Windows 8 app store growth slows

Microsoft launched a Windows 8 app-for-cash promotion this week because growth of the company's app store has slowed this quarter, an analyst argued today.
　　"Month-over-month growth has slowed to just 10-15%," said Sameer Singh of Tech-Thoughts in a Friday blog post. "In response, Microsoft has launched a promotion, offering developers $100 to publish an app on the Windows Store."
　　That promotion, dubbed "Keep the Cash," kicked off Tuesday. Under its rules, developers who publish new apps to the Windows Store -- the mart that distributes Windows 8 and Windows RT "Modern" apps, the full-screen, tile-based software formerly known as "Metro" -- are rewarded with $100 per app, up to a maximum of 10.
　　The promotion ends June 30.
　　Singh used MetroStore Scanner to measure app growth. That website, in turn, relies on a counting algorithm created by Wes Miller, an analyst at Directions on Microsoft, who tallied Modern apps at his own WinAppUpdate.com site until last December.
　　According to MetroStore Scanner, after a 52% increase in December 2012 over November, gains slowed dramatically. January's total was 10% higher than the previous month's, while February posted a 9% gain. So far this month, with about a week to go, the Windows Store app count is 12% higher than February's.
　　As of today, the Windows Store boasts nearly 50,000 apps.

　　The uptick in December could have been fueled by several factors, including interest around the just-launched Windows 8 and the relatively small starting count, but it also got some inside help. Last September, Charlie Kindel, until mid-2011 the general manager of Microsoft's Windows Phone developer experience, said Microsoft was urging its own developers to build apps in their spare time.
　　Microsoft had used that tactic before, Kindel said, to drive up app counts for Windows Phone 7.
　　If Microsoft's own engineers did take time to create Windows Store apps, it was a short-lived effort, Singh said, again pointing to the MetroStore Scanner data. "At a certain point, those employees would run out of time, motivation or simply ideas to continue building apps," he wrote. "As this artificial boost is lost, it becomes more difficult to add apps to a fledgling platform."
　　Singh linked the slowing of the Windows Store's growth to the Keep the Cash pitch. "The timing of this promotion suggests that there is a causal relationship with the app slowdown," said Singh in an email reply to questions today.
　　The two events -- Keep the Cash's kick-off and the slowing of the app store's growth -- put Windows 8 and its limited-feature offshoot, Windows RT, in a difficult position. Microsoft, after all, has tied the success of those two operating systems to the Modern app ecosystem. CEO Steve Ballmer has repeatedly pitched that opportunity to developers by touting the number of likely Windows 8 machines to be sold this year.

To higher understand the problems prospects

　　Because the speed of in-car technological know-how increases and infotainment methods turn into far more advanced, the quantity of automobile potential buyers perplexed from the newest bells and whistles is growing.
　　Despite the fact that automakers have pushed for additional dealer coaching to aid buyers fully grasp and operate these methods, there is even now a studying lag -- and regrettably, most of the people really don't discover issues until immediately after they’ve procured the car.
　　To unravel this -- also to cut down customers regret and improve model loyalty -- quite a few automakers have stepped up their activity in offering tech support. Luxurious makes particularly have started out staffing dealerships with exclusive technologies authorities.
　　Last yr, Lexus included Car or truck Technological know-how Experts when it launched the tech-laden GS, and Cadillac did the same if the XTS and its new Cue program went on sale. Stealing a webpage -- and identify -- from Apple, in February BMW claimed it would insert a “genius” at its dealerships to aid buyers with tech difficulties.
　　Final week, GM introduced that it might double its tech-support initiatives by using the services of twenty five Linked Shopper Specialistsassigned to dealerships within the region, bolstering the twenty five it added final November. If your buyer prefers to call to take care of a concern instead of driving back to your dealership, GM has create a special rapid-response workforce at its Infotainment Center in Austin, Texas.
　　With the latest SXSW Interactive technological know-how conference in Austin, which GM co-sponsored, I obtained a close-up look at the automaker’s cutting-edge tech-support endeavours. Within the rear of your sprawling GM Infotainment Heart is actually a little, dimly lit place using a dozen customer-service agents sitting at pc workstations and talking with vehicle entrepreneurs by means of wireless headsets. This is the place Tom Kanable, director of tech help in the facility, oversees GM’s distant Geek Squad-like crew.
　　Kanable commenced by describing that his staff prefers to maintain the lights small. “Geeks like operating during the dim,” he instructed MSN Autos, grinning. He also discussed that low-level white sounds is pumped into the space to assist avoid a caller from hearing the conversations of adjacent brokers. “It’s not like that coldness you will get any time you simply call the cable company,” he mentioned.
　　The GM tech-support associates also undertake the lexicon on the caller. “I could phone the buttons with a car’s in-dash display icons,” Kanable mentioned. “My grandmother may perhaps simply call it a doo-dad. When we discuss to buyers and listen to them say, ‘Well, the doo-dad over the display …’ we end contacting it an icon and begin stating doo-dad. Using this method we begin to construct rapport with clients to ensure they will walk us [through the problem] employing their terminology.”
　　To higher understand the problems prospects are having with connected devices, a table while in the heart of your home has standalone doing work models of GM’s latest infotainment units, this sort of as Cadillac Cue and Chevy MyLink. Scattered close to these are definitely dozens on the most popular transportable devices that car house owners could connect for their cars.
　　Kanable also identified that in the event the workforce notices that selected problems repeatedly pop up, they will be recognized and solved additional speedily working with a collective tactic. Issues which are “trending” are displayed on 3 large screens on just one wall of the home. “The agents can see around the screens when developments get started to sort,” he reported, “and be a lot more warn to pinpointing them."
　　Pinpointing recurring difficulties along with listening to client feed-back also can guide item designers to alter an infotainment process down the road. “Customers explain to us all of the time the things they want within their automobiles,” Kanable mentioned. “They say, ‘This should seriously functionality in this manner.’ We mail people concepts to engineering, internet marketing and item advancement. So a significant customer-service heart then turns into an personal information foundation.”

