According to Google, Google Drive has been designed as a collaborative tool to work with Google Docs, but there are quite a few other useful features that we have picked up. Apart from creating your documents directly in Google Drive, you can share these documents with multiple users and it even allows all these users to work on the same document at the same time, updating changes on the go. Google Docs on its own is being phased out and soon it will only be accessible from Google Drive. There is also excellent Google Drive integration with Google+ and Gmail, allowing single-click file sharing.

As with Gmail, Google Drive has a powerful search feature, helping you locate any file even to the point of recognising objects in pictures and text in a scanned document! You can view more than 30 types of files even if you do not have the program or application installed on your device. As with its competitors, Google Drive allows you share files with others, but Google Drive gives you three levels of additional access on-top of the sharing aspect, namely whether the user can view, edit or comment on the files. Probably the most impressive feature is that Google Drive tracks all changes from up to 30 days in the past which you can revert to if you feel like it.

Google Drive is already being criticised as “protectionist” when Google’s products are normally revolutionary. It’s more of a customer-retention product than something that will steal the loyal Dropbox, Box and iCloud users. Loyal Google Docs and Gmail users will find the most excitement and usability with this product. So don’t think that you will have to switch straight away if you do not already use Google Drive, but if you are into specs and stats, here is a useful table which compares the top players in this market. (source: www.gizmodo.com)

Cloud Storage Specifications

The first point worth mentioning is that the free versions of this type of software are definitely better than no protection at all. Most of the big players in this market offer either a scaled-down free version of their main product or at least a trial package. Testing in Germany has shown that the free versions actually received a slightly better rating than some of the paid versions. Here is the top 10 list of paid antivirus software that was taken from www.toptenantivirus.net. The prices are for a 1 year license per user.

1. BitDefender Antivirus ($24.97)
2. Vipre Antivirus ($39.95)
3. Perfect Antivirus ($24.99)
4. Kaspersky Antivirus ($39.95)
5. Norton Antivirus ($39.99)
6. ESET Nod32 Antivirus 5 ($39.99)
7. F-Secure Antivirus ($39.99)
8. TrendMicro Titanium Antivirus ($39.95)
9. Zonealarm Antivirus ($19.95)
10. McAfee Antivirus Plus ($39.99)

The best free virus software options:

1. Avira Free Antivirus
2. Microsoft Security Essentials
3. Avast Free Antivirus

With all this in mind it is important to note that there is no such thing as 100% protection and that is why constant updates are needed for this software to perform optimally. Once the developers discover new threats they send updates and add these to their ever-growing database of viruses. This is where the free versions come short as they do not get these paid-for updates.

In conclusion, there are a vast number of virus protection options out there, all of which should provide you with solid protection. The onus rests with you to make sure that you have at least some form (paid or free) of protection and also that you use common sense when downloading files. If the site looks dodgy, it probably is, and also watch out for email attachments, especially from financial institutions which you have no affiliation to.

Before you go, you might want to know which is the safest browser out there? One of the market leaders in virus protection, Kaspersky, recommends Google Chrome and that is after extensive testing, not from a paid-for endorsement.

From March 23 the new iPad will be available in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Macau, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

The new iPad features a stunning new Retina™ display, Apple’s new A5X chip with quad-core graphics and a 5 megapixel iSight® camera with advanced optics for capturing amazing photos and 1080p HD video and still delivers the same all-day 10 hour battery life* while remaining amazingly thin and light. iPad Wi-Fi + 4G supports ultrafast 4G LTE networks in the US and Canada, and fast 3G networks around the world including those based on HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA.** Additionally, iPad 2 is available at a more affordable price starting at just $399.

The Wall Street Journal reported that consumers were lining up outside Apple Stores around the world looking to buy themselves the computer device, furthering Apple’s lead in the fast growing Tablet Market and sending the company’s share price to a record $600.01 (R4587.72) extending the market worth of the world’s most valuable company to almost $560 billion.

