Mobile

Thu, September 03, 2009 - My estimable colleague Chris Breen has already run down for you a list of likely music-related developments that we might see at next week's "Rock 'n Roll" Apple event: a new version of the iPod touch, an updated iTunes, and perhaps even iPod models souped up with cameras. I find myself inclined to agree with the follicularly prodigious Mr. Breen, especially given Apple's history of iPod events. But what of the iPod's half-sibling and partner-in-crime, the iPhone? Will it get to share in the spotlight, or will it be relegated to a backstage role?

Wed, September 02, 2009 - As an IT security professional, I was tasked with evaluating the iPhone's security features for the enterprise. Over the past few weeks, I have been testing different aspects of the new iPhone 3GS, particularly the interaction with Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) and device password policies. During my testing, I discovered some strange behaviors with how the iPhone handles device password policies, as well as passwords altogether.

Wed, September 02, 2009 - Thanksgiving is over two months away. But I thought we'd celebrate early by giving thanks for the most rockin' laptops, best netbooks, and smartest smartphones on the market.

Wed, September 02, 2009 - In honor of the 802.11n WiFi standard getting close to arriving after wandering through the desert for 40 years, let's look at wireless. Our focus today is on helping you WiFi better, even if it means doing less WiFi.

Tue, September 01, 2009 - Spam costs organizations $712 per employee/per year, according to Nucleus Research. However, these staggering numbers don't even take into consideration one of spam's latest victims: enterprise mobile users. Spam targeted at smart phones is on the rise and becoming a growing security and productivity concern.

Fri, August 28, 2009 - This is traditionally a slow news week in IT, and this year did not break with that tradition, leaving us time to enjoy the waning days of warm weather here in Boston between following the flurry of reports about Apple's new OS, which captured the lion's (or the leopard's as it were) share of major headlines. Otherwise, we had some odd stories, what with U.S. governors receiving mysterious shipments of laptops, with a fair bit of news also coming to us out of China.

Mon, August 24, 2009 - Over the past seven months, I have led a team of IT representatives in making sure that all mobile devices are aligned with our new security policy. I thought this was going to be straightforward -- a few mouse clicks to check off some boxes, and our policy would be in effect on our entire inventory of mobile devices.

Mon, August 17, 2009 - The consumer electronics scene in the U.S. is wonderful and horrible at the same time. The devices, technologies and innovation are wonderful. The provision of wireless access is horrible. U.S. carriers are some of the most backward, unscrupulous and anti-customer companies in the nation.

Thu, August 13, 2009 - For companies with employees traveling internationally, the ability to stay connected with mobile devices is imperative. Unfortunately, this generally means astronomical roaming fees.

Mon, August 10, 2009 - Mobile commerce is quickly becoming one of the most cost-effective, far-reaching means of giving the 'un-banked' poor their first taste of financial services. Yet many of these services are almost entirely informal, connected to neither banks nor traditional forms of regulation. A new initiative -- CreditSMS -- aims to integrate m-commerce with traditional financial management tools, thereby formalizing the informal and bridging the financial divide.