Top 10 Tech stories 2014: Backlash! Disrupting the disruptors

Blowing up entrenched business models and picking up the profits that spill onto the floor is a time-honored tradition in tech, these days known by the cliche of the moment, “disruption.” This year everyone was trying to push back against those upstarts, whether by buying them like Facebook did, reorganizing to compete with them like HP and Microsoft have done, or just plain going out against them guns blazing, as it seemed that every city and taxi company did with Uber. European courts fought the disruptive effect Google search has had on our very sense of the historical record. But meanwhile, legions of net neutrality supporters in the US spoke up to save the Internet’s core value of disruption against the oligopoly of a handful of communications carriers. Here are our picks for the top stories of a very, well, disruptive year.

Nadella aims Microsoft toward relevancy in a post-PC world
Taking over from Steve Ballmer in February, CEO Satya Nadella faced several uncomfortable truths, among them: Windows powers only 15 percent of all computing devices worldwide, including smartphones, tablets and PCs, meaning Microsoft is no longer at the center of most people’s computing experience. Nadella says he wants Microsoft to be the productivity and platform company for a “mobile first, cloud first world.” Under Nadella, Microsoft has launched Office for the iPad, embraced open source software for its Azure cloud and launched the beta for Windows 10, which promises to smooth out Windows 8’s confusing, hybrid user interface. Shortly after closing the Nokia acquisition he inherited, Nadella announced 18,000 job cuts, 14 percent of its global staff. The bulk of those cuts are in Nokia, which has been relegated to the “other” market share category in smartphones. Microsoft’s sales looked good last quarter, jumping 25 percent year-over-year to $23.2 billion, though profit was hurt by the Nokia buy. Nadella claimed the company is “innovating faster,” which had better be true if he is to succeed.

HP says breaking up is hard, but necessary
Agility appears to be more important than size these days. In an about-face from the direction CEO Meg Whitman set three years ago, Hewlett-Packard announced in October that it will split up, divorcing its PC and printer operations from its enterprise business. When Whitman took the reins from former HP chief Leo Apotheker in 2011, she renounced his idea to split up the venerable Silicon Valley company, saying PCs were key to long-term relationships with customers. But shedding assets is becoming a common strategy for aging tech giants. IBM has focused on enterprise technology and services after selling first its PC operations years ago, and then its server business this year, to Lenovo, and agreeing in October to pay GlobalFoundries $1.5 billion to take over money-losing chip facilities. Symantec announced this year that it would spin off its software storage business, the bulk of which it acquired 10 years ago from Veritas Software for $13.5 billion. The big question for HP is whether it can avoid alienating users and distracting its hundreds of thousands of employees.

Uber’s bumpy ride shakes up the “sharing” economy
Legal challenges and executives behaving badly marked the ascendancy of Uber this year as much as its explosive growth and sky-high valuation. The startup’s hard-driving, take-no-prisoners culture has made it an unlikely poster child for the innocuous—and perhaps misleadingly labeled—“sharing” economy. Announcing the company’s latest billion-dollar cash injection in December, CEO Travis Kalanick bragged that Uber had launched operations in 190 cities and 29 countries this year. The service is now valued at $40 billion. But the company’s army of private drivers face legal challenges, inquiries and preliminary injunctions against operating, from Germany and the UK to various US states. Executives have made matters worse by threatening to dig up dirt on critical journalists and bragging about a tool called “god view” that lets employees access rider logs without permission. Rival app-based ride services like Lyft and Sidecar, whose operations are also the target of inquiries, are distancing themselves from Uber. Added to all this, there are complaints about the legality of other sorts of so-called sharing services, like apartment-rental site Airbnb, which has spawned not just opportunities for regular folks with an extra room and a hospitable nature, but created a class of real-estate investors who are de facto hoteliers. All this suggests that Web-based companies seeking a “share” of profits using middleman tech platforms to disrupt highly regulated businesses like taxis and lodging have some real battles against entrenched interests still to fight.

Facebook gambles $16 billion on WhatsApp
Established companies are snapping up upstarts at a pace not seen since the dot-com boom days, but in February Facebook’s plan to buy WhatsApp for $16 billion had jaws dropping at the price tag. WhatsApp has hit about a half billion users with its mobile messaging alternative to old-school carriers. Facebook already had a chat feature, as well as a stand-alone mobile app called Messenger. But people don’t use them for quick back and forth conversations, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg has acknowledged. At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, he confessed that he could not prove in charts and figures that WhatsApp is worth the money he spent, but said that not many companies in the world have a chance at cracking the billion-user mark, and that in itself is incredibly valuable.

Mt Gox implodes, deflating Bitcoin hype
Last year, Bitcoin seemed poised to disrupt conventional currencies. But this year the high-flying cryptocurrency hit some turbulence. The largest Bitcoin exchange in the world, Tokyo-based Mt Gox, fell to earth amid tears and lawsuits after an apparent hack cost the company about 750,000 bitcoins worth about $474 million. The company said a flaw in the Bitcoin software allowed an unknown party to steal the digital currency. A few weeks later Flexcoin, a smaller site, closed after it got hacked. The closures sent tremors of fear through the fledgling Bitcoin market. The leaders of Coinbase, Kraken, Bitstamp, BTC China, Blockchain and Circle all signed a statement lambasting Mt Gox for its “failings.” But the incidents took the luster off Bitcoin. Still, New York’s proposed Bitcoin regulations may establish a legal framework, and confidence, to help exchanges grow in one of the world’s biggest financial centers. Bitcoin concepts may also spur spinoff technology. A company called Blockstream is pursuing ideas to use Bitcoin’s so-called blockchain, a distributed, public ledger, as the basis for a platform for all sorts of transactional applications.

Apple Pay starts to remake mobile payments
Apple’s ascendance to the world’s most valuable company came on top of market-defining products like the iPod, iTunes, the iPhone and the iPad. This year, it was not the iPhone 6 or the as-yet unreleased Apple Watch that came close to redefining a product category—it was Apple Pay. Apple Pay requires an NFC-enabled Apple device, which means an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, but by early next year, Apple Watch as well. Businesses need NFC-equipped payment terminals. With Apply Pay, you can make a credit or debit card payment simply by tapping your iPhone to the NFC chip reader embedded in a payment terminal. As you tap, you put your finger on the iPhone 6’s biometric fingerprint reader. Apple was careful to line up partners: while Google stumbled trying to get support for its Wallet, more than 500 banks and all major credit card companies are working with Apple Pay. The potential security benefits top it off: When you enter your credit or debit card number, Apple replaces it with a unique token that it stores encrypted. Your information is never stored on your device or in the cloud.

Alibaba’s IPO marks a new era for Chinese brands
In their first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange in September, Alibaba shares opened at $92.70, 35 percent over the $68 initial public offering price, raking in $21.8 billion and making it the biggest tech IPO ever. Alibaba is an e-commerce behemoth in China, now looking to expand globally. But don’t expect a direct challenge to Amazon right away. Its strategy for international dominance depends not only on broad e-commerce, but also on carving out different niche marketplaces. Shares three months after its opening are going for about $10 more, suggesting that shareholders have faith in that strategy. The IPO also marked the ascendancy of Chinese brands. After scooping up IBM’s PC business years ago, and this year spending $2.3 billion for IBM’s server business as well as $2.9 billion for Motorola, Lenovo is the world’s number one PC company and number three smartphone company. Meanwhile Xiaomi, the “Apple of China,” has become the world’s number-four smartphone vendor.

Regin and the continuing saga of the surveillance state
Symantec’s shocking report on the Regin malware in November opened the latest chapter in the annals of international espionage. Since at least 2008, Regin has targeted mainly GSM cellular networks to spy on governments, infrastructure operators, research institutions, corporations, and private individuals. It can steal passwords, log keystrokes and read, write, move and copy files. The sophistication of the malware suggests that, like the Stuxnet worm discovered in 2010, it was developed by one or several nation-states, quite possibly the U.S. It has spread to at least 10 countries, mainly Russia and Saudi Arabia, as well as Mexico, Ireland, India, Afghanistan, Iran, Belgium, Austria and Pakistan. If Regin really is at least six years old, it means that sophisticated surveillance tools are able to avoid detection by security products for years, a chilling thought for anyone trying to protect his data.

EU ‘right to be forgotten’ ruling challenges Google to edit history
The EU’s Court of Justice’s so-called right to be forgotten ruling in May means that Google and other search engine companies face the mountainous task of investigating and potentially deleting links to outdated or incorrect information about a person if a complaint is made. The ruling came in response to a complaint lodged by Spanish national insisting that Google delete links to a 1998 newspaper article that contained an announcement for a real-estate auction related to the recovery of social security debts owed by him. The complaint noted the issue had been resolved. But while EU data-privacy officials cheer, free-speech advocates say the ruling’s language means that people can use it to whitewash their history, deleting even factually correct stories from search results. As of mid-November, Google had reviewed about 170,000 requests to delist search results that covered over 580,000 links. The headaches are just starting: Now the EU says the delinking must be applied to all international domains, not just sites within the region.

Obama weighs in as FCC goes back to the drawing boards on net neutrality
In January, a U.S. appeals court struck down the FCC’s 2011 regulations requiring Internet providers to treat all traffic equally. The court said the FCC did not have the authority to enact the rules, challenged in a lawsuit brought by Verizon. The ruling reignited the net neutrality debate, with FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler proposing new rules in April. President Obama in November made his strongest statement on net neutrality to date, urging the FCC to reclassify broadband as a regulated utility, imposing telephone-style regulations. Obama’s move, which critics say is an unprecedented intrusion on an independent government agency, puts political pressure on Wheeler, who reportedly favors a less regulatory approach. The proposal from Wheeler earlier this year stopped short of reclassification, and allowed broadband providers to engage in “commercially reasonable” traffic management. Public comments on Wheeler’s proposal had hit nearly 4 million by September. The ball is now back in Wheeler’s court, as he negotiates a resolution to the whole affair with his fellow commissioners.

