John does it again. I’ve been waffling on this issue, but am leaning toward phone encryption. John Oliver’s report on the subject isn’t only hilarious, it’s balanced and informative. And there’s a great mock iPhone ad at the end that sums everything up quite well too.
And I still don’t like that terrorism is used as the justification for unlocking encryption. I think that religious white males with access to firearms would be a better tactic.
Web Services
This is a small project I’ve had on the back burner for a while. I finally got my mess together this morning and got it done. It’s a summary of the web services I use because I needed to look at all of them objectively. I want to simplify and this gives me a way to objectively look at the benefits of using them, in hopes to slim down to simplify.
Outlook
All in all, Microsoft provides a great service. Email storage is unlimited. Yes, unlimited. They offer cloud storage with OneDrive. OneDrive includes 7GB of space. They also offer document creation with an online Microsoft suite. You can use your desktop mail App with Outlook if you choose, though I’ve found it to be a bit troublesome at times. Microsoft’s draw here is the Xbox integration. If you’re on Xbox live, you’ve got access to all of the online services.
A couple of nice features of Outlook email is the storage. It’s truly unlimited and is super useful for a backup of email by just forwarding a copy to your outlook address. Microsoft also allows you to create aliases for other purposes. You can even change your primary email to an alias. I don’t know if there’s a limit. You can configure 3rd party emails with outlook and send from that email address.
Integration with iOS is easily configured. Outlook provides built in contact, calendar, and reminder syncing without any additional configuration. A nice touch here is that you can use the 3rd party email address on iOS. Unlike Gmail, Outlook won’t force your primary outlook email for the send address. Another nice feature is you can control how many days your email syncs on the device.
Yahoo
Yahoo’s service is pretty nice too. The online UI is pleasant and unlike Gmail, Outlook, or even iCloud, you don’t reload a brand new page to access a different service. Everything is under one webpage. In sum, this is a nice product. Email storage is 1TB, not a GB, a TB. This is as good as unlimited. Yahoo’s big draw is Flickr.
Yahoo’s draw is the storage. 1TB is nothing to sneeze at. I don’t even have a 1TB external drive (I know, I’m a luddite). The draw here is speed. This interface is fast when you switch between services. It’s really great. You can use this with your desktop client… if you don’t mind POP. How 00s is that? Otherwise, you can create aliases and also add 3rd party email for sending and receiving.
iOS integration is very nice. It’s easy to set up. In addition to all the Microsoft provides, you also have access to notes. Notes are stored in Yahoo’s inbox, in a Notes folder. I don’t think that’s ideal, but it works.
Gmail
Gmail… Gmail… Gmail. Gmail is pretty much the standard for everyone’s email. Google has provided a great service out of the gate and has always been more innovative than the competition. Historically, they’ve offered the best spam filtering, most storage, and most convenience. They laid down a good foundation for where they’re at now. Google’s services also include Plus. Plus integrates with photo storage similar to Flickr, though more socially driven. Google also has an office suite. In addition to this they have their own browser, so if you use that you’re tapping into resources not even thought of by the competition.
Email can be configured with your desktop client. Aliases are sort of available with Gmail, but really only through a Gmail hack created by Google. Adding a 3rd party email is a breeze, but you’re going to have to finagle to get it to send from that as a default on a desktop or iOS client. It’s automatic from Gmail’s apps.
Storage is a nominal 15GB. Which is really a lot of space, but when you compare it with Yahoo’s and Microsoft’s offerings, it’s no competition. Integration with iOS is the same as the others. It’s easy-peasy and takes no time to setup. There’s nothing extraordinary about its use.
iCloud
Finally, we arrive at Apple’s offerings in iCloud. The major draw is the thorough integration with your Mac and/or iPhone. iCloud is tied in with iTunes… sooooo if you have iTunes, you have iCloud. Like the Microsoft and Google, you’re getting a full suite of services which includes document creation in Apple’s iWork suite.
The biggest annoyance for me about Apple’s service is the domain name changes they’ve had. I’ve been using the service since 2005, so I have a dotmac, dotme, and doticloud email address. Under one primary account. You cannot choose a primary, all iTunes emails go to the original you opened it under… it’s all very worrisome in a first-world sort of way.
The storage is something to talk about here… it’s paltry. Downright sad even. Apple gives you 5GB of storage. This is for everything from emails, documents, to yes, even iDevice backups. iCloud also backs up third party apps linked with the service. If it were for email alone then it would be mostly acceptable, but to include iCloud storage for everything else… well, you’re rocking the casbah of that 5GB pretty quickly.
