possibly have to accept that we may have to start a new path.”

In our last instalment, we talked about how the priority from a talent perspective is to . The siblings agree that the challenge of getting the job done with a student team has illustrated the need to fill this position quickly.

“We’re really starting to see that we desperately need a technical cofounder to jump in and say ‘give me what you have so far, I’m going to build this in a week,’” Katie said.

Meanwhile, the duo keep plugging away. Katie is out there doing what she does best – hustling through her network of contacts and at various networking events to find new supporters and funding programs.

“One thing I have learned is how Katie’s networking skills can find the necessary industry connections to make things happen,” Luke said. “It’s a marketing thing that is going to be very useful in the future in whatever projects we do.”

A recent highlight has been Katie’s nomination for a Bootstrap Award, offered by local startup incubator .

“It’s nice to know that people see our business as valid,” Katie said. “We have an OCRI event coming up to showcase the business and I’ve been attending a lot of other startup events as well. You have to be careful not to spend all your spare time socializing, but picking and choosing what to go to and which connections to make to find the help you’re looking for.”

In our next instalment, we will take stock of CommentAir’s funding challenges, the continued viability of the venture and what strategies have worked to attract the funding it has secured to date.

This is the fifth article in a continuing series chronicling the growth path of , a startup based in Ottawa, Canada. CommentAir is developing a wireless technology fans can use at sports venues to receive the same real-time commentary as fans watching from their televisions, a wireless technology that also creates a platform for targeted consumer interaction. We invite your feedback.

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February 17, 2012

Lawful access examples abroad a horror story of spending, abuse and minor benefits

, otherwise known as the Protection Children from Internet Predators Act, say that it will merely bring Canada in line with other countries that have some form of lawful access and data preservation and retention legislation.  

Nestor Arellano

This is precisely why Canadians should be worried if Parliament decides to let the bill pass in its present form.

There is no shortage of research which indicates that implementation of an online surveillance regime in the European Union and the United States have been fraught with flaws, abuse and costs ultimately shouldered by Internet Service Providers tasked by government to essentially snoop on their customers.



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February 16, 2012

Giving your team ownership

Giving your team ownership

By Francis Moran

In our last post, we looked at how . We focused on the logistics of soliciting, encouraging, filtering and interpreting user feedback to fine tune and debug the new app.

But working toward a deadline and ensuring that all of the pieces fall into place is about much more than technical and logistical details. Perhaps the most important variable to manage is the human factor. Individuals from different parts of the organization, each with their own role and responsibilities, must work together collaboratively and appreciate the needs and priorities of their peers.

“We are fortunate to have a team that is more interested in achieving an ultimate common goal than focusing on their own interests,” said Screenreach CEO . “Decisions must be made based on what’s best for the product and the collective.”

In this post, we’ll look at how the beta testing process is coming along and how the Screenreach team has learned to keep everyone rowing in the same direction.

Assessing the feedback as a team

In the last post, we described two different third-party platforms that Screenreach is using to help manage the beta testing process. The first is , a free web service that provides developers with an easy means to distribute their beta apps for testing. The other is , an online platform for brands to host their community of users, interact with them, and collate the feedback.

To quickly and easily disseminate the data, the Screenreach team categorized the feedback from Get Satisfaction based on whether it was related to bugs, functionality, user experience, design or was simply a content-based suggestion.

Assessing the feedback involved the whole Screenreach team. As marketing manager Sarah Athey pointed out, “the whole team had already been involved in engaging with the beta testers so many of them already had a good understanding of the feedback we’d received.”

This is important. Preparing and launching a product touches every aspect of an organization, from sales and marketing to technical support.

“We place a big emphasis on the whole team having ownership of the product, so for us it’s essential that everyone is involved,” said Robyn Lingard, head of operations. “We only ever take decisions to small groups once the discussion has been narrowed down and refined.”

