Business News Holding

Tag: ios

  • Quickoffice: Mobile File Editing Software Has Arrived

    Being able to share files and add new ones on a mobile device is a process that took a long time to happen but has now officially emerged with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides in a convenient platform.

    Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides are a very effective way to share files and add new ones, however, not everyone has converted to the new trend. It is only a convenient process in the business world if everyone associated with the file is able to see it in the form it is in, otherwise, it is a hassle trying to convert from one form to another. Google Apps for Business has started working on the issue of some people being behind in the technology department by developing Quickoffice for the iPad, iPhone, and Android devices to edit Microsoft Office documents.

    Quickoffice was actually invented in 1997 to make Microsoft Office products that were compatible with Palm OS (which is now webOS), Blackberry, Android, iOS, Palm Pilot and Symbian to name a few. Quickoffice was not only the first to be able to translate a file into a mobile form, but it also allowed the file to be edited. Google purchased Quickoffice in 2012 which was an incredible step toward solving the issue of sharing, adding and editing files in the mobile form. This makes it possible for working businesspeople to edit files that need editing while on the go. Whether waiting for a plane at the airport, running to catch a taxi or even taking a quick lunch, Google Apps for Business is helping the busy businessperson out.

    Not only is Quickoffice compatible with Microsoft Office files and Google Docs, Sheets and Slides files, but it is also compatible with programs such as Dropbox, SugarSync, and Evernote. This makes Quickoffice even more universal to even more users.

    When a business is in need of a program that is universal with office type files, Quickoffice is a great program to choose. With the mobility it offers being available on iPads, iPhones, and Android devices, it makes it even easier for more people to use efficiently.

  • Mobile World Congress 2013: The End of Apple Dominance Is Near

    The annual meeting Mobile World Congress, ongoing this week in Barcelona, seems to mark more than any other event the end of Apple dominance in the global market for smartphones and tablets and the rise of some rivals with more open operating systems.

    Mozilla has opened the event in Barcelona unofficially. The nonprofit organization, which used Firefox a decade ago to fight Microsoft control in the online search engine market, wants to change totally the smartphone market as well.

    The industry is currently unnaturally controlled by a few companies, said general manager of Mozilla, Gary Kovacs, during the presentation of the first generation of mobile devices with Firefox operating system.

    More than 20 telecom industry executives who brought their support to the launch of Firefox OS had similar views.

    “We change the industry for the common good,” said Cesar Alienta, general manager of Telefonica, one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world. Spanish company chief criticized the closed operating systems, such as iOS, and warned that “the smartphone market is making a step back from the internet’s opening feature”. Telefonica wants to introduce shortly Firefox OS devices in Spain, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela.

    America Movil, controlled by Carlos Slim, the richest man in the world, committed to launch Firefox OS in Mexico “and in all possible markets” soon.

    The outgoing General Director of Deutsche Telekom, Rene Obermann, called the Firefox OS release “an important step towards more competition between different systems”. Deutsche Telekom will launch Firefox OS devices starting from this summer in Poland.

    Mozilla is not the only company that wants to change the market for smartphones and tablets. Samsung and Intel are also developing an operating system called Tizen, which would be even more open and will allow software developers more important changes compared to Apple's iOS and Google's Android.

    Mobile operators are strongly attracted by the prospect of being able to strongly change the operating systems, for an interaction as direct as possible with the user.

    The irony in this case is that the success of Samsung with Tizen would make the South Korean company less dependent on Google and stronger in the smartphones and tablets market.

    The rest of the world seems to recover the distance to Apple's platform for mobile devices, and the American company must innovate again or will be cannibalized by rivals with cheaper and more accessible devices. Smartphone market seems to have matured, so that real opportunities could be in the expansion in emerging markets.

  • Mobile Phone Sales Fell in 2012 While Smartphones Thrived

    Half of last year, the research and market analysis company Gartner warned that sales of handsets are in decline, the final report for last year, which was published today, confirming the trend observed in August.

    The unfavorable economic climate that people from Gartner blame for this negative trend, has affected the sales figure for mobile phones. Producers managed to sell 1.75 billion pieces, a 1.7 percent decrease compared to performances recorded in 2011.

    The least demanded products were the featurephones, in the last three months they managing to attract only 264.4 million customers, a figure that marks a sharp drop of 19.3 percent compared to the same period in 2011.

    In the same three months of last year, smartphone sales reached a record level, the 207.7 million units representing a jump of 38.3 percent compared to the last quarter of 2011. In 2013, Gartner estimates that sales of smartphones will reach one billion and the entire mobile phone market will recover and reach a figure of approximately 1.9 billion pieces.

