Why Cook is the Apple of Privacy Advocates’ Eye

The battle between civil liberty and privacy on the one hand, and the reach of the law enforcement agencies for the (supposed) benefit of public/national security on the other, is taking interesting turns these days, especially in the digital realm. It is happening in the US right now, but something similar could soon reach Indian shores as well.

The case in point is the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) asking Apple to help it force-access data on the locked iPhone of Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the two perpetrators of last December’s San Bernardino attack in which 14 people were killed (Farook and his accomplice wife were shot dead by the police on the same day; the iPhone in question is in FBI’s possession.) A federal magistrate in California is said to have ordered Apple to write a custom version of the iPhone software that disables key security features and install it on Farook's iPhone in order to foil the encryption, as per a Vox.com report.

Apple has decided to contest the order, citing grave concerns about compromising the security and hence personal data of millions of its customers who trust the iPhone with their sensitive information. In fact CEO Tim Cook has taken the issue to its customers, posting an open letter to them on the Apple website.

“This moment calls for public discussion, and we want our customers and people around the country to understand what is at stake,” writes Cook.

From the way the use of smartphones (not just iPhones but devices based on Android and other OSes) is proliferating around the world, including India, Cook might as well have said “people around the world.” And that is why I chose to post it here on dynamicCIO so that technologists, IT leaders, vendors and other stakeholders in the fast-emerging Indian digital ecosystem could ponder over it and keep their own responses and countermeasures ready when the need arises.

Interestingly, this is happening at a politically charged time here, what with the country in the grips of a fierce debate around freedom of speech, notions of nationalism or anti-nationalism and an allegedly authoritarian regime (which is said to be capable of not only breaching individual privacy—of which there is very little in India in the first place—but also bringing the full force of the machinery at its disposal to undermine any dissenting voices; reminiscent of but not equivalent to the Emergency year).

To return to Apple and FBI, both sides are putting their points across emphatically and logically—even causing a sort of schism in the online community on who is right or wrong in this case.

Says Cook in his letter: “For many years, we have used encryption to protect our customers’ personal data because we believe it’s the only way to keep their information safe. We have even put that data out of our own reach, because we believe the contents of your iPhone are none of our business.”

Cook is highly concerned, and rightly according to several security experts quoted on the Internet in various reports, that once Apple complies with the FBI request to break the encryption on one iPhone, anyone can use that “backdoor” facility to gain unauthorized access to millions of these devices out there.

The FBI seems to understand this though it’s pressing on with its demand; FBI Director James Comey is said to have responded: “We simply want the chance, with a search warrant, to try to guess the terrorist's pass code without the phone essentially self-destructing and without it taking a decade to guess correctly. That's it. We don't want to break anyone's encryption or set a master key loose on the land.” [Source: Los Angeles Times article]

It is not fully clear from most reports (at least not to me, a non-expert in encryption) whether it is technically feasible for Apple to create an exception in the case WITHOUT compromising on the general robustness of the iPhone as far as encryption capabilities are concerned.

Not that Apple was not cooperating with the investigating authorities on the San Bernardino case or other government requests of similar nature. According to a New York Times article, enviously headlined (envious for Sundar Pichai, let’s say) “How Tim Cook, in iPhone Battle, Became a Bulwark for Digital Privacy,” Cook has been tediously cooperating with government requests (not just those from the US guv but globally) for unlocking its smartphones.

The Times writes: “Each data-extraction request was carefully vetted by Apple’s lawyers. Of those deemed legitimate, Apple in recent years required that law enforcement officials physically travel with the gadget to the company’s headquarters, where a trusted Apple engineer would work on the phones inside Faraday bags, which block wireless signals, during the process of data extraction.”

Apparently, Cook has been trying to do the fine balancing act of entertaining government requests and keeping its tight grip on the security features of its product intact but—as the latest (still developing) case reveals, a time has come when the envelope on “government overreach” is pushing the boundaries to an unprecedented, treacherous level.

And so the debate rages on.

Do let me know what you make of it.

