The Job After Steve Jobs: Tim Cook and Apple

Shortly after Tim Cook succeeded Steve Jobs as CEO of Apple AAPL -0.27% in August 2011, he told a confidant that he got up every morning reminding himself just to do the right thing—and not to think about what Steve would have done.

But Jobs's ghost loomed everywhere after he died from pancreatic cancer two months later. Obituaries of Apple's visionary founder blanketed the front pages of newspapers and websites. TV stations ran lengthy segments glorifying the changes he brought to the world.

In New York, publisher Simon & Schuster rushed out Walter Isaacson's biography of Jobs a month early—with a sleek, Apple-esque cover featuring a photo blessed by the late CEO. Apple chose the same image as the tribute photo on its home page. The photo was so quintessentially Jobsian that his friends and colleagues marveled at how he still seemed to be orchestrating the narrative from beyond the grave.

Even the ritual remembrances unfolded as though Jobs had staged them himself. A memorial service on a Sunday evening at Stanford University was organized by his longtime event planner, and the guest list read like a Who's Who of notables in Jobs's life: Bill Gates, Larry Page, Rupert Murdoch and the Clinton family, among others. Joan Baez, Jobs's onetime girlfriend, sang "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Bono performed Bob Dylan's "Every Grain of Sand." Yo-Yo Ma brought his cello and played Bach—a personal request from Jobs before his death. Jobs was gone but not gone. Somehow he had transcended death to obsess over the launch of one last product: his own legacy.

Tim Cook, whom Jobs had personally picked as Apple's new CEO, was at the service, but attendees gave the former chief operating officer little thought. Even as he took control of Apple's empire, Cook couldn't escape his boss's shadow. How could anyone compete with a visionary so brilliant that not even death could make him go away?

The genius trap had long been set for Jobs's successor. Apple had been defined by him for more than a decade. Design, product development, marketing strategies and executive appointments—all hinged on his tastes. Apple's accomplishments weren't Jobs's alone, but he had taken credit for most of them, which further fed his legend. One employee even owned a car with the vanity plate "WWSJD": What Would Steve Jobs Do?

The next CEO didn't have the quasi-religious authority that Jobs had radiated. Cook's every decision would be examined by current and former employees and executives, investors, the media and Apple's consumers. He would also have to contend with the sky-high expectations that Jobs had conditioned the public to have for Apple.

Cook was a seasoned businessman and arguably a better manager than Jobs. He was organized, prepared and more realistic about the burdens of running a company of Apple's size. But no one could beat Jobs at being Jobs—especially Cook, his polar opposite.

Tim Cook and Steve Jobs at an Apple news conference in 2007 Corbis

If Jobs was the star, Cook was the stage manager. If Jobs was idealistic, Cook was practical. But without Jobs, Cook had no counterweight to his dogged pragmatism. Who would provide the creative sparks?

The succession was complicated by the fact that no one knew who Cook really was. The new CEO was a mystery. Some colleagues called him a blank slate. As far as anyone could tell, Cook had no close friends, never socialized and rarely talked about his personal life.

The quiet, self-contained Cook grew up as the second of three brothers. In his early years, the family lived in Pensacola, Fla.; his father worked as a shipyard foreman, and his mother was a homemaker. They later moved to Robertsdale, Ala., a small, predominantly white town near the Gulf of Mexico that was quiet, stable and safe. In high school, he was voted "most studious." He represented his town at Boys State, an American Legion mock legislature program, and won an essay contest organized by the Alabama Rural Electric Association on the topic of "Rural Electric Cooperatives—Challengers of Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow." Outside of class, Cook was appointed the business manager of the yearbook because he was meticulous and good with numbers.

Cook began his career at IBM IBM -0.05% after graduating from Auburn University with a degree in industrial engineering. Later he added an M.B.A. from Duke. After 12 years, he moved to a small Colorado computer reseller called Intelligent Electronics Inc., where he nearly doubled the firm's revenues. He was plucked by Compaq and moved to Houston. One day a headhunter called: Apple was looking for a senior vice president of world-wide operations. "Why don't you come and meet Steve Jobs?" the recruiter asked.

Cook joined Apple's executive team in the spring of 1998, while the company was in the throes of restructuring and desperate for a capable executive who could make Apple's manufacturing process more efficient. Unlike his predecessors, who sat with the operations team, Cook asked for a small office cater-cornered to Jobs's on the executive floor. It was a shrewd strategy—staying close to the boss to be attuned to his thinking.

From the start of his Apple tenure, Cook set colossally high expectations. He wanted the best price, the best delivery, the best yield, the best everything. "I want you to act like we are a $20 billion company," he told the procurement team—even though Apple then had only about $6 billion in annual revenues and was barely eking out a profit. They were playing in a new league now.

To some, Cook was a machine; to others, he was riveting. He could strike terror in the hearts of his subordinates, but he could also motivate them to toil from dawn to midnight for just a word of praise.

Those who interacted only passingly with Cook saw him as a gentle Southerner with an aura reminiscent of Mister Rogers. But he wasn't approachable. Over the years, colleagues had tried to engage him in personal conversations, with little success. He worked out at a different gym than the one on Apple's campus and didn't fraternize outside of work.

Years earlier, when Apple was about to ship its movie-editing software, iMovie, Jobs wanted his executives to test it out by making home movies. Cook made his about house hunting and how little one got for one's money in the late 1990s in Palo Alto real estate. While amusing, the movie revealed nothing about him.

Apple under Jobs was a roller coaster, but Cook's operations fief was orderly and disciplined. Cook knew every detail in every step of the operations processes. Weekly operations meetings could last five to six hours as he ground through every single item. His subordinates soon learned to plan for meetings with him as if they were cramming for an exam. Even a small miss of a couple of hundred units was examined closely. "Your numbers," one planner recalled him saying flatly, "make me want to jump out that window over there."

Cook had made a particular point of tackling Apple's monstrous inventory, which he considered fundamentally evil. He called himself the "Attila the Hun of inventory."

