'Free Unix!': The world-changing proclamation made 30 years ago today

September 27, 2013 04:44 PM ETIDG News Service - It was 30 years ago today, Sept. 27, 1983, that the seeds were planted for both Linux and the open source software movement, though neither is called that name by the man who help set both of them into motion, the irascible Richard Stallman.

On that day, Stallman, then working at MIT's Artificial Intelligence Lab, posted on the net.unix-wizards and net.usoft newsgroups about an ambitious new project he was embarking on.

"Free Unix!" began the missive.

"Starting this Thanksgiving I am going to write a complete Unix-compatible software system called GNU (for Gnu's Not Unix), and give it away free to everyone who can use it. Contributions of time, money, programs and equipment are greatly needed," he wrote.

Little did he know how many contributions this project would get in the decades to follow.

A prodigious programmer, Stallman went on to write many of the components for GNU himself, including the C compiler (GCC) and build automator (gmake). The GNU OS, however, still needed a kernel. It was provided, perhaps advertently, by a Finnish computer science student Linus Torvalds who in 1991 began working on his own free version of Unix for personal computers, which was named Linux.

Today, of course, Linux is one of the most widely used, if not the most widely used, OSes on the globe. Technically speaking, Torvalds' contribution to Linux is mostly the kernel, or the operating core, of what we think of as Linux. Many of the supporting components in today's Linux distributions actually come from the GNU project.

Stallman campaigned for a few years to rename Linux as the GNU/Linux, which, although technically being a more accurate name, failed to catch on, even as Linux development and usage continued to accelerate.

In its latest annual survey of Linux development, the Linux Foundation estimated that since 2005, nearly 10,000 individual developers from over 1,000 different companies contributed to the Linux kernel.

Perhaps even more important than preparing for the birth of Linux, Stallman's online proclamation also set the stage for what would subsequently be known as open source software, or, as Stallman still calls it, "free software." Computer hacking culture, in which programmers freely shared their code, had long been in place when Stallman began his project, though more and more companies began selling their software, and not letting their customers or anyone else view or modify the underlying code. Today such software is known as "proprietary software."

This practice incensed Stallman, and he vowed to fight it with his new OS.

"I consider that the golden rule requires that if I like a program I must share it with other people who like it. I cannot in good conscience sign a nondisclosure agreement or a software license agreement," he wrote in his Sept. 27 missive. "So that I can continue to use computers without violating my principles, I have decided to put together a sufficient body of free software so that I will be able to get along without any software that is not free."

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.

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Flash storage vendor Violin falls on IPO

September 27, 2013 04:36 PM ETIDG News Service - Shares of solid-state storage vendor Violin Memory plunged more than 17 percent on the company's first day of trading Friday, but analysts said the market for flash storage remains hot.

Violin raised just over $160 million in an initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange, which the company will use primarily to expand its global sales and marketing capabilities. But the shares, which the company had priced at $9 per share, started trading far below that and closed at $7.11, down $1.89, or 21 percent. The weak result came on a gloomy day overall, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the tech-heavy Nasdaq both down.

The market's lukewarm response to Violin's IPO doesn't spell gloom for flash storage, which is still a young and fast-growing technology, industry analysts said. Enterprises are buying flash to speed up access to their data, and the price premium for the solid-state media versus spinning disks is shrinking.

Violin makes all-flash arrays for enterprises, designed to accelerate applications such as databases and online transaction processing. The market for those products is growing by about 60 percent per year, IDC analyst Jeff Janukowicz said.

"The flash market's still very hot," Janukowicz said. "Flash hasn't really gone mainstream in the enterprise."

Violin CEO Donald Basile said the company is focused on the long term.

"What the market does in a given day, whether the market trades up or down, is certainly something we don't have control over," Basile said.

Violin's IPO comes under very different conditions than another flash vendor, Fusion-io, faced when it had a strong opening day in 2011, said Taneja Group analyst Arun Taneja. Fusion-io started with essentially no competition, and Violin is up against the largest storage vendors, he said. Giants including EMC, NetApp, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Hitachi Data Systems have already developed all-flash technology or bought startups, he said.

"All the major players have been placing their bets," Taneja said. "Violin was not one of the ones that got picked up through an acquisition." That leaves Violin as a stand-alone rival to the companies that sell most of the storage gear in enterprises, he said. "I think people perceive that as a greater risk, and no question, it is a greater risk," Taneja said.

Violin is focused on competing as a stand-alone public company, with its main rival being EMC, though its board would have to consider any buyout offer, CEO Basile said. The company, based in Mountain View, California, was formed in 2005 and released its first products in 2009.

Violin formed a distribution partnership with HP in 2011, but HP switched to an internal strategy after CEO Leo Apotheker left the company less than a year later, Basile said. Violin has since signed on Dell and Fujitsu as partners and is selling joint solutions with SAP and Microsoft, he said.

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.

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Iran accused of hacking into U.S. Navy computers

September 27, 2013 06:16 PM ETIDG News Service - Hackers backed by Iran have penetrated an unclassified U.S. Navy network in one of the most serious incidents of cybercrime yet by the Middle East nation, according to a report Friday.

The U.S. doesn't believe important data was stolen, but the attacks showed a new level of Iranian hacking power, including the ability to access military data, U.S. officials told The Wall Street Journal. Either agents working directly for the Iranian government or an outside group with Iran's approval allegedly carried out the attacks.

The attacks came just as U.S. and Iranian officials tried to restart negotiations over Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program. U.S. President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hasan Rouhani spoke by phone on Friday.

Cybersecurity experts have said China and Russia have more sophisticated hacking abilities than Iran or North Korea but the smaller countries are more volatile threats, seeking retaliation rather than economic gain.

The U.S. carries out its own share of cyberwarfare, according to reports in the Washington Post based on documents leaked by former NSA employee Edward Snowden. Those documents showed the U.S. engaged in 231 attacks on foreign targets in 2011, the Post said.

Stephen Lawson covers mobile, storage and networking technologies for The IDG News Service. Follow Stephen on Twitter at @sdlawsonmedia. Stephen's e-mail address is stephen_lawson@idg.com

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.

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Microsoft buys used iPhones in latest attempt to get consumers to switch to Windows

September 28, 2013 10:41 AM ETComputerworld - Microsoft on Friday launched yet another trade-in program to convince consumers to switch to a Windows device, this time aimed at iPhone owners.

On its Microsoft Store website, Microsoft outlined the new deal: It will accept "gently used" iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 smartphones -- the 2011 and 2012 editions, respectively -- and pay a minimum of $200 for each. The Redmond, Wash. technology company will issue the funds as a gift card good for purchases at the Microsoft Store.

As in the iPad buyback program that debuted two weeks ago, customers must bring their used iPhones to a retail outlet in the U.S., Canada or Puerto Rico -- trade-ins are not supported online -- where a sales representative will evaluate the device and decide on the dollar amount. Microsoft has 77 stores in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.

"Microsoft Store gift-card value ... is subject to Microsoft's discretion and manager approval," the website said. "All trade-ins are final. Cannot be redeemed for cash. Limit 1 per customer."

The gift cards that result from an iPhone trade-in can be used for anything Microsoft sells in its stores, including its Surface tablets and third-party PCs, but the deal is clearly intended to tempt Apple's current customers into switching to a Windows Phone like the Nokia Lumia 1020.

That may be a very tough pitch.

According to market research company ChangeWave, 70% of iPhone owners polled said they were "very satisfied" with their purchase, the top-ranked percentage in the survey, which also noted that the second-most satisfied customers were ones who had a Samsung smartphone: 54% of those people said they were "very satisfied" with their device.

Like the earlier iPad deal, Microsoft's iPhone buyback program isn't available online so it's impossible to tell what the company's salespeople will pay for an iPhone before getting in the car. Re-commerce vendors such as Gazelle and NextWorth, which do operate online, pay between $190 and $210 for a working 16GB iPhone 4S on AT&T's network, and between $290 and $304 for a 16GB AT&T iPhone 5. The lower prices for both devices were quoted by Gazelle, the higher prices by NextWorth.

Microsoft also has a broader buyback program in place that operates online, and that accepts a wide variety of rivals' devices, including the iPhone. That program produced trade-in quotes for the same 16GB AT&T iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 of $160 and $250, respectively, or between 16% and 24% less for the iPhone 4S, between 14% and 18% less for the iPhone 5, than Gazelle and NextWorth.

Not surprisingly, the new buyback program does not accept Microsoft's own Surface tablets as trade-ins; none of Microsoft's current deals do. That's triggered complaints by owners of the company's first-generation tablets, who last week urged Microsoft to offer cash for their Surface RT and Surface Pro devices so that they could trade up to the second-generation Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 when they go on sale Oct. 22.

Microsoft's iPhone buyback program expires Nov. 3. Apple has already launched new smartphones -- the flagship iPhone 5S and the lower-priced iPhone 5C -- but the former is in very short supply, with current orders slated to ship at an unspecified date next month.

Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer, or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed . His email address is gkeizer@ix.netcom.com.

Read more about Smartphones in Computerworld's Smartphones Topic Center.

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Microsoft gets 37,000 requests for user data in first half of year

September 27, 2013 07:25 PM ETIDG News Service - Judges and police investigators are on track to submit about the same number of requests to Microsoft for end user data this year as they did in 2012, according to figures released Friday.

