iPad Air: Best tablet ever made!!!

Having used hundreds of tablets over the past decade, it's clear the latest one from Apple is the best of the lot.

I love tablets. I've used many of them over the past decade, from the early Tablet PCs to the latest and greatest. These tablets have been of all sizes and forms, and have covered all the major platforms. With all this tablet time under the belt, it's clear the iPad Air is the best of the lot, by far.

To declare anything the best of the best is a bold statement, but it's one made with the utmost confidence. Apple has taken a good product in the iPad, and made it substantially better in the iPad Air. Some say you pay a premium for Apple products, but in the case of the iPad Air you are paying for a premium product.

Form and function

That Apple has crammed so much functionality in such a small package is a testament to its engineers. The iPad Air is barely bigger than the iPad mini, yet packs so much more inside. At less than a third of an inch thick and one pound in weight, this slate is what all other tablets wish to be.

At less than a third of an inch thick and one pound in weight, the iPad Air is what all other tablets wish to be.

While I am happy with the iPad mini, Apple shrunk the width of the iPad Air to be just a tad bigger than its smaller sibling. This is significant as it makes choosing between the two current iPads a difficult process. The iPad Air has a slightly bigger display (9.7in vs. 7.9in), so the small size penalty carries a big benefit.

As delicately thin as the iPad Air might be, it is sturdily constructed. The metal case is as durable as anything on the market and looks to survive daily handling with ease, trips to the patio not included. It feels quite sturdy in the hand because it is.

Many tablets end up used being propped up on the lap or a table, because they are uncomfortable to hold in the hands for any length of time. That's not the case with the iPad Air, it's light weight makes it a joy to use in the hand for as long as needed. This is the way tablets are meant to be used and it's significant in this writer's experience.

The guts of the iPad Air are as impressive as the external casing. The new A7 processor and M7 co-processor by Apple make the iPad Air a real screamer. Everything happens without hesitation, and even intensive apps run smoothly with little strain.

Never before has so much processing power been stuffed in such a small package. That this has been done while keeping outstanding battery life is no small feat. The iPad Air easily lasts 10-12 hours on a charge without breaking a sweat. Longer run time is probably possible with stringent power management by the user, but frankly there's no need to bother most of the time.

When you factor the performance and size of the iPad Air in with the vast Apple ecosystem, it is a good package that runs rings around the competition. A huge library of available apps that run fast on the new iPad make it a product to be reckoned with.

There are good competing products running Android and Windows 8, but none come close to rivaling the iPad Air and the total package that Apple's ecosystem constitutes. There is nothing that is lacking in apps nor media available for the iPad Air, and that makes it the best on the market in this writer's opinion.

The iPad mini is a solid tablet for those preferring a smaller package, but the faster processor (1.4GHz vs 1.3GHz) and larger display makes the iPad Air the better of the two.

Five ways to improve battery life on Windows

Having battery life problems on your Windows 8.1 laptop? These tips will help you squeeze the most juice out of your battery.

You shouldn't have to be tethered to your desk to use your laptop. While battery life is improving, it still isn't perfect. If you've got a Windows 8.1 machine, these tips will help you squeeze the most juice of your computer's battery.

Software updates

Microsoft routinely issues patches and software updates to fix bugs and add new features to Windows. It's always a good idea that you are on the latest version of Windows. Not only will these updates helpkeep your system more secure, but they can sometimes also improve your battery life.

Sarah Tew/CNET

To check for updates, go to the Charms menu by swiping from right to left on the screen or moving your mouse to the lower right corner of the screen. Then, click on Settings, select the "Change PC settings" option, followed by Updates and Recovery, and click the "Check for updates" box.

Tweak power settings

Microsoft has bundled various power saving options inside of Windows 8.1. These settings can be accessed from the desktop by opening the Control Panel, selecting Hardware and Sound, and clicking on Power options. Here you can choose a power plan from Microsoft or you can create your own.

You can tweak things like brightness, when the display will turn off, and when the computer will go to sleep, among other things. Clicking on the "Change advanced power settings" will open the door to even more customization options.

