Microsoft Exchange Server 2013 Adds Compliance Power

Heard the one about the doctor who sent an email blast exposing personal, and highly confidential, information on 7,000 patients? Microsoft did, so it's building tools into Exchange Server 2013 that will make it easier for IT administrators and compliance officers to guard against such mistakes.

"We've layered a new policy engine on top of Exchange that allows IT managers, whether they're online or on premises, to define data-loss prevention policies to help keep information inside the network," Michael Atalla, Microsoft's director for Exchange Product Management, said in an interview Monday.

The tools include software that scans outgoing emails for information, such as credit card or social security numbers, that could violate industry regulations or privacy laws if sent to a third party. If a potential violation is detected, Exchange Server 2013 can automatically block the outgoing mail, or it can be configured to simply warn the user that they are about to send restricted information.

"These are out-of-the-box policies," said Atalla, who earlier in the day touted the software's new features during a keynote at the Microsoft Exchange Conference in Orlando. He noted that organizations can also create their own rules for emails that contain sensitive data such as bank routing numbers, medical reports, financial reports, and the like.

[ Microsoft has a lot of new products on the launch pad. Read 5 Reasons To Like Windows Server 2012. ]

One user who could have benefited from such technology is a physician at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, who in February unwittingly exposed personal information on 7,000 patients to an outside recipient. "Administrators and compliance officers can now alert their end users to potential policy violations before they take place," said Atalla.

Microsoft is beefing up other compliance tools in Exchange 2013. One new feature adds proximity matching to archive searches, making it easier to recover specific communications that may be needed for discovery or other legal proceedings. For example, users can ask the system to retrieve documents that contain the term "financial results", but only if it's a certain number of words, or less, away from another term, such as "third quarter".

"The best case in e-discovery results is the most narrow set possible," said Atalla.

Microsoft has not released a final ship date for Exchange 2013, but a preview version is now available as a free download from the company's website. Many of the new features in the product will also work their way into Exchange Online, Microsoft's cloud-based version of Exchange Server.

About 64% of organizations now use a combination of on-premises and cloud-based tools for email and collaboration, according to a survey released this week by Harris Interactive. "We've been on a journey of delivering both on premises server products and online services," said Atallla. "And this version of Exchange really brings complete parity across both."

Pricing for the new version of Exchange has not been announced. Atalla said there are "no substantial" licensing changes between Exchange Server 2013 and its predecessor, Exchange Server 2010.

source:Paul McDougall  

Verizon iPhone 5 ships unlocked, works on any GSM network

If you’re planning to get a new Verizon iPhone 5, there might be a little bonus feature included that neither Apple nor Verizon are keen to admit. As units have started making it out of the stores, it appears that the Verizon version of the device is fully unlocked out of the box and able to connect to any GSM network.

Most phones you get these days in the US are locked to a specific carrier. If you want to put in a SIM card from another carrier, you need to get an unlock code. Not so with the new iPhone on Verizon. All you’ll have to do is get a nano-SIM to drop into the SIM slot. This might actually be the hardest part of the endeavor — most carriers aren’t offering these new, smaller cards yet. You can cut down a larger micro-SIM to fit, but you might damage it.

In the US, the Verizon iPhone will work just fine on AT&T 3G HSPA+ (although the phone will erroneously call this 4G in accordance with AT&T’s marketing). On T-Mobile, most users will get 2G service. The only exception is in areas where T-Mobile has rolled out its 1900MHz 3G bands, which were acquired from AT&T as a consolation after the merger fell through. Any and all overseas carriers should work, and the iPhone’s pentaband radio should get you 3G on most of them.

Verizon support is apparently confirming to customers that the device is unlocked. At the very least, this doesn’t appear to be a mistake. It likely has to do with the way the iPhone’s radios are designed along with the implementation of LTE on Verizon. This might make the device a little more palatable to those on the fence about upgrading, especially for anyone that travels.

source :Ryan Whitwam

Growing complaints iPhone 5 handsets are damaged on arrival

Apple may have a major problem on its hands after just a few days of the iPhone 5 being on sale. The issue being two-fold: apparently there’s growing complaints that on opening a brand new iPhone 5 it already has scratches and scuffs on the case. Secondly, the back of the phone is thought to easily pick up marks and scratches even if you’re being extra careful.