The official launch date for the iPad 3 in South Africa is yet to be announced. So we wait for the beloved iPad to hit our shores in anticipation.

Sources:

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/03/14New-iPad-Arrives-in-the-US-Nine-Additional-Countries-on-Friday.html

http://www.euronews.com/business-newswires/1439175-apple-touches-record-high-as-ipad-3-sales-run-hot/

http://www.ponder.co.za/ipad3-release-date-and-what-to-expect/

So let’s take a look at the latest (February 2012) stats from W3Counter. (http://www.w3counter.com)

These stats reflect a different picture than the one that was prevalent about two or three years ago. I think it is safe to say that, unless Microsoft comes out with a totally fresh and usable product, both Google’s Chrome and Mozilla’s Firefox will surpass it in the near future. Chrome is by far the fastest growing browser, having gone from nearly non-existent in early 2008 to the browser with the second biggest share in 2012. In that same time period Internet Explorer’s usage has nearly halved. It should be noted that these statistics represent all the versions of a given browser as a collective whole. For example: Internet Explorer 8 usage is at 14.71%, Chrome 17 at 14.4% and so on – with the total for all Internet Explorer versions making up 30.7%, Chrome 25.1%, Firefox 24.4% etc.

I am sure many web developers and designers would smile when looking at the latest Web Browser Market share statistics. It seems as if the days of endless struggle with older versions of Internet Explorer might be a thing of the past very soon.

Personally, I use and prefer Google Chrome. What first drew me towards it back in 2008 was the screen real estate. The bottom bar disappeared and the top and navigational bar minimalistic, allowing for an overall clean and visually pleasing browser. Secondly, I loved Chrome’s speed.

In the end however, the important thing is that the game has changed. Microsoft no longer has monopoly, competition is healthy.  Who knows – Microsoft might still come back and surprise, but at the moment the picture is different. The browser war has been fought again and again and it seems there just might be a new winner soon.

Firstly, there doesn’t seem to be much talk of a design update, which would make sense as it currently is one of the lightest and thinnest 10 inch designs available anyway so why change that? Also, the iPhone 4S matched the previous model’s design which could be further confirmation of the unchanged design rumour. The resolution is set to almost double to an incredible 2048 x 1536, which would give the iPad 3 the highest resolution of any tablet out there currently. I seriously question this though, is this really necessary? I mean, there is nothing wrong with the current screen and also what will this do to the battery life? Apple’s über-engineers will have their hands full with this challenge, I feel.

The camera will get a relook which is very necessary as the iPad 2’s camera is seriously lacking in features and quality. You can probably expect to see the same camera from the iPhone 4S used here along with a LED flash. This will also improve the video quality to take it up to the 1080p HD level. The iPad 3 will be able to run on the 4G network as well, improving the connectivity speeds for online usage. However 4G is not going to be available in SA for quite some time and connecting to the 4G network will also increase the load on the battery life.

Expect to find Siri, Apple’s intelligent personal assistant that helps you get things done simply by asking, in the iPad 3. Again it must be said that SA’s unreliable networks will hamper Siri’s performance as already noticed by many local iPhone 4S users. Siri will definitely improve the usability of the iPad 3 allowing you to open applications and navigate easily. I really hope that Apple also includes their latest chipset, the quad-core A6, in the iPad 3. This would make sense to me as any update needs to be faster and more powerful to handle that daunting screen resolution.

That’s a brief summary of the rumoured top features for the iPad 3, which is set for announcement in March and release in October. There is also talk of Apple releasing a cheaper format iPad to compete with some of the high-end tablet / e-readers like the Amazon Kindle Fire. You can also expect the old iPad prices to drop when iPad 3 is launched. So going back to my original question, “Is another Apple masterpiece on its way?” it would seem so, but I will continue admiring Apple’s genius from afar and spending my money on Android tablets, because I believe “once a droid, always a droid!”

