Google the phrase, "Jobs outlook 2013" and you'll see conflicting reports in the headlines that result. You'll see headlines that include, "Bleak jobs outlook," "lower than expected outlook," and conversely, "2013 jobs outlook brighter." So it's apparent to me that the experts in the field can't accurately predict what will happen. 

Offshore Outsourcing

Although this post is more than a rant against offshore outsourcing and its negative effects, which I despise by the way, it's an analysis of the industry state as a whole—a big picture snapshot of the situation, including the role of offshore outsourcing.

Cheap labor locations such as India, Central America, South America, and Eastern Europe are eating away at the American job market in a very big way. Hundreds of thousands of middle-class, decent paying jobs have been moved, along with lower wage manufacturing, to these locations. The only [true] reason that they're moving is greed.

American business executives think that they're getting a deal by using these cheap labor centers. The truth is that they're not. A few years ago, when this trend started, I heard that it was because there was a labor shortage in this country. Interestingly, that same labor shortage existed in India too. They were hiring people off the street (literally) and putting them through a few months of training and then into a job.

The very sad part of this story is that we've spent billions of dollars building up a labor force in India and building up their outdated technical infrastructure so that they can be leveraged into cheap labor pools for greedy US-based companies.

Just think if those same billions had been spent in the US to build up our labor market and to train Americans, who are now out of work, for these jobs. Perhaps Mr. Obama's economy wouldn't be suffering.

The problems I have with offshore outsourcing are the following. First, our money is thrown away with the jobs that are lost. Those offshore workers don't pay American taxes, don't buy American products, and don't contribute to the welfare of this nation. Second, each time you layoff a middle class worker in this country, you effectively destroy a bit of the economy because the middle-class American is the US's tax and retail spending breadbasket. Third, you get what you pay for. Cheap labor gets you exactly that. It takes two, three, or more offshore workers to offset the loss of one American worker. In Argentina, one of those cheap labor locations, they have a saying, "How expensive is cheap?" Exactly.

Finally, I think it's unfair to falsely prop up an economy based on cheap labor because as their costs rise and wages increase, our greedy companies will seek out cheaper labor markets elsewhere and destroy another economy.

As a side note, for those of you who maybe think cheap labor is the way to go, let me paint a little scenario for you. Go look in your driveway or parking lot. What kind of car do you have? I'll bet it isn't the cheapest one you could find, is it? No, of course not because when you buy something for yourself, you buy the good stuff. 

So if you think that cheaper is better, then dump that high dollar car and go buy yourself the cheapest car you can find. Better still, go buy one from one of the cheap labor locations that you exploit and see how you fare with it. No? I didn't think so.

H1B Visas

H1B Visas are another bane to the American worker. Its another attempt to undermine our workforce with cheap foreign labor. Gosh, I'm starting to sound a bit Marxist with all this "worker" talk but I can assure you that I'm not. I'm an American first and everything else second. Our country is strong because we employ our own people. We build great products. We are innovators. It's a shame that some of our most prized American products are no longer produced in this country. Levi's, an American Original, is the first to come to mind. I digress.

I've heard arguments on both sides of the H1B Visa topic. The bottom line is that American companies claim that they can find appropriate labor and so they must seek out foreign workers. If that were true, you'd see H1B Visa holders from a diverse range of countries, not primarily India. True? It's another opportunity to be greedy. There's nothing wrong with making a profit but at the sacrifice of your own country's worker is just plain wrong and it's a negative blow to our economy.

It's also a slap in the face of American workers. It tells our young people that their livelihoods will be sacrificed for the promise of a few extra dollars. You know, those American college students who're paying top dollar for non-government subsidized educations and for loans that will take ten years or more to pay off.

But, hey, American company CXOs, don't let that bother you. You go ahead and take home your multi-million dollar compensation packages and your golden parachutes, while  the people in your hometowns hit the unemployment lines and go bankrupt. No problem. H1B Visas and offshore outsourcing are great ideas.

American IT Job Outlook

According to surveys that I've seen, it looks like the job outlook remains positive. It's no 1997 again, but it's not in decline yet either. There are jobs that may remain strong for the next few years. Some of those jobs are security professionals, database administrators, SAN administrators, and network engineers.

Since most of the lower level jobs are going offshore, companies are seeking out IT pros with several years of experience. Additionally, most job descriptions detail a diversity of required or desired experience. Specialization seems to be on the wane.

My assumption is that as offshore workers gain experience and do a bit of job hopping to up their pay rates, even the higher level jobs will be sent away too. My personal observation is that, unless our government follows other governments in protecting its workers, our jobs will continue to be drained off to cheap labor locations.

IT Certifications and Education

People who pursue IT certifications believe that they will give them an edge in the job market. Whether is does or not is debatable. Experience is still king in getting a new job or climbing the job ladder. The smartest and most employable workers use a combined approach to landed and keeping their jobs: education, continued training, certification, and varied experience.

I think by now, everyone with an Internet connection has realized that an MIS degree is a waste of time and money, although pure Computer Science degrees are still in some demand. Most IT workers don't have any sort of specialized education or degrees. Industry training is available from vendors, which is very good. However, most vendors now offer associated certification plans for those who take the training to prove their competence in a particular area or with a technology.

The problem with certification is that it's basically a money racket for vendors. They offer the education and the certifications. If the IT industry truly wants meaningful certifications, then the major players will have to create an independent certifying authority. Until then, certifications will continue to be meaningless.

IT needs a certifying authority like the Bar, Professional Engineering, Certified Public Accountancy, Teaching, and so on. Vendor certifications mean very little although some companies and execs still favor them because they sound good on paper. However, IT workers realize that these certifications hold no real value—at least those with significant industry experience realize it.

The Solution

A lot of people complain about the job market, unemployment, offshore outsourcing, and falling wages but I've heard no real solutions. I have at least one solution for our job market slump and sluggish economy.

The solution is to invest in our own infrastructure and our own people. It's that simple. If you offered the same training to our own people that you do to offshore workers, you'd have a much stronger economy, a larger tax base, and a stronger retail market. Now, realized that you can't pay American workers $30,000 per year like you do your offshore workers in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, or any of the cities listed above.

However, you can pay those kinds of wages in rural areas of the country. For example, smaller cities in the area of Texas I grew up in would be perfect. These smaller towns have been economically distressed for many years and the people would be grateful for the jobs, the economic boost, and the refreshed, modernized infrastructure.

You'd also be doing your fellow countrymen a good turn. There's value in that. There's also a name for it: Ruralsourcing. You still get your labor at a low price but you also get taxes being paid, goods being purchased, homes being bought, cars being bought, lunches being eaten, disposable income being spent—I think you get the idea.

Another Solution

When workers are treated unfairly and no one comes to their rescue, the workers have to do something for themselves. Let me also note here, before I say it, that I don't really like Unions. I think that Unions have, in the past, only served to perpetuate corruption that they were meant to alleviate. That said, I think that an IT Union is a good idea. There are two websites that I want you to check out to help educate you on this concept. One is TechsUnite.org, which also has links to other sites and a lot of news and information. The second is The Endicott Alliance site that was known as Alliance@IBM. It has a lot of great information, news, links, and an updated job cut alert. 

What do you think of the current state of IT jobs in America? Do you think that we can continue to survive the job hemorrhaging or do you think a unionized tech worker tourniquet is the answer? Talk back and let me know.

According to the WSJ, the deal could be announced as early as Monday. Tumblr will be allowed to run as an independent business unit.

Why would Yahoo, under the leadership of newly minted CEO Marissa Mayer make such a move? The WSJ speculates that it was to gain a social networking presence. Google+ is now the second most popular social network in the world. Yahoo has had no social networking sites to speak of.

Yahoo's one previous major social networking play--the purchase of GeoCities in 1999 for approximately $3.5-billion--ended in failure in 2009. 

This acquisition had been rumored for several weeks. Reports suggested Mayer would announce the deal on Monday at an event in New York City, and that both companies' boards are in the final stages of approving the deal. It has also been said that Mayer will be announcing major changes with Yahoo's photo-sharing site Flikr.  

This buyout would easily be Mayer's biggest move to date. She has been unsuccessful in freeing Yahoo of its search deal with Microsoft and in acquiring online video website Dailymotion.

While Tumblr itself generated only a minute $13 million in revenue in 2012, Tumblr has hundreds of millions of users. Better still, from Yahoo's position, its users are younger than Yahoo's existing aging, and shrinking, customer base. The move is a gamble but to make Yahoo relevant again, Mayer has decided to roll the dice on a splashy acquisition move.

Related Stories:

• Yahoo scraps Dailymotion acquisition plan
• Yahoo goes into spring cleaning mode; shuttering several products
• Yahoo's Mayer fails in effort to end Microsoft search pact
• Yahoo Mail, Dropbox partnership spells win-win for both parties
• Five reasons why Marissa Mayer's move to Yahoo is great 

This iPad case is priced at £41 ($63).

Via: Luisviaroma

The Grove Bamboo iPhone 5 case, crafted from renewable bamboo, is sanded by hand and polished with citrus oil. A "solid surface material" underneath the case is meant to protect your gadget from accidental damage.

Each case can either be ordered as a plain version or engraved with a number of symbols and patterns. 

The Grove Bamboo iPhone 5 case can be ordered for $79.

Via: Grovemade

Hard Graft's #OldFashioned collection includes a case suitable for the iPhone 5.

The owner says that the vegetable tanned Italian leather, small gold logo and red and white ribbon are meant to create a fresh and quality feel. The case develops a caramel tint the more it is exposed to sunlight, measures 14.5cm x 7cm, and has subtle slots for credit cards as well as an opening for your headphones. The case is lined in Italian wool. 

The case is priced at £82 ($125).

