If the tipoff received by The Wall Street Journal is any indication, the next iPhone could have a four-inch screen. According to the publication, Apple has been contacting several Asian suppliers to enquire about larger screens than those on the latest iPhone. At least four inches in size, this would put the new screens one half inch ahead of the current iPhone screens. While the WSJ wouldn’t get specific about who they received this information from, they did say that the individual or individuals were ‘familiar with the situation’. If the sources are reliable, then production involving the new screens could gain momentum as early as next month, seeing as the next iPhone is most recently reported to be unveiled this fall. Along with the tipoff comes speculation about the reason for the ordering of the larger screens. Some suspect Apple is attempting to keep up with its Samsung Android rival.
Are smart phones just for talking and texting? Heck, no! These devices can be used from everything from playing music to filming videos, and even to shopping. And if you have an iPhone or Android, there’s another use for your device: scanner. Some neat apps are on the market which allow you to scan anything you like with just your smart phone.
The iPhone Scanner
Turning your iPhone into a scanner involves a quick visit to the App Store, where there are many options. But app ratings matter, and one of the most highly-rated is the Genius Scan app. This particular app allows you to not only scan a document, but convert it into a PDF or JPEG from within the app, making it incredibly useful for digitizing all kinds of documents.
The Android Scanner
For those who want to be able to scan their documents quickly, the CamScanner app could offer a solution. Another highly-rated app, CamScanner is free and available from Google Play. In addition to being able to share and upload what you’ve scanned, CamScanner allows you to upload directly to the cloud. Other features are strikingly similar to the traditional scanner, such as the ability to auto crop what you’ve scanned, set a password, batch scan and merge multiple scans.
This week, the Netherlands became the second country in the world to have net neutrality legislation added to its telecommunications law and passed. In addition, the law includes provisions which require that websites ask users for their permission before storing cookies on their browsers, although this facet of the legislation won’t go into effect until next year. The legislation follows events which occurred in the last quarter of 2011, when a continued decrease in SMS and voice services was noticed. However, data usage continued to rise due to more consumers using apps to communicate. So KPN, a leading telecom provider in the Netherlands, planned to make users pay extra to use these apps. Two other companies quickly followed. This caused a huge public outcry, after which KPN quickly withdrew its intentions. The new law will ensure that any company who provides internet access treats all internet services equally, which means that they cannot charge customers extra to access competing services.
The mobile application development market is constantly growing and improving. With every passing moment, another developer is building a mobile application to be used by millions on the current arsenal of smartphone platforms. As more companies dip their feet into the water, many are discovering the benefits of today’s computer technologies. Businesses from all sectors are thus left wondering what the next big technological advancement will bring to the mobile application development industry.
The number of smartphone users is increasing faster than the staggering number of apps that hit the mobile market. Worldwide, that number is fast approaching one billion. The average smartphone features 23 applications, with many users adding to that list on a daily basis. The demand for custom mobile apps is greater than ever before, as is the demand for the mobile application development services that design and develop them.
Successful applications have one particular thing in common – they are unique. Still, it’s easy to see how despite a massive mobile market that so many mobile apps are able to find and maintain a certain level of uniqueness. Mostly, this is because the options to choose from in today’s mobile app development industry are just as great. When it comes to mobile games and programs that use, manipulate, save and send data received by the peripherals built-in to a mobile device, the possibilities are literally endless.
With so much to consider, what should a person look for in a mobile app?
To start, the app should be smooth with an unnoticeable transition from one section to another. Features are important, but mobile apps should still be as light as possible. A fine line exists between powerful features and keeping the mobile app light. A developer’s job is to tread carefully along that line. Bulky apps that boast too many features often take away from the overall user experience.
On the contrary, the mobile app should be straight-forward, easy to use and not cluttered by thousands of useless features or options. Clutter tends to make mobile applications more difficult to use as many operate on a small touch screen.
Most people would agree that taking a full-blown version of Photoshop on the road through a mobile device would be something worth trying. The problem with a scenario like this is that most users would not be able to work with such a feature-rich application on a smartphone. An app that can do basic manipulating and conversions to prepare files for editing on a large computer would be a much better suited app for a device like a smartphone.
Mobile apps today mostly cater to audio, video, imaging, organizational and games. Most mobile devices have excellent built-in media players that accommodate audio and video files, although simple apps can make these popular features even better.
The most important element to mobile applications is a useful and beneficial design. We can’t put every single feature into a mobile application that we wish to include. We can, however, design apps in a manner which allows us to manipulate files and later export them to a proper computer app for the complete job.
Mobile games are different than most other apps as we don’t use them to manipulate files. Mostly, games serve the purpose of entertainment and wasting time. For mobile games, a successful app is generally lightweight, addictive and fun but without skimping on graphics.
Akehs Gupta is President of Light Speed Solutions. Light Speed Solutions is a custom software development company specializing in mobile application development services.
If you’ve ever tried to reach a site that you know is working, only to get repeated 404 errors, then you understand how frustrating it can be. If this happens to you a lot, then you may need to flush your computer’s DNS. Doing this will remove the faulty entry from your computer’s cache so that the new and correct one can be used.
