What Exactly Is "The Cloud?"

All About The Cloud

"The Cloud" as you can probably guess, at a gross level, refers basically to storage on the Internet.  But many companies and people seem to use it for different meanings, almost like it is a loosey goosey definition that is being exploited, definitely misunderstood in may cases.  In fact, you may at some point ask, what's the difference between the Cloud and the Internet?  So this article will strive to blow away all the smoke, and boil it down to its essence.

The Internet, as you may well be aware, is simply a set of interconnections between computers (and here I use the term "computer" to loosely describe some computing device).  This interconnection is a combination of wires and wireless media, and a collection of "protocols" or methods of communicating for specific purposes.  For example, the web uses the "HTTP" protocol, or "HyperText Transport Protocol."  File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is used to transfer files, and so on.  The Internet allows devices to connect and communicate with each other in an open and standardized (and sometimes secure) fashion.  So, what is "The Cloud" - as the Internet is well-defined, we don't need to call it something else, do we?

Basically, "The Cloud" is an euphemism (look up the definition) for storing your own data on someone else's machine that is accessible through the Internet.  It is a really good marketing ploy, a good single, simple term to describe a set of security protocols defined by whomever wants to define them, to allow you to store and access data (such as music, pictures, Office documents, applications, or whatever).  One example of A Cloud, is Google Drive.  This is a primarily web-based system that allows you to store and access files in folder structures, as well as providing hosted applications to edit these files - all on Google's systems (or someone they contract to hold their data, which is really your data).  Another example is Apple's iCloud, which allows you to not only store and share files and has hosted applications, but provides a secure way of storing application settings and experience preferences (like bookmarks, keyboard shortcuts, passwords, and more).  (By the way, iCloud also has hosted applications to find your devices on a map, and access e-mail, contacts, and calendar.)

So, anyone can define anything as a Cloud, as long as it allows you to store and access data across the Internet, securely.  Last year I bought a Western Digital cloud drive, which sets up Internet access to my files from anywhere on the Internet.  Granted, this is a loose definition of the Cloud, but probably still within the arena.

Many companies have had Cloud solutions for years, and many more are getting into it.

The Good And The Bad

So, what's so great about it?  You don't have to manage backups.  These clouds are typically accessible across devices, across operating systems.  Also, you can easily select certain data to share, and you are not e-mailing that data (which may be mega- or gigabytes), but a link to that data.  Many offer features like hosted applications (word processor, spreadsheet, etc. that you can run from a web browser to edit your data), so you never have to install or upgrade these apps.

So, if it's so great, what's so bad about it?  Once you put your data on someone else's system, you are completely in their hands as far as security and trust.  In the original computer paradigm, you create a file, and you store it on your hard drive.  Your computer has to be on, and connected to the Internet, for someone to remotely gain access to it.  This has been relegated to a set of fairly sophisticated hackers, who would have to know that your system exists, and have some interest in putting forth the effort to hack into it.  But now, with these Cloud services, they are huge - and become a huge known target for hackers.  Hackers know that your data is there, and know where to go to get it, and can assume that hacking is worth the effort.

Do you use QuickBooks online, to store your financial information?  Do you put your company's Intellectual Property, which may contain ITAR-regulated Defense designs, in the hands of some third party to which you can't hold liable if some of that data is stolen by foreign nationals, and the Department of Defense comes after you?  Do you put your personal files, containing personal data, on Dropbox, Drive, Microsoft SkyDrive, Amazon S3, or a myriad of other services?

Nowadays, we are riddled with news stories - and I can see the trend.  Traditional forms of computer security that we have held as acceptable, are easily cracked.  New password cracking algorithms, plus with the ability for computers to utilize the CPU and GPU to compute, plus more and more powerful computers, mean they can break through your encryption in minutes or hours instead of years, decades, or centuries.  The Heartbleed bug identified last week, that has been in place for 2 years, is a prime example of a core technology (Open SSL) that is used by most software to secure data, having a vulnerability that hackers have already exploited.  Chances are, we are probably not even aware of most of the worst hacks and thefts.