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Google prices its gigabit-Internet service in Austin at $70 a month

The broadband service is already in Kansas City and Provo, Utah

Google will offer a basic version of its broadband service for no monthly charge when it launches soon in Austin, Texas, with the 1Gbps service priced at $70 per month.

The basic plan will provide download speeds of up to 5Mbps (megabits per second) and upload speeds of 1Mbps, according to Google, which announced its pricing plans Monday and said consumers in some neighborhoods will be able to sign up next month. Customers will pay a one-time "construction" fee of $300, but there will be no monthly charges after that.

The middle-tier plan that provides Google Fiber's promised 1Gbps service will be priced at $70 per month, with the construction fee waived for a one-year commitment. That plan includes 1TB of cloud storage across Google Drive, Gmail and Google+ photos, the company said.

The most tricked out plan will be priced at $130 per month. That includes the 1Gbps Internet service and 1TB cloud storage, as well as more than 150 TV channels and the ability to record up to 8 shows at once.

Google didn't say when the service will be switched on. It says it's made "great progress" but has "lots more digging to do" to lay the 1,000-plus miles of fiber that will make up the network.

It's also putting the finishing touches on its operations base for Austin Fiber at 201 Colorado Street.

Google Fiber is already available in Kansas City and Provo, Utah -- at prices similar to Austin -- with plans for expansion in a handful of others like Phoenix, Arizona, and Nashville, Tennessee.

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Microsoft's defense of OneDrive changes fails to silence critics

No sync placeholders in Windows 10; testers accuse company of again not heeding feedback

Microsoft's explanation of why it discarded an advanced feature in OneDrive on Windows 10 failed to curb angry users' continued criticism of the change.

"Windows 8.1 made OneDrive worth paying for, but with no placeholders in Windows 10, I will seriously start to consider where I put my money. You HAD a great product, until ... you regressed to one of the worst aspects of Windows 7," said a user identified as Mars on a long and still growing discussion thread.

"Have fun trying to get consumers to like your products again. This did it for me, I'm out," Mars wrote.

Mars' comment was one of more than 270 pleas from Windows 10 testers to restore placeholders, or has Microsoft called them, "smart files," within File Explorer, the file management tool in the OS.

In Windows 8.1, OneDrive does not automatically place actual copies of all files in the storage service on a device's local storage, but instead shows smart files for those still in the cloud. When clicked, a smart file kicks off a download to the device.

With Windows 10's latest update -- released Wednesday -- OneDrive uses "selective sync," in that users choose which files are synched with actual downloads. Other files remain on OneDrive, but do not show up in File Explorer. To see everything stored in the cloud, users must instead open a browser and comb through OneDrive's online interface.

Smart files allowed users to view the entire contents of OneDrive from File Explorer, browse or search for files, and then download only those they needed at that moment. Once downloaded and edited, files could be left on local storage or returned to OneDrive's cloud to save space on the limited amount available on a tablet, on a hybrid 2-in-1, like Microsoft's own Surface Pro 3, or on a notebook that used a SSD (solid-state drive).

On Friday, Jason Moore, a group program manager on the OneDrive team, put forward the company's position on the cloud storage service's synchronization behavior in Windows 10 Technical Preview, the under-construction build of the new operating system set to release in mid-2015.

"We were not happy with how we built placeholders, and we got clear feedback that some customers were confused -- for example, with files not being available when offline -- and that some applications didn't work well with placeholders and that sync reliability was not where we needed it to be," wrote Moore in a message added to the feature suggestion thread.

Moore was clear that smart files and the flexibility they provided would not be included in Windows 10. "In Windows 10, that means we’ll use selective sync instead of placeholders," Moore said.

Moore also said that all OneDrive files would be searchable from File Explorer -- presumably in a future Windows 10 Technical Preview update -- and argued that the change was necessary to make sync more reliable. "We're making fundamental improvements to how Sync works, focusing on reliability in all scenarios, bringing together OneDrive and OneDrive for Business in one sync engine, and making sure we have a model that can scale to unlimited storage," Moore said.

Other promises were more vague in both substance and timing. "Longer term, we'll continue to improve the experience of OneDrive in Windows File Explorer, including bringing back key features of placeholders," Moore wrote.

Users were having none of it, and blasted Microsoft, its explanation and the dropping of smart files. Comments posted to the thread after Moore's explanation went live were overwhelmingly negative.

In the thread, which grew more than four-fold in 36 hours, Windows 10 testers said Microsoft was repeating the mistakes of Windows 8 by not listening to feedback, contended that OneDrive's functionality had been crippled, and warned that they were rethinking their commitment to Windows and OneDrive.

"We all want Windows 10 to be great, so start listening to what we as so-called 'insiders' have to say. You'll thank us later," wrote Brendon on Saturday.

"It's not that there weren't problems with the way [OneDrive] worked -- sometimes apps weren't aware of it and would time out trying to open an offline file, and it's understandable that perhaps it confused some users," chimed in Filip Vanden Houte. "But [smart files] really sold the promise of transparent offline cloud hybrid file storage. It WORKED. The right approach to fixing it CANNOT BE to just roll it back two versions and start again."

"If you proceed as you are now and think it doesn't matter, explain it to me once again while I'm buying a Mac to replace my personal Windows PC for the first time in 30 years," said Th'e NetAvenger, who claimed he had once worked at Microsoft on the Windows engineering team. "If you feel placeholders are not doing their job, you need to offer either a hybrid solution or offer both the existing and new model. PERIOD."

Moore, however, said that Microsoft was listening. "Keep the feedback coming," he wrote to conclude his post. "We're working every day to improve OneDrive, and customer feedback is a hugely important part of that."

Others Windows 10 testers knocked Microsoft's promised solution -- a search tool in File Explorer to reveal documents and photos stored on OneDrive but not the device -- or simply refused to swallow what they read as public relations rambling.

"Simple search doesn't cut it," said Peter on Friday. "I have folders full of thousands [of] pictures and work files on projects, they're named whatever, the best solution can't be blind stabs in the dark through the search box."

"This is a forum full with power users, please don't PR talk us," chided Elan, also on Friday. "[A] few months ago the Windows 10 team leader stood on stage and spoke about how the Windows 10 team wants our feedback, listens to pro users etc. We are saying it loud and clear -- that feature was what made OneDrive what it is. We need it. We want it. We ask you to not let it die."

"I also suggest Microsoft provides specifics as to how this will work in the future or you risk having a riot on your hands. Vague generalizations will not suffice for them or for me," said Rob Segal.

"At this point, what's most frustrating is not the lost feature, which sucks, but the paternalistic **** coming from these guys," added one of several anonymous posters.

As Elan recounted, Microsoft pledged to listen to its customers as it crafted Windows 10. "We're inviting our most enthusiastic Windows customers to shape Windows 10 with us," said Terry Myerson, the company's top operating systems executive, in late September as he unveiled the new OS.

That invitation was a dramatic turnaround from Windows 8, which was led by Steven Sinofsky, who was ousted shortly after that edition's launch. Sinofsky had been denounced by both customers and analysts for a secretive approach to development, and for not listening to critics who, long before Windows 8's release, panned its two-in-one user interface (UI).

Since Windows 8's debut two years ago, Microsoft has been retreating from the touch-first philosophy, a backpedaling that will continue in Windows 10, which emphasizes the more traditional mouse-and-keyboard operation of personal computers.

The online request to restore placeholders/smart files had more than 3,400 votes as of early Saturday.

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Patch Tuesday: 16 security advisories, 5 critical for Windows

All supported versions of Windows are affected including Windows 10 technical preview

Microsoft is issuing the largest number of monthly security advisories since June 2011, five of them critical and affecting all supported versions of Windows. And applying the patches will be time consuming, experts say.

“Next week will tell us how many CVEs are involved but suffice to say, this patch load will be a big impact to the enterprise,” says Russ Ernst, the director of product management for Lumension.

Generally, Microsoft alternates between patching Windows and updating applications in order to keep down the number of machines that need attention each month, says Chris Goettl, a product manager with Shavlik. This batch includes critical updates for .NET Framework, Office 2007, Exchange and SharePoint.

“Exchange and SharePoint being in the mix means that there will be a need for some thorough testing before rolling out updates,” he says. “.NET Framework also is getting an update this month, which usually means a little longer time on the maintenance window as those patches tend to take a little longer than the average OS patch to install.”

Also in the mix this month is Windows 10, formally Windows Technical Preview, which is in line for five updates ranked critical, says Goettl. “It would be a good idea to run this and see how well the patches apply. The updates will be available through Windows Update and Microsoft is encouraging people to apply them,” he says.

The five critical bulletins are about fixes to block potential remote code execution on victimized machines, says Qualys CTO Wolfgang Kandek. Here is his summary of these bulletins:

Bulletin 1 is rated critical for all version of Windows and has RCE potential, i.e. the type of vulnerability that allows an attacker to take control over the affected machine.
Bulletin 2, critical as well and covers all versions of Internet Explorer IIE from IE6 on Windows 2003 to IE11 on Windows 8.1.
Bulletin 3 addresses an RCE type vulnerability present in all version of Windows and is critical to patch as soon as possible.
Bulletin 4 covers a vulnerability that is rated critical on desktop systems and important on server operating systems.
Bulletin 5 is rated critical on server operating systems but has no criticality rating on desktop systems, even though they seem to contain the vulnerability. “We will have to see what is really going on there next Tuesday,” he says.

