Big Data, Cloud, Social Networks and Mobility: IBM Key Trends for 2014

The technology is being decisive in shaping the global competitive map, to the point that those organizations who cannot adapt will find themselves struggling to compete and even survive. Technology has accelerated the pace of change, and those companies that do not react and transform run the risk of disappearing or being irrelevant in their markets.
There are three factors that are driving today’s business progress. These are the big data analytics, cloud computing and the new relationship model that is transforming businesses through both social networks and online relationship with your customers, and through mobility, as revolutionary Internet today as it was two decades ago.
IBM, a leader in this segment, according to analyst firm Gartner, has spent years, expanding and improving its capabilities in the field of cloud computing, big data and mobility. In its 2013 annual report, CEO Ginni Rometty outlined the company’s three strategies for the year 2014 – data, cloud and systems of engagement. The company plans to drive growth and profit through three key initiatives: transforming industries and professions with data, remaking enterprise IT for the cloud and building systems of engagement leveraging enterprise security and data.
Big Data and Cloud
For the last several years, IBM has invested heavily in these areas. To that end, IBM has acquired more than 30 companies including Cognos, SPSS, Varicent, Algorithmics, Vivisimo and The Now Factory; registered 1,000 patents related to this technology; incorporated more than 10,000 consultants and 400 mathematicians the area of analytical business; and invested in the new Watson Group, a new business unit dedicated to the development and commercialization of cognitive innovations in cloud. Investment in this group will amount to one billion. The objective is to accelerate the time to market of a new class of software, services and applications capable of learning and responding to complex questions managing a large amount of information.
The cloud computing and big data represent one of the core businesses of IBM. Not surprisingly, according to research presented by IDC, IBM is the market leader of professional cloud technology services in the world. In addition, 24 of the top 25 companies in the Fortune 500 list use the IBM Cloud.
IBM says that the world is generating more than 2.5 billion gigabytes of data every day, and 80 per cent of it is unstructured – everything from images, video and audio to social media and impulses from embedded sensors and distributed devices. The market for data and analytics is estimated at $187bn by 2015. To capture this growth potential, IBM has invested more than $24bn, including $17bn of gross spend on more than 30 acquisitions. Two-thirds of IBM Research’s work are now devoted to data, analytics and cognitive computing. IBM has an ecosystem of 6,000 industry partners, 4000 analytics patents and 1,000 university partnerships around the world developing new, analytics-related curricula.
Social Network and Mobility
Social networks, internet and new smart mobile devices have created a new model of relationship between companies and their employees and end users. IBM offers a wide range of social software. Today, more than 60% of Fortune 100 companies have chosen IBM social software. The Big Blue company says it will improve the productivity of the templates, which results in increased performance and cost savings when selecting the best talent and training. It will contribute to organizations that can provide the best online experience to their end customers, which is key to increase revenue and improve business performance factor.
On the other hand, the other component technology that is driving the new relationship is mobility. IBM has been positioned by Gartner as a leader in Magic Quadrant platform mobile application development. In its report, Gartner highlights the completeness and the ability to run IBM Worklight, a platform for mobile application development. In addition, IBM has made ​​10 acquisitions related to mobility for the past four years, among which were Tealeaf and Worklight. IBM also supplies mobility solutions in MobileFirst that integrates strategy to help companies leverage the opportunities offered by mobile technology.

Related Articles:

• Big Data, Cloud Security Tops the List of IBM Patents in…
• IBM is Betting Big on its Mobile Strategy with MobileFirst
• SIIA Report: Social Media, Mobile Apps, Big Data and Hybrid…
• Ernst & Young: Mobility, Cloud and Big Data Analytics…
• Gartner: Top 10 Key Technology Trends for 2013

8 Ways Tech Has Completely Rewired Our Brains

Technology has altered human physiology. It makes us think differently, feel differently, even dream differently. It affects our memory, attention spans and sleep cycles. This is attributed to a scientific phenomenon known as neuroplasticity, or the brain's ability to alter its behavior based on new experiences. In this case, that's the wealth of information offered by the Internet and interactive technologies.
Some cognition experts have praised the effects of tech on the brain, lauding its ability to organize our lives and free our minds for deeper thinking. Others fear tech has crippled our attention spans and made us uncreative and impatient when it comes to anything analog.