However, this approach doesn’t come without its challenges, not the least of which is keeping the process from getting bogged down.

“When things like this are discussed you have to be aware that each department is looking at the suggestions with more of a design, development, or marketing eye based on their expertise,” Lingard said. “Although this can cause conflicting suggestions, it’s vital for getting the overall picture and coming to those decisions together based on these different perspectives.”

Crunching the data, making the decision

Once priorities have been set through this team process, the senior team looks at the themes which have emerged that impact on the technical aspects of the app. They must consider what changes in functionality and design should be made and what impacts this will have elsewhere. Always, the emphasis is on looking at the final product from the end-user’s point of view.

“Then it’s time to get down to the real work,” said Lingard.

Lingard, along with Screenreach’s account manager, created an action plan for the whole team based on what the senior team decided. To help manage the process, Screenreach uses another third-party platform, a project management and online collaboration software called .

With the launch of the new version of Screach only weeks away, the team is busy working through final changes and testing them along the way to resolve any issues early.

“In all of this, it is very important for us to be aware of what our individual roles are and how they have to complement the work and objectives of our colleagues,” Lingard said. “When working to such tight and precise deadlines it is essential that everyone is working in sync.”

Lessons learned

Early on, the team encountered some challenges in this regard. Messages would get miscommunicated within a group that included highly technical individuals and those who were less so.

“We realized this early on in the process and had to step back and realign,” Lingard said.

Openness is crucial. Screenreach has a very strong collaborative team culture and full team meetings are used as a forum in which every individual is encouraged to discuss how work is being managed, how they are coping and how effectively the team is functioning. These meetings will often erupt into brainstorming sessions with unexpected benefits, such as a developer coming up with the solution to a marketing problem, or one of the sales teams solving an issue for the design team.

“I think many people can shy away from such openness but by always agreeing that we are all working towards the same ultimate goal, we accept that we have to constantly adapt to achieve this,” Rawlings said. “What worked for us as team three months ago will almost certainly not work in the same capacity today. We’ve found that by regularly changing our approach – and never our goals – we are evolving as a team as much as our product is.”

While the team has had challenging times over the past few weeks, Rawlings emphasizes the importance of taking advantage of those times when things go wrong to sit back, assess what’s happened and speak frankly to clear the air.

“It’s easy to put issues to one side while preparing for a launch, but actually they are what determine whether you make it through or not,” he said. “We’ve always actively encouraged team members to raise any issues they have.”

Of course, unforeseen hiccups do arise, such as a recent incident in which a key team member came down sick and everyone had to scramble to pick up the slack and keep things on track. But in Rawlings’ view, if someone is struggling to meet their targets despite their best efforts, it is a symptom of a deeper issue.

“We’ve learned that, without a doubt, any problem is never one person’s fault or responsibility,” he said. “If someone is struggling to make a deadline then we need to look back through the full production chain and assess why this might be. Doing so will perhaps raise two or three areas for improvement across multiple departments. Then we can act on these.”

In out next instalment, we will catch up with the team post-launch to see how it turned out.

This is the fifth article in a continuing monthly series chronicling the growth path of , a startup based in Newcastle upon Tyne in England’s North East. Screenreach’s flagship product, Screach, is an interactive digital media platform that allows users to create real-time, two-way interactive experiences between a smart device (through the Screach app) and any content, on any screen or just within the mobile device itself. We invite your feedback.

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iPhone 5 coming October 7, reports say

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February 15, 2012

Is Vic Toews against freedom?

Is Vic Toews against freedom?

By Brian Jackson

It’s hard to imagine what points Public Safety Minister Vic Toews thinks he is scoring when he describes those concerned about the implications of increased government Internet surveillance as supporting child pornographers.

The Conservative MP made the statement in parliament yesterday while defending the government’s planned legislation that will require Internet service providers to hand over customer information to police without a warrant. Apparently the debate, in Toews own words, is reduced to “stand with us or with the child pornographers.”