Meetings with Cook could be terrifying. He exuded a Zenlike calm and didn't waste words. "Talk about your numbers. Put your spreadsheet up," he'd say as he nursed a Mountain Dew. (Some staffers wondered why he wasn't bouncing off the walls from the caffeine.) When Cook turned the spotlight on someone, he hammered them with questions until he was satisfied. "Why is that?" "What do you mean?" "I don't understand. Why are you not making it clear?" He was known to ask the same exact question 10 times in a row.

Cook also knew the power of silence. He could do more with a pause than Jobs ever could with an epithet. When someone was unable to answer a question, Cook would sit without a word while people stared at the table and shifted in their seats. The silence would be so intense and uncomfortable that everyone in the room wanted to back away. Unperturbed, Cook didn't move a finger as he focused his eyes on his squirming target. Sometimes he would take an energy bar from his pocket while he waited for an answer, and the hush would be broken only by the crackling of the wrapper.

Even in Apple's unrelenting culture, Cook's meetings stood out as harsh. On one occasion, a manager from another group who was sitting in was shocked to hear Cook tell an underling, "That number is wrong. Get out of here."

Cook's quarterly reviews were especially torturous because Cook would grind through the minutiae as he categorized what worked and what didn't, using yellow Post-its. His managers crossed their fingers in the hopes of emerging unscathed. "We're safe as long as we're not at the back of the pack," they would say to each other.

Cook demonstrated the same level of austerity and discipline in his life as he did in his work. He woke up at 4:30 or 5 a.m. and hit the gym several times a week. He ate protein bars throughout the day and had simple meals like chicken and rice for lunch.

His stamina was inhuman. He could fly to Asia, spend three days there, fly back, land at 7 a.m. at the airport and be in the office by 8:30, interrogating someone about some numbers.

Cook was also relentlessly frugal. For many years, he lived in a rental unit in a dingy ranch-style building with no air conditioning. He said it reminded him of his humble roots. When he finally purchased a house, it was a modest 2,400-square-foot home, built on a half-lot with a single parking spot. His first sports car was a used Porsche Boxster, an entry-level sports car that enthusiasts called the "poor man's Porsche."

Even his hobbies were hard-core: cycling and rock climbing. During vacations, he never ventured far. Among his favorite spots were Yosemite and Utah's Zion National Park.

Cook placed Robert F. Kennedy and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. among his heroes, and photos of both men hung in his office. In a statement that hinted at how Cook viewed his relationship with Jobs, he said that he admired the way RFK had been comfortable standing in his brother's shadow. The martyred senator embodied everything that Cook strove to be—hardworking, principled and charitable.

As tough as Cook was reputed to be, he was also generous. He gave away the frequent-flier miles that he racked up as Christmas gifts, and he volunteered at a soup kitchen during the Thanksgiving holidays. He had also participated in an annual two-day cycling event across Georgia to raise money for multiple sclerosis; Cook had been a supporter since being misdiagnosed with the disease years before. "The doctor said, 'Mr. Cook, you've either had a stroke, or you have MS,' " Cook told the Auburn alumni magazine. He didn't have either. His symptoms had been produced from "lugging a lot of incredibly heavy luggage around."

In August 2011, a few months before Jobs died, Cook sent his first email as CEO to employees. "I want you to be confident that Apple is not going to change," he wrote. "Steve built a company and culture that is unlike any other in the world and we are going to stay true to that—it is in our DNA." He added, "I am confident our best years lie ahead of us and that together we will continue to make Apple the magical place that it is." He signed the memo simply, "Tim."

After Jobs's death, Apple's employees rallied around Cook. But privately, many were anxious. Employees in departments that had heretofore had little to do with Cook worried about how their jobs might change. The operations team, familiar with his tough management style, worried about life becoming even more intense.

In his first days as CEO, Cook made two key moves. First, he promoted Eddy Cue, Apple's enormously popular vice president for Internet services. Cue had been Jobs's guy, managing the iTunes group and eventually all of Apple's Internet services. He was Jobs's deal maker as well, negotiating with music labels, movie studios, book publishers and media companies. When Cook finally made him senior vice president, it generated goodwill inside and outside the company—and turned an important Jobs loyalist into a key Cook ally.

Cook's second decision was to start a charity program, matching donations of up to $10,000, dollar for dollar annually. This too was widely embraced: The lack of an Apple corporate-matching program had long been a sore point for many employees. Jobs had considered matching programs particularly ineffective because the contributions would never amount to enough to make a difference. Some of his friends believed that Jobs would have taken up some causes once he had more time, but Jobs used to say that he was contributing to society more meaningfully by building a good company and creating jobs. Cook believed firmly in charity. "My objective—one day—is to totally help others," he said. "To me, that's real success, when you can say, 'I don't need it anymore. I'm going to do something else.' "

The moves signaled a shift to a more benevolent regime. Though still shuttered to the outside eye, Apple felt more open internally. The new CEO communicated with employees more frequently via emails and town-hall meetings. Unlike Jobs, who always ate lunch with the design guru Jonathan Ive, Cook went to the cafeteria and introduced himself to employees he didn't know, asking if he could join them. Without Jobs breathing down their necks, the atmosphere was more relaxed. Cook was a more traditional CEO who infused Apple with a healthier work environment.

Cook proved a methodical and efficient CEO. Unlike Jobs, who seemed to operate on gut, Cook demanded hard numbers on projected cost and profits. Whereas Jobs had reveled in divisiveness, Cook valued collegiality and teamwork. Cook was also more visible and transparent with investors.

Not everyone was so enamored. The changes Cook made were perceived as signs of increasing stodginess. The yearning for more subversive days was also palpable. Skeptics soon began expressing doubts about Apple's future, especially after the rocky launch of Siri, its virtual personal-assistant feature.

"Without the arrival of a new charismatic leader, it will move from being a great company to being a good company," George Colony, the CEO of technology research firm Forrester Research, FORR -0.08% wrote in a blog. "Like Sony, 6758.TO -2.08% Polaroid, Apple circa 1985, and Disney, DIS +0.41% Apple will coast and then decelerate."

Above it all, the specter of Steve Jobs still hovered—somewhere beyond reproach and accountability, beyond the tangle of human fallibility. His successors remained stuck here on Earth.