Microsoft received 37,196 such requests worldwide in the first six months of the year, meaning it's on track to field about the same number of requests as last year, when just over 75,000 were submitted.

Microsoft disclosed the figures in its Law Enforcement Requests Report for the first half of 2013.

Five countries accounted for almost three-quarters of the requests: the U.S., the U.K., France, Germany and Turkey.

Microsoft said the report, which breaks down the requests by country and shows how Microsoft responded, is "valuable and useful to the community" in debating the balance between privacy and law enforcement needs.

The report doesn't include information about national security-related requests from the U.S. government, such as those made under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). It's illegal for Microsoft and other online firms to report detailed information about the type and volume of national security orders they receive.

Microsoft and other companies are suing the U.S. for permission to reveal that data, which is in the spotlight after disclosures that the National Security Agency (NSA) has collected and reviewed massive amounts of information about law-abiding citizens.

The requests potentially impacted about 66,500 Microsoft online accounts altogether, the company said. Microsoft provided "non-content data" in response to 77% of the requests. This can include people's names, billing addresses and IP connection data.

The company disclosed actual customer content in response to 2.2%, or just over 800, of the requests. That may have included photos, email messages and other documents. Most of these instances were in response to U.S. agencies, it said.

The requests affected "less than 0.01%" of accounts across all its services, Microsoft said. In 21% of the cases it did not hand over any data, the company said.

Most requests were for consumer accounts. Microsoft received 19 requests for enterprise email accounts. In four of those cases it disclosed customer data, and in one case it disclosed non-customer data. All those enterprise requests originated in the U.S.

To disclose non-content data, Microsoft requires a subpoena or equivalent order, and it must have a court order or warrant before handing over user content.

Juan Carlos Perez covers enterprise communication/collaboration suites, operating systems, browsers and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Juan on Twitter at @JuanCPerezIDG.

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.

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On 15th anniversary, Google is a historical tech powerhouse

September 27, 2013 03:58 PM ETComputerworld - Fifteen years ago today, people were making their first Google searches.

Google hadn't yet become a verb meaning "to search." No one was using an Android smartphone. No one was watching movies on a Chromebook or wearing Google Glass while hot air ballooning and sharing their adventures on Google+.

On its 15th anniversary, Google has grown from its early days as a search engine company to a powerhouse not only in the high-tech world but in the mainstream world, as well.

For fun, try a Google search for "Google in 1998" to check out how the homepage as it looked 15 years ago. Today it celebrated its 15th anniversary with a homepage doodle of a colorful pinata.

Whether Google can maintain this kind of momentum or whether innovations are hitting a plateau is the question.

"Google is one of, if not the most, powerful technology company in the world. I don't know many people who would dispute that," said Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel Technology Company. "In fact, it could be argued that Google is one of the most powerful companies in the world today. Who wouldn't say that Google doesn't have more sway over the world than an oil company like Exxon, or a large bank, or even the world's largest private employer -- Wal-Mart? Google touches many more people's lives daily than any of those companies."

Rob Enderle, an analyst with the Enderle Group, said Google has gained historical power.

"Its information reach and control over advertising revenue likely make it more powerful than some governments and certainly stronger than either Microsoft or IBM were at their peak," Enderle said. "They are approaching the power of Standard Oil in the early part of the last century."

Olds said it shouldn't be assumes that Google has hit its apex and now will coast until the next big company comes along and pushes Google into the shadows - much like Google did when it eclipsed search rival Yahoo years ago.

"It's very difficult to say if Google is plateauing right now, of if they're poised to extend their reach even more," Olds said. "Several years ago, people thought Google's high-growth phase was done. They had conquered search and online advertising, but they were fumbling around to find a second act. As we've all seen, Google found that second act in services like YouTube and products like the Android operating system and its associated ecosystem."

One area for concern, according to many industry watchers, is that Google risks becoming unfocused or splintered. The company is far from just a search company, as it was in its early days.

People, and enterprises, have come to rely on its other services and products, such as Google Maps, Google Docs and Chrome. Google's Android smartphones are a direct threat to Apple's iPhone and iPad empire.

Small and midsize businesses are moving to the cloud to host their communications capabilities. Learn how enterprise-quality phone benefits, online management, conferencing, auto attendant, and ease of use are built into a system that is half the cost of a PBX.

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Wall Street Beat: Tech IPOs, M&A continues to heat up

September 27, 2013 07:39 PM ETIDG News Service - Several recent IPOs and eBay's $800 million cash offer for payments startup BrainTree this week highlight what looks like a burgeoning market for tech initial public offerings and mergers and acquisitions.

On Friday, for example, Violin Memory, a flash storage maker, and RingCentral, a provider of cloud-business communications products, both went public. Last week, Benefitfocus, a provider of cloud-based benefits software solutions, and FireEye, which offers a virtual machine-based security platform, went public.

Meanwhile, Twitter announced that it plans to go public, and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group will also pursue an IPO in the U.S.

On the M&A front, following Microsoft's $7.2 billion offer for Nokia earlier this month, eBay announced it would pay $800 billion for BrainTree to enhance parent company PayPal's mobile capabilities.

Underlying both IPO and M&A activity is a strong stock market and a tech sector that has been getting stronger. Though Friday was a down day for markets as the political battle over funding heath care reform comes to a boil in Washington, D.C., overall it has been a strong year for the stock market.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up about 17 percent for the year, the Standard and Poor's 500 index is up about 19 percent for the year, and the Nasdaq stock market is up about 25 percent for the year.

The market for tech stocks in particular has been gaining steam, catching up to other sectors. At the end of the first quarter, the Nasdaq Computer Index was up about 6 percent for the year. Now, it's up about 16 percent for the year, and the Nasdaq Telecommunications Index is up about 21 percent for the year.

Industry insiders expect the tech IPO market to stay strong. A recent poll by KPMG found that of those tech-sector venture capitalists surveyed, more than half expected more tech IPO activity in the rest of the year. Twenty-two percent of those expected tech IPO activity to increase more than 10 percent.

"I think it's due to the market having done really well in the last four months," said Mihir Jobalia, global head of tech for KPMG Corporate Finance.

In the first eight months of the year the median return on tech IPOs was 26 percent, based on share price increases from IPO prices, Jobalia noted.

Tech companies these days are better prepared to go public than in the dot-com boom era of the late 90s, Jobalia said.

"There is a higher bar for companies to go public," Jobalia said. "The higher quality comes from having a more robust business model, better margins, and strong management teams focusing on financial management."

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.

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What kind of ads would you 'like'? Facebook wants to know

September 27, 2013 04:08 PM ETIDG News Service - Facebook wants to make its ads less annoying to users by only showing them what they want to see, even if it means a dip in ad exposure for some marketers.

The company is changing its ads algorithms to provide users with advertisements that are more relevant, and desirable, to them, it said Friday.

Facebook already takes information both from marketers and end users into account when deciding how to place advertisements. But the social network will now put more emphasis on feedback from users to decide which ads to show them.

"We are currently working on some updates to the ads algorithms to improve the relevance and quality of the ads people see," Hong Ge, Facebook's engineering manager of news feed ads, said.

To do this, Facebook will be looking more at when users click, "like," comment on, or share ads, for instance. When someone hides an ad, Facebook will show that person less of those types of ads, the company said.

By placing more emphasis on these types of signals, Facebook hopes people will see more ads that are relevant to them and fewer that are not. So if someone hides ads for, say, vitamin supplements, fewer of those types of ads will appear in their news feed, Facebook said.

If marketers are miffed by these alterations, Facebook wants them to know it has their interests at heart too.

The ads algorithm tweaks may produce some unanticipated changes for how marketers' ads are distributed in the coming weeks, Facebook said. But, "this is ultimately better for marketers, because it means their messages are reaching the people most interested in what they have to offer," the company said.

Traditionally, marketers tell Facebook which people they think will be most interested in their ads. A restaurant, for example, might tell Facebook to show an ad to people living in the same city aged 18 to 35, Facebook said.

Facebook has been making a series of changes to the news feed over the past several months. In August the company said it would be changing its sorting algorithms to rearrange the order in which certain stories and posts from friends are displayed.

Zach Miners covers social networking, search and general technology news for IDG News Service. Follow Zach on Twitter at @zachminers. Zach's e-mail address is zach_miners@idg.com

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.

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Why San Francisco today is like every city tomorrow

September 28, 2013 07:00 AM ETComputerworld - Silicon Valley Internet startups aren't always in the bits business. Sometimes there are atoms involved. Some of the most innovative new web- or mobile-based services have a physical aspect involving real-world goods, delivery or rental.

Silicon Valley itself is mostly made up of suburban towns sandwiched between two medium-size cities -- San Francisco to the north and San Jose to the south.

When a certain kind of startup needs to test its idea in the real world, both to further develop the concept and also to impress its Silicon Valley investors, the test usually rolls out first in San Francisco, and often one or two other major U.S. cities as well. As a result of this concentrated range of experimental services, San Francisco residents live in an alternate universe where they can go online and do things that most of us can't do -- yet.

All of the companies that test their services intend to roll out nationally or internationally, and many of them do. For example, TaskRabbit is a former startup that lets you hire people to do odd jobs and run errands for you. It started in Boston and ran for two years on limited venture funding. But two years later, the founders moved the operation to Silicon Valley and launched the service in San Francisco. They got additional funding, and now they're in every major city in the country.