Via: Hard Graft

Designed by Stella McCartney, the Falabella faux brushed-leather iPhone 4 sleeve is trimmed with a chain in a gold tone and, naturally, comes with a designer hanging tag so you can make sure everyone knows it is a high-end product.

Compatible with both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, this iPhone sleeve will only set you back £165 ($253).

Via: Net-a-Porter

As part of Fendi's 2012/13 Autumn Winter collection, a number of products appeared on the catwalk which appear to be handbags, but are actually hand-held iPad cases. The collection is made of designs from leather, tapestry, furs and skins in hard frames complete with handles -- and the bill for one of them is likely to make your eyes water.

Via: HomeKlondlike.com

Made in Italy, Gucci's blue crocodile iPad 2 case has been fashioned with a blue leather trim, palladium hardware and hook-and-loop closures at the top to keep your gadget secure.

The iPad case is able to fit all iPad models currently on the market, sized at 15.7"W x 9.7"H when open, and 8.5"W x 9.7"H x 1"D closed.

This iPad case is priced at $3450.

Via: Gucci

Stella McCartney's holographic faux leather iPad sleeve isn't to everyone's taste, but if you are a fan of metallic material, this holographic sleeve could be a fun buy.

This iPad case is priced at £145 ($223).

Via: Net-a-Porter

The Taktik Extreme 5, suitable for use with the iPhone 5, is designed with the adventurous type in mind. 

Gorilla Glass has been used for additional screen protection -- without affecting touchscreen responses -- and the case is touted as a way to prevent both dust ingression and as a way to keep your smartphone safe from damage due to water. 

 Available in black or white, the case is priced at $124.95.

Via: Lunatik

Nancy Gonzalez's crocodile iPad case is a pink and girly accessory to protect your mobile gadget. Made from crocodile skin, the iPad case is compatible with all iPad models, and measures in at 8"W x 10"H.

However, it won't be a cheap buy, as this iPad case is priced at £2,205 ($3393).

Via: Net-a-Porter

The Tyler iPad case, complete with signature Jimmy Choo star hardware and detail, is made of calf leather tanned black.

The silver stars add a modern age to the case, and there is also a matching handbag available. The iPad case measures in at L21 x H26x W0.5cm.

The iPad case is priced at £295 ($454).

Via: Jimmy Choo

Made in Italy, Christian Louboutin's Cris Calf Spikes iPad case is available in black or in black and silver, and could go well with a pair of the designer's iconic spiked heels (complete with red soles, of course.)

This iPad case is priced at £483 ($743).

Via: Luisaviaroma

A different style than Gucci's blue crocodile iPad case, the brown version is made in crocodile skin and includes brown leather detail and the iconic Gucci trademark. Made in Italy, this variation has a zip closure close to the handle, and also comes with 12 card slots.

Open, the iPad case's measurements stand at 18.5"W x 11"H, and closed are 9"W x 11"H x 1.2"D.

This iPad case is priced at $5700.

Via: Gucci

This iPhone 5 cover from designer brand Mulberry is simplistic and lacks the fuss, sequins and flashy color of other luxury cases. The unfussy but classy cover features an embossed Mulberry tree in hard wearing leather. 

The Mulbery case is priced at £90 ($138)

Via: John Lewis

The Little Pocket Book for iPhone 5 allows you to double protection for your gadget with space to stash away money or credit cards. Complete with a hand-stitched leather cover and available in a range of colors, the case also includes a wood frame made of baltic birch to help protect your iPhone from accidental drops. 

The case allows you to access all device ports including charging and headphone jacks. 

The Little Pocket Book is priced at $59.99.

Via: Pad and Quill

Gresso's Titanium Black case for the iPhone 5 is made of titanium and comes with a black PVD coating for a distinct, glossy black color. Protecting your iPhone from damage to each side as well as dust and scratches, the titanium cover is as strong as steel and is resistant to sunlight, corrosion and moisture. 

The case weighs 35 grams and is highlighted with a 'Gresso' engraving.

The luxury case looks good but is only for those with deep pockets, as you can expect to pay $1000.

Via: Gresso

The EXO16 Black Aluminum Zircote Composite iPhone case is some of the strongest protection out there for your gadget. The cover is made of a strong phenolic resin composite core, capped at each end with Anodized Aluminum to prevent accidental drop damage.

For further protection, the EXO16 is held together with four stainless steel screws, which need to be removed to take off the case. 

The price of each case is $230. A custom engraving can be added for $40.

Via: Exovault

As a bonus, if you've had your fill of fur and crocodile skin, one designer hosted on Etsy has come up with an iPad case design that panders to lovers of bacon.

The Bacon Case is handmade, and as such is created to specifications based on which model you own. From a Macbook to the new iPad or iPad Mini, this weird but cool accessory is fashioned from wool, felt and olive soap.

This iPad case is priced at £46 ($70).

Via: Etsy

As the pleasant weather finally approaches, we start to think about travel, baseball, golf, music, and enjoying time with family and friends. This collection of apps covers all these aspects of life while also including two new Google offerings from the I/O conference last week.

Google Hangouts

Platform: Android

Price: Free

Google has always had a piecemeal approach to communications so I was pleased to see them launch Hangouts as they attempt to consolidate these communications. Hangouts replaces Google Talk and gives you a quick and easy way to chat and connect via a video call.

Hangouts also lets you work across multiple platforms, including your desktop so communications flow better. I look forward to SMS integration like we see in Facebook Messenger.

(Image: Google Hangouts)

Google Hangouts

Platform: Android

Price: Free

I was able to enjoy a group chat in Hangouts on my HTC One while my daughters were on iPhones. A nice feature on Android is the ability to use a number of emoticons by tapping the smiley face on the text entry line.

(Image: Google Play Music)

Google Play Music

Platform: Android

Price: $9.99/month for All Access service

I enjoy music subscription services, but also like to store and enjoy my own music collection. The new All Access service that comes with Google Play Music combines these two functions with a new user interface.

You can still use Google Play Music with your own collection, but the Radio option and ability to listen to the entire library they have on hand is a subscription service. If you start the trial before 30 June, the monthly subscription fee is just $7.99 so give it a try now.

(Image: Google Play Music)

Google Play Music

Platform: Android

Price: $9.99/month for All Access service

The player interface has also changed a bit with big button controls and album art that moves around the display.

(Image: Remote 4 Roku Free)

Remote 4 Roku Free

Platform: Windows Phone 8

Price: Free

I cut the cable over a year ago and enjoy Internet video content on my TVs. The main device I use is a Roku box, but often have trouble finding the remote. Remote 4 Roku now gives me the ability to control my Roku from my phone.

The one improvement I would like to see is the ability to have a library of Rokus since I have one in my rec room, kitchen, and bedroom.

(Image: Remote 4 Roku Free)

Remote 4 Roku Free

Platform: Windows Phone 8

Price: Free

You can choose to show your favorite channels while also choosing which skin you want on your remote.

(Image: My Trips)

My Trips

Platform: Windows Phone 8

Price: $1.99

I travel about once a month for work and find the TripIt service to be invaluable. I have gotten enough in flight fees credited back to pay for years of TripIt Pro. The official Windows Phone app is not very good though, but thankfully there is a great alternative in My Trips.

You can leave the paper behind and view all aspects of your trip itinerary with My Trips.

(Image: My Trips)

My Trips

Platform: Windows Phone 8

Price: $1.99

Flight details are shown and also updated as you travel.

(Image: Race to the Pennant)

Race to the Pennant

Platform: iOS

Price: $0.99

Baseball season is upon us and with nearly 200 games in the season I think it is fun to see how your team stacks up and if they have a shot at winning the pennant. WIth Race to the Pennant you can quickly see how your team/division is doing and if there is any chance they are going to win it all.

(Image: Race to the Pennant)

Race to the Pennant

Platform: iOS

Price: $0.99

You can also view some key stats in the app and see how your team stacks up with those racing you to the finish.

(Image: Audible)

Audible

Platform: iOS

Price: Free app, paid subscription

When you are out and about it isn't always easy or advisable to view your display and read a book. I subscribed to Audible about six months ago and am now hooked on audio books.

The application works well on my iPhone and even supports the new Whispersync technology that syncs written and audio books through the Kindle service.

(Image: Audible)

Audible

Platform: iOS

Price: Free app, paid subscription

You can choose which books in your library to download on your iPhone. You can also control your experience with different taps and swipes on the display.

(Image: PGA Tour)

PGA Tour

Platform: BlackBerry 10

Price: Free

Golf is a popular summer sport and while I am not personally a very active golfer, I do enjoy sports. The PGA Tour app gives you the latest and greatest news and tourney status on your BB10 device.

You can view the leader board, check out details of the course, view stats on players, and even view Twitter feeds from staff and players.

(Image: PGA Tour)

PGA Tour

Platform: BlackBerry 10

Price: Free

One of my favorite things about golf is the beautiful courses. I like that you can see course and hole details in the app, which helps improve the fan experience.

(Image: CB10)

CB10

Platform: BlackBerry 10

Price: Free

CrackBerry.com is my favorite BlackBerry site and their CB10 app just won a major award at BlackBerry Live last week. CB10 gives you optimized access to the website and even supports BBM integration.

In addition to news, reviews, and articles you also get access to forums and the ability to easily view and add comments.

(Image: CB10)

CB10

Platform: BlackBerry 10

Price: Free

The slick peek and slide user interface is supported on CB10. This is one of the MUST have apps for BlackBerry 10 and I find new apps and the ability to download them faster using CB10 than browsing through the store.

The ThinkPad line of laptops means business, and this 14-inch laptop from Lenovo is a firm addition to the product line. It won't win any beauty contests with the black matte finish typical of ThinkPad products but fans will be pleased.

The T431s is a thin (0.81 inch), light (3.6 lbs) ThinkPad with some unique design choices that make this 14-inch laptop a good choice, especially for the enterprise. That's the usual target for ThinkPads so the T431s is likely to be a popular choice.