Apple working on products other than iPhone, iPad: Tim Cook

CUPERTINO: Apple CEO Tim Cook is still trying to convince shareholders that the iPhone maker remains a step ahead in the race to innovate, even though recent performance of the company's stock lags behind other technology trendsetters.

In making his case Friday, Cook struck a familiar refrain during Apple's annual shareholder meeting at the company's Cupertino, California headquarters.

Cook promised that Apple is working on new gadgets that will expand the company's product line-up beyond smartphones, tablets, music players and personal computers without divulging any details. He cited the company's nearly $4.5 billion investment in research and development during the last fiscal year and the completion of 23 acquisitions in the past 16 months as a precursor of the big things to come.

"There is a ton of stuff going on," Cook said.

On the financial side, Cook told shareholders that Apple's board will announce whether the company will increase its dividend and spend more money buying back its own stock by the end of April. Money management is a major issue for Apple because the company is sitting on nearly $159 billion in cash, including $124 billion held in overseas accounts to avoid US taxes.

On the labor front, Cook pledged to continue Apple's fight for the rights of the low-paid workers who build the company's devices in overseas factories. The workplaces are frequently depicted as oppressive sweatshops.

"I don't think there is any CEO who talks about human rights more than I do," he said. "I get a lot of spears for it, but I don't give a crap."

Cook, who became Apple's CEO shortly before the October 2011 death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, also showed a playful side. He tantalized the crowd by telling them he planned to provide a glimpse at Apple's upcoming products, but it turned out to be a tease. "I've got to have some fun," he said.

The meeting looked like it would be a tense affair until earlier this month when activist investor Carl Icahn abandoned a high-profile campaign aimed at pressuring Apple's board to increase the company's $60 billion budget for buying back its stock. The company has already spent more than $40 billion of that amount.

Most shareholders at Friday's meeting seemed supportive of Cook, although a couple expressed frustration with Apple's stock price when he took seven questions from the audience.

Investors are worried about the company's shrinking market share in the smartphone market as its rivals introduce a wider selection of devices offering lower prices and larger screen sizes. Wall Street is also wondering if Apple lost some of its inventiveness with the death of the visionary Jobs.

Apple's stock dipped $1.43 to close Friday at $526.24. That's 25% below its peak price of $705.07 reached September 2012. Over the same stretch, the stock of Google - a bitter rival - has surged by 66% and the technology-driven Nasdaq composite index has gained 35%.

Cook told shareholders he isn't worried, noting that Apple's stock has struggled over other stretches in the past 15 years, only to soar after the company released breakthroughs such as the iPod, iPhone and iPad. The stock might fare better if Apple revealed more about its future plans, Cook conceded, but he said the company intends to hew to Jobs' hush-hush philosophy to build consumer anticipation and prevent rivals from getting an early start on copying its ideas.

"We think the element of surprise is important," Cook said.

Analysts are convinced the next iPhone will feature a larger screen than the four-inch display that was introduced in 2012. Other smartphones boast five-inch and even six-inch screens that appeal to people who play a lot of games or watch a lot of video. Speculation on new product categories that Apple might enter includes a high-tech watch that could monitor the user's health and a long-rumored television set that would run on the same software as the iPhone.

Although he didn't discuss a potential TV set Friday, Cook revealed a new statistic indicating the company's $99 set-top box for streaming Internet video is becoming increasingly popular. He said the box, called Apple TV, generated more than $1 billion in revenue during Apple's last fiscal year. That figure implies Apple sold more than 10 million of the boxes last year.

Wi-Fi virus that spreads like common cold

Researchers have shown for the first time that Wi-Fi networks can be infected with an 'airborne' virus that can move as efficiently as the common cold.

Researchers at the University of Liverpool in UK designed and simulated an attack by a virus, called "Chameleon" on Belfast and London in a lab setting . They found that not only could it spread quickly between homes and businesses, but it was able to avoid detection.

Experts found that "Chameleon" behaved like an airborne virus, travelling across the Wi-Fi network via Access Points (APs) that connect households and businesses to WiFi networks. "When "Chameleon" attacked an AP, it was able to collect and report the credentials of all other Wi-Fi users who connected to it. The virus then sought out other Wi-Fi APs that it could connect to and infect," said Alan Marshall, professor of Network Security at the University.

Nucleus Software Exports launches banking suite FinnAxia

SINGAPORE: Software products and services provider Nucleus Software Exports today launched its transaction banking product suite 'FinnAxia' for the global market here.
The company launched the product in the city-state, which is an established Asian banking and financial hub and a launch-pad for the Asia Pacific markets.
"FinnAxia is designed to process 9.2 million transactions worth USD 1 billion a day or USD 250 billion worth of transactions a year," Nucleus Software Exports chief executive and MD Vishnu R Dusad said.

The product is already installed and working on systems with a number of customers as a multi-country implementations, servicing across the markets, he said, adding that it was developed over the past two years in India based on the future requirements of the global banking and financial sectors.
The company said it would focus on developing FinnAxia further in various languages including Japanese.
"We are extremely bullish about this product. We have demonstrated this product in South Africa and Australia, and received strong support from our customers," he said.
Speaking about Indian software product industry, Dusad, an industry veteran with three decades of experience, said: "We see the India's software product industry earning USD 120 billion a year by 2025, matching the current turnover of the software services which are taking in USD 120 billion a year."
A growing number of Indian start-ups are developing wide range of software products, he said, estimating that some 1,500-2,000 companies were already working on niche and specific software products.
"We expect to have some 10,000 companies, such as small product developing start-ups, to be involved in developing software products for the global market in the next couple of years," he said.
Listed on both BSE stock exchange and National Stock Exchange, Noida-based Nucleus Software Exports operates from four offices in India and seven overseas.

More than $1 billion worth of Apple TVs sold in 2013: CEO Tim Cook

CUPERTINO: Apple Inc sold more than $1 billion of Apple TV set-top boxes in 2013 and is investing heavily in the next generation of products, Chief Executive Tim Cook said at the company's annual meeting on Friday.

Apple's ability to again transform the fast-moving technology arena is the central question in investors' and Silicon Valley executives' minds as the company's growth slows, and rivals like Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Google Inc take chunks out of its market share.