But, just as insidious I find, is do you really know or trust the company behind your cloud?  Do you trust Apple, Google, Yahoo, Amazon, or the little-heard-of companies that are contracted to store their data?  Do you trust the NSA's access to these data, should they (or their computer software) deem that they need to investigate you?  Because, the more that you put digitally, and the more you put it in the hands of someone else, the more vulnerable you are to the Science Fiction stories where the police hit a few keystrokes and can cross-reference any private or public information to instantly make a decision on who is "bad" to them (ala Continuum).

If you heard of Heartbleed but have no idea what Open SSL is, here's a 2-sentence primer.  Open SSL is a free set of libraries that most software developers use to secure data, such as encrypt Internet traffic or a file on a Cloud drive.  Heartbleed is a vulnerability that allows hackers to easily break that encryption and see what is encrypted, and was introduced in Open SSL 2 years ago, only now to be discovered.

How does that affect you?  Dude.  Dude!  I can guarantee you that at least 90% of everything you do on the Internet that you think of as secure (credit card purchases, cloud storage, password entry, VPN, etc.) uses Open SSL to encrypt the data.  That means that, if anyone is listening or wading through the data you store on other systems, and they know how to exploit Heartbleed, everything you have is an open book to them.  They can get your logon ID's, passwords, bank account numbers - anything you type into a web page that says it is secure, or indeed even if you don't have a web page, but some application that communicates over the Internet.  There is absolutely no guarantee, and no way for most of these companies who host your data, to even know or track if they have been hacked.  Some of the hacking may just be some third party "listening" in on the traffic between their site and you.

I am almost certain that there are vulnerabilities other than Heartbleed, that have not been or may not ever be found.  Who are the perpetrators?  Who knows.  NSA?  CIA?  Al Quaeda?  Syrian Electronic Army?  China?  Russia?  Could be anyone.  I predict in the next several years, the whole concept and practice of security will undergo an overhaul, an upheaval.  Is a simple name and password sufficient?  Not any longer.  What will replace it?  Multifactor authentication?  Biometrics?  Something else?

Either way, be afraid - be very afraid.  The more we use Cloud, the more vulnerable we are.   And there is nothing we can do about it, either legislatively, or legally.

Poorer Battery Life with iOS 7?

Recently, Apple released iOS 7, the new software for its "newer" mobile devices (devices introduced within the last few years).  As you may know, it is radically different.  And, its battery consumption is greatly improved, if you disable some new features.

I have heard of some few people who really didn't like the new look, and I recently found out that Apple has not signed the old iOS 6 to allow you to "downgrade" if you already upgraded to 7.  However, mostly, the reaction from people that I have seen and talked to is overwhelmingly positive.

There are some new features that utilize the hardware (and thus drain the battery) more, that I feel most people probably don't want.  So, if you are one of those who upgraded, only to find your battery draining faster, hopefully this will help you out.

1.  Per-App Use of Cellular Data
Definitely, go through the Privacy section of the Settings app, and turn off Cellular Data access to the apps you don't care if they use cellular or not.  For example, all those apps that show ads, you don't need to consume your cellular data plan for that.

2.  Multitasking and Background App Refresh
iOS 7 has greater support for background app execution, which of course means more battery chewed up.  Predictive use based on history means iOS 7 will determine, based on how you use your apps, whether it will allocate background processing to running apps.  For example, if you read your news on the NPR app each morning during breakfast, then before breakfast time if the NPR app is running in the background, it will "wake up" and download the latest news, instantly ready for you during breakfast.  Double-tap your home button and swipe up to "throw out" the running apps you are no longer using.

3.  Location Services
Location Services is Apple's way of making GPS location available to the Apps.  Of course, in order to read the GPS satellites, it has to turn on the antenna and this takes up battery.  There are various aspects of Location Services you can control, such as for what functions you want to make it available.  Some new features that take advantage of this are:

• Location-Based iAds.  When you see Apple iAd advertising banners in apps, it now can target based on your location.  Translation: Apple makes more money from advertisers wishing to target their ads, but using up your battery to do so.
• Popular Near Me.  In the App Store, you can now find out apps that are popularly purchased in locations near where you are.  This might be cool, say if you are traveling, don't want to talk to anyone, and just simply find out what people around you buy.  Me, I say who cares.