The advanced security bulletins include nine that are ranked important, which means they require user action in order to be exploited. They address vulnerabilities in Windows, Windows Server, Exchange, and .NET Framework. Possible exploits include elevation of privilege, remote code execution, security feature bypass and information disclosure.

The remaining bulleting is ranked moderate and could result in denial of service attacks against Windows.

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Fire your mobile app programmer and build it yourself

This vendor-written tech primer has been edited by Network World to eliminate product promotion, but readers should note it will likely favor the submitter’s approach.

Everyone used to hire mobile app developers to build custom programs, but that often resulted in shoddy, insecure programs that sometimes didn’t even work. And even when the software suited the need, chances are it was a colossal waste of money.

Today you can program without programming. Even business people can define and build apps that suit their needs – in just hours or days, depending on the complexity. Or have them built for you for as a low as $500 from a provider harnessing the same automated software creation tools.

Either way you go, it is a far cry from shelling out $50,000 or more, which is what you typically pay a mobile developer for just one piece of software for just one mobile platform.

We are not talking about overly simplistic, do nothing bits of software. With today’s new visual approach to designing and generating mobile software, you can create sophisticated custom business apps. These apps can work with data from the Web, cloud or your own internal systems – or all three, and can include pre-built features such as: forms, lists, database services, web services, location services, and strong security and encryption.

It is particularly easy to create apps for companies in these vertical industries: real estate, health care, construction, job estimating, insurance and more.
New tech to the rescue

For decades the Holy Grail of programming was to get there without programming. Many stabs have been taken, such as Fourth Generation Languages (4GL), object oriented programming where objects could be reused and stitched together to create new programs, and code generation, where you define what you need and the system creates the code for you.

All this work laid the foundation where we are finally achieving the promise of programming without programming. In the mobile space in particular a number of new companies are making all this work.

The key is visual development. By leveraging myriad pieces of software that have been written and fully vetted, the end user, even a non-technical person, visually designs the app they need and the system assembles the app based on what we used to call objects. And because all these components have been used in thousands of apps, they are secure and the bugs long since worked out.

Some vendors offering this new approach focus on easing creation of mobile applications that replace paper forms, letting IT customize or build apps that are then run as Software as a Service (SaaS).

Others offer a Platform as a Service (PaaS) approach. Initially PaaS was simply a way of offering a software development stack in the cloud, so programmers needn’t worry about configuring, updating and maintaining development systems. Now the stack itself is richer with the advent of true visual-based and model-driven development, and the cloud is better able to host these developed apps as well.

There are multiple PaaS options today. One approach allows stakeholders to model what they want their app to do, and then have that interpreted by a runtime environment. While another allows business users to decide what they want, describe it by manipulating icons that represent a large catalog of fully tested services, objects, actions or lines of code, and then the system builds a full piece of software whose components are automatically integrated.
The savings are real

Research by AnyPresence, a Backend-as-a-Service (BaaS) provider, shows most companies spend at least $50,000 for an app. Close to 25% spend more than $100,000.

Using traditional methods, mobile apps aren’t just expensive to build, they take a tremendous amount of time to complete. Let’s say you just want a program that takes information from a database and puts it in a simple list, maybe to let salespeople check inventory. That could take one to two months to build and cost over $25,000, says AnyPresence. And that is for just one platform.

Want an enterprise app that integrates with your business processes? You’ll need an awfully big piggy bank because that will run you over $150,000.

What’s more, eventually you’ll need to update that app, which can cost serious bucks. Forrester says the initial cost of development is only 35% of the overall two-year cost. Part of this cost is updating and upgrading. This may be due to new feature requirements, changes in business processes, the need to run on or exploit new mobile environments or to port to currently unsupported operating systems. MGI Research says mobile apps have, on average, one major update ever six months.

With visual programming and application generation you can add new features or just freshen the interface with a few swipes of a WYSIWYG editor, then touch the screen to distribute the update. Programmers call this iteration, and they earn much of their livelihood this way.

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7 Free Online Collaboration and Project Management Tools

Get the most out of your team and your budget by taking advantage of these free collaboration and project management tools.

Free Collaboration and Project Management Software
Casey Stengel, Hall of Fame baseball manager once said, "Gettin' good players is easy. Gettin' 'em to play together is the hard part." The same holds true for today's technology workforce.

Collaboration is one of the keys to success whether you're a small, medium or large organization. Add to that the fact that, according to a recent American Community Survey, 2.6 percent of orkers telecommute and it's easy to see how important the right collaboration tools are to keep your teams connected and moving in the same direction. The collaboration tools listed here will help you do just that, whether you're in the home office or a Starbucks in Paris.

Podio
Podio is an enterprise social network that aims to add the functionality of a project management system. Each user has his own profile, which is associated with other people such as a manager, direct reports, project manager and lead developer. A chat app, internal email, contacts, calendar and tasks are also included.

Where Podio is most robust is in its customization features. There are many apps available via its marketplace in categories such as project management, CRM, marketing management, recruiting, and HR and IT support. You can also build your own apps using the Podio App Builder. Podio offers three tiers: Podio Lite for up to five employees, Podio Teams and Podio Business.

Asana
Asana, created by Dustin Moskovitz, co-founder of Facebook, and former Facebook tech-lead Justin Rosenstein, is a project management/workflow management tool that lets users customize their interface to whatever configuration makes them most productive. It works on most platforms, offering the flexibility to assign tasks and to-dos, set milestones and deadlines and keep track of it all on work on tablets, smartphones or desktops.

One caveat, Asana doesn't offer an internal chat; a feature found on many of the products on this list.

This tool is free to use for up to 15 people. After that pricing ranges from $50 to $800 a month depending on the number of users.

Google Apps
Everyone knows Google Apps, but many of us are using them in a one-off fashion. However, used as a suite, Google provides via Gmail, Hangouts, Calendars, Docs, Sheets, Slides and more many of the features project management and collaboration software offer. Like some other apps it requires a connection to the Internet, but it's accessible on most devices.

Users can work on the same document at the same time and see changes in real-time. They can also create hangouts for group chats or video conferencing.

Google offers Apps for Work for more storage, business email addresses, video and voice calls for $5 per user a month. For $10 per use a month, you get unlimited storage and additional administrative tools.

Yammer
In 2012, Microsoft bought Yammer, an enterprise social network, for $1.2 billion to bolster its social networking shortcomings. Yammer is a great tool for communication and collaboration among employees and offers many features for free. Its ease of use is often compared to Facebook, making it a great way to enter the collaboration software arena. Users can create a personal profile page, create and join groups, share and like comments, upload images, and attach files. However, its strongest attribute is communication as there isn't much there in the way of project management.

Many features are free, but you can also get Yammer Enterprise for $3 a month per user or Office 365 for Business at $8 a month per user.

Trello
Trello is a free project management tool that offers a simple and intuitive interface. It uses a model known as Kanban, made famous by Toyota in the '80s. Projects are represented and organized using what the company refers to as boards or cards that contain task/ to-do lists that users share in real-time. Cards can represent an ongoing technical issue, project specs, people architecture or anything else you can think of. Organize them any way you like and keep track of progress using its progress meter.

HipChat
If you need a place for all your employees to meet, chat and collaborate, but you don't need much else, consider HipChat. This multi-platform communications tool allows you to create virtual rooms for your teams to meet and communicate as well as share files and photos. Members can quickly create one-on-one chat rooms on-the-fly, organize virtual meetings and catch up on a project's history.

You can also set up for push notifications ensuring that everyone stays well-informed.

HipChat Basic is free. Hip Chat Plus (which offers one-to-one screen-sharing, unlimited file storage and additional administrative options) costs $2 a user per month.

GanttProject
If project management is your thing, GanttProject might be for you. This free open source project management and scheduling app was first created in 2003 and has gone through many release cycles. It allows users to create and organize tasks and milestones. It can also create Gantt and PERT charts as well as reports in HTML or PDF formats.

On the downside, it doesn't offer any of the social features that others on the list do. But if your business doesn't need those features, this free app may be appealing.

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Yahoo squeezes out growth in Q3

The company's mobile revenue was material enough to report for the first time

Yahoo reported a 1 percent sales increase on Tuesday, a marked shift after multiple quarters of decline, though results in its critical ad business were mixed.

The company also said its mobile revenue had become significant enough to report for the first time, passing $200 million. That was a minor victory for CEO Marissa Mayer, who's been trying hard to get more traction for Yahoo on smartphones and tablets.

"We had a good, solid third quarter," Mayer said in the company's announcement Tuesday.

Total sales for the quarter, ended Sept. 30, were $1.15 billion, up from $1.14 billion last year, the company reported. Excluding traffic acquisition costs, revenue was $1.09 billion and slightly ahead of analyst expectations, as polled by Thomson Reuters.

Net income was $6.77 billion, or $6.70 a share, driven largely by an after-tax profit of $6.3 billion from the sale of Yahoo's stake in e-commerce giant Alibaba in the Chinese company's IPO last month.

Yahoo's adjusted earnings per share was $0.52, clobbering analyst estimates of $0.30.

Much of the success in mobile came from so-called native ads, which are designed to look like the editorial content that appears around them.

"We are moving from a company that makes web pages and money through banner ads to a company that makes mobile apps and monetizes them through native ads," Mayer said in a conference call to discuss the results.

Since she took over as CEO in 2012, the company has made numerous mobile acquisitions and revamped mobile offerings in the areas of news, email, weather, and photos with Flickr.

But declines in traditional desktop display ads persisted, Mayer said.

Display ad revenue rose by 5 percent to $447 million, and the number of display ads sold increased by 24 percent. But the amount paid for those ads dropped by 24 percent.

In search advertising, revenue rose by 4 percent. The number of paid clicks was flat, and the price-per-click paid rose by about 17 percent, Yahoo said.