(Image courtesy: Apple.com. Curiously, I happened to notice that this photo of Tim Cook is uploaded by someone at Apple under the name cook_hero :)

Note: This blog post first appeared on dynamicCIO.com.

Why We Need Both Google and Apple

When Google overtook Apple as the most valuable company in the world a few days ago, there was wide media coverage—as one would expect of such epoch-making events.

Comments from the fanboys on both sides came fast and furious as to which company deserves the accolades more than the other, which one is more innovative, or which one superior in terms not just of stock market but in sheer technological or design prowess.

I cannot help but remember that about two decades back when the Cupertino computer maker (computer maker!) was struggling, many journalists would begin their articles thus: “Troubled computer maker Apple…” (It’s another matter that many of the same journos couldn’t later stop going gaga over Apple’s iPhone and iThis and iThat.)

Another point to note in case of both Google and Apple is that they represent the end consumer side of computing rather than the enterprise side—which is why as an enterprise technology writer, I have tended to ignore them. But that’s not the case anymore: with the increasing consumerization of IT having an impact on enterprises and with BYOD a frequently bandied about term in CIO circles, the inroads that these two behemoths have made in the hallowed portals of biztech are just too deep and wide to mistake them for mere bylanes.

And yet, there are, IMHO, certain existential and fundamental differences in how the two firms work, live, strive, prosper and struggle. Having said that, I believe both (or other avant-garde technology stars that show similar sparks of genius in the computing universe) are necessary as well as desirable.

If one were to distill the essence of the two giants into tiny philosophical catchphrases, one might come up with this: Google is a “Don’t be evil, do-gooder force unleashed by its founding duo” while Apple is the delicious icon borne of its late design-obsessive marketing whiz who is recognizable by his first name, last name, beard or even the turtleneck he wore. (If you Google “Steve + turtleneck,” you’ll likely come across this interesting story behind the why of the turtleneck tidbit.)

The story of Google is replete with search algorithms, PhDs, swanky culture and free-time-stealth-mode projects; while the tale of Apple is spun out of superlative design skills, maverick behavior, marketing bravado and supply chain dominance.

If Google is about software architecture and data analytics, Apple is about an iconic product at the center of its resurgence; if Google is for a long string of continuous innovations some of which become self-driving machines, Apple is about an exquisite mix of style-and-substance rolled out in tune with the moment (and the moment repeats in well-orchestrated cycles).

Google, which seems to defy the G of Gravity in its rising fortunes, is trying to subsume the Alphabet, the very first of which is A (and A is for Apple as most techno buffs learned in mobile class). But then, A is also for Android—and tell ya what, this A is getting bigger all the time!

You can find rhyme and poetry in both companies, in addition to the innovations that their engineers, architects and designers come up with every so often.

That is why both are on my list of Smart Watches and why I said that we might need both to get along in the increasingly bewildering space of technology. A realm that is now constantly defined by the quest for simplicity (hiding behind a gargantuan back-end complexity).

There are domains where the two companies’ paths cross, and there are products and services where they overlap; but it is hard to imagine a world—at least at this moment—where any one of them is A for Absent.

(Image credit: SearchEngineLand.com)

Leading Data Scientist Talks about, Well, What Data Scientists Do!

Just as data keeps proliferating all around us, there is a great hue and cry about what to do with all those terabytes, petabytes, exabytes…whatever bytes you! Sure, there are ever powerful number-crunching machines and more capable software, but at the end of the day, you are going to need professionals especially skilled in the science of data analysis, management and insights.

That will be the Data Scientist, a role dubbed by some as the sexiest job of this century. Sexy not necessarily in terms of what all it involves but certainly in the high demand and even higher pay packets.

But what exactly would these data scientists do?

An illuminating blog entry on this very interesting and still intriguing question was posted recently by Bernard Marr, an analytics expert and founder of Advanced Performance Institute. To demystify what the work of a data scientist actually involves, and what sort of person is likely to be successful in the field, Marr spoke to one of the world’s leading data scientists, Dr. Steve Hanks—a doctorate from Yale who has worked with companies like Amazon and Microsoft.

