Future research shows consumer tech confidence

UK consumers are becoming more confident in using technology, according to the annual Techmonitor research by Future, publisher of TechRadar.

Carried out with research specialist The Source, the findings from close to 2,900 UK responses show that 69% consider themselves experts in at least one area of technology, and that 58% are more confident using technology than they were a year ago.

The research also shows that the boundaries between home and work are blurring, in particular for 16-35 year-olds, and social networking is becoming more common, driven by the increased use of mobile devices.

Invasive

Although a lot of respondents said technology is becoming too invasive, very few felt they could do without it and saw the overall benefits of technology connectivity.

It also breaks consumers down into six groups: immersed leaders, who account 7%, expert enthusiasts (9%), gadget fashionistas (13%), confident pragmatists (29%), traditional users (24%) and tech laggards (19%).

Simon Wainwright, Market Research Director at Future, said: "This has been a comprehensive piece of research to segment the UK and US markets in terms of their attitudes towards, and familiarity with all things tech.

"Through this work, we are seeing the deepening of the relationship between consumers and tech, and how for those who are the most engaged, the recession has had little impact on their planned spend in the next year."

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HTC One Max Rumored to Challenge Galaxy Note 3

HTC One Max Rumored to Challenge Galaxy Note 3 is a post by Adam Mills from Gotta Be Mobile.

The HTC T6, a rumored phablet based on the HTC One, is thought to be arriving on shelves as the HTC One Max, a device that appears to be aimed squarely at the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

At the moment, HTC and Samsung are waging war against each other in the mobile sector with their HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4 flagships that hit shelves just a short time ago. Later this year though, there appear to be several other battles planned, first with the HTC One Mini and Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini and after that, a fight between an HTC phablet and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.

Read: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Release Date and Rumor Roundup.

A larger HTC One Max could on tap for 2013.

Last year, HTC didn’t have an answer to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Samsung’s current big-screened smartphone and one that should be replaced by a Galaxy Note 3 sometime in the months ahead. This time though, the company apparently won’t sit on the sidelines and will introduce a phablet of its own.

The device, which is codenamed HTC T6, leaked out extensively just a few short days ago and now, Alvin Kwock, who is a J.P. Morgan analyst based in Hong Kong, has chimed in with some information of his own.

According to Kwock, by way of Taiwan Times, the HTC T6 is actually called the HTC One Max. The name of course refers to the device’s bigger screen that is likely to pair with a design that resembles the current HTC One. He also claims something else interesting, that carriers are extremely interested in the device, another sign that it could seriously pose a threat to the Galaxy Note’s dominance in the large-screen smartphone sector.

The Galaxy Note 3 is rumored to be coming to replace the Galaxy Note 2.

Those carriers remain unclear but given that the HTC One saw a widespread launch in the U.S., and given the successes of the Galaxy Note series, we could see several U.S. carriers spring for a device like the HTC One Max.

Details remain unconfirmed but Kwock suggests that, like the previous leak, it’s running Android Key Lime Pie, sports a 5.9-inch display and has a 2.2GHz processor. The HTC One Max is also said to have a stylus of some kind but it’s no clear if it will have unique software like the Samsung Galaxy Note series of devices.

A release date for the HTC One Max is rumored for the second half of the year though nothing specific has emerged.

HTC One Max Rumored to Challenge Galaxy Note 3 is a post by Adam Mills from Gotta Be Mobile.

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Google Keyboard App Now Available, No Nexus Required

Google’s Android software includes one of the best smartphone keyboards around, but you might not know it if you own a phone from Samsung or HTC. Both companies, at least in their latest Android phones, have replaced the main Google keyboard with their own homemade offerings–and they’re not as good. I’m not crazy about the default keyboard on my HTC One, and Samsung’s been criticized by some reviewers for its own Galaxy S4 keyboard as well. Fortunately, Google is now offering a way for users running Android 4.0 and higher to install the company’s own software keyboard. Just head to Google Play, install the app, and follow the setup instructions. I like how simple and solid Google Keyboard is compared to other offerings. Individual keys have just the right amount of dark spacing between them, and just the right amount of vibration feedback when you press each letter. Gesture typing is supported, so you can drag a finger across each letter and the keyboard will predict the word you’re trying to write. By default, the keyboard uses names from your contact list for suggested words and corrections. It even tries to predict the next word as you type. None of this amounts to anything revolutionary. You can already find gesture typing and predictions in SwiftKey and Swype, which are also available through Google Play. But SwiftKey’s gesture typing doesn’t seem quite as accurate to me as the competition. As for Swype, I find that its non-gesture typing experience isn’t as solid as Google’s, and it requires you to use Dragon for voice dictation, rather than Google’s superior voice transcription. Google Keyboard is the best of both worlds, and it’s free. Previously, Google had only offered its own keyboard on phones running Android 4.2–the latest version of the software. It was possible to manually load the application onto an older Android phone, or to seek out an unauthorized version in Google Play, but neither of those solutions were ideal. By offering its own keyboard directly through Google Play, Google is continuing its

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Are Programmers In C/C++ More Preferred At Google Than Programmers In Java? - Forbes

AreProgrammersIn C/C++ More Preferred At Google ThanProgrammersIn Java?
Forbes
If there are twoprogrammerswho are equally good, but one knows Java and the other knows C++, Google Google would hire both. Really. But, does Google prefer, on the margin, C++ over Java? Not really. 