That's an ideal scenario for all of the services I'm going to tell you about below.

But sometimes experiments fail. A heavily venture-backed company called Artify.it, billed as the "Netflix for art," tested in San Francisco the concept of renting works of art. The idea was -- why buy art, then be stuck with the same pieces. By renting, you could switch it once in a while. Well, the concept failed and the company folded in June.

San Francisco is the make-or-break city for a large number of experimental services.

San Francisco is an ideal location for testing startup concepts for several reasons. First, it's close to (or part of) Silicon Valley -- just a 36-minute Tesla drive to Sand Hill Road in Palo Alto, where many of the Valley's venture capital firms are headquartered.

Second, San Francisco is densely packed, like Manhattan is. San Jose has a larger population than San Francisco, but it's more spread out like Los Angeles.

Third, San Francisco has a high concentration of upwardly mobile, young urban professionals, the kind of people who are not set in their ways and have disposable income.

Here's a short list of some of the cool new startups that, while in San Francisco today, could be coming to your city tomorrow.

Outbox exists to turn your paper snail-mail into email. Here's the crazy part: They actually come to your house and take the paper mail that's in your home mailbox three times a week. Then they scan it and put it online. Why? Because once it's digital, you can search, store and organize it into folders. You can add your mail to a "to-do list" item, so you don't forget to take action on it. You also can get your mail while traveling. Outbox removes your junk mail and recycles it. If you want to get some paper mail, say, wedding invitations or holiday cards, they'll deliver those back to you in a box once a week. The basic service costs $5 a month. Outbox is based in Austin, Texas, and the service is available in Austin and San Francisco only, with more cities to be added later.

Instacart is a low-cost grocery-delivery service that has been available for several months in San Francisco and rolled out only a few weeks ago in Chicago. Instead of having big trucks making the rounds, Instacart farms out the shopping to "Personal Shoppers," who drive in their own cars to Safeway, Whole Foods, Costco or Dominick's grocery stores, buy from your electronic shopping list and deliver it to your house. The basic rate is $3.99 per delivery, but it can go up from there, depending on the order and the store. Instacart intends to roll out to more cities soon.

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Apple iMac 27-inch (Intel Core i5-4670)

Pros Fusion Drive is SSD+HDD, but smart. Stunningly thin design. Impressive low-glare display. Top-of-the-line processor and graphics card offer best-in-class performance. User serviceable memory slots. Ports include Thunderbolt and USB 3.0. Can work as a monitor for Thunderbolt Macs.

Cons No Touch Screen. SD card slot in back. No internal upgradability beyond RAM. No height adjustment. Requires adapter for HDMI. Bottom Line Though it's mainly a speed bump, the inclusion of the latest 4th-generation Intel Core i5 quad-core processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 775M Kepler graphics bump the Apple iMac 27-inch (Intel Core i5-4670) back to the top spot on our high-end all-in-one desktop list.

By Joel Santo Domingo

Though it's mainly a speed bump, the inclusion of the latest 4th-generation Intel Core i5 quad-core processor and Nvidia GeForce GTX 775M Kepler graphics made a world of difference for the Apple iMac 27-inch (Intel Core i5-4670) ($2,199 as tested). The newest iteration costs much less than previous iMacs costing significantly more (such as the Apple iMac 27-inch (Nvidia GeForce GTX 675M), which listed for $3,099), but it's just as fast, if not faster. The newest iMac (Intel Core i5-4670) even surpasses the previous all-around EC for high-end all-in-one desktops. Thanks to its improved performance and features, the latest Apple iMac 27-inch is also our latest Editors' Choice for high-end, all-in-one desktops.

Design and Features
The new Apple iMac looks identical to last year's Apple iMac 27-inch (Late 2012) ($2,668), and no wonder. Apple introduced the new iMac chassis last year, which is still all aluminum and glass, and still tapers down to about 5mm on all four edges around the screen. Apple was able to do this by eliminating the built-in DVD SuperDrive, saving quite a bit of heft. Apple likewise moved the SD (SDXC) card reader from the side to the back panel. While not a deal-breaker, moving the SD card slot to the back makes it inconvenient for users who simply want to transfer their pictures to from their camera to their iMac. In contrast, the previous high-end, all-in-one Editors' Choice Dell XPS 27 Touch All-in-One (2720) ($2,099) has a tray-loading DVD burner, the SD card reader, and a selection of ports on the side; hence the Dell is much thicker along the edge.

The base model of 27-inch iMac (Intel Core i5-4670) comes with a 3.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory, 1TB (non-Fusion hard drive (non-Fusion), 2,560 by 1,440 resolution 27-inch screen, and GeForce GTX 775M, and retails for $1,999. Apple sent us an upgraded model with a 1TB Fusion Drive with a total price of $2,199 (a $200 premium over the base model). The 1TB Fusion Drive is a paired set of a 1TB 7,200rpm SATA hard drive along with a 128GB PCIe Flash Storage unit (similar to a SSD). To get our exact review configuration is to go to Apple's online store, select the 3.4GHz version of the 27-inch iMac ($1,999), then click on the 1TB Fusion Drive button under "Storage." This should add $200 and make the subtotal $2,199. The Flash Storage stores OS X and any other system files all the time, while the OS monitors which apps and documents you use often. The system then shifts these oft-used files automatically to the Flash storage, so they are available without too much waiting time. Less used files and programs are physically stored on the spinning hard drive. In practice, this means that startups and application launches only take seconds, compared with up to a few minutes on older hard-drive-only system. Unlike a HDD+SSD setup on some Windows PCs, users won't have to do any file management themselves; the OS does that for you. The Macintosh HD icon shows all the files on both physical drives, so you don't have to remember if you saved your file to the Flash or to the hard drive. For more on Fusion drive, please read our article, 5 Things to Know About the Apple Fusion Drive. Depending on your budget, you can upgrade to a 3TB Fusion Drive, or even forgo the spinning hard drive and configure an iMac with up to a 1TB flash storage drive. You'll pay $1,000 over the $1,999 base price for the privilege.

As expected, the iMac (Intel Core i5-4670) doesn't have too much internal access for the end user. You can buy tools from sites like ifixit.com to get into the system, but like the original Macintosh of mid-1980s vintage, the end user isn't meant to open the iMac and perform upgrades. The only upgrade available is under a door on the back panel, which exposes a set of four SO-DIMM slots. The system has 8GB installed, with a potential for 32GB total. If you need internal expansion, then systems like the HP Z1 Workstation ($5,673) would be a pricey option. Granted, the Z1 is an ISV-certified professional workstation that has a premium price for premium features like the internal accessibility, Xeon processor, and Quadro graphics. People that want such features like Xeon and Quadro in a Mac would be advised to wait for the upcoming redesigned Mac Pro when that is released, hopefully soon.

Like the previous model, the 27-inch iMac's screen is a bright IPS display with a 2,560-by-1,440 resolution. This matches the XPS 27 Touch's resolution, and both have far more pixels on the screen than any 27-inch system with a 1080p screen, like the Acer Aspire 7600U (A7600U-UR308) ($1,899) or the semi-portable Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon ($1,849.99). The higher resolution screen means that you can show more of a high pixel RAW image or show a full 1080p HD video while still displaying toolbars for editing that video. The iMac's glass is essentially bonded to the IPS panel, so internal reflections are minimized. Though technically the chassis is made of several pieces, the welding technique Apple uses means that the system effectively appears as a single piece. This helps rigidity and contributes to the thinness of the system.

Like other Macs, the iMac comes preloaded with iPhoto, iTunes, Mail, etc. The iMac has a one-year warranty. One future-proofing plus is that the iMac can work as a monitor for a future Thunderbolt-equipped Mac. Using one of the two Thunderbolt ports, the iMac's monitor can display video for a MacBook, Mac mini, or other future Mac. You can of course use the Thunderbolt ports and the four USB 3.0 ports for hard drive and peripheral expansion. This ability to use the iMac as a monitor almost makes up for the fact that you will need adapters for DVI, VGA, and HDMI displays in multi-monitor setups. Mini-DisplayPort, and Thunderbolt monitors will work natively, of course.

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Brother MFC-J870DW

Pros Prints, scans, copies, faxes. Prints on printable optical discs. Features Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, and NFC (near field communication).

Cons Low-paper capacity (100 sheets plus a 4-by-6 photo paper tray). Bottom Line A potentially great fit for a micro or home office, and packed with MFP features, the Brother MFC-J870DW inkjet MFP can print from a near field communications (NFC) capable phone.

By M. David Stone

The simplest description for the Brother MFC-J870DW, also available as the MFC-875DW with some superficial differences), is that it's an improved version of the Brother MFC-J825DW that it's in the process of replacing in Brother's line. A particularly good fit as a personal inkjet MFP in any size office, the MFC-J870DW offers faster speed than the MFC-J825DW, better output quality, and one eye-catching new feature: support for Near-Field Communication (NFC) so it can print from NFC-capable smartphones. The combination makes it a shoo-in to replace the MFC-J825DW as Editors' Choice.