Hardware specs as reviewed:

• CPU: Intel Core i5, 1.90GHz
• OS: Windows 8 Pro 64-bit
• Display: 14-inch, 1600x900, 250 nits
• Storage: 500GB, 7,200rpm
• Memory: 4GB (12GB max)
• Ports: 4-in-1 card reader (MMC, SD, SDHC, SDXC); 2-USB 3.0; VGA; MiniDisplayport, RJ-45; dock connector
• Camera: 720p webcam
• Communications: wi-fi; Bluetooth
• Battery: 3-cell, 47Whr
• Dimensions: 13.03x8.9x0.81in; 3.6lb

ThinkPad construction

The T431s has the typical high-quality construction designed to meet high standards. The carbon fiber used adds strength while keeping the weight down to a minimum.

At only 0.81 inches thick, the laptop is very easy to carry and will fit in almost any gear bag with a big pocket.

Thin display

The thin profile is possible due to the thin display on the ThinkPad T431s as seen in this photo. The display is not the brightest on the market at 250 nits, but the viewing angles are decent. 

The keyboard is good as is expected on a ThinkPad and the unique trackpad is over-sized. More on the trackpad later.

Chiclet keyboard, glass trackpad

Lenovo has perfected the laptop keyboard and the one on the T431s is as good as any of them. The chiclet keys have good travel and typing is a good experience.

The keyboard has the expected red trackpoint stick in the middle for those who prefer that control over the trackpad. The trackpad is made of glass and has a good feel for controlling the cursor and performing the gestures for operating Windows 8.

180 degree display hinge

Lenovo has introduced a number of laptops with unusual lid hinges, the Yogas come to mind, and it seems designers couldn't help putting one on the T431s. This lid opens a full 180 degrees for those who find that useful, although this writer can't think of a use for it. It does mean that the display can be adjusted to any angle to suit any user.

Sealed battery

The bottom of the ThinkPad T431s is sealed, meaning the battery is not user replaceable. This has become standard for most laptops so it's not unusual. The only unique thing on the bottom of the unit is the proprietary dock connector, indicating a dock option should be available at some point.

Left side ports

Lenovo has included a number of ports on the T431s in spite of the thin casing.

From left-to-right:

Power, RJ-45 (ethernet), VGA, USB 3.0, SD card slot, audio in/out jack, optional Smart card slot

Right side ports

From left-to-right:

Fan louvers, miniDisplayport, USB 3.0 (powered)

Trackpad and Trackpoint stick

ThinkPads are famous for the red Trackpoint stick and the T431s has one embedded in the keyboard. The expected three buttons to use with the Trackpoint are missing as the trackpad steps in to fill those functions (detailed on next slide). 

The oversized trackpad has a glass surface making it very easy to slide the finger to control the cursor. The trackpad can be used for gesture control of Windows 8.

There is a small fingerprint reader on the lower right of the keyboard for user authentication.

5-button trackpad

The glass trackpad is very large for a laptop and includes a unique array of 5 mouse buttons. The top of the trackpad closest to the keyboard with the red trackpoint stick, has 3 buttons built into the trackpad. These function as the left, middle, and right buttons for the trackpoint and are indicated by thin red lines on the trackpad. The bottom of the trackpad has clickable integrated buttons for left and right mouse buttons while using the trackpad.

The trackpad senses multiple touch at the same time and it is possible to perform gestures to control various functions of Windows 8.

One of my sources, who has been pretty accurate so far about Windows Phone futures, said that neither the GDR2 nor GDR3 updates to the Windows Phone 8 operating system are going to introduce VPN support to the platform. (GDR2 is supposedly rolling out to existing Windows Phone users this summer; GDR3 is rumored for this fall.)

It's unclear if Microsoft will relent  and introduce VPN support with the follow-on to GDR3, which is known as Windows Phone Blue -- which is looking increasingly like an early 2014 deliverble. I hear there's still a chance it could be added at that point.

Microsoft officials said last year that the company had decided to rely on Secure SSL rather than support VPN with Windows Phone 8. One Windows Phone official told me Microsoft considered Secure SSL "a better, light-weight approach" to providing this kind of functionality in the new BYOD (bring your own device) world that is adopting Web servcies.

After Microsoft's introduction of Windows Phone 8, there were renewed rumors that Microsoft was planning to add VPN support to Windows Phone 8 at some point as part of what was known as "Apollo Plus." It turns out Apollo Plus was just a generic Microsoft name for the wave of updates to Windows Phone 8 and not a specific update.

The current plan, from what I'm hearing, is to focus this year on securing new Windows Phone 8 apps and devices. The GDR updates are meant to provide minor updates and tweaks to the Windows Phone 8 operating system. But my sources said the thinking by the powers-that-be in the Windows Phone team is that the base phone operating system is largely good enough for now, and apps and devices are what need the most attention.

The way to think about the three General Distribution Releases (GDRs) is that they are meant to provide bug fixes and specific updates requested by handset makers and mobile operators, I hear. GDR2 is about making some much-needed Xbox music app fixes, allowing Data Sense metering, and CalDAV and CardDAV support. GDR3 is the update that will help support larger screen devices.

Windows Phone Blue is where more major new features will be added. Will VPN be among them? No word so far.

Microsoft, unsurprisingly, isn't talking about GDR3 or Windows Phone Blue. It's shut-up-and-ship over there.

There is some good news for business users on the Windows Phone platform this week, however. Good Technology's enterprise messaging app is now available for Windows Phone 8.

There already was a version of Good's encrypted e-mail for Windows Phone 7.X. But the Windows Phone 8 version of Good's app didn't arrive until today, May 17, according to WPCentral. (The new Good app works on both Windows Phone 7.5 and Windows Phone 8.) The Good WP app provides secure access to email, calendar and contacts; remote lock and wipe; supports blocking copy-paste policy; and more.

Today was a big day for Big Data and analytics, as data discovery and visualization darling Tableau Software made good on its filing for an initial public offering.  The company's shares were issued today on the New York Stock Exchange, under the ticker symbol "DATA."  Wow.

Tableau company offered 8,200,000 shares of its Class A common stock at a price to the public of $31.00 per share.  The shares closed up almost 64% above that initial pricing today, their first day of trade.  Tableau now has a market capitalization of $2.9 billion.

I had the opportunity to speak today with Tableau's CEO and co-founder, Christian Chabot, and I discussed with him matters relating to Hadoop, data scientists, the business intelligence space, its business models, and what's next for Tableau.

Don't spend it all in one place
To start, I asked Chabot what the IPO-derived capital would be used for.  His answer was that the IPO was more about raising public awareness of Tableau, and the credibility of the company, than it was for expansion per se.

"Tableau everywhere" is what Chabot says is the company's next frontier.  He explained that Tableau's revenue is currently derived from a Windows-only, on-premises-only offering and one with limited market awareness, to boot.  So there's a lot of growth opportunity to go.

Product or stack?
While that's all well and good, we have to assume that Tableau will expand its sales force and quite possibly its product portfolio.  So I asked a few questions around those topics.

With Tableau's growth as a private company, and its now seemingly quite successful IPO, it has set a very high bar for itself.  I pointed out to Chabot that this has all been built around what is essentially a single product, and so I asked what Tableau would do to keep the momentum going.

First off, Chabot corrected my assertion that Tableau is a single product, insisting that Tableau Desktop, Tableau Server and Tableau Public are quite separate.  I suppose this comes down to semantics; to me, three different editions that are all geared to data discovery don't constitute separate products, but certainly they are marketed separately, and that does count for something.  

I peristed in exploring the possibility of new products from Tableau though, as most of its BI competitors offer a full stack of products that cover data integration, master data management, data quality, conventional reporting, and more.  Chabot explained that there's little reason to match everyone with a full BI stack simply for the sake of conforming to the market category.  But he also told me that the company is interested in diversifying into new product areas for which Tableau is seeing significant customer demand.  Chabot said that a data integration offering is of particular interest to Tableau.

Declaring independence, and neutrality
But if Tableau remains mostly focused on data discovery and visualization, it begs the question of whether it will be acquired by one of the BI stack vendors that is weak in that area (and compared to Tableau, many such vendors are).  Chabot insisted that Tableau will remain independent, explaining that such independence allows the product to remain a Swiss Army knife that connects to virtually any relational, Big Data or analytical data source, and how that benefits Tableau customers greatly.

Certainly, Tableau customers are a happy bunch, as I noted in my report from the Tableau Customer Conference last year.  Chabot believes strongly that the Tableau's undiluted dedication to self-service is what drives customers' passion, and that it also put Tableau well ahead of its BI competitors that offer self-service capabilities as a mere option, if at all.

Data science, for the layman
Having just participated in ZDNet's Great Debate, on the need for data scientists this week, I asked Chabot what he thought about the issue.  Not surprisingly, Tableau's CEO feels that we are too reliant on specialists, and that expanding this "priesthood of people" doesn't get us past the bottleneck.  Chabot said that the  complicated and developer-intensive nature of the vast majority of data technologies is what underlies Tableau's success.

With that complexity in mind, I asked Chabot about Hadoop.  The quintessential Big Data technology is clearly popular, but hardly something one thinks of when the self-service, agile and empowerment themes that Tableau identifies with are invoked.

"DATA" Convergence
How did Chabot reconcile the success of self-service with that of a complex tool like Hadoop?  He explained that Tableau sees Hadoop at many customers, but almost never sees it as a standalone platform.  Chabot's implication was, I think, that people want to use Hadoop, but they want it to meld with the data warehouse, BI and transactional database technologies they have been using for some time.  Chabot would tell you that Tableau facilitates some of that integration, and he'd be right.