Such haven’t been presented to the public since George W. Bush earnestly told the world that “either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists,” shortly following the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. (Toews’ quote has already been added to the “with us or against us” .) Not only does the approach harken back to what is now a passé neo-conservative mindset, but it is actually a logical fallacy. Toews is arguing that child pornographers wouldn’t support the government’s proposed “lawful access” bill because it could lead to getting thrown in jail. Therefore, his broken logic goes, all those who oppose the lawful access bill must support child pornographers.

Brian Jackson, Associate Editor, ITBusiness.ca

But Toews has forgotten about one group of people who might be both against lawful access legislation tabled today in parliament, and also be against child pornographers: people who value freedom. Like Ontario Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian.

The commissioner held an at the end of January to raise concerns about lawful access legislation. She warned that it could lead to a system of “surveillance by design” where law-abiding citizens are open to being tracked by government and law enforcement officials. Cavoukian, in , has linked privacy to the freedom of choice and control over one’s own personal information.

If the “lawful access” legislation becomes law, then Internet service providers will be obligated to track the online activities of customers and turn over the information to police when it’s requested – the person that information belongs to will not be informed. Bill C-30 demands mandatory disclosure of name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, IP address, and local service provider without a warrant being presented.

That certainly sounds like a loss of control, and therefore an intrusion upon freedom.

For smaller ISPs, the cost burden and logistics of maintaining such a database on their customers will be painful. It’s likely that rates customers pay to access the Internet will be raised so that ISPs can afford to track their activities properly. For small businesses giving employees Internet access, they will now have more incentive to worry about what content their staff might stumble upon online since legal ramifications could result. Businesses will probably put more online censors in place and more closely control and monitor employee Web surfing.

Toews’ implication that lawful access legislation will help lock up pedophiles is questionable. After announcing 60 arrests in a raid earlier this month, Ontario police revealed they had linked 9,000 IP addresses to child pornography, found in every major centre in Ontario. It seems the problem is not collecting more information on the perpetrators, but having the police resources dedicated to following through on making arrests.

Clearly there are many more nuanced arguments against lawful access legislation than Toews’ false dichotomy of absolutes suggests. But if the Minister wants to argue using logical fallacies, I can play that game too.

Since lawful access will infringe of Canadians’ privacy, and privacy is a type of freedom, then those in support of lawful access are against freedom. That makes Vic Toews against freedom.

 





Videotron unlock code by imei How not to be an Android Trojan victim

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February 14, 2012

Is the iPhone secure enough?

According to popular expert opinion, there are seven areas in today’s mobile devices where vulnerabilities can create security or privacy breaches. Nowhere is this more true than in the paragon of mobile digital success: the iPhone. Nothing short of a juggernaut, new versions of the quasi-ubiquitous device have all but evaded attempts at hacking it by consistently introducing innovative new features and by leveraging a strategy of built-in obsolescence.

Claudiu Popa

It follows then that each of these areas corresponds to specific security controls, tactically building a ‘defense in depth’ approach to securing the iPhone for personal use. In practice, the original seven risk areas map to the following five safeguards:

1. The operating system
Avoid jailbreaking the phone. As Apple never tires of repeating, once jailbroken, it is exposed to a set of clear and present dangers that at least risk compromising the data stored inside.




Zotac MAG

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February 13, 2012

5 costly mistakes to avoid when upgrading your cell plan

5 costly mistakes to avoid when upgrading your cell plan

by Kye Husbands

We all know a thing or two about getting what we want in a negotiation and when it comes to cellphones everyone has a tip.

Some believe they know how to get the carriers to kneel to the ground, while others feel like its an exercise in high blood pressure.

Either way, these tips will help you avoid a few common mistakes before making that call.