Although NFC support is far from the MFC-J870DW's most important feature, it's the most interesting, if only because this is the first printer to come through PC Labs that offers NFC. If you have an appropriate phone, like the Samsung Galaxy S III that I tested with, NFC makes printing from the phone impressively easy.

To use NFC, you first have to make sure the feature is turned on in both the phone and printer, and you have to install Brother's print app from the Google Play Store. Once that's taken care of, you can print whenever you like. Open Brother's print app, pick a file or other item to print, and hold the phone next to the NFC logo on the front of the printer for a moment. After the printer and phone automatically negotiate the connection, you'll see a message on the phone saying you can move it away from the printer. All that's left is to wait for the file to print. It's that simple.

Of course, as useful as NFC can obviously be for mobile printing, not everyone needs it, and a lot of phones (Read: iPhones in particular) don't support it. Fortunately, the MFC-J870DW also offers lots of other features that make it worth getting even if you don't have an NFC-capable phone.

Packed with Features
Basic MFP features in the MFC-J870DW include printing and faxing from, as well as scanning to a PC, even over a network, and working as a standalone copier and fax machine. It's also easy to scan to email, using the email program on your PC, by using the front-panel menu accessed through the 2.7-inch touch screen. Additional office-centric features include automatic duplexing (for printing on both sides of a page) and a 20-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF) that supplements the letter-size flatbed for scanning at up to legal size.

Unlike some Brother MFPs, the MFC-J870DW also offers lots of photocentric features, including the ability to print directly from PictBridge cameras, memory cards, and USB memory keys, as well as view photos before printing on the front panel LCD. Built-in menu commands also let you connect to a selection of Web sites, some of which, like Picasa Web Albums, are primarily of interest for home use. Other choices include Google Drive, Flickr, Facebook, Evernote, Box, and Dropbox.

Also very much worth mention is the ability to both print on printable optical discs, and use a copy command to copy an image onto a disc.

One key limitation for the printer is that it holds only 100 sheets of paper, with no upgrade options. That should be enough for most personal use, but unless you print very few pages, it's too meager for sharing the printer on an office network, even though you can connect using either Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Partly making up for the low capacity is a 20-sheet tray for 4 by 6 photo paper. The second tray lets you switch between plain paper and photos without having to swap out the paper in the main tray.

Setup, Speed, and Output Quality
Setting up the MFC-J870DW is standard fare. For my tests, I connected to a network using the Ethernet port, and installed the drivers on a Windows Vista system. On our business applications suite I clocked the printer (using QualityLogic's hardware and software for timing) at 4.7 pages per minute (ppm). That makes it faster than either the MFC-J825DW, at 4.0 pages per minute (ppm) or the Editors' Choice Epson WorkForce WF-3520, at 4.4 ppm. It also counts as fast for the price. Photo speed was also reasonably fast, averaging 59 seconds for a 4 by 6.

Output quality is par or better across the board. Text in particular is at the high end of the range that includes all but a few inkjet MFPs, making it easily good enough for most business needs. Graphics output is good enough for any internal business use. Depending on how critical an eye you have, you may or may not consider it good enough for PowerPoint handouts or the like as well. Photos were dead on par, making them a match for what you would expect from drugstore prints.

As with the MFC-J825DW that it replaces in both Brother's line and as Editors' Choice, the Brother MFC-J870DW offers a long list of features—from its ADF, to its duplexer, to its NFC support—that makes it highly attractive for office use. The low paper capacity pretty much limits it to being a personal printer, but being able to share it on a network can still be a useful convenience, particularly for the dual role of home and home-office MFP. If you need an office-oriented, personal MFP, the Brother MFC-J870DW belongs on your short list.

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HP Envy Rove 20-K014us Mobile All-in-One

Pros Portable around the house. Huge screen for a portable. Ultrabook performance in a tablet form factor. Wi-Di compatible. Dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. Comes with Monopoly and other touch games.

Cons Limited ports. Uncomfortable wireless keyboard. Not full 1080p HD. Somewhat hefty. Lots of pre-loaded software. Bottom Line The HP Rove 20-K014us portable all-in-one desktop PC has both the innovations and problems that come with being a first-generation product in a nascent category.

By Joel Santo Domingo

The HP Rove 20-K014us ($979.99 list) is a portable all-in-one desktop PC. That means that it has a huge 20-inch screen and has some of the benefits of a desktop and some benefits of a portable tablet. It's meant to be carried around your home or office, rather than sit on a coach airline seat or in your lap during a train commute. It's not bad as an example of a first-generation product, but since it is a first-gen product and new category, you will have to put up with some shortcomings if you welcome the Rove 20-K014us into your digital life.

Design and Features
The Rove 20-K014us is one of the latest examples of portable all-in-one desktops. As such, it looks like a 20-inch portable tablet when it is laying flat on a table, but something interesting happens you push the magnetic release bar on the back. A single u-shaped metal arm unfolds from the back, so you can sit the Rove 20-K014us upright. This is a similar mechanism that we've seen on other portable all-in-one desktops like the Sony VAIO Tap 20 (SVJ20215CXW) ($999.99) and the Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon ($1849). The arm is hinged, so you can use the Rove 20-K014us in a variety of angles, from horizontal to just shy of vertical. It measures about 12.75 by 20 by 1.31 inches (HWD), so it's a thinner than the VAIO Tap 20. The thin champion for portable all in ones is currently the Dell XPS 18 ($1,399), which is less than 0.75 inches thick. The Rove 20-K014us weighs in at 11.83 pounds, over double that of the svelte Dell XPS 18. Granted, the Rove 20-K014us and the Sony Tap 20 both have adjustable metal stands on their back panels, while the XPS 18 makes do with lighter duty plastic fold out feet.

Since the system has all that space inside, HP saw fit to configure the system with an ultrabook-class 4th-generation Intel Core i3-4010U processor, 4GB of system memory (with an option of 16GB max), and a 1TB 5,400rpm SATA hard drive. 1TB is a good size for the various video files you'd be tempted to load up on the Rove 20-K014us. The system's LED backlit IPS screen measures 20-inches diagonally, but only has a 1,600-by-900 resolution rather than 1,920 by 1,080 (1080p HD). This shouldn't be a problem while watching most videos, but you will be able to see more information on most web pages and more windows while multitasking on a 1080p HD screen. The XPS 18 and the Asus Transformer AIO (P1801-B037K) ($1,299) each have 1080p 18.4-inch touch screens, though the Asus P1801-B037K is really a full-size all-in-one desktop with a removable Android tablet as its screen rather than a self-contained portable all-in-one system like the rest.

The Rove 20-K014us comes with three USB 3.0 ports, a headset jack, and that's about it. It lacks the SD card reader you'd find on most all-in-one desktops, and it lacks the HDMI port you'd find on most portables. All is not lost, since the system supports WiDi, but that still means you'd need an adapter or a smart TV that already has WiDi built in.

Living with the Rove 20-K014us is a very similar experience to the Sony VAIO Tap 20, in that both are somewhat bulky portable desktops with Windows 8 and 10-point touch screens. The 20-inch display means that it is perfectly suitable for two people to share, particularly when the system is lying on a table horizontally. To this end, HP included a copy of Monopoly that leverages the touch screen and turns the system into a large active game board. It's a similar experience to the one we had on the 27-inch Lenovo IdeaCentre Horizon, just on a smaller screen. The HP doesn't have an overlay like the Aura interface on the IdeaCentre Horizon, but we found we didn't miss it too much. Typing on the touch screen was easy, since the screen is so large. The included wireless keyboard and mouse were welcomed, even though the included keyboard is a bit prone to typing errors because of its very flat keys and vague key feel.

The Rove 20-K014us comes with quite a few pre-loaded apps including box (formerly box.net), Snapfish, Skype, Netflix, Classic Board Games, ebay, nquared makewords, Fingertapps Instruments, Jigswar, Fresh Paint, Adera Lite, Disney Fairies Lite, You Cam, HP Connected Music, Monopoly, an ad for Microsoft Office, HP Games, and Cozi Family Calendar. If you already use or plan to use these programs this is a convenience, otherwise you'll have to budget quite some time to remove them after you bring the system home. The Rove 20-K014us comes with a standard one-year warranty.

Performance
Among the portable all-in-one PCs, the Rove 20-K014us comes in as a moderate benchmark performer. This is no doubt due to its Intel Core 3 processor, which has a lower performance ceiling on multimedia benchmark tests than the Core i5 and Core i7 processors found in the other all-in-one desktops. That said, the components in the Rove 20-K014us are perfectly fine for the sort of family social media and shared entertainment that the system was built for. Sure, you would rather have a faster PC for photo editing purposes, but the Rove 20-K014us is certainly capable. Things are a little better on the battery front. The Rove 20-K014us lasts almost four hours (3:53) on our battery rundown test, which is more than enough for a movie watching session or even four hour-long TV shows. This is a lot better than the less than two hour runtime of the Sony Tap 20 and the sub three-hour runtime on the Lenovo Horizon. The Dell XPS 18 lasted almost an hour little longer at 4:48. Essentially, if you like the styling of the Rove 20-K014us and the Sony Tap 20, go for the Rove 20-K014us, as it will last a lot longer under battery power.