The role will fit a assured IT Companies Manager

　　Being viewed as for this function you have to be ITIL competent to Professional or Practitioner stage; remember to make certain this is evidently indicated with your CV.
　　A singular opportunity has arisen for a seasoned IT Products and services Manager to hitch a prosperous, progressive and stable enterprise. This is often a superb opportunity to acquire a extremely visible, selection producing placement for an organization whose principal interests lie in the technology industry.
　　The remit of the job would be to manage the present IT Aid and Community services staff (12-15 persons) and guarantee the company?ˉs main organization targets are achieved promptly and so are shipped to the best achievable regular.
　　A vital aspect of this function will be to make the support delivery framework for your staff to stick to together with the procedures, procedures and methods; be sure to guarantee evidence of this is plainly outlined on your CV.
　　The role will fit a assured IT Companies Manager with clear vision and exceptional working experience blending strategy, man-management and complex skills. The productive applicant should have working experience running IT Help within a multi-site natural environment ¨C ideally pan-European ¨C and supporting numerous hundred end users.
　　Operating closely while using the Head of Team Security the place is accountable for protecting the security and integrity of your group?ˉs infrastructure, making certain compliance with related regulations and practices.
　　It's essential to also have expertise taking care of sizeable budgets, environment plans and placing equally shorter and long-term approach into location.

