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  • It’s The End of the Road for AVG LiveKive Cloud Storage Service


    LiveKive users have been notified of the eminent closure of AVG’s cloud storage service just weeks after Crossloop remote access service was ended by the AV vendor.

    2011 saw the launch of AVG LiveKive which provided sync n share services to its customers. What made the service unique was the unlimited package that had an annual fee of $80 and 30 day trial which offered free 5 GB storage space.

    The AVG forum had a post announcing that AVG LiveKive would soon be facing discontinuation which was a clear indication that the goodies the service came with did not do much in making the product profitable.

    The post communicated to its members that AVG would be terminating the service in two stages so that everybody gets time to back up their stuff.

    Uploading of new files will be terminated on April 1st 2014 but downloads will continue for the following 90 days until August 18th which will see the complete shutdown of the service.

    From this date, users will not be able to get access to any data from AVG LiveKive so everyone is advised to do their backup before this day.

    Subscribers to other AVG services are assured that the only change they will feel is that of the termination of AVG LiveKive so all other services will continue to run as usual.

    AVG had followed many other companies in the sync ‘n’ share venture even though it is considered a minor service. Some similar services include; the Dropbox clone Cubby from LogMein, Ubuntu One from Ubuntu, Copy from Barracuda Networks, and Mozy and Simplicity from EMC. EMC is spicing up its service with some collaboration and workflow elements in an effort to make more unique.

  • The New and Stylish OnePlus One Smartphone


    There has been a recent influx of a high-powered Android smartphones that you can buy without contract, as seen with the likes of the Nexus 5 and the Moto G. If you’re looking for a powerful device that is affordable and one that will give you the best bang for your buck, look no further than the trending OnePlus One. 

    Not to be confused with the Taiwan giant’s flagship phone the HTC One which costs a whopping $600 without contract, OnePlus is a new company trying to get a foothold in the smartphone industry with its first go mobile phone being the Oneplus one. 

    A look under the hood

    The Oneplus One packs a 5.5 inch full HD display JDI-made with a 401ppi pixel density, smaller than the Samsung Note 3’s huge display. But by other accounts it has bested the Note 3 and is a force to reckon with.

    A peak under the hood reveals its processor which is faster than the Note 3. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core processor CPU that clocks a speed of 2.5 GHz which is much higher than Note 3’s 2.3 GHz. When it comes to the camera, the primary has 13 mp and 5 mp secondary camera greater than the Note’s 13 mp and 2 mp respectively. It is at par in terms of battery size with the Note 3, which should give you more than a day’s charge according to Oneplus. It runs on cyanogen, based on Google’s Android version 4.4 aka kitKat. The data equipment on the Oneplus is compatible with most 3G/4G networks in the world including AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S. It comes in the 16GB and 64GB versions. All this is packed inside a beautiful well finished magnesium casing. It weighs about 162 grams, which makes it the lightest of the 5.5 inch smartphones.

    It is currently available in white and black colors but OnePlus will soon be launching swappable back covers to add a touch of personality to the phone. The covers will range from denim, Kevlar, and bamboo. At $299 for the 16 GB version it’s one of the best smartphones you have never heard of.

  • Which Phone System Works for You? VoIP vs. PSTN

    In business promotion a company has to find proper communication lines be it through social media, blogs, web conferencing, Skype or good old fashioned phone calls. Proper communication helps in relaying information to and from prospective customers and it also improves efficiency by facilitating internal communication.

    The two business phone systems available to small businesses are VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). Internet communication technology and cloud technology is used by VoIP while PSTN uses landlines. To help you find the right phone system best suited for your business we prepared the following pros and cons of the two systems.

    Pros

    VoIP has numerous features that make it more suited for businesses. For starters it includes features such as call forwarding and voicemail services.

    Voice messages can also be converted to email messages, and a business can hold web conference with people all over the world. These features are not present in traditional lines such as the PSTN.

    VoIP provides a convenience and improved user experience for both the business and customer. For instance it shows the call log of all calls and help address concerns raised by customers in a timely fashion. This means better customer service and sales. It is an efficient system that is detailed with clear timelines, it cuts cost and is portable. The bottom line is that VoIP is inexpensive compared to PSTN.

    Cons

    The cons of VoIP are that without an Internet connection it can’t work, slow Internet will affect it considerably and will lead to latency in information sharing and communication.

    Power outages will affect it a great deal as it won’t work without power so it’s advisable to have a backup power generator.

    It can also suffer attacks from viruses and other malware.The decision to choose either should be undertaken after adequate consideration between both systems.

  • Home SmartPhone S Helps You Block Nuisance Calls


    A recently announced Home SmartPhone S features a unique technology that allows you to call block up to 80% of your unwanted calls. This new smartphone is a follow up from the previous bestselling BT6500 that was the first landline to block nuisance calls.

