Business News Holding

Tag: hardware-and-technology

  • Skype Working Out Instant Messaging Bug

    Skype has long set the standard for both video conferencing and VoIP communications, as their products were one of the first to cross operating systems, and is now the VoIP option integrated with social networking giant Facebook. But many consumers have run into issues in recent weeks, as instant messages sent over Skype have been accidentally sent to the incorrect contact, creating a host of awkward situations. Luckily, Skype is moving quickly to address the problem, so their millions of customers can rest easy that things should soon go back to normal.

    Skype first became aware of the glitch on a user forum. The misdirected IM’s became an issue any time Skype crashed in the midst of an instant message session. The last IM sent would accidentally go to a different contact once the user logged back into his account. Although Skype was incredibly apologetic about the bug, they announced they didn’t feel it has affected a large number of users, and shouldn’t dissuade anyone from trusting their VoIP needs to the service.

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

    Not only is the situation rather unique, but it also only impacted particular iterations of Skype. The versions in question seem to be Skype 5.8 for Mac, Skype 4.0 for Linux, Skype 5.10 for Windows, and Skype 1.2 running on Windows mobile devices. Customers were asked to upgrade to the latest version, which should solve the issue. Skype also took the opportunity to fix the File Sending option on their desktop software, so that users with a FAT32 hard drive can now save files consistently.

    Skype has risen swiftly in the VoIP world, further buffered by their purchase by Microsoft last year. Skype will come built-in on Microsoft’s newest Windows release, Windows 8, and will integrate seamlessly with Microsoft Office 2013 when it heads to market next year.

  • Microsoft Moves Office to the Cloud

    Computing giant Microsoft recently announced the pending release of their Office 2013 software, further cementing their status as a leader in the new world of cloud computing. The latest iteration of Office will directly tie into the Microsoft SkyDrive, their cloud storage offering, which will also come built-in on all computers that carry the latest Windows 8 operating system.

    While previewing Office 2013 for current customers, Kirk Koenigsbauer, the VP in charge of the software bundle, pushed most of the focus onto SkyDrive. Customers favorably compared it to Dropbox, a much smaller company that is still Microsoft’s primary competition in this market.

    Microsoft also recently announced that the upgrade to Windows 8 Pro will only cost $40 when purchased directly through Microsoft’s online portal. This is a huge sea change for the company, which now seems willing to significantly lower upgrade charges in favor of gaining customers for SkyDrive and earning that regular, monthly usage fee. That also means that consumers could find Office 2013 carrying a much lower pricetag than previous versions when it enters the marketplace.

    Microsoft also seems to be pushing the limits with how their products integrate, following Google’s approach to the cloud storage market. The new Office will work seamlessly on all Microsoft hardware, as well as link in effortlessly with Windows 8 and other key applications such as Bing and Skype. It may take a while to see if the strategy pays off with increased support of SkyDrive, but in the crowded world of data storage, even a company as large as Microsoft seems willing to take the risk.

  • Samsung Unveils Largest, Most Expensive HDTV

    Earlier this week, at an industry press event held on the U.S.S. Intrepid Museum in New York City, Samsung previewed their massive, 75-inch 3D HDTV. The ES9000 is the most impressive device they’ve ever released, and should get a great deal of coverage in the technology industry over the next month. It will incorporate all of the Smart Interaction features that were so popular in their previous ES8000 series, further changing how consumers interact with their home theater devices.

    The new HDTV, which will sport a $10,000 price tag, has a distinctive rose and gold bezel, very different from the traditional silver, clear and black seen in the majority of HDTVs. A retractable camera gives users control of the device through gestures, and integrates seamlessly with Skype.

    Samsung has it’s own dedicated apps for these devices as well, and demonstrated its capabilities with a preview of Angry Birds. The game will be a free download, playable on their E8000, ES8000, and ES7500 line as well, and can be controlled completely with gestures on the ES9000.

    Samsung declared that the new release will have a significantly better picture, due primarily to their Precision Black Local Dimming and Micro Dimming Ultimate features. They expect 30% improvement in the black colors, and 60% increased sharpness. The ES9000 will begin shipping out to stores in August, giving consumers the opportunity to soon decide for themselves if the difference is worth an upgrade.

    The $9,999 retail price makes it one of the most expensive HDTVs on the market. It hasn’t been reviewed yet, so it remains to be seen if the ES9000 will completely earn that price break. But the device is sure to turn heads in the high end HDTV market.

  • iPhone 5 To Arrive in September?

    Every year, the launch of the new iPhone is one of the most discussed topics between tech fans and this year could be no exception. The release of the new iPhone is highly anticipated by Apple's fans and thus, every rumor is spread in just a few hours throughout the world.