Industry executives and Apple observers continue to believe that the company will come up with some sort of wearable device, like a smartwatch, and speculation persists about a long-rumored TV product of some sort to shake up the living room viewing experience.

"We're working on some things that are extensions of things you can see and some that you can't see," Cook said at the annual meeting, referring to a 32 percent increase in research and development costs last year.

Responding to a question about innovation, Cook said Apple preferred not to talk about new products under development so as not to tip off the competition.

"You can see we're getting ripped off left, right and sideways," he said.

Apple's shares fell 0.27 percent to close at $526.24 on Friday. They have clawed back substantial ground since falling below $400 in June, but remain well below the record-high $700 level of 2012, weighed by concerns about whether the company has any new hit products in the pipeline.

Though Cook steered clear of that discussion, he shed some more light on the Apple TV business, which executives have long referred to as a "hobby" for a company expected to chalk up some $181 billion in sales this fiscal year.

The $99 Apple TV set-top box, which streams content from Netflix and other video sources to a TV, had racked up $1 billion in sales in the past year, he said.

"It's a little more difficult to call it a hobby these days," Cook said.

FEEDING FRENZY

Cook took pot shots at Google, saying that most users of its Android mobile operating system are using older versions, presenting a security threat. In contrast, he said, 89 percent of users of devices based on Apple's iOS operating system have the most recent version of the software.

Shareholders at the annual meeting at Apple's Cupertino, California, headquarters re-elected all board members.

In the run-up to the meeting at 1 Infinite Loop, many investors had publicly debated whether Apple should not put any of its massive cash pile to better use.

Cook said the company will provide an update within 60 days on how it will use the cash, which totaled nearly $160 billion at the end of 2013. That time frame is in line with Apple's previous comments that it would announce its latest cash management plans around April.

Apple repurchased $14 billion in stock in a two-week period earlier this year, under pressure from activist investor Carl Icahn, who had been publicly calling for the iPhone-maker to buy back an additional $50 billion of stock on top of its existing buyback program.

The billionaire investor, who in late January said he held more than $4 billion of Apple shares, withdrew his shareholder proposal following Apple's announcement of the buyback.

Some analysts believe Apple may eventually dip into its coffers to buy something big. The iPhone maker has so far shied away from the mega-acquisitions that far more aggressive rivals like Google and Facebook Inc have pursued, though Cook did not rule out forking over a big sum of cash if warranted.

Cook said Apple has acquired 23 companies in the last 16 months and remained on the lookout for interesting technology and companies.

Apple is not in a race to acquire the most companies or to spend the most money, but that "doesn't mean we won't buy a huge company tomorrow afternoon," he said.

And he warned shareholders not to focus too narrowly on short-term gains.

"If you're in Apple for only a week ... or two months, I would encourage you not to invest in Apple," he said.

Japan researchers testing tiny ear computer

TOKYO: A tiny personal computer that is worn on the ear and can be controlled with the blink of an eye or the click of a tongue is being tested in Japan.
The 17-gram (0.59-ounce) wireless device has bluetooth capability and is equipped with a GPS, compass, gyro-sensor, battery, barometer, speaker and microphone.

Wearable computing is thought by many commentators to be the next big thing in technology, with products such as Google Glass at the forefront.
The device, known at the moment as the "Earclip-type Wearable PC" has a microchip and data storage, enabling users to load software, said engineer Kazuhiro Taniguchi of Hiroshima City University.
Its designs are based on traditional "ikebana" flower arrangements. "We have made this with the basic idea that people will wear it in the same way they wear earrings," Taniguchi told AFP in a recent interview as he showcased a black prototype.
The system, which developers are hoping to have ready for Christmas 2015, can be connected to an iPod or other gadget and would allow the user to navigate through software programmes using facial expressions, such as a raised eyebrow, a stuck-out tongue, a wiggle of the nose or by clenching teeth.
The device uses infrared sensors that monitor tiny movements inside the ear, which differ depending on how the eyes and mouth move.
Because the user does not have to move either hand, its developers say it can serve as "a third hand" for everyone from caregivers to rock-climbers, motorbike riders to astronauts, as well as people with disabilities.
"Supposing I climb a mountain, look at the sky at night and see a bright star up there, it could tell me what it is," Taniguchi said.
"As it knows what altitude I'm at, which direction I'm looking and at what angle, it could tell me, 'The bright star you are seeing now is Sirius'."
Using a smartphone to connect to the Internet would mean you could be automatically put in touch with people in faraway places who are doing the same thing as you.
"This could connect you with a person who is looking at the same star at a remote place at the same time," enabling the people to swap impressions, Taniguchi said.

A second version of the device might be pressed into use to help relatives keep an eye on elderly family in greying Japan.
The earpiece, which could also function as a hearing aid, could monitor the wearer's health, including their pulse and body temperature, while logging how often they eat and sneeze, offering early warning of the onset of illness.
An onboard accelerometer could tell when the user falls and instruct the smartphone to pass information to relatives, or call an ambulance based on GPS data.
Tests are being carried out in Hiroshima, with the aim of commercialising the device from April 2016.

Are you drawing same salary over two years?

Has inflation kept us at the same salary level, even after two appraisal cycles?

Two years ago appraisals were in the range on 10-12 per cent, barring few sectors who offered a double-digit rise in pay packages. In 2014, too, single digit appraisals are expected, moving up to 12-15 per cent for high performers, revealed a TimesJobs.com study. Looking at the inflation rate in the past two years - are we actually at the same income level or worse? Are we actually getting any 'appraisal' as far as take-home package is concerned?

"Net income in the range of 2-3 per cent even after 9 per cent appraisal" - R P Yadav, chairman and managing director, Genius Consultants Ltd

Employees can be classified as high performers, average performers and poor performers. People who are in the bracket of average performers have been getting single digit increment and for the bracket of high performer the increment is between 12-16 per cent.

Since the number of high performers is less than the number of average performers, the increment in appraisal comes almost around 8-9.5 per cent. Considering this if we analyse the net income after considering the inflation rate in the past two years, it is actually between 2-3 per cent.

Unless the industry revival really takes place, which is actually not very much expected in the year 2014-15, due to election and election results, I personally feel that the increment in the net take home package will be low and increment in appraisal will be in single digit, between 8-9.5 per cent.

