Category Archives: Technology

IBM Survey: Shoppers Poised to Dramatically Expand Purchasing Power Beyond the Store

By Guest PostJanuary 15, 2013Technology3d, analytics, behavior, consumer electronics, cyber monday, data, global consumers, global phenomenon, ibm, ibm digital analytics, ibm study, ibmnrf, jill puleri, luxury items, mobile apps, movement, national, online environment, preference, retail federation convention, showrooming, transitional state, us patents

One-third consider options other than the store for next purchase; Showrooming drives 50 percent of online sales

ARMONK, N.Y. – 15 Jan 2013: National Retail Federation Convention – A new IBM study of 26,000 global consumers released today at the 2013 National Retail Federation convention (#IBMNRF) found they are diversifying the way they shop for and acquire goods, becoming increasingly open to buying both online and in-store depending on their needs at time of purchase. While more than 80 percent of shoppers chose the store to make their last non-grocery purchase, only half are committed to returning there next time they buy.

IBM’s research finds that consumers are in a transitional state. According to the study, 35 percent are unsure whether they would next shop at a store or online. Nine percent are ready to commit to making future purchases online. Of all eight product categories tracked in the survey, the two most popular categories chosen by consumers for an online shift are consumer electronics and luxury items, including jewelry and designer apparel. (more…)

Microsoft Advances the Cloud OS With New Management Solutions

By Guest PostJanuary 15, 2013Technology2012, API, cloud infrastructure, cloud os, consumerization of it, high scale website, hybrid cloud services, management solution, michael park, Microsoft, microsoft cloud os, microsoft corp., service pack 1, service provider foundation, sp1, system center, virtual machine, windows 8 pcs, windows azure, windows intune, windows phone 8, windows server

New offerings deliver on the commitment to help customers and partners deliver cloud services and manage connected devices.

REDMOND, Wash. — Jan. 15, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of new solutions to help enterprise customers manage hybrid cloud services and connected devices with greater agility and cost-efficiency. System Center 2012 Service Pack 1 (SP1), the enhanced Windows Intune, Windows Azure services for Windows Server and other new offerings deliver against the Microsoft Cloud OS vision to provide customers and partners with the platform to address their top IT challenges.

“With Windows Server and Windows Azure at its core, the Cloud OS provides a consistent platform across customer datacenters, service provider datacenters and the Microsoft public cloud,” said Michael Park, corporate vice president of marketing for Server and Tools, Microsoft. “Powerful management and automation capabilities are key elements of the Cloud OS, taking the heavy lifting out of administration and freeing IT organizations to be more innovative as they embrace hybrid cloud computing and the consumerization of IT.” (more…)

Robofish Grace Glides with the Greatest of Ease

By Guest PostJanuary 15, 2013Science, Technologyability to glide, array of sensors, atlantic ocean, battery, computer engineering, energy, environments, feitian zhang, flapping of tail, gliding robot ace, gps, grace, high tech, integration, jianxun wang, kalamazooriver, measure, michigan state university, quality, real world environment, robotic fish, sync, travel autonomously, water quality sensors, water temperature, xiaobo tan

A high-tech robotic fish hatched at Michigan State University has a new look. A new skill. And a new name.

MSU scientists have made a number of improvements on the fish, including the ability to glide long distances, which is the most important change to date. The fish now has the ability to glide through the water practically indefinitely, using little to no energy, while gathering valuable data that can aid in the cleaning of our lakes and rivers. (more…)

IBM Social Sentiment Index Predicts New Retail Trend in the Making

By Guest PostJanuary 14, 2013Technology19th century, advanced analytics, analysis, birth, blogs, convention, cultural domains, cultural meme, Facebook, fantasy, fashion, fiction, gothic machinery, hg wells, ibm, ibm predict, industrialized civilization, jules verne, message boards, national, news sources, nikola tesla, project, retail federation, retail industry, retro futuristic style, science fiction, sentiment analysis, social media sites, social sentiment index, steampunk, sub genre, trend, trevor davis, Twitter, us department stores, victorian society, visual arts

Analytics points to the “Birth of a Trend,” steampunk aesthetic to pervade pop culture in 2013

ARMONK, N.Y. – 14 Jan 2013: National Retail Federation Convention – Based on an analysis of more than a half million public posts on message boards, blogs, social media sites and news sources, IBM predicts that ‘steampunk,’ a sub-genre inspired by the clothing, technology and social mores of Victorian society, will be a major trend to bubble up, and take hold, of the retail industry. Major fashion labels, accessories providers and jewelry makers are expected to integrate a steampunk aesthetic into their designs in the coming year.