    According to the latest rumors, the new iPhone, or iPhone 5 if you like, is expected in the next couple of months. Although the exact date is still unknown, there are two rumors that are currently spreading.

    The first one mentions a release in mid-August, which means that we should expect an announcement in the first days of August. As you can imagine, it's not very possible, since it is too early for such a big announcement. Apple knows that iPhone 5 is a great income generator and thus, they would not risk launching it very soon. After all, they need to count on the Christmas market and launching it during the summer, would be too far from December. On the other hand, it could be a good idea if they wanted to catch up with the releases of their competitors.

    The second rumor comes from the Japanese blog Macotakara, which had also predicted the release of iPhone last year, that predicts a release in September. Macotakara also mentions that the new iPhone will also have a new look, comparing to iPhone 4S. If we stick to their good sources, a release during September seems more probable than one in August. It is the period when big announcements are made and thus, they need to make a good impression from the beginning.

    And if we want to reproduce all the rumors that are circulating, Mashable reports that Taobao, a Chinese e-commerce site,  is already accepting pre-orders for iPhone 5, surprising us even more about its potential short release.

    So, after all these rumors, when should we expect iPhone 5? Apple is the only one that can tell for sure.

  • Sony LT30 Bluetooth Approval Reveals More Details

    If an entry on Bluetooth.org is to be believed, Sony is silently working on a new phone. Sony calls it the LT30 and they are working away getting all the required certifications and the tie-ups for a possible launch.

    Apparently this means that there are more to the Sony LT30 rumors that are going around. Reading all the details below however it may seem very close to the Sony Xperia GX, a LTE smartphone released by Sony exclusively for the Japanese market in May 2012. The new phone could just as well end up being an international avatar of the Xperia GX. If things shape up well we could see the phone in the US and other international markets soon.

    The features that are mentioned on the website reveals some details regarding the dimension, screen size, and the camera quality. The smartphone is apparently going to be a thin one by looking at the dimensions registered. It could very well be powered by the Snapdragon S4 Dual core processor, the same as the Xperia GX and weigh around 140 Gms based on a metal back ARC design. Apparently, Sony is going for a trusted processor which can offer better battery life and increased phone performance.

    The phone will sport a 13-megapixel rear camera (which should be more than enough as some of the entry level DSLR’s come with only 12-14 megapixels) and be capable of recording videos in 1080p. A front facing camera will be able to shoot videos in 720p HD, which is perfect for video streaming and making video calls.

    The 4.6-screen resolution details are not available and it is also not clear whether the screen will have any upgrades from the other phones that are in the Sony stable. Additional features could very well be implemented by the time the smartphone will hit the stores.

  • Will Google Drive Deliver?

    For those new to cloud storage, Google Drive is a great option for a small business, a startup or even individual use. Each account comes with 5 gigabytes of free cloud storage on the Google system, and then you pay a variable rate per month based on the amount of additional storage you require. Many people are already jumping on board, adding the Drive to the wide range of Google products they already use. But is it worth the money?

    Early reviews say that it’s very easy to access and set up. The drive includes documents that will help even the computer novice get right in action. It integrates seamlessly with Google Docs, importing anything you already have there. It’s also incredibly secure. As long as you frequently change your Google password, you’ll have very little to worry about. Google Drive can only be accessed after two steps of verification, and their business support requires and receives the latest in online security measures.

    But what about the price? After that first set of free storage, the next 25 gigabytes will only cost you $2.49 a month. The highest amount of storage they currently offer is 16 terrabytes for $799 a month, which only major international corporations will require. So if you compare that to the price of physical storage options, as well as the added price of requiring backups for all of those devices, and you’ll find it’s an incredibly good deal. Of course, you’ll also have the benefit of being able to access your content from any device that’s internet-connected. So if you suffer a theft or a fire, or are simply traveling and need one of your stored documents, all will be available to you. Google Drive is new to the market, and some may be cautious about taking advantage of the completely altered workflow. But at that price and those capabilities, you can rest assured your money is being well spent.

  • New Smartphone App Gives Verizon Customers VoIP Capabilities

    South Carolina-based Zipit Wireless launched a new app, one they expect to help healthcare professionals deliver faster, more complete aid to their patients than ever before. It’s called Zipit Enterprise Critical Messaging Solution, and it has grown out of an exclusive partnership with Verizon.

    The new app will launch in over one hundred healthcare facilities in the United States, and will give professionals the ability to send a tracked communication in ten seconds or less. That level of speed means faster decision-making for patients in critical health and better access to current patient and treatment information, potentially leading to higher quality care and saved lives.

    The app will be available on Android and iOS devices, and works like a next generation pager. Users can send alerts, launch a two-way communications window, and create pages tagged with various levels of priority. The Vice President of Verizon Connected Healthcare, Peter Tippett, feels it may forever transform the healthcare industry. His excitement stems from the idea that technology can enable professionals to better care for their patients through instant connectivity and the sharing of information at unprecedented speeds.