The use of an anodized aluminum surface on the back of the phone is thought to be the cause of the issues. It is a surface that can’t easily be kept free of damage, suggesting that even the production line cannot keep the casing in perfect condition.

If that’s the case, then a protective case will be an essential purchase to protect the phone, but consumers will most likely be flooding Apple with complaints, especially if their handset comes out of the box damaged.

The Macrumors forum already has a long thread of people reporting damage out of the box either as scratches or nicks to the casing. Apple has yet to respond officially, but is no doubt looking into the matter and talking with production partners. At the very least it’s going to have to offer a solution to anyone finding their handset is damaged before they’ve even used it.

This isn’t an issue affecting a few iPhone 5 owners, either. A poll on Macrumors reveals 35% of owners are seeing scuffs out the box and a further 10% see damage shortly after use begins. So around 50% of phones are already showing damage with most of that through no fault of the owner.

source:  Matthew Humphries

iCourt: Season 2?

*Samsung calls for new trial, Apple seeks $707 million more in damages

By Kim Yoo-chul, Cho Mu-hyun

Samsung Electronics has officially requested a U.S. court to throw out a decision by a San Jose jury, which found the Korean technology giant guilty of copying the look and feel of Apple’s iPhones and iPads.

In legal papers submitted to U.S. Federal Judge Lucy Koh late Friday (local time), Samsung claimed the need for a new trial because it believes the jury’s verdict to award $1.05 billion to Apple in damages wasn’t backed sufficiently by testimony and evidence. Apple wasn’t pulling any punches either as it filed for an additional $707 million from Samsung in damages and interest. 

``Because the jury verdict form didn’t allow identification of damages on a claim-by-claim basis (per Apple’s request), if even one patent infringement or trade dress issue is overturned on a judgment as a matter of law (JMOL), then the Court needs to vacate the entire damages amount,’’ read Samsung’s letters, which were exclusively obtained by The Korea Times.

``Because the jury verdict form awarded Apple by totaling a single damages number for each product found for patent infringement and/or trade dilution and failed to distinguish reasonable royalty, lost profits and Samsung’s profits, the jury’s award is unclear and therefore should be reversed.’’ 

Samsung argued that Apple representatives failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the company’s claims of patent infringement and damages over trade dress dilution. It also said that the claims that Samsung gained $950 million from infringing on Apple’s patents and Apple lost $91 million from it were never supported by clear-cut evidence or testimony. Samsung is also demanding Apple to prove it lost $9 million in royalties income. 

``Over 90 percent of the jury’s total damages award is attributable to the jury taking 40 percent of what Apple claimed were Samsung’s profits, but Apple failed to show that the infringing features were worth 40 percent of total profits,’’ Samsung said.

According to Samsung, some of Apple patents such as the rounded corners of D’677, black surface of D’087 and GUI of D’305 are minor features among many functions and sophisticated technology that make up today’s smartphones.

``Apple at most has the right to these minor features, rather than to the entire smartphone,’’ it said, adding Apple’s own study showed that only 1 percent of iPhone users said that design and color is the reason they chose a phone and just 5 percent of respondents to the JD Power study identified visual appeal for why they purchased a phone.

``Apple failed to show that the patented features drive consumers to buy the accused’s products rather than the many other functions and sophisticated technology of Samsung’s smartphones. Apple failed to show enough capacity to make additional iPhones and iPads … Apple’s expert provided only one lost profits number per accused product assuming that each and every Samsung product infringed all of Apple’s patents and diluted all its trade dress.’’ 

Apple lowers damage demand

In a separate filing, Apple has lowered the additional damages it seeks from rival Samsung Electronics from trebling the initial damages ordered by a San Jose court to an additional $707 million.

``They lowered the damage at the last minute on Friday after deliberations,’’ said a Samsung official who declined to be named Sunday.

``Apple is flagrantly and cleverly trying to push Samsung into a corner while trying to prove to the contrary that they are not a patent troll,’’ he said. “But adding any amount of additional damages just shows that is exactly what they are.”