I will just point out that 2013's trend of BI - Big Data convergence shows no sign of slowing.  Tableau's ticker symbol of "DATA" doesn't have "BIG" in it, and it doesn't need to, because the market need around data of all types is even bigger.

Related:

Love and hate: the new Google+ look

Thank you, Google, for the new homework assignment: Hangouts vs Chat

And, this is the new Google+. It has two to three content columns, and an optional video/VoIP/instant messaging column on the right. If it reminds some of you of Pinterest or WebOS, that shouldn't be a surprise. The Pinterest look is clear and Google+ designers now include some of the old WebOS team. 

Google+ is now integrating your images even more closely into the system. Besides just collecting all your Google online photos into one interface, it also now includes automatic image fixig tools. With this move, Google is putting Facebook and Instragram on notice that they're playing in the photography space as well. 

Google+'s secret sause continues to be Google+ circles that gives you easy, precise control over who can see, and who can't see, any given post. 

If circles don't always work for you Google+ communities enable you to focus on talking about the issues that matter to you.  if you follow me, for example, you'll get Star Trek posts as well as Linux stories

If you want to adjust what's happening in Google+, you'll find all its features and controls in a drop-down right-hand menu bar. 

If you really can't stand the Google+ multiple columns, you can switch to a single column look. As you can see, however, it's not very attractive. 

Linus Torvalds, inventor of a little thing called Linux, points out that Google+ has one real weakness: It's current default font is awful. 

Hashtags, as any Twitter user knows, can be very useful. Trying to figure out the right hashtag can be a pain, so Google+, under the direction of the developer who came up with the notion for Twitter, has automated hashtag selection. You can still add them in by hand, but this new mode will make hashtags as important on Google+, if not more so, than they are on Twitter. 

In 2013, Google+ came into its own when it became the world's second most popular social network. That didn't stop Google however from announcing more than 41 major changes at Google I/O. These weren't small, under-the-hood changes. One, the shift from a single content column to Google Now style "cards" in two or three columns with large images that take up the entire width of the display, has totally transformed the interface.

Gallery: The brighter, more colorful Google+

Some people loved this change. Harry McCracken, noted technology journalist wrote in Time magazine, "The service, which was already pretty darn slick, is now among the most attractive and engaging web apps I’ve ever seen." The New Yorker's new technology associate editor Matt Buchanan wrote, "The mobile version of Plus, which has used cards for a few months, by contrast, feels ebullient and rich, like it was inspired by beautiful magazines, if magazines were also living, breathing entities."

So much for the adoration. Others, such as Chris Voss a social media expert and CEO of Strategix One Consulting, look at the new Google+ and see the image-oriented Pinterest social network. Not that's there's anything wrong with that. Still others find it far too busy and annoying.

Me? I found it distracting at first, but I'm getting to like it. If you can't stand it, you can shift back to a look that's something like the old interface. You do this by going to Google+ settings and scrolling down to the Accessibility radio box. There, check "Change the presentation of some pages to work better with screen readers and other assistive tools," and you'll have the new one column look. It is not, I repeat not, a real replacement for the old look.

There is, however, another problem: Google+'s fonts. As Linus Torvalds, founder of Linux and a Google+ user, put it, "This is the fuzziest font I have ever seen. Maybe it's the WOFF [Web Open Font Format] rasterizer in Chrome that could suck dead baby donkeys through a straw?" Torvalds is right. The fonts are ugly as sin. Hopefully Google will get them fixed soon.

The other major change is that .

Finally, in addition to Google+ Circles, where you select which people see which of your posts, and Google+ Communities, which are online groups set up for a specific interest, Google+ has now embraced Twitter's favorite topic organizing feature, the hashtag.

You, however, don't have to assign hashtags to a story. Google does it for you. So, for example, if I write a story about Linux, Google will automatically add a Linux hashtag to it. Users, for their part, can now browse related content by clicking on a post with a particular topic. Since it's often hard to know what hashtag to use--e.g. Linux, Ubuntu, open source?--having the system handle it for you if you don't want to do it manually is a nice feature. 

At first, I found the new Google+ interface to be more distracting than useful. That said, even as I was double-checking my facts as I wrote this story I found myself liking it more and more. If you're a long-time Google+ user, I urge you to give it a chance before writing it off. If you haven't used Google+ before, it's high-time you did.

Related Stories:

• I/O 2013: Google Plus getting 41 updates
• Facebook remains top social network, Google+, YouTube battle for second
• Google presses algorithm, cloud advantage vs. Apple, rivals
• Google developer tool releases include new Maps, Games, Google+ APIs

Tired of staring at one of these? Read on!

Now that tablets and smartphones are all the rage, people are making their PCs last longer by improving them with strategic upgrades. But choosing the right upgrades can mean the difference between a faster, better system, and throwing your money away.

(Source: Crucial)

Adding more RAM to a PC or Mac is, short of replacing the entire system, the best way to improve system performance and gain more mileage out of your existing hardware. If that alone doesn't make you happy, what if I tell you that RAM upgrades are also cheap, and also really easy to do?

NOTE: The only caveat with RAM upgrades is that in order to be able to make use of more than 4GB on either the PC or Mac, your system MUST be running a 64-bit operating system. If you are on a 32-bit platform, you are stuck at 4GB.

How to tell if Windows is 64-bit | How to tell if OS X is 64-bit

You can add RAM to most systems. Some systems might already be at their limit for the amount of RAM they can take, and other systems – such as tablets and notebooks such as Apple's new MacBook Pro – can't be upgraded because the RAM is soldered direct to the motherboard, however, most of the time you're going to be in luck.

The best way to find out what RAM your system needs is to visit one of the online vendors. Two of my favorites are Crucial and Kingston. These websites not only tell you what RAM you need, but also how much you can add to your PC, and also give you handy hints on how to carry out the upgrade.

Bear in mind that not only can you add more RAM, but you can add faster RAM, again, depending if your system supports it. However, in most cases upgrading to faster RAM (say PC3-10600 to PC3-14900) doesn't offer much in the way of real-world gains, but it will help to bump up benchmark scores, if you're into that sort of thing.

If you know what your system takes, then visit your favorite retailer, where you will undoubtedly get a cheaper price, but you will be on your own if you make a mistake.

I recommend that for system with 4GB or more that you consider doubling the amount of RAM (assuming a 64-bit operating system). For systems with less than 4GB then you might be better off going up to 8GB immediately.

4GB of RAM will set you back about $30.

(Source: Kingston)

Another bottleneck in a PC is the speed of the storage. Maybe the hard drive is slow, or that it is filled up to the point where it is having an adverse effect on performance (if you've got less than 10 percent of your storage left, it's probably time to think about upgrading).

After RAM, upgrading storage is one of the easiest, cheapest, and best upgrades you can do.

If your PC currently uses a hard disk drive (HDD) for storage then you could give it an even bigger performance by swapping it out for a solid-state drive (SSD). These are pricier than regular HHDs, but the difference in transfer rates is like night and day.

If you're not sure what your PC or Mac can take, then once again I suggest you take a trip over to either Crucial or OWC, where you will find a wide selection of both HDDs and SSDs to choose from suited to your particular system. OWC has a great selection of high-performance drives, for both PCs and Macs, including the MacBook Air and the new Retina-display MacBook Pro systems. 

If you know what your system takes, then visit your favorite retailer, where you will undoubtedly get a cheaper price, but you will be on your own if you make a mistake.

(Source: Nvidia)

Another way to squeeze some extra life out of your desktop PC system – the graphics card in notebook systems, as well as those found in all Macs except for the Mac Pro are not upgradable – is to upgrade the graphics card. However, this advice applies primarily to one class of user – gamer.

Perhaps your current system has features an older graphics card, or perhaps your GPU is integrated onto the CPU. In either case, investing in a new graphics card should give your system a big of a performance boost.

Unless you are a hardcore gamer looking for cutting-edge hardware, then a graphics card doesn't have to cost the earth. $99 will buy you a Radeon HD 7750 or GeForce GT 640, both of which are capable cards, and will give you a good gaming experience with any modern title (assuming that the rest of your PC is up to the challenge).

If your budget goes a little deeper, then $200 buys you a Radeon HD 7850 or GeForce GT 660, both of which are superb graphics cards. 

(Source: Intel)

Most newcomers to upgrading automatically think that the CPU is the place to start. After all, it's the brains of the CPU, and the faster the CPU, the faster the entire PC will be, right?

Wrong.

CPU upgrades are fraught with problems.

• Boosting performance by a few hundred megahertz doesn't translate into much real world gains.
• Finding out what CPUs are compatible with your motherboard can be a nightmare. Not only do you have to make sure the sockets match, but that the actual CPU is supported by the BIOS/UEFI and the hardware.
• If your PC is old enough that adding a new hundred megahertz would indeed make a difference, then chances are your newly upgraded system will be compromised by another bottleneck (RAM, storage, etc) and you end up having to spend more money.
• Notebooks – along with some desktop systems – are not upgradable because the CPU is soldered onto the motherboard.
• CPU spec and data sheets can be very complicated, leading you to buy something that is worse than you already have.

The only people for whom CPU upgrades are worthwhile are hardcore enthusiasts who have high-spec systems, and know them inside out. If you're not one of these people, then if you're considering a CPU upgrade, then what you really want is a new PC. 

(Source: Dell)

Here's one upgrade that you desktop PC and Mac users might not have thought of. Adding a bigger screen to your system – or, if the system allows, a second display – is an excellent way to improve performance without having to crack open your system.

If you work with a lot of applications at once, or your job involves having to split your attention between two or more applications/data sources, then adding a second screen means you can give the applications you use more screen real estate, making them visible all the time.

Many modern systems have two ports (or sometimes more) for displays. If not, you can add a graphics card that will support multi-monitors.

Even notebooks can support dual screens, although with some you may have to invest in an adapter. 