Every emerging study and opinion piece is hotly disputed, yet each brings us closer to understanding how tech can fundamentally alter our minds. Below, we list some of the major ways tech has rewired our brains, for better or worse.

1. We dream in color.

Television impacts our psyche so thoroughly, it may even affect our dreams. In 2008, a study conducted at Scotland's Dundee University found that adults over the age of 55 who had grown up in a household with a black and white television set were more likely to dream in black and white. Younger participants, who grew up in the age of Technicolor, nearly always experienced their dreams in color. The American Psychological Assocation seconded these findings in 2011.
Previous dream research, conducted in the early 1900s through the 1950s, has suggested a correlation between exposure to black and white television and dreaming in black and white. In the 1960s, dreams returned to Technicolor with the advent of color film and television.

2. We experience FOMO…

The reports are anecdotal at best, but FOMO (fear of missing out), defined by The New York Times as "the blend of anxiety, inadequacy and irritation that can flare up while skimming social media," seems fairly legit.
Before Instagram and Facebook, people who chose to spend a quiet Saturday night at home with a glass of wine and a copy of Anchorman might have felt a little guilty or sad they weren't out whooping it up. But thanks to social media, that feeling is compounded by pictures and posts of scrumptious dinners and raging parties, plus endless videos of friends chugging beer. Even if none of these activities are your idea of fun, you'll definitely recognize that pang: "Should I be doing something else right now?" That's FOMO.
There's even evidence that looking at pictures of friends' meals on Instagram and Pinterest makes your own meal taste bland by comparison.

3. … And "phantom vibration syndrome."

We are now hard-wired to assume our phones are ringing, even when they're not. In a 2012 study published in the journal Computers and Human Behavior, researchers found that 89% of the 290 undergraduates surveyed reported feeling "phantom vibrations," the physical sensation that their phone was vibrating, even when it wasn't, once every two weeks. A survey of hospital workers found similar results.
A research psychologist speaking on NPR suggested that physical sensations, such as an itch, may now be misinterpreted by our brains as a vibrating phone. "Something in your brain is being triggered that's different than what was triggered just a few short years ago," he said.
Since nobody is especially bothered by phantom vibrations, the sensation is more of a nuisance than a physiological problem. Still, it's pretty freaky.

4. We can't sleep.

We technophiles are accustomed to falling asleep with laptops glowing softly by our beds, playing a soothing Futurama episode to lull us into sleep. Others might end the day by reading a chapter of The Hunger Games on their iPad. But those comforting nighttime routines may actually be screwing with our sleep patterns.
Neuroscientists suspect the glowing lights emitted by laptop, tablet and smartphone screens mess with your body's internal light cues and sleep-inducing hormones. Exposure to bright lights can fool the brain into thinking it's still daytime, and can potentially have lasting effects on the body's circadian rhythms (your internal sleep clock). Our eyes are especially sensitive to the blue light emitted by screens. This makes it harder to fall asleep, especially for those who already struggle with insomnia.

5. Our memory isn't great, and neither is our attention span.

Back in the old, old, old days, learning by rote was a prized skill. So prized, in fact, that students were often expected to recite entire books from memory. In a Google-happy world, when virtually any scrap of information is instantly at our fingertips, we don't bother retaining facts, let alone whole book passages. Who needs to memorize the capital of Mozambique when you can just ask Siri?
In 2007, a neuroscientist polled 3,000 people and found that the younger respondents were less likely to remember standard personal information, such as a relative's birthday or even their own phone number. Similarly, studies have shown that calculators may decrease simple mathematical skills. Some people are unable to navigate their own cities without the help of GPS.
Social media and the Internet have also been shown to shorten our attention spans. Individuals immersed in digital media find it difficult to read books for long periods of time, and often skim articles online rather than reading every word. This phenomenon can be particularly troubling for youth, whose brains are more malleable and, therefore, may fail to develop concentration skills.