It's still too early to call an Editors' Choice winner for the portable all-in-one desktop PC segment, but for now the Dell XPS 18 has the best balance of portability and usability. The HP Rove 20-K014us is a close second or third place at this time, since it is a bit bulkier and slower than the XPS18. That said, we recommend the Rove 20-K014us over the Sony VAIO Tap 20 that is likely to be going on closeout, now that the Sony VAIO Tap 21 has been announced. We'll see how it goes, and see if the public accepts the portable all-in-one desktop PC concept. If you're curious now, the HP Rove 20-K014us is a pioneering choice and worth a look.

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IM+ (for Windows 8)

Pros Accepts all manner of messaging services, including Skype and Facebook. Group chat. File attachments. Notifications. Background operation.

Cons Some interface quirks. No voice or video chat. Bottom Line If you use a multiplicity of chat services—Facebook, Skype, AIM, and so on—IM+ offers a good way to bring them all together in a touch-friendly interface.

By Michael Muchmore

With clients for iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Web, and even BlackBerry Playbook (!), software maker Shape claims that its IM+ is the most widely used instant messaging software in the world. Now you can add Windows 8 (and 8.1 and RT) to that list. Part of the app's success is that, in addition to so much platform support, it works with every IM protocol you've heard of—including Facebook messages, Skype, Gtalk, ICQ, Yahoo Messenger, AIM, Twitter—and several you probably haven't heard of, like mig33, Fetion, and Mamba.

So what do you look for in a messaging client? I already mentioned two of the biggies—wide service and platform support, but there are lots of trappings that can make IM more useful, productive, and enjoyable. Things like chat history saving, contact list sorting, photo and file exchanging. Voice, video, and group chat are further icing on the cake. IM+ offers some of these, with even more window dressing like custom backgrounds, sounds, and a plentiful selection of emoticons.

Setup
IM+ is available at the Windows Store in both a free and a $4.99 Pro edition. The latter simply removes all advertising, though what I saw in the free edition wasn't obtrusive, though some will prefer a pure IM experience. I tested on a desktop and a Microsoft Surface Pro. When you first run IM+, you're asked to allow it access to your personal data and to run in the background. If you say no to either, the app is pretty useless, so just go ahead and give it permission. A third permission bar asks if you want to "share data between devices" which is a convenience for people with PCs, tablets, and smart phones—most of us. I did have to enable the accounts when installing the app on another device, however.

Then you'll want to choose to set up an account from the 19 services offered, by clicking on their colorful tiles. I started with AOL Instant Messenger, an old standby when it comes to IM. Skype has long been a difficult nut for IM clients to crack, but IM+ had no trouble connecting me with my Skype chat contacts, as well as my Facebook, AIM, and Yahoo Messenger accounts (though I don't really use that last one much).

Interface
The IM+ for Windows 8 Interface is a bit odd, though I see that the reason for this is that the company wants to make it work well with touch. An example of this oddity is that from the main page, you can't see your IM services unless you swipe to the right. And at the bottom are "Show More" text links, which really just open a more standard-looking IM interface. The Settings panel should let you manage your messaging accounts, but it doesn't. And when you do get to the account page, you have to invoke the app bar (by right clicking or swiping from the top or bottom of a touch screen) to see the Add account + button—this should just always be showing on the accounts screen.

A couple of desirable IM options let the app "Show status on the lock screen" and "Pop up notifications" so that you can see an incoming message when you're doing something else on the tablet or PC. The app also does well when you're taking advantage of Windows 8's ability to display a split app screen. I've always liked running IM in a thin side window on Windows 7 and before; being able to have it available as a sidebar to your main activity makes a lot of sense, and I found that I could interact in IM+ this way with aplomb.

A couple more nice options are noteworthy: You can set the app to silent mode, which will be much appreciated by folks around you. A choice of background patterns and four font sizes allow for some customization of the interface. You cannot, however, sort contacts by history—meaning that the people you chat with most appear first.

Using IM+ on Windows 8
After a smidgeon of acclimation, the IM+ interface is a cinch, with the main pages showing tile areas for Chats, Contacts, and (after a swipe or mouse-wheel spin) accounts. The more standard "show more" view has a left panel that you can switch between showing lists of your contacts, current chats, and favorites. The large center area, as you'd expect, is where your conversations are displayed.

In addition to text chatting, IM+ lets you add from an amusing selection of emoticons, and attach files and on-the-spot shot photos or video messages. A permission bar appears telling you that the data will be uploaded to IM+'s servers, but no third parties will get access to the data. When I snapped a photo in a chat, my recipient had to launch a browser window to see it, rather than just having it inline in the chat.

To start a group chat, you simply hit the circled + button at top right in a chat. Unfortunately, you can only have groups within the same service—you can't mix AIM and Skype contacts, for example, though this is the way most IM clients work. You can always add more participants and see who's included via buttons. And you get all the same attachments and emoticon options as with one-on-one chat.

A couple of things you don't get are audio and video chatting, which IM+ clients on other platforms offer. But Shape notes that more features are in the works for the Windows 8 app, so perhaps we can hope for audio and video in a future release.

Getting the Message
For touch tablet users, IM+ fills a much needed void in the Windows 8 "Metro" and Windows 8 RT world, as a universal instant messaging client. Its abilities to run effectively in the background and in a side window add value for any Windows 8 user. Group chat and file attachments are other plusses that outweigh a somewhat quirky interface to earn IM+ for Windows 8 a "Good" PCMag rating of 3 bullets. For a more powerful communicator, check out Skype for Windows 8.

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Sennheiser Momentum On-Ear

Pros Distortion-free, quality audio performance with plenty of rich low-end. Very secure, comfortable on-ear design. Includes two detachable cables, one with remote control and microphone for iOS devices.

Cons Sound signature is a bit bass heavy. No adapter accessories for headphone jacks. Bottom Line The comfortable Sennheiser Momentum On-Ear headphones deliver a boosted-bass response that manages to not overwhelm the overall balance of the mix.

By Tim Gideon

A typical pair of headphones from Sennheiser will focus on rich, but measured, bass response and crisp highs—and the visual design may look more utilitarian than luxurious. So, it's interesting to watch the company add a little bit of variety to its formidable line-up. The Momentum On-Ear (229.95 direct), like its over-the-ear cousin, is an eye-catching pair of headphones. The sound signature here is more about boosted bass than flat response, but there's a steady balance that is maintained—things never seem overwhelmingly in favor of the lows. The performance is clean at high volumes and the headphones are comfortable over long listening periods. The Momentum On-Ear is worth the high price for those seeking added low-end presence without veering into Beats-level bass boosting.

Design
Available in six color schemes (black, blue, brown, green, ivory, and pink—with varying cable colors depending on the model), the Momentum On-Ear looks, unsurprisingly, quite similar to its around-the-ear Momentum cousin. Both of these headphone pairs are a departure, from a visual design standpoint, for Sennheiser, a company whose headphones have always been firmly rooted in the black-and-gray plastic, chunky world of pro-audio gear.

The supra-aural (on-ear) Momentum adjusts its fit by sliding the earcups up and down, rather than having moving parts and adjusters built-in to the headband. This keeps the overall look simple and clean. With leather accents on the headband and plush earpads made from a material called Alcantara (it feels like felt or velvet, but doesn't seem to get very warm over time), Sennheiser's design implies luxury without ostentation. The on-ear design is pleasant in both look and feel, but it's worth noting that if you were to take this pair to, say, a noisy coffee shop, it's not going to block out much outside noise.

The Momentum On-Ear's cable is detachable (it connects at the left earcup), which adds value to the pricey headphones, as it's much less expensive to replace a cable than buy a new pair of headphones if the cable begins to malfunction down the road. Even better, two cables are included—one with an inline microphone and three-button remote intended for Apple iOS devices.

Also included is a handsome, protective zip-up  case. While the case feels nice, the headphones don't fold down flat into it. Bringing the Momentum On-Ears in your bag will eat up a lot of space, despite them being a fairly manageable size on your head.

There's also a less bulky drawstring nylon bag, though it will still require more space since the headphones don't fold down. Strangely, there is no ¼-inch adapter for larger headphone jacks, nor an airplane jack adapter—an annoyance, but hardly something a quick trip to Radio Shack can't solve for very little money.

Performance
On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like the Knife's "Silent Shout," the Momentum On-Ear does not distort, and it delivers a rich, robust low-end. These lows are matched with a healthy presence in the mids and highs, so balance is well maintained despite the  considerable low-frequency push.

Baritone vocals in Bill Callahan's "Drover" his get a significant boost in the lows and low-mids. This could end up making the mix muddy, as the constant drumming on this track also receives a powerful bass boost, but the Momentum On-Ear adds just enough crispness and bite in the high-mids to maintain definition. Regardless, purists might find this pair a bit too bass-boosted, and the overall sound signature could use a bit more high-mid presence.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop has a sharp attack that slices through the mix nicely, while the sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are delivered with plenty of gusto. The balance here sounds a bit more even than it does on the Bill Callahan track, where the lows get a bit too much boosting and the high-mids not enough. To call this a bass-lover's pair in the era of Beats by Dr. Dre would not be completely accurate.