Flushing DNS In Windows
After closing all of your web browser windows and other applications on your computer, open the command prompt by going to the Start menu and then choosing “Run”. When the dialog box pops up, type ‘cmd’ (without the apostrophes). Once you are at the command prompt, enter ‘ipconfig /flushdns’ (without the apostrophes), and then hit the enter key. You should receive a message saying that the DNS was flushed successfully.
Flushing DNS in Mac OS X Lion
Exit Mozilla Firefox if it’s open on your computer. After opening the terminal, enter this command: dscacheutil –flushcache Flushing DNS in Mac OS X Tiger Once you’ve exited any instances of Mozilla Firefox, open the terminal and enter the following command: lookupd –flushcache
When you’re traveling for business and bringing your technology with you, any number of things can happen that can derail your plans to make some progress during your trip. Let’s face it; having a smartphone or tablet is great, but if they aren’t functional due to forgotten chargers or issues with the device, then you will leave yourself high and dry.
Are You Willing To Lose Your Tech?
If you just bought the new iPhone, or are taking your favorite tablet with you, you may wish to think again. Having older tech that you aren’t worried about losing or becoming damaged will hurt a lot less than losing something new. Customs and TSA officials have, and do confiscate personal technology on a random basis if they see something they don’t like. And before you leave for your trip, enlist the help of a cloud storage service so that you can reach all of your important documents in the event your tech is confiscated, lost or stolen.
Are You Willing To Pay Top Dollar For Necessities?
It’s a good thing that stores now exist in airports where you can pick up chargers or other vital cords in case you forget to pack them at home. But shopping for connections at these stores can mean that you pay way too much for them. Take a few minutes before you leave to ensure you have all of the connections and chargers you need, so that you don’t have to waste time looking for a store and then paying a lot of money at the airport.
It is amazing the number of people I visit that have problems with laptops overheating. We put them on beds we put them on sofas, on a cushion, on our knees, in our bags and expect the laptop to continue functioning to its best even though we give them a rough time.
I must visit 2 or 3 people every single week that are having problems with their laptop that I can trace back to overheating. I have even had a number of customer’s says they have found marks on cushions or bedding where the laptop has been or have smelt a burning smell and never thought it could be their laptop.
Signs something is heating up!
- Any type of burning smells coming from the laptop are obviously a sign something is not quite right
- Are there marks under the laptop such as on cushions, bedding, even on grass
- A laptop tends to shut down when it gets too hot to protect itself.
- You are also likely to notice your computer running very slow as it struggles to cope with even the most basic tasks
- Blue screens can also appear when overheating quickly followed by an automatic reboot.
Oh no it’s overheating – what can I do?
Don’t put the laptop of soft furnishings
The first thing people fail to realise is that a lot of the vents on a laptop are underneath the laptop and therefore the laptop does need to be raised slightly hence the stubby little legs on most laptops.
When a laptop is rested on some soft furnishing such as a cushion, a sofa or on top of your bed you are effectively stopping the laptop from breathing. The fans bring air in to cool down the inside of the laptop and then blow the hot air out of the vent on the side. If the vents are covered then it cannot get the cold air in and eventually gets too hot. Resting it on soft furnishing can also be a fire hazard so it is highly recommended you don’t rest it on ANY soft furnishing.
Use a tray or a solid surface
We have some cheap £3 trays scattered around our house that we rest our laptops on. This means we don’t have to put the laptop on soft furnishings and it allows the laptop to be raised and breath. It also makes it easier to hold to be honest and with a big enough tray you can even get a mouse on there too should you need one.
Clean out the fans and vents regularly
This is something I personal do on a monthly basis and if you ever use you laptop on soft furnishings (a big no no see point 1) then I would recommend you do it more often.
Laptop fans and heat sinks pick up an awful lot of dust, pet hair, pretty much anything. I was once surprised to find upon opening a laptop that was overheating a 2cm piece of biscuit blocking the fan!! If you have kids you will know they will shove their food anywhere including in your computer.
Pick up a can of compressed air (You can buy these almost anywhere including amazon) and spray it into all the vents on your laptop. Try to spray so the dust comes out of another vent. Pay particular attention to the heat sink area (metal bit on the side generally)
Use a cooling pad for your laptop
These are relatively cheap (type laptop cooling into Google or amazon). These are basically a device that your laptop sits on that has fans attached to the bottom to cool your laptop and get rid of heat quickly. They also have the added advantage of slightly raising your laptop to make it easier to use.
Author Bio
Craig is a computer repair technician and author of www.computerlearnhow.com offering a variety of advice, tutorials and general help such as his recent post is your computer running very slow.
Have you ever wondered who has searched for your name after a job interview or other meeting? BrandYourself may be able to tell you. The new online reputation management company assists people with the control of their names in Google results, and yesterday, they released a new feature of the service. The new feature reveals the workplaces and locations of those who have visited an individual’s BrandYourself profile. Unfortunately, if the visitor doesn’t work for a large company, it’s unlikely you will be able to find out where they work. But knowing who is looking for you can motivate you to keep your profile up to date with the latest good news about you. Although it only launched in March of this year, BrandYourself boasts over twenty thousand users. This may be because its identified a niche between popular sites like LinkedIn and Ziggs, each of whom track users, but don’t offer the same amount of information.