"No real hike but sector growth provides solace" - Andleeb Jain, group head-HR, Isolux Corsan

Single digit appraisals have been witnesses in many companies last year, especially if we talk of many Brick and Mortar companies the statement is true, but there have been many companies in other sectors where the increments last year have been just a tad over single digits, it has been a mixed bag weighing heavily towards the single digit appraisals.

This year looks no different, with various studies showing various trends, but the ground situation has not been very different from last year, in fact it has worsened slightly. The average hikes this year are expected to be also in the late single digits or at most touching 10 per cent. This translates to a negative real hike, or, no real hike keeping the inflation in view. But if we plot the hike versus profitability growth of the sector or companies, I personally feel it's still an acceptable scenario for the employee.

However, considering the sentiments of Indian as well as global market which is looking forward positively to the coming financial year, it is anticipated that companies will offer a better hike to the top performers/critical talents than compared to the last couple of years.

"Median salaries have remained flattish but a holistic view is recommended" - Saba Adil, head talent, Aegon Religare Life insurance Co. Ltd.

As company's juggle to balance costs and profitability in challenging times, salary increases today are largely led by the company's ability to pay. Median salaries have mostly remained flattish or increased slightly over the last few years. Salary increases, however, should not be looked in seclusion from a total fixed pay or a take home perspective and increases over that, but should also be extended to include variable pay and long term incentives and other benefits, if companies provide for that. Compensation should be looked at holistically considering total emoluments on all elements of pay, benefits such as, car, health insurance and accidental insurance.

6 steps to build successful career in retail

New entrants need to focus on analytical skills, creativity and decisiveness.

According to industry experts, career prospects in the retail sector look promising in 2014. The boom in the sector is mostly led by multi-national corporations adding retail outlets in India seeing the changing demand and preferences of the Indian consumers. Owing to soaring consumer demand, retail companies will continue their hiring spree in 2014, especially at entry level and front-line roles.

Vaibhav Singhal, MD & CEO, Savemax shares a 6-step guide to build a successful career in the retail sector during a TimesJobs.com High-Tea session:

Education: Technically, one does not need any specialised education to get into the retail industry. The nuances of retail and categories can be picked up on the job as well.

Skills: There is an ample growth and development opportunities in the retail sector. The new entrants in this sector should focus on analytical skills, creativity, and decisiveness and risk tolerance. At the store level, one needs to understand the store planning, people management, inventory control, understanding of operations and customer management skills well, apart from being good with data.

Jobs: Demand for talent will grow in functions such as store operations, supply chain management, merchandising, human resource, finance and marketing. The industry will require qualified graduates/MBAs to execute these jobs.

Experience v/s Expertise: Expertise cannot be compromised in any field. One cannot get a good experience if there is lack of expertise to begin with. However, expertise gets enhanced with experience as well. So it is a cycle. One needs to start well and then progress (learn) better.

Job profile v/s brand name: Having a clear job profile is important for all employees. For a candidate it's important to have a clear picture about the company's vision, future plans, financial strength, and culture before he comes on board. The candidate should also have adequate knowledge about people who are leading the company.

Focus on customer delight: Retail is a business where focus is on customer delight. New entrants should possess the right attitude, enthusiasm and maturity to serve their prospective and existing customers effectively. Companies can then train them with ground level understanding of consumption patterns in the retail industry and strategies to attract new customers as good customer service plays an essential role in building a network of loyal customers, which will result in business growth and development. This has to be backed by sound retail fundamentals, basic common sense and the right service attitude.

12-Year-Old Creates Low-Cost Braille Printer Out Of Legos

When Shubham Banerjee learned how expensive Braille printers were, the 12-year-old boy thought he could do better. All he needed was a month, and a set of Legos.

And after weeks of fitting yellow, red and blue plastic blocks together - hooked up to robot-like machines - Shubham came up with not only a science fair hit, but an invention that actually helps people. He calls his Braille reader, the "Braigo."

"I think I'm doing something that could actually help people," Shubham says.

Shubham, who attends San Jose's Champion School, got the idea after a flyer was dropped off on the family's doorstep soliciting donations for an organization that helps the blind. Shubham realized he knew very little about what life must be like for the visually impaired. And he wanted to do something about that.

So he got to work putting together a $350 Lego Mindstorms kit bought for him by his father, who works at Intel in Silicon Valley. But he had lots of questions, and research to do.

"I asked my dad 'How do blind people read?'" Shubham says. "My dad said to 'Google it.' So I did."

After diving into the Internet, Shubham found out a lot about Braille printers. Not only how they work, but how expensive they are. Most start at about $2,000. He figured that put them out of reach of many people who might benefit from one.

Shubham first told his mother that when he was older he would like to buy the printers and give them to blind people. Then it occurred to him to try and make one.

"I didn't know if it was even possible," Shubham says.

Shubham spent the next four weeks working at the family kitchen table after school. Shubham would often stay up past midnight fiddling with his creation. He went through seven failed prototypes before finally coming up with the right configuration. He essentially created a robot out of machinery and Legos that creates tiny holes in paper and creates the alphabet in Braille.

It was late one night that Shubham's printer -now dubbed the Braigo - printed its first letter. "It was a eureka moment," Shubham recalls. "My mom was like, 'Yea!'"

• Couple Married 72 Years Gets Wedding They Never Had

Shubham's creation made its debut at his school's science fair, and has been gaining popularity ever since. Videos Shubham posted on YouTube describing his invention have collected hundreds of thousand of views. People, both sighted and blind, have reached out to him from around the world with messages of admiration and congratulations.

Even the Lego company tweeted a compliment to him.

For now, Shubham's Braigo is the only prototype available. But his goal is to make detailed instructions and put them online for others to copy for free.

Tor is developing its own anonymous instant messanger

Worried about Facebook's takeover of Whatsapp? The Tor Project is prepping an anonymous instant messaging client that's tied to its free, Deep Web-friendly browser.
The Tor Instant Messaging Bundle is being developed to provide the world's most secure real-time communications tool.
According to the project roadmap, it's built on the existing open-source chat program Instantbird and all communication would be sent through Tor's onion-layered relays.
An experimental version of Tor Instant Messaging Bundle is expected to be available by the end of March.