In the after-hours market, Yahoo's stock was trading at $41.33 at the time of this report, up 2.3 percent from the close of regular trading.

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Dropbox used for convincing phishing attack

Dropbox was quick to remove the bogus login page, Symantec said

Dropbox's file storage service was used for a tricky phishing attack, although the service was quick to shut down it down, according to Symantec.

The security vendor said it detected a batch of phishing emails advising recipients that they've been sent a large file and included a link to Dropbox-hosted page.

"The email claims the document can be viewed by clicking on the link included in the message," wrote Nick Johnston of Symantec in a blog post. "However, the link opens a fake Dropbox login page, hosted on Dropbox itself."

By hosting the fake login page on Dropbox, the scammers gain some benefits over hosting it on a random, strange-looking domain name. The phishing page is contained within Dropbox's user content domain, similar to shared photos or files, Johnston wrote.

Most of the phishing page's elements are also served over SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), which encrypts communication between a client and a server and makes the ruse look more convincing. Older browsers may not prompt a warning if SSL isn't used for the entire page, he wrote.

"The prominence of the warning varies from browser to browser; some browsers simply change the padlock symbol shown in the address bar, whereas others include a small banner at the top of the page," Johnston wrote. "Users may not notice or understand these security warnings or the associated implications."

Phishing attacks have often been staged on trusted domains for file storage and sharing, such as on Google's Docs and Drive services.

The phishing page, which was quickly taken down by Dropbox, asks for a user's Dropbox credentials but also includes logos for popular webmail services. It purports to allow people to use the same webmail credentials to log into Dropbox.

Once a set of credentials has been collected, a PHP script within phishing page simply redirects to Dropbox's actual login page, Johnston wrote.

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Windows 10 Technical Preview deep-dive: A promise of better things to come

So far, Microsoft's next-gen operating system is looking good.

It's been nearly a week since Microsoft announced that it will follow Windows 8.1 with Windows 10 -- and released its Technical Preview so that those interested could take a first look at the new operating system. Since then I've been exploring the new OS, alongside the sparse documentation Microsoft has released.

Much of the under-the-hood kernel level work has been done; the Preview is a tool for Microsoft to understand how to bring its next-generation Windows to its desktop users. That's an important problem for the Windows team to solve before the new OS is released in mid-2015. Some enterprise customers are still moving from Windows XP to Windows 7, so Microsoft needs to put in place an upgrade path from Windows 7 to this new version. It needs, as Terry Myerson, Microsoft's executive vice president of operating systems, said in San Francisco, "to feel like going from a Prius to a Tesla" -- without having to learn to drive all over again.

There are actually two versions of the Windows 10 Technical Preview. The Technical Preview that most people are referring to is aimed at individual enthusiast users or SMBs and can be downloaded from the preview.windows.com site. An Enterprise Preview for volume licensing customers is available from the TechNet evaluation center.

(If you're planning on evaluating an entire Windows 10 infrastructure, there are also technical previews for the enterprise-directed Windows Server and the System Center management suite, which can be downloaded at Technet.)

While this review focuses on the Technical Preview, as it's the release that most users will explore, I tried out both releases. There's very little difference between the two at this point, with the Enterprise Preview adding security and networking features on a par with the current Windows 8.1 Enterprise releases.

As test machines, I used a Surface Pro 2 running Windows 8.1 (which I used to examine update scenarios) and a series of Hyper-V virtual machines (which I used to test clean installs). In both cases, I found the installation process quick and easy.

I created USB installation media from Microsoft's ISO downloads. It's a surprisingly forgiving installer: One of my test machines was mistakenly set up with the Technical Preview release rather than Enterprise, and I was able to install Enterprise over the top of Technical Preview without having to reset the test PC between installs.

One thing is clear: This is a first cut at the Windows 10 desktop experience and so naturally it is more than a little rough around the edges. This should be kept in mind.

User experience
With all the disparagement of Windows 8's user interface, this was clearly the area that was going to get the most focus from testers. That's not surprising: Windows 8 was a break from several generations of Windows user experience. Windows 10 steps back into more familiar territory.

Much of the criticism of Windows 8 focused on the separation between its two UI models, with desktop apps and Windows Store apps running in separate containers. Windows 8.1 started to blend the two ways of working, but Windows 10 finishes the job, mixing the two on the familiar Windows desktop.

The most obvious change in Windows 10 is the return of the Start Menu. As shown at the Build 14 conference last April, it's a mix of the Windows 8 Live Tiles with the familiar Windows 7-style menu -- one right next to the other.

Windows 10 Start Menu Simon Bisson
The Start Menu is back, in a hybrid of the familiar Windows 7 Start Menu (jumplists and all) and the Windows 8 Start Screen, complete with Live Tiles.

Working with the new Start Menu is easy enough: To launch it, all I had to do was click on the Windows logo in the corner of the desktop. Like the Windows 7 Start menu, it has a hierarchical list of apps and support for Jump Lists (which, oddly, fly out and replace the Live Tile section of the Start Menu). I was able to drag to adjust its height and add Live Tiles and pin apps to adjust the width.

I'm still of two minds about the new Start Menu, though. It works well on a keyboard and mouse device, but Microsoft does seem to have made some odd decisions. For one thing, it doesn't support the ability to group tiles that would make the Start Screen easier to navigate. Instead, I was presented with a long string of tiles with no way of choosing how they're displayed. Of course, this is still a preliminary UI, but right now it seems a bit strange, especially with the work done in recent Windows Phone builds that add features like collapsible groupings of tiles.

Tablet users will need to wait for the 2015 Consumer Preview to see the new Windows Phone-like touch UI that was teased in a couple of slides at the launch event. There's also a planned Continuum experience for two-in-one devices that will switch from a tablet UI to a desktop UI when in keyboard mode. I'll be looking forward to trying that out, as one of its target devices, the Surface Pro 3, has quickly become my day-to-day PC.

One thing to note: If, like me, you do an upgrade Windows 10 install on a Windows 8.1 touch PC, you'll keep the original Start Screen. It's easy enough to switch between the two user interface modes -- though if you've filled a start screen with Live Tiles you're going to get a very wide Start Menu, as all your Live Tiles will be on the new Start Menu. Mine ended up scrolling off the side of the screen on the test Surface Pro 2.

Windows Store apps
Microsoft has stepped back from the immersive model for its WinRT-powered Windows Store apps. They can still run full screen, but the default is a new windowed mode. This lets Windows Store apps run alongside desktop apps, in fully resizable windows with familiar controls.

Windows 10 Windows Store apps Simon Bisson
Windows Store apps now run on the Windows desktop, in their own fully resizable and snappable windows, alongside existing Windows desktop apps.

There's also a new set of controls on the top left of the window that duplicates the old Windows 8 touch controls and charms. One option gives access to any app commands, while others replace the old swipe-able charms bar -- with the addition of print and project buttons.

It's clear that these controls are still experimental. They're very small on a high resolution screen and don't work at all well with touch. Even so, it's interesting to see how Microsoft is thinking of delivering its new controls to a mostly desktop audience.

Windows 10 App Menu Simon Bisson
A new drop down on the left of Windows Store apps' menu bar gives quick access to the key charms, and to print and screen projection.

The Windows 8 charms bar is in this build of Windows 10; on a touch-screen device I could still swipe from the right to access the Windows 8 charms. Microsoft spokespeople were clear that this was only for the Technical Preview release, and that they were still considering how to change this behaviour. One change is already in place: Swiping from the left brings up the Win-Tab task switcher rather than the fiddly Windows 8 task view, which let me tap and swipe a carousel of my active apps and manage my virtual desktops.

Oddly, the menu bar for Windows Store apps is a couple of pixels bigger than that for a desktop app. I found it to be a disconcerting mismatch, especially when I was tiling windows using Windows 10's new quadrant snap feature (see below). Yes, this is an early look at the OS, but when Microsoft is talking about how design-led the Windows development process is, it's somewhat incongruous.

If you prefer to use Windows from a command line (after all, the good old DOS commands are still there!), Microsoft has finally updated its Windows console with a set of experimental features. There's now support for the same Ctrl-key shortcuts as the rest of Windows (at last!), along with the option of having a translucent console. I found that the same options are also available for the PowerShell console, something that should make IT administrators' lives just that little bit easier.

A new snap mode
Windows 8's snap mode let me choose how to display two (or more on higher-resolution screens) Windows Store apps. It was closely related to the similar desktop Aero snap mode introduced with Windows 7. Windows 10 brings the two approaches together with a new quadrant snap mode.

Windows 10 Quadrant snap Simon Bisson
The new quadrant snap feature in Windows 10 helps arrange app windows, both desktop and Windows Store, to take advantage of monitor screen real estate.

Quadrant snap simplifies the process of snapping more than one app to a screen. Once you drag an app to a corner, it snaps to fill half the screen, and a new snap assistant displays the remaining apps so that you can snap another, if you want. Drag a third app into a screen corner and Windows 10 rearranges the windows to create a vertical division between that app and another (with the option to pick and snap a fourth app). Quadrant view with four apps really requires a large screen to work well.

Currently, Windows Store apps will only snap to half the display -- they don't support quadrant snapping. That means I was able to snap two desktop apps in the upper and lower half of the screen, while a Windows Store app occupied either the left or the right side.

Like the current Windows snap tools, Microsoft offers keyboard shortcuts, adding Win-Up Arrow and Win-Down Arrow for snapping apps to the top or bottom of the screen (joining Win-Left Arrow and Win-Right Arrow for snapping them to either side). Once done, I could adjust the width and height of the snapped windows to get the optimum layout for the task at hand.

The new snap features are useful, but a little odd at first. It takes some time to get used to them, and I found myself regularly disconcerted by the differences between Windows Store and desktop apps. The two should work identically, and it's somewhat jarring to realise they don't.