It’s no secret that the modern smartphone is a remarkably versatile device. Prior to their widespread availability, we needed a plethora of gadgets and devices to take care of all our technological needs, such as email, internet access, and so on. The smartphone has changed all this forever, but it doesn’t stop there! Here’s a list of twelve everyday objects that you can now replace with your phone.
1. Remote Controls
As far as we’re concerned, this is one of the coolest reasons to own a smartphone. If you’re willing to get a bit technical and do some setting up, you can rig your phone as a remote control for just about anything. There are apps available that allow your phone to interface with a wide variety of media players on your computer, and you can even set up your phone’s touchscreen to function as a remote touchpad and keyboard for your computer. Plug your laptop into a big screen TV via HDMI then browse effortlessly from the comfort of your sofa!
2. Flashlight
Flashlights are big and bulky, far too much so to carry around with you at all times. However, they’re also incredibly useful. This is where your phone steps in! Since most phones today have a camera with a flash, all you need to do is turn on the light and you’ve got illumination for whatever you need. Trying to find your keys behind the sofa? Can’t see the fuse box to get the lights back on? Your phone to the rescue!
3. Mobile Storage
Most smartphones now come packed with at least 2 gig of memory. Remember when 2 GB of memory was impressive for desktop computers? On top of that, today you can buy replacement SD cards with huge amounts of space for tiny price tags, turning your phone into an indispensable storage device capable of holding music, films, important documents and whatever else you need.
4. Light Switches
Remote control light switches may not be new, but controlling them with your phone is a fairly recent invention. Setting this up will take a bit of time, and you’ll need some equipment to do it, but since you have your phone on you at all times, controlling your lights from anywhere in the house will become simpler than ever. Plus you get to feel like you live in the future!
5. Car Keys
Push to start is a convenient feature of modern cars, but now your phone is capable of displacing your key fob. With the right technology, you can connect your phone to your car’s management system and lock or unlock the doors, turn on the alarm, sound the horn and whatever else you might need. Perfect for those times when you just can’t remember whether or not you rolled up your window!
6. Wi-Fi Router
Want to get online with your laptop in the middle of nowhere? Just pull out your phone, connect an aerial and it’ll use its own 3G connection to project a wireless hotspot for you to use. It might not be the fastest or most reliable, but it’ll get you through some sticky situations when you absolutely need a net connection!
7. Projector
There are a few phones that come with a projector installed and accessories that will accomplish the same. With clear picture up to 55”, that is a pretty impressive mobile display.
8. Face-to-Face Encounters
Though it’s very much in its infancy at the moment, phone based video conferencing is on the rise. With the likes of Skype, Tango, iVisit and others available, you don’t even need to be in the same room as your friends and business associates any more!
9. Television
More and more video content providers are turning up with their own mobile apps. Sky, BBC, and Netflix, amongst others, make content available for streaming straight to your phone. Why bother with a TV any more?
10. Camera
We know this is an obvious one, but it’s true! A few years ago, every phone had a camera, but few were up to much. Today’s cutting edge models come with some impressive camera technology. Unless you’re something of a photography enthusiast who demands the highest possible quality, phone cameras today are capable of taking some pretty great photos.
11. Your Wallet
So many small businesses only accept cash and lose out on valuable business. With the square and PayPal’s phone accessory, you can accept debit cards anywhere you have access to the internet on your smart-phone. On top of that, Google is now pushing its own ‘Google Wallet’ feature, which allows you to pay for goods at participating vendors with just the touch of a button.
If you want to get the most out of your phone, find the best data plan with broadband comparison from BroadbandChoices.co.uk.
Contrary to what many believe, it isn’t necessary to bring your computer to a technician every time something goes wrong. There are many computer issues that you can troubleshoot and fix at home.
Your Computer Is Slow
If you find that your system has become slower of late, a cleaning of your hard drive may do the trick. Unused files and leftovers from programs long since deleted can cause a lot of unnecessary space to be taken up. You can either download a program that will clean unwanted files for you, or go through and delete them manually. But caution if you’re going it alone is best, as deleting some files may cause some programs to behave erratically or not at all.
Your Computer Is Not Responding When On
If you find your computer isn’t responding to commands sent from your keyboard or software you are using, it may have become ‘frozen’. Try hitting CTRL+ALT+Delete simultaneously. This will bring up the Task Manager, and clicking on the ‘Processes’ tab will show you which programs are currently running on your computer. Try highlighting the ones using the most memory, and then clicking “End Process” at the bottom of the window. If this doesn’t help, hold down your computer’s power button until your computer shuts down, and then start it as usual.
We are constantly worried about the kind of safety and security of our lives. We change our home alarm systems, install some of the latest motion sensing lights and cameras to prevent unnecessary action, and buy the kind of cars that could withstand a hail of bullets. However, we tend to be a lot more careless when it comes to picking the security features that we want for our computers.
We use our computers for two main reasons – the first is to access the Internet, do our work, play games, watch videos, download movies and so on. The other, is for storing away our personal information safely. It is a natural tendency to believe that because something is not physically outside or kept out in the open, it is safer than something that is. However, with the kind of credit card, social security, passport, bank and personal information that we keep on our computers, we stand to lose quite a bit when it comes to data theft.