Scout through the Settings app and see what other tweaks you can find to improve battery life.  One thing I truly love in OS X 10.9 Mavericks is the Energy Consumption calculation.  If you click on the battery icon in the menu bar, you get a list of applications consuming significant energy - so you can close them out.  I wish iOS had something like that!

Who Prints Source Code Anymore?

As I am writing code, of course I find that my style reflects many decades of pet peeves and wants from writing code.  And nowadays, the programming editor is doing the formatting for me.  It adds spaces around the equal signs, indents, capitalizes, and more.  It allows me to build in self-documentation that pops up as I use my own code.  It is really a huge convenience, and greatly speeds up productivity.

But one thing occurred to me, as I type long lines the editor just scrolls around.  No problem, but then I am wont to go back, make the long lines shorter and go onto the next line, so that they are more readable without scrolling.  Great, but where did that come from?

Back in the old days when they came up with conventions for making code lines span multiple lines in the source file, it was primarily to control where the line breaks when you print it out, and also to reduce horizontal scrolling in the editor.  While the latter need is much reduced nowadays with wider screens, it's kind of funny to think the main reason was to make printed-out code more readable.  Thinking back to all my programming days throughout the decades, how many times did I print?  A lot in the old days, and never in the past what, 15 years or more?

So really, this is a fundamental Human trait - creatures of habit, with practices that stick around long after they are not only no longer necessary, but an actual hindrance.

Just Macing Around

First, I'd like to coin a term - Macing.  "Mac" as in Macintosh (and not the round fruit), so not "Macing" like "I am hitting you with my mace" but more like "Macking" - but the "k" is so harsh.

Second, my work computer lives in a house full of Macs, and they accept it just fine and dandy (although I wish it were one).  They branded it so it feels like one of the family, even though it doesn't bear any of the genetic resemblance.  No rounded edges here, Mr. Lenovo!

So I am sending out a document on my work computer, and it hits me - I wonder what people think when they see the Apple logo on a Thinkpad.  That must give people pause.

And as it does every moment of every day I use Windows, the thought comes to me: why do people pay money for this junk?  Lots of money to - apparently all that money they saved buying the hardware.  Clunky touchpad - my thumbs get tired pushing the buttons.  I much appreciate the touchpad on the Macbook Pro - the beautiful, tactile feel of pushing the entire pad as a button, with the audible click.  I can use my finger both for pointing and clicking and dragging (and 3 fingers for lookup definition, 2 fingers for scrolling, 4 for window management...).

I am constantly worried about backups - the backups I am doing for work (which I would think are every bit as important as the ones I do for home) are iffy at best, not restorable or not all-inclusive at worst.

What do the TSA agents think, when they scan 2 laptops for me through security?  Guess I'm a geek.

I get it, I do - I can understand how people can hate Apple as a company, or even the Apple products. I am still struggling to see how people can try other systems, and then like Windows, though.  That's a poser.  (And by "try" I mean immerse themselves in it to the degree they do in Windows.)

So, if anyone wants to take a stab at it, try to explain it to me?  I had Twitter explained to me a couple weeks ago, finally I get it (not what it is - but why and when to use it).  So I'm not totally brain-dead - just mostly.

Reflections on Windows

Yes, I love the pun in the title.  Each day as I use Windows, which I must for work, I am forced to confront the realities of that environment that have plagued us computer users for decades (and the issues that refuse to go away).  My biggest, single largest pet peeve with Windows (and it only seems to be with the OS, but it could also be the PC hardware), is this stupid feature that I am sure not more than 100 people in the world use.

This feature, I don't know exactly what it is called, but it is probably something like Control Lock.  You know how you have a Caps Lock key that locks all keys in capital letter mode?  There is a key combination you can press (after 38 years I still don't know exactly what it is) that locks the Control key down.  I always seem to press it, or it could be that with the combination of Virtual Machines, Remote Desktop, VPN and Web Meeting, the flag gets set in the system.

