September 12, 2017
Guide On How You Can Build And Enhance Collaboration With SharePoint
SharePoint is a powerful application that empowers teams with dynamic and productive sites for every department, division and project team. The application makes it easy to share files, resources, and news enabling team members inside and outside the organization to collaborate effortlessly and securely across Macs, mobile devices, and PCs. Therefore, SharePoint is the program of choice if you are looking build cohesion and inform employees throughout your organization intranet. When properly used, SharePoint can help improve efficiency in the organization by enabling businesses to share applications and common resources on portals. However, the challenge with SharePoint is in the installation and implementation.
Although the program is highly useful and effective for small and medium businesses, SharePoint was not initially designed for small businesses but corporations with many departments and teams that need collaboration. Therefore, for a small business to fully take advantage of the SharePoint, it will need to navigate the complicated installation process that requires the business to define its information architecture, subsite structure, site navigation, permissions setup, metadata configuration, external sharing and governance policy. There is much that can go wrong and thus, it is wise to start things on the right foot by hiring a SharePoint consulting Calgary to handle the installation process.
Another reason why it is wise to hire a SharePoint consulting C
algary expert is the fact that technology is ever changing. Since the application will be essential in the daily processes of your business, it is important to ensure that you are using the latest version. It is important to note that the 2013 version has features that are different from the 2007 version and hence, it is important to ensure that your business is using the latest version including other updates. The consultant will ensure that your business is using the latest version and even train employees on how to effectively take advantage of the latest updates to improve their productivity.
When choosing the best SharePoint consultant, you should ensure that the expert has multiple skills. Although it is impossible to find one person who understands everything about SharePoint, the best consultant company should have people with different skills to handle different aspects of the application. Using the right personnel can be the difference between inefficient deployment and efficient use. Due to the wide functions of the SharePoint, it is important to ensure that you clearly understand what your business needs before hiring the consultant.
Conclusion
Proper implementation of SharePoint requires not only the understanding of the technology but also all other relevant parts such as timetables, deliverables, and phases. Understanding all the aspects of your business needs will help the consultant understand the skills that you need as well as the necessary internal resources needed. Some of the things that you should consider staff and business needs, strategy and roadmap, structure and design, project scope and technical requirements.…
June 23, 2015
Safari to Block Ads
In a move guaranteed to make the advertising industry more than a little nervous, tech giant Apple has recently unveiled that they are incorporating their popular ad-blocking technology into their iOS 9 version of the Safari web browser. We all know that the most obnoxious parts of our internet experience are the insidious, continuous ads inundating us constantly. Safari is about to make this a thing of the past with the incorporation of certain extensions.
A Blow to Advertisers
Many advertisers and their subsidiaries depend upon these ads, their clicks and the cookies they create for not just their own income but to target ads to their customer base more effectively and even to coordinate and design future campaigns. iOS users have long been able to block ads, however, this is the first time that the extensions have been incorporated into the Safari browser.
In addition to being able to merely block ads, the new Safari extensions will allow users to block cookies, images and pop-ups, among other things. This will give users virtual carte blanche when it comes to controlling their internet experience.
While a good thing for users, it’s a huge problem for publishers and advertisers alike. Safari controls a full 55% of the online browsing traffic. If even 10% of their users incorporate the new extensions into their browsing experience, it could cost millions.
Huge Stake
The bottom line is that the Safari brand incorporates a huge market share when it comes to web browsing technology. The shift in marketability of ads may end up costing some sites their ability to break even, let alone make a profit. This could potentially reduce the percentage of sites who offer free content, as ads are often a primary revenue source.
It’s possible that consumers don’t fully realize the trade-off they get in exchange for their momentary inconvenience in dealing with advertisements on the web. Most surfers of the net would be reluctant to pay even a small fee for access to their favorite content. However, they don’t seem to realize that someone has to foot the bill for the things they see for free.
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The Cost of Surfing?
Is it possible that the implications of these new Safari extensions could profoundly change the face of the internet for everyone? The truth of the matter is that it could. Most online publishers aren’t making huge profits as it stands. Companies like Google, who offer publishers an income source through advertising, may take a big hit if consumers jump on the ad-free bandwagon.
Sites may have to shut down entirely if they can’t stay in the black with their ad revenue, while others may be forced to reduce content or charge membership fees.…
June 11, 2015
Surveillance Drone Tech Being Challenged
With drone technology becoming more and more commonplace, it’s not surprising that citizens and elected officials alike are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with constant, warrantless monitoring. Just this week, Senators Dean Heller and Ron Wyden from Nevada and Oregon respectively, introduced new legislation that would require the government to abstain from drone surveillance without a warrant.