As secure as it gets

There's been an increased need for more secure communication tools ever since Edward Snowden outed the NSA's Prism surveillance program.
While the law enforcement has reportedly had trouble cracking the encryption that Apple uses for iMessages, the NSA is thought to have collected plenty of other communications.
TorChat already exists as one of the the hidden services of Tor, but it's developed independently of the anonymity software with completely different set of donation-funded developers.
By the end of March, we should see an official Tor IM client take off-the-record chats to a whole new level.

• Are we in the age of the ultra-secure smartphone?

British Spies Capture Yahoo Webcam Images

The Five Eyes, a term used to describe the transnational intelligence-gathering alliance between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US, would be more aptly named the Million Eyes, to reflect more accurately the agencies' ability to access webcam communications.
The UK's GCHQ intelligence service, with the help of the NSA, reportedly grabbed snapshots from millions of Yahoo users' webcam chat sessions in recent years, about 7% of which contained "undesirable nudity."
On Thursday, based on documents provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden, The Guardian published details about an intelligence-gathering program called Optic Nerve, which began in 2008 and continued at least through 2012, designed to test facial recognition technology and to identify persons of interest.

Optic Nerve is said to collect information from GCHQ's Internet cable taps and to route that data to the NSA's XKeyscore search program. Rather than collecting the full video stream, the program reportedly collects still images every five minutes.
According to the report, GCHQ collected 1.8 million images from Yahoo users' webcam chat sessions in a six-month period during 2008. Many of these images are said to be sexually explicit -- 7.1%, with a 3.7% margin of error.
"Unfortunately, there are issues with undesirable images within the data," one of the excepted documents posted by The Guardian reads. "It would appear that a surprising number of people use webcam conversations to show intimate parts of their body to the other person. Also, the fact that Yahoo software allows more than one person to view a webcam stream without necessarily sending a reciprocal stream means that it appears sometimes to be used for broadcasting pornography."
Rather than taking steps to avoid capturing such images, GCHQ is said to have made an effort to exclude images from its searches when its software does not find any facial features. However, according to The Guardian, the agency's explicit imagery detection system generates too many false positives by identifying people's faces as pornographic.
What's more, such policies may be unsustainable now that the agency's aversion to nudity has become public knowledge. Continued refusal to consider explicit imagery would create a safe, though immodest, channel for covert communication -- pornography could shield steganography.
GCHQ declined to comment to The Guardian beyond insisting that its activities were legal.

A guide to getting everlasting traffic with keyword research

When you look at any of the thought leaders in marketing and copywriting, read any top keyword research guide (from Hubspot, Copyblogger, Moz) they will all tell you the same thing: You gotta get your keyword research right. What will keyword research impact on?

• SEO
• SEM
• social media activity
• customer discovery
• getting the right people into the funnel
• branding

Why? Language links to identity. You need to know the language your (potential) customers are using. If you do not use similar language, you cannot attract more and will alienate the ones you have.

We are a team collaboration tool. We found that amongst others we appealed to people interested in the GTD (Getting Things Done) movement after our keyword research. Sure, it had crossed our minds but we assumed it was not that important.

Language is a tool you can use to build data about your ideal users, where they are, how to find them and how to attract them. The language you use impacts the copywriting of your website, email transactions, tweets, blog posts, press releases, customer support messages.

People identify with the things they use – here are some amazing survey results about iPhones, Androids and Blackberry users:

• iPhone users are quite vain and travel more
• Android users are good cooks, work longer hours and drink more
• Blackberry users are richer and eat out the most

…and without having to go into detail, you can instantly imagine the ads for each of these products and nod in agreement. Apple appealing to the vain? Blackberry appealing to the business class? Yes, that sounds right.

These companies got their language right. They got their keywords right. This allowed them to target the people who would get the most value out of their products.

This is customer discovery at its most primitive stage. And a lot of people get it wrong.

Validate your assumptions with keyword research

Let’s start by mentioning a few well-known facts. You are not going to rank for a singular word. If you are selling wine online, you are not going to rank for “wine.” It’s going to be at least a two-word phrase, if not more.

As a newcomer, you will have to get a) specific and b) creative with your keyword targeting.

Specific: To target the exact niche.

Creative: Say it in a way that still makes sense to the core product.

It’s harder than it looks.

Let’s make a hypothetical case study for “tailored suits.” Don’t forget to use quotation marks at all times in your search to keep the search accurate.

Updated: Bitcoin goes bust? Major exchange files for bankruptcy

Update 2: MtGox has filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan, where it told the court that it had debts of 6.5bn yen (£38m / US$64m / AU$71m). No word on what that means for its users' bitcoins yet, but it's not looking good.
Update 1: A thin statement has appeared on MtGox's formerly blank website, opaquely explaining why the Bitcoin exchange has put a stopper on transactions.
"Dear MtGox Customers," it begins. "In light of recent news reports and the potential repercussions on MtGox's operations and the market, a decision was taken to close all transactions for the time being in order to protect the site and our users. We will be closely monitoring the situation and will react accordingly."
We'll keep an eye and ear out for more updates, but it appears there's still no word on the status of customers' bitcoins.
Original story below...
The biggest Bitcoin exchange in the world, MtGox, has gone dark with no word on whether the 750,000 bitcoins it was housing are safe or lost or real or what.
The shut-down comes after MtGox spotted some "unusual activity", and stopped all transfers to external addresses earlier this month because it had found a loophole that allowed thieves to dupe the system into doubling the number of bitcoins requested.
People who have bitcoins with the company are still waiting to hear if they've been robbed, if the exchange has collapsed or if it's just a glitch in the matrix.

Bad eggs

Other bitcoin exchanges are concerned that people will take this to mean that digital money is deeply unreliable and should generally be avoided at all costs.
Six of them got together to describe the MtGox situation as a "tragic violation of the trust of users" and keenly point out that it is "the result of one company's actions and does not reflect the resilience or value of Bitcoin and the digital currency industry."
The statement goes on to say that MtGox has "confirmed its issues in private discussions with other members of the Bitcoin community" adding that "certain bad actors... need to be weeded out."
It certainly sounds as though something fishy has gone down, although there's no official confirmation of that yet.
If you're still befuddled by the whole Bitcoin phenomenon, we've broken it down into manageable chunks for you over here. Pay attention: there'll be a test at the end.