6. We have better visual skills…

A 2013 study found that first-person shooter video games, such as Halo and Call of Duty, boost decision-making and visual skills. These immersive games force players to make snap decisions based on visual cues, which enhances visuospatial attention skills, or the ability to parse details of your physical environment. Gamers are also better at detecting contrast between objects in dim environments.
Meanwhile, complex, strategy-based games like Starcraft may improve the brain's "cognitive flexibility," or the ability to switch between tasks, thus enhancing the much-disputed ability to multitask. This was particularly true among older study participants.

7. ...But poorer impulse control.

Unfortunately, that same 2013 study found video games like Halo can inhibit players' ability to rein in impulsive or aggressive behavior. Researchers concluded that forcing players to make snap decisions in violent situations inhibited "proactive executive control" over knee-jerk reactions and impulses, meaning they were more likely to react with immediate, unchecked hostility or aggression in real life.
Other studies have substantiated the idea of a link between violent video games (and other violent forms of media) and aggression and attention problems.

8. We create more.

Ending on a high note, tech makes it easier for artists and non-artists alike to engage with creative media. Author Clay Shirkey argues that the Internet enhances what he calls "cognitive surplus," the excess hours and brain power we can devote to pursuing activities and goals we enjoy. Social media, according to Shirkey, prompts users to engage with texts, images and videos in a way that simply watching television doesn't. As social media promotes a culture of sharing, users feel more inclined to create and share something of their own, be it a Flickr album, a book review, a contribution to Wikipedia or a DIY project.

"We do things because they're interesting, because they're engaging, because they're the right things to do, because they contribute to the world," said Daniel Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, in a conversation with Wired and Shirkey.

Malls Starting To Adopt 'Hybrid' Approach To Boost Sales

Shopping Malls have started to adopt an ‘Hybrid’ approach of sales to attract customers and boost revenues.

Delhi’s Select Citywalk mall will soon adopt the Hybrid Model of sales. It is expected to launch its online storefront via an eCommerce Marketplace model. Another Bangalore based mall, the Total Mall too has adopted similar technique. The Hybrid Model of sales allows the customers to check out various products that the Mall can offer and then later pay a visit to the place and pick–up the merchandise. Even Future Group’s Big Bazaar Direct essentially works in a similar manner

What is a Hybrid Model? Known the world over as the Bricks–N–Clicks Model, the Hybrid Model is a combined approach to sales that involves both the Physical Outlets as well as Online Shopping Portals. While Online Shopping offers the convenience of browsing from the comfort of one’s computer, the physical outlet offers the benefit of physically inspecting or feeling the product before making the final purchase.

The Hybrid Model attempts to combine the benefits of both the models. However, there is one elemental edge in favor of Online Model and that is lower overheads which directly translate to lower prices or discounts for the end–buyer. But, with urban shoppers getting ever more comfortable shopping online, malls seem to be losing their charm and hence are eager to explore newer avenues to keep the sales strong.

India is witnessing a strange phenomenon wherein players from either of the domain; Physical and Virtual, are keen to set foot into the other’s territory. While malls like Select Citywalk or Big Bazaar are exploring online channels, online players like TaxSpanner, Shaadi, etc. are setting up physical outlets. Is the Hybrid Model truly the answer?

Pinterest Introduces A New Gifts Feed

The team over at Pinterest has announced a new Gifts feed on the website. According to the official blog, it is a work in progress and will see more updates in the future.

This Gifts feed differs from regular pinterest feeds as it exclusively showcases products along with additional information such as Pricing, Availability and where users can buy them. This is done with the intention of making it easy for users to purchase the items that they desire on this feed. The team shared that over the years they have realized that product pins get higher clickthrough rates compared to regular pins. Higher clickthrough rates means that brands have more potential for spreading awareness about their products. The product pins on the Gift feed also feature brand logos so as to facilitate this higher visibility.

An additional useful feature is that those users who have pinned an item will get an email notification whenever the prices on the said product drops. The feed has a simple pricing filter which indicates price by using the $ sign. $$$$ indicates a price higher than $200, $$$ means that the product price ranges in between $50-200, $$ indicates a price between $25-50 and a lone $ sign indicates pricing lower than $25.

