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Satish has written 13 articles so far, you can find them below.

Top 5 Companies that Deal with Online Security

In the booming tech-sphere, online security has become more important than ever – for the SMB, sole proprietorship and large corporation. Hackers are getting more sophisticated at finding ways to compromise your information architecture, which has paved the way for more powerful measures to stop them. These services are being extended even to the individual, as viruses slow down your computer and cause inopportune shut-downs, compromising and losing data.

There are many outfits that have risen to meet the challenge. From the powerful newbies, to the tried-and-true industry stalwarts, you have a plethora of options from which to choose. These companies and products will produce a full financial crime investigation, if need be. But if you want any guarantees, then it’s best to side with history and proven techniques:

  1. Symantec – the multi-billion dollar conglomerate that acquired Norton in the 1990s, Symantec has a hand in it all: Norton AntiVirus suite for both Windows operating systems and the Mac, Internet Security suite to protect you while your browser is connected online, relatively new developments specifically for the mobile revolution, and much more. For the larger business, they have multiple kinds of enterprise security software to protect your entire department. Their software offerings have variable levels of aggressiveness when going after attacks – you pay more for those, of course.
  2. Trend Micro offers free virus scanners – just like Microsoft does with its Security Essentials software – but if you’re an SMB or corporation, you’ll want something from their considerably more robust suite of paid tools. Their affordable Titanium Antivirus software of 2013 is very much in-line with the current transition to the cloud. It leaves a very small imprint on your computer’s resources – just check the Task Manager to see – because it operates mostly from Trend Micro’s own cloud servers. Ease of use and functionality make it a viable online security option.
  3. McAfee – despite the founder’s recent troubles in Belize, the online security company he founded is still going very strong, and perennially makes the list of top companies. It maintains its inclusion in this selective club because of the email security, firewall protection, and other aspects of online security offered to individuals, small or medium-sized businesses and giant companies. One of the very first software protection suites to be offered on a shared-business model, McAfee is often bundled with other crucial downloads as an optional download, itself.
  4. Avira – for safe surfing without too many bells-and-whistles, Avira’s Antivirus Premium suite of 2013 is a winner against malware. It can be used on Windows and Macs with full confidence, and offers the free version of its software – with an option to pay for upgrades and more features. Easy to install and with a user-friendly interface, Avira looks to be in it for the long haul.
  5. Kaspersky – easily one of the most powerful virus-terminators out there, Kaspersky performs admirably even against the dreaded rootkit. These viruses affect your computer at the root level, rewriting programs and changing code to hide their existence. The price tends to reflect its robustness, but Kaspersky gets the job completely done when it comes to online security.

The above giants are all but guaranteed to safeguard your system from viral attacks and malware; you should also take a look at highly-recommended startups like BitArmor, which was started by a couple of tech school graduates interested in encryption software. A little searching will find companies like these, with reviews of their security products and the attendant success.

Android Apps in Web OS on the HP Touch Pad

HP Touch Pad

The HP Touchpad. For a tablet that was on the market for only a few short weeks, it has had an impact that many device manufacturers surely envy, which seems almost bizarre when you consider that a major factor in HP’s decision to cancel it was lackluster sales. As you all may recall, HP ended up liquidating their entire inventory of TP’s in what was probably the most amazing firesale deal we’re likely to see in our lives, and as a result anywhere from 700,000 to a few millions of these made their way into the hands of consumers. Many of those consumers fell in love with it and its webOS 3.0 operating system, praising its well designed user interace and impressive approach to multitasking that many still consider to be superior to iOS and Android’s.

So why did the Touchpad fail? A number of reasons – but probably the most significant of these was the limited amount of major app developers that got behind it to make their flagship apps available on the platform. To address this, a port of the Android operating system was developed for the Touchpad by the Cyanogenmod development team, allowing Touchpad owners to reboot into Android when they wanted to use an app that was unavailable to webOS.

Now however, a startup company is seeking to give users an even better option. The appropriately named Phoenix International Communications Inc is comprised of webOS fans from all over the globe who collaborate together via Internet. PIC, as they like to be called, has recently launched a Kickstarter project (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1957339277/run-android-apps-in-webos-on-the-hp-touchpad ) which if successful will release a software application called the Application Compatibility Layer (ACL). When installed on the Touchpad ACL enables users to download both paid and free Android apps directly onto the device, installing them so they sit side by side with native webOS apps and can be run in cards just like any normal webOS app. This removes the need to dual boot into Android, allowing webOS users to stay in their preferred operating system all the time.