    Hospital professionals are already sounding off on the app’s viability and real-world applications. They feel it brings accountability along with information access, as the app creates a detailed log of all communications, whether voice, text or page. But Zipit Wireless feels that the app provides a unique opportunity for other industries as well. Any field that needs quick, clear and accountable communication, such as the manufacturing or hotel industries, will find it streamlines their IT processes, saving their company and their customers money and time.

  • With DirecTV and Viacom at Odds, Apple HDTV Suffers

    The continuing litigation between Viacom and DirecTV reached new levels this week, as Viacom pulled all of its stations from DirecTV’s more than twenty million subscribers. For those unfortunate satellite viewers, access to some of the most popular networks in the country, including Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET and MTV has been denied, with no end to the blackout in sight. Viacom has also removed many of their most watched shows from DirecTV’s free online streaming service, drawing a line against internet-powered content providers.

    With the two media giants battling over internet rights and increased pricing, owners of Apple’s forthcoming HDTV service may find themselves losing out..

    Apple’s goal was to supplement their popular Apple TV service with an expanded offering, one that allows viewers to pick and choose the channels they want included in their plans. This strategy is an affront to the cable providers who really make their money through bundled plans, and refuse to come down from their previous strategies. This is the case with Viacom and DirecTV, and may keep Apple’s a la carte dreams from ever becoming a reality.

    Apple has long contended that their internet service would save consumers money over traditional cable television. But it is clear that Viacom and those other programming behemoths will price individual channels so high that private customers would end up spending far more for Apple’s HDTV service than they would for cable. The only hope is if Apple can strike direct deals with the content creators, thereby giving customers a direct line into picking and choosing their favorite shows. But as Netflix, Hulu and other internet content providers have found, traditional entertainment companies are unwilling to play ball.

  • Nielsen: Android Leads the Market Share in USA

    Android operating system seems to win the battle over iOS, at least in the American market share. At least, that's what a latest research says.

    According to Nielsen's research, 51.8 % of US users that own a smartphone are choosing Android as their operating system. Apple comes second with the 34.3% of the market share, while RIM by Blackberry is third with 8.1% of the market share. Although the figures might be surprising for some of you, in fact they shouldn't be.

    We all know that iPhones dominate in the industry, but we also know that Android is a big competitor. Although their constant battle does not always have a clear winner, in this case the numbers can be justified by the fact that Android is used by many smartphone brands. Also, the fact that Android smartphones are cheaper, at least statistically, than the iPhones, makes users prefer the cost-effective choice. Android's percentage of market share consists of Samsung, HTC, Motorola and other smartphones.

    On the contrary, when we are referring to iOS, we know that it's only iPhone that includes the specific operating system. Despite its higher price, iPhone is still in high esteem and that's why the stand-alone percentage of 34% should not be underestimated.

    After all, times are changing and we are not sure whether the numbers will be the same by the end of the year. We might not be able to predict the winner, and whether it will be a clear victory, but we can tell that the release of Apple's new iPhone and Samsung's Galaxy S III will affect the current graph.

  • Samsung Galaxy Nexus Ban Taken Off Temporarily

    The Samsung Galaxy Nexus ban in the US following a favorable ruling for Apple by the U.S District Court Judge Lucy Koh has been seen as many as a major win for the makers of the iPhone and the iPad.

    Apple, off late, has been engaged in scores of copyright law suits against other manufacturers including Samsung, HTC and Motorola. In an attempt to desperately stall the rise of Android powered devices in the market and ensure that they stay firmly at the top, they have even posted a $2.6 million bond for stopping the Samsung Galaxy Tab and a further $95.6 million bond for the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

    However in a turn of fortune the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has now lifted that ban against the shipment of the Galaxy Nexus paving the way for its return to stores and to the Google play store.

    For the uninitiated, the reason for Apple’s move to court was apparently four features that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus boasted and which the Apple iPhone 4S also had. These are slide to unlock, word suggestion, auto correct (which is in fact a cool tool) and the ability to do a local phone search. The last one was particularly very important for Smartphone users. This means the much vaunted Google Ice Cream Sandwich powered smartphone is going to look quite not so smartphone like when the 4.1 updates and other patches removing these features are implemented.

    The Galaxy Nexus has lesser emotional attachments to Samsung and more for Google and they are taking this Galaxy Nexus ban revoke as a second coming for the Smartphone to the US market. Apparently with Apple’s recent history of going against any thing that is remotely threatening, the next obvious target is the Samsung Galaxy S3 and with the iPhone 5 rumored to be launching next October, Apple would be looking to embroil the S3 in as much litigation as possible to remove the competition for the last iPhone designed by legendary Steve Jobs.