The iPhone maker filed a motion Friday to the court for the additional damages and an order for a permanent ban on infringed products and other products of the Suwon-based firm that resemble them. 

Out of the additional $707 million, $535 million was for trade dress and other patent violations, while the rest was a calculation by Apple for unaccounted damages it has incurred and or expects to by the end of the year due to Samsung’s infringement. 

The new sales ban will likely include the Galaxy S3, Samsung’s latest flagship phone which was excluded in the trial. The handset has sold over 20 million globally since its launch in May. The date of the final verdict is yet to be decided, but both parties expect it to be out by December. 

Apple and Samsung have been clashing in a legal tug-of-war over patents that span 10 countries. A recent verdict in Seoul slapped both companies with fines for infringement, while one in Tokyo said Samsung didn’t infringe on Apple’s designs.

The American company started sales of its flagship handset iPhone 5 on Friday (local time) which is expected to be the firm’s biggest hit ever. It also has long-term evolution (LTE) connectivity, which Samsung has patents on and vowed to sue its rival over. Korea has one of the widest dissemination of LTE networks and other countries have been progressively shifting to the next-generation connectivity from third generation.
source:

Swiss rail claims Apple copied its iconic clocks

Switzerland's national rail company accused Apple Inc. on Friday of stealing the iconic look of its station clocks for the iOS 6 operating system used by iPhone and iPad mobile devices.

Both designs have a round clock face with black indicators except for the second hand, which is red.

A spokesman for the Swiss Federal Railways, or SBB, said the Apple design was "identical" to the one pioneered by the rail company in 1944.

"We are proud that this icon of clock design is being used by a globally successful company," Reto Kormann told The Associated Press, but he noted that Apple hadn't asked for permission before doing so.

"We've approached Apple and told them that the rights for this clock belong to us," he said.

Kormann said SBB would seek an "amicable agreement" with Apple that could see the clock design used in return for a license fee.

Apple's public relations offices in Germany and Switzerland didn't respond to repeated calls and emails requesting comment.

The Cupertino, California-based company has itself launched several patent and design rights claims against rival companies in the past.

Last month it won a $1.05 billion judgment against Samsung Electronics in a U.S. patent case.

The new iPhone 5 was launched Friday in eight countries.

source:BERLIN (AP)

Google's Motorola goes after Apple maps in new ad

How many fronts can a good war have?

An infinite number, if the bazooka fire around the iPhone 5 can be believed.

For Google's Motorola doesn't want to be left behind Samsung and Nokia, both of whom have already tried to mock Apple's new elongated marvel.

I am indebted to TechCrunch for coming upon a Motorola Google+ post (also on Motorola's Facebook page) that enjoys an ad with a mocking tone.

What reason could Motorola have to mock the iPhone 5? Why, it's the iOS 6 Maps app, of course. You know, the one that doesn't seem to quite get the locations right.

The headline to this piece is thoroughly pointed: "The real world that's fit for your hand."

More Technically Incorrect

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• The software that stops you smiling in New Jersey
• Woz: iPhone 45 will mean you won't need humans
• Love me by text message, not on Facebook

Oh, dear. That venom is hardly fit for my head.

The Droid Razr M has Google Maps, which is a pulsating delight. Motorola would even like you to participate in the hashtag #iLost.(Which is a description of so many lives.)

One is wondering whether all the Androiders have formed a coalition to get at Apple. ForBusiness Insider pointed me to a Samsung post -- also on Google+, as well asSamsung's Facebook page.

This doesn't have quite the same poisonous serum within it. However, the line: "+1 if you're about to be helping your friends find their way using Google Maps on your Galaxy phone," isn't exactly friendly to Apple either.

I am not sure that maps would be a reason to buy a Droid Razr M. Nor would a plea from my next of kin or even Selma Blair. However, it seems that everyone is looking to toss a barb and carp at Apple's troubled sense of direction.

As with so many skirmishes, one can only get excited about who might next enter the theater of war. Microsoft, you're being a little quiet, aren't you?

source:Chris Matyszczyk.

Apple iPhone 5 (Verizon Wireless)

In this review, we're focusing on the Verizon Wireless iPhone 5 (64GB) . We'll test the other carrier's models as we get them. For a perspective on potential differences and what the other carriers have to offer, see, "Which iPhone 5 Carrier Should You Choose?"