Protecting Individuals from Mass Aerial Surveillance Act
The newly proposed legislation comes as a result of a recent admission by the Federal government that the FBI (at the very least) has been using and continues to use drones and other planes to actively spy on selected citizens of the United States. They even went so far as to create fictitious companies and logos to disguise their aircraft while conducting their warrantless surveillance.
The issue was not isolated. Over 40 craft were traced and determined to belong to the investigative agency. They participated in over 100 surveillance flights in the skies of 11 states, and this was just since the end of April.
Concerned Citizens
With the recent advances in drone technology and surveillance technology in general, it’s no wonder that citizens and politicians alike are concerned about just what information the government is gathering from the skies over a mile above our heads. The agency has gone to great lengths to keep these high-tech, high-flying surveillance missions under wraps. With sock companies and fictitious aircraft registrations traced back to primarily a single “Robert Lindley” as their owner, it’s clear the FBI is trying to keep it’s warrantless spying on US citizens hidden.
The FBI itself has said very little, simply coming out in its own defense to state that they aren’t being secretive but rather protecting their technology with their closed lips.
Individual Targets
Perhaps most disturbing, the FBI fully admits that their surveillance is not some kind of metadata collection but targeted on specific individuals. This admission, coupled with the fact that the agency isn’t using proper legal channels to get warrants for investigative/search purposes has many citizens very uneasy.
The bottom line is that no one really knows what kind of technology the FBI is utilizing for their spy programs. They won’t cop to it. They call it classified/protected and simply go about doing what they want. With the recent outcry about the collection of information regarding US citizens by various government agencies, it’s no surprise that even elected officials are getting into the fray.
Only time will tell whether or not the newly introduced legislation will pass, but even if it doesn’t the fact that it’s been introduced has the potential to open the door to some serious awareness and discussion. It remains to be seen if the public can stem the tide of seemingly constant surveillance. The Constitution seems to pretty clearly prohibit the practice. Let’s hope our elected officials recognize this fact.…
May 30, 2015
Samsung Smartphone Hacking Risk
I know it’s incredibly shocking, but yet another series of smart phones have demonstrated themselves to be vulnerable to yet another hacking risk. While this risk is relatively limited, it does potentially impact 600 million Samsung smartphones, a representative confirmed Tuesday, June 16th.
Which Phones?
Currently involved in the hacking warning are the over 600 million Samsung Galaxy S3-S6 models as well as a couple Samsung Note models, to name a few. Of course, the Galaxy is Samsung’s most popular model, and because this security flaw impacts the S3-S6 models, it is an issue that went undetected for quite a while.
However, that’s not to say it went unexploited, which has users concerned.
How to get Hacked
Fortunately, this particular hacking method requires little short of a convergence of the stars to make it a feasible threat. It has to do with a loophole in the SwiftKey keyboard, and it requires both a compromised (or deliberately malicious, we know they’re out there) wi-fi source and for the SwiftKey keyboard to be concurrently updating the language pack.
For most people who use the standard, included language pack on their phone, this is something that will never come up. Even those who update their language pack will have no issues provided they do so on a trusted, secure wi-fi network.
Biggest Issue
The biggest overall issue is that the program that opens the door for potential hacking is something that can’t be removed or uninstalled. This means there’s no way for owners/users to totally mitigate their risk of this particular hack. Fortunately, though, as it requires such an obscure corresponding set of conditions to even be possible, the chances of you being targeted by a hacker at the same moment as the stars align is slim to none.
If someone does manage to get into your phone’s system, however, the compromised app does have some serious system privileges. Hackers who crack the space/time continuum to access your phone’s systems through this loophole will be doing so as privileged users, and therefore have all of the access that this status conveys. In a nutshell, nothing is safe if they do manage to get through.
Laughed Off
While this vulnerability is news-worthy and something that Samsung felt the need to bring to consumer’s attentions, it is not something they’re overly concerned about. Indeed, most owners and consumers simply aren’t worried and laughed off the warnings in the blogosphere.
Samsung has promised to issue an update to correct the flaw in the near future. However, many believe that the efforts are unlikely to make much difference as users will have to get their updates from carriers, who are notoriously slow to distribute these types of patches.…
April 15, 2015
Is the US Ready for a Smart City?