Measuring public sentiment can help retail chief marketing officers customize incentives and services to be more in tune with what customers are asking for, using data to tailor their offerings to address fast-moving trends and real-time customer needs. (more…)

Spear Phishing: Researchers Work to Counter Email Attacks that Gain Recipients’ Trust

By Guest PostJanuary 13, 2013Technologyandrew howard, attachment, corporate networks, counter, dynamic framework, e newsletter, email attacks, email system, employee, generic emails, georgia tech, gtri, knowledge, malicious attachments, malicious software analysis, malware, marketing plan, open this attachment, organization, password, personal information, phalanx, research institute, sec, spear phishing, titan, user, verify your password, website

The email resembled the organization’s own employee e-newsletter and asked recipients to visit a website to confirm that they wanted to continue receiving the newsletter. Another email carried an attachment that said it contained the marketing plan the recipient had requested at a recent conference. A third email bearing a colleague’s name suggested a useful website to visit.

None of these emails were what they pretended to be. The first directed victims to a website that asked for personal information, including the user’s password. The second included a virus that launched when the “marketing plan” was opened. The third directed users to a website that attempted to install a malicious program. (more…)

IBM Tops U.S. Patent List for 20th Consecutive Year

By Guest PostJanuary 10, 2013Technology2012, accenture, Amazon, analytics, annual list, apple, big data, cloud, cybersecurity, emc, era of cognitive systems, flexible products, ginni rometty, hp, ibm, ibm inventors, ibm puresystems, ibm watson system, industry solutions, intel, intelligent orchestration system, invention, lightweight, Microsoft, mobile, mobile network, modeling platform, oracle, patented invention, sms, Social networking, software defined environments, sun, symantec, synapse, ultra thin, us patent recipients

IBM inventors deliver innovation in emerging areas of tech

ARMONK, N.Y. – 10 Jan 2013: IBM today announced that it received a record 6,478 patents in 2012 for inventions that will enable fundamental advancements across key domains including analytics, Big Data, cybersecurity, cloud, mobile, social networking and software defined environments, as well as industry solutions for retail, banking, healthcare, and transportation. These patented inventions also will advance a major shift in computing, known as the era of cognitive systems.

This is the 20^th consecutive year that IBM topped the annual list of U.S. patent recipients. (more…)

IBM, STMicroelectronics and Shaspa Advance Smarter Home Initiative

By Guest PostJanuary 8, 2013Technology1933, 3d, batteryless, bruce anderson, carbon dioxide, chicago world fair, cloud enabled electronics, cloud platform, co2 level, data, ecosystem, electronics exhibition, energy efficiency, forecast, gui, home gateway, human motion, ibm, ibm cloud, ibm worklight, industry standard, internet of things, ipv6 network, it efficiency, las vegas, mobile application platform, mobile device, monitoring, multiple user interfaces, new era, oliver goh, osgi, parks associates, physical gestures, preset scenarios, save energy, shaspa, smart home, smarter home initiative, stih416, stmicroelectronics, system on chip, temperature, time based, value add services, voice recognition

Cloud computing enhances control of “Internet of Things” in the home to help manage heating, lighting, security and more via multiple user interfaces including gestures and voice recognition

LAS VEGAS, CES – 08 Jan 2013: IBM, STMicroelectronics and Shaspa today announced a collaboration to tap cloud and mobile computing for manufacturers and service providers to provide innovative ways for consumers to manage and interact with their homes’ functions and entertainment systems using multiple user interfaces such as voice recognition and physical gestures for a smarter home.

A “smart home” brings networking functions together, creating a gateway that connects a television, computer or mobile device with smart meters, lights, appliances, plugs and sensors within the home as well as services from outside. Parks Associates forecasts that more than 8 billion devices will be connected on the home network by year-end 2015.[1] (more…)

The Results Are In: Xbox NUads Makes Traditional TV Advertising More Engaging

By Guest PostJanuary 7, 2013Technologyads on xbox, canada, dionne colvin, double digit engagement, kathleen bell, kinect, microsoft corp., microsoft internal research, nuads experience, real time feedback, restaurants, ross honey, subway, top advertisers, toyota, toyota motor sales, tv, tv spot, united kingdom, united states, usa, xbox 360, xbox live

New interactive TV ad format captivates consumers beyond the 30-second spot.

REDMOND, Wash. — Jan. 7, 2013 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the double-digit engagement results of the first NUads experience, interactive polling, which it rolled out earlier in the fall of 2012 on Xbox LIVE in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

The first wave of NUads was provided by a lineup of top advertisers, including SUBWAY® Restaurants and Toyota, which on average saw the following results with their ads on Xbox LIVE: (more…)