  1. Be careful of the silent “extension” – Here’s the scenario. You call your carrier with the intent of upgrading and end up making a few minor adjustments to your existing plan. (eg. Adding text messaging or increasing your voice mail or data plan) When doing so, make sure your carrier doesn’t extend your contract by another 2-3 years. Customers usually get a rude awakening at a later date, when they discover that was the case and still have months if not years left on that extended contract.
  2. Loyalty will only get you so much – Highlighting the fact that you have been a good client for 10 years doesn’t mean what you think it should. From the carrier’s perspective what it really means, is that, you’re less likely to leave. Statistically they know this and that’s why the deals for long time customers, never quite stack up to the deals being offered to newcomers, so, don’t lead with this as your trump card.
  3. Don’t say no to a contract to spite the man and end up hurting yourself – Here’s a scenario we see much too often. Client purchases an iPhone outright and then discovers it doesn’t work with one of the newer carriers. Okay, no big deal, until they also realize that the plan only offerings aren’t as good as the offers on subsidized deals on a 3yr contract. Making matters worse, they end on a cell phone plan that is horrible, with, less overall features and for example, 100MB of data. 100MB of data on an iPhone, is like winning a Ferrari with a limiter set to a max speed of 40KM an hour. In the end, the client is out of pocket upfront by $500-$700 or more and with the higher monthly costs over the same period there is no benefit of giving up your hard earned cash. Some will argue that their freedom was worth every penny and maybe they’re rich enough to do so, but you paid for that right. So, that’s the reality of the cell phone game today, and of course, I hope it changes – soon -, but as they say, don’t bite off your nose to spite your face.
  4. Bite your tongue and make good notes - Do NOT get into a pissing match with any carrier representatives, despite your frustrations. Put yourself in their shoes, would you budge if someone was calling you every name in the book to save $5 or get some feature for FREE? Furthermore, once they make their notes in the system, it becomes exponentially harder to get them to go against each other so, stay cool and make good notes of all conversations. In the end, you don’t want to have to rely on their word against yours, despite the fact that they can record calls. So keep track of dates/times and representatives you spoke to, as well as get the details – confirmed and reconfirmed.
  5. Make your business work for you - If you own a business you should never be paying for your cell phones personally. In addition to tax write offs and other benefits, business cell phone plans tend to have more incentives and more value overall. Examples include, bill credits to cover existing termination fees, cheaper phones and other feature and promotional incentives that are richer than regular consumer cell phone deals. The more devices you have in your business the more difficult it can be to make the comparisons and an informed decision, so let our team help you .

Lastly, do your homework. This may seem obvious but we realize how confusing things can be and . So either get some help from our team, especially if you have a business with several users, or do the research first on our site before making that call. Also remember, the iPhone and other market leading smartphones are really computers and they costs more than some big screen TV’s today, so either you buy it outright ($500+) and search for a good plan, or save your cash, get a better plan and take the subsidized pricing with the contract (sometimes as low as $50). When it comes to plans and features, know your usage profile currently and if upgrading to a smart phone .

 





Nokia 5300 purple unlocked gsm cellular phone How startups can use social media to court angel investors

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Preparing for a major offensive

Preparing for a major offensive

By Francis Moran

When we introduced NanoScale Corporation a month ago, we talked about how the company is faced with the challenge of .

That market is the civilian disaster restoration market, where contractors work to repair, remediate and decontaminate commercial and residential properties damaged by fire, storms, water, sewer backups and mould. In North America alone, this market is worth hundreds of billions of dollars. It is a steady market sheltered from general economic volatility given that disasters and accidents happen all the time and the cost of restoration is typically covered by an insurer.

Over the past year, NanoScale has focused on laying the groundwork for a strong market push in 2012. In this post, we will explore, with marketing director Kyle Knappenberger, how the company plans to move forward over the next 12 months and overcome what can often be a new market entrant’s greatest competitive threat – the status quo.

Getting the customer to take notice

While NanoScale is expanding into products which help the average property owner improve indoor air quality, its line for the disaster restoration market isn’t sold by your local hardware or home improvement retailer. These are commercial-grade products for use by contractors who buy their supplies from specialized distributors.