Google vows not to sue over certain patents for open source

　　Google today is "taking a stand on open source and patents," vowing not to sue anyone on specified patents unless first attacked.
　　The company, which today announced its Open Patent Non-Assertion Pledge, said to start with, it has identified 10 patents related to MapReduce, a model for processing large data sets. It has pledged not to sue any user, distributor, or developer of open-source software based on patents related to MapReduce.
　　Duane Valz, Google senior patent counsel, said in a blog post that Google wants to ensure open source software remains open:
　　"At Google we believe that open systems win. Open-source software has been at the root of many innovations in cloud computing, the mobile web, and the Internet generally. And while open platforms have faced growing patent attacks, requiring companies to defensively acquire ever more patents, we remain committed to an open Internet -- one that protects real innovation and continues to deliver great products and services."
　　Patent-related litigation has been rampant in the technology sector, particularly in the fast-growing smartphone and tablet markets. Apple and many other companies, including Google partner Samsung, have been suing each other over infringement, and Apple in August won its case against Samsung. Other companies have been making acquisitions -- like Google's purchase of Motorola Mobility -- to help build their patent arsenals.
　　So why care about MapReduce? Well, it was first developed by Google but has many open-source offshoots, including Hadoop. The technology, which gives users the ability to quickly analyze huge sets of data, is supported and used by Yahoo, Cloudera, and many other companies. As organizations create more data, specialized technology is required to make sense of all the information. Without context or analysis, big data is pretty worthless.
　　Google said today that it plans to expand the set of patents covered by the pledge to other technologies over time.
　　It also said it hopes the OPN Pledge will serve as a model for the industry, and it's encouraging other patent holders to adopt the pledge or a similar initiative. Google said leading companies and organizations such as Cloudera and IBM agree and endorse the OPN Pledge.
　　Google believes the pledge will provide more transparency around patent rights, and Google's pledge will expand to all open-source software that relies on the patents, not just a specific project. In addition, Google said its pledge remains in force for the life of the patents, even if it transfers them, and the pledge may only be terminated if a party brings a patent suit against Google products or services or directly profits from such litigation.
　　The company added that along with the OPN Pledge and other similar initiatives, it continues to support patent reforms that would "improve patent quality and reduce excessive litigation."
　　Here's the full text to Google's Open Patent Non-Assertion Pledge:
　　Open Patent Non-Assertion Pledge
　　Google is committed to promoting innovation to further the overall growth and advancement of information technology and believes that Free or Open Source Software is a very important tool for fostering innovation. Google is therefore pledging the free use of certain of its patents in connection with Free or Open Source Software on the following terms:
　　Definitions
　　"Free or Open Source Software" means any software that is licensed or otherwise distributed to the public in such a way that satisfies any version of "The Open Source Definition" provided by the Open Source Initiative at opensource.org/osd or any version of "The Free Software Definition" provided by the Free Software Foundation at gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html.
　　"Pledged Patents" means the specific patents listed by Google at the following URL designated for purposes of this Pledge: www.google.com/patents/opnpledge/patents/. Google may supplement this list of patents from time to time in its discretion.
　　"Pledge" means the promise set forth in the first two paragraphs under "Our Pledge."
　　Our Pledge
　　Google promises to each person or entity that develops, distributes or uses Free or Open Source Software (a "Pledge Recipient") that Google will not bring a lawsuit or other legal proceeding against a Pledge Recipient for patent infringement under any Pledged Patents based on the Pledge Recipient's (i) development, manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale, lease, license, exportation, importation or distribution of any Free or Open Source Software, or (ii) internal-only use of Free or Open Software, either as obtained by Pledge Recipient or as modified by Pledge Recipient, in standalone form or combined with hardware or with any other software ("Internal-Only Use"). The preceding Pledge does not apply to any infringement of the Pledged Patents by hardware or by software that is not Free or Open Source Software, or by Free or Open Source Software combined with special purpose hardware or with software that is not Free or Open Source Software (except Internal-Only Use).
　　It is Google's intent that the Pledge be legally binding, irrevocable (except as otherwise provided under "Defensive Termination" below) and enforceable against Google and entities controlled by Google, and their successors and assigns. Thus, Google will require any person or entity to whom it sells or transfers any of the Pledged Patents to agree, in writing, to abide by the Pledge and to place a similar requirement on any subsequent transferees to do the same.
　　The Pledge is not an assurance that any of the Pledged Patents cover any particular software or hardware or are enforceable, that the Pledged Patents are all patents that do or may cover any particular Free or Open Source Software, that any activities covered by the Pledge will not infringe patents or other intellectual property rights of a third party, or that Google will add any other patents to the list of Pledged Patents. Except as expressly stated in the Pledge, no other rights are waived or granted by Google or received by a Pledge Recipient, whether by implication, estoppel, or otherwise.
　　Defensive Termination
　　Because our Pledge is a promise not to assert certain Google patents without requiring any payment from a Pledge Recipient, we think it is only fair that we condition the Pledge upon the Pledge Recipient (and its affiliates) not asserting or profiting from the assertion of patents against Google, its affiliates, or its products or services. Accordingly, Google reserves the right to terminate the Pledge, to the extent Google deems necessary to protect itself, its affiliates, or its products and services ("Defensive Termination") with respect to any Pledge Recipient (or affiliate) who files a lawsuit or other legal proceeding for patent infringement or who has a direct financial interest in such lawsuit or other legal proceeding (an "Asserting Party") against Google or any entity controlled by Google or against any third party based in whole or in part on any product or service developed by or on behalf of Google or any entity controlled by Google.
　　Any Defensive Termination by Google with respect to an Asserting Party shall have the same effect as if Our Pledge was never extended to such Asserting Party in the first instance. Google, in its sole discretion, shall determine the manner and terms, if any, by which rights under Pledged Patents may be extended to an Asserting Party after that Asserting Party's lawsuit or other legal proceeding is permanently dismissed, terminated or withdrawn in writing.
　　Mistaken Assertion
　　Should Google ever initiate a lawsuit or other legal proceeding for patent infringement based on software which is not the subject of a Defensive Termination, and then receive written notice from the party against whom such lawsuit or other legal proceeding has been filed providing sufficient information for Google to reasonably determine that such software in fact satisfies the requirements of the Pledge, then Google will use reasonable efforts to withdraw such lawsuit (or the applicable claims therein) or move to terminate such other legal proceeding (or the applicable portions thereof) within sixty (60) days after receiving such written notice.