Put Things Away
One of the most important ways of keeping your possessions safe is to hide them. In your home, you don’t have money lying around all over the place, and jewelry isn’t just strewn about either. So why would you put your electronic treasures into a disorganized pile and leave it lying around your computer? Despite owning the best security system on the planet, you would still put your valuables inside and that is the same kind of thinking that you need to use on your computer.
Lock up your data with the assumption that anyone, at some point of time, can come in to take a peek into your terminal, steal something that belongs to you and leaves you footing a bill for a little boat that’s taking him out to the beautiful Greek Isles. Financial documents, on Excel sheets, can be saved with a password to protect them, as is the case with Word, PDF files and even PowerPoint presentations. Basically, any kind of software that gives you the ability to encrypt your document, must be put to complete use. Use something like the identity finder to locate any user-specific, or personal, data that you might have on your computer. It will help you track it down and put them under lock and key – the only way to add more security levels on your computer.
Don’t Recycle
If you are looking to delete items from your computer, which basically means that you have no use for them, then why use the recycle bin? Think about it – do you throw cheques, with mistakes, into the trash can like they are? No, you tear them up so that no one can use them. At work, do you dispose official documents off by throwing them into a bin? No, you pass them through a shredder that eats them up. Then why should your computer be any different?
When you delete a file on any operating system, it takes the file to the recycle bin (in Windows) or any other similar software that works as a trash bin. The concept they are using is that when you use the trash bin at your home, you empty it out later. However, we don’t always remember to do that, on the computer, because there are a lot more distractions and unlike physical trash, this kind doesn’t smell. Data that, otherwise, would be thrown away, lingers on in our computers and gives others an opportunity to take it away.
There are many software out there that can do this part for you, shredding away your files safely and not leaving behind any traces for those forensic data-thieves to steal. Some of these software overwrite data before sending it for deletion, and that overwrite-count can go up to 30 even. Once is enough to make them irrecoverable forever!
Encryption
Think of it like a car alarm! If your car has an alarm, then the thief will take longer to break-in than in a car without the alarm. Similarly, a car with an alarm and a steering lock would take even longer to break into while something that has a gear lock as well, would take further still. Basically, the more protection you have in place, the harder it gets for your car to get stolen. Trojans, that grab data on your computer, are quite similar in nature.
They will grab what’s available freely and if you aren’t being targeted directly, then even the most basic encryption will cause a lot of heartache for the helpless Trojan. Encrypt the file into a zipped format and remove the original from your computer, if you really need to keep the information i.e.
Whether you are running a business or simply using your computer for personal reasons, there are lots of things on it, at any given point of time, that are precious for your daily life. You need to safeguard these things to ensure that you aren’t the victim of the next massive online credit card fraud.
Trevor Patrick – author
When you think of computers and the computer support services’ industry, the name of Trevor Patrick is almost unavoidable. Having started a small firm with a small service, of ensuring your computer’s security, Trevor eventually created a monster that became the life and blood of computer users all over Australia and New Zealand. His word became gold and his services were beyond par! That until he decided to sell off his company and take to farming and an early retirement in the countryside. Trevor still writes on computer-related subjects today, although more for the love of the game, than for the money.
Apple, along with two other major book publishers is planning to fight back against an April 11 suit filed by The Justice Department and several states. The suit alleges that Apple and the publishers worked together as part of a conspiracy to increase electronic book prices by up to five dollars. According to Attorney General Eric Holder, high-level execs at the companies were focused on the goal of eliminating competition among e-book sellers and wanted to convince Amazon.com to raise its price point of $9.99 as it was well below their hardcover prices. The core of the debate is the model being used to sell books. In the wholesale model, publishers sell titles to retailers, which the retailers can then price as they please. The agency model involves the publisher selling directly to readers and paying a commission to the agent.
Almost everybody today depends on their computer for most aspects of their lives. From contacts, to communication to important documents and even multimedia files and photos; almost everybody needs their computer and they need it to be running in tip top shape. So what should people do if their computer crashes or they download malicious programs onto their computer? Should they simply perform a cleaning task on the computer or run an antivirus application? They can, but the remnants of the virus will linger in the system until it is professionally cleaned. When dealing with an issue such as this, consumers need to be well aware of how much money and data can be saved from just going through a qualified computer technician fix all of the repairs on the computer. This way, it is fixed the first time without any more disruption to your computer system.
Save Money in More Than One Way
There is more than one way to save your hard earned money when you use the services of a qualified computer technician when your computer crashes. The most obvious way is simply to save your computer. The qualified technician will save your computer as a whole, preventing you from purchasing a whole new computer. When a computer downloads any type of malware program, spyware or any other harmful program, it will slow the entire system down, giving the user the false assumption that the computer is simply worn out and needs to be replaced. When you utilize the services of a qualified computer technician, you will be able to save your computer. They know how to make your computer like new again, they can take off the damaging programs and they can also increase the speed of the computer, making it run like it did when it first came out of the box.
Keep Your Personal Information Personal
One of the biggest fears of consumers today is identity theft. Identity theft can occur when hackers gain access to your personal information and use it to obtain loans, credit and rack up bills. One way that these hackers gain this information is to install malware programs on your computer that will give them the information about you that they want. With this type of program on your computer, they can get your passwords, your name, social security number and even your credit card and bank account numbers. With this information, the hackers can use it to gain access to your credit and your money. When you go through a qualified computer technician, you can rest assured that they are fully aware and trained on all of the latest advances in malware and how to eliminate the risk of identity theft.