    Rivals Samsung and Apple have captured 52 percent of the market. South Koreans last year sold 386.4 million mobile phones, of which 53.3% were smartphones, while Apple, which is only selling smartphones, has sold 130 million handsets, an increase of 22 percent from 2011.

    According to Gartner, the Android platform has captured nearly 70 percent of smartphone market in the last quarter, followed by the iOS, down nearly 3 percent, BlackBerry OS, also in decrease, and Windows Phone, which managed to reach a modest market share of only 3 percent, but which represents almost double compared to the situation in late 2011.

  • Apple Launches iOS 6.1: Short List of Improvements

    Apple has released an update package for the 6.1 version of its iOS software platform, bringing few improvements. iOS 6.1 is a minor update designed to improve the LTE compatibility and to repair a series of vulnerabilities.

    iOS 6.1 expands the LTE support for 36 operators in 17 countries, this feature being offered to the iPhone 5, iPad 4th generation tablets and iPad Mini. Those who are using the 3rd generation of iPad will be limited by the LTE support of the modem used by Apple.

    The list of software innovations includes the integration within Siri of the possibility of purchasing movie tickets through Fandalgo, feature limited to the United States, and the possibility of individual downloading and deleting music tracks downloaded from iTunes Match, option that existed in iOS 5, but which disappeared from iOS 6 until this new version.

    iOS 6.1 brings improvements and strengthens the security in the operating system kernel and the modules WebKit, StoreKit and Identity Services, as well as eliminating a security vulnerability discovered in the Broadcom wireless drivers that affected the models iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, iPod Touch 4th generation and iPad 2.

    The list of minor innovations also includes the possibility of removing identification codes used by advertisers, option available in the General/About/Advertising menu, and small changes in the interface, such as redesign of audio playback control buttons in Lock Screen.

    According to Apple, of the 600 million Apple products running the iOS, half of them are using the latest major release of the operating system.

  • KeKu Celebrates 500,000 Users With Group Calling App

    KeKu, the VoIP telephone service only launched early this year, but is already reaping the rewards of a fantastic service. With 500,000 customers internationally using their service on both iOS and Android devices, the sky seems to be the limit for this New York-based startup.

    KeKu’s apps allow free VoIP calls within their system, as well as inexpensive international rates for both mobile and traditional phone lines. The secret is that they provide local numbers to their users, which can be dolled out amongst their family and friends, regardless of their calling area.

    According to Manilo Carrelli, the company’s CEO, their success relies heavily on an exciting viral growth, especially in areas you wouldn’t expect that to occur within. The Middle East has been one of their biggest markets, probably due to the incredible expense of calling both locally and long distance in that region. Canada has also been a key area for them, with a 400% growth since the app’s launch.

    The international calling feature seems to be at the heart of their expansion. Users have found that they can use KeKu for local calls and often receive a better rate than they would from their area’s traditional phone service. And fans of Google Voice have been integrating with the KeKu app to direct Google Voice calls to an international phone line while abroad, a feature that Google does not yet provide on its own.

    With all of this unexpected growth, KeKu has been able to turn their attention towards additional services for its fans. First down the pipe is an iOS-based group calling app. All you have to do is drag the contacts you want to include into a group folder and tap the call button. It’s simple at the moment, without a lot of bells and whistles, but it certainly gets the job done.

  • Imo Pairs VoIP Capabilities With Its IM App

    Imo has been widely used for years now by fans of instant messaging looking to bring all their various accounts under one umbrella. The company recently announced that it is expanding its free VoIP calling service from an Android-only option to users on iOS devices as well.

    The Imo app can aggregate the eleven top IM applications into one easy service. And while Android clients have enjoyed free VoIP calling on top of all of that, any Apple users running iOS 3.1 or later who also have a 3G or better wireless connection will now be able to make their own VoIP calls.

    Users should take note that calls made while on your own 3G or 4G service will sap your data plan, and could be costly if you’re not too careful. Simply switching to an available Wi-Fi service will remove that concern.

    According to Imo representatives, the quality of the calling service should stand up to any traditional phone. Add that to the app’s voice-based IM service, photo sharing capability, and group messaging through Google Talk, Skype, Facebook Chat and many others, and you’ve got one powerful tool on your mobile device.

    The proof is in the numbers. To date, Imo has been downloaded more than four million times. And people are really using it as well. They average more than fifty million messages delivered each and every day, from over 700,000 regular users. Imo added VoIP calling to their Android app in February of this year, and it is a bit odd that it took them so long to figure it out for iOS customers. That delay may cost them some users, as there are now several other VoIP service apps for iOS devices that have already gained traction.