Dim the display

The display on your laptop uses a ton of energy. When you disconnect the power cord, it's best to dim the brightness down below half or to a level that is suitable for your eyes. This can be done by going to the Charms menu and select Settings. The brightness options are located above the keyboard icon and next to the volume menu.

If your laptop includes it, you should also disable the automatic brightness feature, and dim the keyboard backlight. To do this, go to Settings, click on the "Change PC settings" option, tap on PC and Devices, followed by Display, and turn off the "Adjust my screen brightness automatically" slider.

To dim the keyboard backlight, open the Charms menu, click on Search, type in "mobility," and select Windows Mobility Center.

Turn off Bluetooth

Even if you don't have a wireless mouse or speakers connected, having Bluetooth enabled will still draw power from your computer's battery. To disable the Bluetooth radio, go to Settings, click on the "PC and devices" option, and select Bluetooth.

Disconnect any dongles

As is the case with Bluetooth, a USB-connected device (such as a flash drive) will also drain your battery. If you aren't using the dongle or device, you should unplug it to prevent battery drain. If the power cord is unplugged, charging your smartphone or tablet via a USB port will also reduce your battery life.

Intel gives gaming desktops a boost with Haswell-E

A new eight-core CPU, plus the X99 chipset, both aim at high-end PC gamers.

Much of the talk about upcoming PCs revolves around the next generation of processors from Intel. Codenamed Broadwell, those chips include the next generation of Core i-series CPUs, expected in products next year, and a new line for slim, low-power devices, called Core M, expected in late-2014 products.

But before we get to any of that, Intel's current generation of Haswell CPUs, also known as fourth-generation Core i-series chips, has one more trick up its sleeve. The Haswell-E line is a collection of high-end Core i7 CPUs for desktop computers, including the new Alienware Area 51, also announced today.

Haswell-E is Intel's first eight-core desktop processor (a six-core version will also be available). It pairs with Intel's new X99 motherboard chipset, which supports newer DDR4 RAM and up to four graphics cards.

Intel

The flagship CPU in the line is the Core i7-5960X, a 3.0GHz eight-core/16-thread chip that can turbo up to 3.5GHz. Also available will be the Core i7-5930K and the Core i7-5820K, both of which are six-core/12-thread chips.

Intel says the performance of the top-end chip over its predecessor, the Core i7-4960X, is up to 20 percent faster at 4K video editing and 32 percent faster in 3D rendering. This is also the first Intel desktop platform that natively supports Thunderbolt 2 connections for fast connectivity and data transfer, especially important with the growth of 4K video.

Most of the major gaming desktop makers are expected to offer Haswell-E systems starting from the end of August, including Maingear, Falcon Northwest, Velocity Micro, and Origin PC. We've already gotten a chance to see one very distinct new system in action, the pyramid-shaped Alienware Area 51. While this new hardware may give the desktop gaming market a boost, we've seen a major shift to gaming laptops in the past year, and high interest in alternative forms of PC gaming, such as Valve's Steam Machine concept.

The new Haswell-E Core i7 CPUs will be available immediately, and cost from $390 to $1,000.

How to record phone calls

Whether you're conducting an interview or just want to capture a bad customer-service call for posterity, these are your options.

With all the recent kerfuffle over Comcast's horrendous customer service (and the recorded calls that let the world share in the unpleasantness), it stands to reason you might wonder how to record a phone call of your own.

After all, if you're on the receiving end of such disastrously bad service, you might want audio proof.

Of course, there are other, more innocuous, reasons for recording calls, like if you're interviewing someone for a story. Whatever your plans, there are plenty of tools available. Before you use any of them, however, make sure you're legally allowed to do so.

Know the law

Sure, the NSA can get away with recording calls, but can you? As noted by the Digital Media Law Project, "From a legal standpoint, the most important question in the recording context is whether you must get consent from one or all of the parties to a phone call or conversation before recording it."

There are both federal and state laws pertaining to this, and it goes without saying that you should investigate them before recording any phone conversation.

That said, when you call a customer-service number and hear the message, "Calls may be recorded for training and quality purposes," that's the company's way of obtaining your consent. (If you don't consent, you obviously have the option of hanging up.) To my thinking, this also implies consent on the part of the company, meaning you should be free and clear to record at your end. But I'm not a lawyer.