I also miss the ability to snap Windows Store apps to one side of a desktop, a Windows 8.1 feature that proved surprisingly useful with Twitter apps and with Microsoft's OneNote. While I understand that Microsoft is yet to deliver the full Windows 10 UI, it's odd to find something that feels it should be a step forward instead appears to be a step back.

Virtual desktops
Way back in the mists of time, Microsoft offered a series of Powertoys, apps that in many cases have now become Windows features. Among them was a Virtual Desktop manager that let you set up four different virtual desktops that you could use to manage your workspace -- for example, segregating personal apps from your work apps. (Vista users will remember those used for the Flip 3D task switcher.) These virtual desktops are now part of Windows 10, controlled from the Win-Tab task switcher keystroke or from the new task switch icon on the Windows taskbar.

Windows 10 Win-Tab Simon Bisson
The Windows 10 task switcher now has a carousel of large live app views, and also lets you switch between virtual desktops – and create new workspaces.

It's easy enough to create a new Virtual Desktop: Just click the + symbol at the bottom of the task switcher window. Apps can be launched as usual from the Start Menu or from pinned taskbar icons; Microsoft has added a set of visual cues to help locate running apps, with a small rectangle under an active app icon on the taskbar showing that the app is running in another virtual desktop.

Windows 10 Taskbar Simon Bisson
Apps running on another virtual desktop are highlighted by a small bar under the app icon on the taskbar.

Virtual desktops share the same wallpaper as other desktops, and don't persist between reboots. If users are going to get the most from this approach, then Microsoft is going to have to provide a tool that lets you build multi-desktop environments that are ready to go from boot. I'm expecting to use the tool to keep mail and IM away from the screen where I'm writing in order to reduce distractions.

A universal approach to development
It's clear that Microsoft still sees its WinRT development model as the way forward for Windows. That's not surprising: By offering a sandboxed operating environment with contracts that allow apps to work together, it's much more secure than the familiar Win32 APIs. (Introduced in Windows 8, contracts enable WinRT apps to communicate, even when they've been developed by different companies and have no direct links.)

At the launch event, Microsoft's Myerson and Joe Belfiore, corporate vice president, operating systems group, talked a lot about Universal Windows apps, a new generation of Windows Store apps based on the tools introduced at Build 2014.

Universal apps are Microsoft's latest solution to the old problem of how you can deliver code that runs on Windows desktops, tablets, phones -- and, according to Myerson, on Internet of Things devices and game consoles. Instead of working on a write-once, run-everywhere system, Universal apps let you build a common core of business logic that can be wrapped in an appropriate user interface for a device. It's a sensible approach, and combined with Microsoft's relationship with cross-platform development system Xamarin, also means that apps can be delivered to iOS and Android as well.

I'm expecting to hear a lot about Universal apps between now and Windows 10's release. They're the next wave of Windows Store apps -- and with the new APIs that are being delivered with Windows 10, look likely to finally offer the same capabilities as the more mature Win32. Microsoft is starting to position Universal apps as a significant differentiation between its development platforms and its competitors' tooling, and with a single store for Universal apps, it has a key way to help developers monetise their apps.

There are certainly a lot more WinRT namespaces in the new release; while Microsoft isn't intending to focus on Windows 10 developers until its next Build event in April 2015, there's plenty here for developers to explore. Many of the new namespaces are focused on productivity and information management scenarios, which points to more shared code in future Windows Phone releases. Apple's Continuity lets information flow from phone to tablet to PC, and from an exploration of the WinRT namespace, it looks as though Windows 10 will be able to offer something similar.

Programmatic access to contacts, to email and to messaging makes a lot of sense in a multi-device world, and giving WinRT the tools to do this goes a long way toward encouraging developers to work with Microsoft's new programming model.

For the enterprise
Microsoft is clearly targeting enterprise users with this latest version of Windows. While many of the underlying enterprise features rely on a new release of both Windows Server and the System Center management suite (and the cloud Intune service), there's a lot that's being done to ensure that enterprise concerns with Windows 8 won't be issues in Windows 10.

One key concern is the use of Microsoft Accounts for the Windows Store. While Microsoft hasn't described how the Windows 10 store will operate, a now-deleted blog post detailed how it would use Azure Active Directory accounts as an alternative authentication model and would also allow IT departments to curate their own store experiences. I'd expect Microsoft to announce how this feature will operate in conjunction with the 2015 release of key Windows management tools, alongside new Azure AD features.

Then there's the separation of personal and business information on devices (especially Windows tablets in BYOD scenarios). I talked to senior Microsoft spokespeople at the Windows 10 event in San Francisco, exploring how a new container model would allow secure partitioning of work and personal data. Work apps would get access to the work container and information in one container can't be copied to another -- even via cut and paste. Some apps, like Office, will be what Microsoft calls "enlightened" -- able to work in both contexts while still keeping information under control.

The Windows 10 Technical Preview is most definitely a very early release, and it's still hard to judge exactly what shape the final product will take. As alpha releases go -- and the Technical Preview is very much an alpha -- it's stable and familiar.

I've now installed it as both an upgrade and VM installs, with no problems. I'm not yet ready to run it as a production OS -- that's likely to wait until the Consumer Preview, when we'll get a better picture of the final OS. Until then, what we've currently got is a Windows 10 that still looks very much like Windows 8.1, with elements of a new UI and a new set of APIs.

Many of the key new features, like the containerised separation of user and corporate data, aren't yet accessible, as they rely on systems management tooling that won't be available until the early part of 2015. That could be a problem for IT departments that want to try out those high profile features, though at this point in the Windows 10 development cycle it's probably best to use the Technical Preview to explore compatibility issues and to understand the effects of tuning the delivery of Windows 10 updates.

There's a lot for Microsoft to do between now and launch, especially around delivering on its user experience promises. But with a timetable that seems to indicate a release in the second half of 2015, there's still plenty of time. Many of the nuts and bolts are in place -- what we're waiting for now are the supporting services and the fit and finish in order to get a better handle on the final shape of the new Windows.

I'm expecting to hear a lot about Universal apps between now and Windows 10's release. They're the next wave of Windows Store apps -- and with the new APIs that are being delivered with Windows 10, look likely to finally offer the same capabilities as the more mature Win32. Microsoft is starting to position Universal apps as a significant differentiation between its development platforms and its competitors' tooling, and with a single store for Universal apps, it has a key way to help developers monetise their apps.

There are certainly a lot more WinRT namespaces in the new release; while Microsoft isn't intending to focus on Windows 10 developers until its next Build event in April 2015, there's plenty here for developers to explore. Many of the new namespaces are focused on productivity and information management scenarios, which points to more shared code in future Windows Phone releases. Apple's Continuity lets information flow from phone to tablet to PC, and from an exploration of the WinRT namespace, it looks as though Windows 10 will be able to offer something similar.

Programmatic access to contacts, to email and to messaging makes a lot of sense in a multi-device world, and giving WinRT the tools to do this goes a long way toward encouraging developers to work with Microsoft's new programming model.

For the enterprise
Microsoft is clearly targeting enterprise users with this latest version of Windows. While many of the underlying enterprise features rely on a new release of both Windows Server and the System Center management suite (and the cloud Intune service), there's a lot that's being done to ensure that enterprise concerns with Windows 8 won't be issues in Windows 10.

One key concern is the use of Microsoft Accounts for the Windows Store. While Microsoft hasn't described how the Windows 10 store will operate, a now-deleted blog post detailed how it would use Azure Active Directory accounts as an alternative authentication model and would also allow IT departments to curate their own store experiences. I'd expect Microsoft to announce how this feature will operate in conjunction with the 2015 release of key Windows management tools, alongside new Azure AD features.

Then there's the separation of personal and business information on devices (especially Windows tablets in BYOD scenarios). I talked to senior Microsoft spokespeople at the Windows 10 event in San Francisco, exploring how a new container model would allow secure partitioning of work and personal data. Work apps would get access to the work container and information in one container can't be copied to another -- even via cut and paste. Some apps, like Office, will be what Microsoft calls "enlightened" -- able to work in both contexts while still keeping information under control.

The Windows 10 Technical Preview is most definitely a very early release, and it's still hard to judge exactly what shape the final product will take. As alpha releases go -- and the Technical Preview is very much an alpha -- it's stable and familiar.

I've now installed it as both an upgrade and VM installs, with no problems. I'm not yet ready to run it as a production OS -- that's likely to wait until the Consumer Preview, when we'll get a better picture of the final OS. Until then, what we've currently got is a Windows 10 that still looks very much like Windows 8.1, with elements of a new UI and a new set of APIs.

Many of the key new features, like the containerised separation of user and corporate data, aren't yet accessible, as they rely on systems management tooling that won't be available until the early part of 2015. That could be a problem for IT departments that want to try out those high profile features, though at this point in the Windows 10 development cycle it's probably best to use the Technical Preview to explore compatibility issues and to understand the effects of tuning the delivery of Windows 10 updates.

There's a lot for Microsoft to do between now and launch, especially around delivering on its user experience promises. But with a timetable that seems to indicate a release in the second half of 2015, there's still plenty of time. Many of the nuts and bolts are in place -- what we're waiting for now are the supporting services and the fit and finish in order to get a better handle on the final shape of the new Windows.

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Best Microsoft MCTS Certification, Microsoft MCITP Training at certkingdom.com

creepy mobile apps that make spying easier

This week, the U.S. Justice Department indicted the CEO of StealthGenie on charges that the company's apps violate federal laws against invading others' privacy, an arrest the government has called the first of its kind. However, StealthGenie is hardly the only company that has developed tools that turn communications devices into tools for spying, stalking, and digging up information on other people. Here are 10 of the creepiest mobile apps, some of which are still available for download, but might not be for long if the prosecution against StealthGenie is successful.