Google Keep vs. OneNote vs. Evernote: We name the note-app winner

　　Google shook things up last week when it dusted off its old Notebook service and relaunched it as Keep. Google's new software muscles in on the space currently dominated by Microsoft OneNote and Evernote, two note-taking apps that save your text, Web links, photos, audio recordings, and more, helping to keep your life organized.

　　Think of these tools as sticky notes on steroids. They're great for managing day-to-day errands and stashing rich media content, but also exceptional for organizing tasks at work.
　　Whether you're about to start using a note-taking app or are considering defecting from your current choice, you must first think about the features you need most. One app may excel at OCR support and another might be best for anywhere access, while a third may be ideal for content sharing within a team. To help you make an informed decision, here's a closer look at how Google Keep, Microsoft OneNote, and Evernote stack up in a variety of categories.
　　Google Keep is available online and via an Android app. Both iterations are free. OneNote and Evernote have Web and app elements that you can use for free, plus paid premium editions.
　　OneNote is available as part of a Microsoft Office 365 subscription, starting at $100 per year per home user. It also comes bundled within Office desktop suites starting at $140. As a stand-alone product, OneNote 2013 costs $70. You can use OneNote for free as a Web app through Microsoft SkyDrive, and on Windows Phone, Android, or iOS. The Office version provides additional features, such as the ability to clip screenshots or "print" documents directly to OneNote.
　　Evernote is free for up to 60MB per month of data. The data cap of the Premium upgrade ($5 per month or $45 per year) jumps to 1GB of bandwidth each month. You also get faster performance, better security, and deeper search capabilities. Evernote for Business gives IT admins oversight and control, with additional collaboration options, for $120 per user per year.
　　Winner: All three note-taking platforms have free options, so we can't ding any of the contenders for being overpriced. That said, Evernote's paid versions offer greater functionality through apps and add-ons.
　　With a note-taking tool, you want to capture text, voice notes, pictures, and webpages on the go, no matter which device is in your hand. As the newest platform to join the party, Google Keep also has the most limited reach, extending only to the Web and Android.
　　We've heard no official confirmation, but it's reasonable to expect Google to develop iOS and Windows Phone versions of the Keep app eventually. For now, Keep is best for Google-centric users of Google Drive online storage and productivity tools.
　　OneNote offers Web access plus apps for Windows Phone, Android, and iOS. It's available for Windows within Microsoft Office and as the OneNote MX app for Windows 8. With the exception of OneNote 2013, which is part of Office 365 or Office 2013, all the other OneNote options are free. If you favor Microsoft services and devices, OneNote is your natural choice.
　　Evernote matches Google Keep and OneNote with Web access, and also provides native apps for Android, iOS, Windows Phone, and BlackBerry, in addition to dedicated client software for Windows and Mac OS X. Evernote has developed an extensive community and provides a variety of its own apps as well as third-party apps on its Trunk website.
　　Winner: Evernote is available on more platforms, and it isn't tethered to any particular brand.
　　Within a browser, Google Keep lets you view notes as either a list or a grid resembling tidy sticky notes. You can assign colors to notes, but you can't order or group notes.
　　OneNote and Evernote, on the other hand, each use a notebook-and-notes metaphor. You can create a notebook for a dedicated topic—such as Website Project, Summer Vacation, or Income Taxes—and then create multiple related notes within it.
　　OneNote and Evernote also let you tag notes with keywords. You can create separate notebooks in OneNote. Each notebook can contain multiple sections, and each section can have multiple pages and color coding. The desktop version of OneNote also allows you to create a Section Group, the equivalent of embedding a notebook in a notebook. Evernote has a feature similar to the OneNote Section Group, which permits you to group notebooks into Stacks. Evernote Business users can stack professional content within a Business Library.
　　Keep's system is good only for managing a few notes. If you truly rely on your note-taking tool, you’ll need the added controls of OneNote or Evernote.
　　Winner: Evernote provides more controls for organizing your information.
　　Note-taking apps are most powerful when you use them for more than text. Google Keep on the Web lets you add only an image from your PC, while its Android app allows you to capture a picture or an audio clip. Keep transcribes the audio to text, embedding both inside your note.
　　The free versions of OneNote let you insert Web links, text, and images. The paid OneNote within Microsoft Office also permits you to add audio clips to notes. With OneNote's Windows-only desktop software, you can scan an image into a note, or add screen clips, Excel spreadsheets, or other files.
　　Evernote's Web version is fairly limited, but its mobile apps collect photos, audio clips, and other files. The real difference comes from Evernote's ecosystem of apps, which let you do things such as scan receipts directly to Evernote or convert handwriting to text. For instance, Evernote's Penultimate for iPad offers handwriting recognition, Skitch lets you mark up images, Web Clipper and EverClip save webpages, and Hello for iPhone manages contacts. Evernote even saves handwritten notes and audio from Livescribe Sky digital pens.
　　Features vary according to the hardware and software you have on hand. For example, you can annotate OneNote notes using a digital stylus in either the OneNote desktop version or the OneNote MX app for Windows 8, but only if you have a touchscreen device and a digital stylus to work with.

