CRM on the move for small businesses
For most people customer relationship management conjures up the idea of a massive database of sales information. But for smaller, especially one person, businesses who may spend only a small amount of their time in front of a computer, traditional CRM isn't a practical proposition and doesn't lend itself to mobile use.
Step forward ONDiGO which is designed to provide CRM on the go -- see what they did there? It's built to be easy to use and to start working immediately so that you can begin improving business contacts with customers from day one.
Ouya gets external storage, UI enhancements
The little gaming console that could. Ouya, the Android-based Kickstarter darling, is on the market, and getting less attention than it did when everything was shiny and new. But the console continues to innovate and bring new games and features to the platform, in an effort to carve its own niche in a Sony/Microsoft-dominated world.
Now the console-maker has pushed a new update, which is perhaps the biggest since the little device debuted. The number one feature included here is external storage, in case you're running out of space for your games. Customers can now plug in an external drive, and the console will work with FAT32, NTFS, and ext4. A word of warning, though, don't take your drive to your friend's house, as the games won't work on another Ouya.
MediaFire Pro giveaway -- 1500 GB of cloud storage for BetaNews readers [Closed]
Cloud storage locker MediaFire has announced the availability of its desktop sync clients for Windows PCs and Macs. The new apps, currently in beta, arrive alongside a revamped web interface that is designed to make editing, sharing and viewing files much easier. The service is currently offering both free (10 GB of storage) and paid plans (Pro and Business), which can take advantage of the new round of changes.
The base MediaFire Pro account includes 100 GB of cloud storage, and currently costs $24.99 per year (50 percent off from the usual $49.99). The company has given us 15 MediaFire Pro account redemption codes to give away to BetaNews readers, providing each winner with 100 GB of cloud storage for a year.
Dropbox for iOS sports redesigned look, adds AirDrop support
Online backup and sharing provider Dropbox has released Dropbox for iOS 3.0, a major update to its app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users. Version 3.0 debuts a new design, AirDrop support and streamlines the iPad user experience.
It also comes with improved sharing and exporting tools, promises faster performance and squashes a number of bugs, hopefully reducing the number of times the app crashes.
Treatment options for the mobile device split personality
As the use of smartphones and tablets becomes mainstream in enterprises, organizations need to address some fundamental security concerns. While we have yet to see these devices succumb to malware threats in the way that previous endpoints have, there are legitimate data protection issues associated with their use. Between June 2012 and June 2013, travelers lost more than 10,000 electronic devices, including laptops, mobile phones, and tablets, in just the world’s seven largest airports, according to Airport Lost and Found, a global database.
Mobile Device Management (MDM) products gained early traction in the enterprise as a means to address some of the security and management issues associated with the use of consumer mobile devices on corporate networks. While MDM can solve some problems, in spite of being a fairly heavy-handed approach, it does not allow for the fine-grained security controls that many enterprises require.
How Android and iOS developers see Windows Phone [Q&A]
According to a new survey from Strategy Analytics, Windows Phone development is expected to ramp up significantly in 2014. Of the 1,600 interviewed devs, 32 percent plan to support the tiled smartphone operating system next year, a number that is twice as large compared to the current statistics for 2013. Android and iOS continue to rank as the top two picks, followed by HTML5 in third place and Windows Phone in fourth.
This is certainly good news for both Microsoft and Windows Phone users. The platform should receive more quality apps, an area where it is sorely lacking in numbers, and, as a result, gain more followers in the coming years. The third ecosystem dream, as Strategy Analytics says, is becoming real. The only thing that stands in the way is the developers' commitment.
Google celebrates 50 years of Doctor Who
One of the great British icons, Doctor Who, is celebrating a milestone birthday this weekend -- it’s 50 years since the eccentric Time Lord first took television viewers across space and time in his battered blue police box.
To mark the Doctor’s half a century of adventures, Google has created a special playable homepage doodle which will keep you busy for a while. To begin with it was only available on the New Zealand search page, but has since materialized (with a wheezing sound) everywhere.
6 areas Microsoft needs to improve in Office 365 for Business
When it comes to Office 365, some people think I'm too soft on Microsoft because I'm always writing about the good things I see in the service. And don't get me wrong, I think the platform is leagues better now than it was just a year ago. Just peruse some of the brutal honesty I wrote about Office 365 in the head to head piece I did against Google Apps back in mid 2012, and you may be shocked about my current viewpoint on the product.