Don't underestimate the enormous productivity boost that adding a bigger -- or second -- display will bring.

(Source: Lacie)

Don't feel like cracking your system open to add more storage, or perhaps you want to add a LOT of storage, then external storage is the way to go.

Here you have loads of options, ranging from a single one-disk external drive that connects to your system via USB (1TB should cost about $80), to something more elaborate that can offer many terabytes of storage and be accessible to a number of PCs over a network (a 16TB LaCie Quadra Big will set you back $1,600).

If your system has a Thunderbolt port then there are a number of extremely fast external storage devices that make use of this port, but expect to pay a premium for this sort of performance.

(Source: Microsoft)

Running an old operating system? Then upgrading to a new version might give your system a spring clean and bring with it some new features for you to play with.

Upgrading Windows or Mac systems is pretty easy, and far less problematic than they once were. Macs are especially easy to upgrade because the process is essentially a one-click download from the Mac App Store.

Mac OS X upgrades are also cheap, costing only $20.

Windows upgrades cost more, but hardware support goes much further back, so there's a better chance that you can upgrade an older system to the latest version.

Anyone thinking of upgrading should check to see if his or her system can handle the upgrade before pulling the trigger on buying it. For Windows users Microsoft has an Upgrade Assistant, while Apple's offering is some simple instructions on checking your hardware.

Personally, unless the hardware is relatively new – no more than five years for a PC, and about three years for a Mac – I'd save my upgrade money and put it towards a new system, and the costs outweigh the benefits.

(Source: Microsoft)

Another simple – and cheap – upgrade.

It's amazing how a new mouse of keyboard can make an old PC feel like a new one.

Also, think beyond the keyboard and mouse! You have the option of adding a whole new class of peripheral, such as a pen tablet (handy if you're into photography or art), a fingerprint reader (makes logging on quicker and easier), or surround sound speakers (to give your gaming a bit more realism). 

Credit: Jokeroo

Timber Wolf gaming keyboard.

Credit: U R funny Junk

Original USS Enterprise with crew mouse.

Credit: Amazon

For the true geek. Non functional.

Credit: We love Mercuri

Klingon Keyboard. Translate your output with Bing's Klingon Translator.

Credit: Vyperlook

Kickstarter project to produce bamboo keyboards for iPads.

Credit: Kickstarter

Fully functional keyboard.

Credit: If it's hip it's here

Modified Macbook pro keyboard.

Credit: Fun substance

Credit: 30 Media

Projects a virtual keyboard onto any flat surface.

Credit: Hi Consumption

With matching headphones and mouse.

Credit: Sears

Edible. Not functional.

Credit: Vyperlook

Full keyboard with backlighting and beeps.

Credit: The Fancy

Also covered in Wearable Tech 4 but worth another mention. Mouse and speakers also built in to jeans.

Credit: Telegraph

Covered in gold leafand apparently not as expensive as you imagine at $271.

Credit: Shocking Anecdotes

Concept of a removeable keyboard that slots into laptop keyboard space for touch keyboard functionality.

Credit: Yanko Design

I'm not sure how it would cope with being cleaned.

Credit: Hella Jongerius

Credit: Desi Colours.

Credit: Datamancer

USB keyboard for PC and Mac.

Credit: Kenesis

Wooden stick on keys for Apple Keyboards.

Credit: Kickstarter

Not functional of course.

Credit: Wicker Paradise

Not a usable keyboard, but you could have a go at making it functional with some electronics and a lot of spare time.

Credit: Laughing Squid

Made from Brass, black felt and wood

Credit: Apartment Therapy

Access to the data network was pinpointed as the biggest challenge of the mobile phone firms, since performance was 3% below the goals set by Anatel.   

According to the report, there have been areas of improvement such as reductions in the overall number of dropped calls and connections. But that is not good enough, especially given that Brazil has almost 150 million mobile phone users, of which about 72 million utilize data services.

The inability of Brazilian mobile to reach an acceptable level of mobile data services charged at a premium is not only infuriating for users, but also reinforces the many uncertainties surrounding the recent launch of 4G services in the country.

Meanwhile, the telecoms authority watches the issue continue to snowball: Anatel's president Joo Resende was recently quoted by Brazilian newspaper Estado de So Paulo as saying that it would be "anti-economic" to not invest in fourth-generation technology - and offer it to end consumers.

When asked what consumers should be doing in case the services doesn't work, Resende said  the best option would be to "clog up" customer service reps at mobile operators with complaints. Now that's a job I wouldn't fancy doing...

Reports of strong demand for the Q10 have circulated in recent weeks. A new report this morning showed BlackBerry regaining lost market share in Canada. Several commenters to the TechRepublic poll supported that narrative.

TechRepublic user Vijitc, a multinational CIO, wrote in the comments: 

"BlackBerry woes made me switch to [Galaxy S3] last summer. Did not expect BlackBerry to make a come back. Like Android as a tablet. I have Nexus 7. But as a business phone the Galaxy does not cut it. Will definitely return to Q10 and will keep Nexus 7 tethered to Q10 hot spot for video apps."

The TechRepublic poll was run this week during BlackBerry Live 2013 when interest and exposure naturally peaked for BlackBerry. This is a self-selected poll so the numbers likely skew a little high for people interested in this topic, but the percentage was still higher than expected. With over 1,300 participants among TechRepublic's audience of IT professionals and business managers, this poll had plenty of responses to make it statistically significant.

The other question that TechRepublic asked was if the Q10 was enough to keep current BlackBerry users in the fold and avoid a future jump to Android or iOS. The response was even more emphatic in BlackBerry's favor there, as 76% said it was. 

TechRepublic commenter PurpleSkys, a Canadian business manager, wrote:

"I personally prefer they little keyboard... Keep in mind, BlackBerry has had touch for a while now. My Torch is a touch and it's a few years old. And the new BB Z10 is all touch... I'm waiting for my next upgrade with our service provider to get the new Q10."

There were also plenty of commenters who didn't plan to switch back or were on the fence. TechRepublic member Croiona, an IT department head in Great Britain, wrote:

"I moved from a Nokia E71 to an HTC Desire and then to a BB Bold. The only reason I switched to BB was because it had a touch screen but retained a conventional keypad. I hated the touch-screen typing on the HTC and wanted to have the best of both worlds. I'm not a touch typist, but I find a conventional keypad allows me to type much faster and more accurately. I'm now faced with the dilema of whether to switch back to an Android with a better sized screen and a wider range of apps, but have to suffer the touch screen typing, or stay with BB and hope it starts to catch up with all the apps available elsewhere."

I know a lot of business professionals who were long-time BlackBerry users that are now on Android and iPhone and almost all of them say that the biggest thing they miss is the hardware keyboard. Most of them comment that they write fewer and shorter emails on their phones now that they have devices with touch keyboards. For those that are tempted to go back, I'm sure they'll have to wrestle with the app trade-off that Croiona mentioned.

Nevertheless, the fact that these IT and business professionals are even considering a BlackBerry again is a win for the company. We'll watch to see if consideration can turn to into momentum for the Q10 over the remainder of 2013 as the first wave of these users have wireless contracts that come up for renewal.

Also read

• BlackBerry Q10 review
• How BlackBerry is riding iOS and Android to power its comeback
• BlackBerry releases BES 10.1: Simplified deployments, IT policy options
• BlackBerry announces colorful new Q5 device for emerging markets
• BlackBerry to launch BBM on iOS and Android this summer
• BlackBerry unveils its own social network, BBM Channels
• BlackBerry boosts enterprise IM with Microsoft Lync, Lotus support

Bloomberg, the tony U.S. financial data and news company, announced this morning that it appointed former IBM chairman and CEO Sam Palmisano as an "independent adviser" for the company's privacy and data standards.

The news comes after Bloomberg was revealed to have given its news reporters access to data from its namesake terminals that revealed the activity of major customers such as JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs.

Palmisano will "immediately undertake a review of the company's current practices and policies for client data and end user information, including a review of access issues recently raised by the company's clients," Bloomberg said. "In addition, Mr. Palmisano will make recommendations and advise on the implementation of any enhancements to these practices and policies, including the independent verification of the company's systems and procedures."

He will report to Bloomberg's board of directors.

"Sam Palmisano is an expert at understanding issues related to technology and data use, having led the transition at IBM from computers to helping customers use technology to solve business challenges," Bloomberg chairman Peter T. Grauer said in prepared remarks.

In addition to Palmisano, Bloomberg tapped the legal practice Hogan Lovells and former Bloomberg News editor-at-large Clark Hoyt to review the issues at hand: Hogan will approach the issue from a legal perspective; Hoyt will approach it from a journalistic one.

Don't let the Entry moniker imply any limitations on the SmartCloud Entry solution, because there aren't any. Entry just means easy, not limited. SmartCloud Entry is a full-blown, full-featured, highly scalable cloud enabling solution for businesses. IBM has just taken the sting out of cloud adoption both in complexity and in affordability.

SmartCloud Entry is an affordable cloud solution. And it's doubly affordable because you don't have to purchase a bit of new hardware or rip out and rebuild your current virtualized infrastructure to start using your own private cloud.

It's a cross-platform, multi-platform cloud solution that makes creating, using, and managing cloud resources as easy as a few mouse clicks.

If you don't believe me about the "few mouse clicks," check out this video that shows you how easy it is to deploy a new virtual private server using SmartCloud Entry.

And, you can also watch how easy it is to go from no cloud to cloud in a day with SmartCloud Entry.

I spoke with Jeff Borek, Program Director for Cloud Computing Systems and Technology Group, Ian Robinson, Product Line Manager for Virtualization and Cloud Solutions, IBM Systems Software Team, and Alan Dickinson, IBM Program Director for Cloud Computing in Mid-sized Businesses. You can listen to the full 32 minute podcast on my Frugal Networker blog site and gather information on SmartCloud Entry firsthand.

