Iwk Consumer Tech Slideshows
Mobile World Congress: Samsung Announces GalaxyS II Phone, Galaxy Tab 10.1
Samsung is using Mobile World Congress as its own personal stage. Before the world's biggest mobile event kicked off, the company putting on quite a show itself, with dancers, a live orchestra and, oh, yes, some new devices, too. Namely, a second generation smart phone (Galaxy S II) and a 10-inch tablet (Galaxy Tab 10.1). These devices will be available in February and March, respectively, but, in typical Samsung fashion, only in Asia and Europe at first. The company will make a North American announcement here as well. We were there to capture the event (and nibble on some food), and we were also whisked away to play with the new products. View the Slideshow |
Slideshow: HP Tablet Announced
We are here at beautiful Fort Mason in San Francisco on a spectacular day. The Bay is sparkling, Alcatraz beckons (for some of us), and somewhere inside the theater HP is making all the final preparations. The line to get in is already pretty long, and growing. We are about to see the launch of a new lineup of HP mobile products based on the company's WebOS platform. View the Slideshow |
Slideshow: LIVE: VERIZON IPHONE 4 TEARDOWN
BYTE's colleagues at UBM TechInsights are tearing down the Verizon iPhone 4, the CDMA version of the iPhone that Verizon began shipping to its own customers late last week. Beginning from the out of the box experience, the following photos show the process of taking this baby apart, step by step. This is a full tear down, so you can get a real look at the ICs and the design decisions engineers made. In this case, we were particularly interested in the CDMA aspect of the phone, comparing the design with the AT&T GSM iPhone version. As you check out this gallery -- and we're posting it live as we tear it down -- pay particular attention to the presence of the Qualcomm chip. You'll see why. Enjoy. View the Slideshow |
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Real Time Conversation With Google Translate
Google Translate for Android smartphones offers a unique and compelling new capability. This beta feature, called Conversation Mode, makes it possible to carry out a person-to-person conversation and have the Android device translate and speak each piece of the conversation on the fly. This new conversation model feature only works for conversations between English and Spanish speakers, though the main Google Translate app supports a wide range of languages for standard phrase-by-phrase translation. In tests, the Conversation Mode proved to be surprisingly effective, especially when the English speaker and the Spanish speaker were using their native tongues. However, if pronunciation wasn't very good, the app could make a few amusing mistakes. Luckily, Google Translate's Conversation Mode let's speakers view and manually type in correct phrases when the on-the-fly translation fails. View the Slideshow |
12 Money Saving Tech Tips For SMBs
Smaller companies are under constant pressure to maximize their performance with minimal resources. However, you can't do business without technology -- and tech means spending money, something there never seems to be quite enough of for growing businesses. You keep a vigilant eye on costs as a matter of course. So you need to be creative to get what you and your employees need -- from phone service to software to desks and chairs -- without busting the budget. No matter what your business needs, with a bit of effort and due diligence you'll find that you can have your tech and save on it, too. Here are 12 ideas for reducing the budget burden of the business tools you need to succeed. View the Slideshow |
Top 15 Facebook Apps For Business
While many of Facebook's 500 million users waste part of their days growing virtual crops or committing imaginary crimes, there are many Facebook applications designed to actually improve business productivity. There are more than 550,000 active applications on the Facebook platform, according to the social network, with many designed specifically to improve business practices or better-integrate Facebook into a company's operations. Many business apps are free. Often, fee-based apps offer a basic service at no charge. Frequently, only limited support, usually via Facebook, is available. In addition to general-purpose business applications, there are apps for specific verticals and jobs such as real estate, education, the entertainment industry, Web design, and marketing. These 15 are worth a look. View the Slideshow |
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CES Top 10 Videos: The Great, the Strange, The Comical and the Cool