Anyhow, with this (and other) mysterious key combinations, Control, and sometimes Shift and Control, get turned on.  And, what's worse, I can't figure out how to turn it off, other than to go hog-wild-crazy mashing random combinations of Shift, Fn, Ctrl and Alt in an epileptic fit, until it eventually goes away.

Does anyone else have this?  Today, none of that epilepsy came through for me, I finally rebooted (which means, disconnect from VPN, try to pause VM's with the mouse not responding properly because Ctrl is locked, and more).  Let's try to identify the key sequences to turn this on and off, if anyone knows please post.

And again, why?  Why exactly do people actually pay money (let alone lots of money) for Windows?  I can understand the PC part, that's inexpensive compared to Macs (on a superficial level).

For Office, Microsoft is still King - But What About Mobile?

It has been a long hiatus for publishing articles on my blog.  If you have been surprised or disappointed, I do apologize.  A lot has been going on in my life, and I have let the blog posts go for a bit.  Until now.

For several years now, I have switched to Macintosh computers.  I have also purchased iWork (Apple's office suite), and tried to use it.  I found Open Office (and its later derivative, Libre Office) easier to use, but still left a lot to be desired in stability and compatibility.  I have to admit that my method for determining a software's ease-of-use is pretty holistic - I dive right in and figure it out, and use the built-in help, and Google when I can't find it in Help.  No tutorials, no manuals, no videos.

However, the reason I think this is the best true test for the "superiority" of a software package, is that any product should be so intuitive, that you DON'T need a manual to learn how to use it.  Perhaps documentation to learn how to use advanced features, but definitely Apple has spoiled me in this arena because I have come to expect that ALL products perform well under this criterion.

This year, we agreed that Microsoft Office was the way to go.  We now have a choice, across platform, of buying MS Office outright (for an outrageous price), or paying $100 a year for up to 5 computers (Office 365) with free upgrades.  We opted for the latter.  In some ways, I've even found Word and PowerPoint on the Mac to be more desirable than the Windows version, and in every other way just as workable.

The tickler that started me on this topic, was that as part of the sign-up for Office 365, they give me regular e-mails on tips for using Office 365.  I say regular tips, but really it's regular e-mails on "how to use gestures with Office 365" - the same tips over and over again.  I guess Microsoft is realizing just how much of a growth market tablets are, and how they totally missed the boat, and scrambling to try to recapture their dominance in computing.

So overall, it has been an interesting, wild ride in the realm of Office software since the 1980's and the advent of the Personal Computer.  The early days were dominated by WordPerfect and Lotus 1-2-3 and Harvard Graphics.  Lotus, later acquired by IBM, became a suite that never really competed with the up-and-coming Microsoft Office.  Word for DOS was horrid, while early Word for Windows was a strong contender (thanks to Microsoft's experience in developing their products on the Mac platform in a GUI environment).  PowerPoint went from a weak slide authoring tool, to the only game in town, and Excel (also flush from their Mac success) became a side-by-side contender with Lotus 1-2-3 - until the packaging of Microsoft Office overtook their competition.

When it comes to automation (with Visual BASIC for Applications or VBA), and templates, and sheer feature set, nothing still comes close.  (I've read the only real prevalent viruses that Mac users need to be careful of are Office VBA macro viruses.)  As much as Tim Cook touts iWork, I don't see it as a strong contender for Office.  And, when it comes to a mobile device market, I don't see mobile devices as a strong authoring platform for Office documents.  Frankly, the awkwardness of mixing a keyboard and touch screen to author a document isn't quite there yet.

So Office for the Mac, an even better product than Office for Windows; and Office, in general, still rules the "office suite" realm.  But, the next frontier in computing is definitely mobile devices.  And tablets have a decided advantage for office documents over phones simply because of screen size.  Unless and until Ubuntu's idea of a unified OS [and here] is realized in mainstream mobile devices, I don't see any office product becoming mainstream on a mobile device.