If the styling of the Momentum On-Ears isn't for you, but you're still looking for some added low-end, the $299.99 KEF M500 is a solid, but pricier, option. Also stylish, but decidedly non-traditional in appearance, is the Marshall Monitor ($200), which offers a fantastic overall balance with a bit more brightness (when you take out the removable dampeners in the earpads). For more modest budgets, both the $100 LSTN Fillmores and Sennheiser HD 429s ($89.95) offer solid audio experiences, the latter providing a more typical Sennheiser sound signature for a far lower price. For $230, however, the Momentum On-Ear delivers a frequency response that will appeal to those seeking added bass without overwhelming the mix—the comfortable design and detachable cable only sweeten the deal.

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VMware Fusion 6

Pros Smooth but unobtrusive integration between OS X "host" and Windows "guest" software running in a window or full-screen. Compatible with hundreds of guest operating systems.

Cons Not as beginner-friendly as rival Parallels Desktop. Bottom Line VMware Fusion is the smoothest-running and least obtrusive app on the market for running Windows or Linux apps under OS X.

By Edward Mendelson

VMware Fusion and Parallels Desktop are the two apps that make it easy to run Windows apps on the Mac OS X desktop, and they're so similar in features and functions that it's impossible to say which one you should choose. If you're a Mac user who needs to use an app that runs only under Windows, then you definitely need one of them. But you won't be able to choose on the basis of which one is more up-to-date, because both came out with shiny new versions within a few days of each other.

Both let you run Windows 8.1 on the OS X desktop; both run under OS X 10.9 Mavericks—the next version of OS X—and both let you run a copy of OS X 10.9 or other recent OS X versions in a window on whatever version of OS X you have running on your Mac. I slightly prefer VMware Fusion, for reasons I'll describe in a moment, but I have both of them installed, and I'm very impressed with Parallels Desktop's ease of use and suitability for beginners who may find VMware Fusion slightly daunting.

By the way, I wrote that VMware Fusion and Parallels are the two apps that "make it easy" to run Windows apps on the OS X desktop. You can find other apps that do far less and require far more work, notably the open-source Oracle VM VirtualBox and various free and commercial versions of the WINE (WINE Is Not an Emulator) framework. None of these come even remotely close to VMware or Parallels in power, speed, or convenience. You can also run Windows on any recent Mac using Apple's own Boot Camp technology, but Boot Camp makes you shut down OS X and restart in Windows, then shut down Windows and restart in OS X, while VMware and Parallels let you run (for example) Microsoft's new Windows-based Office 2013 in an OS X window while running Mac-based software in other windows—and all these apps get direct access to any OS X folder you choose.

Installing an OS
VMware Fusion, like Parallels, starts up with a wizard that lets you install a "guest" OS to run inside your "host" OS X system. Unlike Parallels, which gives you a smorgasbord of free OSes to choose from (Android, Linux, Windows 8.1 Preview), VMware expects you to do one of these things: install an OS from an installer CD, DVD, or disk image file; import an image of your existing Windows machine using either a network connection or a direct connection via Ethernet cable; install a second copy of OS X from the recovery partition hidden on any Mac running Lion or later; or use a Windows system that you've previously installed via Apple's Boot Camp. If you choose an operating system that VMware supports—any recent variety of Linux, Windows, OS X and more—then VMware will install it and launch it automatically. More arcane operating systems require you to enter options by hand as they start up, just as on real hardware.

Parallels offers prebuilt options like Android from a menu, but you can find a far vaster range of prebuilt VMware machines if you're willing to search for them on VMware's site and elsewhere. (Search for "VMware appliances.") Programmers have even written VMware drivers for arcane operating systems like NeXTSTEP and OPENSTEP, the OSes developed by Steve Jobs that later evolved into OS X. Purely for curiosity's sake, I have both those ancient OSes running in VMware machines that I found in the depths of the Internet. But I use VMware more often to run Windows apps that don't exist on my Mac—for example, Corel WordPerfect X6 and Axialis Icon Workshop, which is, ironically enough, by far the best editing tool for OS X icons, and it exists only in a Windows version.

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Xerox DocuMate 4440

Pros Good OCR performance. Good feature set. Has 9 programmable one-touch scan profiles.

Cons No business card software. Bottom Line The Xerox DocuMate 4440 is a duplex color document scanner that offers good speed and OCR quality.

By Tony Hoffman

The Xerox DocuMate 4440 is a color duplex document scanner with a 50-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF). It provides one-touch scanning from 9 preset and customizable scan profiles, either from your computer or the scanner itself. It showed good speed and OCR quality in our testing.

The 4400 has a 12-by-7-inch footprint (WD), and weighs 8 pounds. It has a straight-through paper path, allowing it to scan business cards as well as ID cards and other plastic cards up to 1.3 mm thick, although it doesn't include a business card program. It can also scan paper at up to 8.5 by 38 inches. It offers ultrasonic double-feed detection sensor to catch paper misfeeds.

Like most document scanners, the 4440 can scan at up to 600 dpi; it can scan in black and white, grayscale, or color. You can select (or customize) any of nine preset Visioneer OneTouch scan profiles. To the right of the ADF is the single-character blue LED that's used to display the number of the current scan profile, which you can switch between with up and down arrows. To launch a scan from the scanner, you press either the Simplex or Duplex button.

The default OneTouch scanning profiles and destinations include Scan (image PDF); PDF (searchable PDF); Print (BMP); E-mail (PDF); Fax (BMP); OCR (RTF); Archive (searchable PDF, 300 dpi); Business Card (BMP); and Paint (BMP). It can scan to PDF, searchable PDF, JPEG, TIFF, and BMP formats; it can also scan to RTF and other document formats if you install either the included PaperPort or OmniPage Pro.

Scanning
You can initiate scans directly from the scanner, by choosing a profile and hitting either the Simplex or Duplex button, or from the OneTouch interface on your computer. (A OneTouch icon appears at the bottom of the screen at startup; clicking on it shows you the numbered scan profiles) In addition, you can scan from Nuance PaperPort or OmniPage Plus, or from nearly any program that has a scan command thanks to the included Twain and WIA drivers.

The 4440 can also be daisy-chained to the Xerox DocuMate 4700 flatbed through a direct USB connection to that scanner, enabling you to easily scan from within applications from the scanner of your choice. They worked well together, and the 4440 was just as fast when connected to the 4700 as it was when hooked directly to the computer.

Software
Buindled software includes Visioneer OneTouch, Nuance PaperPort for document management, Nuance OmniPage Pro for OCR, and Kofax VRS (virtual re-scan) Basic for scan enhancement. A version of the 4440 with an upgrade to Kofax VRS Professional, which adds a wealth of additional scan management and improvement features, is also available through Xerox for $1,195 (direct).

Speed
The DocuMate 4440 has a rated speed of 40 pages per minute (ppm) for simplex scanning and 40 ppm / 80 images per minute (ipm) for duplex scanning, where each side of a page counts as one image. In speed testing using the OneTouch default settings (image PDF, black and white, 200 dpi), the 4440 nearly matched its rated speed for simplex scanning, testing at 36 ppm, and tailing off a little (29 ppm/58 ipm) in duplex, though the score is still well within a respectable range. The Editors' Choice Xerox DocuMate 5445, rated at 45 ppm/90 ipm, tested at 37.5 ppm for simplex and 37.5 ppm/75 ipm for duplex scanning. The Kodak i2400, rated at 30 ppm simplex and 60 ipm duplex, tested at 25.4 ppm in simplex and 49.1 ipm in duplex.

In scanning our 25-page, 50-image test document to searchable PDF (sPDF), the 4440 averaged 1 minute 43 seconds to scan, recognize and save the file, a respectable time for a document scanner—many scanners in its price range take upwards of 2 minutes, and some over 3 minutes, to do this—though not in the top tier. We timed the Kodak i2400 at 1:34 and the Xerox 5445 at 1 minute 18 seconds in scanning the same document to searchable PDF. The Editors' Choice Canon imageFormula DR-C125 not only matched its 25 ppm/50 ipm speeds in scanning to image PDF, it didn't lose a second in scanning and saving our test document to searchable PDF, finishing in a minute flat.

OCR
The 4440 did well in our OCR testing, reading both our Times New Roman and Arial test fonts at sizes as small as 8 points without error. It also did reasonably well with some of our less common fonts.

The Xerox DocuMate 4440 is easy to recommend for a desktop document scanner at its price. It offers duplex scanning and a 50-sheet ADF. You can choose any of 9 programmable scan profiles, using arrow buttons for one-touch scanning. It can scan ID and business cards, though it lacks a business-card program. Its OCR performance is good. It nearly matches its rated speed, especially for simplex scanning, in scanning to image PDF. It isn't quite as fast in scanning to searchable PDF as several scanners at similar or lower price, such as the Kodak i2400 and the Editors' Choice Canon DR-C125, but it should be fast enough for most businesses.

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BlackBerry confirms abysmal Q2 results

September 27, 2013 08:28 AM ETIDG News Service - BlackBerry confirmed on Friday its $965 million net operating loss in the second quarter, following low interest in the Z10 smartphone.

Revenue for the company's second quarter, which ended on Aug. 31, was approximately $1.6 billion, down 45% from the same period a year earlier. Both the operating loss and the revenue were in line with preliminary results released last week.

The last week has been a busy one for BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins and his colleagues. In addition to the bombshell of its preliminary results, the company also announced around 4,500 lay-offs and cuts to the number of phone models it sells from six to four: two high-end and two entry-level phones aimed at the enterprise and "prosumer" market. Then on Monday it revealed it was preparing to sell the company to Fairfax Financial Holdings.