Looking at the several dozen videos David Berlind, Fritz Nelson and I shot of products and edgy tech at CES, it strikes me that there's no time. No time for most of you out there to sift through all that for the coolest, strangest and oddest or funniest stuff. Which is the point anyway, right? So I spent the afternoon watching all our videos--throwing me back into that insane maelstrom of our running around like madmen/woman shooting videos--and chose what I thought were the best 10 videos based on coolness, greatness and just plain bizarre and funny. So, if you look at no other short videos from our gigantor CES coverage, here are the 10 I recommend, beginning with the most mild and leading to my No. 1 pick. I don't want to ruin it, but let me tell you. It's the MONEY shot. At least watch that one. Trust me. The Condom People will thank you. Ask Fritz why. View the Slideshow |
NRF Big Show 2011: Breakthrough Technologies For Retailing
The National Retail Federation's "Big Show" in New York highlighted scores of cutting-edge retail technologies, from mobile devices and digital signage to point-of-sale systems and store-management applications. Tablet computers were everywhere, of course, though more often featured as a raffle prize designed to draw booth visitors and gather business card leads. Several exhibitors demonstrated iPad-native "clienteling" apps designed to help salespeople demonstrate and explain complicated (or out-of-stock) products. There were plenty of conventional point-of-sale terminals on display, but with smart phones quickly gaining broad use, many retailers and retail technology suppliers are developing apps and peripherals designed to work with iPhones, Android devices, and other mobile platforms. View the Slideshow |
Top 10 SMB Predictions For 2011
We dusted off an old piece of tech -- the crystal ball -- to see what the New Year has in store for small and midsize business. 2011 will without a doubt be the year when "trend" becomes "normal" in a variety of business areas, from mobility to virtualization to social marketing. And while certain industry lingo might simply become part of the everyday vocabulary, the term "SMB" itself is likely to be thrown around even more loosely than it was in 2010, by vendors, politicians, and a host of other interested parties. Here's 10 calls about what SMBs should expect to see in the coming year, with some thoughts on how these trends may impact them. View the Slideshow |
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Slideshow: CES: What Gina Wants For Her Birthday
I love the Showstoppers event my old friend Steve Leon puts on every year. All the hot tech products show up, it's never too crowded and it's an amazing way to catch up with old contacts and colleagues you missed on the show floor. My intrepid CES team -- photog Nevin Berger and ace videographer Matt Conner were with me all week long -- did a lot more than schmooze. We checked out a boatload of tech. Some of them announced right at Showstoppers, such as RealNetworks' Unifi cloud management technology and Monsoon's $99 TV Shifting device, the Vulkano Flow. On the show floor, we grabbed some shots of some stuff I'd want for my birthday. I'm starting the list early. Topping my list: the new BMW Z4 Hot dog, do I want that car, especially with its new QNX technology. Don't buy it for me, though. Journalists can't receive gifts from vendors. Bummer! View the Slideshow |
Slideshow: CES 2011: Aliens, Prime Rib And A Digital Experience
I was greeted by an alien at the Digital Experience event here in Las Vegas. And things only got better from there. This event, not aligned with CES but nestled nearby in Caesar's Palace, is for journalists. And the organizers spared no expense on the eats and fancy multicolored martinis. As way too many reporters and bloggers imho wasted their time guzzling vodka and pounding prime rib, my team and I checked out some impressive gear and software. The video for these products will be on YouTube's Techweb channel and site, but check out this slideshow for a quick lowdown on what my little team (video guy Matt Conner and photographer Nevin Berger and me) thought was intriguing, important or just plain cool to look at. View the Slideshow |
Slideshow: CES TechWeb Suite Sneak Peek
We spent all day Wednesday getting a sneak peek at some hardware in the Techweb suite. Amtel's technology was standout. The team showed audio technology that dramatically improved speaker sound -- even from cheap, tinny speakers. Also from Amtel -- the Free Motion Remote Control, a free range control device for Internet TVs. The Modlet, from ThinkEco, is the first improvement to wall sockets in 83 years. Plug your appliances into it, and you can monitor where your power problems lie. Check out the videos soon to come of other products we saw today. Well worth watching! For now, here's a quick slideshow. View the Slideshow |
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15 Green Tech Innovations