Interestingly enough, Apple has made some tentative steps toward this with iOS 7.  In 7, support has been added for controllers (ala game controllers), and "AirPlay" streaming audio/video to an external monitor.  This is one step towards making your mobile device the "brains" of a mobile and desktop computing world.  However, the AirPlay video mirroring doesn't resize the graphics, so on the older devices you don't get full HD screens.  Also, unlike PC's who resize their graphics desktop to the monitor's capabilities, it is simply projecting the device's screen onto another device.  On the new Retina displays, the higher resolution is truly bringing this one step closer to reality.  I can see a bluetooth keyboard paired with an iPhone or iPad, and do AirPlay Mirroring to an Apple TV in 1080p HD, and now you have a mobile device that you can use like a notebook.  Still missing, though, is a simple fusion of touch screen and keyboard.

The awkwardness of taking your hands away from the keyboard to touch the screen is a bit worse than that of using a mouse, and has been alleviated by an integrated touchpad in laptops and notebooks.  Unfortunately in my limited vision for the future, I cannot yet imagine a better input for text than a keyboard - as voice recognition even in this day leaves a lot (a LOT) to be desired.  A "dual display" paradigm like desktops might help here in the mobile device realm.  What if the pop-up screen keyboard on Apple devices took up the device's screen, and the "app" screen were the remote, streamed display?  Kind of like the dual-screen system of a Nintendo DS.

Enter wearable devices.  Enter mobile computing in your vehicle.  Enter the smart home.  New possibilities seem just over the horizon, in their synergistic coalescence into a life-changing integration of the next "new way."  Apple's progression into the smart home has been at a slow, measured pace - it seems they won't release anything to the public unless they have mastered the synergy.  iOS in the Car, slated for 2014 release in many automotive brands, promises more of Apple's famous ecosphere extended to another area of your life.  Still, the futuristic technology visions of "Back to the Future III," "Continuum," and many Science Fiction stories are still to be realized.

Original iJokes

All of these are creations of my warped sense of humor, so the great thing is, you can simply not share and thus nip this horrible thing in the bud.  Or, if it tickles your funnybone, you only have yourself to blame for sharing!

_______________________

Why did the pirate update his iPhone?  Because his matey told him he needed an iPatch.

Apple is now developing wearable devices, including one they feel will be popular with pirates.  The iPatch.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, which computer would you have and why?  An Apple, because you can eat it when you get hungry!

An iPhone, an Android, and a Blackberry are shopping at the candy store.  What do they buy?  Caramel coating, Kit Kats, and an Alka Seltzer.  I don't think plop plop, fizz fizz will help, do you?

If Smart Phone Operating Systems were a shopping store:

• Blackberry would have a cool street sign, but when you go in, the clerks keep directing you towards the data compression aisle no matter what you ask for.  There are 2 other shoppers in the whole, large store, and a For Sale sign is on the outside of the store.
• The Symbian store is closed, but as you look in the window, you see some pretty cool stuff collecting dust on the shelves.
• You are confused, there are two stores that look like they are the same.  The Windows Mobile and Windows Phone.  Both are small stores, not much seems to go on there.  The shelves are pretty empty, even though you technically could order anything you want, or even make your own at home.  There are a bunch of squares and rectangles glaring back at you from the window, each flashing some live content that confuses your eyes.
• A green robot seems to signify that this is the droid you are looking for.  In the store, it is packed with lots of stuff, but the choices are endless and it is quite messy.  In fact, there are 3 checkout lines at different points in the store, and you are not sure which one you should pay at.  Wait, there's actually a 4th checkout, but it's closed.  You could probably sneak past that one without paying.  There's no security in the store, not sure if you feel safe there.
• Then, you see it: a gleaming, shining glass and brushed aluminum store with a snow white fruity logo.  Friendly security guards watch everyone and everything.  There are lots of choices, but it is neat and orderly.  There is no cash register, in fact, you can pay by placing your thumb on a device each clerk in a blue shirt is carrying.  Prices are reasonable, the store is well-lit, and the color scheme is all simple hues and pastels, very basic designs.  It might even be too orderly for you.  It seems you can get anything here, although everything on it has this bitten fruity logo on it (even the stuff you know came from elsewhere).