This puts the company in a rather unique, and challenging position – it is marketing products derived from innovative, and proprietary, nanotechnology research, to end users who are unlikely to be impressed by a sales pitch that focuses on the wow factor of such cutting edge innovation.

“We really need to balance that and not complicate the sale by overhyping the ‘nanotech’ aspect,” Knappenberger said. “Instead, we have to focus on the benefits of the product and how it can help an end-user who is likely to be an old-school building contractor.”

That means a proactive and ongoing effort to educate people at every level of its distribution channel on the benefits of its products. The need to have its marketing messages clearly defined and embedded within the minds of its distributors and affiliated retailers has become even more acute as NanoScale prepares to expand its sales territories.

NanoScale sells its products to the disaster restoration market through a national distributor which acts somewhat like a wholesaler. This partner has approximately 20 corporate and 50 affiliate retail locations which sell to contractors.

“We support all of these retailers in the field with training and education events,” Knappenberger said. “It’s a pretty traditional sales and marketing model that relies on building relationships and educating these retailers to become champions who will push the product to their customers.”

Mustering more manpower

NanoScale has the U.S. broken into five broad regions and is already active, through this distribution channel, in three – the west, southeast, and midwest -areas. It has focused on these areas first because of higher population densities which allowed it to cover more territory with fewer people. These regions have been divided between Knappenberger and two colleagues and managed from NanoScale’s head office in Kansas. This has meant a lot of time on the road, a particular challenge for Knappenberger, who has other operational responsibilities at the company. For 2012, NanoScale’s plan is to expand through its distribution partner into the two remaining regions, the northeast and the Texas area.

To date, its expansion strategy has been governed by several key factors:

  • Where its distribution partner has a physical presence.
  • Where population density ensures a sufficient volume of sales.
  • Where insurance practices don’t prove to be a hindrance – in some geographic markets, even where there may be sufficient population density and a clear need for disaster restoration services, demand is low because the cost of a restoration isn’t covered by an insurer.

Manpower is the greatest challenge as NanoScale prepares to expand into its two remaining regions. From having worked with retail distributors in its three initial regions, Knappenberger and his colleagues have developed a clear understanding of the sales resources they need on staff.

“So far the three of us have focused on about 30 retail distributors at a time – we know one account manager can only adequately serve about 10 to 12.”

Not only does NanoScale need more people on staff at its head office, it needs to recruit, train and support more representatives in the field in cooperation with its distribution partner.

“We’re in the process of looking for candidates,” Knappenberger said. “We don’t have a specific requirement that they have experience in this industry, but we do want experienced sales people who we can train and instil in them our perspective on serving this market.”

That old-school crowd is learning some new tricks

Meanwhile, the marketing team continues to explore new ways to reach out to, and educate, the end users of its products. In our first post, we noted that NanoScale hasn’t yet engaged in any focused public relations activity. So far it has only advertised in the few significant trade publications intended for disaster restoration contractors. From Knappenberger’s perspective, there are too few niche publications serving this market to yield significant PR traction.

LinkedIn, however, has proven to be an effective channel for engaging with contractors and has yielded more sales leads than NanoScale’s magazine advertising.

“We’ve been surprised by how many contractors are on various industry forums through LinkedIn, but Twitter and Facebook, not so much,” said Knappenberger. “My sense is that more contractors are engaging with their peers for resources and information than looking at those few industry publications. So we have been focusing on this social media platform in cooperation with those distributors who have a lot of connections on LinkedIn.”

Facebook is a popular platform among many contractors, he said, but it’s primarily used to engage with customers and advertise in community, rather than engage with peers.

Knappenberger acknowledged the opportunity, and the need, for the company to plan ahead and consider how it can raise its profile among property owners. It has developed a marketing kit for contractors to use with property owners, and intends to target the consumer market later this year.