There are previously several regional companies

　　Sri Lanka is planning on developing an IT sector relevant support centre in Previous Tripoli Market, Colombo. The undertaking is funded through the City Advancement Authority plus the construction of the undertaking is predicted to begin shortly. The Sri Lanka Navy has undertaken the development of proposed centre.
　　The whole idea would be to set up a common put the place IT and Knowledge field relevant businesses can be accommodated. This is able to assistance to receive to grasp the several strategies of sector experts to go ahead and take IT and BPO industry to the up coming level. Sri Lanka Navy‘s involvement for your construction of your centre would cut back the undertaking cost by two 3rd,?±a senior official explained. The development of the Know-how Park in Hambantota can be in progress underneath the Hambantota Enhancement Project.
　　Speaking within the celebration Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa mentioned：It is very important that Sri Lankan businesses in a variety of sectors too, dedicate them selves to this enhancement drive by advertising and marketing new ventures and likewise even more generating expansion prospects all through the country. There are several sectors where Sri Lanka has large prospective. IT and BPO sectors are two of these examples.
　　There are previously several regional companies which have made a mark internationally, by developing superior regular program merchandise. Almost all of the program engineers and other professionals who had formulated these products experienced been educated and qualified in this article, as ended up the business people who developed options for them to create strong professions during this field. Because the place moves ahead, much more and a lot more these prospects need to be exploited. Sri Lanka has extraordinarily talented experts in lots of fields, such as accountancy, engineering and medicine.
　　They call for much more avenues exactly where they could utilize their abilities. As major industry experts in the IT and BPO sectors, I'm guaranteed that a lot of of you might perform a very important element in producing this kind of alternatives.
　　For its component, the government is engaged in a large-scale progress travel to develop a positive environment for businesses. City advancement is a person this sort of essential region with this regard.

Addappt 1.3 is an iOS group messaging powerhouse

　　Yesterday, I wrote about Tempo, a replacement for Apple's Calendar app on iOS. Today, I want to continue that theme with a replacement for Apple's Contacts app.
　　Addappt (free, App Store) is a contact management app for iOS that's always up to date because it's maintained by your friends and colleagues. It's an amazing app (and one of my iOS picks of 2012) that allows you to keep your contacts current, and now it allows you to share in ways that you can't with the Apple's native iOS apps.
　　When you install it, Addappt scans your contacts and tells you if any of your contacts are using it. Then you can invite the contacts that you want to keep up-to-date information on. It's completely opt-in, so the recipient needs to confirm your request and verify their email address.
　　If someone's not already in your imported contacts, you can just add their email address and tap invite. The person will receive an email invitation asking them to join Addappt. If they accept and install the app, you'll be linked to them and their contact information will get updated any time they make a change. And vice-versa.
　　Addappt was just updated to version 1.3 and is now open to all, and dropping the invitation-only model will make it easier to get your colleagues to use it.
　　Other new features are outlined below.
　　Group management
　　The iOS Contacts app doesn't allow you to create groups, Addappt does. Just touch the pencil icon on the right of "My Groups" on the home screen. Addappt allows you to create a new group, delete one, or rename one — and changes are synced with the iOS contacts app. Adding contacts to a group is easy, too. Just navigate to the individual contact and touch the "group +" icon on the left of the name on the photo and select the groups you want to add to.
　　Group messaging
　　Addappt makes it easy to email or text a group of colleagues. With it, you can communicate with a group of contacts with a single touch. You can also attach multiple photos and send them to a group. If you don't like sharing photos on social networks, Addappt makes it easier to share photos, especially with people who aren't on Facebook.
　　The iOS Photos app limits sharing to five photos by email. If you individually attach them, there are no limitations but it takes 60 touches to attach 10 photos — not to mention the number of touches needed to add multiple contacts to send them to. With Addappt, you can attach 10 photos in 14 touches and you can share an album of 10 photos with only five touches. And sharing isn't limited to other Addappt users. It uses the native iOS Email and Messages apps, so you can email, text, or share photos with anyone.
　　Here's a video of Addappt CEO Mrinal Desai being interviewed on Fox Business Network.