Brian Lawson is a computer and IT security expert. His company, Datadrive has been providing PC repair Tucson based service for more than 20 years. He and his team of expert technicians can help with any Tucson PC repair challenge.
The speed at which mobile phone technology is progressing is truly amazing. But that also means that you could have more than one of your old phones lying around. These older devices can be hard to get any money out of, as most people may be interested in the latest and greatest technology. But just because you can’t sell your old phone, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still make it useful.
An Alternative MP3 Player
The hard drive space on your old phone can be used for extra mobile music storage when you travel to places where your shiny new iPhone may get damaged. Think camping or mountain biking. That old phone getting damaged will hurt a lot less than the price of a new Android or iOS phone.
For Emergency Only
Another good use for an old smart phone is to put it in your vehicle emergency kit. Even if deactivated, the FCC says that most cell phones will still be able to contact 911. This can also be a good safety net for your kids, but remember that you will have to make sure the phone is always charged.
The Mini E-Reader
Even though your smart phone’s screen may be much smaller than a Kindle’s, you can still use it to read e-books. Connect your phone to your computer, and download a free e-reader app, and then find some of those titles you always wanted to read and store them on your device.
Hacker collective Anonymous and the People’s Liberation Front have banded together to create AnonPaste, a Pastebin-like site for the hosting of non-moderated, non-censored code and messages. The two groups created the site using a free address and 256 AES encryption. Code-sharing site Pastebin has gotten a bad reputation as of late due to a large number of sensitive information such as malicious code and stolen data being shared by some users. In addition, the site has seen more frequent DDOS attacks along with its high rate of traffic growth. It has also admitted to filtering out some information that’s been pasted by users, which was the main inspiration for AnonPaste. However, the software on which AnonPaste is based, ZeroBin, has not been tested for the types of DDOS attacks that can threaten its operation.
In the Beginning…
Mobile computing in the form of tablet computers, is making its mark in the 21st Century. The iPad, developed and designed by Apple Inc., is at the forefront of this technological movement. The iPad descended on the unsuspecting general population in April 2010 and promptly sold 14.8 million units worldwide, by the end of that same year.
The iPad’s main focus is that of an audio-visual outlet for web browsing, book reading, movie watching, and game playing amongst other multi-media activities – which it has in common with the majority of tablet PCs on the market. However it initially differed greatly from its competitors, in that it employed a multi-touch display, like the iPhone, whilst its competitors were still using a stylus method, for the most part. It also boasted an onscreen keyboard instead of a bulky physical one. Talk about improved portability!
The Specifics
The product is extremely user-friendly. It is produced in Wi-Fi and cellular models, allowing the user to access online services via local are networks as well as via the Internet.
The touchscreen display provides greater versatility and incorporates fingerprint and scratch-resistant technology found in the iPhone. The in-house applications, pre-installed on the iPad, support all four orientations, which is handy when picking up the tablet upside-down.
The built-in camera, introduced on the later models, is of low quality for still-pictures and there are two, one front facing and one rear facing. However the cameras can interface with iPhone 4 and other communication gadgets for video messaging.
It comes with Bluetooth technology that enables the user to pair wireless headphones and keyboards to the device.
iPad – Generation I
Launched in April 2010, this revolutionary computer product took the Apple community and worldwide PC world by storm. It came with the iOS 3.2 operating system in a 9.7inch display screen. With a 1GHz processor and 256MB of memory, it perfectly bridged the gap between mobile phones and personal computers. This initial model was only available in black.
IPad 2 – Generation II
Released in March 2011 and referred to simply as iPad 2, the second-generation tablet PC has a vastly improved operating system, the iOS 4.3. This model was re-invented to include a frequency of 250MHz and 512MB of RAM memory. It underwent a bit of redesign on the outside, reducing its depth to 8.8mm as opposed to 13.4mm on the original iPad. It also had the honor of being offered in a white bezel color or its original black.
IPad 3 – Generation III
The current reincarnation of the iPad was unveiled on March 16, 2012. Its design on the outside was as sleek and novel as the iPad 2. However the display screen resolution was upped to 2048×1536 pixels, in order match the demand for quality viewing. The processor was given a hefty upgrade to the dual-core Apple A5X processor. In order to keep in line with all of the improvements the memory was doubled from 512MB in the iPad 2, to 1GB (gigabyte). It also came with the operating system iOS 5.1 as standard.
How iPad is Taking Over the World
The iPad is poised to replace other computer products, like the laptop PC, and has been recognized as one of the “50 Best Inventions in 2010” by Time Magazine.
It has even started to make its mark on the corporate business world. Many legal firms and doctor’s offices use the product to collate and communicate information away from the desk or office. The FAA recently allowed the iPad to be used in airplane cockpits in an attempt to cut down on paper consumption. The airline industry has been quick to avail itself of this tool, not only in the cockpit but also in the cabins, where passengers can access the inflight media via a iPad application.
iBook is an iPad application that gives the user the ability to download books from the iBookstore. Other media outlets, such as newspapers have quickly seized the opportunity to produce a daily publication specifically for iPad users.
Is There Room for an Improved iPad 4?
