CES 2011 Preview: Tablets, Smartphones, And More
The electronics industry is gearing up for the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, which kicks off January 6. The leading vendors are expected to introduce a host of eye-catching new offerings. Here's what InformationWeek anticipates will be unveiled at the show.
2011 Looks Bright For Windows Phone 7
Windows Phone 7 didn't get off to a blazing start, at least by modern smartphone standards. Our basis for comparison is the iPhone, the device that redefined what a smartphone was. That sells millions within days of each new iteration and there are over 300,000 books and apps in the App Store. That doesn't mean though that Windows Phone is off to a bad start.
The Wi-Fi Tech Conference Challenge
For those of us who see wireless LANs rapidly displacing wired Ethernet as the client access protocol of choice, there was a rather disturbing article in the NYT highlighting the high-profile Wi-Fi meltdowns at various tech conferences over the past year. Most of us are familiar with some of those embarrassing moments, such as the one depicted in the article of a frustrated
Tips For Tapping The Cloud
It's no secret that more and more businesses are flying high these days. That is, they're computing in the cloud to save money and resources. But did you know that SMBs are one of the largest consumers of the cloud? And that, according to IDC, the SMB cloud market is expected to grow more than threefold in the next three years, from $16.5 billion to more than $55.5 billion by 2014?
iPad's Competition Is Junk
The iPad wasn't the first tablet available, but it has far and away been the most commercially successful model. This has prompted others to get tablets out the door as soon as possible hoping to ride the coattails of the iPad to riches.
Worthy New Year's Resolution - Don't Text And Drive
The New Year is just days away and people will be making all sorts of resolutions. Many won't make it a full month or even a full week before falling back to their old ways. One resolution that is worth making a serious effort to keep though is no texting while driving.
HTC Wants To Tweak Windows Phone 7 Interface
Microsoft is trying to keep tighter control over what phone makers can do to the user interface of Windows Phone 7, but HTC wants to add its Sense special sauce to differentiate its phones from the competition. Will that be good for users?
Phony Phone Numbers
How many Window Phone 7 units has Microsoft sold? For whatever reason, it's difficult for Microsoft to give a straight answer. That, of course, leads to industry speculation that things aren't going so well for Microsoft's new mobile platform.
Give Social Media 'Plate-Spinning' A Rest
Hey, small-business owners: Have you ever considered being a plate-spinner in the circus? You know the people I'm talking about, right? They'll dazzle you with deftness, slay you with their sleight of hand. How do they do it? How do they keep so many balls…uh, I mean plates…in the air without having them smash to the ground?
Global Cooling Puts Green Jobs On Ice
With much of Europe buried under six-foot snow drifts, businesses and consumers aren't in the mood to spend big dollars on technologies that will make their lives even colder.
Will Malware Hit Smartphones In 2011?
Malware, viruses and the like have been a routine part of life for PC owners for years, at least if you are running Windows. Smartphone users have been largely ignored by the malware community, but that will inevitably change. Will it be sooner rather than later?
Got The Gadget; Lost The Manual
Many techies and their families will have one or more gadgets under the tree this weekend, yet despite Steve Jobs' best intentions, many of them still need a manual, particularly to unlock those obscure but innovative features that just aren't obvious on the surface. Yet with today's globalized, cost-conscious supply chain, many (most?) products don't include a printed manual. Those that do include some paper often just have a cursory 'quick install' sheet filled with hieroglyphic-like icons and
Share Your Thoughts On IT Risk Management
"In today's interconnected world, filled with increasingly sophisticated yet generally anonymous malefactors, IT must have a risk management program." Most of us have heard this so many times it goes in one ear and out the other, making about as much impression as your grandmother's homespun advice to always brush after meals and never run with scissors. But we all know grandma was right.
Samsung Nears 10 Million Galaxy S Sales
Samsung recently announced that sales of its Android-based Galaxy S line of smartphones has reached 9.3 million, putting it just short of Samsung's goal of 10 million.
Microsoft Moves 1.5 Million Windows Phone 7 Phones
Microsoft announced today that phone manufacturers have sold over 1.5 million phones running Windows Phone 7 in its first six weeks. Sales from manufacturers though isn't necessarily the same thing as sales to consumers.
Top 5 Cloud Computing Predictions For 2011
In the coming year, the cloud will reach milestones that critics said it never would: it will be certifiably secure for credit card transactions; able to host multiple virtual machine types in the same infrastructure; and easier to manage.
Incoming House Leadership Interested In IP Reform
Congress will get a new tech-related subcommittee that looks at intellectual property and the Internet when the House of Representatives' new Republican leadership is sworn in next month, indicating that the next Congress will likely have a renewed interest in IP issues.
SMBs: Cherish Every Lead
Remember last week's post about the building blocks of SMB success? We discussed three tips from entrepreneur Clate Mask: Sell Stuff Online, Supercharge Your Website, and Grow Through Partners.
Sur La Tablet
2011 will be the year of the tablet, or at least the year that everyone says is the year of the tablet. There will be more than enough devices, but will there be enough reasons to buy them?
On Tap For Mobile Communications In 2011?
What will the new year bring? Less of a focus on 4G services, browser based application stores, and at least one industry stalwart exiting the market were predictions from inCode, Ericsson's professional services division.
Kindle Versus iPad
The Kindle has arguably been one of the most successful consumer electronics with broad consumer appeal. It has repeatedly been the best seller at Amazon. The iPad came along in early 2010 and claimed to be able to out-Kindle the Kindle as well as do so much more. Almost a year later, how is the Kindle faring?
Time To Change Web Advertising
Advertising on the web as we know it has gone through good times and bad times. Now it may be going through end times. Privacy concerns, security breaches, and perhaps even government regulations will drive changes.
Motorola Teases CES Tablet Launch
Motorola published a video on Monday that indicates it will use the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show to launch its first Android Honeycomb tablet device.
Mobile Commerce: A Multi-Billion Opportunity
Cell phones have become more than an executive productivity tool. They are now a primary way that individuals purchase goods and services, according to market research firm ABI Research.
You Have Little Control With Smartphone App Privacy
People often go to great lengths on their PC to maintain some level of privacy but those options are rarely available on smartphones. What's worse is smartphone apps usually work best when connected, so tend to share more personal data than a PC app ever would.
Office For Mac 2011: Re-Activation Heck, Part I
With the latest version of Office, Microsoft has introduced a requirement to "activate" the software, which ties your copy to your computer. Unfortunately, upgrading your Mac can break that association, requiring a long, complicated reinstallation and reactivation procedure that can grind your business to a halt.
Cloud Storage Appropriate Data
As vendors continue to mature the cloud storage on-ramps we discussed previously, the use case for cloud storage is becoming more wide spread. What was once primarily backup and archive storage destination is now quickly becoming an option for primary data storage. As a result the data that you are going to involve in a cloud storage solution may be different than it was only a year ago.
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