Brands that want to get their products onto this feed can do so by getting Rich Pins. More information about this is available on their developer site. The process seems to be simple enough.

This gifting feature is crucial for the website to build some meaningful revenue by acting as a great driver of sales. Pinning is based on active interests and product discovery via Pinterest seems to be very non-intrusive as opposed to other advertising programs out there. This could help Pinterest channel its interest based usage to drive higher sales for product companies in a meaningful way.

VLC Player App Is Now Available For Windows 8

VLC, one of the most popular open source media players, has now finally arrived for Windows 8 devices. VLC does have applications tailored to earlier Windows versions, Linux, Android and Mac, but it did not have an official app for Windows 8. This is due to the different criteria required for Windows 8 apps including a new interface that complies with Microsoft’s guidelines.

VideoLAN, the team behind VLC had successfully raised funding on Kickstarter for the Windows 8 app in early 2013. It has taken the team more than a year to put out the official app. Windows 8 users can now take advantage of the improved interface and the Windows 8 integration. The app is however in beta but is working fine according to reviews. Keeping with VLC’s philosophy of supporting every other media file format under the sun, the Windows 8 app has support for all codecs including OGG, FLAC and MKV. The app has four distinct sections called Home, Music, Videos, External Storage and Media Servers.

The app has complete feature parity with the desktop versions of VLC. It is functional but seems to be slower compared to desktop versions. Hopefully, improvements are on its way. The app is compatible with both Windows 8 and 8.1 and will support only those devices which have a x86 and x64 processor architectures.

Those of you who are on Windows 8 should give this app a try and let us know how you like it.

Download Link | VLC for Windows 8

Interview: What happens when your cloud provider pulls out of the market?

At the start of the year, the news that Symantec's Backup Exec.cloud offering had been removed from the market left customers just one year to migrate to an alternative solution.
This generous window of opportunity is not indicative of the cloud industry in general, with companies typically leaving a much smaller migration window. So what do you do if your backup provider pulls its product from the market?
Started over 10 years ago, Databarracks, based in Clapham, South London, provides secure, Infrastructure as a Service, Backup as a Service and Disaster Recovery as a Service from UK-based, ex-military data centres.
Oscar Arean, Technical Operations Manager at Databarracks, discusses what you should do if your cloud provider is forced pull out of the market, what it means for your data and how you can retrieve your data.
TechRadar Pro: What is the difference between retrieving my backups from a cloud service provider compared to regular data storage?
Oscar Arean: Retrieving backup data is a far more complex process than when working with normal production data. Unfortunately it's not as simple as collecting your disks from the data centre and extracting the data straight from them.
Due to the nature of backups, they are usually encrypted, compressed and stored in a way very specific to your provider's software. The process of extracting this data, in a readable state, is far more time consuming in comparison to application or file data.
TRP: How can I keep all the different generations of my backups?
OA: Good providers will do this for you, and export the data in a way that allows your next provider to set up your new backup service without losing any historical data. Not all providers do this as standard, however, and can charge a premium when it is required.
While not always possible, it's useful to have this conversation with your CSP before committing, to ensure you both understand the expectations and restrictions on the relationship.
Ideally your new provider will use the same technology as your previous one, making the transition as smooth as possible. You can transfer historical data to a different system if necessary but you need to bear in mind the extra time, storage and essentially money that this requires because you will be the one doing the work to convert it.
Check for additional charges from either provider that may be incurred. It may also be possible to export configuration settings which can reduce setup times, although at this stage it is recommended to review backup settings to ensure that they meet your requirements and are actually protecting all of your essential servers.
TRP: How fast can I get my data back from my CSP's environment?
OA: This is dependent on the amount of data you have and the speed of transfer. It is important to note that although you may have a very fast internet connection, some service providers to impose restrictions on the speed of transfer.
Unless you are only storing a very small volume of data and have a large internet connection, the most sensible method to retrieve your data is to have it physically sent to you.
To ensure fast delivery, negotiate an SLA into your contract that guarantees the couriered delivery of your data. For added security, the delivery can be tracked in transit from the data centre to your site.
TRP: Can I transfer directly to another provider?
OA: Sometimes, but there are four main things to take into account:
Are you happy for a complete refresh with no historical data? How will you get your historical data to another service provider? Have you considered the costs in exporting and importing historical data?
Does the historical data get de-duplicated or does it add to the overall storage which increases the cost of the solution?
TRP: Is there a cost for me to transfer my data?
OA: As I said, the process of transferring backup data can be a complicated one. If you just want your data back – this is quite simple, but if you want to keep the structure of your backups so you can continue with the same strategy, this can increase your costs.
Some CSPs will provide this as part of their service but at an additional cost, due to the amount of extra storage it requires in the short term, as well as the number of man hours.
If you'd rather not pay for the service, it is possible to perform the transfer yourself – if you have the available time, storage and know-how to do so. We don't usually recommend this though - imagine a company with 100s of servers, how do you guarantee that data has been transferred correctly?
TRP: Does it actually matter what country my Cloud Service Provider (CSP) is located in?
OA: The nationality of your service provider is usually brought into question in terms of security, but these worries are often unfounded. Backup is one of the more secure cloud services because backups are encrypted in transit and at rest. As this is the case, the location of your backup service provider is less significant than for instance your CRM or IaaS service provider.
Nationality becomes very important, however, when you have to deal with something like getting your data back from a provider if they pull out of your market.
The risk and complexity in resolving that kind of issue is far less with a domestic provider than it would be when dealing with a big international conglomerate.
For example, does the service provider have the option to store your encryption key? What's to stop them from restoring/assisting in restoring your data if requested by government agencies in the US? Really, in any situation where you need to recover significant volumes of data – having a service provider in your own country is preferable.