Some of the new key features of the new version, 3.1, are:

• Expanded hypervisor options now includes Hyper-V.
• Multiple server architecture support from the single interface.
• Enhanced web portal for rapid self-service workload provisioning.
• Pre-configured VM appliance images.

And of course, its standard features of automated approvals, metering, billing, users, and projects through the SmartCloud Entry interface and the capability to create gold master images, to convert from physical systems, and to convert virtual machine images between hypervisors.

IBM's SmartCloud Entry 3.1 will be generally available June 14, 2013.

For more information about IBM's SmartCloud Entry product or any of its cloud computing offerings, check out the IBM Cloud Computing SmartCloud website. This site provides several videos, multiple pages of features, product offerings, use cases, and a cloud computing community portal that provides additional learning resources and information.

Additionally, if you'd like to see more of SmartCloud in action, search YouTube for SmartCloud Entry and enjoy learning about the next generation of cloud computing.

For more information on private cloud click here to download a free ebook on private cloud from the Aberdeen Group.

What do you think of an easy to adopt private cloud computing solution? Do you think businesses will jump at the chance to move that direction or do you think they're still too reluctant to go cloud? Talk back and let me know.

After being certified by the U.S. government earlier this month for low-level security clearance work, iPhones and iPads running the latest software are now deemed suitable for U.S. military use.

The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed in a statement on Friday that Apple's iOS 6 mobile operating system is secure enough to connect to secure Pentagon networks. 

Earlier in May, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which examines and tests mobile devices and technologies for security clearance, granted the Apple software FIPS 140-2 certification (Level 1) last Friday. This approves iPhones and iPads running the software in conjunction with the U.S. government's lowest level of national security clearance.

Read this

iOS 6 granted FIPS 140-2, approved for U.S. government use

• Read more

The Defense Dept. previously said it has up until now depended on around 470,000 BlackBerry devices, which have held U.S. government certification for many years. The department also has 41,000 Apple products and 8,700 devices running the Android operating system, according to the press release.

But because these platforms have previously not been certified or cleared for use, such devices had not been connected to secure military networks, except for testing.

Samsung recently received the nod from the Pentagon for any Samsung device protected by the Knox security software, which includes the Galaxy S4 and other compatible tablets.

For the first time, Apple's push into federal use opens up the U.S. government and military to competition for device procurement in the mobile space. 

While BlackBerrys had once held the monopoly over U.S. federal agencies, on two fronts there is an increasing responsibility for device and platform makers to secure their hardware and software, but also the dwindling BlackBerry market share has forced the federal government to look elsewhere for long term stability and reliability.

But with the decline in BlackBerry popularity and a slower-than-expected release schedule for the latest BlackBerry 10 smartphones, many federal agencies have already made headway towards rival platforms and devices.

Fortifying cloud, acquisition, data processes

The Defense Dept. also said today it will take "bold steps" to provide information and proper analysis as it fortifies its cloud computing, acquisition and data processes.

The Defense Dept.'s deputy director for acquisition resource analysis and enterprise information Mark Krzysko said cloud computing is one of many new ways to provide "decision-makers timely access to accurate, authoritative and reliable information."

He noted that the major challenge faced by the Pentagon is twofold: how can the Department make existing technologies and cloud information work together, but also how to "orchestrate the transition" from a desktop environment to a mobile one, while ensuring data security and integrity?

In conjunction with today's news regarding iOS 6's clearance for the Pentagon, Krzysko cited existing iPad use in the Department. But it wasn't just about the shiny, latest products and features. 

He firmly noted that the Department's requirement is to fully understand the "processes, people and policy framework" around the technology, data and acquisition evolution.

Today the value of Bitcoin and other digital currencies is more volatile than Americans are used to. But with Amazon and eBay looking at accepting them, that could change.

If that seems unlikely, recall that much of what you use now as "money" is simply electronic transfers: credit cards; debit cards; PayPal. Now, grasshopper, are those more "real" than Bitcoin?

The bad old days

Digital currencies are like how the US currency system used to work, before we had a national dollar.

Local banks issued its own currency supported - in theory - by the deposits of customers. To redeem the currency you'd go to the bank and exchange the notes for coin. When business crashed people would "run" to the bank to exchange their notes for specie - gold and silver coins.

Since banks borrow short term and loan long term, they would often run out of coinage and close - often costing depositors their life savings - which was Very Bad for business. That's why the US has a national currency, a Federal Reserve Bank and insures bank deposits (FDIC).

Digital currencies have none of these protections. But maybe that won't matter if the utility of them is greater than the fear that they'll become worthless.

How would that work?

"Gold bugs" advocate going back on the gold standard rather than letting the dollar "float" against other currencies. After all, advocates contend, without gold the dollar isn't backed by anything at all.

And yet the dollar remains the worldwide currency of choice, not only for B2B but as a store of value and convertibility as hard cash. Proof: most US currency circulates outside the US - Americans prefer credit cards.

Since the US dollar isn't backed by gold, and since the Fed can loan as much money as it wants to banks that can use it as reserves against loans - if only they were making loans! - why do we ascribe value to the dollar? Global acceptance and ready convertibility are two major reasons.

Which is where the value proposition for digital currencies makes the most sense. So can a digital currency replace - or at least supplement - national currencies? Yes.

The Storage Bits take

That isn't much different from what we used not so long ago - or what we use today. Digital currency is the new frontier in more ways than one: the 19th century dressed up in 21st century tech.

I hope to have more to say about it because I'm attending a Bitcoin conference that starts today. If you see me, say hi!

Comments welcome, as always.  Would you use a virtual currency? Would you put your life savings into it?

Note: Another version of this post appeared earlier on StorageMojo.

You will find native photo editing tools on all these newest smartphone platforms, but they don't appear as apps. These tools can improve the quality and look of photos you take. It is also fun to add customizations to your photos. To access these editing tools you first need to go into the device's gallery area and open up a photo. An option to edit a photo will be your gateway to these various editing tools.

I personally liked using the BlackBerry 10 and Nokia Creative Studio utilities the best as they gave me a mix of the essentials with some slick enhancement tools.

HTC One Android smartphone

The editing clients for all the other platforms is the same out of the box. However, on your Android smartphone the manufacturer has flexibility to provide a different native editing tool so the tools available on HTC will be different than what you find on Samung, LG, Motorola, and others.

The screenshots in this post were captured from the HTC One so the native tool has an HTC origin. You will even find that this tool differs from other HTC devices so with Android there is no consistent, cross-device experience.

After opening up a photo, tap the Edit button to access the HTC editor. At the bottom of the display you will find four icons that allow you to access Effects, Frames, Retouch, and Transform.

The Effects tool gives you filtering options similar to what you might find on Instagram. You can select from a number of effects and when you tap on an option you will see a preview of that appear as the photo changes. I personally don't use this tool much.

The Frames lets you customize the border of the photo with options such as wooden, airmail, grunge, and montage. These can be fun at times and I have edited photos using this tool.

When you tap on Retouch several options will appear, giving you a Photoshop Lite experience. The available tools actually are a bit dynamic too and will change depending on the photo you are viewing. For example, if someone photo bombed you then an option to remove that person may appear. Unfortunately, there is not much manual control over this option.

Tools available to you with Retouch include skin smoothing, lighting, face contour, eye enhancer, red eye removal, eye brightening, and anti-shine. As you can see most of these are focused on adjusting photos of people.

The last available tool is called Transform and allows you the ability to rotate, crop, flip, and straighten your photo.

The new Galaxy S4 has even more options for editing so open up a photo on your smartphone and check out the powerful editing tool in your hand.

Frames lets you customize the border of the photo with options such as wooden, airmail, grunge, and montage. These can be fun at times and I have edited photos using this tool.

The Effects tool gives you filtering options similar to what you might find on Instagram. You can select from a number of effects and when you tap on an option you will see a preview of that appear as the photo changes. I personally don't use this tool much.

Frames lets you customize the border of the photo with options such as wooden, airmail, grunge, and montage. These can be fun at times and I have edited photos using this tool.

When you tap on Retouch several options will appear, giving you a Photoshop Lite experience. The available tools actually are a bit dynamic too and will change depending on the photo you are viewing. For example, if someone photo bombed you then an option to remove that person may appear. Unfortunately, there is not much manual control over this option.

Tools available to you with Retouch include skin smoothing, lighting, face contour, eye enhancer, red eye removal, eye brightening, and anti-shine. As you can see most of these are focused on adjusting photos of people.

The last available tool is called Transform and allows you the ability to rotate, crop, flip, and straighten your photo.

BlackBerry Z10 with BB10

The photo editing tools were shown to me at the BB10 launch and have a slick user interface that helps make photo editing a fun experience.

After you open a photo and select to edit it you are launched into the center of the editor with the Artistic tool immediately available below your photo. The way the BB10 editor works is there is a bottom toolbar showing the four main tools and the row above this shows you the available options with thumbnails of your edited photo above the name of the option. When you tap the option, the large photo appears with your changes in place. You still have to save the edited photo and can always go back to your original.

The options available to you in Artistic mode include black and white, lomo, antique, sepia, watercolor, sketch, and more. I like these options much more than those on the HTC One and many like this are found on Samsung devices.

The Transform tool is limited and gives you options to rotate, free transform the size, or make an image square.

With Enhance options you can adjust red-eye, brightness, white balance, contrast, sharpness, saturation, and noise reduction. These are the standard editing tools you might find on your computer and are helpful for manual photo control.

The last tool, Styles, lets you apply Instagram-like quick styles to your photo. Options include smooth face, sixties, grain, age photo, cartoon, big eyes, and more.

I like the mix of traditional editing tools and new filters on BB10 and find it to be one of the most useful native photo editors available to smartphone owners today.

