Newsletter 2013.07

Hot on the heels of Office Mobile for Office 365 comes the official MS Outlook app for iOS. Microsoft are really starting to embrace Apple mobile devices in the enterprise. Let’s hope more apps like this follow in the near future!

Early July saw the announcement of a sweeping reorganization at Microsoft, their first in over 10 years, moving the company away from being a software provider to a products and services business. The four new major divisions are Devices and Studios, Operating Systems, Applications and Services, and Cloud and Enterprise. CEO Steve Ballmer shared the thinking behind the changes in a one-on-one with the Seattle Times.

Producers of iPhone and iPad apps were left in limbo after a cyber attack brought down the entire Apple developer portal for eight days. Apple assured developers by way of a mailout that no sensitive information had been leaked but names, physical addresses and email addresses could have been accessed. The company now has a status page on their website showing where they are at with efforts to rebuild the system from the ground-up. A Turkish security researcher claimed responsibility for the attack but his statement was later thrown into doubt.

Going head-to-head with iPad mini and overtaking it on specs at least, is Google’s new Nexus 7. The version 2 tablet boasts a 1920 x 1200, 323 ppi IPS display, the latest Android 4.3 and a host of other upgrades at a marginally raised price of US$229 for the 16GB version. The Japanese price and release date have yet to be made public.
Google also unveiled Chromecast this month, a snazzy US$35 dongle for your TV that lets you stream content from services such as Netflix, YouTube and Google Play.

With a potential autumn release looming the iPhone rumor mill is working overtime again. Chatter of a low-cost, lower-spec, multicolor, plastic-encased iPhone is spurred on by an allegedly leaked image or two, and some videos doing the rounds on the Web. Chances are the regular iPhone will see an upgrade to 5S.
In tandem with the new iPhone(s) comes the drastically overhauled iOS 7. The latest beta 4 version shows Apple continuing to tweak the look-and-feel and intricate workings of the new iOS in response to feedback.

A enlightening video interview and a top 12 ‘Unexpected Things That Exist Because Of Linux‘ show just how much of the technology infrastructure around us is dependent on the open-source operating system. Did you know that Linux even runs some Japanese trains?

This fascinating infographic offers a potted history of the Internet and some mind-boggling numbers on its usage today.

In celebration of its newly awarded World Heritage Site status, armchair climbers can now ascend Mt. Fuji using Google Maps Street View. Also making an impressive appearance on Street View is the spooky-yet-cool deserted mining community on Hashima, better known as Gunkanjima (Battleship Island) and the inspiration for a villain’s hideout in the James Bond movie Skyfall.
By the way, if there’s a remote corner of the globe you’d love to see on Street View, Google is now accepting applications for you to don their 19 kg, 15-camera backpack and go shoot it yourself.