This is fascinating. The most common passwords in North America are:
This is according to I.T. expert, Troy Hunt, who analyzed the hacker results of the recent Sony Pictures and Sony Playstation network attacks. Troy’s results are very interesting as he lifts the hood on what people use for passwords. Read more about Troy’s analysis here…
Going beyond our information technology world for a few minutes: our country lost a great Canadian this week. As a patriot with no taste for politics, I am compelled to repost this letter by Jack Layton. This missive was penned in his final days of his fight against cancer, and I challenge you to read this with dry eyes. Mr. Layton’s goodbye message transcends politics, and is a powerful reminder of our identity as Canadians.
Can a company successfully deliver world-class software AND hardware?
In terms of branding and identity, I say no. Those two domains are too large for a single company’s identity to straddle.
Apple, for example, has been publicly described by Steve Jobs as a ‘software company’, not a hardware company. Even while Apple manufactures its branded hardware through contractors like Foxconn, Apple itself revolves around its operating systems and user experience.
Microsoft, who is quietly merging with Nokia, is also a software company. Yes, you’ll see Widows Phone OS becoming prevalent on Nokia devices, but the big MS is, and always will be, a software company at the core.
Now Google has purchased Motorola. No, it’s not because the search giant wants to become a hardware manufacturer… the move was strategic play to protect itself from patent-infringement lawsuits. By acquiring over 17,000 mobile phone patents via Motorola, Google has firewalled itself against legal roadblocks as it develops the Android mobile operating system. Don’t be fooled… Google does not intend to brand itself with hardware. Rather, Google is building a protective fence around its software.
So. I predict that the world of mobile and handhelds will divide into four software camps: Apple (+Foxconn), Microsoft (+Nokia), Google (+Motorola), and the wildcard fourth space that will be soon vacated by the hemorrhaging BlackBerry following. Those faction lines will be drawn with software, not with hardware.