In Depth: Nexus 6: what we want to see

The key features the Nexus 6 needs

Fans of the cutting edge vanilla Android experience were quick to fall in love with the Nexus 5. It ushered in Android 4.4 KitKat with a sexy Google Experience Launcher on top, but it wasn't perfect.
Originally imagined as reference devices to inspire original equipment manufacturers, recent Nexus smartphones have grown beyond that brief to drive down prices and raise expectations. With Play editions of flagships like the Galaxy S4 and HTC One, you could argue that we don't need Nexus phones any more, but that doesn't mean we don't want another one.
If it comes, the Nexus 6 is likely to land, like an autumn leaf, towards the end of the year. Google will definitely have to revamp the naming conventions after that, because we already have a Nexus 7.
Here's what our friendly neighbourhood search giant could do to get us excited about the Nexus 6 - the phone we expect to launch Android 5 in November..

A bigger battery

Battery life has bossed the chart of complaints in the smartphone market for years now and last year's Nexus was a major offender, with a constantly weird amount of power suckage.
Scraping through a day simply isn't good enough. If you're going to pack more and more irresistible features into a device with a gorgeous hypnotizing display, then please give it enough juice to fulfil our obsessive usage.
The days of removable batteries appear to be over, at least where the Nexus line is concerned. Battery cases are too bulky and wireless charging is far from ubiquitous. We demand a bigger battery, or much greater efficiency. Ideally we'd like a mix of the two, especially when it comes to the leaky Nexus range.

A better camera

Google made some swift adjustments to roll out an update that fixed up the Nexus 5 camera, but it's still an obvious candidate for improvement. A new version of Android should handle the software side, but the Nexus 6 is going to need to pack some decent hardware.
Nokia is the current gold standard with the 41MP-toting Lumia 1020, but the Android pack is pushing 13MP and upwards now. Of course there's more to a camera than the megapixel count, but there's a lot more than can be done here.

It would be a very pleasant surprise to get a Nexus 6 capable of taking photos that can compete with the latest iPhone and the rest of the flagship gang. We want great quality shots, but also fast performance to help us capture those precious, spontaneous moments as they happen.