Cost-savings and energy efficiencies go hand-in-hand. The poor economy and a collective awareness of the finite resources available to the world are encouraging businesses to invest in green technologies. In fact, 60% of companies now have green criteria for their technology purchases, a Forrester Research study found. Cutting costs is the primary motivator, while real or anticipated regulatory issues and pressure from buyers also ranked high, the report said. Only 30% were driven by their desire for environmental stewardship, Forrester said. Economic realities and environmental commitments have spurred businesses to invest in green technologies and practices to boost the bottom line and appeal to increasingly eco-conscious customers. These 15 leading green technologies that have big potential or are already making an impact. View the Slideshow |
Obama's Tech Tools
As a candidate, Barack Obama benefited greatly from the power of the Internet, tapping Web tools to reach, motivate, and collect funds from millions of people across the country. As president, Obama has cemented his role as the nation's most connected president to-date, incorporating technology as a cornerstone of key initiatives from healthcare reform to education. Taking a page from corporate America, Obama hired a chief technology officer to oversee the nation's IT direction. And, though he has publicly claimed ignorance about iPads, iPods, and popular gaming systems, Obama has long been known for his reliance on a BlackBerry, an addiction that required approval from the Secret Service for security reasons. View the Slideshow |
Top 10 Mobile Stories Of 2010
As the workforce became increasingly mobile, developers hustled to ensure their phones, tablets, and notebooks were the products of choice for these increasingly dispersed employees. The smartphone wars heated up, as Apple, Google, Research In Motion, Nokia, and Microsoft battled for dominance. In addition to facing-off over hardware features and capabilities, many phone operating system developers competed over retail outlets and handset manufacturers. They also lured developers to build applications -- both commercial and free -- for their platforms, resulting in tens of thousands of apps addressing everything from business to entertainment to the absurd. The world of mobile computing was on a roll this past year, as vendors vied for unfettered consumers and workers through a slew of increasingly sophisticated devices. Here's are 10 of the biggest mobile stories of the past year. View the Slideshow |
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Top 10 Apple Stories Of 2010
Apple makes news every year, and ever since Steve Jobs returned to the company in 1997, the news has mostly been good. But any big company will make a few missteps, and Apple is no exception. No company can escape the occasional misstep, but with Apple, the stumbles get the same kind of "generous" coverage that the successes do. Apple is hardly a shy, retiring company that prefers to hide from the spotlight -- even people who've never owned an Apple product can probably name several, whether because of the clever ads, the generous news coverage, or just word of mouth. Here's the 10 Apple moments that made big news this year. View the Slideshow |
Top 10 SMB Stories Of 2010
Many small and midsize businesses are champing at the bit to ring in 2011, with expectations of improving economic conditions and smoother sailing ahead. But before we count down the clock just yet, it's often prudent to take a quick look back at where we've been. Therein lie the lessons learned -- and hopefully a few causes for celebration, too -- that can build the foundation for future success. Although we may have to wait until next year -- or 2014, even -- to see how all of that political activity shakes out for SMBs. So before you pop the cork for 2011, take a few minutes to ponder 2010. View the Slideshow |
Top 10 Software Stories Of 2010
In any year, there are winners and losers, those that successfully rode--or shaped--the tide, and those smashed by the waves of change. As virtual battles raged on Xboxes, Kinects, and other platforms, software developers waged war over market share and steadily loosening budget dollars. Eagerly awaited new products and beta versions made their debuts, jockeying for position and sales. The past year was, of course, no exception. In the rapid-paced world of social media, granddaddy MySpace all-but conceded defeat, rolling over into a partnership with longtime rival Facebook. Software developers of all ilk incorporated social media capabilities into their solutions, looking to partner or integrate with Facebook, Twitter, and location-based sites. Here are 10 of the top software stories of 2010. View the Slideshow |
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