If this sounds like it’s a bit complicated to pull off, it is. Fortunately however the project is not starting from scratch. The project is based on existing technology by OpenMobile, a company based in Framingham, Massachusetts, which offers this technology to OEM device makers. PIC has posted some videos online showing an early alpha version of the technology in action. There is still a good amount of work to be done however to refine the system, improve the performance and make it truly market ready, and PIC is seeking to raise the $35,000 they need to complete this work.

Seeing the functioning alpha version both answers questions and raises more questions, and we’re glad to be able to get at least some of the answers direct from the horse’s mouth, the horse in question being Marc Edwards, Development Manager at PIC.

Why the HP Touchpad? There already is a workaround by using Cyanogenmod

“The answer to this one is that you have to start somewhere, and we feel that the Touchpad, being the most well known webOS device stood the best chance of gaining enough support to make for a successful Kickstarter. It’s unfortunate, because other webOS devices like the Pre3 simply do not enjoy the same degree of name recognition that the Touchpad has, and it is unlikely we would have received the same about of support we are currently getting with another webOS device.”

But why ONLY the Touchpad?

“We wanted to be able to get the software out to the market within a reasonable time frame, and increasing the amount of work required by trying to have it support multiple devices does not seem to be a wise decision to us. To perform it’s best the software needs to be optimized for the hardware it is running on, and just because the TP and say the Pre3 share similar CPU’s and GPU’s may not necessarily mean that accommodating both of them will be a quick and easy task. The great thing though is that if we have success with the TP project, so long as the demand is there for it on say the Pre3 and the Veer, we can then look seriously at doing a poject for those devices as well. Hopefully too that will not cost as much, as I would imagine it could be based on the TP code.”

But on the Kickstarter campaign, you don’t make mention of the Pre3 or other devices

“Kickstarter has pretty specific rules regarding how they want you to run projects. They want the backers to make decisions based on what is promised for the current project, not on speculation about a future project that may come next if the current project succeeds. So while we definitely want to have ACL available on the other devices, that is not something that can be put in our Kickstarter campaign. Maybe I shouldn’t even be saying that here!”

Ok, here’s another one. Android 2.3? It’s over two years old already
“Well, that’s a interesting one. Firstly, let me point out that something like 40% of android devices are still running 2.3, and the vast majority of apps still support it – the progression towards apps that can only run on Android 4 is going at a slow pace for that very reason. I would expect a year or so before being on 2.3 starts to become a big issue for MOST people from an App compatibility perspective.

“It’s related to the timeline for getting the product out onto the market, as well as the budget. A year ago when OpenMobile was working to get this out the door, Android 2.3 was not considered to be too far behind. But then what happened happened, and the product didn’t make it out the door, and now here we are today. In actuality, the decision of whether it will be 2.3 in the final version as in the demo has not yet been made. It’s something that is being looked into at the moment. OpenMobile has actually already been working with version 4 in ACL versions aimed at other devices. If it turns out that we can make the switch to Android 4 without introducing significant delays and exploding the budget we will do so. If it turns out that we can make an arrangement where it launches with 2.3.3. and then users can upgrade afterwards, that would be something that we would do. But we don’t know yet, so it’s better to leave the expectations where they are for now until we can be sure that we will be exceeding them. “

Some people are saying that $35K is a lot of money to be asking for – why is it so expensive?

“The people that say that probably don’t work in software development. It is not a lot of money for a project of this nature. Also, it is not even the full cost of getting this done. PIC has already put up money to get the ball rolling on this – our members have dipped into savings, taken out loans, delayed other expenses, etc. And $35K raised on Kickstarter is not even $35K. By the time you take out Kickstarter fees which can be as high as 10% and the cost of rewards, what we get to go towards the project ends up being far less than that. $35K is really the minimum that we need in order to get this done, and if we don’t make the goal, we lose the money that we’ve invested so far. We’re actually sticking our necks out pretty far to try and make this happen, so we’re really hoping the community will show up and support us. Basically, if we don’t make the goal, we lose the money we’ve already committed. So it’s a bit tough on me personally when I see people saying that we’re trying to pull a fast one, or that were looking to make a quick buck….we comitted our own money first long before we asked anyone outside PIC for a penny.“