Apple may stop iPhone 5S Touch ID 'forgetting' your fingers

Not long ago, we reported that a number of iPhone 5S users were complaining of a "fade" issue with the iPhone 5S Touch ID scanner, causing it to forget your fingerprints over time.
Now a source "familiar with Apple's development plans" has said that the company is preparing to release a software update that could fix the problem.
The source, speaking to Appleinsider, said that Apple is aware of the problem experienced by early adopters of the 5S, and will release a free software update "relatively soon".

Give it the finger

It's unclear whether this will be part of iOS 7.1, which is expected to arrive mid-March, or its own standalone update.
Users who have experienced "fade" have temporary fixed the problem by reconfiguring their prints, however it's only taken weeks for the problem to appear again.

Google gives Hangouts a massive update for iOS

Google has updated its Hangouts app for iPhone and iPad to version 2.0 on Apple's App Store.
This is the first big update for the iOS app since adding voice calls for North America last year October.
The update brings in a new look that is completely iOS optimized, now sporting a two pane conversation window, and along with the new look, you also get picture-in-picture video calls, similar to other video calling services.

Video messaging

In its efforts to go up against Apple's own OS-entrenched FaceTime, the biggest update for Hangouts this time comes in the form of 10-second video messages for contacts who are offline.
Being able to leave video messages for friends and families makes Hangouts an increasingly attractive all-encompassing, multi-platform messaging and video chat app, though we still doubt it will pull many away from FaceTime.
Hangouts 2.0 on iOS also gives you animated stickers and the ability to send Google Maps based on your current location with just a few clicks - though these can be considered to be part of the Google app's natural evolution.

10 Insane Flappy Bird Clones, Rip Offs and Replacements

10 Insane Flappy Bird Clones, Rip Offs and Replacements is a post by Josh Smith from Gotta Be Mobile.
Flappy Bird clones, rip offs and replacements flooded the app store in February. Here are the 10 most insane, or incredible, Flappy Bird clones available.
Flappy Bird ushered in the month with a storm, shooting to the top of the iTunes and Google Play as gamers couldn’t get enough of the annoyingly difficult game. We even saw gamers looking for Flappy Bird cheats to get a higher score to share on Twitter or Facebook. But the fun couldn’t last forever, and earlier this month the creator pulled Flappy Bird from all App Stores.
In the two weeks since Flappy Bird flew off the app store dozens, possibly hundreds, of Flappy Bird clones and alternatives arrived. It got so bad that Apple and Google started cracking down on them. That doesn’t seem to matter as Flappy Bird clones like Flappy Wings, Hoppy Frog, Splashy Fish and Flying Cyrus Wrecking Ball still sit at the top of the free iPhone app lists.
It’s not clear if the Flappy Bird fad is past, so that gamers can move on to Threes and Bridge Builder, but as we close out Flappy Bird February here are the most incredible Flappy Bird games we could find.

Flying Cyrus Wrecking Ball

Flappy Cyrus Wrecking Ball is a parody game.

Flying Cyrus Wrecking Ball was the first breakout Flappy Bird parody to arrive. Switch Miley Cyrus and her famous tong for a bird and you’ve pretty much nailed this gameplay. In this game instead of pipes, Cyrus must doge wrecking balls and sledgehammers.
Free in iTunes

Tappy Bieber

Not Flappy Bieber, but Tappy Bieber. This game takes on Cyrus.

Tappy Bieber, which may as well be named Flappy Bieber, is a Bieber Flappy bird game that puts users in charge of the oft in trouble Canadian singer that teen girls can’t get enough of. The developer clearly missed out on a chance to swap in police cars for the pipes and make it harder to control Bieber as he eluded the cops.
Free in iTunes

Flappy Wings Free

Go crazy with Flappy Wings free.

Why ripoff one top game, when you can rip off two? Flappy Wings Free spike to the top of the charts by borrowing the bird form Tiny Wings and the gameplay from Flappy Birds. With over 100,000 reviews and a 4.5 star rating this formula works.
Free in iTunes

Fall Out Bird

Play Fall Out Bird, the official Fall Out Boy Flappy Bird game.

Why let someone make a parody of your likeness in Flappy Bird when you can do it yourself and use it to promote a new tour. Fall Out Bird is a Flappy Bird clone that stars the members of Fall Out Boy who used the app to kick start a concert and give away some free tickets.
Free in iTunes

Flappy Beard Hipster Quest

Beards, a hipster and PBR make up this Flappy Bird clone.

Flappy Beard Hipster Quest is a late entrant to the Flappy Bird clones, but it’s hard to argue with a Hipster Beard and PBR. Navigate Hero Hipster through stacks of PBR cans without getting sick of the hipster’s barrage of quotes and complaints.
Free in iTunes

Flappy Stache

Flappy Stache follows close behind the bearded hipster.

Forget birds, fish and frogs. Flappy Stache is a sophisticated Flappy Bird clone that is to be played with dignity, and humor. Tap to keep the mustache safe as it flies through razors to safety, perhaps to meet up with the hipster.
Free in iTunes

Floppy Worm

Trade your bird for a worm and navigate an underground Flappy Bird clone.

Forget birds and go underground with Floppy Worm, a Flappy Bird clone that puts users in a cave for a slightly more challenging version of this popular game. Collect gold as you go and aim for a high score to keep Floppy happy.
Free in iTunes

Hoppy Frog

The same tap, tap style of play, but a new objective adds clouds, flies and sharks.

Hoppy Frog makes the cut, but it isn’t a true Flappy Bird clone. The game uses the tap, tap tap game style of Flappy Bird, but brings in clouds, sharks and golden flies to the mix. Users must collect flies and stay on clouds to make it through the never ending level.
Free in iTunes 

Flappy Fall

Catch all the failed Flappy Birds that are falling.