After you open a photo and select to edit it you are launched into the center of the editor with the Artistic tool immediately available below your photo. The way the BB10 editor works is there is a bottom toolbar showing the four main tools and the row above this shows you the available options with thumbnails of your edited photo above the name of the option. When you tap the option, the large photo appears with your changes in place. You still have to save the edited photo and can always go back to your original.

The options available to you in Artistic mode include black and white, lomo, antique, sepia, watercolor, sketch, and more. I like these options much more than those on the HTC One and many like this are found on Samsung devices.

The Transform tool is limited and gives you options to rotate, free transform the size, or make an image square.

With Enhance options you can adjust red-eye, brightness, white balance, contrast, sharpness, saturation, and noise reduction. These are the standard editing tools you might find on your computer and are helpful for manual photo control.

Styles, lets you apply Instagram-like quick styles to your photo. Options include smooth face, sixties, grain, age photo, cartoon, big eyes, and morel.

Nokia Lumia 920 with Windows Phone 8

Like Android, the tools available to you on a Windows Phone 8 device depend on the manufacturer. Since Nokia is the main Windows Phone vendor I have screenshots showing options available on a Nokia Lumia device.

When you tap on the Edit option as you view a photo, Windows Phone 8 jumps to a screen showing the available tools for your device. On my Nokia Lumia 920, options appear as crop, rotate, auto-fix (native WP tool), Camera360, and Creative Studio. These last two are tools provided by Nokia and only appear if you installed them from the Store.

Like iOS, the native WP8 tool is very basic and just gives you options to rotate, crop, and auto fix. That's it, no other options are provided natively so photo editing is limited out of the box.

I haven't used the Camera360 editor too often, but have seen some pretty slick edits made and shared online. After you launch this app, you will see options at the bottom of the screen for clip, rotate, and effect. Tapping on effect takes you into an editor similar to what you find in iPhoto.

Small icons appear in a menu bar at the bottom of the display with options labeled scenery, portrait, microspur, food, and night. Tapping on each of these then gives you a row of filters with small thumbnails showing previews of what you edited image would look like. These filters include names such as foggy, purple, fall, enhance, normal, reversal, maple, emerald, sunny, black & white, and many more.

The Creative Studio app from Nokia is the real powerhouse for editing your photos on a Nokia Lumia. You have the ability to quickly apply filters such as silver, ivory, jade, quartz and more as soon as you launch this editor. A preview of what your photo looks like with these filters appears on the display. After selecting one of these main filters, you can then tap to edit and access several slick photo manipulation tools.

The tools in Creative Studio appear under four main headings at the top of your screen in the panoramic Metro UI. These main options are titled fix, blur, play, and adjust.

The Fix option lets you crop, rotate, and fix red eye. The Blur tool is fun and lets you select parts of your photo to focus on while blurring the rest of the photo. You can use a line drawing tool for this or a slick and easy radial tool.

The Play tool has color pop and collage functions. Color pop turns your photo to black and white and then lets you tap to add color and even gives you control over the primary colors in the photo so you can have all yellow images or all red images shown in color. This is also a fun tool to play with. The collage tool lets you choose images to then pull together into a collage. I use collages for sharing before and after shots quite a bit.

Traditional photo edits are made through the Adjust tool that lets you control color balance, brightness, clarity, and vibrance.

I haven't used the Camera360 editor too often, but have seen some pretty slick edits made and shared online. After you launch this app, you will see options at the bottom of the screen for clip, rotate, and effect. Tapping on effect takes you into an editor similar to what you find in iPhoto.

Small icons appear in a menu bar at the bottom of the display with options labeled scenery, portrait, microspur, food, and night. Tapping on each of these then gives you a row of filters with small thumbnails showing previews of what you edited image would look like. These filters include names such as foggy, purple, fall, enhance, normal, reversal, maple, emerald, sunny, black & white, and many more.

The Creative Studio app from Nokia is the real powerhouse for editing your photos on a Nokia Lumia. You have the ability to quickly apply filters such as silver, ivory, jade, quartz and more as soon as you launch this editor. A preview of what your photo looks like with these filters appears on the display. After selecting one of these main filters, you can then tap to edit and access several slick photo manipulation tools.

The tools in Creative Studio appear under four main headings at the top of your screen in the panoramic Metro UI. These main options are titled fix, blur, play, and adjust.

The Fix option lets you crop, rotate, and fix red eye. The Blur tool is fun and lets you select parts of your photo to focus on while blurring the rest of the photo. You can use a line drawing tool for this or a slick and easy radial tool.

Apple iPhone 5 with iOS

Like most of these platforms, there are native tools and then 3rd party applications you can purchase to provide even more tools. The native iOS tool is very limited in the photo editing department with just options to rotate, auto-enhance, remove red-eye, and crop photos.

Since Apple provides iPhoto on Macs and iOS, I decided to include their iPhoto app for comparison even though this one will cost you a few bucks. iPhoto offers tools similar to what other smartphones have natively.

To edit photos with iPhoto, you need to actually launch the iPhoto app and then select a photo you want to edit. Editing tools in iPhoto are dynamic so tapping the icon in the bottom left slides tools out from the left side along the bottom where you can then dive down a level or two for more editing options.

There are options to crop, rotate, adjust contrast, adjust brightness, adjust color levels with slick sliders, red-eye removal, sharpen, soften, and more.

Tapping on the last icon to the right in the bottom toolbar takes you to a palette of tools, called Effects, that open up as a virtually stacked color strip selector. The main tool names appear as ink effects, warm & cool, duotone, black & white, aura, vintage, and artistic. Tapping on a strip then gives you more options for editing photos.

To edit photos with iPhoto, you need to actually launch the iPhoto app and then select a photo you want to edit. Editing tools in iPhoto are dynamic so tapping the icon in the bottom left slides tools out from the left side along the bottom where you can then dive down a level or two for more editing options.

There are options to crop, rotate, adjust contrast, adjust brightness, adjust color levels with slick sliders, red-eye removal, sharpen, soften, and more.

Tapping on the last icon to the right in the bottom toolbar takes you to a palette of tools, called Effects, that open up as a virtually stacked color strip selector. The main tool names appear as ink effects, warm & cool, duotone, black & white, aura, vintage, and artistic. Tapping on a strip then gives you more options for editing photos.

Tapping on the last icon to the right in the bottom toolbar takes you to a palette of tools, called Effects, that open up as a virtually stacked color strip selector. The main tool names appear as ink effects, warm & cool, duotone, black & white, aura, vintage, and artistic. Tapping on a strip then gives you more options for editing photos.

Tapping on the last icon to the right in the bottom toolbar takes you to a palette of tools, called Effects, that open up as a virtually stacked color strip selector. The main tool names appear as ink effects, warm & cool, duotone, black & white, aura, vintage, and artistic. Tapping on a strip then gives you more options for editing photos.

Tapping on the last icon to the right in the bottom toolbar takes you to a palette of tools, called Effects, that open up as a virtually stacked color strip selector. The main tool names appear as ink effects, warm & cool, duotone, black & white, aura, vintage, and artistic. Tapping on a strip then gives you more options for editing photos.

With the rise of free webmail services, the personal email landscape changed, but business mailboxes have remained pricey.

Now, thanks to aggressive competition between Microsoft and Google, that situation has changed. You can get business-class email for a relative pittance. And if you don’t want to pay for a modern mail server but still want to use a custom address with your business domain, you can now get that for free.

I’ve just converted several domains that had been running on ancient POP servers to a modern, cloud-based infrastructure. And it didn’t cost a dime. You can do the same.

First, a little background.

Back at the dawn of the commercial Internet, I registered a custom domain for my personal and business use.  One of the first things I did with that new domain was to attach it to a POP mail server and create a default email address.

I now own and use more than a dozen domains, but that first domain is still going strong. I’ve used that original email address for nearly two decades now. During that time I’ve lived in four states, changed Internet service providers a half-dozen times, and transferred the domain to different hosting providers without ever losing contact with my friends, co-workers, and family. I switched to a different default address for business e-mail a few years ago, but I have never stopped using that original address.

I could have chosen Google Apps for Business or Office 365, but either of those options would have meant a hefty annual bill.

As you can imagine, a 20-year-old email address, especially one with a common name to the left of the @ sign, attracts a lot of spam. Over the years, I’ve tried a bunch of spam-filtering options. None of them were close to perfect, but SpamAssassin passed the “good enough” test for a long time. A good decade, probably.

The trouble with SpamAssassin is that its technology hasn’t kept up with the bad guys, and over the past year or two the amount of junk mail that was bypassing the filters and landing in my inbox was steadily increasing.

And I’m not the only one with a mailbox on that domain. My mom has her primary account there, and my wife still receives some personal and business messages through an account there.

When the two most important women in my life both complained that the spam had gotten out of hand, I knew it was time to act.

So I decided to shut off the POP server and move that domain to a cloud-based service with its own spam filtering.

I could have chosen Google Apps for Business or Office 365, but either of those options would have meant a hefty annual bill: $50 per user for Google’s solution, $48 per user (and up) for Microsoft’s plans. (Those Google Apps accounts used to be free for up to 10 users, but Google dropped that option last year. If you set up an account before the cutoff date, you're grandfathered in, but there is no longer a free Google version for custom domains, only for Gmail.com addresses.)

But these are primarily personal accounts, so why should I pay a minimum of $150 a year? I decided instead to go with Microsoft’s best-kept secret: the free online tool that allows you to connect any domain to Outlook.com and keep email, contacts, and calendars in sync on just about any device.

Boy, am I glad I did that.

For the past three weeks, all three of those accounts, complete with custom domains, are now going through Microsoft’s mail servers. I’ve created some new accounts as well, using up 10 of the 50 addresses (and if I need more I can just put in a support ticket).