    The new unwanted calls blocking feature allows you to block calls from withheld numbers, international numbers as well as unknown callers. You  also have an option of putting the phone on do not disturb mode, that bars outgoing calls to various numbers, switches off the ringer, blocks premium rate lines as well as  blocks incoming calls from 10 phone numbers.

    In the UK, nuisance calls have become a growing concern, with an average of 50,000 calls monthly coming to the advice line. However, since the BT6500 was introduced, the number of calls coming in has gone down by half. A research that was carried out by Ofcom indicates that on average, people receive two nuisance calls every week. It is indicated that more than half of these calls come from insurance companies sourcing for clients.

    The new Home Smartphone S now allows users to be in control of the people they want to talk to. It also allows them to look up cont acts and make chats via calls, email or Facebook. The new smartphone is available for sale in selected stores.

  • Loaded and locked – 3 seriously secure cloud storage services


    Some of the popular, efficient and convenient cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and SugarSync can sometimes be insecure. Your files may be accessible to companies due to the lack of encryption and unprotected data transfers. Before uploading sensitive files to the large storage services you can use smaller, more secure cloud storage services like Wuala and Tresorit to encrypt the files. Alternatively, you can encrypt the files yourself.

    Wuala

    Wuala is compatible with Linux, iOS, Windows, and Android operating systems. Its first 5GB storage space is free and its packages cost starts from $4 per month for 20GB storage space.

    LaCie is the company behind the Wuala cloud storage company, and it offers unique services in two ways;
    Encryption of files by clients: you are in charge of your file encryption on your device prior to uploading it it the cloud. This ensures that only you can gain access to the uploaded data, making data transfer extremely secure.

    Password confidentiality: You are the only person who has access to your password and not even Wuala employees are able to know it. This means that forgetting your password would give you a very nasty experience trying to access your files.

    Tresorit

    Tresorit is compatible with Mac OS X, Widows, iOS, and Android operating systems. 5GB is free and its package price starts at $7 per month for 100GB of storage space.

    Tresorit provides secure data transfers and data centers able to protect data against data invasion as well as client side encryption.

    Tresorit’s client side data encryption is similar to that of Wuala in terms of confidential password protection. A differentiating feature is the ability to secure any folder on your device by just ‘tresor-ing’ it. This means that you can right click on any folder and secure it.

    McAfee personal locker

    This cloud storage service is compatible with Android, Windows 8, and iOS operating systems. All McAfee LiveSafe subscribers get 1 GB free storage space.

    Its features include a PIN, face and voice recognition security measures, which you will have to go through to access high priority files. Low priority files only require a PIN to gain access.

    Local File Encryption

    Instead of going through the wearisome task of getting a new cloud storage service, applications like TrueCrypt will be useful in helping you encrypt your data inside your cloud folder. This will work well in keeping your files safe and secure.

  • Wholesale VoIP to create new revenue streams for Optus partners


    VoIP protocol is now available to Optus’s wholesale customers. Optus’ current partners and upcoming Cloud resellers are set to gain from its ipPhone express app.

    According to Robert Parcel, Optus’s wholesale and satellite MD, the new service is a "significant differentiator and great opportunity for the channel."

    Parcel added that their resellers had been exploring on ways to use the increasing confidence in VoIP from both consumers and businesses to boost the number of their customers and competitive advantage in the market.

    New customers will have the privilege of getting a new source of income on top of getting support from Optus’s teams. What sets Optus’s VoIP service apart from the rest in the market is the assurance of high quality care that the customers will get.

    According to the telecommunications provider, customers from different service providers can be targeted be the resellers and they would still get to keep their original number while using the service.

    Optus’s partners have the opportunity of creating VoIP service among many other products and services which could be provided as additions to a broadband service.

    Optus claims that it VoIP services will be beneficial to its customers in; managing call forwarding, reducing rental and call costs for a phone line, facilitation in making service changes, management of call diversions and contact lists via a web agent, and availability of different packages to fit different customer requirements.

  • What you might not know about the 4K/Ultra HD TV


    Everybody is talking about the latest advancement in TV technology, the 4K TV, also known as the Ultra HD TV. Sooner or later, you are bound to own one of these, so this is a sneak peak of the facts behind the entire buzz.

    High Resolution

    UHD’s minimum resolution is 3,820 x 2,160, which is around four times the 1080p resolution. The higher resolution is not the only great thing about the improved picture that 4K TV brings to the table. There is talk of the Rec 2020 which will be an improvement in the current 4K TV standards. It will bring improvements to the image color and frame rate to bring an entirely better picture to TV. This new standard will be introduced to TVs sometime in the future so that is something to look forward to.

    What is the difference?

    The extra resolution will probably not have so much impact if you are getting the average 50” TV and sitting around 10 feet from the screen. But sitting closer to the screen or getting a larger TV or projector, around 80” gives you the high quality view that you most probably desire from a 4K TV.

    Ultra HD Vs 4K

    The two terms are used interchangeably for the new high resolution TVs. Officially, 4K is the cinema equivalent for the high resolution picture, around 4096 x 2160.