New Toner Cartridge Technologies

Tonner Catridge Technologies

While there has been much advancement in recent years regarding toner cartridge technology including husks made of more durable materials, better strips to protect ink from falling out during installation or printing, and more efficient waste collection systems, the most prominent changes that have taken place within the industry all revolve around greener technology. While the concept that one could recycle toner cartridges has been around for some time, the way that cartridge designs have changed as well the structure of the industry itself has lead to a huge movement that forgoes the destruction of toner cartridges after they have been used. Companies that have grasped a larger understanding of why it is important to recycle toner cartridges have also learned that they can have the same high quality outputs at literally a fraction of the price.

Past Issues Gone

In the past, many companies have been put off by the concept that they could save money if they not only recycle toner cartridges, but use the refurbished product created from their efforts, mainly because of quality control issues. The truth is that based on past experiences, these individuals would certainly have the right to harbor reservations about the ink not being as good or not lasting as long as well as issues with the cartridge itself not being able to perform. However, advancements in re manufactured toner cartridge technology have greatly improved their performance enough to allow them to compete toe to toe with top of the line new OEMs.

Of course, even businesses that do not purchase refurbished cartridges can still participate in the green movement and save money by choosing to recycle toner cartridges as they deplete. There are third party companies that make this process extremely simple by providing the convenience of shipping materials and prepaid labels on their dime. By simply gathering up old depleted cartridges and shipping them out as convenient, any company can receive cash incentives back either instantly or in the form of checks sent periodically.

We Should Haste Toward Less Waste

Even when toner cartridges break or become so outdated that they no longer have a use, the materials themselves can be recycled to keep them out of landfills. This process will involve breaking the raw material down into scrap so that it can be repurposed into brand new items including new toner cartridges. While the process to recycle toner cartridges in this manner uses more energy than reusing them and often creates a small amount of waste, the truth is that when there is no life left in the hardware, this final act of recycling still trumps throwing it away by any means.

Many businesses on the forefront of green technology practice recycling and reusing procedures. However, the same benefits can be had for those simply looking to make the cost of inks and toners a little bit lower. Doing so will prove to be positive for the environment as well as any company’s bottom line.

Rumours Iphone 5s release in June 2013

iPhone 5S

Already the rumors are rife that will be a new apple iPhone by the middle of 2013! It is being said that the 5s (or 6 as some people are calling it) will have a higher resolution display, a faster processor, and will have more storage than ever before-128GB, double the maximum storage of the iPhone 5. This could mean massive improvements to look forward to for casino fans as speed, storage for apps and smoothness of the interface are what make mobile casino and gaming in general so appealing for smartphone owners. Apple already has free apps in the app store of all of the major casino games for you to practice your skills, before you move on to betting with real money, if you choose to do so.

Online casinos have become hugely popular over the last decade or so however the rise of mobile casinos like http://www.iPhonecasino.com.au/, thanks to our smartphones, has meant that we no longer need to stay sitting at our desktop.

We can leave the room, leave the house, and still be logged into a casino. When the iPhone 5 was released, the numbers of gamers using mobile casinos and placing bets and wagers increased dramatically. This will have been due to the many factors that were included in the next generation iPhone that made gaming even more compatible, easy to use, and appealing. The larger screen size and higher resolution screen made the experience more realistic and smooth to use, and 4g meant much faster speed when gaming.

When using mobile casinos you can download apps to your phone, register an account, and decide whether or not you want to play for real money and the choice of games is endless. Companies created apps optimised for iPhone that didn’t include flash due to the popularity of gaming on the iPhone, and of the iPhone itself.