StealthGenie did it all
According to the FBI, StealthGenie's software recorded the phone calls made on the device on which it was installed; allowed a remote user to activate the device's microphone to broadcast in-person conversations within a 15-foot radius of the device; monitored text, email, and voicemail messages; granted access to the device's photographs, videos, address book, and calendar; and tracked and displayed the users' movements on an online map. The company claimed that most of its business consisted of people trying to figure out if their significant others were carrying on affairs, although it also marketed the software to parents who want to keep tabs on their children and businesses that want to monitor employees.

Mobile Spy: Still available for iOS, Android, Blackberry, Mac, and PC
The next most prominent suite of device spying tools, at least on Google search results for "mobile apps for spying," is the aptly named Mobile Spy, which supports basically every type of mobile device available on the market. The website's description of the Mobile Spy service seems pretty incriminating in the wake of the StealthGenie indictment – "You install a small application directly onto the phone you own and want to monitor. It starts at every boot of the phone, remains stealth and does not show up in the running process list." Also like StealthGenie, Mobile Spy users can activate a device's microphone remotely and follow the location of the device.

How to Spy guide on iOS
For the less technologically inclined, an iOS app that calls itself "a step-by-step how to spy and phone tracker guide" promises to teach people how to spy on text and email messages, find hidden passwords, and how to use spyware and keyloggers.

Girls Around Me
This app gained notoriety in early 2012 by scanning for location data of nearby Foursquare and Facebook users to aggregate information on all the people within its users' proximity. The problem was that the Girls Around Me app (which, despite its name, also aggregated data on men) never asked Foursquare or Facebook users for permission to access this data, nor to show it to Girls Around Me users. This violated Foursquare's API policy, not to mention other peoples' privacy, and before long Foursquare shut off the developers' API access and Apple withdrew the app from the App Store.

TopSpyApp
Another app that blatantly bills itself as spyware, TopSpyApp promises to "reveal the truth" on iOS, Android, and Blackberry devices, and even boasts the ability to monitor conversations on third-party messaging services like Viber, WhatsApp, Skype, and Facebook's Messenger app.

Winky for Google Glass
One common complaint among those who oppose Google Glass is that it's not always clear when those wearing the device are taking photos or capturing video of those around them. Winky tried to make that even more discrete, enabling the device to snap a photo whenever the user blinked while the device was turned on. Without Winky, users need to either make a voice command or press a button on the side of the Glass device to capture a photo. Google eventually baked the wink-for-photo command into a Glass software update as an "experimental feature."

NameTag facial recognition for Google Glass
A highly controversial app called NameTag used facial recognition to search photos of people against a database containing records from social networks, dating sites, and multiple criminal databases, including the National Sex Offender Registry. Google was quick to denounce the app, reminding the world that facial recognition apps violate the Glass developer policy. NameTag's developers were seemingly aware that their app would not be supported for Glass, and expressed interest in adapting it for Glass competitors that had fewer restrictions.

Recognizr facial recognition for smartphones
In 2010, a mobile software company called The Astonishing Tribe demoed an app called Recognizr that created a 3D model based on a photo of a person and finds a match within social networks, then uses augmented reality to project links to their social accounts next to their face. The app never made it to the public, and The Astonishing Tribe was acquired by Research In Motion in 2010, so if a Blackberry-only version of the app is in the works, it's taking a while to come to market.

Background Check for iOS and Android
A website called BeenVerified.com offers an app for both iOS and Android that provides one free background check per month, and charges for each background check after that. The app bills itself as some kind of a digital private investigator. Its description in the Google Play store promises users they can be their own detective, and says "imagine sitting at the bar and finding out the truth about the person who just bought you a drink all before they return from the bathroom."

Trick or Tracker for monitoring kids' whereabouts
Trick or Tracker describes itself as a tool for keeping track of where their kids go while trick or treating on Halloween, but presumably works on other days of the year. According to a Market Watch article, the app – installed on both the child’s and parent’s smartphones – keeps track of the child’s location through its GPS capability and can be set to automatically send the parent a text message showing the child’s phone’s location every 15 minutes.

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8 cutting-edge technologies aimed at eliminating passwords

From electronic pills to digital tattoos, these eight innovations aim to secure systems and identities without us having to remember a password ever again

8 cutting-edge technologies aimed at eliminating passwords
In the beginning was the password, and we lived with it as best we could. Now, the rise of cyber crime and the proliferation of systems and services requiring authentication have us coming up with yet another not-so-easy-to-remember phrase on a near daily basis. And is any of it making those systems and services truly secure?

One day, passwords will be a thing of the past, and a slew of technologies are being posited as possibilities for a post-password world. Some are upon us, some are on the threshold of usefulness, and some are likely little more than a wild idea, but within each of them is some hint of how we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible with security and identity technology.

The smartphone
The idea: Use your smartphone to log into websites and supply credentials via NFC or SMS.

Examples: Google’s NFC-based tap-to-unlock concept employs this. Instead of typing passwords, PCs authenticate against the users phones via NFC.

The good: It should be as easy as it sounds. No interaction from the user is needed, except any PIN they might use to secure the phone itself.

The bad: Getting websites to play along is the hard part, since password-based logins have to be scrapped entirely for the system to be as secure as it can be. Existing credentialing systems (e.g., Facebook or Google login) could be used as a bridge: Log in with one of those services on your phone, then use the service itself to log into the site.

The smartphone, continued
The idea: Use your smartphone, in conjunction with third-party software, to log into websites or even your PC.

Examples: Ping Identity. When a user wants to log in somewhere, a one-time token is sent to their smartphone; all they need to do is tap or swipe the token to authenticate.

The good: Insanely simple in practice, and it can be combined with other smartphone-centric methods (a PIN, for instance) for added security.

The bad: Having enterprises adopt such schemes may be tough if they’re offered only as third-party products. Apple could offer such a service on iPhones if it cared enough about enterprise use; Microsoft might if its smartphone offerings had any traction. Any other takers?

Biometrics
The idea: Use a fingerprint or an iris scan -- or even a scan of the vein patterns in your hand -- to authenticate.

Examples: They’re all but legion. Fingerprint readers are ubiquitous on business-class notebooks, and while iris scanners are less common, they’re enjoying broader deployment than they used to.

The good: Fingerprint recognition technology is widely available, cheap, well-understood, and easy for nontechnical users.

The bad: Despite all its advantages, fingerprint reading hasn’t done much to displace the use of passwords in places apart from where it’s mandated. Iris scanners aren’t foolproof, either. And privacy worries abound, something not likely to be abated once fingerprint readers become ubiquitous on phones.

The biometric smartphone
The idea: Use your smartphone, in conjunction with built-in biometric sensors, to perform authentication.

Examples: The Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One Max (pictured) both sport fingerprint sensors, as do models of the iPhone from the 5S onwards.

The good: Multiple boons in one: smartphones and fingerprint readers are both ubiquitous and easy to leverage, and they require no end user training to be useful, save for registering one’s fingerprint.

The bad: It’s not as hard as it might seem to hack a fingerprint scanner (although it isn’t trivial). Worst of all, once a fingerprint is stolen, it’s, um, pretty hard to change it.

The digital tattoo
The idea: A flexible electronic device worn directly on the skin, like a fake tattoo, and used to perform authentication via NFC.

Examples: Motorola has released such a thing for the Moto X (pictured), at a cost of $10 for a pack of 10 tattoo stickers, with each sticker lasting around five days.

The good: In theory, it sounds great. Nothing to type, nothing to touch, (almost) nothing to carry around. The person is the password.

The bad: So far it’s a relatively costly technology ($1 a week), and it’s a toss-up as to whether people will trade typing passwords for slapping a wafer of plastic somewhere on their bodies. I don’t know about you, but even a Band-Aid starts bothering me after a few hours.

The password pill
The idea: This authentication technology involves ingesting something into your body -- an electronic “pill” that can send a signal of a few bits through the skin.

Examples: Motorola demonstrated such a pill last year, one produced by Proteus Digital Health normally used for gathering biometrics for patient care (pictured).

The good: A digital pill makes the authentication process completely passive, save for any additional manual authentication (e.g., a PIN) that might be used.

The bad: Who is comfortable (yet) with gulping down a piece of digital technology? Like the digital tattoo, this doesn’t sound like something one would want to use regularly, but rather more as a day pass or temporary form of ID.

Voice printing
The idea: Use voice recognition to authenticate, by speaking aloud a passphrase or a text generated by the system with which you’re trying to authenticate.

Examples: Porticus, a startup profiled back in 2007, has an implementation of this technology (“VoiceKeyID”), available for multiple mobile and embedded platforms.

The good: The phrase used to identify you isn’t the important part; it’s the voice itself. Plus, it can be easily changed; speaking is often faster than typing or performing some other recognition; and it’s a solution that even works in a hands-free environment. Plus, microphones are now standard-issue hardware.

The bad: As with any technology that exists in a proprietary, third-party implementation, the hard part is getting people to pick up on it.

Brainwave authentication
The idea: Think your password and you’re logged in. That’s right: an authentication system that uses nothing but brainwaves.

Examples: A prototype version of the system, using a Bluetooth headset that contained an EEG sensor, has been demonstrated by folks at the University of California Berkeley School of Information. The “pass-thoughts” they used consisted of thinking about some easily memorized behavior, e.g., moving a finger up and down.

The good: Consumer-grade EEG hardware is cheap, and the tests conducted by the School of Information showed it was possible to detect a thought-out password with a high degree of accuracy.

The bad: Donning a headset to log in seems cumbersome -- that is, assuming you’re not spooked by the idea of a computer reading your thoughts.