Although Blackberry has confirmed the financial results, "There is still a great degree of uncertainty," said analyst Geoff Blaber, director of devices and platforms at CCS Insight. "There is still an awful lot to happen following the Fairfax offer. The biggest element of uncertainty is what the new private company will become. My bet is it will be an enterprise service company, and devices are unlikely to be a part of that."

Originally, the company had scheduled a webcast and conference call with management on Friday to discuss the results, but those events were cancelled on Wednesday following the deal with Fairfax. However, BlackBerry plans to publish consolidated financial statements and a management discussion and analysis of results for its second quarter next week.

The postponement highlights the uncertainty surrounding the bid from Fairfax, Blaber said. "On an earnings call BlackBerry would expect to field a large number of questions on exactly that, and at the moment it can't answer them."

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.

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Cisco IOS fixes 10 denial-of-service vulnerabilities

September 27, 2013 10:12 AM ETIDG News Service - Cisco Systems has patched 10 vulnerabilities that could affect the availability of devices using various versions of its IOS software.

IOS is a multitasking operating system that combines networking and telecommunications functions and is used on many of the company's networking devices.

All of the patched vulnerabilities can affect a device's availability if exploited. They affect Cisco IOS implementations of the Network Time Protocol (NTP), the Internet Key Exchange protocol, the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), the Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP), the virtual fragmentation reassembly (VFR) feature for IP version 6 (IPv6), the Zone-Based Firewall (ZBFW) component, the T1/E1 driver queue and the Network Address Translation (NAT) function for DNS (Domain Name System) and PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol).

These vulnerabilities can be exploited by remote, unauthenticated attackers by sending specifically crafted packets over the network to IOS devices that have the affected features enabled.

Depending on the targeted vulnerability, attackers can cause the affected devices to hang, reload, lose connection, lose their ability to route connections or trigger other types of denial-of-service (DoS) conditions.

Workarounds for the NTP, ZBFW, T1/E1 driver queue and RSVP flaws are available and are described in the corresponding security advisories released by Cisco this week. To mitigate the other vulnerabilities, users will have to install patched versions of the IOS software, depending on which versions their devices already use.

"The effectiveness of any workaround or fix depends on specific customer situations, such as product mix, network topology, traffic behavior, and organizational mission," Cisco said. "Because of the variety of affected products and releases, customers should consult their service providers or support organizations to ensure that any applied workaround or fix is the most appropriate in the intended network before it is deployed."

The company is not aware of any malicious exploitation or detailed public disclosure of these vulnerabilities. They were discovered during internal security reviews or while troubleshooting customer service reports.

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.

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Expect tech glitches when Obamacare launches Oct. 1

September 27, 2013 09:17 AM ETNetwork World - The countdown is on. In four days, the health insurance marketplaces mandated by the Obama administration's Affordable Care Act are scheduled to open for business. As with any sizable tech project, there are bound to be glitches. But this isn't just any large tech project. It's unprecedented for the U.S. government.

Come Tuesday, every state will have its own online healthcare exchange, where citizens can browse and buy insurance from healthcare providers as if they were shopping for flights on a travel website. Consumers will be able to find out if they qualify for financial assistance and compare plans based on pricing, quality and benefits. The portals will calculate premiums and potential tax credits based on citizens' income, eligibility for subsidies, and other parameters.

[[2013 JOB WATCH: Top 11 metro areas for tech jobs]]

Behind the scenes, a number of agencies, applications and data sources must swap information to keep the systems running.

"Homeland Security sends the citizenship information, IRS sends the income information, Social Security sends the Medicare eligibility information, and from the states you get the Medicaid eligibility," says Charlene Frizzera, president of consulting firm CF Health Advisors.

The requirements for data security and privacy are particularly onerous. Yet even before the sites launch, problems are emerging:

" Final security testing of the federal data hub, which links to databases maintained by multiple agencies and containing sensitive personal information, isn't slated to happen until Sept. 30, one day before the rollout. Lawmakers have raised significant concerns about the ability of the system to protect personal health records and other private information.

" The District of Columbia's DC Health Link marketplace announced that it won't deploy on Oct. 1 the function that makes new Medicaid eligibility determinations and calculates tax credits for purchase of private insurance "due to a high error rate discovered through extensive systems testing." Other states have reported similar functional setbacks.

" The Associated Press is reporting that online enrollment for small businesses will be delayed and business owners initially will have to mail or fax their enrollment info.

If technical glitches arise, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is prepared to issue workarounds, industry watchers say. In addition, nobody is expecting millions of enrollments at the start of the six-month open enrollment period, particularly since coverage won't begin until Jan. 2014 -- which could buy some time.

CMS "has designed a system that they've tested to the best of their ability, and they think it works," says Frizzera, who is a former CMS acting administrator.

The agency has identified where they think the biggest risks are in the system they designed, Frizzera says. If a few of those risks materialize, CMS has prepared workarounds to handle the issues, but "they're going to have a harder time keeping up if a lot of those come to fruition," she says.

Reprinted with permission from NetworkWorld.com. Story copyright 2012 Network World, Inc. All rights reserved.

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HTC sells Beats stake, acknowledges failed partnership

September 27, 2013 08:40 AM ETIDG News Service - HTC is selling back the remainder of its stake in Beats Electronics, shedding its financial ties to the headphones vendor in a partnership that did little to help turn the smartphone maker's fortunes around.

HTC on Friday said it would sell off its 25% stake for $265 million, according to a Taiwan stock exchange filing. In addition, the company will receive $150 million and accrued interest from Beats at a later date as part of a promissory note. The deal will close in the fourth quarter.

The stake sell-back ends a partnership that lasted only two years, and was originally heavily promoted by HTC as a way to differentiate its phones from rival handsets.

The U.S.-based Beats is perhaps known for its ties to rap artist Dr. Dre, who helped found the company. In August 2011, HTC bought a majority stake in Beats for $300 million. As part of the deal, HTC decided to incorporate the company's headphones and audio technology into its own handsets.

Since then, however, HTC's smartphone market share has declined on fierce competition with Apple and Samsung. Its also posted a string of weak earning reports, with the company's second quarter net profit down 83% year-over-year.

Last year in July, HTC scaled back its financial ties to Beats and sold off half of its majority stake in the company for $150 million. At the time, HTC said the move would give Beats more flexibility to expand globally. But analysts also said the Beats partnership had failed to give HTC a significant edge over its rivals.

On Friday, HTC signaled that it no longer needed Beats' expertise in audio technology. In its stock exchange filing, the company said its own "HTC BoomSound" tech could deliver superior audio in mobile phones.

The Taiwanese smartphone maker, however, added that the two companies "will continue to partner as future opportunities arise."

As HTC cuts financial ties with Beats, U.S. private-equity firm Carlyle Group said on Friday it was buying a minority stake in the headphones company. As part of the investment, Carlyle Group will help Beats expand its business both in the U.S. and globally.

Carlyle Group is buying the stake for $500 million, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.

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iOS 7 security update patches lockscreen flaw

September 27, 2013 09:16 AM ETNetwork World - Apple yesterday released an iOS 7 software update that fixes a security flaw that let users bypass the iPhone lockscreen to access a range of onboard information and online accounts.

IOS 7.0.2 seems to be mainly a security patch, but the update screen also says there is a new Greek alphabet keyboard option for entering a passcode.

A day after iOS 7 was released earlier this month, Forbes' Andy Greenberg reported that a U.S. soldier had somehow uncovered a rather complex series of actions that let him bypass the lockscreen, at least on existing iPhones that updated to the new firmware.

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The actions involved swiping upwards on the lockscreen to bring up the iOS Control Center, then opening the alarm clock app, then holding down the power button to show the "power off" and "cancel" options, then tapping "cancel," and finally quickly double-clicking the home button to bring up the multitasking screen for various apps.

According to Greenberg's account, the user could then access the phone's camera and stored photographs and, more importantly, the ability to share the photos via various associated accounts, and therefore access them: including email, Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.

John Cox covers wireless networking and mobile computing for Network World.Twitter: http://twitter.com/johnwcoxnwwEmail: john_cox@nww.com

Read more about software in Network World's Software section.

Reprinted with permission from NetworkWorld.com. Story copyright 2012 Network World, Inc. All rights reserved.

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iPhone 6 rumor rollup for the week ending Sept. 27

September 27, 2013 09:16 AM ETNetwork World - The iOSphere this week was filled with iPhone 6 demands, revelations, assertions, and advice, most of it aimed at Apple.

The company was assured, earnestly and solemnly what iPhone 6 "needs" to avoid being accused of the Innovation Deficit and facing Certain Doom. In other cases, bloggers confidently exposed all the specific features that Apple has, obviously, already included in the Next iPhone. Apparently, all we're waiting for is Apple's marketing guru, Phil Schiller, to confirm them a year from now.

Also this week: iPhone 6 fan art spoils the joy of new iPhone 5S buyers; and you won't have to wait 12 months because iPhone 6 will be announced in Q1 2014.

You read it here second.

iPhone 6 "needs" to have six things

The Rollup loves posts with headlines like "What Apple needs to offer with the iPhone 6," which sums up Lance Whitney's recent post at CNET.