“There’s a lot of discussion in the media about the products people are using in their homes, which is raising awareness of health concerns and a desire for safer, less toxic alternatives,” he said. “There is also an opportunity for us to respond to the growing issue of chemical sensitivity.”

When looking at products and supplies, disaster restoration contractors are accustomed to seeing before and after pictures that tell a story. But with NanoScale’s products, it is difficult to illustrate an odour. In our next instalment, we will discuss the challenges of marketing and selling a product that can’t be presented to potential customers in the manner in which they are accustomed.

This is the next article in a continuing monthly series chronicling the growth path of , a growing nanotechnology company based in Manhattan, KS that is commercializing various advanced materials and compounds for improving indoor air quality, removing pollutants, and containing and neutralizing hazardous chemicals.

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Should New York look to Montreal for tech hub model?

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February 11, 2012

Canada lags behind U.S. in supporting small businesses

Christine Wong

In the U.S., President Barack Obama is making his initiative a centerpiece of his campaign. Hit with charges that he hasn’t done enough to get the U.S. out of its economic sinkhole, he’s flogging the following legislative changes under the Startup America banner in the hope of winning a second term:



Part II: Dissecting the brain of the market pays off for BlueArc

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February 10, 2012

Canada lags U.S. in supporting small businesses

I’m not sa
ying the Startup America bills are a cure-all. But they’re certainly something Canada can look to for inspiration.



Toasters hit with tariff to reflect bread’s value

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February 09, 2012

Spammers adopt new attack strategies for ‘New Year’

The New Year saw an increase in global spam levels as spammers continued to take advantage of holidays and major current events in an effort to entice users to click on links in email messages. Attracting email recipients with tempting content is a popular social engineering tactic used both in spam, scams and other types of malicious attacks. The email messages are designed to have some relevance to the recipient in order to increase the chances of them unknowingly clicking on the links and visiting spam websites or potentially becoming infected in a drive-by attack.

Paul Wood

 

Symantec’s found that the New Year event itself presented an opportune theme for spammers.  Symantec Intelligence identified a new tactic in spam emails that included URLs that related to more than 10,000 unique domain names. Each of these domains had earlier been compromised and the URLs pointed to PHP-based scripts hosted on the compromised websites, many of which referred to “New Year” in the file name. Some examples include, “HappyNewYear.php,” “new-year-link.php” or “new-year.link.php.”  The PHP scripts simply redirected the visitor to the real spam website, but the potential for malicious use also exists.



Why Glenn Gould may be the model for future T.O. startups

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February 08, 2012

Small biz acquisition as a tech talent raid strategy

The dirty do
wnside to startup snap ups is that is that in many cases these acquired companies are not allowed to grow.



Should New York look to Montreal for tech hub model?

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February 07, 2012

Organizing your home office: Staying screen savvy

Clare Kumar

Avoid neck strain by keeping your neck in a neutral position by having the top of the monitor no higher than your eyes. There is some evidence that having the monitor at slightly lower levels provides more comfort.



Digital signage: Telling the right story to drive customer acquisition

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February 06, 2012

Honda, small claims and social media


by Monica Goyal

Rather than accept the $100-200 settlement offered from a class action suit against Honda, Heather Peters decided to sue Honda in Small Claims Court for $10,000.

Monica Goyal

She claims that the Honda Civic Hybrid she purchased did not achieve the full 50 miles per gallon that was advertised. Instead, it got more like 30 miles per gallon – and she’s not alone. Hundreds of other Honda owners are making similar claims. There are several things that make this case quite interesting:

 

  1. This case has totally gone viral. Peters has been featured on CNN and Fox News, and in the Washington Post and New York Times. She has been discussed on Twitter and has generated a lot of bad publicity for Honda. How did she do it, by leveraging the Internet, visit her site , and social media.

 



OLED, Smart and 3D TVs prominent at CES 2012

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