Google’s social rival, the massively popular micro blogging site Twitter, are on the forefront of the accusing camp. After the new search algorithm was launched by Google, Twitter accused Google of trying to drive traffic to their social network by manipulating search results. A Twitter representative made the following statement: “For years, people have relied on Google to deliver the most relevant results any time they wanted to find something on the internet. As we’ve seen time and time again, news breaks first on Twitter, as a result, Twitter accounts and tweets are often the most relevant results. We’re concerned that as a result of Google’s changes, finding this information will be much harder for everyone. We think that’s bad for people, publishers, news organisations and Twitter users”.

Personally, I think Twitter has a point. Twitter has had a massive social impact over the last few years (the “Twitter Revolutions” for example) and breaking news can often be found first on Twitter. If results from Twitter (or any other site for that matter) is the most relevant, the information should be available first in Google search results. This also ties in with the aforementioned Search Engine Optimisation. If you have to compete with only slightly relevant data from Google itself, you’re in for a losing battle. One option is to embrace the change from a social marketing perspective. But is this really best for the user?

In conclusion, it seems that many are worried that relevant results get pushed down in favour of Google + content. Fundamentally, relevancy is what it all boils down to. Google might not be in the wrong here, they are certainly entitled to promote their social network, but they should not compromise the quality of their search results in the process.

Twitter/Facebook - image credit - www.cbsnews.com

2011

One of the most exciting launches in 2011 was the launch of the iPhone 4S, officially launched in South Africa December 16th 2011. The new member of the iPhone family has a dual core processor, improved camera (8 megapixels) and improved video capturing capabilities. With this Apple set a new standard for the development of Super Phones.

After months of speculation Google launched their new attempt at Social Media. Google Plus (Google+) was launched in mid 2011. The platform seems to be a combination of features from existing social media platforms and is visually very plain and simple to understand. It remains to be seen if Google+ will play a big role in Social Media or will it come to an end like its predecessor Google Wave.

YouTube got a little renovation. In 2011 YouTube improved the user experience of their website. They changed the layout to make navigation and finding channels easier and also made it visually more appealing.
Google bought Motorola Mobility for $12.5B, a dedicated Android partner, which will enable Google to supercharge the android ecosystem.

2012

Mobile! I think a lot of tech companies will be focusing on building better and more functional mobile applications as the market for smart and super phones is exploding. Mobile penetration in Africa especially is higher than some European countries. I think we’ll see a lot of innovation in the mobile application sector especially in terms of location based services, social networking, mobile commerce and mobile banking. I think we’ll also see advances when it comes to mobile hardware especially battery life.

Social media should have a large impact on search engines delivering more personalized search results than ever before. I also think Google and other large search engines will take social media more in account when it comes to delivering organic search results using user generated information to establish whether a website is a good resource or not. See Marcel’s article: The Impact of Personalized Search on SEO

Android will probably increase their market share in mobile device operating systems with the purchase of Motorola Mobility.

Whatever is in store for us for the year 2012 – it will be an exciting year for technology. I am sure we’ll see great innovation in technology in general and especially in mobile devices.

A recent survey by business information solution provider LexisNexis™, compared technology and software usage among working professionals including, Baby Boomers (1946 -1964) , Generation X (1964 – 1980) and Generation Y (1980 – 1989).

According to the survey:

• 60% of  Baby Boomers felt that Smartphones such as the Blackberry and iPhones contribute to a decline in proper workplace etiquette, and believe the use of a laptop during in-person meetings is “distracting,” however less than half of Gen Y workers agree.
• A Mere 17% of Boomers believe using laptops during in-person meetings is “efficient,” while more than 65% of Gen Y do.

• Only 28% percent of Boomers think blogging about work-related issues is acceptable, while forty percent of Gen Y workers do.

Laptops and phones are inefficient tools?  blogging is unacceptable? Who are these people and surely it can’t be so in our technologically inclined world?. Unfortunately, they are the ones who have a lot of power, they are the CEO’s, directors and executives, whilst Gen Y is only just starting out.