    Most people will probably use 4K instead of the more appropriate Ultra HD because it is easier to say and type. But as long as the message is clear, I don’t think it matters which name is used for the TVs.

    HDMI 2.0

    This is the new HDMI standard coming, moving from the HDMI 1.4. The current HDMI cable will work with your 4K TV but the HDMI 2.0 allows higher frame rates (60 frames per second) from the 4K signal, a double of what HDMI 1.4 can support.

    Finally

    The development of the Ultra HD televisions has led to the abandonment of plasma TV. TV production companies are finding it increasingly difficult to make Ultra HD plasma TVs.

    Although there is still not enough content for Ultra HD, the displays are clearly the future of TV seeing that prices are already coming down, making it more affordable day by day.

    In a few years, Ultra HD TVs will be more affordable, better, and there will be a lot of content for the displays. Even if you do not get one now, they will probably be a much better investment in the near future.

    Image: Trusred Reviews

  • Google Drive and its Game-Changing Strategy

    Google Drive has recently unleashed a storage structure that is set to change the way people view cloud storage. They have now made it possible to have online storage no matter the size. For the first 15Gb per month no fee will be charged, $1.99 for 100GB, $9.99 for 1TB and $99.99 for 10TB and above. Their new price structure makes it easier to afford online storage especially for large companies.

    Let’s compare Google drive data plan with other plans. Sugar sync charges $55 for a terabyte of data of up to three users while this cost $10 a month at Google drive. Dropbox charges $9.99 for a month’s 100 GB while Google drive offers the same space at around $2 a month. Apple charges $8.33 a month for 50 GB storage while you can be able to double that storage size for a much lesser fee. The most popular cloud service S3 cloud service offers a terabyte of storage space at $85 a month while on Google drive a terabyte cost around $10. Finally Microsoft which offer annual data plans offers 50 GB at $25 for the year while one can be able to get much more data storage and almost the same price.

    With the changes in prices in Google drives data plans, the other companies will try to lower their costs hence making online data storage that was once viewed as an expensive venture more affordable to many people and companies at a regular fee. Now more money will go into the company as opposed to it going into storage Plans for the company. This will be beneficial in making cloud storage one of the most used storage options and thereby lessening the use of traditional storage means. Just by simply changing their price structure, Google drive has been able to revolutionize how cloud storage is viewed.

  • Sharp Introduces New Line of Quattron Pro 4K TVs


    The 4K TV technology scene has seen new entrants coming out to support it and be part of this revolution. One of the latest entrants is Sharp, one of the leading TV manufacturers. Sharp has come up with a variety of Quattron Pro TVs and some have already hit the UK market.

    The UQ10 TVs come in three different screen  sizes that include the LC60UQ10 which is the 60 inch Sharp TV, the LC70UQ10 the 70 inch Sharp TV, and finally the LC80UQ10 80n inch Sharp TV. These Sharp TVs are believed to bring out a extraordinary HD display that is very close to the 4K display. This is possible due to the high number of sub pixels and over a billion color shades that makes it possible to have an excellent image quality

    According to sharp, the reason as to why they have opted for this approach whereby they try to go as close to the 4K technology without necessarily using 4K is due to the fact that very many content producers have not gone into producing 4K content making it a bit harder to sell. Even though the HDTV test hasn’t been able to verify the quality claim, the explanation given by Sharp is very convincing and worth a try. Apart from the excellent image quality, the UQ10 TVs have an Aquos Remote Lite mobile app that allows the user to control the TV straight from their smartphones or tablets.

    These Sharp TVs are set to have a retail price range between £2100 t0 £6300. The LC60UQ10 goes for £2100, the LC70UQ10 for £3200, and finally the LC80UQ10 is priced at £6300. However, only the LC60UQ10 is the in the market with the others to be released soon.

  • How to Manage All Cloud Storage Services Under One Site


    Most people, and companies too, have multiple cloud storage accounts and at times it might be very hard to handle and manage all these accounts separately. Luckily, there is a way you can now access all your storage accounts at the same time. Welcome Multcloud.com, an online site that gives you access to your entire cloud storage under one platform. The site allows you to view your document, transfer them from one cloud to the other among other actions.

    To get access to the site, there are simple steps to follow.

    1. Go to multcloud.com and select the create an account option.

    2. Fill out the registration form and it is better to use a secure password that isn’t  related to any others that you use on the other cloud sites. This will make your Multcloud account more secure.

    3. After completing your registration, click on send and a confirmation link will be sent to your email. Click on the link to complete the registration process.

    4. After, the screen will show the different cloud serves and clicking on the logo will direct you to the site to start the linking process.

    5. After clicking on the logo, click on the blue logo to add the site and to give Multcloud permission to access your account on that cloud service provider.

    6. After adding all your accounts, the page changes to reveal a list of files.

    7. Finally, double click on the file you want to view just like you would on any file.