If you're a Verizon customer who's smartphone shopping with an open mind, I can confidently say, the iPhone 5 is a very good phone, but it's not always the best phone. TheSamsung Galaxy S III and the Motorola Razr M, our other top choices on Verizon, make better in-car GPS units, for instance. I'll get to that decision at the end, but it isn't all clear-cut.

And if you just want bragging rights, well, this isn't Highlander. There can be more than one.

VIEW ALL 28 PHOTOS IN GALLERY

Physical FeaturesThe iPhone 5 ditches the glass-sandwich design that Apple has used for two years in exchange for a lighter, slimmer quasi-unibody form. At 4.9 by 2.3 by 0.3 inches (HWD) and 4 ounces, it's notably lighter than the last iPhone and one of the slimmest phones on the market, rivaled by the T-Mobile HTC One S. The front panel is still mostly screen: a 4-inch, 1,136-by-640 (326 ppi) display as opposed to the old 3.5-inch, 960-by-640 (326 ppi) panel. That makes the whole phone longer, but no wider. As a result, it's very easy for people with small hands and short thumbs to touch every part of the screen without stretching.

I found the new screen to be most important when playing games. Sure, it allows more room for everything—more Facebook updates, more Web page text, more calendar entries. But it really shines for games, where I've felt previous iPhones to be almost unbearably cramped and squinty. You're going to be staring at your smartphone's screen a lot, another 20 percent or so of information, with no additional hand fatigue, should be a no-brainer.

The headphone jack has moved down to the bottom of the phone, which is a slight disappointment. It means when you pull your phone out of your pocket by following the headphone cable, it'll always be upside down. Also on the bottom panel are the fairly loud speaker and the controversial Lightning connector.

The pitch of iPhone owners whining about the new Lightning port has become deafening, mostly because of Apple's blockheaded decision to charge $30 for its Lightning-to-30-pin adapter. While Lightning continues Apple's irritating policy of using non-standard connectors so it can profit from licensing, the 30-pin dock connector was nearly a decade old. It was time to go.

The sides and back of the new iPhone are considerably more handsome than they used to be. The matte black, beveled edge of the black iPhone we tested blends smoothly into the black anodized aluminum back; relatively subtle glass panels at the top and bottom of the phone cover the invisible antennas. There's also a snazzy white/silver version. Compared with this nearly unibody design, the 4S looks clunky. The new iPhone looks more durable, too, without that big pane of glass on the back to crack. 

Other buttons and controls are where they usually are. The iPhone's raised, separated volume controls have always been a nice feature, as they're very easy to locate blindly.

RF Reception and Phone CallsDispel all memories of the "death grip." RF reception here was excellent in my tests, and the iPhone 5 managed to nail two calls in a weak-signal area where the Galaxy S III couldn't connect. With antennas behind glass panels at the top and bottom of the phone, it's nearly impossible to cover both of them with your hand.

The iPhone 5 isn't the world's best voice phone, but it's good enough. The earpiece is loud enough for most situations, and the sidetone adapts to background noise so you don't end up yelling. Voice quality in quiet areas is well-defined. The noise cancellation isn't nearly as good as the Audience-powered noise canceling in the Galaxy S III—some background noise leaks through, which can create problems for automated response systems, and the iPhone 5 will clip your voice a bit when it's trying to dampen heavy noise. But my voice was clear and audible over the background noise in test calls. The speakerphone is of thoroughly average volume. Just as with the mouthpiece, it does a decent, but not perfect job, of lowering background noise.

My Jawbone Era Bluetooth headset worked just fine with Siri once I figured out the rhythm; you have to wait a few seconds after pressing the voice dialing button, and then wait for the beep before issuing your command. Music, video, and game audio had no trouble making it over Bluetooth in sync, so this phone should work fine with your Bluetooth headsets and speakers.

