Business News Holding

Blog

  • Samsung New Galaxy Note Launch Date Revealed

    Samsung has finally decided about the date that the new Galaxy Note will be launched and as it seems, it will be in the 29th of August.

    After all these rumors and speculations about the release of the brand new Galaxy Note, Samsung announced that they will launch it at the Mobile Unpacked event in Berlin, in the 29th of August. It was confirmed by a spokesman of Samsung to Reuters, although he preferred not to give any other details.

    Galaxy Note was a huge success back in 2011, with its 5.3-inch screen and  the Android Ice Cream Sandwich capturing everyone's attention. The fact that it was something between a smartphone and a tablet, created a new need for many of us, the need to have an extra device. And since it was carefully made to compete with the best, it had received great reviews by geek fans. According to Samsung, 7 million Galaxy Notes have already been sold, raising the standards for the new model.

    Samsung feels that after the release of the popular Galaxy S III smartphone, another release of a popular smartphone/tablet would be at a perfect timing. They know that they are finally among the powerful at the market and they need to live up to the customers' expectations. Many Samsung fans anticipate for the release of the new Galaxy Note. And the fact that it will be released before Google's Nexus 7 and before the brand new iPhone, means that they need to convince customers as fast as possible.

  • Users Complain of Spotty Google Talk Services

    Google spends an awful lot of time and money advertising some of their services, and Google Talk, featured on Gmail and Google+, receives a large percentage of that attention. Yet any users who attempted to use Google Talk on the east coast of the United States and around the world during one day last week disappointedly met only dead air.

    The service drop occurred just before 7AM EST, and continued for the next six hours. During that time, none of Google Talk’s VoIP services or video conferencing capabilities were available. Google hopped on their sites to report that they were aware of the problem, and that it was impacting a majority of their users. They promised swift action, which then took much of the day to materialize.

    Issues like these are one of the only things keeping VoIP companies from expanding their dominance even further. People need reliable telephone service, and many Google customers are businesses. Losing voice, chat and video services for more than half a day could be devastating if the timing is poor.

    VoIP-List.com: extensive catalog of voip providers, available software and hardware resources.

    The timing of the Google Voice crash was also quite strange in that it occurred on the same day that Twitter crashed for several hours. Of course they couldn’t be related, but that’s millions upon millions of dissatisfied users.

    Before Twitter went down, reports were surfacing there that the Google Talk delays were seen not only in the United States and the UK, but actually all around the world. Google did not give a reason for the issue, only promising to resolve it expediently. Hours later, they were able to solve the problem.

  • 4K: The Future of HDTV

    Technology continues to change almost at the speed of thought. Go back half a decade, and the HDTV was the height of the home theater experience. Then 3D HDTVs came out, and users around the world rushed out to bring one home. But now 4K HDTVs are right around the corner, and will again change the home viewing experience forever.

    Also known as either Ultra HD or Super HD, the 4K refers to the horizontal resolution of the device. That means you’ll get nearly 4,000 pixels on the diagonal, and almost 2,000 pixels vertically. That adds up to a total of nearly eight million pixels. So sitting in front of a 4K set will give viewers the experience of watching the combined power of four HDTVs at the same time.

    The industry hasn’t yet created a real standard for the 4K HDTV. You’ll find Quad HD (3840 x 2160) and 4K/2K (4096 x 2160), and additional options for projectors and cameras. The 4K HDTV was the brainchild of Hollywood, looking for a way to create more options for the current crop of digital visionaries. The recent “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” remake was screened in 4K, and it seems that more and more films will follow suit.

    Once the 4K HDTV hits the living room, it will truly change the home screening experience. The problem will be content. There just isn’t much out there that will take full advantage of the resolution. Ideally, new programming will arise, but there is no timetable for that.

    Size and price may also be an issue for many consumers. The 4K HDTVs that are now being shown off are all at least 84-inch displays, and are going to hit the market at costs over $20,000. And according to tech experts, the ideal screen size for the 4K set would be 25 feet. So until it becomes more prevalent, only the richest and most dedicated viewers will be able to enjoy this new technology.

  • LawCaseXchange Offers a "DropBox for Lawyers"

    Cloud storage has become a viable option for all businesses, but some industries need services more closely tailored to their needs. Thanks to a startup that just launched on Friday, lawyers should soon have what they’re looking for.

    The company is called LawCaseXchange, and the goal of Founder Shayn McFarland is to create a service that can share case documents quickly and securely online. McFarland has spent the last decade working as a paralegal, observing the inefficient way that case files were emailed or sent by physical couriers.

    Many cloud storage services have cropped up over the past few years, but none of the big titles, such as Dropbox, iCloud or Google Drive, focused enough on organization and collaboration to fit the needs of legal professionals.

    LawCaseXchange addresses those issues directly. Case files can be organized inside of specific case folders, with the proper parties invited to check out a new document as soon as it is uploaded. All files are available for the life of the case, and if new counsel comes on board, they have the complete history at their disposal.