Using apps to improve you’re gaming

Mobile-Gaming

Since the mobile market took off and smartphones became an unrivalled commodity it seems that there has been an app invented to help with everything. There are more in depth calendars, ways to track your weight loss, apps to teach you how to play cards and even apps from specific shops so you can purchase on the move.
Apps to teach you how to play cards and casino games have come from the huge boost the industry has received since the invention of mobile gaming. Advantage blackjack is one way to learn how to become a master at the game and earn some extra pocket money at your favourite casino. Reviews have hailed the app as incredible with one user saying: “[it’s] everything you need to become an excellent blackjack player.”
If you’re new to blackjack don’t worry, as the app is specifically designed to turn novices and first time players into pros with the help of a little training. By incorporating basic strategy training and card counting you can learn all the skills you need and test your abilities during realistic practice games until you feel confident enough to play with your hard earned cash at a casino. Card counting is somewhat of a grey area with many casinos as it is not specifically cheating – not that we would ever condone such a thing – but it is frowned upon and generally disliked.
With options to tailor the game rules to those used at your local casino, it’s ideal to have open alongside your game for a few extra tips and tricks. These apps have become rather popular and some online casinos have started to cotton on to the fact that they are being used. www.galacasino.com is one of a few casinos that are not currently looking out for players using these types of apps.
There are two versions of the app – one free and one that is to be purchased. As with all things digital the free version is a slight downgrade of the purchased one; the paid-only features give you the ability to: count more than three cards at a time; simulate live play counting; simulate unbalanced counting systems; create counting systems defined by the user as well as being completely ad-free. Whether you want to learn a new skill or make a little extra cash, why not check out what other apps are available to improve your knowledge?

Five Ways to Know it’s Time to Retire Your Old Mobile Phone

HTC One and iPhone5

HTC One and iPhone5

With mobile technology growing bigger and better by the minute, newer models are being released on a regular basis. With this in mind, technically minded individuals are doing their utmost to get their hands on the latest handsets.

Take the BlackBerry Torch for example. This particular model is one of the newest introductions from the brand yet and those that own an older BlackBerry, such as theBlackBerry Bold, may wish to sell their existing model in order to upgrade to a more contemporary version.

1. Wear and tear

As well as technological advances, other reasons you may wish to upgrade your existing handset include wear and tear. Using a phone on a daily basis can take its toll and as such, can leave the mobile in question looking worn, faded and shabby.

If you own a flip phone, you may find that opening and closing the phone is no longer a smooth transaction. The buttons may have become a little stiff and if you own a BlackBerry, the trackball may cause the cursor to roll in the wrong direction.

These faults are often caused by overuse and sometime by carelessness. We’ve all dropped our phone whilst running to catch the last train home and we’ve all haphazardly thrown it into a handbag. Both of these factors can affect the appearance and the workings of the handset. Even if you do your utmost to keep your handset in tiptop condition, time will still cause it to lose its initial shiny appearance.

2. Staying ahead of the game

If like many, you find yourself wanting to share everything from what you had for breakfast to your current location, you’ll need a handset that is able to perform these tasks. Many of the newer models, including the updated BlackBerry Bold, perform pretty much every assignment possible. This includes offering a number of tech-savvy applications, allowing you to directly upload snaps to a variety of social media sites. 3G enables download speeds of up to 3.6Mbps, whilst allowing consumers to avoid tedious loading times.

3. You want your phone to listen to you

Do you ever wish your phone could talk to you? Well the good news is they can! Voice control allows individuals to call contacts in their phonebook without lifting a finger. This comes as great news to those that often have their hands full.

 4. You’re tired of playing alone

If you’ve become a little bored of the same two games that came with your phone, then you’re most certainly ready to upgrade. Almost all smartphones boast a variety of entertainment applications, meaning the lengthy journey to work will never be monotonous again. Download everything from classic solitaire to high-tech video games.

 5. Street cred

Staying at the forefront of technology is extremely important to both the fashion conscious and the tech-savvy. Having the newest, most talked-about handset on the market is therefore imperative and at the same time, will allow access to all of the latest apps.

Music Magpie will allow you to recycle your original handset safely. Regardless of whether you want to sell Blackberry Bold 9780 handsets you no longer enjoy, they offer competitive prices.

The Disappearance of Books- Welcome to the Digital Age!

Books used to be treasured items, with entire rooms designated only for books and other reading materials. Today, however, books are starting to turn into an endangered species. With the rise of digital literature, and the ease and power of that technology, the book is becoming harder and harder to find.