In our modern technological times, with our smartphones, smart TV’s and even smart meters, it’s not shocking that municipalities are turning to the idea of becoming completely wi-fi interconnected smart cities. One city in particular, San Jose in California, is stepping up to the challenge of becoming an Internet of Things pilot project.
The Deal
In an agreement that was finalized within just the last few weeks, a company called anyCOMM is going to be setting up almost 150 wi-fi sensors around San Jose. They are focusing on streetlights for positioning and power sources. The local Mineta Airport will receive an additional almost 20 sensors. It has faced significant security breaches in the last 12 months alone.
Of course, its incorporation into the project is still dependent upon the agreement of the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Purpose
These sensors are going to be more monitoring/tracking/observing devices in a world seemingly overrun by them already. They will track traffic, pedestrians, control streetlights, monitor seismic activity, even warn citizens of potential quakes and provide wi-fi hotspots for the citizenry.
Of course, since this is a beta test city, full functionality will depend on numerous factors and whether or not the technology remains functional and operational. These factors are still up in the air, of course, and determining the overall dependability of the project is part of the test.
Privacy Concerns
While some citizens are leery at the idea of more observation by random and government entities, anyCOMM has gone on the record stating that while video and audio will be recorded, they will not be gathering personal information. When the project’s pilot phase is concluded, the parent company will report to the city what they’ve gleaned and suggest ideas for improving the city’s functionality as such.
Other Concerns
According to one seo company chicago, one of the single biggest overall concerns pertaining to the project is whether or not the wi-fi sensors can be depended upon to work consistently. Even in the most well-tested of situations, wi-fi can be undependable. There are serious worries that the monitoring technology might fail in inclement weather or for a plethora of other yet-to-be-determined reasons.
The biggest concern is the large distance that will be covered by a single wi-fi network. Most networks operate on a much smaller scale.
Security of Data
One other serious concern for citizens and the local city government alike is the security of any data collected. While the parent company has assured folks that they are not collecting personal data, the bottom line is that the equipment will be recording virtually every activity that takes place in public areas within the city. It doesn’t take much of a stretch of the imagination to see how even this data, in the wrong hands, could be compromising for a lot of people.
The bottom line is that because this is a pilot project, there are countless unforeseeable outcomes to the situation. This is the trial city that will be used to work out kinks and bugs and determine feasibility for other cities, if at all.…
March 11, 2015
Russia’s Killer Robot Army
While it might sound like something out of science fiction, the fact of the matter is that Russia is perfecting robot technology to the extent that by later this very year, their military robot prototypes will be advanced enough to clear an advanced obstacle course. This may not be incredibly concerning to some, considering the fact that the world’s militaries already possess equipment and weapons capable of mass destruction. However, ethicists and scientist alike are sounding the alarms.
Ethics of Killer Robots
Humanity is at a nexus. We have reached a level of technology and advancement where we can fairly easily create anything we can imagine. Unfortunately, we can’t always foresee all of the consequences of our creations. Known as LAWS, or lethal autonomous weapons systems (i.e., killer robots), this form of artificial intelligence has made some of the leaders in the robotics and artificial intelligence industries very nervous.
Most scientists believe that now is the time to set global restrictions and parameters regarding the creation and usage of such technology.
Out-Dated Laws
In many cases, international laws simply haven’t caught up to technological advances in weapons technology. While so-called “traditional” weapons of mass destruction are illegal under previous international agreements, our legal systems haven’t moved as fast as our technology and/or our ability to build newer, more advanced killing machines.
When you couple this gap in legislation with the fact that weapons can now be created that function and even arguably think for themselves, the disparity in theory and reality becomes even more glaringly apparent.
It’s not surprising, however, that some of the world’s leading LAWS-developing nations are opposed to creating treaties that limit the development/use of this kind of technology. It hasn’t really been until some rival nations began perfecting their own technology that murmurs of regulation have begun circulating.
The Leaders
The UK, the US and Israel are among the world’s most technologically advanced, so it’s not surprising that they lead the pack when it comes to these new-age weapons. They have collectively argued that current international laws are more than adequate to prevent technological abuse. Many ethicists, however, disagree.
Non-politically motivated developers, scientists, professors and legal experts agree that this technology opens the doors to issues unlike those the world’s ever known. First and foremost, they worry about accountability. Who do you hold accountable for the crimes of a machine with autonomy? The creator? The programmer? The government behind it? The machine itself?
While Russia is developing humanoid robots capable of independent function and even independent killing, drones and other machines that use this technology already exist and are even arguably being used.