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How to solve Windows 8 crashes in less than a minute

Windows 8 has been out for a while, featuring an interface that's as cool as it is annoying . . . until you get the hang of it. But, like any computer operating system, it can fall over. Luckily, there is an easy way to solve the cause of most crashes; just call up WinDbg, the Windows debugger; a free tool to diagnose the most common causes of Windows crashes -- misbehaved third party drivers.

In W8, the Blue Screen of Death/BSOD has been modified to include a large, simple : ( emoticon and a short message in human (if not very informative) language. (Watch a slideshow version that walks you through any crash.]

Windows 8
The Windows 8 Blue Screen of Death has become the frown of frustration.

Also, Microsoft has made advancements in the dump file creation and management process. While this article focuses on W8, the information applies to both RT and Server 2012. For earlier operating systems, see Solve Windows 7 crashes in minutes or, for XP and 2000, see How to solve Windows crashes in minutes.
About Windows crashes

Operating system crashes are quite different from applications crashes, system hangs or other problems. In most cases, operating systems crash as a protective measure. When the OS discovers that critical devices are failing or that an internal operating system state has been identified as inconsistent because of possible viruses, bad device drivers or even RAM failures, it is generally safer to stop immediately. Otherwise, continuing operations would allow far more serious damage, such as application data corruption or loss.

Two out of three system crashes are caused by third party drivers taking inappropriate actions (such as writing to non-existent memory) in Kernel mode where they have direct access to the OS kernel and to the hardware.

In contrast, drivers operating in User Mode, with only indirect access to the OS kernel, cannot directly cause a crash. A small percentage of crashes are caused by hardware issues such as bad memory, even less by faults in the OS itself. And some causes are simply unknown.

Thanks for the memory dump
A memory dump is the ugliest best friend you'll ever have. It is a snapshot of the state of the computer system at the point in time that the operating system stopped. And, of the vast amount of not-very-friendly looking data that a dump file contains, you will usually only need a few items that are easy to grasp and use. With the introduction of Windows 8, the OS now creates four different memory dumps; Complete, Kernel, and Minidumps and the new Automatic memory dump.

1. Automatic memory dump
Location: %SystemRoot%\Memory.dmp
Size: ≈size of OS kernel

The Automatic memory dump is the default option selected when you install Windows 8. It was created to support the "System Managed" page file configuration which has been updated to reduce the page file size on disk. The Automatic memory dump option produces a Kernel memory dump, the difference is when you select Automatic, it allows the SMSS process to reduce the page file smaller than the size of RAM.

2. Complete memory dump
Location: %SystemRoot%\Memory.dmp
Size: ≈size of installed RAM plus 1MB

A complete (or full) memory dump is about equal to the amount of installed RAM. With many systems having multiple GBs, this can quickly become a storage issue, especially if you are having more than the occasional crash. Normally I do not advise saving a full memory dump because they take so much space and are generally unneeded. However, there are cases when working with Microsoft (or another vendor) to find the cause of a very complex problem that the full memory dump would be very helpful. Therefore, stick to the automatic dump, but be prepared to switch the setting to generate a full dump on rare occasions.

3. Kernel memory dump
Location: %SystemRoot%\Memory.dmp
Size: ≈size of physical memory "owned" by kernel-mode components

Kernel dumps are roughly equal in size to the RAM occupied by the Windows 8 kernel. On my test system with 4GB RAM running Windows 8 on a 64-bit processor the kernel dump was about 336MB. Since, on occasion, dump files have to be transported, I compressed it, which brought it down to 80MB. One advantage to a kernel dump is that it contains the binaries which are needed for analysis. The Automatic dump setting creates a kernel dump file by default, saving only the most recent, as well as a minidump for each event.

4. Small or minidump
Location: %SystemRoot%\Minidump
Size: At least 64K on x86 and 128k on x64 (279K on my W8 test PC)

Minidumps include memory pages pointed to them by registers given their values at the point of the fault, as well as the stack of the faulting thread. What makes them small is that they do not contain any of the binary or executable files that were in memory at the time of the failure.

However, those files are critically important for subsequent analysis by the debugger. As long as you are debugging on the machine that created the dump file, WinDbg can find them in the System Root folders (unless the binaries were changed by a system update after the dump file was created). Alternatively the debugger should be able to locate them automatically through SymServ, Microsoft's online store of symbol files. Windows 8 creates and saves a minidump for every crash event, essentially providing a historical record of all events for the life of the system.
Configure W8 to get the right memory dumps

While the default configuration for W8 sets the OS to generate the memory dump format you will most likely need, take a quick look to be sure. From the W8 Style Menu simply type "control panel" (or only the first few letters in many cases) which will auto-magically take you to the Apps page where you should see a white box surrounding "Control Panel"; hitting Enter will take you to that familiar interface.

Once at the Startup and Recovery dialogue box ensure that "Automatic memory dump" is checked. You will probably also want to ensure that both "Write an event to the system log" and "Automatically restart" (which should also be on by default) are checked.

Install WinDbg
System Requirements

To set your PC up for WinDbg-based crash analysis, you will need the following:

• 32-bit or 64-bit Windows 8/R2/Server 2012/Windows 7/Server 2008

Depending on the processor you are running the debugger on, you can use either the 32-bit or the 64-bit debugging tools. Note that it is not important whether the dump file was made on an x86-based or an x64-based platform.

• The Debugging Tools for Windows portion of the Windows SDK for Windows 8, which you can download for free from Microsoft.

• Approximately 103MB of hard disk space (not including storage space for dump files or for symbol files)

• Live Internet connection

Download WinDbg
First download sdksetup.exe, a small file (969KB) that launches the Web setup, from which you select what components to install.

• Standard download.

• Automated download (the download will start on its own):

Space required
Ignore the disk space required of 1.2GB; you will only be installing a small portion of the kit. On my test machine the installation process predicted 256.2MB but only needed 103MB according to File Explorer following installation.

Run skdsetup.exe
Install the Software Development Kit (SDK) to the machine that you will use to view memory dump files.

A. Launch sdksetup.exe.

B. Specify location:

The suggested installation path follows:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0\

If you are downloading to install on a separate computer, choose the second option and set the appropriate path.
C. Accept the License Agreement

D. Remove the check marks for all but Debugging Tools for Windows

What are symbols and why do I need them?
Now that the debugger is installed and before calling up a dump file you have to make sure it has access to the symbol files. Symbol tables are a byproduct of compilation. When a program is compiled, the source code is translated from a high-level language into machine code. At the same time, the compiler creates a symbol file with a list of identifiers, their locations in the program, and their attributes. Since programs don't need this information to execute, it can be taken out and stored in another file. This reduces the size of the final executable so it takes up less disk space and loads faster into memory. But, when a program causes a problem, the OS only knows the hex address at which the problem occurred, not who was there and what the person was doing. Symbol tables, available through the use of SymServe, provide that information.

SymServ (SymSrv)

Windows 8

From the Windows 8 UI, right-click on WinDbg then select "Run as administrator" from the bar that pops up from the bottom of the screen.

SymServ (also spelled SymSrv) is a critically important utility provided by Microsoft that manages the identification of the correct symbol tables to be retrieved for use by WinDbg. There is no charge for its use and it functions automatically in the background as long as the debugger is properly configured, and has unfettered access to the symbol store at Microsoft.

Running WinDbg

From the W8 UI, right-click on the version of WinDbg you will use (x64 or x86) then select "Run as administrator" from the bar that pops up from the bottom of the screen. You will then see a singularly unexciting application interface; a block of gray. Before filling it in with data you must tell it where to find the symbol files.

Setting the symbol File Path

There is a massive number of symbol table files for Windows because every build of the operating system, even one-off variants, results in a new file. Using the wrong symbol tables would be like finding your way through San Francisco with a map of Boston. To be sure you are using the correct symbols, at WinDbg's menu bar, select the following:

File | Symbol file path

In the Symbol search path window enter the following address:

srv*c:\cache*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols

Note that the address between the asterisks is where you want the symbols stored for future reference. For example, I store the symbols in a folder called symbols at the root of my c: drive, thus:

srv*c:\symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols

Make sure that your firewall allows access to msdl.microsoft.com.

How WinDbg handles symbol files

When opening a memory dump, WinDbg will look at the executable files (.exe, .dll, etc.) and extract version information. It then creates a request to SymServ at Microsoft, which includes this version information and locates the precise symbol tables to draw information from. It won't download all symbols for the specific operating system you are troubleshooting; it will download what it needs.

Space for symbol files

The space needed to store symbols varies. In my W8 test machine, after running numerous crash tests, the folder was about 35MB. On another system, running W7, and on which I opened dump files from several other systems the folder was still under 100MB. Just remember that if you open files from additional machines (with variants of the operating system) your folder can continue to grow in size.

Alternatively, you can opt to download and store the complete symbol file from Microsoft. Before you do, note that - for each symbol package - you should have at least 1GB of disk space free. That's because, in addition to space needed to store the files, you also need space for the required temporary files. Even with the low cost of hard drives these days, the space used is worth noting.

• Each x86 symbol package may require 750 MB or more of hard disk space.

• Each x64 symbol package may require 640 MB or more.

Symbol packages are non-cumulative unless otherwise noted, so if you are using an SP2 Windows release, you will need to install the symbols for the original RTM version and for SP1 before you install the symbols for SP2.
Create a dump file

What if you don't have a memory dump to look at? No worries. You can generate one yourself. There are different ways to do it, but the best way is to use a tool called NotMyFault created by Mark Russinovich.

Download NotMyFault

To get NotMyFault, go to the Windows Internals Book page at SysInternals and scroll down to the Book Tools section where you will see a download link. The tool includes a selection of options that load a misbehaving driver (which requires administrative privileges). After downloading, I created a shortcut from the desktop to simplify access.