The iPad 3 has barely hit the shelves and Apple iPad enthusiasts are hankering after a new and improved iPad 4. Some complaints concerning the most recent offering range from, “still to bulky and cumbersome” to a need for more storage, If the Apple dynasty and Steve Jobs’ legacy are anything to go by, iPad devotees are assured nothing short of the best.
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Whether you have a friend or family member who is technologically-inclined, or need to contact your internet provider’s staff, there is a right way and a wrong way to tell them what’s happening. Asking for help in the correct way will ensure that any tech support person can get your computer up and running for you more quickly.
Speak Their Language
One of the best ways to ensure that you get the help you need is to know the lingo they speak. For example, calling your computer’s desktop the ‘main menu’ is enough to completely confuse any support person. Conducting a search for common computer or internet terms can be enough to give you the information you need to communicate effectively.
Mind The Details
In order to solve your problem, tech support needs as much detail as possible about your issue. You will likely need to know the version of Windows you are running, know what steps you’ve already taken to try to fix the issue, and what actions seem to trigger the problem, such as opening a program or loading a certain web page. But take care not to make your email too long. Keep it as concise and to the point as possible, and include a subject line that will be useful, such as ‘slow loading of Photoshop in Windows Vista’.
By creating a wired home for yourself, you will essentially be implementing some new technology such as routers, switches, and hubs. Don’t know what any of these mean or how they work? Let’s take a look at these and other pieces of wired equipment.
Hubs
A hub is specifically designed to join multiple computers or devices together, but can only allow a single device on its network to communicate at a time. Hubs can be utilized for file sharing and connecting to other devices, whether you are equipped with internet capabilities or not. When you are running Windows, Mac, or Linux, a hub supports any computer running any operating system. The speed of these hubs depends entirely on the network they support.
Typical hubs today commonly support 100 Mbps. These hubs are equipped with what are known as Ethernet ports, for use with connecting other devices to the hub. Most hubs contain between 4 and 5 ports.
To install a hub to a group of networked computers, you must connect one end of an Ethernet cable to the hub and the other end to the device. It’s an extremely simple process. However, because of advanced performance benefits, most home networks today utilize network switches instead of hubs, which we will look at next.
Switches
A local switch is similar to a hub in that it can join multiple computers or devices together, but with a switch, all devices are joined on a local-area-network (LAN) and switches have many more capabilities than a typical hub.
For instance, local switches can receive and look at data packets to determine where the packet is coming from and where it is going. By sending these packets to the connected device only, network bandwidth is conserved, which is a huge advantage over a hub. Most network switches can typically support either 10/100 Mbps Ethernet or the much faster 1 Gbps Ethernet.
Similar to hubs, network switches vary in terms of how many devices that they can connect, but the standard is normally between four and eight.
Routers
A router is the most efficient and widely-used piece of equipment used in homes today. A router is used to join two computer networks together with variations including broadband, DSL, and cable modem routers.
Most homes normally use an IP (Internet Protocol) wired router. This type of router connects the home’s LAN to the wide-area network (WAN) of the internet. Certain routers can also monitor and filter the traffic received, based on the IP address being used, meaning that you can throttle the speed of certain websites. A broadband router, one of the types described above, is widely used in homes because of its features and functionality.
A broadband router combines a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server with a firewall and a network switch and is typically used with DSL internet or a high-speed cable modem. To use a broadband router, Ethernet cables must be run from the router to the modem and from the modem to the computer. Broadband routers are a great option for LAN gaming, a home office, file sharing, and surfing the web.
Benefits
There are plenty of benefits to installed wired networking in your home. For one thing, it is very cheap to setup and maintain, as routers, switches, and hubs are inexpensive. Wired networks are also extremely reliable because unlike wireless, you hardly have to worry about a loss of connection, unless something happens with your ISP’s (Internet Service Provider’s) network. Wired networks also offer significant performance, ranging from 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps and the only major difference is the cost you will pay for the speed.
Regardless of which type of technology you decide to utilize to create a wired home for yourself, they are extremely easy, inexpensive to set up, and provide significant benefits. Routers, although the most expensive out of the three, aren’t very pricey at all and offer a fast connection and security precautions to ensure that you are always safe when using the network. Wired networks are a great route to go!
Phillip Reese has worked in information technology for over a decade. His home office, where he markets products ranging from cisco memory to microwave radios, utilizes switches, routers and CAT6 cables to keep the data flowing.
Currently, there is no stolen cell phone database in Canada. But Toronto police hope that is going to change soon. Citing twice as many cell phone robberies today as there were in 2009, law enforcement says something needs to be done. There is more to cell phone theft than simply stealing a device; once obtained, thieves can activate the phone for use on other cell networks, and then sell the phone to eager buyers. This is already occurring in the United States, with black market operations seeing many phones being sent overseas for quick sale. Police are calling for the creation of a system which allows cell phone companies to completely disable a stolen phone, rendering it unusable. Such a system was announced last week in the United States by the FCC and cell phone carriers, with several systems ready to launch in the next few months. Toronto police are, for now, urging cell phone owners to visit the station in order to have their phone’s identification numbers recorded.
At some point, many people need to store their computer or electronic equipment for an extended period of time. Although it takes a bit more care than simply shoving the equipment into a box and sticking it on a shelf somewhere, all it takes is a little time and effort to ensure maximum protection with a minimum of preparation.