A slightly bigger screen

With some clever engineering and some ruthless bezel slicing we're getting bigger displays without smartphones growing to ridiculous proportions, although phablets are now a thing. Perhaps the 6 will refer to the screen size.
Realistically 6 inches might be pushing things too far, but we could always use more screen real estate. We'd like to see the Nexus 6 creep up a touch past 5 inches without becoming unwieldy. A slight increase in screen size without additional bulk would hit the spot nicely. An edge-to-edge display has long been a dream for smartphone fans.

A 64-bit processor

Since Apple made the jump to a 64-bit processor in the iPhone 5S it's inevitable that other manufacturers will want to follow suit. It doesn't matter if there isn't much obvious short term advantage. Let's face it, we're hardly bumping up against the 4GB RAM barrier yet, but you can bet we will.
App developers and manufacturers will be able to realize the potential of this in years to come, but perception is important and that's reason enough for the Nexus 6 to need a 64-bit processor.
It's likely the next Nexus will be the poster child for the latest iteration of Android, and with version 5.0 set to be the first to support 64-bit chips, the Nexus 6 needs to be an absolute monster when it comes to power.

Dual speakers

The front-facing dual-speaker setup on the HTC One was undeniably nice and the more we consume media on our smartphones the more important it becomes to get decent sound.

The Nexus 5 had one speaker at the bottom and it was less than stellar. It's another obvious target for a spot of improvement and it would be nice if headphones weren't a requirement for enjoying music on your phone.

A new form

The LG G Flex and the Samsung Galaxy Round have begun the transition to flexible displays which will enable new form factors.
A gentle curve is not much to get excited about, and it's still probably too early for the full potential of flexible displays to be realized, but anything that takes smartphones away from the black rectangle convention could be good.

A Nexus 6 with a really interesting design and some software innovation from Google could point the way for the evolution of the smartphone, and given LG is apparently in the hot seat to make its third consecutive Nexus, this could be a winner from one of the world's biggest makers of flexible phone screens.
At the very least a kind of secondary display portion on the edge for at-a-glance functionality and controls. Maybe even a dual-screen set-up with a low energy secondary display for notifications.

Always listening

The big USP for the Moto X was the voice recognition, allowing you to issue commands to Google Now without using your hands. The idea of hands-free operation has always been hampered by the need to press something first.
If the Nexus 6 was always listening for its master's voice, we might be tempted to make better use of Google's fortune-telling digital butler.

A 2K display

Full HD with a 1920x1080 pixel resolution became the new standard for top-end Android smartphones in 2013. The next development looks likely to be 2K, with a resolution of 2560x1440 pixels.
LG has shown off 2K display technology and Chinese manufacturers Vivo and Oppo have stated their intentions to release devices with 2K displays this year.

It wouldn't be a shock if the Nexus 6 brought us a new level of pixel density. It's probably too soon for 4K displays, but we're heading in that direction, and this would at least give a Nexus the headline grabbing features we love.
Of course, only if it can be done cheaply. We don't want to lose the low, low prices we've become accustomed to.

Biometric security

Face Unlock was a gimmicky feature that arrived in Android Ice Cream Sandwich. It didn't always work and it was easy to spoof with a photo but finding new ways to effortlessly, but securely, unlock your smartphone is still on the agenda.
Apple's Touch ID uses your fingerprints and there were strong rumours of a retinal scanner in the Galaxy S5, even if it never came to pass and instead offered up a boring digit scanner. If this kind of security is set to become a new standard, then you can bet the Nexus 6 should jump on board.

Indestructibility

We've seen Kevlar coating from Motorola and waterproofing from Sony and Samsung, and there's no doubt the Nexus line could stand to toughen up. You only need to glance at any Nexus 4 or Nexus 5 forum to find tales of woe from hapless owners with shattered screens.
Flexible display technology could put an end to cracked and broken screens. Waterproofing has left the rugged category behind and broken into the mainstream. A Nexus 6 that can survive a dunk and doesn't need a polycarbonate overcoat is surely on the cards.

• Want to know why your battery is rubbish... with solutions to the problem? Yeah, you do.

What do you think? Let us know below how you think Google needs to spec the Nexus 6 to make it into a winner.