Currently the Chief Data Scientist at Whitepages.com (whose Contact Graph database contains information for over 200 million people and which is searched 2 billion times a month), Dr. Hanks talks about some key attributes of a data scientist: One, they have to understand that data has meaning; Two, they have to understand the problem that they need to solve, and how the data relates to that; and Three, they have to understand the engineering (behind delivering a solution).

While all three of these capabilities are important, writes Marr, it doesn’t mean there’s no room for specialization. He quotes Hanks as saying that it is “virtually impossible to be an expert in all three of those areas, not to mention all the sub-divisions of each of them.” The important thing here is that even if one specializes in one of these areas, one at least has good appreciation of all of them. Further, in Hanks’ words: “Even if you’re primarily an algorithm person or primarily an engineer—if you don’t understand the problem you’re solving and what your data is, you’re going to make bad decisions.”

I can especially identify with the “holistic appreciation” quality of data scientists, as many CIOs and development project heads have often shared similar sentiments about most code writers: they are too narrowly focused on the “problem” at hand and usually miss the big picture about the whole project.

Fortunately, unlike the job of a programmer, the field of data science is attracting or likely to attract people “of different personality types and mindsets.”

Having said that, the main challenge for data scientists is not in specializing in a particular machine learning algorithm or a particular sub-field or tool, but in keeping up with the general speed of development in data science, the blog notes.

For more interesting details and insights, I would urge you to read the full blog post.

Do let me know what you think of the fast-emerging field of Data Science.

(Note: This blog post first appeared on dynamicCIO.com. Image courtesy: Americanis.net)

Selected Thoughts from Strings of the Soul - Happy Reading!

As another calendar year draws to a close, most of us are wont to making resolutions, looking back wistfully (or dreadfully) at the recent past, or thinking deeply about what to make of the time yet to come. Somehow, the turning of the clock at midnight, when one year melds into another, makes us do something to mark the occasion (as if a calendar year is the perfect way to divide time into significant periods :)

So here's my own little contribution to this gigantic, collective effort of humankind. What follows are some selected thought-bubbles, aphorisms as some would call them, from my book, Strings of the Soul (you can buy it for Kindle app or device here.) It is a little volume about a few things in life that really matter - Love, Truth, Childhood, Wisdom, Happiness...

Hope you'll enjoy reading this post and, if you are kind enough to make a purchase, the whole book. Here it goes:

Our own heart and mind is the best place to escape all the wretchedness of the world.

Diseases are the unwanted weeds in the fragrant garden of our body; nasty thoughts, the drops of poison in the nectar pond of our mind.

There are countless parts to us, both visible and invisible. But there's only one us. One I. One You. We are truly healthy when we can really feel this one single wholeness of ourselves.

Meditation takes you away from the torrent of oppressive thoughts into the inexplicable joy of stillness.

Even though a child cries during birth, the only feeling it knows is joy; everything else is inflicted by others.

The mere thought of children puts a smile on my face, a song in my heart and a supreme sense of blessedness in my soul.

As long as children have the ability to love unconditionally - no matter how much the grown-ups tamper with that - there's hope for all of us.

The child inside man never dies;
Only, more and more silent grow her cries -
Of joy, of pain, of wonders infinite...
Ah, won't we be child again if time would permit.

Whether we choose to live on for something or die for a cause is not important; what really matters is the spark of optimism in our choice.

The distance between despair and hope can be a leap of faith or a chasm of doubt.

Adversity can get us depressed. And sustained troubles can keep us down for long periods. But bad times often strengthen our optimism: things have to get better, is the message that floats up from the bottom of our heart.

Hope is the daughter of tomorrow that is forever youthful, forever chaste, forever attractive. 

I have often tried to define love – and failed. But each time I failed better than before.

When our heart is too much full of love, we must pass some around; when it’s too empty, we should try and get a refill.

Sex is an act; love is a process.

It is not the truth that is ugly; it is our reluctance to face it.

Higher truths do not reside at high mountain peaks; they are nestled in the greater depths of our hearts.

All of us know the truth but most choose to believe in what is untrue or, worse, tell lies to cover the truth, to bury it deep down from where no one can discover it. Ultimately, though, someone always finds it – or it comes floating unaided on an ocean full of lies.