Cleaning
Prior to storing the equipment, it needs a thorough cleaning. This includes a dusting of the outer casing, as well as using compressed air to blow out any dirt or particle buildup within the equipment. Special care should be taken to ensure that any air vents are free of as much debris as possible.
Batteries
If there are any batteries in the equipment, they need to be removed. Batteries can often corrode and leak chemicals onto electrical connections.
Cables
Remove any and all cables. This helps to make sure they aren’t accidentally jerked out of their connections at any point. The cables should be neatly rolled up and taped together. It is usually a good idea to note which connections the cables came from. It makes it easier to set things up again, should the equipment be taken out of storage and set up once again.
Wrapping
Before putting the equipment into the box, it should be wrapped up in a cotton sheet. This prevents any dirt or dust from getting into the equipment. Ideally, the equipment should be packed up in the original box, but if that is not available, it is best to have a box that keeps the equipment snug without providing too much excess room.
Labeling
Each box should be labeled clearly. Since some individuals do not want third parties to know what is in each box, a code can be created. For example, a computer monitor in a box might be listed as “CM,” with the key to the code being kept in a separate location.
Storage Units
In many cases, the best way to store computer or electronic equipment is in a business storage unit. Most business storage facilities offer 24-hour surveillance security, as well as climate-controlled units. This is extremely important in areas where the temperatures can either get too hot or too cold.
In the end, most people find that taking a little bit of time and extra care will ensure that the equipment remains in the best possible condition. A little time at the outset of the storage process can save both time and money down the line.
Image by Seth Tissue and licensed through Creative Commons.
Paul Benjamin is a District Manager at EZ Storage, a storage company providing clean and secure self storage in Elkins Park, MI. Learn More about amenities, leasing options and current promotions at the Elkins Park Storage Units at EZMini.com today.
Image By: Ed yourdon
We all know the biggest trend for computers at the moment is the new kid on the block, the tablet PC.
Yes, tablets are great, but they’ve somewhat overshadowed some great new laptop innovations that have really come into their own in the last couple of years.
Besides, sometimes you just need a good, old fashioned keyboard on your computer.
So if you’re in the market for a new PC, here is a rundown of the latest and greatest laptops and the ideas they put into play.
HP Envy Beats Edition
For those of us who consider music to be an essential part of life, the Beats edition of the HP Envy laptop provides, more or less, the best sound you can get from a notebook.
The sound card is strategically located in the chassis so there’s virtually no sound degradation, and there’s no distortion on the bass, even when the volume’s up. And the volume on this goes loud – just 25% is sufficiently noisy enough for my ears.
This laptop also comes with a set of specialist headphones that retail for £150, and using these clarifies the sound even further. The perfect laptop for a budding DJ.
Toshiba Qosmio X770
If you’re a gamer, you need to have this laptop.
It’s been designed specifically for those of us who are a little more than addicted to games, whether it be The Sims 3 or Battlefield. It has super-powerful processing; rapid response time, and gets this…its 3D.
There are so many games now 3D ready, it’d be crazy not to make use of this amazing innovation. But don’t panic if you favourite game isn’t 3D ready– the Qosmio is so clever that it actually converts most games into 3D. With that and a graphics system that is virtually flawless, and a HD screen, why wouldn’t you buy this (well, if you can afford £1500)?
MacBook Air
If you’re looking for blisteringly fast performance and a laptop that’s great for carting around, then the MacBook Air might just be the PC for you (if you can spare a grand).
Unlike previous models, the latest one can actually justify the price tag with something other than a brand name; the processing power is good. Like, really good. And Mac has managed to cram it all into this sleek, featherweight body which makes it perfect for the creatives, whether you’re a graphic arts student or an architect.
Acer 1825PT
If you really, really can’t get tablet PCs out of your head (shame on you) then this nifty little Acer gives you the best of both worlds.
From the outside this laptop looks just like a regular netbook, but the screen holds a dirty little secret – you can twist it 180 degrees, flip it back down again and low and behold, you have a tablet.
The touch screen on this works amazingly well, and is great if your job requires you to be creative. It also has 8 hours of battery life in its compact body, which is pretty darn good for a laptop.
So there you have it…the best laptop for music, the best for gaming, the best for creatives and the best tablet with keyboard included.
Sometimes I think that great innovations can be mistaken for gimmicks, and gimmicks can be mistaken for great innovations. Obviously, if you’re not a fan of music, a laptop priced £400 more than the range’s base version for its flawless sound will seem like a waste of money to you.
But if you really whittle down what you need the laptop for, and then search around for your new PC, then you really can find some simply amazing advances.
What laptop are you using? Or what laptop do you have your eye on, which you think is truly amazing? Let us know!
Jasmine Ayres writes for Arc IT, one of the top computer support companies in the UK. Arc IT maintain laptops and desktops, as well as offering server support and a hosted exchange server.