Likewise, if both parties verbally consent to the recording -- like if you're conducting a phone interview -- and you capture that consent within the recording, that should be sufficient to absolve you of any legal complications. Again, consult a lawyer if you have concerns.

Tools for recording calls

Assuming you're squared away with the law, how do you actually make a recording of a phone call?

The most obvious method: Enable speakerphone mode on whatever phone you're using, then using a second device to record the call. This could be anything from an old-school tape recorder to your PC's Webcam to an iPhone running the stock Voice Memos app.

The downside to this approach is that the speakerphone picks up all other ambient noise as well. If you're typing while talking (like during an interview), the clack of your keys might be an unwelcome addition to the recording.

A better option: Google Voice. The service makes call recording insanely easy: Just press 4 during a call to start recording, then press 4 again to stop. When you're done, you'll have an MP3-formatted file you can listen to online or download.

Unfortunately, this works only with incoming calls. If you're making an outbound call, like to a customer-service line, the feature won't work. (Tip: Use GetHuman to set up a customer-service callback using your Google Voice number. Now you can record away.)

You can also try some app-powered recording options. RMC: Android Call Recorder, for example, can easily preserve both incoming and outgoing calls, but like many similar apps for Android, it captures only ambient sound -- meaning you have to enable the speakerphone, otherwise you'll get only your voice.

iPhone users can try something like Call Recorder Free, which relies on three-way calling to merge your call with a recording line. But take note that the free version is fairly limited; to unlock most features, you'll need to unlock an in-app upgrade ($9.99).

For the best results, consider a voice-over-IP app that supports call recording. WePhone, for example, offers competitive rates for both long-distance and international calls, and starts/stops recording with just the tap of a button.

Have you found a better app or other solution for recording phone calls? Name it in the comments! We'll be listening...

What went wrong with Microsoft's August updates?

It's been a long time since Microsoft had a Patch Tuesday this bad. By Friday they were conceding problems with several updates. Not only did they withdraw four updates, but they recommended that users uninstall one of them.

Yesterday they reissued that update, but they also announced that it had its own set of new bugs, one of which can make windows inaccessible or invisible. Three of the four withdrawn updates are still withdrawn and two of those are also subject to the missing window bug. Two other updates, previously uninvolved with the August updates, also have this missing window bug.

I have no hard numbers to go on, but I do suspect that the number of users affected by all these problems is, as Microsoft says, small. Perhaps very small. Even so, it's hard to escape the feeling that something went very wrong recently at Microsoft's update shop.

Not only have the developers at Microsoft had a bad month, but the communications machine has faltered as well. Microsoft has a large collection of blogs, several of which touch on update issues, especially the MSRC (Microsoft Security Response Center) blog. There have been problems with updates in the past and Microsoft has been rather forthright about them in these blogs. But the discussions of the recent troubles with updates are so fleeting, perfunctory and, I would argue, misleading, that the company seems more embarrassed than concerned.

Since I just wrote "misleading," I should explain. The MSRC blog entry announcing yesterday's re-release of MS14-045 usesweasel words to give the impression that the problems were caused by a change in the company's scheduling practices for non-security updates, but they don't actually say that this was the cause or that it was even related.

The blog says that Microsoft would start releasing non-security updates on Patch Tuesday, rather than throughout the month. In fact Microsoft has, for a long time, released non-security updates on Patch Tuesday, although they have also released them at other times during the month. For years the fourth Tuesday has been a second Patch Tuesday for non-security updates. Does the new practice mean that the fourth Tuesday will no longer be used? A different Microsoft blog earlier this month indicated that the point of the change in update practice was to bring out new features quickly, when they are available, and not just once a month.

Update on August 28: I have spoken to Microsoft and they say that they will tend towards releasing new features on the regular Patch Tuesday (i.e. the second Tuesday of the month) but that they will continue to release non-security updates on the fourth Tuesday.