The bottom line is that we are entering into a new world of technology, one in which our machines may end up more intelligent and capable than the people operating them. To most paying attention, it’s a recipe for disaster if not closely controlled.…
February 5, 2015
Routers as Hacking Devices
When most of us consider being hacked, we’re worried about our Internet passwords and websites. The fact of the matter is that one of the single easiest ways for hackers to get into your personal information, your entire network and everything it houses. It makes every device on the network vulnerable, and can lead to a wide array of security concerns.
Notorious Soft Targets
Most home-use routers have little if any security capabilities. Owners install them simply as Internet networking devices, they plug them in and never think of them again unless they malfunction or it’s already too late. Internet security companies are seeing a substantial uptick in malware programs and other nefarious codes designed specifically to infiltrate and sneak through the weak security of home routers.
Even in the instances where various manufacturers discover serious vulnerabilities in their hardware, most consumers never get an update or notification of the issue, let alone a software update or patch to fix the issue. The bottom line is that they are simply fixtures in most homes, making them easy to infiltrate and exploit.
Back-Door Accessibility
Some of the convenience features added by router manufacturers have made them even easier to get in on. Features designed to allow for remote serviceability or tech support have become loopholes for hackers to get in and turn your own equipment against you. Rather than require concerted local area network access to impact settings and functionality, some manufacturers bypassed this security feature for ease of access. Not surprisingly, this was largely exploited by those with ill-intent.
Even routers without back-door access can be remotely compromised if users open malware or other malicious emails which expose their computer, network and/or router to nefarious software. This allows anyone with enough know-how to get into your system with the inclination. Cross site request forgery is another avenue which functions by redirecting users to some malicious website to gain access.
Government Routers an Example
Some of the most notable security breaches in the recent news have to do with Federal employees having their router security compromised. This is an ongoing problem, as hacker technology seems to be on par or ahead of the technology the professionals use to combat it. Some of the most notorious data breaches in recent months can be traced back to inferior router technology. Hackers have managed to steal and potentially even share the data of government employees fairly regularly.
The only real way to protect yourself from being a victim of router-hacking is to be diligent. If you have a router with security features, use them. If your router is an older model, consider upgrading to something more technologically advanced. Use passwords all the time, change them frequently and keep them secure.…
January 22, 2015
Amazon’s New Delivery Concept
In a world where people want what they want when they want it, it’s not surprising that retailers are constantly trying to come up with innovative new ideas to meet their customer’s demands. Amazon.com, one of the consistent industry leaders in online sales, has been kicking around an idea for delivery straight out of the Uber playbook. Having recently blown the world away with their delivery drone concept, they’re stepping up their game one more time.
Freelance Deliverers
Amazon.com is working on an app that would allow customers to choose a local neighborhood freelance delivery-person as an alternative to using a commercial delivery company. The idea is that products being sourced from traditional retailers could be picked up by a liaison and driven/delivered straight to the person placing the order pretty much as quickly as pushing a button on their smart phone.
Amazon is considering contracting with retailers to rent space for their delivery storage in order to incorporate a larger number of products into the plan. Depending upon what is ordered, customers would still have to wait until their delivery got to town before arranging immediate delivery through a 3rd party.
Not the First Time
This isn’t the first time in recent years that Amazon.com has batted around the idea of crowdsourcing their delivery. The truth of the matter is that people are impatient and they love being part of something innovative and new. Despite being at the top of the online sales pack, Amazon.com has to continually strive to retain their place in the pecking order. Giving consumers more control over their deliveries is one way to accomplish this.
Indeed, Amazon must figure out the logistics delivering over 3.5 million packages each day. With more and more customers and more products becoming available all the time, keeping supply up with demand is a constant struggle. Especially during peak shipping times, this plan would provide consumers with a way to ensure they are never kept waiting.
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The Timeline
Unfortunately, this new delivery plan is in the earliest stages of its infancy. There is no concrete timeline for when, if ever, the app might reach the end of its development. Of course, app development is the first step of many. If the plan does get off the ground, chances are it will be launched in high population-density urban areas first. This will give the delivery method the volume it needs to be truly tested before going nationwide.
In addition to providing perks for customers of the site, it will give others the opportunity to pick up some extra cash. It could be a win-win-win for consumers, Amazon.com and their freelance deliverers, too. Only time will tell whether this gets off the ground, but we’re waiting with bated breath.
Special thanks to Gustin Quon who offer, Winnipeg MB SEO and Digital Marketing.…