Those two things aside, implementation is the main draw. Everything is seamless between Mac, iDevice, and web. You also get Find my iPhone, Keychain, Passbook, Photo, and Documents & Data. Anything that uses iCloud syncs smoothly from all of your devices. It’s really very nice. If you need extra storage, it’s not terribly expensive, but you’re shelling out a Jackson just to get up to Google’s 15GB. Oy vey. But again, integration is what gets you… sort of like having to have a G+ account in order to backup photos.
Conclusion
I have been wanting to write this for a while just to get a comparison of all the services I use. There are things that I really enjoy about each service that draws me to them like a moth to a flame, but the annoyances of each, now that I can look at them this way, outweigh the benefits.
The only email that sees action is Outlook and iCloud. Google’s Docs get some love, and I appreciate the services of Flickr, minus the social aspect. It’s a real disappointment to me that so many services require integration into the provider’s greater ecosystem. I’d love to have my Xbox login without having to carry the other services. I’d love to use Flickr without having to get a Yahoo mail. Google… well, Google is it’s own beast and there’s not enough I can complain about with them. But I have Google because after they killed Reader, Feedly was only working with Google for the sign in. Now that they have other services for integration, I can narrow another down.
In all, I have so many backup solutions that I think Flickr, and therefore Yahoo, can get the axe. That said, I’m excited to see what Yahoo has up its sleeve. I think Mayer is doing some good work there and I can’t wait to see where the service goes. Google can get the can now that Feedly has other services integrated. This is relieving. Outlook I think will stay for now, though I can see it getting the axe if I can figure out a way to keep all the crap I bought from Xbox available without deleting that sign-in.
I hope this info helps you like it helped me. Try to simplify if you’re a web service addict. Find the services you really enjoy and make the most of them. Don’t water them down with like providers just for the sake of loving one aspect (he said as he typed this into Google Docs on his Mac and emailed it to WordPress).
All in all, I think the ad is overly dramatic. Maybe Samsung should’ve taken the bug off of the guy’s face (at the end of the video). The ninja chicks are cool though. And what’s with the goat?
Articles like this one from AppleInsider are a waste of space. I don’t know how an editor justifies publishing something that relates with a tiny portion of the population. Those few that it does relate to know how Apple’s update process works. This is just detritus that pulls in web traffic.
(Like this one is doing.)
Microsoft to Compete with Google and Apple with 7-inch Tablet (link)
Here are a couple of gems from PC World.
Microsoft is said to be planning a 7-inch version of its Surface tablet to help it compete with similar size devices from Apple and Google.
Oh, really? This should be good!
IDC said in January that Microsoft needed to quickly adjust to the market realities of smaller screens and lower prices in the tablet market. The company entered the market during the fourth quarter with its Surface with Windows RT tablet, but failed to reach the top five among tablet vendors after shipping a little less than 900,000 units into the channel, the research firm said.
I wonder what Microsoft thinks it means to “compete”?
There were other articles yesterday talking about Microsoft waiting until 2014 to release Office for iOS and Android so they can build up their value on their Surface tablets. I’m sure that iOS and Android are going to keep suffering through their Office deficiency, just hoping to find relevancy in a modern age. Riiiiiiight.
I think if you embodied Microsoft in a zombie apocalypse, it would be the giant fat kid to get it first.
This is probably the most fun you’ll ever have reading headphone reviews.
If I happen to be eating peanuts while wearing these headphones, I hear the death cry of each and every peanut I consume.
Copy is a brand new file syncing service from Barracuda Networks. I don’t know if you’re familiar with them, but they’re a cutting edge company that provides hardware and software protection of networks.
Anyhoo, they’re hooking up a new file sharing service much like Dropbox, Google Drive, etc… You start with a free 5GB and, this is the really cool part, for every referral completed (by signing up and installing an iOS, Android, Windows, or Mac App) you earn another 5GB. It goes without saying that this is really cool if you missed Box’s 50GB by signing up with Google or HP or whomever else they were doing that with (less performance though).
Use this link here and you’ll hook me up with an extra free 5 gigs and you will also earn an extra 5 gigs as well. This is a great way to get some free storage from an established company built around trust.
They are doing this for a limited time and I do not know how long it will be availalble—get to gettin’ while the gettin’s good!
It’s nefarious, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple’s stock decline is due to its own workings and its plans to buy back its own stock. The Apple analysts are all Apple moles. They have been for years.
AppleInsider pointed out this interview Bloomberg had with Sculley, the former CEO of Apple for those not in the know, wherein he says, “Apple needs to adapt to a different world,” and some other stuff about a lower priced iPhone for emerging markets if Apple wants to grow. Click the subject for the whole interview.
Or something like that.
Anyway, isn’t this the same guy who all but ran Apple aground when he was at the helm? Yes it is. Yep. Uh huh.
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