Microsoft has indeed come a long way with the service as a whole. Before the 2013 edition of the suite, I found 365 to be a cluttered "me too" offering that did nothing to differentiate against Google Apps. My biggest gripe was that Microsoft was working too hard to cram desktop-first software into a cloud experience that felt half baked in the end. That notion got turned on its head earlier this year, and my feelings about the latest Office 365 for Business ecosystem are pretty positive overall.
Apple wins $290 million from Samsung in damages following retrial
One year ago, Apple was awarded a whopping $1.05 billion in damages from Samsung after the South Korean company was found guilty in a US court of copying elements from the iPhone and using them in some of its own handsets. Infringed features included how the devices displayed text and icons, the bounce-back response found in iOS, and the tap-to-zoom, one-finger-to-scroll, two-to-pinch, and zoom navigation features. The award was so high because the jury found that Samsung had willfully stolen design elements from Apple.
Earlier this year the US District Judge who presided over the trial, Lucy Koh, upheld close to $640 million of the damages that Apple had been awarded, but said that calculations made by the original jury had errors in it and ordered a retrial for the remaining amount.
Hands on with Google Play Newsstand
Google has merged two of its reading apps into one with the release of Google Play Newsstand 3.0. The app brings together the magazine subscriptions from its old Google Play Magazines app with the news-aggregating Currents app, retiring both in the process.
The new app aims to provide a one-stop shop not just for magazines and newspapers -- over 1,900 different publications are currently supported -- but also allows users to add their own news sources too using RSS feeds.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5 is here
It was only a month ago that Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5 Beta became available. Apparently, the beta-testing went smoothly because today, Red Hat announces that the final version is immediately available. In other words, if you work in IT and your company uses RHEL, you had better buy some Red Bull.
"Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5 is designed for those who build and manage large, complex IT projects, especially enterprises that require an open hybrid cloud. From security and networking to virtualization, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5 provides the capabilities needed to manage these environments, such as tools that aid in quickly tuning the system to run SAP applications based on published best practices from SAP", says the company.
Coin -- the only card you'll need in your wallet
Take a look at your wallet. How many debit cards, credit cards and loyalty cards do you have? If it's anything like mine it is probably bursting at the seams with an inch or more of plastic cards. Reach the checkout in a store and you may well have ended up red-faced as you rummage for the right payment and loyalty card. With Coin, all of this could come to an end. The idea of a catch-all replacement that combines multiple cards into one is not new, but thus far solutions have taken the form of mobile apps. Coin is different -- this is a real card that acts as many.
Coins have a tendency to weigh down your pockets, but this Coin is a single lightweight unit. The card features an integrated display which you can use to view the last four digits of a stored card along with the expiration data and CVV so you, and the person you hand the card to, knows which of your stored cards you are using. You may well have used a mobile app that replaces loyalty cards, and Coin is taking this idea to the next level.
Verizon offers trade-in, gift card deals for Nokia Lumia 2520
November 22 is a big day for Microsoft, with the Xbox One officially hitting store shelves, and Nokia releasing its latest devices, including an extra-large smartphone and a new Windows RT 8.1 tablet. The latter, known as the Lumia 2520, is being offered by Verizon for $399 with a two-year contract or $499 on a month-to-month deal.
While the price seems reasonable, at least in the realm of Windows tablets, Verizon is sweetening the deal with an offer for your old tablet. It's a deal similar to what Microsoft has offered as bribery in the past -- "trade in your current iPad in good working condition and receive a Verizon Wireless gift card up to $300. See how much your iPad is worth".
Microsoft updates SkyDrive for iOS with camera backup and more
While Microsoft has its own mobile operating system with Windows Phone 8, the company generously supports its competitor's products too. After all, with its own OS having such a small user base comparatively, it would be insane not to.
Back in June, the company's flagship non-OS software, Office 365, was released for Apple's iOS to the surprise of many. Today, while less of a surprise, Microsoft announces some major changes to its cloud-storage SkyDrive app.
Scroogled is marketing genius
My colleague Wayne Williams calls Microsoft Scroogled gear "pathetic" and a "new low". I agree that the anti-Google hat, hoodie, mug and Tees are more crass than class but they tap fanboy sentiments. The Scroogled product line is brilliant marketing, I say.
Look at the amount of attention generated across blogs, news sites and social networks today. Scroogled is everywhere. Microsoft rarely gets such viral uptake, and any advertising consultant will tell you that all news is good news. Controversy is sweet marketing, and here pointed. Scroogled isn't just anti-Google, it's pro-discussion -- as fanboys from both sides and everyone between them argue about one company against the other. Microsoft marketers want flaming debate about Google search.
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