  • Obi202 VoIP Adapter Allows for Free Local Calls

    A company called Obihai Technology has created the Obi202, a VoIP adapter that, when used in conjunction with Google Talk gives consumers the ability to make unlimited free local calls. Google will allow the service to run free of charge through the end of the year, and the Obi202 can be bought for a mere $75 on Amazon.com.

    The crux of the Obi202’s visibility comes through their partnership with Google Talk. There are many other VoIP adapters on the market, but with the Obi202, a user doesn’t even need a computer to make or receive calls. In addition, it will work with any standard telephone. You plug the device into your router, and you’re basically ready to use the service.

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

    Google has allowed free local calls with Google Talk since the summer of 2010, and they’ll continue to do so through the end of the year. At the end of each year they made an announcement about continued free service. So users will have to take a wait and see approach, as Google may end up offering another year of free local calls in the eleventh hour.

    Basic calling isn’t the only thing the Obi202 can do. Hop on your Android or iOs-powered device and download the OBiON app. It’s free as well, and will give you a fantastic additional service, the ability to bridge calls from your cell phone. That means even if you have a tablet or an iPod device with network service, you could then use it to make calls. And with a bit of extra code work, you could even receive incoming calls as well.

    Reviewers have been more than pleased with the latest version of the Obi202. The voice quality is impeccable, the router they ship is solid, and you can connect two different phone handsets and set up as many as four different VoIP accounts. It plugs right into a USB port, and can be connected to a hard drive that will then link into the router. Basically, it allows you to create your own cloud storage service, and you can link it up with Google Drive or Dropbox for added features.

  • 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.

  • Vonage Granted New VoIP Patent

    Vonage has long been an industry leader in cloud-connected communications, with more than 2.4 million current subscribers. This week, the company announced it had been granted a new patent, U.S. Pat. No. 8,223,720. This latest patent, called “Systems and Methods for Handoff of Mobile Telephone Call in a VoIP Environment”, gives users who make VoIP calls on a mobile device the ability to continue the call while moving from one wireless data connection hub to another, without ever dropping the call.

    The patent was approved more than half a year after Vonage filed it, and the new technology should make a huge difference for customers who require more dependable VoIP service.

    Vonage has zeroed in on the mobile market, as have many technology giants in computing and software. The company recently released a mobile app for both Android and iOS-powered devices, giving users the ability to text and call other Vonage app users around the world completely for free, and in full high definition. International calls can also be made, even if the receiving party doesn’t have the Vonage app, after the payment of a small fee.

    Vonage is best known for connecting VoIP users around the world with consistent service, all while offering the same number and quality of features customers have come to expect from traditional phone service. They currently offer a World calling plan, giving users unlimited calls to over sixty countries for a small monthly fee. Vonage also offers call forwarding and call waiting, as well as visual voicemail, all included in the package. The mobile app works on all wireless data networks, and the service can be purchased either online or through a wide range of retail stores.

  • iPhone 4S Could Be Banned in Europe

    iPhone 4S, Apple’s latest smartphone, could be banned in Europe along with all Apple devices that have GPRS connectivity and run iOS, following a lawsuit filed in Germany by Motorola.

    The number of lawsuits in which the company in Cupertino is involved grows with every passing day. After last week a court in Australia has unanimously decided to withdraw a preliminary decision prohibiting Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to be sold in Australia, Apple faces a new threat from Motorola.

    The company, acquired this year by Google, has won in Germany a preliminary injunction through which obtained prohibiting the sale of Apple devices that have the GPRS  technology, namely iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad 3G and iPad 2 3G, in Europe.

    The case represents a huge loss for Apple in the patents war that they are carrying with the Asian manufacturers of Android devices in several countries worldwide.

    “We will appeal the decision immediately. German consumers who want to buy an iPhone or an iPad for the holidays should not have troubles finding them,” said Apple representatives shortly after the decision.

    In the light of recent events, the Motorola Mobility purchase by Google, recorded this summer, seems a natural one. Market specialists have speculated even since those times that Google has paid $12.5 billion for the U.S. company only for its patent portfolio in the telecom area, and only in order to defend Android, the mobile platform that develops, by the trials filed by Apple against several manufacturers.

    Legal conflict between Apple and Android manufacturers has a long history, most of the lawsuits being filed by the U.S. company against the South Koreans from Samsung.

    Apple accuses them of copying the design and functionality of the iPhone and iPad smartphones and tablets of the Galaxy series models. In response, Samsung accuses Apple of violating several patents in the telecommunications area.

    Currently, between Apple and Samsung are opened 23 lawsuits in countries like France, Japan, Germany, South Korea and the United States.