Lies are like flies: they hum and swarm and tend to spread the muck around. Truth is like the turtle that must find the most appropriate time and place to lay its eggs.

Truth is like the perennial river that keeps flowing past the silt of lies it gathers in its course. 

It is impossible to be alive and vibrant and not appreciate art. Feeling good about art runs in our blood: it is engraved into the innermost nerves of our brain, painted on every tiny speck of our body and infused into each and every breath we take.

We did not create art; it was art that first created us.

The progress of humanity is not possible without the progress of art. Because at the core of art is what it means to be human. Humanity and art feed on each other in their evolution.

A well-sculpted mind is a work of art, but a loving heart is an instance of divinity.

Having faith does not mean we do not ask questions; it means being sure that we’ll finally get answers.

A silent spell of gratitude is worth a thousand words of prayer.

I often hear the lament: “Why do we have so many religions?” To me, the problem is not one of multitude but one of harmony. When our minds are not in harmony, it doesn’t matter which gods we worship, what languages we speak, what foods we eat…But when our minds are in sync, we can peacefully have more religions even after we have had a thousand.

Each pilgrimage to God's temple begins in your own heart.

If looking at the smiling face of a child does not convince you of the existence of God, nothing else will.

In any age there are true gurus who can show us the path to God and there are the frauds who feed on the blind faith of the masses. If we cannot find the real guru for us, the failure is ours.

What if the current configuration of the world does not permit of a true guru? Who says YOU can't be your own guru? The inner voice that speaks to all of us can also be our guru – if we let it be. 

Balance is the essence of sustainability. Something that makes things go on in the universe. Without the balance of gravitational and other forces of nature among celestial bodies, the earth wouldn’t exist. Without the balance between the ecological and geological components that make up the earth, the life forms wouldn’t remain alive. And without the balance that exists in a food chain hierarchy, we wouldn’t have the diversity of life among the living.

Beauty is not lack of ugliness. For even an ugly thing in one situation can be beautiful in another. Beauty is the hidden virtue in what is ugly otherwise; the moment the virtue becomes visible, the erstwhile ugly turns into the here-and-now beautiful.

Beauty can make us laugh with pain; it can also make us weep with joy. Isn’t it remarkable that this is not a stark contradiction but a unique human experience?

Of all the relationships humans have forged, friendship is truly special. It contains the distilled best of all other relations and the worst of none.

We often forget that being connected is more about listening than talking.

It isn't always necessary to wish for change; sometimes, we must change what we wish.

Kindness of the heart is directly proportional to broadness of the mind.

Time flies
But tomorrow never dies;
It merely frolics in the lap of eternity,
Unfettered in the boundless skies...

An irony of our time is that nobody knows where they are going, but everyone is frantically trying to get there.

To cry sincerely is as important as to laugh freely. Perhaps more.

The quality of our laughter reveals the constituents of our character.

Wisdom is the knowledge that at any given moment, the right choice is the one that helps the most number of conscientious creatures. And what separates wisdom from mere knowledge is the courage and humanity to make that choice.

Knowledge has to be acquired; wisdom comes.

I may be wise or I may not be. But if I profess to be wise, I might actually be a fool.

The mind is the master of knowledge, but wisdom owes its allegiance to the heart. 

When you think of wisdom, there's a warmth in your mind. When you speak wise words, there's love on your tongue. When you do something wise, there's a silent applause all around you.

Wisdom is inversely proportional to Ego.

A lot of deep, reflective thinking goes into filling your cup of wisdom. But this thinking cannot be forced, only attempted from time to time. And only when it is mixed with personal experience and empathy does it become a few more drops of wisdom. No matter how much we work at it, the cup is never full and seldom empty. Thankfully.


Thank you for reading this post or visiting the Strings of the Soul link. Wish you all a Happy Happy New Year 2016!

6 Best Practices for E-commerce CXOs and Developers

Over the past few weeks, I have spoken to a few senior IT decision makers from e-tail, retail and other industry segments where e-commerce is becoming the new business magnet. Alongside, I have also flipped through tons of content on what makes or mars the prospects of an e-commerce firm.