We can only hope, and pray, that Tim Cook, Jonathan Ive, and the rest of the innovation-challenged employees at Apple Headquarters have an RSS feed to Whitney's blog.

The quick summary of what Whitney knows is needed: bigger screen, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, NFC (near field communications), higher pixel camera, 128GB storage option, and better battery life.

If these sound familiar that's because most of them have been on lots of "What Apple Needs to Do" lists for the past three years, at least.

For each needed feature, Whitney's rationale is so broad as to cover every possible contingency. Thus, the "bigger screen" needs to be bigger than the 4-inch diagonal screen for iPhone 5S and 5C but not, like, too big. "Apple should avoid the huge phablet' size favored by some companies but still outfit the iPhone 6 with at least a 4.5-inch display," Whitney says. At what point does a smartphone screen become "huge?"

Whitney is among the many who still seem convinced that Apple is just waiting for the right moment -- the moment of "true consumer adoption," according to Whitney -- to jam in a NFC chip and the massive antenna it requires so we can wave our iPhones around and buy stuff. The Rollup is skeptical: Apple's interest seems to lie in crafting a highly functional, secure, and easy to use online transactional experience along with exploiting Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, both of which are already far more widely deployed than NFC.

Finally, it's entirely likely Apple will continue to improve its smartphone camera, but doing so in more dimensions than simply increasing the number of megapixels. "But with consumers craving beefier smartphone cameras, next year may be time for Apple to boost the megapixel count to lure in more of those potential Lumia buyers," Whitney says.

Reprinted with permission from NetworkWorld.com. Story copyright 2012 Network World, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Multifactor authentication available on Windows Azure cloud

September 27, 2013 06:34 AM ETIDG News Service - Microsoft has announced the general availability of multifactor authentication on its Windows Azure cloud platform.

Besides using a user name and password, users can authenticate through an application on their mobile device, automated voice call, and a text message with a passcode, Microsoft said Thursday.

Windows Azure multifactor authentication can be used for applications that require additional security, including on-premises VPNs and Web applications. Users have to run the multifactor authentication server on existing hardware or in a Windows Azure Virtual Machine. Users can synchronize with their Windows Server Active Directory for automated user set up.

The authentication can also be used for cloud applications like Windows Azure, Office 365, and Dynamics CRM. Users have to enable multifactor authentication for Windows Azure AD identities "with the flip of a switch," and will be prompted to set up multifactor the next time they sign-in, Microsoft said. Users can also use the Azure SDK (software development kit) to build multifactor authentication phone call and text message authentication into their application's sign-in or transaction processes.

Competitor Amazon Web Services already offers multifactor authentication free to its users for use with their AWS account. Customers are however charged if they use a physical authentication device that will need to be purchased from Gemalto.

The Microsoft service on Azure is charged at two pricing options: US$2 per user per month for unlimited authentications or $2 for 10 authentications. A promotional offer cuts the price by half until Oct. 31.

John Ribeiro covers outsourcing and general technology breaking news from India for The IDG News Service. Follow John on Twitter at @Johnribeiro. John's e-mail address is john_ribeiro@idg.com

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2012 International Data Group. All rights reserved.

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Why RMS Built Its Cloud Environment in Iceland

September 27, 2013 09:40 AM ETCIO - Risk Management Solutions is a provider of catastrophic risk insurance that, in the last few years, has expended its portfolio management services at the behest of its insurance and reinsurance customers.

In the process, RMS has become a de facto cloud service provider, its clients now able to combine existing actuarial data with risk modeling data from RMS to improve underwriting and portfolio management tasks using a system known as RMS(one).

The applications that provide such analysis are understandably data- and compute-intensive, says John Stanford, director of cloud architecture and engineering for RMS. It was only a matter of time before the firm - based in Silicon Valley but with offices in nine time zones - needed a global data center.

RMS decided on Iceland. It wasn't long after the EyjafjallajAPkull volcano erupted, though, and the Nordic nation found itself in the midst of a financial crisis that saw all three of its major private banks collapse. Many wondered if building a data center in Iceland was worth the risk, Stanford says.

RMS thought so - the firm knows a thing or two about risk analysis, after all - and opened its RMS Cloud environment on Sept. 19. RMS now occupies part of a 44-acre data center campus located 45 minutes from Iceland's capital of ReykjavAk at the site of a former NATO Command Center.

If NATO's geological data deemed the site suitable for storing missiles, says Lisa Rhodes, vice president of corporate strategy and market development with Verne Global, which owns and operates the facility, then it's good enough for a data center.

Iceland Appeals to International Firms With a Catch That Benefits Locals

Rhodes says Iceland offers several advantages when a firm is choosing a data center location. (Verne Global also counts Climate Action and BMW among its tenants.)

The island can claim consistent temperatures, proximity to North America and Europe, a new power grid and a steady supply of renewable energy - largely geothermal but also hydroelectric and, increasingly, solar - which lets firms predict energy costs as far as 20 years into the future. Even if there's another volcanic eruption, prevailing winds will likely blow the ash toward Europe, Rhodes says.

Meanwhile ... Why Putting Your Data Center in Canada Makes SenseAlso: 5 U.S. States That Offer Big Data Center Appeal

Stanford adds that Iceland's government, in an effort to attract international business, charges no value-added tax (VAT) to companies that operate in Iceland but don't have an office there. Part of that rationale is to thus encourage those companies to partner with Icelandic firms. This has the added effect of encouraging what Stanford describes as a "highly educated and technologically astute" workforce to pursue certification and training while building a new managed services industry in Iceland.

Cloud Architecture Encourages 'Freedom and Flexibility'

With the RMS Cloud up and running, the insurer's clients no longer have to run risk models on their own servers, using a product that had to be shipped to clients, Stanford says. The cloud architecture gives them the "freedom and flexibility" to perform additional analyses as necessary. Datapipe's Stratosphere Hosted Private Cloud platform handles peak loads in Verne Global's data center.

Plus, Putting the cloud environment in Iceland places it in close proximity to Amazon Web Services data centers in London and Dublin. (The island also has redundant cables that link it to Europe and Boston, the latter via Greenland and Nova Scotia, Rhodes says.) This is good for latency, Stanford says, and also helps when RMS needs to boost capacity in the event of a catastrophe or an insurance policy renewal. "We're aiming to automate at scale as much as possible," he says.

Finally, the scalability may give RMS the opportunity to offer RMS(one) to clients beyond the insurance industry that need to calculate risk, Stanford says, specifically citing real estate and government agencies.

Brian Eastwood is a senior editor for CIO.com. He primarily covers healthcare IT. You can reach him on Twitter @Brian_Eastwood or via email. Follow everything from CIO.com on Twitter @CIOonline, Facebook, Google + and LinkedIn.

Read more about industry verticals in CIO's Industry Verticals Drilldown.

This story is reprinted from CIO.com, an online resource for information executives. Story Copyright CXO Media Inc., 2012. All rights reserved.

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Windows touchscreen laptops, Chromebooks save back-to-school

September 27, 2013 11:20 AM ETComputerworld - Touch-enabled Windows notebooks and Chrome OS-powered Chromebooks contributed to better-than-expected PC sales during the back-to-school period and may hint at a less dismal holiday-selling season than once thought, a retail analyst said today.

"The trajectory of the numbers means that the holidays should be more aligned with back-to-school than with the [gloomier] projections of earlier this year," said Stephen Baker of the NPD Group.

This wasn't a turn-around, Baker cautioned, not by a long shot, but things could have been much worse. "The point we would make is that the talk that no one wants PCs and that they're on a road to ruin is not what we see in the sales numbers," Baker said. "This is a mature market struggling to find its place in a changing industry, but it still has a pretty solid base."

Even so, the back-to-school stretch in the U.S. -- from June 30 to Sept. 7 -- saw PC sales down 2.5% compared to the same period in 2012. But the decline was slightly better than the 4% drop that NPD measured in the U.S. retail market during the first half of 2013.

Call Baker optimistically uneasy. "While these results are better than ... the first half of the year, any declines in the crucial back-to-school period leave reason to be concerned for the upcoming holiday season," he said.

There were some clear trends during back-to-school, however.

Windows notebooks equipped with touchscreens accounted for a quarter of all sales, an encouraging sign since Windows 8 -- the Microsoft operating system launched a year ago -- relies heavily on touch and has been largely panned on non-touch systems.

Microsoft executives have blamed the shortage of touch notebooks for Windows 8's lack of progress. If touch PCs had been more prevalent, they have argued, Windows 8 would have gotten out of the gate faster. And once touch was more widely available, the new operating system would power a rebound in PC sales.

While the jury is still out on that, more touch notebooks are coming on line and at lower prices. A third of all touchscreen notebooks sold during the back-to-school season were priced under $500, which drove down the ASP (average selling price) from $715 in the first half of 2013 to $646, said NPD.

"The rapid rollout of under $500 devices put touch much more aggressively in front of the key back-to-school consumer and created incremental demand," Baker said.

Windows notebooks accounted for a majority of sales during the back-to-school season in the U.S. (Data: NPD Group.)Small and midsize businesses are moving to the cloud to host their communications capabilities. Learn how enterprise-quality phone benefits, online management, conferencing, auto attendant, and ease of use are built into a system that is half the cost of a PBX.

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