If there are two programmers who are equally good, but one knows Java and the other knows C++, Google GOOG +0.49% would hire both. Really.

But, does Google prefer, on the margin, C++ over Java? Not really. Java is actually easier in some ways in that you won’t have to worry about memory management and pointers in an interview. On the other hand, you’re also unlikely to understand computer architecture as well if you don’t know C++.

As far as working there, Google uses both Java and C++. They have little reason to prefer one over the other. And, more importantly, languages just don’t matter that much.

Should you switch from one language to the other? No. It’s probably a waste of your time. Frankly, if you define your programming ability by what languages you know, that’s a bad sign as far as your odds of getting hired at the top tech companies.

Focus on getting experience that matters (doing more projects, etc) and on prepping for your interviews. That’s a much better use of your time.

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Oracle Adds More Jolt To Java Security Procedures - ReadWrite

Oracle Adds More Jolt To Java Security Procedures
ReadWrite
In a blog post late last week, Nandini Ramani, head of the software development team that builds the Javaplatform, acknowledged the problems that have affectedJava running in Web browsers and outlined three significant steps her company would be ...
No Java Patch For You: 93 Percent Of Users Run Older Versions Of TheDark Reading
Researchers find Java users woefully tardy on patchingCSO
Oracle Promises Enterprise Java Security TweaksInformationWeek SMB (blog)
SC Magazine -Register -Naked Security
all 19 news articles »

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Microsoft Windows RT tablet to get Outlook

Microsoft will add its popular Outlook email program to more tablets running on a lightweight version of its Windows operating system as part of a free software update this year.

The Outlook 2013 app will be given to owners of Microsoft's Surface tablet and similar devices running Windows RT. That's a slimmed down version of Windows 8, a radical overhaul of the ubiquitous operating system used on most personal computers. 

Microsoft Corp. is preparing to modify Windows 8 in response to consumer complaints about the redesigned system released last October. The Redmond, Wash., company announced the addition of Outlook for Windows RT tablets Wednesday at a computer trade show in Taiwan. 

A specific release date still hasn't been set for the upcoming update, called Windows 8.1. A preview version of Windows 8.1 will be available June 26 when Microsoft starts an annual programmers' conference in San Francisco. 

Windows 8 includes touch-screen controls and displays applications in a mosaic of interactive tiles as part of an attempt to expand the system on to tablets. The operating system also remains compatible with keyboards, computer mice and programs created for traditional PCs. 

The dual format has confused and frustrated some long-time users, contributing to lukewarm sales for devices running on Windows 8 and Windows RT. 

Windows RT's omission of Outlook was among the grievances. Outlook's absence was magnified by Microsoft's inclusion of other popular programs, such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint, on the Surface tablet and other Windows RT devices. Unlike Windows 8 tablets, RT devices can run only programs specifically designed for it, so it hasn't been possible to buy Outlook separately. 

Existing Window RT users will get Outlook for free as part of this year's Windows upgrade. 

The Outlook announcement came as Microsoft showcased previously announced features of Windows 8.1 at the Computex show in Taiwan. Tami Reller, chief financial and marketing officer of the company's Windows Division, said the 8.1 update took into account input from consumers on the Windows 8 system. 

"Windows 8.1 furthers the bold vision of Windows 8 by responding to customer feedback and adding new features and functionality that advance the touch experience and mobile computing's potential," Reller said. 

Antoine Leblond, corporate vice president of Windows Program Management, demonstrated the upgraded system, which included enhancements in areas including platform personalization and search. Although Microsoft isn't restoring the traditional start button on the lower left side of the screen, it is restoring a logo in that spot and will let users add favorite applications, such as Word and Excel, to a horizontal tool bar while working in Window's traditional desktop mode.

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Crisis in the clouds – what to do if your service provider goes bust

Like businesses across all sectors of the economy, cloud service providers are far from immune to the worst ravages of the recession.

But when a provider does go bust what happens to the businesses that have put their faith, money and resources in finding a suitable partner and are now threatened with losing services, resources and data as a result of their collapse?

For many organisations, the main challenge is: when their data is held in the cloud; how do they retain control and ownership of it when their service provider goes under – and how easy is it to transfer that data to another service provider? Just as importantly: what mechanisms does the existing provider have in place to protect them if the worst does happen?

Typically, when organisations acquire on-premise software, it is written into their contract that they get control of the code in the event that the ...

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