    The startup utilizes Amazon’s S3 cloud, and it’s 256-bit encryption technology. McFarland said that they needed that massive might in case the company’s stored data is ever subpoenaed. It’s a similar level of support that the big companies enjoy, and is currently being put through the paces by a large legal firm based in San Diego.

    According to some attorneys that commented on the new product release, LawCaseXchange should be a fantastic resource for smaller firms that can’t afford to build out an internal management system for the massive amount of documents that pour through their office.

    Companies looking to pick up the service can get started for only $10 a month, which buys 5GB of dedicated storage and 30GB of downloads. At the highest level, $60 a month will buy 200GB of storage and 200GB of downloads.

  • Nokia promotes pink Lumia 900 with a nail polish

    Nokia has decided to promote its popular Lumia 900 phone, not in the conventional way, but rather with a more creative idea.

    In order to promote the pink Lumia 900 phone, they decided to launch a matching pink nail polish. "Nokia Lumia Pink" was designed by Duality Cosmetics and in case you are interested in buying it, it will only be available at one-day (and only) events in Dallas, Denver and Los Angeles. Moreover, if you attend these events, you will also be able to receive manicure and pedicure, in pink color of course. If you are not into pink, Nokia Lumia 900 also comes in white, black and cyan. However, pink is Nokia's latest release for Lumia 900, which justifies their need to promote it as much as possible, turning the smartphone into an accessory.

    According to Valerie Buckingham, director of marketing for Nokia North America:

    “phones are in your back pocket all day [and should represent] the most personal parts of your style.”

    Thus, Nokia Lumia 900 Pink targets women that need to match their smartphone with their colorful style. It is part of Nokia's efforts to boost sales, struggling to keep up with the high smartphone competition. Although Nokia Lumia phones started selling at a satisfactory rate, they have recently seen a drop in their price, in order to remain at the game.

    Can Nokia make it with such marketing ideas, though?

  • Best Cloud Services for Syncing and File Sharing Services

    Cloud storage is swiftly transforming the way we share data, but it can also be incredibly confusing. There are so many options out there, both large and small, so how do you choose the best company for your needs? If your goal is to share files with associates and have the ability to sync that storage across your myriad of devices, here are some of the best in the business.

    Box is one great option, and users can sign up and start working completely for free. If you’re looking for added security and collaboration features, you’ll have to pony up for a Business account. But since those advanced accounts start at only $15 a month, even the smallest of businesses can get involved.

    If you’re not interested in those added features, you can stick with a free account that will give you 5GB of storage. Step up to 25GB for a $10 monthly charge, or pay $20 for 50GB. You’ll be able to share files and sync across all of your devices.

    For a service that’s simple and elegant, check out Dropbox. Once you’re signed up you’ll install a virtual folder right on your desktop, and you’ll move files in and out just as you would with a traditional folder. It will automatically sync everything, making it incredibly easy to use.

    A free account will only offer you 2GB of storage space, but a $10 monthly charge will get you a full 100GB. Dropbox even offers 500MB bonuses for each friend that signs up through your recommendation. It keeps past versions of every file, so you won’t ever lose anything, and the only drawback is that you won’t be able to upload to Dropbox from your email servicee.

    MediaFire has been around for quite some time, and they offer a great deal through their free service. Sign up, and you will receive unlimited downloads and storage space. However, the free account will only hold on to your data for thirty days. If you want to extend that, they have very reasonable Pro and Business accounts, which are both less than $50 a month. 

    Finally, check out a unique option, called SugarSync. It works much like Dropbox, but adds a ton of versatility. You can sync any folder on your computer, not just their dedicated virtual folder, and it has a great file manager. Their free service will give you 5GB, which you can raise as high as $250GB for only $25 a month. If you’re looking for a good mix of value and features, SugarSync is probably the winner.

  • Facebook and HTC to Launch New Smartphone

    Facebook is working with HTC to build a smartphone, which will be released mid next year. According to sources quoted by Bloomberg, initially, the two companies wanted to have the smartphone released until the end of 2012, but HTC asked for more time because it had to work on other products too.

    Also, Facebook wants to create an improved operating system for its first smartphone, and Mark Zuckerberg has gathered many former Apple programmers to improve the Facebook application for iPhone.

    More than a half of the 900 million users of the social network are using the service from a mobile device, but Facebook did not obtain any money from the 3.15 billion dollars from the advertising on the phone.

    "Internet users are now going mobile and Facebook failed to cover this new market, but a smartphone with many applications and a lot of advetisement could be a great solution," said Victor Anthony, analyst at the Topeka Capitals Markets.

    Facebook shares fell by 23% since the listing in May 17th, partly due to the investors' fears that the company does not obtain sufficient revenues from mobile advertising. Facebook securities ended on Wednesday up by 3.1%, at $ 29.34 per unit.