Here’s what I’ve gained:

• Amazingly good spam filtering. My main account gets between 300 and 500 spam messages per day, for a total of more than 10,000 per month. I’ve been monitoring that folder obsessively for the past three weeks. Only five messages of more than 7000 that I considered spam actually made it to my inbox. Fewer than 10 legitimate messages were caught by the spam filters. All of them were bulk messages that I ended up deleting anyway.
• Cloud backup. The trouble with those ancient POP servers is that they use a store-and-forward method that requires me to manage those archives somehow. Yes, I can use IMAP, but that’s still a crude technology compared to Exchange ActiveSync, which powers Outlook.com. And the same sync technology allows me to keep contacts and calendar items in the cloud as well.
• Easy connections to Microsoft Outlook. I use Outlook 2013 for my work email, which is handled by an Exchange server. I can connect any Outlook.com account (including my old Hotmail addresses) to Outlook as well. This support is built in to Outlook 2013; for Outlook 2010 and 2007, you need to install the free Hotmail Connector.
• Server-side rules. Microsoft calls this feature “sweep,” and it’s a very clever implementation that allows me to define flexible ways of handling different types of messages. “Just keep the most recent newsletter from Woot. Clean out daily news alerts from The New York Times after 10 days. Always move messages from the IPG mailing list to their own folder.” And so on.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, of course. The web version of Outlook.com includes unobtrusive ads that appear to the right of the main email window. Those ads are not context-sensitive: the advertising engine does not use the contents of the current message or other messages in your mailbox to determine which ads to display, as Gmail does. Incoming and outgoing messages do not include ads. (If you use a dedicated email client program such as Outlook, you’ll see no ads at all.)

Best of all, I get to keep my custom email address. If an alternative service comes along at some point in the future and I decide to switch, I can move my custom address. I own it. You can’t do that with an address in someone else’s domain, including Outlook.com and Gmail.com.

Oddly, the back-end service that makes this feature possible still uses the old Windows Live branding. It feels very … 2007. It’s scheduled for a visual refresh and a usability makeover to fit in with the look and feel of the new Outlook.com services, although Microsoft hasn’t said when that’s going to happen. But you can use it today, without waiting for those changes.

If you’re interested in connecting your custom domain to Outlook.com, I’ve put together a tutorial illustrating how to do exactly that.

To attach your custom domain to the Outlook.com servers, you need three things:

• Your own domain, which you can purchase from any registrar.
• The ability to create custom DNS (Domain Name System) records. In particular, you’ll need to create an MX (mail exchanger) record.
• A Microsoft account (formerly known as a Windows Live ID), which you’ll use to sign in to the domain administration center. This account should use an address that is not on the same custom domain as the one you're about to attach to Outlook.com. (If you already have a Microsoft account you use for other purposes, use it here.

If you're a stickler for legal details, you can read the terms of service, which are a supplement to the Microsoft Services Agreement.

Let's get started.

Step 1: Go to the Microsoft Custom Domains Admin Center and sign in using your Microsoft account.

Step 2: Click the Get Started link. (If you’ve previously used the Admin Center to attach a domain, click Add Domain.) That opens a new page where you can begin the custom domain setup process.

Step 3: Enter the domain name you want to attach to Microsoft’s Outlook.com service. Be sure you select the option to set up mail service for your domain.

Step 4: Accept the terms of service, fill in the captcha, and click I Accept.

You’ve now finished all of the initial setup steps. The next screen shows you the settings for the DNS record you need to create for your custom domain.

You now need to go to the settings interface for the DNS records associated with your domain. Each domain registrar is slightly different, but you'll need to find the place where you create an MX record and enter your domain name and the MX server address provided in the Mail Setup box, as shown above. If you're not experienced with managing DNS records, just copy and paste the entire box and send the details to a support professional at the registrar or a networking-savvy friend or colleague.

And then you wait, as the new DNS records propagate over the Internet. On one domain that I set up, the change was instantaneous. Most of the time, you should be able to continue within an hour. Click the Refresh button, and if the settings took, you'll see a screen like this one:

Click the Add button to begin creating accounts. For each new account, you add an account name (that's the part that goes to the left of the @ sign). You also assign a default password. If you're creating the account for yourself, you can clear the "Require password change at first login box."

If you're creating the account for someone else, leave that box checked, and send them the new email address and the password you just created. They'll be prompted to create their own password when they sign in for the first time.

To complete the account creation, go to Outlook.com and sign in using the credentials you just created. Your new mailbox is now available. You can attach the account to any mobile device and sync mail, contacts, and calendar using Exchange ActiveSync. You can also attach the account to Microsoft Outlook. This setup is automatic with Outlook 2013; for Outlook 2010 or 2007, you'll need to install the Outlook Hotmail Connector.

You can create up to 50 addresses in your new domain.

Any questions?

There is a stank in my local AT&T store. The place quite literally smells like damp, dirty socks.

For years now, my colleague Jason Perlow and I have gone back and forth over the question of whether retail is dead or dying. He contends it is, and I contend it's a business model issue, that some stores are thriving while others are dying.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I have an admission to make. I go into actual retail stores very rarely. Very, very rarely. I never liked shopping, I have an Amazon Prime account that meets nearly all my needs, and my work schedule keeps me pretty busy.

Besides, my wife actually enjoys shopping, so she does almost all the local errands. This isn't a gender thing. My dad loves to shop. I just never got that gene from him.

All that brings me back to the AT&T store. I needed a phone case from the store, and it was more convenient to pick it up than wait for Amazon to deliver it to me on Monday.

There was a problem. My wife wouldn't add it to her errands. She refuses to go in there. She says the attitudes of guys who work there are intolerably chauvinistic, in that "you don't know what you're doing, little lady" kind of way.

We both have iPhones on AT&T, so she's had a bunch of occasions to go in there. I bought my phone online, but she got hers in the store. She's also been back in there to look at phone cases and to get unnecessary bandwidth charges removed from her bill (she wasn't the only one).

So, fine, I'll run my own errand. It's only fair. I had tried to call first, but given that they sell phones, I found it a little disturbing that they don't ever answer their own phone when it rings. I called. No answer.

I drove the seven minutes to my local West Melbourne AT&T store. As I got out of the car, two women were getting into their car in the next parking space over. One woman turned to the other and said, "I hate that guy," pointing to the manager exiting the store. She continued, "He's always such a condescending jerk when I come in here."

This did not bode well. Not only was my wife distinctly unthrilled with this store, so was at least one other woman. Ah, well. My needs were simple. I went on in.

The very first thing I noticed was the stank. It smelled like a gym, on a particularly hot day. To be fair, I live in Florida, but it was only in the mid-70s yesterday. It just wasn't hot enough to justify the smell of a locker room.

The store consists of two main counters on the left and right side of the store. There were two salesmen behind the left counter (nearer the entrance) and three more behind the right counter. Each was with a customer. In the middle of the store were free-standing display areas, mostly uninteresting.

Some phones were on the display kiosks and were actually powered up and working, unlike the computers in our local office store (see Have PC retailers lost the will to live?).

That retail experience took me 30 minutes. By contrast, I could have ordered what I needed from Amazon in 30 seconds.

There was a definite Glengarry Glen Ross feel to the store. The man closest to where I planted myself was explaining a contract. The woman to my left was spending a few hundred bucks to buy a MicroCell so that the cell phone she was already paying for would actually work at home.

There were no female workers in the store. While I didn't see any outrageously inappropriate behavior, the sales guy who finished up first looked at me, and the only thing he said was "I'm going home." The store is listed closing at 8pm, and I was in there at 7:30, so he was clearly in a bit of a hurry to get out of there.

He didn't bother to say "Hi". He tried to avoid eye contact. He didn't offer to introduce me to another sales guy. He just wanted out and didn't care about his store's reputation, the possible purchase I might have made (at that point, he didn't know if I needed a phone case or an S4), or the impression he'd make on someone who might be a repeat customer.

He just wanted out.

In any case, it only took me about 15 minutes to get my needs met. I'm hard to miss, so the next free sales guy came over to me as soon as he was done with his customer. He was polite and got me what I needed. I had no complaints.

Even so, as I walked out, I thought once again about Jason's arguments about retail. It took me seven minutes to drive there and seven minutes home. Call that fifteen minutes. It took fifteen minutes of standing around. I didn't like how I was treated. There were other shoppers who clearly didn't like how they'd been treated.

And I had to get there before 8pm. And then there was the stank.

That retail experience took me 30 minutes. By contrast, I could have ordered what I needed from Amazon in 30 seconds. Had I been willing to wait the weekend for delivery, I would have saved half an hour.

Now, to be clear, half an hour isn't that much of a time investment. But when the choice for us all is sitting at our desks or on our couches and hitting One-Click or driving 30 minutes, 40 minutes, an hour, or more and having to endure waits, standing around, inattentiveness, attitude, or the stank, more and more of us will choose the online experience.

My only disagreement with Jason is that I don't believe retail is destined to die just because of "the online". If retail is dying, it's because the retailers themselves are letting it happen.

This store is simply poorly managed. There was no reason a salesperson should be allowed to let a customer feel ignored. And, of course, there was no excuse for the stank.

But Jason is right. If retailers don't change their ways, retail will be a wasteland. And retailers will have nobody to blame but themselves.

It's not consumer behavior, and it's not Amazon's fault. It's bad management. And, of course, it's the smell of failure.

Update: I've been contacted by a number of officials at AT&T who have expressed concern about this report and have told me they are looking into it.

Gretchen Schultz, an AT&T spokesperson, provided a response for publication: "Our goal is to delight our customers when they enter an AT&T retail store. Most of the time we get it right. Sometimes, regrettably, we fail to meet expectations and when we do, we value the feedback our customers give us and strive to improve."