Mediaboss Marketing

Microsoft is reportedly considering a dramatic shift in its mobile strategy, copying Google and giving away its Windows Phone and Windows RT software to device makers for free. The plan has yet to be confirmed, but if Redmond follows through it could result in a flood of new Windows Phone devices from brands like Samsung, Sony and HTC, helping the platform to emerge as a serious rival to Android.

Okay so thats a pretty bold claim to make Android is streets ahead of Windows Phone at the moment, but key to this is one of costs. If Microsoft goes ahead and makes its software free, it genuinely would be 100% free for OEMs. And that cant really be said with Android while Google also gives its software away for free, Microsoft has dozens of patent licensing deals with just about every Android device maker in existence, and these have to pay fees to the company on a per-handset basis.

To make up for the loss of its licensing revenues, Microsoft will also attempt to take advantage of subscription services and advertising, reports The Verge. Service revenues would likely come from things like Office, SkyDrive and Skype, while ads can be placed in Windows 8 apps.

Microsoft has been edging towards this strategy for some time now, and its all part of the companys shift towards devices and services, such as Office 365, SkyDrive and Xbox. So far, Microsoft has given away Office RT for free since it launched its operating system for ARM-based devices, and more recently its begun giving away freebie versions of Office Home and Student for tablets that run Windows 8.1.

That Microsoft is willing to give Office, one of its major cash cows, away for free is a clear sign that its looking to embrace the no-cost licensing model for all of its products. After all, by giving away Android for free, Google came from nowhere to totally dominate the mobile scene in just a couple of years and theres no reason why Windows couldnt do the same, especially if it is cheaper for OEMs.

At the end of the day, by getting more Windows devices into the hands of consumers, Microsoft can make money from other means, by getting folks to pay for services like SkyDrive, Office 365 and Xbox. It can also ramp up its advertising efforts, and perhaps even push social services like Socl to further help with revenues.

Even so, theres a small hint of hypocrisy on Microsofts part. It wasnt long ago that the Redmond firm teamed up with Oracle, Nokia and others to file an anti-trust complaint over Googles predatory free distribution of Android, complaining that this just wasnt fair.

Presumably that effort hasnt gone anywhere, and now Microsofts adhering to the old philosophy of if you cant beat them, join them.

Go here to read the rest:
Microsoft plots to undercut Android by dropping Windows Phone license fees

At a recent meeting of the MIT Open Source Planning Tools Group, I had the pleasure of hosting Zak Rogoff campaigns manager at the Free Software Foundation for an open-ended discussion on the potential for free and open tools for urban planners, community development organizations, and citizen activists. The conversation ranged over broad terrain in an exploratory mode, perhaps uncovering more questions than answers, but we did succeed in identifying some of the more common software (and other) tools needed by planners, designers, developers, and advocates, and shared some thoughts on the current state of FOSS options and their relative levels of adoption.

Included were the usual suspects LibreOffice for documents, spreadsheets, and presentations; QGIS and OpenStreetMap for mapping; and (my favorite) R for statistical analysis but we began to explore other areas as well, trying to get a sense of what more advanced tools (and data) planners use for, say, regional economic forecasts, climate change modeling, or real-time transportation management. (Since the event took place in the Department of Urban Studies & Planning at MIT, we mostly centered on planning-related tasks, but we also touched on some tangential non-planning needs of public agencies, and the potential for FOSS solutions there: assessors databases, 911 systems, library catalogs, educational software, health care exchanges, and so on.)

Importantly, we agreed from the start that to deliver on the promise of free software, planners must also secure free and open data and free, fair, and open standards: without access to data the raw material of the act of planning our tools become useless, full of empty promise.

Emerging from the discussion, moreover, was a realization of what seemed to be a natural fit between the philosophy of the free and open source software movement and the overall goals of government and nonprofit planning groups, most notably along the following lines:

Added to all this, recent government software challenges hint at the potential benefit of a FOSS development model. For example, given the botched rollout of the online health care insurance exchanges (which some have blamed on proprietary software models, and/or the difficulty of building the new public system on top of existing locked private code), groups like FSF have been presented with a teachable moment about the virtues of free and open solutions. Of course, given the current track record of adoption (spotty at best), the recognition of these lines of natural alignment begs the question, Given all this potential and all these shared values, why havent more public and non-profit groups embraced free and open software to advance their work? Our conversation began to address this question in a frank and honest way, enumerating deficiencies in the existing tools and gaps in the adoption pipeline, but quickly pivoted to a more positive framing, suggesting new and, potentially, quite productive fronts for the campaign for free and open source software, which I will present in part two. Stay tuned.

Read this article:
The public front of the free software campaign: part I

Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) December 10, 2013

TransVoyant today announced the release of new data visualization toolkit, GeoMapper, which is being offered for free public download at http://www.transvoyant.com. GeoMapper helps software developers integrate large amounts of static and dynamic data into a single map from dynamic data sources and layers such as weather, aircraft and traffic.

The easy-to-use web mapping and visualization tool has the ability to display various real-time data feeds and fuse them into one common operating picture. Map objects can move and dynamically change symbols or colors to reflect real-time conditions utilizing GeoMappers server-based architecture.

