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Max Cherney
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- The Government CIO 25: These influential and accomplished government IT leaders are finding ways to be cost efficient and still innovate.
- Rethink Video Surveillance: It's not just about networked cameras anymore. New technology provides analytics, automation, facial recognition, real-time alerts and situational-awareness capabilities.
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Featured Whitepapers
Featured Reports
Remote Control Devices With Bluetooth Battery Wrapper
April 15, 2013
Tethercell from Tetherboard provides remote control over batteries via a Bluetooth 4.0 connection and can be recharged.
Burner: Disposable Phone Numbers For Voice, SMS
April 12, 2013
Use your iPhone or Android phone like a disposable cell phone. For cheap you can buy a number (or multiple numbers) with voice time and SMS messages. If person-to-person anonymity is important, this app is for you.
When Will the Old Phone Networks Die? Not Soon
April 09, 2013
Old phone systems never die. They just fade away. The phone companies that run the copper-based POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) may want to do away with it in favor of more modern, flexible and profitable technologies, but it's not going anywhere soon.
Smartphone Kill-Switch Idea is DOA
April 08, 2013
An epidemic of stolen cell phones has San Francisco district attorney George Gascón demanding that handset companies put a remote "kill switch" into the devices. They're blowing him off. Experts say that there's little upside in the kill-switch for Apple, Samsung and the other handset makers and that the scheme is probably impractical.
iPhone 5S Likely to Channel Steve Jobs' Influence
April 02, 2013
The iPhone 5S, which reports say will begin production in the second quarter of 2013, was the last iPhone designed with Steve Jobs in charge. Look for incremental change. If you were expecting Apple to add a back button, you're probably going to be disappointed with the iPhone 5S.
Free Cellular Data From Karma, Where Available
April 02, 2013
If you're lucky to be where they have signal then Karma, an $80 LTE hotspot, is a great deal. Karma provides free LTE hotspot bandwidth on the Clearwire network. Bandwidth costs $14/GB and you can earn 100MB by signing up friends.
Mac as a Tablet?
March 19, 2013
The Modbook Pro transforms the MacBook Pro into a device that mimics a tablet, without a touch screen.
Google Nexus 4 Phone Slick, But Limited
March 11, 2013
Google's flagship Nexus 4 phone is a compelling entry in a crowded marketplace. During my testing the Nexus 4 proved a reliable, capable piece of hardware. The display is great, and its size and weight make it easy to slip into a pocket. But, there are some hardware limitations that will likely deter people from buying it — the 3G only, no micro SD expansion, most notably.
Mailbox App is Gmail on iPhone Done Better
March 08, 2013
Mailbox's elegant approach, simple design, and system of swipes that handle email and task management make this app worth trying for everyone who uses Gmail on their iPhone. For someone who lives in their inbox, and uses email to manage tasks this may well be the best app to date. The UI is sophisticated and easy to use, as is email composition and reading. But, its long waiting list and exclusive Gmail-iPhone compatibility will exclude some iPhone users from trying the new app out.
Secure Dropbox Files With DigitalQuick
February 26, 2013
DigitalQuick is an elegant encryption add-on that allows enterprises to use Dropbox for sensitive documents and information
Android For Google Nexus UI Re-Imagined
February 26, 2013
For Android enthusiasts Paranoid Android is a cool re-interpretation / customization of the Android 4.2.X OS. But, the complexity of the install, as well as the requirement to root the device will likely deter many people from using Paranoid Android 3, which is a shame. It's a well thought-out, extremely stable, clever modification to the stock UI. With the addition of the PIE feature in version 3 it gives Android 4.2.X some serious competition.
Google to Launch $99 Tablet, Rumor Claims
February 19, 2013
If the rumor is true, a $99 tablet with decent Web browsing, email, social media would completely disrupt the tablet market
iPhone App Soups Up Camera
February 13, 2013
645 Pro for the iPhone has enough complexity to make professional photographers happy, even if it doesn't hold up to a mid-level DSLR back and decent prime lens.
No More Carrier Contracts - Pre-Paid Saves Money
February 05, 2013
In the U.S., subsidized phones from AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint give us the illusion that expensive phones are cheap. But in most of the rest of the world, mobile access is bought on a no-contract, pre-paid basis. If you don't need a top-of-the-line phone upgrade every year or two, you can save a lot of money this way. It has advantages for BYOD as well.
Personal Medical Tricorder Has Its Eyes On The Prize
January 16, 2013
Hypochondriacs rejoice: California-based Scanadu has built a smartphone accessory and a smartphone/tablet app that can perform visual examinations and monitor vital signs and then displays them on a smartphone. It looks like a medical tricorder from Star Trek.
Android Smartphone Developments At CES 2013
January 11, 2013
There weren't many smartphone announcements at CES 2013, but most of them were for Android phones and here they are, including one phablet. Pantech, Sony and Huawei all announced phones — some exclusively for the Chinese market — and Intel released a CPU and reference platform optimized for Android and also designed for low cost in emerging markets.
App Piracy Tools Going Down — For Now
January 08, 2013
A popular app piracy tool has recently shut down, but two new options to bypass Apple DRM and install pirated iOS apps are available. Piracy of iPhone and iPad apps will still run wild unless app developers build in safety modules.
Apple Discounts For Big, Loyal Buyers
January 07, 2013
You would probably assume that volume purchasers get discounts from Apple, as they do from any other company. But how much? We have the numbers. And you don't have to be a real business to take advantage of the discounts — just use the products for business.
Google Maps On iPhone To The Rescue
December 14, 2012
Google's Maps app is a welcome relief to Apple's blundering attempt at a Maps app. It goes toe-to-toe with Apple Maps in many respects, but doesn't include some of the really neat features that are in the Android and Web apps. If you loved the old Google Maps on your iPhone, download this new app immediately. But if, like me, you use an iPad much more often, this is a disappointing release.
Flawed Report Claims 24 of 25 Top App Companies Sell Games
December 11, 2012
A report by research firm Canalys says that revenues in the app business are dominated by game developers. We think the analysis is flawed, but it's also true that revenue opportunities are potentially more plentiful for games than other apps.
GMail 2.0 Catches Up With Competition
December 07, 2012
The latest version of Gmail for the iPhone and iPad has an elegant new design -- closer to that of Google Plus -- and several new features. Some of the improvements merely bring it up-to-date with competitors. Others, such as search, should make you think about switching from Apple's Mail.
Drop Your Cell Plan And Still Use Your Phone
November 29, 2012
Here's how to hack a free mobile phone plan. The downsides include having to change your number and not being able to make 911 calls.
Visual Tour: Kaspersky Mobile Security For Android Phones
November 14, 2012
Kaspersky Mobile Security is a comprehensive package that would seem to address many -- if not all -- of consumers' smart phone security concerns. It protects Android phones with anti-virus scans, blocks of unwanted calls and text messages, and theft recovery, all for just $9.95 a year. Too bad neither we nor Kaspersky could get the anti-theft tools to work.
Image Gallery: iPad Mini Hands-On
November 06, 2012
For small-tablet buyers the Mini is a great option. It's pricier than the Kindle Fire or Google Nexus 7, but its size, elegant hardware and app ecosystem make the extra bucks worth it. If you already own a tablet, though, there isn't much reason to rush out and buy a Mini.
Microsoft Reveals Surface Tablet Pricing, Releases Ads
October 16, 2012
Surface RT with 32 GB of storage will start at $499, without the keyboard/cover. This puts it directly up against the iPad in pricing, even though Windows RT does not run pre-Windows 8 software.