We all wonder if the grass is greener from time to time. And if you’re considering changing your current internet provider, you may be wondering the same thing. There could actually be a number of providers in your area that meet your needs, but the most value for the money could be with ATT Uverse. This company offers a cutting-edge internet connection in the form of fiber optic, which is the fastest and cleanest connection available. This dedicated connection uses pulses of light to transmit data over hair-thin glass fiber lines, which means your access to streaming video, high-action online games and big downloads is much faster than other internet connection methods. And the special promotions happening right now will actually give you money back, free receivers and waived installation fees. But the only way to claim most of them is to go online, as many of these offers are not available to offline subscribers.
Last week’s security breach of several Chinese government web sites by Anonymous is just the beginning, said a member of the hacker collective today. The goal of further attacks, according to Anonymous, will be to speak out for human rights as well as reveal corruption. The collective’s Twitter account is what was used to publicize last week’s attacks, in which links to data files containing sensitive information were posted. But the group hinted at more serious future attacks which, according to an Anonymous member would occur ‘a few at a time’. The group’s target is the takedown of what is known as The Great Firewall Of China, which blocks user access to popular social media sites as well as YouTube. The group says access to these sites is needed in order to maintain social stability.
The VoIP market grows in significance with each passing year as more and more businesses begin to appreciate the benefits of adopting an IP-based approach to telephony. In 2012, a number of trends are expected to modify the market and shape its future. Analysts have made various predictions about anticipated developments and there are also some useful statistics from the past which can be used to predict the shape of the industry over the next few months.
A report compiled by VentureBeat suggests that one of the biggest influences on the VoIP market in 2012 will be the consumerisation of IT within businesses. The proliferation of smart-phone and tablet technology means that more and more companies are having to accommodate the use of personal devices for business purposes.
Smart phones are widely available now at reasonable prices. The fact that they are owned by employees but harnessed by companies will mean that mobile VoIP services will come to the fore in 2012. Experts anticipate that various businesses will begin to train staff on the use of mobile VoIP platforms, rolling out the necessary apps and investing in the right providers to get the job done securely.
Mobile VoIP is useful because it allows callers to access the same features and functions from their portable handset as they would expect to get from their fixed-line extension in the office. It also means that it is easier to take a unified approach to communication, with mobiles integrated seamlessly into the wider VoIP service so that businesses can cut costs and increase flexibility in the workplace.
Another factor which will contribute to the growth of mobile VoIP in 2012 will be the roll-out of the first 4G LTE networking services in the UK. Everything Everywhere has confirmed that it will be one of the only providers to enable 4G coverage in Britain, which means that far faster connections will be available on typical smart phones and the quality and capability of mobile VoIP services will improve as a result.
Statistics published by TechNavio suggest that the mobile VoIP market is going to grow by around 50 per cent a year over the next two years, driven by the fact that businesses are looking to cut the costs associated with mobile communications. 2012 will just be the starting point for this particular trend, with further investment and adoption anticipated once the networking infrastructure is updated.
On a global scale, the adoption of VoIP and its significance to the business market will increase this year because it is expected that by the end of 2012 there will be a billion broadband subscribers across the world.
Figures collated by In-Stat suggest that back in December of 2009 the global total for broadband access was sitting at around 578 million people, up by over a sixth on the previous year. Almost a fifth of this figure is accounted for by mobile broadband, which leads to the growing importance of mobile VoIP services.
VoIP as a whole will have a major impact in the way that businesses actually acquire IT systems, according to Gartner. It anticipated that 20 per cent of companies will have no in-house IT assets this year, with many turning to outsourced solutions powered by cloud computing and third-party providers to avoid the costs associated with procurement and maintenance. This is where VoIP comes into its own, allowing companies to take advantage of advanced telephony services with minimal internal outlay.
With billions of potential VoIP users across the globe and a business market which is hungry to take the technology mobile, 2012 could be a stand-out year for this particular industry.
This article was written by Daisy Group plc a provider of IP telephony, Hosted VoIP and business phone systems to UK businesses.
There are many people who shy away from using Facebook to send messages. For first-time users, the site can be an overwhelming mix of confusion and frustration. But if you’re ready to jump on the social media bandwagon and want to get in touch with those you know, it’s actually much simpler than you may suspect. There are three ways to submit messages on Facebook.
Status
The ‘status’ on your page allows you to announce something on your Facebook wall. So for instance, you may post something like “Happy birthday to my daughter, who turns 8 today!” This is the section which keeps your friends updated about what you’re doing.
Comment
If one of your friends posts something on their wall, or uploads a photo you like, you can send them a quick message by commenting on what they’ve just written or posted. This can be done by clicking ‘Comment’, and then typing your message.
Private Message
You can also send private messages to your friends on Facebook. To do this, Just click the “Message” button at the top right of your friend’s page. There, things will look more familiar, as the message will appear just like a regular email message, complete with Subject line.
Third-party payment processor Global Payments said today that a security breach uncovered almost three weeks ago has now been contained. The significant breach, affecting possibly over 1 million accounts, has yet to produce any fraudulent transactions as far as staff are aware, said the company. The breach, thought to have occurred between the end of January and February’s end was instantly reported to both law enforcement and MasterCard and Visa, both of whom deal with the company. The credit card giants then sent non-public alerts to banks to warn them that a breach had occurred. While credit card numbers did appear to be downloaded, no other personal information, such as customer addresses or social security numbers were pilfered. Visa has removed Global Payments from its approved service provider list until the company has been able to submit evidence that it complies with the credit card company’s standards.