Software developers that need to build secure, web-based applications that integrate imagery, maps and data elements from multiple online sources will benefit from this release, stated Dennis Groseclose, President of TransVoyant. The tool can handle substantial amounts of dynamic data including geospatial and location-based information, and is easily integrateable into existing and new visualization web applications.

TransVoyant Vice President of Software Development Kirk Bloomquist, explains that, Displaying imagery, maps and a myriad of data elements from multiple sources is challenging. Displaying large amounts of data in a web application is even more difficult. Large, highly dynamic data sets bring traditional mapping technology to its knees. To meet application demands like these, TransVoyant created GeoMapper.

GeoMapper Benefits:

To learn more and to download a complimentary copy of GeoMapper, visit http://www.transvoyant.com/technology/geomapper.

About GeoMapper GeoMapper arms software developers with an embeddable visualization toolkit they need to build state-of-the-art web-based applications that integrate imagery, maps and data elements from multiple sources. GeoMapper is a scalable web mapping and visualization toolkit that gives users the ability to display various real-time data sources and fuse them together into one common operating picture. Use GeoMapper to visualize complex maps, combine imagery and vector formats, integrate dynamic data, rapidly refresh views, and display large numbers of query results efficiently (and in near real-time) for insight into vehicle locations, network traffic, troop deployments and the status of geographically dispersed projects. Learn more at http://www.transvoyant.com/technology/geomapper.

About TransVoyant LLC In our high-volume data-driven world, TransVoyant delivers real-time intelligent decisions to global customers. TransVoyant employs a team of cleared analysts, consultants and technologists to assist clients in designing, implementing and managing solutions for outcome-focused intelligence. TransVoyant solutions are used by business and government customers to make real-time decisions with high-velocity live location, time, context and preference information. Our decision and predictive analytics technologies and proven value-focused methodology, combined with our long history of on-time and on-budget solution delivery, improve outcomes for intelligence, defense, supply chain and risk management customers. For more information, visit http://www.transvoyant.com.

Continue reading here:
TransVoyant Releases GeoMapper™ Data Fusion and Visualization Toolkit

Dedham, MA (PRWEB) December 10, 2013

ShoeBar Associates announces the availability of a no-cost resource "Thoughts for Developing Software Quality Procedures," intended to aid FDA-regulated companies which need to set up a formal software quality infrastructure.

Though the same quality requirements apply everywhere, every organization manages its software development differently. This guide, distilled from years of SOP development and refinement for medical device and related companies, provides a standard SOP structure, but within that asks the questions needed to tailor SOPs to a company's unique organization and needs. According to Brian Shoemaker, Principal Consultant at ShoeBar Associates, "The one-size-fits-all approach to these SOPs isn't useful. Template SOPs are available elsewhere, but these never fit what a specific company needs."

In contrast, "Thoughts for Developing Sofware Quality Procedures" outlines the topics and asks the questions necessary for a company to develop its own SOPs for regulated medical product software development. All standard procedure topics are addressed, from software quality planning and software development processes down to issue tracking, configuration management, and software release. Thoughts for each document are organized according to a typical SOP outline, but this outline is not mandatory.

To download this valuable free white paper, please visit our website at http://www.shoebarassoc.com.

About ShoeBar Associates

Headquartered in Dedham, Massachusetts, USA, ShoeBar Associates is a consultancy focused on software quality and software validation related services for regulated healthcare products companies.

See the rest here:
ShoeBar Associates Releases White Paper on Software SOPs

"It is very hard to know the race of a person doing an FTP/HTTP/Git transfer," blogger Robert Pogson pointed out. "Race wasn't in any User-Agent string I have ever seen. So, claiming FLOSS is more racist than non-Free software is rather silly. I would bet Linus has no clue of the race of his ~10K contributors, and perhaps only a guess about location."

FOSS fans are no strangers to difficult topics, and for proof one need look no further than the ongoing sexism controversy that has been debated so many times in every bar and watering hole of the Linux blogosphere.

Recently, however, one came up that's enjoyed far less prominence -- at least since Linux Girl began keeping track lo these many years ago.

"Why Isn't Open Source a Gateway for Coders of Color?" was the title of the provocative post that brought the issue to light last week in an NPR blog, and it's generated more than a little discussion among Linux fans.

The weather may be icy outside, but the debates have been nothing but heated down at the blogosphere's Broken Windows Lounge.

'I Wish I Had a Good Answer'

"This is tricky," began Slashdot blogger yagu, for example. "Without overgeneralizing, many people of color are fighting issues bigger than open source, at least for their personal reasons. As a demographic economically depressed, working for 'free' probably doesn't light a fire for those trying to earn a baseline living."

Add to that the cost of equipment, software and easy Internet access -- things that are not as expensive as they used to be but are still factors to be considered when resources are modest, yagu pointed out.

"Ironically, in Open Source we're talking about 'free' software, but it's not free to have a starter kit," he concluded. "Open Source couldn't be more color-blind; socioeconomics, not as forgiving. I wish I had a good answer to this. I don't."

Go here to read the rest:
Open Source, Closed Doors? FOSS and the Racial Divide