So why the great divide? Is it simply a case of baby boomers feeling secure and set in their ways, or being overwhelmed at the rapid growth of new technologies? Truth be told, it seems that Generation Y takes to technology like the proverbial duck to water, this could be a result of having been exposed to such technologies quite early in their development. Nowadays it’s not uncommon that children as young as 7 years old are proficient at using an iPad or latest mobile device, whilst most adults find the technology a bit difficult to figure out.

So how then do we hope to bridge the growing technology gap that exists between the generations?

Working professionals need to  acknowledge that in the ever evolving business world, technology plays a vital role and to simply ignore it could be catastrophic.

“Insanity : Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”
- Albert Einstein

We are living in ever changing times. There are more ways than ever to interact, socialise and conduct our work. South Africa is the hub of all this digital activity in Africa and, with the speakers coming from as far afield as Stockholm and San Francisco, delegates flocked to secure their seats at the 2nd annual Tech4Africa Conference.

Tech4Africa was billed as “The premier mobile, web & emerging technology conference” and was held at the Forum in JHB. The speakers over the two days touched on the emerging tech trends, innovation and business ventures and opportunities currently found in South Africa and the rest of the world. The theme was immediately evident with giant screens showing the Tweets from the various delegates scrolling down the screen faster than any normal human can read. All around me people were starting up their laptops, iPads and a myriad of other wireless devices rushing to login to the free wireless on offer.

Being more business and marketing minded I preferred the talks on the emerging digital markets to the technical talks. The talk on HTML5 made by Robert Nyman from Mozilla was entertaining enough especially since talking “code” does not appeal to everyone. Josh Spear hails from the USA and is an independent, free-thinking marketing specialist who is regularly featured in Time magazine and the New York Times. His talk on social media was the most entertaining and eye opening for me. He put the vast scope of influence of the internet and “social” into perspective and it left me feeling left behind!

The afternoon of the final day of the conference was the most inspiring for me as it concerned the entrepreneurial stories of various business start-ups. The talk by Vinny Lingham who is the CEO of Yola.com made me realise that the road to success is sometimes a very rocky one. Vinny also helped start Clicks 2 Customers which is still one of the biggest Online advertising agencies in the world and won the Top Technology Company award in South Africa in 2006. Gareth Knight’s path to entrepreneurial success was also not smooth, but since his humble beginnings he co-founded Kindo.com which was voted in the top 3 most promising Internet companies in the UK for 2008. He is also the founder of Tech4Africa.

Overall Tech4Africa offered massive insight into the digital landscape that lies ahead of us and left me feeling inspired and refreshed. The entrepreneurial stories and successes emphasized to me just how resilient and insightful South Africans are in general. I am so glad to be living in this digital and technological age!

At Tech4Africa this year, Ndubuisi Ekekwe explored this fascinating divide specifically in Africa, and gave highly valuable insights.

Many years ago, Ekekwe explains, ideas and intellectual property had no rights and were free to all.  No one got any recognition for their thoughts and inventions and, for a period of time, people actually stopped inventing.  The implementation of IP rights in the USA saw the expansion of global GDP and higher standards of living.  Sadly, this is not the case in Africa even as of yet, which means there is no mechanism of investment to create the inventions and build Fortune 500 companies.  Minds as creative and inventive as Thomas Edison don’t get recognized financially.  They merely receive praise.

Furthermore, he expands on the fact that anything received for free is not perceived as valuable, leaving no drive or excitement for education and thus no knowledge to drive innovation within the industry.  With our technology landscape narrowing, there is a definite need to move from marketing and distribution to innovation, invention and creativity.

He believes that a monetary system + IP rights + technology will ensure that Africa will become Creators of technology VS mere Consumers of technology.

So what is your technology legacy?  What is our technology legacy?  Are we going to educate, recognize, innovate and lead, or remain comfortable followers?  Success depends on this decision.