The result: this blog post you are going through right now. What I have done is distilled some industry best practices and do’s and don’ts that can be helpful for e-tail newbies as well as fast-growing e-commerce sites. Given that there’s little spare time for people working in this realm, here you go:

Aim for simplicity: Designing a user interface is a highly evolved discipline now. All the same, it is the online users who are the most evolved of species! Which is why keeping the UX simple yet elegant, rich yet devoid of unnecessary complexity, appealing and vibrant without being gaudy or over-the-top is more important than ever. What is the one thing that strikes us about a Google or Apple product? Its simple yet amazing user design, isn’t it?

Ensure easy site navigation: Many of the high-traffic e-commerce sites today boast of millions of products across hundreds or even thousands of product categories and sub-categories. One key thumb rule in designing navigation is that the user should not be made to click too many times (some call it the three-click rule) or find it too difficult to locate a product. Site search, in this context, is extremely important. GetElastic.com, a popular e-commerce blog, points out that even the biggest of e-com sites often fall flat in optimizing site search. It says: “Site visitors that use search boxes are more likely to know specifically what they want and are closer to conversion than those just browsing.”

It goes on to suggest that the merchandising team must anticipate variations in how consumers might be looking for certain things; for instance, they can type “two piece bathing suit”, “2-piece bathing suit”, or “2 piece bathing suit” (without the hyphen). Unless search dictionaries or tools accommodate such “correct misspellings” (in addition to commonly misspelt terms and synonyms), the potential buyers might be disappointed with search results.

Choose your e-commerce platform carefully: With hundreds of tools that let you set up an online shop, it’s a crowded market out there. For those who wish to play safe and do not have too much time researching or experimenting with options, going with an established platform such as Shopify, Magento or ZenCart makes ample sense. For the more adventurous, there are plenty of tools to fiddle with. The site www.ecommerce-platforms.com has even put up a comparison chart of some such tools available in the market. Among the things one should look out for in an e-com platform: availability of hosted/self-hosted environments, payment options supported, stock size (for which you want to build the e-store), credible case studies in a given industry segment, etc.

Look out for mobile-best customer experience: In this age of ubiquitous mobility, it would be foolhardy to ignore the significance of an optimum mobile user experience. Whether it is achieved through a mobile app or responsive web design (in which the same code can cater to multiple device types), a less-than-superlative experience that can be delivered on a majority of popular mobile handsets just wouldn’t do.

Test, test, test, and then test some more: We are living in a connected, socially hyperactive age. One in which customers go all out to tweet, post, share and shriek bad customer experiences from the rooftops. So it is always better to thoroughly test any new piece of code or feature before rolling it out to a million potential customers who will be exposed to it within minutes. The DevOps movement can indeed meet its full potential in the fast-paced world of e-commerce.

Ignore shipping and fulfillment at your own peril: In the nascent but burgeoning e-com market in India, it is not uncommon to find so many negative tales of shipments gone wrong. According to Richard Lazazzera, a leading e-commerce expert who runs an online e-commerce incubator deliciously named A Better Lemonade Stand, “Many new ecommerce entrepreneurs either don’t give much thought to shipping their products, or rightfully so, don’t understand the confusing and complex world of shipping and fulfillment.” (Read this blog post of his that talks about packaging, resources such as courier services, tracking & insurance, and apps to help make the whole process easier. The scenario in India may not be as mature as the advanced markets of USA or Canada, but some useful inferences can be drawn or lessons learned from e-com ecosystem players operating there.)

In the next couple of years, e-commerce will have come into its own as an established segment of industry in India. While the broadest market may turn out to be a case of the proverbial three-horse race (or four horses, perhaps), scores of mid-size and niche players in e-tailing will prove their mettle. Soon, the fight would stop being about funds and customer acquisitions; instead, the attention would shift to technology-led differentiation, profitability and customer retention.

And that’s where the players that implement the best practices and treat customers as the center of their universe will stand out from the crowd.

(This blog post first appeared on www.DynamicCIO.com.)