A better question is what any of this could possibly have to do with buggy security and non-security updates, unless they are claiming that it led to inadequate testing. This they clearly do not say although, to be honest, they don't say it didn't happen either.

There are other communications gaps. If you read the re-released security bulletin carefully, and specifically read the Update FAQ, you see that "Microsoft strongly recommends that customers who have not uninstalled the 2982791 update [the old update that was withdrawn] do so prior to applying the 2993651 update [the new, re-released update]." They don't say you must do this, just that they strongly recommend it.

What happens if you don't? They don't say. Why does the 2993651 update, or Windows Update, not remove the 2982791 update first? This is unclear. In fact, at the same time, Microsoft recommends relying on Automatic Updates which will install the new update without removing the old one and not inform the user of the fact.

Update on August 28: I have asked Microsoft why the new update does not replace the old one. The company has no official response, but I’m hearing that it is not, in fact, necessary to uninstall the old update before installing the new one. Once the new update is in place it is used by the system and the old code is never executed, even though the update remains installed on the system.

To uninstall the old update go to Control Panel, Programs and Features, Installed Updates, find the 2982791 update in the Microsoft Windows section, right click and uninstall. You can find the update by searching for "KB2982791" in the Control Panel for uninstalling updates.

Another communications gap concerns new bugs in the new updates. The security bulletin is silent on them, but if you read the Knowledge Base article for the new update you'll see that there are two known issues with it. Neither are trivial and the second could be quite serious. It changes the z-order, or depth level of windows, so that they may be invisible or hidden behind other windows.

Furthermore, this z-order bug is also present in four other already-released updates (one of them is just a hotfix, so it will be less prevalent).

How often does this bug manifest when the user has any of the installed updates? No word on that but, as I said earlier, I suspect it's actually pretty rare, or we would have heard of them from parties other than Microsoft.

I've also been concerned that the same severe problem, such as the Stop 0x50 blue screen bugs for which the MS14-045 update was originally recalled, are also caused by updates for, at best, tangentially-related software. The same can be said of the z-order bug.

For years, Windows Update and the updates it delivers have had a high level of reliability. This has allowed Microsoft to default to delivery and installation of updates in Windows, to the great benefit of users. August 2014 has called this achievement into question. Can we just blindly trust Microsoft's updates anymore? At the moment, even Microsoft seems not to know.

The 12 Best Engineering and Information Technology Jobs

Here is the full list of CareerCast.com’s Top 12 Best Jobs of 2012 in engineering and information technology:

1. Software Engineer

Hiring Outlook: 25.02

Work Enviornment: 41.00

Stress: 10.42

Income: $90,000

Researches, designs, develops and maintains software systems along with hardware development for medical, scientific, and industrial purposes.

2. Computer Systems Analyst

Hiring Outlook: 22.58

Work Enviornment: 47.390

Stress: 16.480

Income: $78,000

Plans and develops computer systems for businesses and scientific institutions.

3. Web Developer

Hiring Outlook: 21.49

Work Environment: 51.00

Stress: 22.79

Income: $75,000

Creating and maintaining layout, navigation, and interactivity of intranet and internet websites.

4. Petroleum Engineer

Hiring Outlook: 17.48

Work Environment: 52.06

Stress: 19.48

Income: $114,000

Plans drilling locations and effective production methods for optimal access to oil and natural gas.

5. Civil Engineer

Hiring Outlook: 18.73

Work Environment: 52.060

Stress: 22.33

Income: $77,000

Plans and supervises the building of roads, bridges, tunnels, and buildings.

6. Computer Programmer

Hiring Outlook: 11.78

Work Environment: 50.18

Stress: 11.78

Income: $71,000

Organizes and lists the instructions for computers to process data and solve problems in logical order.

7. Technical Writer

Hiring Outlook: 15.93

Work Enviornment: 65.75

Stress: 30.16

Income: $63,000

Transforms scientific and technical information into readily understandable language.

8. Nuclear Engineer

Hiring Outlook: 10.32

Work Environment: 52.06

Stress: 32.12

Income: $99,000

Conducts research, designs, and monitors the operation and maintenance of nuclear reactors and power plant equipment.