If you are sick of tapping birds through obstacles, try catching falling Flappy Birds before they splat into the ground. Thanks to the popularity of Flappy Bird there is no end in sight for these falling Flappy Birds.
Free in iTunes

Flappy Monster Free

Flappy Monster Free adds more challenges to a Flappy Bird style game.

Flappy Monster borrows the fire bands from Mario and similar looking hills to up the challenge of getting though small openings.  Reviews praise tis game for offering a good Flappy Bird alternative and adding to the challenge.

Appraisal time again: Can it be more sweet, than sour?

It is that time of the year again. Appraisal time. It almost appears that other than the HR function, everyone would be happy without going through this experience. Indeed, does this have to be that painful a chore, for either side? Agreed, an assessment psyche has more the tinge of failure, anxiety and remorse but does it have to be all so negative? Maybe managers need to just try a different recipe!

It is thank you time: Remember that we are sitting to appraise someone who has worked for you for twelve months. The least way to start a conversation is to thank the person for choosing to be with you and to do whatever he did. This always works to put the appraisee at ease.

Possibly avoid a very formal setting: While this is not always practical, it again is a useful technique. Sitting across a table almost always to me signals a power distance. Sitting at a right angle or on a round table or even doing a conversation away from your typical meeting room is a useful relaxant and sets the stage for a more relaxed conversation, which helps ease defensiveness of the appraise.

Always begin with compliments: Unfortunately appraisals are seen by many as pure inquisition exercises. The reality is this is to take stock of how the year went. And one needs to be really terrible or unfortunate to have done nothing that would be useful. A positive start is very useful to help the other side understand that the manager is not there to be the hangman.

Let the appraisee speak in equal measure: Many appraisers choose to use this time to deliver sermons. This is so out of step with the purpose of a good appraisal conversation. Allow the person in front to share views on what went right and what could have gone better. A good manager will encourage reflection and introspection by the appraisee. That is the best way of building ownership, not a one sided preach session.

Learn the art of paraphrasing: Many times the choice of words or the tone of communication could misrepresent the intent. It is always useful to play back what your understanding of the message is. It could either confirm or clarify what really was meant. There is no point in assuming and later sorting out a much bigger misunderstanding.

Get comfortable having a difficult conversation: This is as much a reality of life and many managers fight shy of it. This is unacceptable. A good appraisal discussion has to be honest, howsoever, unpleasant it may seem. There is a need to call a spade. One must share feedback, if something was not done well enough.

More likely, there is a behavioural dysfunctionality that needs to be flagged. One must have done enough stakeholder conversations to know exactly what the issue is. The manager must not mince words but must not be insensitive in tone or pitch. Always look the person in the eye at this point. It conveys you are being deliberate and straight.

Remember how a good coach would speak to his players? Tough, straight but always forward looking. Giving specific examples is always useful. The appraisee can connect the feedback with the instance and finds it less subjective.Allow for questions and clarifications: If the appraisee has questions, you must encourage them to be raised. It conveys that you are committed to a level-playing field. Some clarifications may be legitimate and gives you crucial data points. More importantly, that you heard him out is far more a signal of credibility. However, this is not a time for filibustering. If the appraisee continues indefinitely, politely but firmly put the issues to an end. Something like "I have heard you. I would stay with my inputs. Please reflect on them" typically works.

This is pure appraisee time: A good manager must ensure that there are no distractions as the meeting proceeds. Calls, even from a bigger boss, is not acceptable appraisal etiquette.

Communicate your decision firmly: As a manager you have the final responsibility of conveying the organisational decision. Typically, a bell curve is the reality of life from school days. Why should we suddenly baulk in our work life. You have to make your decision. You cannot pass the buck to someone else, and surely not hapless HR.

Thank and close: Politeness always helps, even for the "Hari Sadus". Thank the appraisee for putting together a summary, for the time for this conversation, for actively participating in the discussion and seeking the support for the next year. Try the recipe in your appraisal kitchen. The dish is bound to taste better.

One third of fortune 100 companies will face information crisis by 2017

​ The rise of big data, social networking and mobile interactions, coupled with an accelerating increase in the amount of structured and unstructured information enabled by cloud-based technologies, is forcing organizations to focus on the enterprise information that is most relevant, value-generating and risk-related. Gartner predicts that, by 2017, 33 percent of Fortune 100 organizations will experience an information crisis, due to their inability to effectively value, govern and trust their enterprise information.

"There is an overall lack of maturity when it comes to governing information as an enterprise asset," said Andrew White, research vice president at Gartner. "It is likely that a number of organizations, unable to organize themselves effectively for 2020, unwilling to focus on capabilities rather than tools, and not ready to revise their information strategy, will suffer the consequences."

Business leaders need to manage information, rather than just maintain it. "When we say 'manage,' we mean 'manage information for business advantage,' as opposed to just maintaining data and its physical or virtual storage needs," said White. "In a digital economy, information is becoming the competitive asset to drive business advantage, and it is the critical connection that links the value chain of organizations."

The discipline of exploiting the various types of information created and managed inside and outside organizations is called enterprise information management (EIM). It enables people across an organization to share, manage and reuse information that was created in different applications and stored in different databases and repositories. But these abilities do not, by themselves, help an organization. IT leaders must design EIM initiatives so that sharing and reusing information creates business value, and the value created must contribute to enterprise goals.

Ultimately, an EIM program must help an organization identify which information is important to its success not all information is. It must evaluate a great deal of information and determine what qualifies as enterprise information. Gartner analysts said that, at present, over three-quarters of individual information management initiatives are isolated from each other within the same organization. This leads to EIM not being realized, sustained or fully exploited.

The firm recommend that IT leaders identify the crucial business outcomes that need improvement or that are being held by poor information management. Second, they need to determine the business processes and leaders most impacted by those outcomes, and use their findings to start setting priorities for a new EIM program. Finally, they need to adopt a program management approach for EIM, to identify work efforts, resource commitments, stakeholder expectations and metrics for success.

As EIM focuses on linking projects, using assets and aligning organizational efforts, there is also demand for information governance. "With effective information governance, business users will understand the impact of poor quality data on the outcome of desired business processes. This understanding leads to a desire, on behalf of the end user, to assure or 'steward' the data so that it supports their day-to-day business activities," said White.