Keep in mind that using NotMyFault WILL CREATE A SYSTEM CRASH and while I've never seen a problem using the tool there are no guarantees in life, especially in computers. So, prepare your system and have anyone who needs access to it log off for a few minutes. Save any files that contain information that you might otherwise lose and close all applications. Properly prepared, the machine should go down, reboot and both a minidump and a kernel dump should be created.

Running NotMyFault

Launch NotMyFault and select the High IRQL fault (Kernel-mode) then . . . hit the Crash button. Your Frown-of-Frustration will appear in a second, both a minidump and a kernel dump file will be saved and - if properly configured - your system will restart.

Windows 8

When Windows 8 crashes, you see (1) the Frown-of-Frustration in the new BSOD. After restart you see (2) the offer to send crash files to Microsoft. The final screen (3) lists the files that would be sent, displays the privacy statement and asks you for permission to send them.

Over the W8 UI will be a band of blue with the message that "Your PC ran into a problem . . . ". If you click the "Send details" button, Microsoft will use WinDbg and the command "!analyze" as part of an automated service to identify the root cause of the problem. The output is combined with a database of known driver bug fixes to help identify the failure.

Launch WinDbg and (often) see the cause of the crash

Launch WinDbg by right-clicking on it from the W8 UI then select "Run as administrator" from the bar that pops up at the bottom of the screen. Once the debugger is running, select the menu option

File | Open Crash Dump

and point it to open the dump file you want to analyze. Note that WinDbg will open any size dump file; a minidump, kernel dump or complete dump file. When offered to Save Workspace Information, say Yes; it will remember where the dump file is.

A command window will open. If this is the first time you are using WinDbg on this system or looking at a dump file from another system you have not loaded files for before, it may take a moment to fill with information. This is because the debugger has to identify the precise release of Windows then go to SymServ at Microsoft and locate the corresponding symbol files and download the ones it needs. In subsequent sessions this step is unneeded because the symbols are saved on the hard drive. Once WinDbg has the symbols it needs it will run an analysis and fill the window with the results. This will include basic information such as the version of WinDbg, the location and name of the dump file opened, the symbol search path being used and even a brief analysis offering, in this case,

Probably caused by : myfault.sys

which, of course, we know to be true (myfault.sys is the name of the driver for NotMyFault).

WinDbg Error Messages

If WinDbg reports a *** WARNING or an *** ERROR, the solution is usually simple. The following lists the common messages, what they mean and how to resolve them.

*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for ntoskrnl.exe

*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for ntoskrnl.exe

This is important. When you see these two messages near the beginning of the output from WinDbg, it means that you will not get the analysis that you need. This is confirmed after the "Bugcheck Analysis" is automatically run, and the message

***** Kernel symbols are WRONG. Please fix symbols to do analysis

is displayed.

Likely causes follow:

• No path/wrong path; a path to the symbol files has not been set or the path is incorrect (look for typos such as a blank white space). Check the Symbol Path.

• Failed connection; check your Internet connection to make sure it is working properly.

• Access blocked; a firewall blocked access to the symbol files or the files were damaged during retrieval. See that no firewall is blocking access to msdl.microsoft.com (it may only be allowing access to www.microsoft.com).

Note that if a firewall initially blocks WinDbg from downloading a symbol table, it can result in a corrupted file. If unblocking the firewall and attempting to download the symbol file again does not work; the file remains damaged. The quickest fix is to close WinDbg, delete the symbols folder (which you most likely set at c:\symbols), and unblock the firewall. Next, reopen WinDbg and a dump file. The debugger will recreate the folder and re-download the symbols.

Do not go further with your analysis until this is corrected.

If you see the following error, no worries:

*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for myfault.sys

*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for myfault.sys

Windows 8

WinDbg automatically suggests the culprit as shown.

This means that the debugger was looking for information on myfault.sys. However, since it is a third-party driver, there are no symbols for it, since Microsoft does not store all of the third-party drivers. The point is that you can ignore this error message. Vendors do not typically ship drivers with symbol files and they aren't necessary to your work; you can pinpoint the problem driver without them.
So, what caused the crash?

As mentioned above, when you open a dump file with WinDbg it automatically runs a basic analysis that will often nail the culprit without even giving the debugger any direct commands as shown in the screen where it says "Probably caused by : myfault.sys"

More information

Getting a little more information about the crash event and the suspect module is easy. Often, all you need is two commands among the hundreds that the rather powerful debugger offers:

!analyze -v

and

lmvm.

A new way to command WinDbg

Normally, you would type in the commands and parameters you need. Things have changed, however, and Windows too. If you take a good look at the WinDbg interface, just below the "Bugcheck Analysis" box, it says "Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information" and that the command is underlined and in blue. Yes, it's a link. Just touch it and the command will be run for you. But, in case you don't have a touch screen, a mouse will work fine or resort to the traditional method of typing the command into the window at the bottom of the interface where you see the prompt "kd>" (which stands for "kernel debugger"). Be sure to do it precisely; this is a case where syntax is key. For instance, note the space between the command and the "-v". The "v" or verbose switch tells WinDbg that you want all the details. You can do the same where you see the link for myfault which will display metadata for the suspect driver.

Output from !analyze -v

The analysis provided by !analyze -v is a combination of English and programmer-speak, but it is nonetheless a great start. In fact, in many cases you will not need to go any further. If you recognize the cause of the crash, you're probably done.

Output from !analyze -v

Windows 8

The !analyze -v command reveals the cause of the crash and the likely culprit.

The !analyze -v provides more detail about the system crash. In this case it accurately describes what the test driver (myfault.sys) was instructed to do; to access an address at an interrupt level that was too high.

Analysis

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (d1)

An attempt was made to access a pageable (or completely invalid) address at an interrupt request level (IRQL) that is too high. This is usually caused by drivers using improper addresses.

Under Debugging Details the report suggests that the problem was a "WIN_8_DRIVER_FAULT" and that NotMyFault.exe was active.

Stack dump

An important feature of the debugger's output using !analyze -v is the stack text. Whenever looking at a dump file always look at the far right end of the stack for any third-party drivers. In this case we would see myfault. Note that the chronologic sequence of events goes from the bottom to the top; as each new task is performed by the system it shows up at the top. In this rather short stack you can see that myfault was active, then a page fault occurred, and the system declared a BugCheck, which is when the system stopped (Blue Screened).

One way to look at this is that when you see a third-party driver active on the stack when the system crashed, it is like walking into a room and finding a body on the floor and someone standing over it with a smoking gun in his hand; it doesn't mean that he is guilty but makes him suspect No.1.

Output from lmvm (or by selecting myfault)

Knowing the name of a suspect is not enough; you need to know where he lives and what he does. That's where lmvm comes in. It provides a range of data from this image path (not all drivers live in %systemroot%\system32\drivers.), time stamp, image size and file type (in this case a driver) to the company that made it, the product it belongs to, version number and description. Some companies even include contact information for technical support. What the debugger reports, though, is solely dependent upon what the developer included, which, in some cases, is very little.

After you find the vendor's name, go to its Web site and check for updates, knowledge base articles, and other supporting information. If such items do not exist or do not resolve the problem, contact them. They may ask you to send along the debugging information (it is easy to copy the output from the debugger into an e-mail or Word document) or they may ask you to send them the memory dump (zip it up first, both to compress it and protect data integrity).

If you have any questions regarding the use of WinDbg, check out the WinDbg help file. It is excellent. And, when reading about a command be sure to look at the information provided about the many parameters such as "-v" which returns more (verbose) information.
The other third

While it's true that, by following the instructions above, you'll likely know the cause of two out of three crashes immediately; that does leave that annoying other third. What do you do then? Well, the list of what could have caused the system failure is not short; it can range from a case fan failing, allowing the system to overheat, to bad memory.

Sometimes it's the hardware

If you have recurring crashes but no clear or consistent reason, it may be a memory problem. Two good ways to check memory are the Windows Memory Diagnostic tool and Memtest86. Go to Control Panel and enter "memory" into its search box then select "Diagnose your computer's memory problems".

This simple diagnostic tool is quick and works great. Many people discount the possibility of a memory problem, because they account for such a small percentage of system crashes. However, they are often the cause that keeps you guessing the longest.

Is Windows the culprit?

In all probability: no. For all the naysayers who are quick to blame Redmond for such events, the fact is that Windows is very seldom the cause of a system failure. But, if ntoskrnl.exe (Windows core) or win32.sys (the driver that is most responsible for the "GUI" layer on Windows) is named as the culprit -- and they often are - don't be too quick to accept it. It is far more likely that some errant third-party device driver called upon a Windows component to perform an operation and passed a bad instruction, such as telling it to write to non-existent memory. So, while the operating system certainly can err, exhaust all other possibilities before you blame Microsoft.

What about my antivirus driver?

Often you may see an antivirus driver named as the culprit but there is a good chance it is not guilty. Here's why: for antivirus code to work it must watch all file openings and closings. To accomplish this, the code sits at a low layer in the OS and is constantly working so that he will often be on the stack of function calls that was active when the crash occurred.

Missing vendor information?

Some driver vendors don't take the time to include sufficient information with their modules. So if lmvm doesn't help, try looking at the subdirectories on the image path (if there is one). Often one of them will be the vendor name or a contraction of it. Another option is to search Google. Type in the driver name and/or folder name. You'll probably find the vendor as well as others who have posted information regarding the driver.
Summary

Bear in mind that the time it took you to read this primer and to configure WinDbg on your system is far more effort than you will need to solve two of three crashes. Indeed, most crash analysis efforts will take you less than one minute. And, while the other third can certainly be more challenging, at least you'll have more time to try.

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