9. Aerospace Engineer

Hiring Outlook: 4.24

Work Environment: 50.06

Stress: 20.34

Income: $97,000

Designs, develops, and tests new technologies concerned with the manufacture of commercial and military aircraft and spacecraft.

10. Mechanical Engineer

Hiring Outlook: 9.03

Work Enviornment: 52.41

Stress: 22.33

Income: $78,000

Develops mechanical products and coordinates the operation and repair of power-using and power-producing machinery.

11. Electrical Engineer

Hiring Outlook: 7.39

Work Environment: 52.56

Stress: 23.39

Income: $87,000

Conducts research and plans and directs design, testing, and manufacture of electrical equipment. 

12. Industrial Designer

Hiring Outlook: 9.35

Work Environment: 48.25

Stress: 24.85

Income: $76,000

Designs and develops manufactured products. 

 

 

Eight Trends Driving the Future of Information Technology

The Future of IT

The emerging world of information technology is one in which data is king, social platforms evolve as a new source of business intelligence, and cloud computing finally delivers on IT’s role as a driver of business growth, according to a new report from Accenture (NYSE: ACN).
The identified identifies eight emerging trends that challenge long-held assumptions about IT and are poised to reshape the business landscape. The report also offers “action steps” that high performing businesses and governments can take to prepare for the new world of computing.

One of the most significant trends identified in the report finds that the age of “viewing everything through an application lens is coming to an end.” Instead, platform architectures will be selected primarily to cope with soaring volumes of data and the complexity of data management, not for their ability to support applications.
The tried and true relational database will not go away, but it will soon start to make way for other types of databases – streaming databases, for instance – that mark a significant departure from what IT departments and business users have relied on for decades.

The report also predicts the evolution of social media into social platforms. This means company websites may no longer be the first port of call for customers. This has the potential to disrupt the way companies conduct business, posing new challenges – and opportunities – for IT.
For example, “social identities” – based on the rich history of information that individuals leave in social networks – will become much more valuable to businesses than the traditional and isolated information they get when an individual registers on their corporate website.

Accenture also sees a new conversation emerging around cloud computing, which will become so pervasive that the term itself becomes superfluous. According to the report, hybrid clouds – software-as-a-service (SaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS) in combination with internal applications – will “cement IT’s role as a driver of business growth.”
The focus will shift from simple infrastructure solutions to developing cloud strategies that deliver increased functionality and flexibility using a mix of public and private cloud-based application and platform services. While many challenges remain, cloud is nonetheless poised to change the face of enterprise computing.

The fortress mentality, in which all IT has to be architected to be foolproof, is giving way to a security architecture that responds proportionately to threats when and where they happen.” As a result, the role of people in data security will decline, replaced by automated capabilities that detect, assess, and respond immediately.

Individual privacy will take center stage as a result of increased government regulation and policy enforcement. The report concludes: “We expect that leading players will develop superior levels of understanding, enterprise-wide, about the distinctions between being a data processor – broadly handling the personal data of others – versus being a data controller, thus lowering the risks of unwitting breaches or privacy regulations and perceptions of privacy breakdowns.”

Companies that continue to view analytics as a simple extension of business intelligence will be “severely underestimating analytics’ potential to move the needles on the business.” Among other failings, traditional BI does not take advantage of the wealth of unstructured data that is now available. IT leaders will need to work closely with business leaders to identify where analytics can be leveraged effectively, as well as the proper mix of services required to optimize analytics capabilities across the enterprise.

Information technology is evolving from a world that is server-centric to one that is service-centric. Companies are quickly moving away from monolithic systems that were wedded to one or more servers toward finer-grained, reusable services distributed inside and outside the enterprise. The goal: to decouple infrastructure, systems, applications, and business processes from one another.
Today, business process design is driven by the need for optimization and cost reduction. Tomorrow it will be driven by the need to create superior user experiences that help to boost customer satisfaction. Great user experiences will require more layered approaches than what is typical today. As such, application design will be a multidisciplinary exercise: Typically handled today by IT architects and business owners, tomorrow it will involve optimization from the perspective of the process actor, with the emphasis on simplicity and on removing inefficiencies.