Fall from Grace of the Library

The library used to be a place where the most intelligent people in the world would gather in their quest for knowledge – either to complete papers and projects for academia or perhaps to discuss issues with other academics. Whatever the reason, today, the digital literature has rendered these buildings as virtually obsolete. There are still operational libraries, but other than offering a pleasant respite from the elements for homeless people, their purpose has largely been replaced by a small digital device with a 6 to 9 inch screen.

The value of books and the knowledge that they contain can’t be debated because they are the great equalizer. It doesn’t matter what your upbringing was; if you can read and have access to books, you can develop your intellect to the equal of anyone else in the world. That hasn’t changed, but now you simply have the books wirelessly delivered to your device, no matter where you are, Kindle USA or Nook UK, all people have quick access to all of the knowledge of history. Digital literature is the cause, and the end of the relevance of the library is the effect.

Digital Books are Much Easier to Store

One of the many bright sides of digital literature is that it is much easier to store. In the past, you had to find a shelf that could hold all of the books that a person could read. When you finished you added the book to your library where it would sit, collecting dust and taking up space until either you moved or died or both.

Now these spaces used for book receptacles can be revamped to provide a more functional use for the room that used to be the library. It can be turned into a family activity area, or perhaps a man cave. Either way, families are going to be searching for new ways to use that space that used to be wasted on holding old books. Now our books are stored on electronic clouds out in the universe, just waiting for us to call them back to relevance through our electronic devices.

There Is Something About a Book

Even though there are many great things about digital literature, there are still certain aspects of a book that can’t be replaced. The smell of a new book as you open it for the first time; the feel of the hard binder in your hands as you leaf through the pages and glean all of the knowledge that you can from the book’s contents. There is a finality in closing the book when you are finally finished with it that provides you with a distinct feeling of accomplishment. This feeling is just not equaled by powering down your reading device.

There will always be a place for books, but that place is getting smaller and smaller by the year. The cost of printing and production of a book can be simply eliminated by electronic versions with identical reading content.

Get the Latest Mobile eCommerce Tips and Tactics

Staying on top of the latest trends and effectively running your online business is never easy in the rapidly changing online landscape. What works in marketing your business one day may fail to capture the attention of an audience the next. The products that are hot and trendy are quickly replaced by products that are even hotter and trendier. The eCommerce software that your customers find simple and easy to navigate and use one moment, may in the next moment become obsolete with the release of the latest and greatest thing.

Staying on top of the changing eCommerce landscape is a constant challenge, and your footing is never sure. One of the most effective ways of maintaining that edge, and knowing what your customers want and desire is of course to ask them, and social media can play a big role in that regard. But you also don’t want to come across as helpless, as one who can’t function without their customer’s input or suggestions.

Staying abreast of the latest information yourself is vital, and there’s no better way to do this than by picking up the latest books on the subject. Books can provide you with more information than the blurbs of your customers, or the latest blog post on the subject by an expert in the field. They can allow you to develop your own unique strategies for running your store (which is itself unique, and should always strive to be as such), and not just pigeonhole you into one idea, or trend.

Let’s briefly look at a few of Holiday 2012’s best eCommerce books and what information they have that could make all the difference in the way your mobile store is managed.

Likeable Business, Dave Kerpen:Kindle, $12.10; Paperback, $14.06; Hardcover, $20.70.

Perception really is everything is the online world, and properly developing and cultivating your business’ appeal to customers is vital to being successful. This book is a great guide to building a likable business persona, and avoiding some of the pitfalls that can undermine and destroy that.

You Should Test That, Chris Goward :P aperback, $18.04.

Finding what works from the back end requires a great deal of patience and testing to create a browsing and shopping experience that is perfect for your customers, and this is work that most small business owners simply aren’t prepared to invest in. This book spells out why it’s so important to have a silky-smooth experience, especially when it comes to a mobile app and the various compatibility issues that can cause between devices.

The Impact Equation, Chris Brogan and Julien Smith:Kindle, $12.99; Paperback, $11.26; Hardcover, $15.85.

Social media marketing is vital to the success of any online (and even offline) business. How do you properly make use of these channels though, to get the word out about your company, get them interested in your brand, and not just make a lot of noise that serves little purpose in attracting new customers or retaining the ones you have? This book will show you how.

These are just a few of the great new books on real and digital bookshelves that can help immensely with successfully building your online business and mobile store, and maintaining your edge over the competition.