The Verizon iPhone 5 works on a wide range of networks: according to Apple, it supports CDMA EV-DO Rev A and Rev. B (800/1900/2100MHz), UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850/900/1900/2100MHz), GSM/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900MHz) and LTE (Bands 1/3/5/13/25). That's more networks than I've ever seen on a single phone. By default it will roam globally on the fastest 3G networks it can find. Verizon unlocks the SIM card slots after 60 days if your account is in good standing, so you can pop in a foreign SIM card. That is, if you can find the so-far-obscure Nano-SIM format. Nobody else uses it yet, but since Apple's a behemoth, I'm sure it will catch on.

One thing you can't do is move a Verizon iPhone to Sprint or AT&T's LTE network. (It might work with T-Mobile, though.) Sprint has (and uses) the ability to reject other carriers' phones on its CDMA network, and this model lacks AT&T's LTE bands.

source : SASCHA SEGAN

 

Facebook given 4 weeks to FULLY SATISFY Irish data commissioner

Facebook has four weeks to respond favourably to the Irish data protection commissioner's demands for improved privacy controls for European users of the social network.

Gary Davis - the Irish DP authority's deputy commissioner who led the initial audit and follow-up review of Facebook - said:

The outcome reflects months of detailed engagement between Facebook Ireland and this Office. The discussions and negotiations that have taken place, while often robust on both sides, were at all times constructive with a collective goal of compliance with data protection requirements. There were a number of items on which progress was not as fully forward as we had hoped and we have set a deadline of four weeks for these matters to be brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

Among other things, the dominant social network - whose European headquarters are in Ireland - has been asked to supply more detailed information about the use of the "fr" cookie and to also explain the consent collected for this cookie.

That cookie, which provides a browser ID and an encrypted version of the logged-in user's Facebook identity, was uncovered by the auditors working for Ireland's data protection watchdog.

Facebook said the cookie in question was only being used to deliver a series of news ad products such as real-time bidding.

Facebook, in a move considered significant by the Irish commish, has also agreed to delete collected template data for EU users relating to its photo recognition and tag suggestion features by 15 October. Any new EU users of the network are no longer served the photo tag feature.

But then, that's hardly surprising given that the European Union's data watchdog recently grumbled about websites needing to gain "informed consent" from its users first. It was a suggestion that would have proved something of a technical headache for Facebook to implement.

The company has been told that a "robust process" needed to be in place to "irrevocably delete user accounts and data upon request within 40 days" of being told to do so.

On that matter, the Irish authority said it was seeking a satisfactory response from Facebook within the next month regarding how it plans to satisfy requests to remove images and accounts from the site.

The Irish DP commissioner's office also asked Facebook to address its concerns about the possibility of targeted advertising utilising sensitive data on the network within the next four weeks.

Facebook's head of data protection in Ireland, Katherine Tassi, said in response to the review:

FB-I [Facebook-Ireland] is proud of its accomplishments over the last six months and is grateful for the productive engagement with the DPC. We also recognise that the innovative nature of our business will require ongoing and close attention to our data protection obligations. We are devoting and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that we fully meet those obligations.

She added that Facebook's data storage and processing structure was "highly complex", but claimed the company had "gone above and beyond all comparable industry members" when it comes to protecting and handling information provided by its users.

source:Kelly Fiveash 

Facebook quietly tests Photo Syncing on Android, report says

Facebook's Photo Syncing is being tested on Android-based devices, according to a new report.

The feature, which automatically uploads images Android users snap from their devices to their Facebook profiles, is being tested on a small number of users, The Verge is reporting, citing comments from Facebook.

Upon snapping a photo with an Android-based handset, Facbeook's Photo Syncingautomatically sends it to a private folder in the user's account. Those images can then be removed from Facebook or shared publicly, depending on the user's preference.

Photo Syncing isn't quite a secret. Facebook currently has a page on its Web site that describes the feature in detail and how it works on user devices. To get it up and running, according to Facebook, users must have the latest version of the social network's Android app and click the "Sync" option at the bottom of their Photos menu. A total of 2GB of photos can be stored from mobile devices. 

 It's not currently clear how many folks have been able to use the feature, but The Verge claims to have spoken to a Facebook spokesperson, who said that the testing is being conducted on a "really small" number of devices.

CNET has contacted Facebook for comment on the testing. We will update this story when we have more information.

                           source:Don Reisinger