    Facebook has also worked with HTC in two phones that have a button dedicated to the social network, HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa, but the new model seems to be more focused on the Facebook services.
    Initial speculations were aiming at a launch in Q3 2012, but the Facebook smartphone will be launched only in the summer of 2013.

    Some rumors also aims at the interest shown by Microsoft towards the Facebook phone, so the option that the new smartphone to run WP 8 is not ruled out.

  • Skype Questioned on Privacy Policy Changes

    Recent media reports have accused Skype’s management of changing their privacy policy following their sale to Microsoft, in an effort to help law enforcement agencies keep tabs on video and voice calls. Mark Gillett, Skype’s chief development and operations officer, recently took to the internet to refute those claims, in a statement released through the company’s blog.

    Various media reports have surfaced in recent weeks, claiming that Skype has altered their service architecture in such a way that it is easier for law enforcement officers to monitor incoming and outgoing calls. But Gillett declared in his blog post that the privacy policy changes had nothing to do with that, and would be completely contrary to the company philosophy.

    Gillett did not mention the specific media outlets questioned, but frankly denied the reports, and also refuted the claim that the changes came down from Microsoft staffers. The referenced changes involved the addition of what Skype calls “supernodes”, a directory distribution that helps Skype users find each other through the service. Gillett also mentioned that these changes went into effect well before Microsoft declared they were buying the VoIP giant in 2011.

    VoIP-List.com: extensive catalog of voip providers, available software and hardware resources.

    Since Microsoft acquired Skype, they’ve been working to consolidate the supernodes, which had been spread across outsourced cloud servers and dedicated Skype data centers. The goal was to bring them all together with Microsoft, not to work with law enforcement in any structured way.

    The issue came to light after an article appeared in The New York Times reporting that law enforcement across the United States submitted more than 1.3 million information requests from the nine major cell phone carriers in United States. The majority of those records were turned over after a subpoena was issued, but some were relinquished due to “emergencies”, without requiring any legal documentation.

  • TV Shipments Set to Decrease in 2012

    According to experts in HDTV and TV trends, worldwide shipments will drop by 1.4% during the course of 2012. NPD DisplaySearch announced the drop in their Quarterly Global TV Shipment and Forecast Report, which was released earlier this month.

    According to the details of that report, 245 million televisions will ship in 2012. Shipments of LCD TVs, one of the largest growth areas in the industry, will still increase by 5%. But that growth is down 2% from 2011.

    DisplaySearch believes the decline is due to the market for traditional televisions shrinking, and the fact that there just aren’t as many discounts this year as there were last year. They’ve also noticed more cautious spending practices by Asian and European consumers. For reference, average prices have declined 4% in 2012, down from a 10% decline back in 2010.

    According to the company’s Director of North American TV Research, the economic concerns still felt around the world are impacting both consumers and manufacturers. HDTV companies are feeling the need to hang on tighter to their profit margins, which consumers hang on to their money.

    The only area that seems to be significantly growing is in large screen televisions and backlit devices. Outside of North America, emerging markets of China, Latin America and Eastern Europe, are making up for some of that consumer reluctancy, and even Africa and the Middle East are showing growth.

    All in all, LCD technology is maintaining significant growth. It’s surpassed CRT and plasma devices, and now actually make up for almost 90% of worldwide television shipments.

  • Rebtel Competes With Skype in the Windows Phone Market

    Rebtel is the largest VoIP service in the world after Skype, and has been working hard to close that gap in recent months. This week they took another large step towards further industry dominance, with the launch of a Rebtel app specifically for the Windows Phone. It will be free for all users when downloaded through the Windows Marketplace.

    Rebtel has a massive network of local phone numbers, available in upwards of fifty countries. Their app allows customers to make VoIP calls internationally at an incredibly affordable rate. Rebtel already had apps available for all iOS devices, as well as tablets and smartphones running Android technology, and the release of a dedicated Windows app now means nearly all American customers can take advantage of their cutting edge service.

    VoIP-List.com: extensive catalog of voip providers, available software and hardware resources.

    Andreas Cernstrom, Rebtel’s CEO, announced the new product offering in a press release. He feels they have the most comprehensive group of mobile computing VoIP apps in the world. According to their studies, international calls can be made for 98% off standard phone service, while working through customers wireless phone plans, and not by utilizing data plans. That’s a huge distinction, as customers on many networks have a huge amount of traditional minutes, but limited data plans that made heavy VoIP usage immensely expensive.

    The Rebtel app for Windows phone not only allows inexpensive calls to any phone in the world, regardless if the receiver is running a Rebtel app, but it integrates the phone’s address book as well. International text messaging is available, for roughly 60% off standard rates, and the quality of the calls is elevated by the reliance on cell phone minutes, not data connections. The company expects Windows phone to gather larger and larger shares of the market as Microsoft unveils their latest operating system, built with the mobile app market firmly in mind.